Track resurfaced; tennis courts poured
Post date: Feb 22, 2017 10:30:07 AM
Progress continues on facility projects funded by the 2016 bond issue:
Doornbos Track Resurfaced
The Doornbos track around Lyon Field at Custer Stadium has been resurfaced.
Tennis Courts Concrete Poured
The concrete for the six new tennis courts just north of Lyon Field was poured in February. The project is still on track for completion in early April, barring inclement weather and other typical construction delays.
The two large pours had to begin at 4 a.m. because they had to be poured out and troweled smooth before the sun came up and began evaporating the moisture at the top.
Five decrepit courts at BHS were demolished, along with a small adjacent parking lot. The old courts were the worst in the conference, with unsafe surfaces, inadequate seating, and too few courts for tournaments. The new facility will address those shortcomings.
The five old tennis courts at the high school were the worst in the conference, with unsafe surfaces, inadequate seatings, and too few courts. Voters approved a 2016 bond issue that included replacing the tennis facility. The school board awarded a $875,880 bid to Merritt Sealing Company to replace the courts.
Demolition of the five old courts and two small parking areas on their east and west sides began in early January. The new courts will feature walkways on the north and south sides providing access to a new seating area in the middle of the court complex. Wind screens on the north and south sides will feature the Bruins logo, and the courts will be blue with a green background. They will meet USTA US Open specifications. The bid came in low enough that lighting could be added on six poles, operable by a cell phone application and with an auto timer. The former lower parking lot west of the courts will become a green space.
TRACK HISTORY
In 1988 the cinder track at Custer Stadium was replaced with the modernized Chuck Doornbos Track, via a $150,000 donation from Chuck's son Foster Doornbos & daughter Ami Preston. Chuck was a track star in high school and at the University of Kansas.
The Doornbos family would also contribute toward a renovation of the track in 2004. An interesting note is that the original striping on the Doornbos track had a conversion error when the change from the old U.S.-measurements track to metric measurements was made, something that was caught in the 2004 track renovation.
Over time, track surfaces wear down due to use and weather. Eventually, holes in the surface, along with warps and bubbles arise, making it sometimes difficult or uncomfortable for athletes to run on the surface.
The original 1988 blue track surface is visible in a photo from August 2002; in 2004 the track was renovated using $233,000 in interest from the 2000 bond issue and a $33,000 donation from Chuck's daughter Ami Preston & his granddaughters, including Darian Kedy & Dana Keirsey. The track re-dedication took place at the 2004 Homecoming.
By 2016 the track surface needed to be renewed again. Voters supported a 2016 bond issue that included funding for that. The renewal cost $127,940.
