Stories from our July 23 edition
Kimberly football field installation nearing completion
By Brian Roebke
Editor
After months of planning, fundraising and waiting, the new synthetic playing surface at Papermaker Stadium in Kimberly is being installed and getting close to completion.
The $675,000 project is going very well, with the completion date for the field being Aug. 1.
Just a couple weeks into the project, Jim Zwiers, director of buildings and grounds for the Kimberly Area School District, knows the drainage problems have been solved.
“We had better than two inches down here one night and more the other night, but it was a hellacious amount and this was dry,” Zwiers said while standing on the field Friday afternoon.
The first step in the process was removing the old soil and installing the new base.
The work was done by Gene Frederickson Trucking.
“They had never done a football field before, they’ve done some road grading,” Zwiers said. “The particular stone we used was harder to grade and get to grade than a road stone would be, so the cat operator had some struggles, but he did an outstanding job.”
The carpet is laid on six compacted inches of stone base. Clay lies below the stone and a layer of geotech fabric that keeps the stone and clay from migrating together.
Drainage was also installed under the field.
Darren Spencer, the director of field installations for ProGrass, is a Green Bay native, but now lives in Pittsburgh. The company is headquartered in Pittsburgh, but workers come from all over the country.
“He said the stone base that he sees is in the top 10 percent of any he’s found,” Zwiers said. “We wanted to use a local contractor and we wanted to keep as much of this locally. For one, it saved us a bunch of money, because if they had to come from Pittsburgh, it’s going to cost us more.”
The first thing Spencer’s crew did was check the gravel base to make sure it looked good. Then, they laid out the field, measured, and put marks down for the 50-yard line and sidelines.
Then, field panels are rolled out from endline to endline. They sew and flip continually until the entire field is done.
Each piece of carpet is 15 feet wide and runs the width of the field. Carpet on the sidelines runs the opposite direction.
Once everything is sewn, they start with the gluing and inlay work. “We shear out the fibers and glue to the backing of the carpet,” Spencer said.
White colored yard lines as well as the white out of bounds strip are dyed at the factory.
The hash marks and soccer lines, as well as the “K” at the 50-yard line and the “KIMBERLY” in the end zones are cut in on the field.
The inlays are glued to the base of the carpet after the grass is shaved off.
After all the inlays are done, they infill the field with a rubber material which is ground up tires at a rate of three pounds per square foot.
The Kimberly field will get more than 300,000 pounds of rubber placed on it.
The company uses a drop spreader to get the rubber between the grass fibers and a machine that looks like a street sweeper with an 8-foot wide poly brush goes over the field about a dozen times to get the rubber evenly distributed.
Spencer said the spreader operator needs to be careful not to overlap the rubber too much, and the persoon doing the brushing has to “knock down the highs and fill in the lows.”
Spencer said it’s not too difficult, but his people need to pay attention to what they are doing.
“Once that’s done, we do a little bit of hand work and touch-up work, cut the perimeter, staple it, and it’s ready to go,” Spencer said.
Initially, the rubber will take a while to settle, and fans can see some “rubber splash” during the first season, but over time, the rubber will lock in well.
“It doesn’t really track after that,” he said. “They’ll end up with some in their shoes, but it will slowly taper off.”
Spencer enjoys his unique job, and he got his start right at home in Green Bay.
“There was a crew working in Green Bay at the Don Hutson Center, and I met them in town and they could have used an extra hand and I told them I’d be more than happy to do it,” he said. “Then, when the job was done, they asked me if I wanted to go with them on the road, I think it was New Jersey, and I said ‘sure,’ and that was eight summers ago.”
ProGrass does installations year-round, but work is spotty in the winter. Winter work is done mainly indoors in the north, and full fields down south. They are currently working on nine jobs nationwide.
When he was an hourly supervisor, Spencer said he was laid off a lot, but now that he’s the director, he’s overseeing all the nine crews and they are maxed out to capacity with 45 or 50 workers.
He said he doesn’t get any breaks now. “It’s been about a year and a half now solid,” he said with a chuckle.
That’s because field installations are exploding.
