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Lowellville bounces basketball project to the school
LOWELLVILLE
The village has decided to bounce a $25,000 project to renovate basketball courts to the school district.
Dom DeFrank, 19, of Lowellville, won a Twitter contest posted by Powerade last December in which the company awarded him $25,000 to complete a recreational project.
DeFrank said he intended to use the money to renovate the outdoor basketball court next to the Lowellville school complex. He said over the years the cracks in the court’s pavement have worsened.
Some conflicts arose, however, when DeFrank brought the project and the prize money to the village. After months of discussing and planning for the project, the village decided at a special meeting recently to hand the project to the school district.
Bill Meehan, Lowellville village administrator, said the village chose to step away from the project because there were “a lot of obstacles” in trying to revamp the courts.
“It was becoming a hassle,” Meehan said. “The courts are on school property, so we’re letting the school take care of it.”
Mayor Jim Iudiciani said the village spent a little more than $5,000 in plans and specifications for the basketball-court project before the school district took on the responsibilities. He said the village made plans to fix the court’s paving and paint job.
“There’s a lot more in this job than the $25,000 award could cover,” Iudiciani said.
Schools Superintendent Eugene Thomas said the school district was open to taking on the renovation project. He said the district will create a plan to renovate the courts early in winter.
“The superintendent was kind about taking this project up,” DeFrank said. “He talked with my mom during the last school board meeting, and I know he will have the integrity to see this project through.”
Iudiciani said he is unsure whether Lowellville schools will use the specifications the village created.
DeFrank said he hopes to see the project completed by spring. He said the remodeled court will be called the John DeFrank Memorial, in honor of DeFrank’s deceased father.