A volunteer who spearheaded a multi-year improvement project at the Iola Stadium is expected to earn a special honor at Saturday’s home football game.
Donna Houser will be recognized at the game for her efforts to renovate the stadium and bleachers. She gave school board members an update on the project at their meeting Monday night.
In 2017, Houser asked the district if she could make improvements to the stadium. She was particularly interested in renovating the women’s locker rooms and restroom area and making it handicapped accessible. That was completed last year.
But like any remodel project, once you get started you soon realize how many other upgrades are needed.
Her efforts eventually led to a complete revamp of the stadium, including a renovated men’s restroom this year.
It also meant new bleachers. Most of the building, inside and out, was power washed and painted. New cement boards replaced rotted wood shingles on the press box, which also got a new roof. Concrete blocks were replaced or repaired. Two large windows were replaced. Lettering facing the football field was replaced with metal, including Mustang cutouts. That gave Houser an opportunity to fix a typo that had been around for decades: The letter “A” in the word “Iola” had been installed backward.
“Before I started, everyone was telling me, ‘Be sure you straighten the A,’” Houser said.
Special lights were installed on the front of the building, including replicas of a cast-iron lamp that was discovered at the stadium during a flood.
Houser asked for donations to help with repairs, and the district contributed funds as well. Much of the work was donated or discounted.
Work still remains. For example, Houser wants to take out windows in the press box area and install a new, larger table.
Board member Tony Leavitt praised Houser’s efforts.
“I don’t think calling you one in a million does you justice,” he said. “I don’t think a million people could have accomplished what you’ve done. The entire community and the school board thanks you.”
Superintendent Stacey Fager echoed the sentiments, adding that her commitment to improving the facility may have encouraged voters to support the 2019 school bond projects to replace aging facilities with a new science and technology building and a new elementary school.
IN OTHER news, the board:
— Approved spending $9,360 to replace fluorescent lights in the high school and middle school gymnasiums with new LED lighting.
— Heard a presentation by fourth grade teacher Mary Ann Regher, who taught board members and the audience a lesson from the district’s new reading program, “Really Great Reading.” Regher taught the audience to use a magnetic letter kit, the same one used by students, to recognize letter sounds, vowels and syllables used to create words. The program is part of the state’s focus on dyslexia.
