Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Coaches Working Hard On Millage

Though football practice doesn't officially begin until Aug. 10, Gurdon Coach John Pace is working hard.

However, what he's working hard for is the three mill increase being sought by the Gurdon School District. This millage rate, should it pass in the Sept. 15 election, will be used to build a new football field and field house for the Gurdon Go-Devils, construct a physical education facility for students in the new Cabe Middle School and capital improvements for Gurdon Primary School.

Pace, speaking to the Gurdon Rotary Club Thursday, July 30, said the field has been roughed out. This year, the Devils will be the only group affiliated with GHS not to be on the new campus.

The Devils will be playing the 1998 season at Gus Brown Field once again.

This, Pace said, poses a lot of problems for the teams. First, the seventh grade players will have to be transported back and forth from the new Cabe Middle School each day. This is a 10 minute trip one-way, he said, leaving only a few minutes for practice once the players are suited up.

In addition, he said, once the old Gurdon Middle School structure is empty, it is expected to run down quickly as there will be very little maintenance done on it. This could prove to be hazardous.

Once games are over, he informed the Rotarians, the players will have to wait at the current field house until their parents arrive to pick them up.

And, he said, the current field house is too small for all the players on the different teams. Some 100 students are involved in the program in grades 7-12, and the field house wasn't built for this amount.

There are few lock-down facilities at the field house and equipment is stored wherever a place can be found to put it.

In addition, Pace said, Gus Brown Field is almost worn out. The bleachers are in poor condition and need serious repair.

"We have a complete school and need everything out there," he said. "I hope the people understand we need to have a new field house because this one is too small."

If the football continues to grow, in order to make it what it should be we need a new stadium, he said.

Along with a stadium, Pace said a new track will also be constructed around the football field.

"It will be good for the entire community," he said, "a lot of people could exercise on the track and there are places (in Gurdon) it's not safe to go."

Another problem with the current facilities, Pace said, is the utility poles at Gus Brown Stadium are unsafe because of the woodpecker holes in them. The woodpeckers have drilled holes in the poles to get at the insects inside.

With the Devils playing as well as they have been playing, Pace said, more people can come to the games if a new stadium is built. At Gus Brown Stadium, fans have to stand around the fence and west end zone because the bleachers are full. More fans, he said, means more revenue from ticket sales, and this money can be used to further enhance the program.

But, Pace told the club members, the money generated from the millage increase would do more than just build a new football field, track, PE building and field house. It would also help get repairs and upgrades done at the Gurdon Primary School.

"It's time to move," he said, "and be part of the new school. It will be worthwhile and worth the money. If it (the millage) passes, the stadium would be ready for the 1999 season."

Pace said a committee has been formed to help get information about

the millage out to the public, with the hopes the voters will approve the request.