Turf Work Begins At Bentonville's Tiger Stadium

STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF • @NWABenGoff Jamie Sierra, left, and Ivan Valenzuela with Symetry Turf Installation work Firday replacing the turf on the football field in Bentonville’s Tiger Stadium .
STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF • @NWABenGoff Jamie Sierra, left, and Ivan Valenzuela with Symetry Turf Installation work Firday replacing the turf on the football field in Bentonville’s Tiger Stadium .

BENTONVILLE -- End zones have been replaced by a construction zone at Tiger Stadium.

Only a few shreds of the old turf remained on Friday, lying in a heap on the stadium's south side. What was a green playing surface temporarily has given way to a mostly flat gravel landscape, with the exception of several large mounds of gravel and debris.

Shaw Sports Turf of Calhoun, Ga., will install new turfs at both the stadium and the soccer field. Both turfs were nearly a decade old and eteriorated to the point they needed to be replaced, said Scott Passmore, athletic director.

The new turf is just one upgrade visitors to Tiger Stadium will see this fall. The School District also plans to replace the scoreboard's digital screen with one that's high definition and is two-and-a-half times larger than the current one, Passmore said. The board will be purchased from Daktronics, a company based in Brookings, S.D.

The School Board approved the digital board purchase this week at an amount not to exceed $240,000. Earlier this month the board approved spending $842,450 for the soccer field and stadium turfs. Those two amounts add up to $1,082,450.

The costs will be covered by money Passmore raised from area businesses and residents during the past six months. Passmore said this week he has raised $1,144,000 for the projects and still has more donation commitments pending. His fundraising goal is $1.2 million.

"I'm not done," he said. "I still have some (advertising) spots to sell. I'm going to keep working all through the summer."

The stadium's turf must be ready by July 15. That's when Drum Corps International will present its annual NWA Music on the Move show there. The Bentonville High School football team's season opener is at home Sept. 5 against Kansas City Rockhurst.

Though Passmore has raised enough money, some of it will come through payment plans, so a loan is needed to finance the projects in the short term. The district has secured a loan from Arvest Bank to finance the projects, said Sterling Ming, finance director.

Donors to the projects have been categorized as either "Legacy" or "Tiger" sponsors. Legacy sponsors either gave $45,000 upfront or pledged $5,000 for 10 years. Tiger sponsors either gave $27,000 upfront or pledged $3,000 per year for 10 years.

Passmore said he hopes to secure enough additional money for a new sound system at the stadium.

NW News on 06/21/2014

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