Plans Drawn Up For New Press Box Building

WAITSBURG - The Cardinals Booster Club needs to raise at least $19,000 if it wants to break ground for a new press box and equipment storage building in late spring, according to members of the Waits- burg sports community.

But the good news is that they have a plan for their goal and support seems to be building in the rest of the community. The proposal is already backed by the Waitsburg Booster Club, the WP Quarterback Club and the Waitsburg Lions Club.

A group of coaches, boosters and fans met Sunday to outline a fundraising strategy for the coming months after the club received a $5,000 grant last week from Cycle Oregon to help fund the $25,000 project. Another $1,000 has been raised from other sources.

"We're entering the serious phase of this project," club president Ross Hamann said. "We have a lot of work to do to raise the money and a short time to do it."

The group wants to build a long, high and shallow building that would rise above the back of the bleachers on Cardinal Field with a balcony over the surrounding track and a view of the junior high baseball diamond.

The building would provide much-needed equipment storage space and covered seating. Track and field, baseball, soccer and football programs for high school and middle school covering some 150 annual practices would be able to place most of their equipment there.

The enclosed seating would offer shelter for scorekeepers, coaches and guests for 10 annual high school varsity and junior varsity football games, three middle school football games, track and field timing and coaches observation, baseball games observation and scoring.

The press box building would not include rest rooms. The rest rooms in the old storage shack by the junior high baseball diamond are woefully inadequate, according to many in the community.

But Hamann said a permanent restroom fix would have to be part of a bigger initiative to construct a proper field house, a much more expensive proposition that may require a school district facilities bond.

The press box allows the sports community to immediately address an urgent need while planning continues for an eventual field house project, he said. "We chose this project because it's bite-sized."

Proponents of the press box project will host a dinner and silent auction this spring, launch a community letter-writing and one-onone corporate donations campaign, and try to sell the naming rights for the new building.

They also expect to hold an alumni tournament to help draw attention and funds for the project, whose construction would start after this year's last track practice, Hamann said.

With the sports programs, particularly football, cross country, soccer and basket- ball doing so well this school year and drawing significant community interest, "this is the time to raise the money," assistant football coach Joe Estes said.

For fans, the fundraising drive will include lots of opportunities to collect sports memorabilia such as T-shirts, hats, and (possibly signed) footballs, but also bid on game seating inside the new press box.