A town hall meeting concerning the community track project was held in New Haven High School’s cafeteria, at 7:00 pm, on Tuesday, March 10th. To start off the evening, Brad Zobrist, who supervises the project funds, took the floor.
Mr. Zobrist began by stating the school’s goal of raising $350,000 for the track project. He assured the audience that all the donated money will go straight into the project itself, not to any side work. All together, $312,000 has been committed, though the total collected is $266,000. The gap to reach the project’s goal is $38,000, which is only 11% away from total funding. Zobrist explained to the audience that the project has not reached the finish line, but is getting closer.
Those who have already donated include community members, businesses, alumni, and even civic groups. There are 285 donors total so far, which shows the broad support that came from the community. 44% of the donations come from New Haven alumni. Current students helping with special events such as the Jingle Jog or the silent auction have brought in 17% of the funding. Grants contribute 8%, and 4% comes from supportive civic groups. Brad Zobrist concluded, “In summary, we are pretty close but not done...I’d like to thank donors and the community members for their support, speaking in volumes about this amazing school.”
Next up was John Nilges, who showed the architectural drawings that have been made of the track. He said, “We’re just trying to spend your money wisely and get what’s important from all of you...your opinion.” Continuing on, Mr. Nilges presented the utility plan and explained the plans that displayed the track’s outlines, placement, and sizing. Mr. Nilges stated that the placement of the shotput and discus area would be on the flatter land available, though it could possibly change.
The track will have eight lanes and meet MSHSAA regulations. Mr. Nilges explained that the surface will be the same as other high school tracks, after Kyle Quick questioned what surface type would be used. Phase two of the project was then discussed. Items such as lights, a surrounding sidewalk, and a concession stand building were included in this phase. After the presentation of the plans, there was some discussion. Jim Eichelberger suggested that the Lions Field could potentially share a parking lot, so that it could serve both sporting events’ parking. Steve Roth stated that he had never thought of a shared lot, but it could be a possibility. Mrs. Eileen Roth brought up restrooms, which would be part of phase two, along with the concession stand. In the mean time, runners and fans will have to use the restrooms in the high school or the Lions Field concession stand.
The next steps for the project will be gaining the last bit of the money; to that end, the committee is holding a dinner auction Friday, May 29th.
-by Tenille Duessler
Those who have already donated include community members, businesses, alumni, and even civic groups. There are 285 donors total so far, which shows the broad support that came from the community. 44% of the donations come from New Haven alumni. Current students helping with special events such as the Jingle Jog or the silent auction have brought in 17% of the funding. Grants contribute 8%, and 4% comes from supportive civic groups. Brad Zobrist concluded, “In summary, we are pretty close but not done...I’d like to thank donors and the community members for their support, speaking in volumes about this amazing school.”
Next up was John Nilges, who showed the architectural drawings that have been made of the track. He said, “We’re just trying to spend your money wisely and get what’s important from all of you...your opinion.” Continuing on, Mr. Nilges presented the utility plan and explained the plans that displayed the track’s outlines, placement, and sizing. Mr. Nilges stated that the placement of the shotput and discus area would be on the flatter land available, though it could possibly change.
The track will have eight lanes and meet MSHSAA regulations. Mr. Nilges explained that the surface will be the same as other high school tracks, after Kyle Quick questioned what surface type would be used. Phase two of the project was then discussed. Items such as lights, a surrounding sidewalk, and a concession stand building were included in this phase. After the presentation of the plans, there was some discussion. Jim Eichelberger suggested that the Lions Field could potentially share a parking lot, so that it could serve both sporting events’ parking. Steve Roth stated that he had never thought of a shared lot, but it could be a possibility. Mrs. Eileen Roth brought up restrooms, which would be part of phase two, along with the concession stand. In the mean time, runners and fans will have to use the restrooms in the high school or the Lions Field concession stand.
The next steps for the project will be gaining the last bit of the money; to that end, the committee is holding a dinner auction Friday, May 29th.
-by Tenille Duessler
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