“High schools are the biggest market,” he said. “There’s more than anything else. Whether people want to believe it or not, this is a money-saving venture.”
The rubber is what extends the careers of athletes, Spencer said.
Spencer added that schools will never miss an event because of a deteriorated field.
The first field of this kind ever installed was at Ringgold High School in the Pittsburgh area, the school Joe Montana graduated from.
Quite a few NFL fields are now synthetic, and while ProGrass hasn’t done an NFL field, they have installed fields for Division 1 colleges.
The small crew does everything, making their jobs very unique.
“There’s only four major players.” Zwiers said. “We did interview all the companies and I honestly got a real warm fuzzy feeling. I went to Pittsburgh and met their corporate people and we do that typically by design.”
He said the district likes to know who they are working with. The trip was funded by ProGrass.
Working on the project has been a fun part of his job.
“The stone base, I was the manager on that and I was out here every day, all day long, and I enjoy challenges,” Zwiers said. “It was really a treat for me to do that, and Gene’s guys are a pleasure to work with.”
Spencer said the Kimberly installation is going very well.
“The access we have, the parking lot, and the privacy,” he said. “The people have been cooperative.”
The first event at the field is scheduled for Aug. 26, when the Bulldogs youth program opens its season.
Little Chute village board offers stars and previews of coming attractions
By Tom Collins
For the Times-Villager
The 35-minute session offered by the Little Chute village board Wednesday, July 16, offered hints of action to come, much like watching a series of movie trailers at a theater. There were even moments of star quality.
The home-grown star was Girl Scout Gold Award winner Sarah Wydeven, who was formally recognized for her numerous achievements including “Backpacks Beyond Borders” which raised money and gathered school supplies for Little Chute’s sister city, Citlaltepec in Veracruz State, Mexico.
Ms. Wydeven’s proclamation was officially read into the public record and she received a plaque plus a round of applause from all those in attendance.
“This is one of the pleasurable moments of being on the village board,” quipped board president Chuck Fischer.
The hints of coming attractions included approval of a change order to study the merits of signals in addition to a previous study of roundabouts along Highway OO at the Holland and Freedom Road (Highway N) and the Buchanan Street intersections. The secondary study will cost approximately $3,611.
Two scenarios regarding the new Mill Street bridge were discussed. Village administrator Charles Kell noted the state Department of Transportation will not support a temporary bridge nor will the village pay for a temporary structure that could cost $1.5 million and be used only for one year.
Kell said the village had hoped to lease a construction bridge now in place but that structure would block the locks.
“That’s a wrinkle we’re going to have to deal with,” Kell said, noting the locks will be opened as early as this fall.
Kell also reported he is working with Outagamie County and the state to properly align signatories to the bridge building agreement. The matter is a technicality to assure the county will pay their share of funding for the bridge, Kell noted. It arose when the village, rather than the county, became the lead agent in the bridge proposal.
Community development director Jim Moes noted a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that may impact the village’s property tax assessments of Walgreen’s.
The unanimous decision, written by Justice Louis Butler, involved an assessment method used by Madison, the city of Milwaukee and several Milwaukee area suburbs. Their assessments used the business income generated plus higher rental rates rather than comparable property values.
The Walgreen’s corporate center asks developers to find high traffic corners and gives them specifications on building their stores. The company leases the stores to the developers but pays the property taxes, even though they do not own it. The company challenged the Madison and Milwaukee area assessments through the state court system.
On July 8, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously overturned both Dane County and Second District Court of Appeals decisions regarding the assessments saying they improperly equated business arrangements with property values.
“We have the potential of the Walgreen’s suit having an effect on us,” said Moes. “They are also appealing our (Little Chute) assessment.”
Finance director Dale Haug noted that village charges from the Heart of the Valley sewage treatment plant are currently 10 to 15 percent over budget.
“It’s something we’re monitoring,” noted Haug. “Our volumes are up due to the weather. We do have reserves to absorb charges like this.”
Fox Valley Metro police chief David Peterson reported vehicle break-ins continue in the village while village clerk Vicki Schneider noted Little Chute’s Sexual Offender Residency Board would soon be called into session to hear an appeal.
