903-895-4503

Moving Forward: Architects drawing of new buildings.

Road view of the new cafeteria

West Side view of the New Multipurpose Event Center

 

 

"Tragic Flaw:

There has been comments made concerning the removal of the old bleachers at the West Rusk stadium and why was it done in such a rush, and why could it not be fixed as it was, and why does it need to be so modern.

The real question is, would our community survive another tragedy that in hindsight, could have been prevented? 

It did not happen, but, if our bleachers had collapsed during our winning football season last year when it was filled to capacity how many lives would have been lost? Were you one, like me, sitting in those bleachers as a fan last year? How many little children running up and down those old metal steps would have died? How many generations of lives would have suffered those losses?

In the middle of the last century you could buy a new car or truck for less than two grand with no airbags, no required seat belts, no smog control and if it lasted until you drove it 50,000 miles you had a winner. Today there are safety features never even dreamed of back then, but at today's prices. Just as with the modern cars and trucks, stadium bleachers have evolved into safer, more accessible for mobile impaired, a more fan friendly place. Engineering and safety technologies have moved ahead over the last half century; we need to do the same. Our bleachers were condemned by qualified engineering firms and we need to rebuild to this century's required standards.

As a safety engineer we were taught to look for "what if" to prevent tragedies. As a paramedic I have seen tragedies unfold and I learned that safety cannot be based on luck but must be engineered into our daily lives. We learn from knowing the past and applying those lessons to today's challenges. Our school leaders acted properly to prevent a "possible tragedy" that could have happened and in the future we will not look back through tears shed because they failed to act."

Mike Cline, NAC Chairperson and retired Safety Engineer

 

Preliminary Bond Information

2003 Bond Presentation This Media presentation was made available to the community before the Bond Election in the Spring of 2004.

2011 Proposed Bond Information

Committee Tours Buildings: The second informational meeting regarding a bond was held on January 13, 2011. Tommy Alexander split the committee into three groups to tour the cafeteria, stadium, field house, and old gym and then ended in the cafeteria to see a presentation by the architects on a proposed plan. The discussions were led by Leah Bobbitt, Richard Donnelly, Betty Furguson, Gwen Gilliam, Jake Jackson, Connie Lawrence, and John Frazier.

 

Site Drawings of Proposed Building #1 and #2

 

 

Tommy Alexander
Superintendent
West Rusk CCISD
New London, Tx 75682
903-895-4503