WEST ALEXANDRIA — Twin Valley South officials were happy to receive new upgrades to a number of their athletic facilities for the upcoming 2016-17 school year. Superintendent Dr. Clint Moore, who is retiring this year, and incoming superintendent Robert Fischer, recently discussed the new changes which will benefit the school district.
“We have collected close to $220,000 in donations so far from various entities to replace some of the aging athletic surfaces, bleachers and other things that are in desperate need of upgrading,” said Fischer in a recent interview. “All of our funds used to make this happen have been from donations and not from using any school funds or taxpayer money. We want the taxpayers’ money to be used strictly for educational purposes.”
“It started in August of 2015, we knew that the bleachers was not going to make it through another season,” Dr. Moore said. The football bleachers were over 40 years old. The wooden boards and framing were too far gone and were declared a safety hazard.
“The timing was not right so we basically demoed them, laid down a new concrete slab, brought in temporary bleachers and then used the time frame of 2015 to raise money,” Moore added. “Once we reached the necessary funds, we went ahead with the projects.”
The bleachers were completed in February, the two scoreboards inside the high school gymnasium were bought at about the same time and installed in April. South will have a new sound system for football games, to be completed before the season starts. Also on the list of projects to complete is an electronic marquee for the front gates at the football field, and new lighting for the field.
Because of the age of the old lighting system, the need for upgrading is necessary. In addition, the school plans to refurbish the gymnasium floors, and to refurbish the middle school gymnasium scoreboards.
None of these projects are in any particular order, but they are on the list of things to do with the exception of the football field lighting, according to school officials.
“Corey Mangan, Community First/Outreach Coordinator is also on board for even more changes to the athletic facilities at TV South,” Dr. Moore mentioned. “He was involved and approached the school for these installments before Fischer came in. He is whom we are working with to do some things to have better access to our baseball facilities and that is for paved walkways. We have new steps leading up to the baseball fields, but the path is currently grass so we we need to extend that into a walkway. The Developmental Disabilities Board is in charge of that, but Mangan will do the work. They work on handicap facilities in Preble County. They also want to build a pavilion next to the baseball/softball fields.”
Twin Valley South is the home of the Preble County Special Olympic events, and has hosted those events several times in recent years. The plans are to make everything usable for those with disabilities, — the goal is to have all South facilities available for multiple uses and to be used often.
“We need to make everything welcoming to the community without using school money, and these additional projects by the DD Board and by Corey Mangan are not using taxpayer dollars,” Fischer emphasized.
Donors are still welcome to contribute to the fundraising for the athletic facilities. Those who wish to do so may contact Fischer at 937-839-4898 at Twin Valley South. Others who may be contacted include Jim Pemberton, Mike Randolf, track and field coach Glen Mabry, Dr. Moore, athletic director Tony Augsberger, principal Scott Cottingim, and Jeff Tully, who are all working on the massive project.
