When Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Sheboy looks out his office window he sees … a rock pile that keeps growing and growing.
There are actually two piles — huge boulders in one, and crushed stone in the other, separated by a rock crushing machine. Every day, he said, the piles change in size. The boulders came from under the tennis courts, football field and bleacher area of the field. The crushed rock is going back under those various areas, but as base for new surfaces.
Project Manager Joe Tola was at the Board of Education meeting last week to update board members on the work going on right now. He said contractors are currently waiting on O&R to get started with electrical conduit relocation — that needs to be done before new fields go in; and that the pre-fabricated press box was set to ship last Friday. It was expected on site this week, and then a crane would be brought in to lift it into place — “we want to get big heavy equipment in and out before any asphalt goes down, so it doesn’t do any damage,” Tola said.
That asphalt needs to go on paths and the track, before the track surface is put in place and the ‘carpet’ that will be the new artificial turf field is rolled out.
“Before you know it, “the kids will be playing on it,” he said. The first games are expected to be played on the new field in late October.
Because there is not much field space available right now, and because construction equipment is still all over the gymnasium and locker rooms, all physical education classes are being held in the auditorium right now, taking on more of an academic tone than physical.
Inside the building, issues with incorrect lighting being sent to them are being dealt with. Contractors have placed some temporarily lighting, in bathrooms and the new senior lounge, for instance.
“Most of the issues we’ve had to deal with this summer are by manufacturers, not contractors,” Tola said, although he noted that both rock outside and asbestos in the locker rooms inside slowed some of the work.
“As soon as we can, we will turn it over to you,” he said.
He answered several questions from board members, including fielding one along with O’Neill Principal Debbie Brand about a newly remodeled bathroom outside the cafeteria in which boys and girls share the sink area.
Board member Faith Aprilante thought it might be “too open”, noting she might not feel comfortable using it. Tola noted that the style of rest room — distinct male and female toilet rooms with a combined sink area — is common in school bathroom remodels because the open doorway allows faculty in the halls to keep an eye on what’s going on. Board President Anne Lawless noted she’d seen similar designs on college campuses. Brand said she hadn’t heard any concerns from students, and that some had commented to her how bright the redone bathrooms are compared to how they were.
Sheboy, speaking from outside the building earlier on Thursday, said he is looking forward to those first games. Standing at what will be a viewing area for those who don’t want to sit in the bleachers, he noted the gorgeous Hudson Valley view from the patio, of sorts. It’s about 10 feet higher than a previous area where fans would sit in lawn chairs, he said.
“I think people will enjoy watching games from here,” he said.
