California residents want football games returned to ‘home’ field
CALIFORNIA – Residents in the California Area School District are asking the school board to let them take another look at what needs to be done to return home football games to Booster Field. Resident Artie Harris presented the board with a petition containing 318 names that he said were gathered in just a two hour time period supporting efforts to return the high school team to Booster Field.
“If you want more, we can get more,” Harris said.
Because of the inability to get insurance for the old open-backed bleachers and the expense of renovations, the district this year is playing its home games at California University of Pennsylvania’s Adamson Stadium. The school board has looked at a variety of options for the field over the past four years, board president Tom Russell said.
John Bayer, chairman of the athletic committee, said it would cost about a million dollars to bring Booster Field into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and reduce liability issues so the bleachers can be insured. Given the state reimbursement formula for stadium construction, Bayer said that for an additional $1.8 million, the district could have a new stadium.
Harris said the residents would like the opportunity to meet with the insurance carrier and the athletic committee.
“There is free labor that is covered by workers compensation and some free materials,” Harris said.
Harris said he would get a committee together to meet with the athletic committee and the insurance carrier.
The school board members also clarified that it has no intention of getting rid of Booster field.
“We have no intention of selling that. We couldn’t. We have the soccer program there. We have the junior varsity football program there,” said school director Terri Doman.
Another resident, Carl Marshall, raised concerns about security in the district since there is no longer a school resource officer from the California police department in the schools.
“In lieu of this, they now have buzzers which are only on during the day. Someone could walk in with the students,” Marshall said.
The loss of the school resource officer was not something the district could control, board members said, when the resource officer left the police department for another job and other officers were on medical leave, creating some staffing issues for the borough.
“We all wanted security. What we did do, we put cameras in at the doors and you have to be buzzed into the building,” Doman said.
“School safety is a concern for everyone. How many officers will make this place safe,” asked Bayer.
Bayer noted that a gunman intent on causing harm at any school is not going to be stopped by a buzzer system, a pats system or a school security officer.
In other matters, the board Wednesday voted to refinance a bond issue for the high school renovation project done several years ago. The refinancing should save the district about $89,000.