Donnell Resolved...No comment
NOTE TO READERS: This was supposed to be my column that was going to run Saturday. But people more powerful than I said there had to be a story in Thursday’s paper...so that pretty much rendered this column moot. I think this column is much more entertaining than the story in the paper today...just my opinion only. No comments from Superintendent Wittwer, AD Snodgrass or the building and grounds guy who even came up to the office last night to make sure he wouldn’t be quoted.
Just one last sentence before you read my column....why the hell is everyone scared to say anything....I don’t understand the secrecy.
My Column...
This is going to be a ground-breaking column.
That’s because it’s all about whether or not they are going to break ground for a new synthetic turf field at Donnell Stadium.
Can’t say for sure what’s going on out there. People in charge of the stadium are pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing.
The plans are so secret and information so scarce that you’d think that the U.S. government was installing a secret UFO base at Donnell Stadium instead of replacing the natural grass surface with synthetic turf.
Hmmm, maybe that’s why there are dozens of stakes with yellow ribbons driven into the ground at Donnell Stadium.
A secret UFO base could be a boost for the Findlay economy, if that’s what’s happening at Donnell Stadium. Unfortunately no one has come forth on the record to refute a possible UFO base being installed at Donnell Stadium.
The biggest clue to the Donnell Stadium mystery was right there under our very noses in The Courier on page B5 of the March 29 edition of the newspaper.
The clue to what’s going on with Donnell Stadium was is in very small print in the classified section of the newspaper.
The first paragraph says everything we need to know to squelch the secret Donnell UFO base rumors I have been spreading.
“Sealed proposals are invited to furnish labor and material for a proposed synthetic turf system at Donnell Stadium for Findlay City Schools.”
The classified advertisement is your typical notice seeking bids on a project you’d often see when a school district or government entity is seeking bids from private contractors on a big project. Looking past all of the legal gobbledy gook in the ad it lists the estimate for the base bids on the project at $780,000. That’s no small chunk of change.
In addition, the contractor awarded the bid much achieve “substantial completion” by August 15, 2007 just in time for the start of the new football season.
Bids on the project are scheduled to be opened in the office of the business manager for the Findlay City Schools on April 12 at 2:30 p.m.
All I can say if the new synthetic turf is installed at Donnell Stadium is that it’s about time. After covering games at Tiffin’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium and Fremont’s newly-renovated Don Paul Stadium I think synthetic turf is the way to go especially for stadiums like Donnell that have two or more teams playing on it each season.
The only problem I see is what to do with the outdated six-lane track surrounding the field. Any upgrade of the field should eliminate the track. The lanes are narrow and the facilities are less than outstanding for a track meet. It would be nice to see the University of Findlay and Findlay City Schools in a joint effort to build a quality 8-lane outdoor track for use by both the schools and the university.
For a city the size of Findlay, with a Division I high school and an NCAA Division II university, not to have a proper outdoor track facility is a shame.
Donnell is a great place to watch a football game and the addition of synthetic turf will allow for more games to be played in Findlay --- specifically OHSAA playoff games. Conceivably with a change in the playing surface, Donnell Stadium could host playoff games right up to the state semifinals.
If and when synthetic turf is finally installed at Donnell Stadium, the school, businesses in town and football fans in the area will all benefit.
There’s no secret in that.
Contact staff writer Jamie Baker at:
(419) 427-8409
jamiebaker@thecourier.com
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
Mansfield Madison 8, Wooster 6
Mansfield Sr. 12, Clear Fork 9
Ashland 10, West Holmes 5
Van Buren 4, S. Laurel, Ky. 3
Glasgow, Ky. 6, Van Buren 3
Tottenville, N.Y. 5, Ottawa Hills 3
WEDNESDAY SOFTBALL
Ashland 11, West Holmes 1
Mansfield St. Peter’s 16, Norwalk St. Paul 4
Wooster 12, Mansfield Madison 11
Clear Fork 15, Mansfield Sr. 1
Just one last sentence before you read my column....why the hell is everyone scared to say anything....I don’t understand the secrecy.
My Column...
This is going to be a ground-breaking column.
That’s because it’s all about whether or not they are going to break ground for a new synthetic turf field at Donnell Stadium.
Can’t say for sure what’s going on out there. People in charge of the stadium are pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing.
