Posted: 7/27/05
Concession stand a go
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The Caledonia School Board voted 6-1 on July 18 to build a new concession stand/restroom facility by the athletic fields.
Work will begin this summer, although it is unlikely to be completed in time for the fall sports season.
The Caledonia Rotary Club is funding the project. Dave Nelson, Caledonia, is volunteering his time as the project manager. Randy Klinski, who owns Winona Controls, Caledonia, will oversee the mechanical work.
Nelson said the budget for the building was a little over $90,000, but the labor part of that will come down as volunteers line up for the job.
He also recommended that the building be heated all winter. ìThis is not a pole shed,î he said. ìItís important you preserve this building over the long haul.î
It will have bathrooms and a kitchen, Nelson said, and the building will heave and start to move and crack if it isnít heated.
Nelson is recommending that a ìheat sinkî be used to heat the building. That involved putting down four inches of insulation on the bottom of the foundation, with 12 inches of sand on top of that. The sand is heated electrically on a dual fuel rate, and the heat radiates through the structure.
Some board members worried about the cost and the public perception of heating a building that isnít used for the winter. Chuck Schulte estimated it would cost $500-$1,000 a year to keep it above freezing.
He asked that the building be designed so that the water can be shut off and the lines blown out. This will give future board the option of not heating it, Schulte said. The board consented to his request.
Several Rotary Club members were present at the meeting. Project coordinator Ann Thompson said the group had raised $78,200 of its $90,000 goal so far. Fundraising efforts will continue, she said.
ìI really feel very confident it will get done under budget,î board member Barb Hurley said. Mary Frank agreed with that.
Schulte suggested that if any money were left over, the roofs on the partially-built dugouts could be completed. Rotarian Miles Miller agreed with that idea.
Several Rotarians said they would find a way to raise all the money necessary. Theyíll hold a car wash if necessary, John Pongratz said.
Board member Mike Novak, who voted against the concession stand, said he was leery of committing to the project without having all the money up front, or putting a value on the volunteer labor.
Nelson said he could not go to the volunteers and demand to know what they would do. Then it would become compulsory and not voluntary, he said. ìItís just a matter of faith,î Nelson said. ìI think it will happen but I canít put a dollar amount on it because itís so variable.î
More money and volunteers will come in when the ground is broken and work begins on the project, Rotarian Mary Mell said.
Several school board members thanked the Rotary club doing this project. Hurley added a thank you to Dave Nelson and Randy Klinski.
Caledonia Argus
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