Group rallies to replace grandstands

SANDPOINT — As the calendar flipped over into the 1960s, songs like “Travelin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson were playing on the radio, a Volkswagen Beetle would have set you back about $1,100, the Peace Corps was brand new and so were the grandstands at War Memorial Field’s Barlow Stadium.

Since then, the raked rows of wooden seating have been a gathering place for generations of local families. The world around them might have changed — that Beetle will run you about $23,000 today — but the grandstands have always been a dependable constant.

Stalwart. Strong. And starting to crumble.

From the outside, the structure appears much as it has in the past. Underneath, though, a patchwork of bracing that was put in place five years ago is all that now stands between the bleachers and the ground upon which they stand. Not everyone is aware of the hidden patch job holding up the bleachers, which leads some to take an “it was good enough for granddad, it’s good enough for me” stance.

If anyone can lay rightful claim to that perspective, it’s Tye Barlow, whose grandfather was legendary Sandpoint coach Cotton Barlow, for whom the stadium is named.

“He was pretty involved in the grandstands and they did a heck of a job back then,” Tye said. “I wish we could say they were still going to be good enough for our kids when they grow up, but the fact is that they’re going to be torn down in five years if we don’t do something about it.”

Barlow is part of a local group called Friends of Memorial Field that has joined forces in a community effort to replace the aging grandstands and take a fresh look at how this unique chunk of waterfront property will look in the future.

“It’s not an effort that’s coming from government,” said Kim Woodruff, parks & recreation director for the city of Sandpoint. “It’s a homegrown, non-government-affiliated project.”

Friends of Memorial Field hopes to replace the wooden bleachers and the field lighting by the year 2016. With a price tag of $200,000 for lights and more than $1 million for grandstand construction, they are wasting no time in their drive to raise the money.

“Basically, we’ve got about five years left on the first patches we did five years ago,” Woodruff said. “We’re not going to wait until year nine — we know this is coming.”

The city already has $106,000 in what the director called “non-tax dollars” dedicated to replacing the field lighting and the fundraising group has set the goal of raising the $94,000 balance in time for the lights to be installed for The Festival at Sandpoint concert series this summer.

One thing is certain, according to group member Doug Hawkins Jr. — the time for patching the grandstands has past.

“The $70,000 interim fix that was done won’t last,” he said. “You can’t put Band-Aid over Band-Aid forever.

“We’re talking about a 50-year plan to build something that will last at least as long as the current bleachers have,” Hawkins added. “It’s not the easiest time to be raising money, but if we take it a year at a time, I think we’ll hit the target.”

The ranks of Friends of Memorial Field have grown as word gets out about the project. The group now includes representatives from the city, Bulldog Bench, Sandpoint High School athletics, The Festival at Sandpoint and several members of the local business community.

With seed money of $6,000 from Bulldog Bench and a subsequent $1,000 donation from Lakeview Funeral Home, the Friends now plan to raise the majority of the needed cash through the sale of engraved bricks — a fundraising mechanism that saved the Panida Theater from the wrecking ball when the community rallied to save the historic, downtown building in the 1980s.

“We’ve definitely learned something from the pros in our community,” Hawkins said.

Word-of-mouth already has resulted in the sale of $4,000-worth of bricks, which cost a total of $250 each and can be purchased with a $50 annual donation over the next five years.

The same five-year timeframe that marks the demolition date for the existing grandstands also is in place for the removal of the current wastewater treatment plant located next door to the field.

According to Festival board member David Keyes, the longer-term complexion of the project changes when the plant’s property comes into the picture. This point was not lost on CTA Architects, which came up with three potential designs for new stadium seating and urged Friends of Memorial Field to look at the big picture and consider what could take place along the water.

“Here we were just looking at what we could do with the football field and baseball field and these guys said, ‘Take a 10,000-foot view; look at the whole park,’” Keyes said.

“With the wastewater treatment plant going away in five years, we have a wonderful opportunity to integrate that property and tie it to the waterfront,” he added, noting that one idea would be to construct an amphitheater that uses the Pend Oreille River as a scenic backdrop.

The big picture will have to wait, however, until the immediate fundraising drive for lights and stadium seating is completed. Apart from the obvious safety benefits, Hawkins said, the upgrades would be ADA compliant and would add about 20 percent more seating capacity. The new lighting would require less energy and would lower maintenance costs, while nearly tripling the expected lifespan when compared with the current lights.

Most important, in Woodruff’s view, is the involvement of the kids he watched grow up on local playing fields — people who now have kids of their own — who have stepped up to secure the facility for future generations.

“I don’t know how many generations have played there, but it’s a place that’s near and dear to the community’s heart,” he said. “I’m extremely excited that people see it needs to be updated.”

Tye Barlow feels an even deeper connection to the stadium that looks out over the river. For him, every glimpse of the place when it is lit up for a game is a reminder of family history and home.

“I love driving across the Long Bridge and seeing those lights on a Friday night,” he said. “It feels like Sandpoint.”

For more information on the fundraising drive or to purchase engraved bricks, visit: www.friendsofmemorialfield.com or call (208) 265-5404.