The plans are so secret and information so scarce that you’d think that the U.S. government was installing a secret UFO base at Donnell Stadium instead of replacing the natural grass surface with synthetic turf.
Hmmm, maybe that’s why there are dozens of stakes with yellow ribbons driven into the ground at Donnell Stadium.
A secret UFO base could be a boost for the Findlay economy, if that’s what’s happening at Donnell Stadium. Unfortunately no one has come forth on the record to refute a possible UFO base being installed at Donnell Stadium.
The biggest clue to the Donnell Stadium mystery was right there under our very noses in The Courier on page B5 of the March 29 edition of the newspaper.
The clue to what’s going on with Donnell Stadium was is in very small print in the classified section of the newspaper.
The first paragraph says everything we need to know to squelch the secret Donnell UFO base rumors I have been spreading.
“Sealed proposals are invited to furnish labor and material for a proposed synthetic turf system at Donnell Stadium for Findlay City Schools.”
The classified advertisement is your typical notice seeking bids on a project you’d often see when a school district or government entity is seeking bids from private contractors on a big project. Looking past all of the legal gobbledy gook in the ad it lists the estimate for the base bids on the project at $780,000. That’s no small chunk of change.
In addition, the contractor awarded the bid much achieve “substantial completion” by August 15, 2007 just in time for the start of the new football season.
Bids on the project are scheduled to be opened in the office of the business manager for the Findlay City Schools on April 12 at 2:30 p.m.
All I can say if the new synthetic turf is installed at Donnell Stadium is that it’s about time. After covering games at Tiffin’s Frost-Kalnow Stadium and Fremont’s newly-renovated Don Paul Stadium I think synthetic turf is the way to go especially for stadiums like Donnell that have two or more teams playing on it each season.
The only problem I see is what to do with the outdated six-lane track surrounding the field. Any upgrade of the field should eliminate the track. The lanes are narrow and the facilities are less than outstanding for a track meet. It would be nice to see the University of Findlay and Findlay City Schools in a joint effort to build a quality 8-lane outdoor track for use by both the schools and the university.
For a city the size of Findlay, with a Division I high school and an NCAA Division II university, not to have a proper outdoor track facility is a shame.
Donnell is a great place to watch a football game and the addition of synthetic turf will allow for more games to be played in Findlay --- specifically OHSAA playoff games. Conceivably with a change in the playing surface, Donnell Stadium could host playoff games right up to the state semifinals.
If and when synthetic turf is finally installed at Donnell Stadium, the school, businesses in town and football fans in the area will all benefit.
There’s no secret in that.
Contact staff writer Jamie Baker at:
(419) 427-8409
jamiebaker@thecourier.com
WEDNESDAY BASEBALL
Mansfield Madison 8, Wooster 6
Mansfield Sr. 12, Clear Fork 9
Ashland 10, West Holmes 5
Van Buren 4, S. Laurel, Ky. 3
Glasgow, Ky. 6, Van Buren 3
Tottenville, N.Y. 5, Ottawa Hills 3
WEDNESDAY SOFTBALL
Ashland 11, West Holmes 1
Mansfield St. Peter’s 16, Norwalk St. Paul 4
Wooster 12, Mansfield Madison 11
Clear Fork 15, Mansfield Sr. 1
posted by --J-- @ 2:56 PM
5 Comments:
At 6:16 PM,
Anonymous said…
Interesting that the project is funded by FCS? All past projects funded by the Donnell Foundation?
At 7:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I heard from referee that there was one remaining Donnell on the board for the foundation and they were against getting rid of grass. But who can trust a referee to know whats going on?:)
At 8:36 PM,
--J-- said…
Actually the school is paying the upfront money to do the project but the Donnell Foundation will be reimbursing the schools the $780,000 it will cost. At least this is my understanding.
At 9:08 PM,
Anonymous said…
There is no doubt this has to be funded by the Donnell Foundation. You could not find a school in Ohio that could afford the luxury of field turf when everything else involving school systems are being cut.
It would be a great addition to Donnell to add the field turf. They will probably cut back a job or two at the stadium, lining the field and mowing will be a thing of the past.
JDee
At 9:37 AM,
Anonymous said…
If they do put in field turf, I hope they also fix the rest of the problem areas.
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