Question reguarding lights

I have a question for those of you "in the know". As most know, Burke County is getting 2 new high schools, one this fall and the other opening the following fall. I was doing a little research and saw that the two new schools are 'suppose' to have lighted softball fields. Now if that is the case, it will mean that 3 out of 4 BC high schools have lighted fields. What, if anything, can the folks here at EB do to make this right. The whole issue of lights has been an uphill battle and fundraising is lean do to the fact that there ARE new high schools opening and no one wants to support a school that their kid may or may not attend. Any suggestions???
Thanks

 

uH-oH

If everybody remembers this got heated last year !!! Where is our ligthing expert of last Summer??...we were in debate over how much the lights would cost per field...some said $50,000.00 some said over $100,000.00...

 

Good Luck

It will take a lot of work, I wouldn't expect anything from the local board. It will have to come from your booster club or some other group. Our booster club raised the money to buy the lights and pay to have them installed. We had a lot of good parents that were officers in the club and others that were members. It really helps to have those voices in the booster club, I would also use the fact that EB will be the only team in the conference without lights. McDowell is getting them right now and ACR is getting them this summer.

Good luck

 

Close

Softball Field=$65,000 turnkey (4 super bright sets with poles)

Baseball Field=$85,000 turnkey (6 super bright sets with poles)

Just got a price for a local project.

 

I heard last nite at East Burke they will have lights next season.

 

If the school the system is paying for lights at the new high schools, then the existing school(s) should get them also. It's called equitable distribution and it is and has been enforced in the courts. If the amenities are being paid for with public money, then the school system cannot discriminate on which schools get those amenities. It's all or none.

Another thing to consider is the baseball field, does it have lights?

In 2003, lights on our HS field cost $43,000.

 

Thanks to all that responded. I have been a member of the booster club for three years at EB. They have pledged to pay half and the rest is up to the fund raising abilities. We have raised a very small amount and the estimate given to us back in the fall was appr. 48,000 turn key. It is just a shame that we will be the only high school in the county without lights on the softball field. I know this is a touchy subject but it is frustrating to be in this position. Freedom's field is absolutely beautiful and shows of the hard work and pride these folks have put into it. As a parent and alumni of EB, I would love to see this kind of field for my children and those to come. I know our parents would do what they can to contribute and lights would boost moral so much. It doesn't help much that Spring Park is only a few feet away from the softball field with really nice lights set up. Then again, that is another subject....

 

Softballmom
When we put light at Southcaldwell, we did it this way, we purchased the llighting system from Musco,( one if not the larges suppliers of athletic field lighting) this included everthing but the electric cabling, and the electric box, fortunately one of the boosters was a electrician, and he purchased the equipment and cables at cost and did the work himself. We then was forunate enough that the Duke/Blue ridge drilled the holes to set poles, then a crane was donated to erect the poles and lights.

The total cost to the booster club was less than $30,000.00, which we paid $15,000 and got a loan from the Bank for the remaining $15,000

So if all the people that knock the booster clubs would get to work instead of bad mouthing the booster clubs, they might get some help.....

 

Lights @ the Meadows

I am not an EE, but the new lighting systems are really bright and effective . The picture below of the 220' boys complex show that low poles and not alot of fixtures provide GREAT lighting on these modern systems, I have no idea of pricing ?? But they seem to be a good investment for years to come , I think the power consumption should be lower too !