The Bastrop Area Pickleball Association will replace outdated lighting at its courts with energy-efficient LED lighting with the help of a grant from Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative and the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The $9,730 Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,300 in matching funds from the association, will be used to replace 30-year-old lighting that limits visibility and sometimes makes it difficult for players to see activity on the court. The improved lighting has become increasingly needed as more people play later in the day after school or work, said Gary Moss, president of the Bastrop Area Pickleball Association.

The facility has 10 courts and is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Pickleball, which combines elements of tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong, is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and is popular with players of all ages. The game has a smaller court and doesn’t require quite as much running as tennis.

“We had a game recently that was a 70-year-old grandfather, a 40-year-old dad, a 38-year-old mom, and a 9-year-old son,” Moss said. “And they were really playing – not playing around, really competing.”

Moss said competition isn’t the only reason the facility has become so popular. He said pickleball also is a great way for visitors to socialize, chatting and getting to know one another as they wait for their next match. In just over a year, membership in the Bastrop Area Pickleball Association has grown from only a few members to more than 300.

With the new lighting, the group sees an opportunity to host large weekend tournaments, drawing in visitors from around the region and providing economic benefits for the community.

Moss said he and other volunteers, with the help of sponsors, have helped transform older seldom-used tennis courts into the popular pickleball facility by removing weeds, replacing cracked concrete, and working on new fences.

“We have a lot of great people who work hard and play hard,” Moss said. “We’ve really turned this into a spectacular thing.”

The group offers a $200 annual membership for unlimited play, and offers no-cost memberships to those aged 18 and under and low-income families.

The community grant is one of six grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and nonprofit organizations fund capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves. Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of LCRA’s wholesale electric customers and is a partner in the grant program.

Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted in July. More information is available at lcra.org/cdpp.

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative members in Washington County will experience a temporary power outage Tuesday, May 23, as crews complete an upgrade to electric distribution lines. The upgrade will increase the voltage carried through the power lines and is needed to continue to reliably serve the growing demand for electricity in the area.

The outage will occur 9 a.m. to noon, and will affect about 650 homes and businesses near FM 2780, FM 1697, Engelbrecht Rd., Wildflower Rd., Christian Cemetery Rd., Hancock Ln., FM 1948, Post Oak Rd., Outback Ln., Fischer Rd., Rehburg, Rd., FM 1948 W, Colvin Rd., Edgewater Ln., Somerville Terrace, Weber Ln., FM 594, Ben Tap Ln., Stevens Rd., Harge Rd., Eberhardt Rd., Schulenberg Ln., Mallard Rd., Roberts Rd., Iron Bridge Rd., Wilhelm Ln., Pheasant Ln., Cheri Ln., Drake Rd., Deep Water Blvd., Longpoint Rd., Natalie Ln., Rocky Creek Park Rd., Friendship Circle, Coon Rd., Dorothy Ln., Joyce Circle, Caneople Ln., White Cap Ln., Malkey Ln., Rabbit Rd., Bates Ln., Bredthauer Rd., Flagpond Ln. and Faist Rd.

“Safety is our top priority every day,” said Matt Bentke, Bluebonnet’s general manager. “We will have more than 100 Bluebonnet employees and contractors, and about 75 vehicles in the area working to complete this conversion with as little impact on our members as possible. We take every precaution possible to make these jobs safe, and ask that residents in the area be cautious and aware of our crews.”

Bluebonnet has contacted every member who will be affected by the outage to inform them of the day and period of time they will be without power, and will call them again on Monday, May 22.

Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative is one of the largest electric cooperatives in Texas and has been serving its members since 1939. Bluebonnet serves more than 125,000 meters and owns and maintains 12,000 miles of power lines, located across more than 3,800 square miles within 14 Central Texas counties. Bluebonnet’s service area stretches from Travis County to Washington County, and from Milam County to Gonzales County. For more information about Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative, go to bluebonnet.coop and follow the co-op on Facebook and Twitter.