The Origins of Plantation Athletic Club
by Rob Vidacovich
Many people who belong to, or who have been members of, PAC in the past have posed the question "How did PAC get started"? I finally felt that it was good timing to bring the past to light. The main reason that I felt the timing was right is the eminent relocation of the PAC, that we all have come to know, to the new facilities in lower Algiers (English Turn).
Plantation Athletic Club has been a fixture in the Algiers landscape for over 30 years. Not bad for what was originally a mere cow pasture serving little use to the youths and adults of the area.
The idea to start PAC was originally born by several men who were very involved in activities at the now deserted River Park Playground. River Park Playground was a very popular and successful playground located at the end of three streets; Pittari, Blair and Lancaster in River Park Subdivision. As a kid growing up in River Park, I practically lived at the field. The families involved in the park always had an event or tournament scheduled. Most of the kids playing ball games or taking part in various events rode bicycles to the field. It seemed a lot safer back then. This made for a lot less traffic hassle for the families that bordered the park like the Lees, Martins and Millers. The only time the park posed a problem was at night when the older kids used it for submarine races or driving their cars into the park and doing doughnuts. You really had to be careful not to get caught because everyone know everyone and your parents were always just a telephone call away.
The park, which was not all that big to begin with, was not able to accommodate the growing requirement for additional space and better facilities. Also, the city did not contribute anything in the form of labor, materials or money to support the playground. That is when a group of men meeting in John Lilly's garage decided to pursue another option. This group consisted of John Lilly (pres.),Andy Schubert (VP), Bill Vidacovich, Pepper Martin, Moe Torres, Lynn Chapman, George North, Jim Marvin, Doc Wingerter, Stanley Digiovanni and a host of others who are not listed but contributed to this endeavor. The group approached Mr. Charlie Grandbouche at Aurora Properties about leasing a piece of land in order to build a new playground. A lease deal was struck with Aurora Properties for a whopping fee of $1 per year.
I estimate that all usable items that could be moved from River Park along with a lot of donated items were delivered to the new site on Gen. Meyer Ave. in 1963. Since there were limited funds, to say the least, and no big donations from large corporations available, the aforementioned group of men set out to build PAC. During the many hours of hard work, which included building back stops, dugouts, and installing light poles and lights, Mr. Moe Torres suffered a heart attack and died. Everyone unanimously agreed that the field at PAC should be named Torres Field. Every time I visit PAC I look for the small sign that stands in memory of one of my good friend's father.
I only hope that the PAC of new is half as much fun to the kids that play sports there as River Park was to all my friends and me.