Other business included approval of Little Chute’s purchase of the Peter and Lynn Artz properties at 133 and 141 East Main St. for $325,000. Trustee Jason Leicht cast the lone dissenting vote.
Thirteen operators licenses were also approved along with a change of partnership signees responsible for a past loan agreement with the village. A pair of signees bought out two other partners necessitating the change.
The village board session also included more stars and even flower power! The latter was the mentioned regarding the annual Garden Walk on Saturday July 19. Also, Steel Magnolias will appear in a cluster of benefit concerts for the Windmill Center and the village’s Families for the Center for Performing Arts the weekend of July 25 and 26.
Village clerk Schneider also said producers of a new talk show featuring actress Bonnie Hunt already have requested participation of Cheesefest carvers on her program that will be premiering soon.
The curtain rang down on the meeting with adjournment at 6:35 p.m.
Kaukauna High School sets registration schedule for Aug. 12-13
Kaukauna High School students may pick up their class schedules and pay registration fees on Tuesday, Aug. 12, from 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 13, from noon until 7 p.m. at the high school. Students should enter through the commons doors.
A $38 registration fee, including school fees ($30), planner fee ($5), and ID fee ($3) must be paid before a schedule will be distributed.
In addition, fees for classes are to be paid at the time of registration, along with any overdue fees or fines.
Class fees that are due for this year will be available to view on the Parent Portal after Aug. 1.
Again this year charges for CAPP classes are due no later than two weeks after the start of the semester. If the fee is not paid by that time the student will be taking the course as no credit with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Students will receive a copy of their schedule at registration. Students will not receive another copy of their schedule the first day of school so it is important that this schedule is not lost or misplaced.
All students must have their pictures for ID cards taken at this time. ID cards will be issued immediately at registration. For those students who do not have their ID pictures taken on registration days, pictures will be taken the first day of school. Activity passes will be printed directly on school issued ID’s
Activity passes will be sold at registration for $25 per student. Activity passes will be printed directly on school-issued ID’s. Any student who wishes to purchase a pass after their ID has been printed will be charged $26.
Students must turn in their current ID in order to receive an activity pass ID or they will be assessed an additional $10.
Passes for adults can be purchased at any time in the activities office for $50. These passes are good for the 2008-09 school year. Senior citizens (age 60 and over) will be allowed in free to regular season events. Passes will allow entrance into all home athletic events other than special tournaments we host and WIAA regional or sectional contests. Fees for home events without a pass will be $4 for adults and $2 for students.
Parking permit applications, which need a parent signature and a valid driver’s license, will be available at this time.
The fee for a parking permit is now $50. There is a combination of 515 parking spaces available in the paved main student lot and the gravel lot located off of Loderbauer Road; therefore, this is the number of permits they will sell. Students must have a parking permit in order to park in either lot.
Seniors may purchase student parking permits beginning Aug. 12 and junior and sophomore students on Aug. 13. A student must possess and show a valid driver’s license when applying for a permit.
Again this year, there will be a fee to join all WIAA-sponsored athletic programs as well as some clubs.
The following teams will be charged for participation: boys and girls cross country, football, boys and girls volleyball, boys and girls tennis, boys and girls golf, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, baseball, softball and boys and girls track.
The following activities will be charged for participation: Destina-tion Imagination, forensics, math team and mock trial. The fees will be $30 per sport/activity, capped at $60 per student and $150 per family. Athletic fees will be collected by the coaches or they can also be paid at registration. There will be no refunds for those who quit a team or are removed for disciplinary reasons during the season.
Yearbooks for the 2007-2008 school year are tentatively scheduled to be distributed at registration. The 2009 yearbook will cost $42 with a $2 handling fee. Students will be making payments directly to Jostens and will receive order forms through the mail this year.
Ordering will NOT take place during registration.
Families with two or more students will be required to purchase one book through Jostens and additional copies can be purchased at a discounted price by contacting Ms. Kocken.
Direct inquiries to her at kockenn@kaukauna.k12.wi.us.
