News : Work continues on football field, school facilities

Workers install the wiring for the PA system for the VSHS football field on Monday morning.

Size doesn't matter: The ticket booth at VSHS football field will house the PA system, for now.

Almost every teacher raised his or her hand during a meeting Monday morning of Vinton-Shellsburg staff members, when Superintendent Mary Jo Hainstock asked how many had spent some time this summer clearing brush or working with insurance adjusters.

In addition to its impact on homes, the storm of July 11 also caused damage to V-S properties, particularly its athletic fields. At the football field, where the Vikings will play in a little more than three weeks, the ticket booth on the north end is being converted into the sound booth.

The equipment shed that was destroyed in the storm had housed the equipment for the football field's PA system. The ticket booth had been overturned.

While long term plans call for replacing that larger storage building, the temporary solution is to move the ticket booth to the concrete pad that held the storage building, and install the wiring and equipment necessary for the sound system there. Maintenance Director Les Bearbower said that very few spectators used that north entrance, so there will not be any impact on those attending the games.

The outfield fence of the VSHS baseball field was also significantly damaged, and the pavilion at the outdoor classroom at Tilford was destroyed.

Still, Hainstock, told the teachers, the district was lucky; there was very minimal damage to the school buildings.