T he day has arrived when Beachwood can “share in the great American tradition of Friday night football games, something that’s very romantic and special,” describes Herb Schoen, BHS Class of 1978, longtime Beachwood Boosters member and ardent football program supporter. This new era is marked by the completion of a $4.4 million renovation of the football stadium, including a playing field with artificial turf, a remodeled track, and improvements to surrounding fields, serving both the high school and middle school populations. Stadium lights will permit night games, but the sum total of the project offers much more than that. Home bleachers will seat 1,000 and the visitors’ side, 500. Also, the band will sit on bleachers in the end zone and play toward Bison fans. Other improvements include a new scoreboard with brighter lights and an enlarged concession stand with two service windows on either side of the structure, along with a third window that will likely offer a coffee bar. In addition, the stand will feature a spirit shop for Bison apparel. A dedicated discus and shot put area also was added to the fields, while the soccer, lacrosse, baseball, cross country and track teams will be served by the renovations as well. According to superintendent Bob Hardis, the project was completed on time and on budget, but the planned grand “Flip the Switch” introduction was thwarted by anticipated inclement weather. The event was rescheduled from Friday, September 9, to Friday, September 16. The stadium lights cost $345,000 and funding for the entire renovation was achieved through a borrowing method called a Certificate of Participation program, whereby the district borrows funds against its Permanent Improvement Fund monies, Hardis reports. “This project benefits every outdoor sport for both boys and girls,” he states. But it also serves the entire community, says athletic director Ryan Peters. “Coming to a game on a Friday night is such a fun thing to do,” he says, noting that the former Saturday afternoon time slot for games often was devoted to running errands and other activities for many. “It’s been a long time coming, but now it’s here,” he says with obvious pride. The push to install lights has a long history, dating back to the 1980s, when a group of residents submitted a request for them. But the interest was never shared by the school board, city council and other community members, Renovated Stadium, Lights and Turf Usher in New Sports Era by: June Scharf Shortly after 7 pm, the switch was flipped and the four 90-foothigh light towers came on, signaling a new era in Beachwood with a $4.4 million state-of-the-art artificial turf stadium that also will be used for other sports. Joining in the historic events were high school alumni, among them Mayor Merle S. Gorden, along with city and school officials and Ahmaad Crump, in-arena host for the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Perry Pirates defeated the Beachwood Bison 56-23. October 2016 n Beachwood Buzz 7