ASD: Home of the Armstrong Riverhawks?
L.R. Kimball Project Manager Brian Hayes and Armstrong School District Foundation Vice-President Kirk Lorigan appeal to the board to consider financing athletic facilities with the Foundation working during the next few years to pay the money back. The new school building - which was recommended to be named ‘Armstrong Jr. - Sr. High’ with the ‘Riverhawks’ mascot - may start having its foundation poured as soon as next week.
by Jonathan Weaver
When the new Armstrong School District Jr. – Sr. High School opens in Fall 2015, it won’t have red and while Wildcats.
Or purple and gold Sabers.
Or black and silver Wolves.
But, it might become home to the blue and orange…Armstrong Riverhawks?
After more than 350 qualified survey responses were completed by the public via the district’s website during the past few weeks, current Kittanning Sr. High Principal James Rummel and Ford City Principal Michael Cominos recommended the school be labeled ‘Armstrong Jr. – Sr. High School’ and ‘Riverhawks’ as students’ official mascot.
Rummel said ‘numerous’ mascot suggestions were given – with variations of ‘Eagles’ and ‘Hawks’ equally popular – and ‘Armstrong’ the top choice as opposed to a variation of Armstrong Central or Fort Armstrong.
The current building principals brainstormed the title ‘Armstrong Jr. – Sr. High’ in the past.
“That (mascot) was one our initial students voted on, and also the No. 1 vote-getter among the students had ‘hawks’ in it,” Rummel said. “Here, the community seems to like the name as well.”
Board President Joseph Close was partial to the title of ‘Fort Armstrong’ but said he would go along with the community recommendation.
A final decision is to be made by school directors at Monday’s regular meeting.
Reynolds Construction Management Project Manager Roshelle Fennell reported contractors are about 90 percent done with the cut-and-fill operation on the main portion of the site and have also started installing underground utilities around the building pad, including (the) stormwater management system, sanitary piping, force main and water lines.
“We’re getting the building pad about seven weeks early, which is great – the more foundations we can get into the ground this time of year will help us when winter hits,” Fennell said. “The site contractor has done a remarkable job doing his work with the delay and the amount of rain that we experienced in the month of June.”
Contractors are now preparing to move further up the existing Buffington Drive to allow Hudson Group, Inc. of Hermitage, Pa. to mobilize next week and start pouring the building foundation.
Four change orders – from Independence Excavating of Independence, Ohio and Vern’s Electric of Pittsburgh – will also be reviewed for possible approval Monday, but would money into the district’s contingency fund rather than subtract money.
In regard to the sports teams that might utilize that mascot, Armstrong School District Foundation Vice-President Kirk Lorgan has worked with L.R. Kimball Project Manager Brian Hayes the last few months (with Hayes working pro bono so far) to map out and estimate field and stadium costs.
Lorigan said the ASD Foundation would be willing to begin a capital campaign to raise money toward the overall cost, but told school directors that it was unlikely the estimated-$8 million would not be collected before the school opens. He suggested school directors possibly inquire about loan financing to pay the costs upfront.
“The Foundation really wants to make a concerted effort to really get this done. If we get every single penny, obviously that would be fantastic. But, we’re not going to get it in time or all upfront – it’s just something to begin to think about over the next couple months,” Lorigan said.
Projected athletic fields include an eight-lane track circling an artificial-surface, 3,500-seat football/soccer stadium, another all-purpose field, lighted tennis courts and softball fields.
The largest single expense would be for the $3 million fieldhouse.
However, designs must be in-place by as early as October to allow for two growing seasons.
Lorigan is to return regularly to update board directors on the capital campaign.
School administration and staff are to begin moving Monday from the current administration building into a renovated suite at West Hills Primary.
Armstrong School District | jweaver August 9, 2013
By Elderton Parent, August 9, 2013 @ 8:18 AM
This is a joke, right? Riverhawks? How about Riverrats! If the variations all had “hawks” in common, then why not just Hawks?
$8 million funded through the Foundation? How is this sports facility going to “enhance and enrich the learning experiences of our students by encouraging and supporting the development of educational programs” as stated on the Foundation web page?
Brian Hayes working “pro bono so far,” why wouldn’t he? That’s a guarantee that he will get the $8 million job.
Also, does anyone know how many gymnasiums will be in the new school? Just wondering because gym time for practices and games is always an issue for the indoor sports. Sounds like outdoor sports will have many options.
By jorn jensen, August 9, 2013 @ 8:34 AM
Each year, the Colonel Crawford school district ‘boosters’, central Ohio, somewhere along route 30, raffles off a classic Corvette as a fund raiser. Their event has gone ‘national’ and most of the proceeds of the event come in from outside the school district area. Find the Colonel Crawford school district boosters on the internet and see what they’ve done for their school district’s facilities.
