West Shamokin Field Construction Approved
by Jonathan Weaver
Drainage issues have hindered spring athletics for West Shamokin baseball and softball players, but Armstrong School District board directors hope to resolve those before the season begins next week.
Last night, school directors unanimously agreed, 8-0, to renovate the baseball and softball fields through a regional company that has worked on fields from local high schools to the National Football League’s home of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Heinz Field.
Armstrong School District Business Manager Sam Kirk describes the three contracts ultimately approved by school board directors to upgrade baseball and softball fields at West Shamokin Junior-Senior High in Rural Valley.
District Business Affairs Manager Sam Kirk said that under the state cooperative purchasing program COSTARS, Athletic Field Pros – a subsidiary of S&S Processing in West Pittsburg (Lawrence County) – will renovate the softball field for $10,415 and the baseball field for $3,200.
Board Director Paul Lobby was absent.
Kirk said while the softball renovations would completely fix any problems, Athletic Field Pros would have to come back this summer to do more work on the baseball field – at the cost of more than $33,800 – to complete the project.
“Those fields right now are in dire need,” Kirk said.
Athletic Field Pros will slope the fields rather than install drains as a dozen West Shamokin athletic officials and parents recommended in mid-January.
Head Baseball Coach Dave Powers said the field was originally built by the school construction company with no drains. Drains have since been installed, but only in front of dugouts.
Assistant Baseball Coach Mike Cornetti showed school directors photographs of swamped baselines – which he said is a common sight on both the Wolves’ baseball and softball fields. He said, while weather the past two seasons has been “a huge hindrance” to spring athletics, drainage issues have caused officials to play games at away fields, at neutral sites or to cancel them altogether.
Sophomore Varsity Softball Athlete Lakien Porter, of Templeton, was also at that meeting and agreed with the need for upgrades.
She said softball players have also been requested before games to “try as best as we can to get the water off.”
Region III Board Representative Stan Berdell was supportive of the upgrades – both in January and last night.
“It’s not acceptable for our students to be playing on that. I think we need to act, find out what the problem is,” Berdell said in January. “Clearly we need to do some work out there.
“Even though money’s tight, our students need to be treated fairly and have the same conditions as anybody else in the district.”
Board President Joseph Close voted in favor of the COSTARS agreements and had faith in Athletic Field Pros rather than putting the renovations out for public bid.
“I think this is a professional outfit. If we go through a bid process, we might get somebody that is not that knowledgeable on doing that type of work,” Close said. “I think this will put this problem to rest if we get it done right.”
School directors did not act last night on whether to build a field house and more storage as officials proposed in January.
A field house could be made up of training rooms, locker rooms and offices to benefit not only the athletes, but the rest of the student body and community for storage, Athletic Director Ray Blystone previously said.
In other District business, school directors voted 7-1 to honor pending LERTA tax abatement agreements in Manor Township, Bethel Township, East Franklin Township and North Buffalo Township.
At the beginning of March, three school board directors, Kirk and School Superintendent Chris DeVivo met with Armstrong County Commissioners with questions about the pending resolutions. Kirk recommended board directors pass them last night.
“We need to work hand-in-hand in an effort to try to spur some kind of development –residential, commercial, industrial, whatever it might be – in an effort to expand the tax base in this county. Any program that can give that a boost, I think we should be supportive of,” DeVivo said during Thursday’s open caucus session.
The approved Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) designations would allow for residents that increase the property value of their homes or businesses to receive a tax break for up to 10 years.
County Commissioners must also pass the resolutions for them to become effective. Commissioner Pat Fabian said the trio of commissioners will consider each tax abatement ordinance as they are presented.
Board Director Tim Scaife voted against the four resolutions.
West Shamokin and community officials, as well as athletes, came to school directors with the issue during January’s regular business meeting and proposed drainage to repair the fields, but Athletic Field Pros will reportedly slope the softball field in less than two days’ time (KP File Photo).
Armstrong School District | jweaver March 15, 2016
By jerry6, March 17, 2016 @ 8:03 PM
I wish we could get a list of all politicians who are up for election this year who are voting on this budget in Pa. We should vote all of these people out and send a message to them that we don’t need them since they aren’t doing their job. This includes all republicans and democrats.
By RESHSW, March 18, 2016 @ 9:02 AM
I’m not certain but wasn’t this school build on wetlands?
By bob, March 19, 2016 @ 1:03 AM
@RESHSW, Yes. Built on wetlands.
@jerry6, I would rather keep those in place who are trying to keep our taxes from being increased.
By Iteach, March 19, 2016 @ 9:10 AM
jerry6 you can. Look at: http://www.house.state.pa.us/ or http://www.pasen.gov/
These things are all public record.
By Elderton Parent, March 21, 2016 @ 9:21 AM
RESHSW, knowing it was a “wetland” you would think the engineering company would have made sure there was proper drainage for these fields. But that is typical ASD. That school should have NEVER been built there. Hence the nickname “Mistake by the Lake.”