SHARON Stadium situation is of little concern

A report to the board last month cited concerns about water and mold.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- The condition of the weight-lifting room below Tiger Stadium isn't as dire as school officials first feared.
The school board received a report in October from its building and grounds subcommittee saying that the weight room, converted from existing space into a facility now used by student athletes and physical education classes, was damaged by water infiltration and "in dire need of repair."
The report said there was mold on the walls in the northeast corner of the room, and the carpet was water-damaged. A hallway leading to the weight room also had ceiling damage from water, the report said.
The report upset school Director Dom Russo at the time. Sharon put a lot of money into the facility when it was developed in 1998, and Russo said he didn't want to see that money thrown away.
Russo and members of the subcommittee toured the facility this week and came away satisfied that the water problem isn't a serious threat.
"It's not as bad as we were thinking," Russo said. "I don't see it as any threat to the structure."
Director Kathy Hall agreed, noting that it was obvious water had leaked through a wall in the northeast corner of the room and the carpet was wet, but there was no mold evident and no equipment damage.
"We deal with problems like this every day," said Ralph Trenga, supervisor of buildings and grounds for the district, as he showed the area to a Vindicator reporter.
Water damage
A section of carpet about 10 feet square in the northeast corner of the weight room was visibly wet, and a section of the lower portion of the cement block wall in that area was discolored as a result of water passing through it.
The weight and locker rooms are located beneath the concrete stands on the west side of the stadium, which was built in the early 1930s.
The concrete expands and contracts with the weather, causing leaks that can be difficult to permanently repair, Trenga said.
The weight-room problem is being caused by water running down from the concrete seating into cracks along a set of steps at about the field's 15-yard line. The surface water seeps through the cracks and works its way through the cement block wall of the weight room, which is about 6 feet below the field surface, he said.
When rain is heavy, the water flow coming down the steps can get too heavy for the small round drain at the foot of the steps and can run under a door leading to a hallway next to the weight room, compounding the problem, he said.
Maintenance workers have already recaulked the steps to seal cracks, but that problem recurs every couple of years as the concrete expands and contracts, breaking the caulk seal, Trenga said.
Water overpowering the drain at the bottom of the steps will be corrected by putting in a larger grate-type drain, something district workers can handle at minimal expense, he said. Water damaging the hallway ceiling is the result of an expansion joint in the concrete leaking. That's also a caulking problem, he said.
Little concern
Athletics Director John Vannoy said the water problem hasn't prevented use of the weight room, and there's been no damage to equipment. Nor is there evidence of mold or even a musty smell, he said.
Dr. Donna DeBonis, superintendent, said the water hasn't caused any health concerns, and students continue to use the facility.
Trenga said the water problem was worse at the southern end of the stands, which has no rooms under it. Water was coming off the track that surrounds the field and seeping under a concrete wall causing erosion beneath the structure and under a small section of the paved track.
District workers dug out a 40-foot section of the track along the wall last summer, pouring a new 4-inch concrete wall 7 feet deep to halt the water flow. So far, it's working, he said, adding that the same measure could be employed farther north along the stands should water infiltration beneath the field-side wall develop there.
Project funding
The weight room was a $92,370 add-on to a larger $540,000 locker room, restroom and concession stand improvement project. The money for the weight room covered only construction, not equipment. Pepsi-Cola put up $50,000 for equipment in exchange for an additional 12 years on its exclusive contract to sell its products in district vending machines and concession stands.
The district planned to pick up about $30,000 of the remaining $92,000 cost, with the rest to be covered by donations from various groups.
James Wolf, district business manager, said the Alumni Fund contributed about $23,000, but the rest of the donations never materialized, leaving the district to pick up a total of about $70,000 in costs.