It may be "standing room only" Saturday night at Port Washington High School. But nothing short of an emergency will prevent the school from inaugurating its sparkling new gymnasium which along with other impressive improvements are being completed at the county school. Stone Creek High School will be the guest for the first basketball game in the new gymnasium-auditorium which is part of the $327,000 bond issue passed by the residents of the school district November 1959. A delay in the delivery of the bleachers for the gym has caused some concern that they will be installed for the game, but executive head John Toth said "It may be standing room only, but we're going to hold the game Saturday." The seats were to be delivered yesterday and with community help and a bit of hard work it was hoped most of the bleachers would be ready for the fans by game time. When finished the gym-auditorium will provide some 800 seats and give Port one of the better seating capacities among the Class "A" schools in the county. The bleachers will provide approximately 600 seats and another 200 will be available on the stage. The new facility will represent a striking contrast to the old plant which seated only 450, which also included a stage for some of the student body. In addition, the new playing floor measures 50-feet by 84-feet as compared to the former "crackerbox" figures of 58 by 33. A new scoeboard also dresses up the new plant. The flooring is of white oak and in squares of 3 inches by 3 inches housed in a building measuring approximatgely 86 x 90 feet.
The Port cagers have held 3 practice sessions on the new floor in preparation for its debut tomorrow night. County coaches have also gotten a chance to see the new facility, meeting there Wednesday. Construction on the new athletic plant and the other annexations and remodeling began in April and is slated for completion by early Summer. Nine classrooms have also been included in the improvement. Four new rooms are included in the annex, while 4 others are a result of making use of the space in the upper story of the old gymnasium. A new cafeteria is being completed in the site of the old gym floor level, while an industrial arts room is located in the new annex between the cafeteria and new gym-auditorium. New locker rooms will accomodate some 220 boys and girls, which also include showers and instructors rooms. The cafeteria will also serve a dual-purpose with portable tables that can be moved out for use by music and band instructors. Remodeling included modernization of classrooms for chemistry, physics and science-biology laboratories that will include up-to-date equipment and material, valued at $20,000. A school library also has been included in the revamping along with a new administration office and teachers conference room. Several more smaller rooms for storage are also included. Toth feels the new gymnasium should be a stimulus for basketball and even entice more of the youngsters to participate in the program each year. In addition, he said, the larger floor will also serve as a better facility for physical education because of its size.
In summary, the school head pointed out that the student of Port will now be provided a more specialized education program since technical subjects can now be taught in certain prescribed classrooms with appropriate equipment. In the past one classroom was used for several varied subjects, while the new rooms and the remodeling provides for isolation of the technical and detailed portions of the curriculum, such as chemistry, physics, etc. So, while some may be standing Saturday night, etc., the "show will go on" as Port ushers in a new era and inaugurates its new gymnasium.
Friday, December 9, 1960
The Daily Reporter
Dover, Ohio
No comments:
Post a Comment