To the Editor:
The Esko Sports Alliance along with the Esko School Board has come with and endorsed an athletic field improvement plan for the Esko School District. The time for these improvements is long overdue. Part of the current facility is 37 years old and is in desperate need of repair. The football bleachers are on the verge of condemnation, the running track has been unusable for competition for over 15 years, the baseball and softball fields are unplayable for half of the school seasons, there are no restroom facilities, the parking lot is impassable for a couple months each spring, and there are not enough practice facilities for our youth soccer teams. The plan would address these issues by creating a new football, soccer, track stadium which would include handicapped accessible bleachers, locker rooms, a centrally located concession stand with restroom facilities as well as opening up more green space for practices.
There is never a good time to ask voters for a tax increase, but I believe now is a great opportunity to get the most bang for our buck. We have a good chance to get some Federal monies for this project and with the economy being down and contractors looking for any work that they can get, the bidding process for projects is driving costs down. Many of us live in Esko because of the great school system and the pride we have in it. This plan would finally get all of our district's facilities up to the high standards that we have come to expect. The athletic complex will be something that all in the community can share in. Even if you don't have a child currently participating in athletics I urge you to vote "yes" for this project because you probably have a neighbor, a grandchild or friends with kids who deserve better facilities than what we currently have now.
If we don't pass this referendum now we will be again talking about this in five years wondering why we did not vote "yes" in 2009 and how we can improve the fields. I know, because we have been talking about making improvements to the fields for almost 20 years already. I am disappointed that my children did not get a chance to participate and practice on the types of facilities that are being proposed. I will always wonder how much more they could have done. I am voting "yes" because I want the rest of our youth in the community to have the opportunity my kids missed.
The plan is sound, the time is now. Take pride in the community and vote "yes" to bring our outdoor athletic complex up to the high standards Esko has come to expect.
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Dennis Rengo, Esko
