OAK RIDGE 2017 FOOTBALL

[SweetScience]

I have to go with Bounder on this one. Orcat is hardly ever right about anything pertaining to OR football. Plus, he thinks I'm a loser.

[BarneySox2007]

The same people that run the place in Oak Ridge wouldn't let you build a house with gravel coming out of the foundation so why would they let a couple of thousand people go set in a football stadium doing the same thing. Over here in Blount County they had to tear down the concrete football stadium at the old Porter High School Field that was being used for park and rec football because it was doing the same thing and it was built around 1967 where Oak Ridge was built in the fifties. That stadium was built right into the ground like Oak Ridge's stadium. Most school systems will let things go until it's to late. Even here in Maryville the stadium is falling into disrepair but no one is doing a thing about it until the damage it cost is twenty times what you could of fixed it for a few years back.

Edited January 18, 2017 by BarneySox2007

[catswild]

How many years have we been talking about turf...3? 4? I doubt it will happen at all. I have a friend who's on the committee. Unlike all the other schools who have gotten it, our school system is providing ZERO money, so you're wrong Bounder. Other thing he said was that money they're getting from the state CANNOT be spent on the bleachers, locker rooms, or press box. It can ONLY be spent on the field (turf) and track. If what I'm told is true, then most of us have no idea what we're talking about.

[IanMackaye]

There isn't a track at the stadium is there? The only one I know is at the school.

[catswild]

There isn't a track at the stadium is there? The only one I know is at the school.

Although I don't really understand it all, what I'm told is that the state is providing money for the turf/track because both will be able to be used by the public. The track will be a walking track and the facility will be open much of the day, every day. The public can't use the bleachers every day, they can't use the press box every day, they can't use the locker rooms every...but they CAN use the track every day, as well as the turf. So it's not "disgraceful" that the city is taking on this project because that's all the state will provide money for.

[GWAVE1]

Although I don't really understand it all, what I'm told is that the state is providing money for the turf/track because both will be able to be used by the public. The track will be a walking track and the facility will be open much of the day, every day. The public can't use the bleachers every day, they can't use the press box every day, they can't use the locker rooms every...but they CAN use the track every day, as well as the turf. So it's not "disgraceful" that the city is taking on this project because that's all the state will provide money for.

How is the state providing money? Under what provisions and can others qualify?

[olhickory]

GWave, the state has grants that the city of OR has applied for.  These grants can't be picked up by a high school, but a municipality can apply for them as long as the city residents have access to them 24/7 to walk and exercise.  That is the hold up with the OR city field.  It is hard to let everyone in the city have access to the city field if the high school is holding an event that you must pay to attend.  I think OR gets turf this year. However, the city will want to control the keys to it and the school will need to use it, so there will be some scheduling that has to be done.  Ultimately to get and keep a grant, you must follow the rules of the grant, and if it says the public must access at all times, they will have to work that out.Best of luck to the cats to get that field installed.  The Mavericks love their new field, and I know the cats will too. 

[SweetScience]

There isn't a track at the stadium is there? The only one I know is at the school.

Yep. An old cinder block track or used to be. Used to be where they ran track. Remember, Blankenship is where the original High School in Oak Ridge was at.

[catswild]

GWave, the state has grants that the city of OR has applied for.  These grants can't be picked up by a high school, but a municipality can apply for them as long as the city residents have access to them 24/7 to walk and exercise.  That is the hold up with the OR city field.  It is hard to let everyone in the city have access to the city field if the high school is holding an event that you must pay to attend.  I think OR gets turf this year. However, the city will want to control the keys to it and the school will need to use it, so there will be some scheduling that has to be done.  Ultimately to get and keep a grant, you must follow the rules of the grant, and if it says the public must access at all times, they will have to work that out.Best of luck to the cats to get that field installed.  The Mavericks love their new field, and I know the cats will too.

Thanks for your response because I can tell that you know a whole lot more about this than I do. Your post lets me know that my source was right but you explained it in a way that's easy to understand.

[bounder]

The track that is there now was put in by Rogers Group about 2001, the Quarterback Club had it done with a ton of donations especially from Rodgers Group. And NO HELP from the School Board. Then we remodeled the  upper concession stand and expanded the restrooms, put new metal roofs on both upper and lower concession stands plus roofs on both ticket booths. And put the concrete picnic tables up at the Arch for the Walk Of Champions. That we paid to have erected. And the concrete tables at the concession stand. And again NO HELP from the school board. Don't hold your breath waiting for the City or School board to do anything but mow the grass and stripe the field.

Edited January 20, 2017 by bounder

[GWAVE1]

GWave, the state has grants that the city of OR has applied for. These grants can't be picked up by a high school, but a municipality can apply for them as long as the city residents have access to them 24/7 to walk and exercise. That is the hold up with the OR city field. It is hard to let everyone in the city have access to the city field if the high school is holding an event that you must pay to attend. I think OR gets turf this year. However, the city will want to control the keys to it and the school will need to use it, so there will be some scheduling that has to be done. Ultimately to get and keep a grant, you must follow the rules of the grant, and if it says the public must access at all times, they will have to work that out.Best of luck to the cats to get that field installed. The Mavericks love their new field, and I know the cats will too.

Thanks for your reply. So is the stadium itself city owned, school board owned or is their a county school system that owns it? Very curious due to Gallatin's ongoing stadium issue with the county and lack of funding. Thanks.

[bounder]

It's city owned but run by the school system. It is funded by the schools but the schools are funded by the city. Make any sense? Any thing that gets done by volunteers has to be approved by the school board.