Poland commencement will be in fieldhouse

By Denise Dick

Pushing installation back until after commencement would have meant moving the first two home football games.

POLAND — Commencement for Poland Seminary High School’s Class of 2008 will be in the high school’s fieldhouse.

The school board voted unanimously at a meeting Monday to conduct the ceremony indoors. That decision will enable work to begin in mid-May on installation of new artificial turf at the school’s football field where graduation usually is conducted.

More than 150 students signed petitions presented to school board members last month asking the June 8 ceremony remain outside at the stadium. In the alternative, the petitions called for the ceremony to be moved to Baird-Mitchell Field at the middle school.

But three graduating seniors who attended Monday’s meeting support the board’s decision.

Jillian Wollet, Megan Bennett and Caroline Watson say they don’t have a problem with the ceremony being in the fieldhouse, the location in years when it rains.

Jillian and Caroline both have younger brothers on the football team and would feel badly if their siblings didn’t get to play their first two home games in the stadium.

School administrators looked into the costs of moving the first two home games — something that would be required if installation of the new turf were bumped back until after graduation. Estimates were between $4,600 and $6,100, said Myron Stallsmith, athletic director.

The amount includes rent, personnel, security and transportation.

Installation of artificial turf benefits the whole community, said Megan, whose father, David Bennett, is a school board member.

The other girls agreed. The band and other groups will get use and benefit from the turf, too.

“I’m in the band, and I would have loved as a majorette to be able to be on artificial turf,” Jillian said.

Before the board’s vote, Vincent Procopio, high school principal, said he also explored the costs of moving commencement to Baird-Mitchell. Those estimates ranged from $2,100 to $2,500 including shuttle buses, school bus drivers, chairs, a sound system and custodian service.

Atty. Mark Fortunato, a member of the Bulldog Turf Club, the nonprofit group raising money for the turf project, told board members that safeguards have been put in place to ensure the work proceeds.

The contract with the company that will install the turf levies a $2,500- per-day penalty if the work isn’t done on time.

The club also has secured a $125,000 line of credit at a bank, guaranteed by a club member, so that if the group doesn’t raise enough money it can borrow funds, Fortunato said.

“We don’t intend to borrow any money,” he said. “We intend to raise all of the money in donations.”

Ed Muransky, another Turf Club member, said the project is expected to run between $560,000 and $600,000. The group already has $145,000 in the bank and $385,000 in cash and pledges.

The group also has secured $100,000 of the $200,000 it expects to be done in in-kind work, he said. The contracts with the entities providing the in-kind work are being drawn up and will specify the services to be provided and their value, Fortunato said.