LAKEVIEW SCHOOLS Board of education approves stadium lights bid

The board of education will ask city council about closing a portion of Pearl Street.
BY REBECCA SLOAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CORTLAND -- When football season rolls around again, the Lakeview High School team will score touchdowns beneath the mighty megawatts of a brand new stadium lighting system.
The board of education has unanimously approved a $116,385 bid from B & amp;J Electric of Poland to install four light poles at Don Richards Stadium.
Superintendent Matt Chojnacki said it's been a long time coming. "The old lights have unreliable wiring and are too expensive to operate. We won't be using them anywhere else once they are removed. They will be thrown away."
Ready for football: Chojnacki said he doesn't know when installation will begin but the new lights will be in place by fall.
"It will be a major job. The poles have to be demolished and new transformers installed. Then the new poles have to be put in and secured by concrete," he said.
Security lighting will also be installed to illuminate the field if anyone should walk across it after hours.
The money will come from the district's permanent improvement fund, which is generated by levies.
Two other bids were submitted.
Street closing: The board unanimously approved asking city council to consider closing a portion of Pearl Street between School and Erie streets, where it is sandwiched between Cortland Elementary School on Park Avenue and the school's playground, a factor that has been a safety concern for years.
"We are blessed that we have never had any severe accidents with children crossing this street during school hours or after hours to attend events," said board member Donna Zuga, who spoke in support of approaching city council about the matter.
Chojnacki said he has spoken to Mayor Melissa Long and other city officials about the proposal, and so far they have been receptive.
However, if council did decide to back the board on closing of a portion of the road, it would be a lengthy process and no action would be taken immediately.
"There would be public hearings and a lot of planning involved," he said. "We do not have any idea at this point what it would cost, and some residents have expressed concern about fire trucks being able to get through."
Chojnacki said the vacated section could be used as a parking lot or as part of the playground.
"At this point we are still working out the details, but we would install barricades so cars could drive around the closed portion, and a new bus entrance would be needed," he said. "We would work with the city to make whatever we do functional and nice looking."