By scott_starr, August 9, 2013 @ 10:36 AM
How much for a skybox?
By sickofpayingforit, August 9, 2013 @ 3:41 PM
Am I reading this correctly? We are entertaining taking another loan, to pay for a 3 million dollar field house, and other non-academic related expenses???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Our taxes were just raised people. We CANNOT afford to borrow money to buy pencils let alone frivolous spending like this. C’mon. The whole crux of this situation that forced the building of this school was the old, “bad” board took out a loan that couldn’t be returned. Well, there is no loan as of today, so this new, “good” board doesn’t have to borrow a penny. If there are no sports teams, the kids will still learn how to read and write, which is what I consider my obligation as someone forced to pay taxes in this county. Reality check time for these elitists, I think.
By lowfatlowcarbnosugarcheesecake, August 9, 2013 @ 5:47 PM
Lorigan wants another loan taken out for a freaking sports stadium…. Are you kidding me???? As if the school itself isn’t costing enough, you now want us to reach into our pockets and give the ASD foundation and ASD itself even more money for an unnecessary pricy sports facility? You’re cracking me up Kirk!
This school district is a joke…
By lowfatlowcarbnosugarcheesecake, August 9, 2013 @ 5:50 PM
Also… West Shamokin was again included in this little equation, so here’s a question did ASD finally admit WS will no longer be around in Fall 2015? I think the parents of Rural Valley, Dayton and Elderton deserve to know where their kids are going to be…
By mutchka, August 10, 2013 @ 4:18 PM
Just looked up Riverhawk on the Internet. It’s a flower green and red so we need green and red uniforms with a flower on the seat of their pants. You can tell these people are well educated that made this decision. Maybe our fight song canbe titled flower power.
By jorn jensen, August 14, 2013 @ 8:27 AM
sickofpayingforit - That is exactly why I mention Colonel Crawford High School Boosters in Galion, Ohio. Those boosters bring in an amazing amount of money FROM OUT OF TOWN to build their ‘stuff’.
Locally, we only know to keep on ‘pounding’ the over-taxed property tax payers. They’ll get their sports stuff alright - you KNOW that. Money is just an inconvenience toward the goal of a PNC Park at the new school.
By scott_starr, August 15, 2013 @ 10:57 AM
@lowfat:
Look $80 million borrowed is $80 million regardless if it is used for 3 schools or 1 school.
And if you believe that renovating 3 old schools would not have run over budget, well I ask that you reconsider that opinion.
$3 million for a sports stadium seems out of line to me, a 3500 seat stadium??? Let’s build some sky boxes and maybe sell them.. or how about naming rights to the stadium ?
Here is an even better idea:
1. Offer the large landowners of the county that Clean and green will not be “adjusted” if they come up with the money to build the stadium.
2. Sell off the Jail to private company.
3. Sell the Belmont, the County should not be in the “Entertainment” Business ( unless it is listening to all the bull they spew).
4. Really think about what to do with the excess school inventory. Kittanning Sr. High has some relatively decent lab space… rent it out to a start up… heck make the whole place a business center for start ups… Generate INCOME from the place.
5. Put school ADMIN offices somewhere else… Like kittanning twp.
Jorn: here’s a proposal to you. Put up one of your classic cars for a raffle. there was a bunch of back and forth awhile ago about your automobiles, cluttering up your yard ( don’t know if that was the exact quote but something like that).
By Crom44, August 15, 2013 @ 11:21 AM
Whether the blame goes on this board, or the previous, however many, boards. The problem is property tax as the source of revenue for education in Pennsylvania. Home owners get overburdened, as do small businesses. Large corporations hold communities hostage by asking for tax exemptions that last for years, and communities give in to them in order to have the business.
Every board has an agenda the previous board wanted to keep community schools, they were overwhelmingly rejected at the polls. You people can’t seriously continue to fail to believe that the majority of the people wanted a new school can you? The referendum question the previous board authored was bogus. Do I want my taxes going up? Absolutely not, but if they are going up anyway, then I would rather have consolidation than to constantly fix up the eye sores that house our students.
Instead of sitting here complaining like most of you do, do something productive instead. Many of you have been doing this for years and nothing good has become of it. If you aren’t part of the solution, then you are part of the problem.
Jorn- I do agree that our extra-curricular teams should take a page from Colonel Crawford High School Boosters. That’s the type of thinking that can make a difference to John Q Taxpayer.
By unclbuck, August 15, 2013 @ 6:23 PM
does the asd have any asbestos reports for any building they are selling. doesn’t the buyer or demolition people have to know. GET TO WORK LOCAL BUILDING CODES DUDES, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ITS YOUR JOB TO. I AM SURE THEY WILL TEAR DOWN THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING. AND WHERE DO THEY HAUL IT TO TO BURY, THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO SELL IT WITHOUT ASBESTOS REPORT.