MCDONALD Drawings shown of sports complex

'The Tradition Continues' is the levy campaign slogan.
By MARY SMITH
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
McDONALD -- The board of education will have MS Consultants Inc. of Youngstown develop final plans for a proposed new sports complex and other improvements in the McDonald schools, said superintendent Michael Wasser.
An estimated 70 residents, district staff and board members attended the first of two public forums Tuesday on the proposed 4.9-mill permanent improvement levy that will appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
The levy would generate $248,000 annually. The forum was in the high school auditorium.
The sports complex and building renovation project is expected to cost between $1.75 million and $2.5 million. A full-scale description of plans for the building renovations was provided, but Wasser and treasurer Thomas Radabaugh said the way the proposed sports complex will look is something that won't be determined until the levy is passed.
A sneak preview of the architect's renderings of how the proposed complex might look was set up outside the auditorium. Residents also were shown the drawings at Friday's football game.
Levy campaign
Wasser told the crowd the levy campaign has been positive. The campaign slogan is "The Tradition Continues."
Wasser said, "There has been a proud tradition here, and I would like to see it continue for a long, long time."
He added that the debt for the construction and repairs is to be paid off in about 15 years.
Sports complex plans call for a six-lane, all-weather track with discus and shot put areas installed on the football practice field behind the stadium.
The superintendent said the new track would allow the district to host both dual and triple track meets. Students now are being bused to Liberty, Mineral Ridge and Warren JFK high schools for track practice.
A new band shell with a cover is planned for the stadium, as are replacement of the home and visitors bleachers, with total seating increased to 2,501.
Photos illustrated the current condition of locker rooms, including the boys locker room's six-inch-wide lockers.
Wasser told the audience the high school stadium was built in 1952. He said plans for the stadium renovations will include use of the facilities by residents, and the board will discuss a joint venture with the village to change the worn Ohio Avenue tennis courts to a new location at the old Roosevelt School property.
Other plans
The Roosevelt property, where the old school was razed, can be used to create a football/soccer field for practice and for the band to practice.
The McDonald Midgets football team will be allowed to practice on that field, and other youth leagues will have access to the field with the addition of portable seating. A community park also is possible on the property.
School officials said the levy's estimated cost per household will be: a $50,000 home, $58.52 a year; $100,000 home, $117.04 a year; $150,000 home, $175.56 a year; and a $200,000 home, $234.08 a year. Officials said the average home in McDonald is valued at $85,000.