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From the Daily Review Jan 26,2004
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Boosters hope for new stadium
MORE THAN four decades since the debut of Castro Valley High School's outdoor sports facilities, some locals believe their community needs a new field of dreams. People all over the country -- from billionaire professional team owners to officials from cash-strapped school districts -- hold the same desire.
But, these various people often meet the same obstacle: Who will pay for the new facility?
For the high school, the Castro Valley Sports Foundation will, say its members.
The nonprofit organization envisions raising money to build a state-of-the-art track-and-field stadium at the high school. Though they still have many hurdles to clear, the grass-roots group has successfully begun the daunting fund-raising process.
The nonprofit organization hopes to raise at least $2 million by 2005, said Martin Capron, a foundation member and Castro Valley resident.
Donations collected since 2003 have totaled about $100,000 thus far, and a local business has pledged to match that figure, which would push the total to more than $200,000.
"We'd like to show people that you can do this -- you don't have to wait for Sacramento," Capron added. "You can complain, blame and point fingers, but that never gets you anywhere."
This new facility would replace the current "seriously outdated" one, which, the group asserts, has been
eroded by time and neglect.
A visitor to the school will find that the cinder surface on the school's dirt track has worn down, for example, leaving crumbling concrete curbs exposed. Also, the playing field surrounded by the track is uneven, has a bulging hump in its center, and its natural grass frequently wears down to a dirt surface, according to foundation members.
Though the new facility would not come cheap, its advocates believe it would save district funds in the long run.
By installing a new type of grasslike artificial turf -- one that requires little drainage and no watering -- the current natural-grass field could be replaced while minimizing maintenance costs, Capron said.
Capron has received only one negative response to the idea, he said. It came in the form of an anonymous letter expressing concern that a new, 2,500-seat stadium would bring more people to Castro Valley.
Exactly, Capron said.
"The more people we attract, the money is generated from gate and concession receipts that we can use to fund sports programs, and possibly other school programs," he said, adding that the current bleachers also seat 2,500 people. "When people come to your event, they spend money in your community."
"We want it to be a true community resource," added foundation board member Ken O'Donnell, the creator of the community-flavored www.MyCastroValley.com Web site. "We're aggressively telling other schools that we want these facilities to be open to the public."
In addition to youth soccer and football leagues playing on a high-quality, inexpensively maintained field, O'Donnell foresees community members jogging on a brand-new track on weekends or after work hours.
"The community should have access to it," he said.
Along with an improved field, track and bleachers, a new press box and lighting are also in the group's plans.
According to Capron, foundation members are moving into high gear to raise funds to pay the stadium's tab, which likely would be between $2 million and $3 million.
They hope to break ground on it by sometime in 2005.
Future fund-raisers include a crab feed scheduled for Feb. 21. Sponsored by the Castro Valley Rotary Club, the crab feed will benefit both the foundation and the Castro Valley Performing Arts Center.
Also, the Castro Valley Sanitary District is making its annual Earth Day 5K Run/Walk event -- held in Castro Valley on May 1 -- a benefit for the foundation this year, Capron said.
Meanwhile, school district officials are exploring how best to work with the nonprofit group to modernize the athletic field, said Jerry Macy, deputy superintendent of business services. Last year, Superintendent James Fitzpatrick appointed Macy as the district's liaison with the foundation.
Since then, Macy has worked with foundation members to draft a master agreement that would clearly define their relationship in support of the school district's facilities -- "specifically with the stadium and perhaps even beyond that," he said.
"We want to define the various roles between the two entities," Macy added. "(We want to) ensure the proper use of funds as they are provided and make sure we have a positive, constructive relationship."
Those discussions are ongoing, but both sides are optimistic an agreement will be reached in the future, both O'Donnell and Macy said.
For more information about the Castro Valley Sports Foundation or future fund-raisers, call (510) 895-1980 or visit www.cvsportsstadium.org
Chris De Benedetti covers San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Castro Valley schools. Contact him at (510) 293-2479 or cdebenedetti@angnewspapers.com .
