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10-09-2012, 06:45 AM
Its official the walls an bleachers at my an many others beloved Putnam Stadium are coming down 1 week after last game this season.
If this was truly a "RESTORATION" I would be as happy as anyone, but its not. Whats going back in its place is a steel structure with fully enclosed aluminum bleachers in a full horseshoe shape filling in both corner endzones. New lockerrooms an restrooms an concessions. While I'm sure it will be shinny an new it will never be the place most of us Ashlanders love to be on Friday nights again.
The noise from those clangy aluminum bleachers will cheapen this grand old place to be just like any other stadium around while it will still have its unique shape it will surely not be the same. "RESTORATION" I think not.
If this was truly a "RESTORATION" I would be as happy as anyone, but its not. Whats going back in its place is a steel structure with fully enclosed aluminum bleachers in a full horseshoe shape filling in both corner endzones. New lockerrooms an restrooms an concessions. While I'm sure it will be shinny an new it will never be the place most of us Ashlanders love to be on Friday nights again.
The noise from those clangy aluminum bleachers will cheapen this grand old place to be just like any other stadium around while it will still have its unique shape it will surely not be the same. "RESTORATION" I think not.
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10-09-2012, 08:29 AM
Going forward with the new plans for our great stadium they should build a completely new one behind Putnam in the dust bowl, level Putnam stadium into a parking lot with a sign in the middle of it the reads " THIS PLACE USED TO BE GREAT"
10-09-2012, 10:58 AM
ASHLAND — The walls are coming down at Putnam Stadium.
The Ashland Board of Education gave unanimous approval in a special meeting last week to spend $1.5 million on Phase I of a restoration project of the 75-year-old stadium after the Ashland Tomcats have played their last home game of the 2012 season.
The crumbling concrete underbelly of the historic stadium has been a safety concern for several years, even decades, said Superintendent Steve Gilmore. There was no way to put a timetable on how long it would be until the stadium would be deemed unsafe to use, he said.
“From day one the safety and welfare of the students, staff and spectators has been my No. 1 obligation,” Gilmore said. “It’s going to be neat, streamlined and safe. People are going to love it when it’s completed.”
The 11-member Putnam Stadium Restoration Committee, chaired by Greg Jackson, has been working for the past five years and has plans in place to make the new Putnam Stadium a showplace with a $5.4 million project. Replacing the bleachers is the first phase of the committee’s plans. They have been fundraising and telling anybody who will listen that it’s time to renovate the stadium that opened in 1937.
“Definitely happy days,” Jackson said. “It’s been five years in the waiting. We’ve been talking about it for awhile now. Something needed to happen to assure the people who are donating.
The stadium’s initial cost was only $6,500 and put together through WPA funds. It was part of a larger building project at Putnam Junior High School. The Tomcats played at Armco Field, where a blast furnace sits today. Ashland’s first game at Tomcat Stadium, as it was called then, was a 20-0 victory over Ceredo Kenova.
Longtime Ashland attorney Bun Wilson, who died earlier this year, was the last member of that 1937 team.
The old concrete structure will be replaced with enclosed aluminum bleachers. Not only are they about three times less expensive than replacing the concrete, but the bleachers will allow for more storage underneath the stadium, Gilmore said.
The proposed new stadium will include a structural steel stadium structure for the new seating. There will be new home and visiting locker rooms as well as smaller locker rooms for Verity Middle School’s seventh- and eighth-grade teams, concession areas and equipment, restrooms and storage areas. Also included in Phase I is the electrical, plumbing, geotechnical investigation and some engineering.
“One of the biggest factors will be drainage,” Gilmore said. “We’ve talked to the city manager (Steve Corbitt) and the city is working closely with us. Drainage could be less of a factor since we’re laying everything new.”
Plans call for the aluminum bleachers to make a horseshoe out of the stadium with the open end zone remaining the same. The first phase also includes a bigger press box and 800 chairback reserved seats, an increase of 116 from the current structure.
The first phase will cost approximately $1.8 million depending on the bids, which could come in higher than estimates. About $300,000 of the money used comes from what has been raised through the restoration committee. The other money comes from Ashland schools, some through the nickel tax which is earmarked for facility improvements only. The State Board of Education in Frankfort gave approval to the facility plan.
Jackson said the stadium will keep its original shape with fans still walking down to their seats from the top. “It will be more of an enclosed stadium than it is now once we get the banked end zone,” he said. “It’s a beautiful setting that will only become that much better.”
The stadium bleachers, on both sides and in the end zone, will be taken down to the ground when the season is over. The demolition and site preparation itself comes at a cost of approximately $236,000. Work will begin a week after the final home game, Gilmore said. The restoration committee has several fundraising ideas for the debris, including selling sections of bleachers to give fans who want it a piece of the stadium history.
The plan is to have the new bleachers in place well before the start of the 2013 season. It takes about 90 days to put the bleachers in place, Gilmore said.
Engineers have been studying the stadium’s structure for nearly 25 years, Gilmore said. None could give a timetable on how long it would be safe to have spectactors in the facility. When Gilmore first became superintendent in June of 2008, he had engineers look at the stadium. Some work had to be done then to prop up one end.
“Nobody could put a handle on how long it might last,” Gilmore said. “I just wanted it to be safe for our students and our fans. That was my main concern. This Phase I takes care of that. Everything else is frills.”
New stadium lighting, a banked end zone, a donor wall and a turfed field are among the features included in future phases.
Go to putnamstadium.com for a look at what is planned and for ways to contribute to the project.http://dailyindependent.com/local/x62498...am-Stadium
The Ashland Board of Education gave unanimous approval in a special meeting last week to spend $1.5 million on Phase I of a restoration project of the 75-year-old stadium after the Ashland Tomcats have played their last home game of the 2012 season.
The crumbling concrete underbelly of the historic stadium has been a safety concern for several years, even decades, said Superintendent Steve Gilmore. There was no way to put a timetable on how long it would be until the stadium would be deemed unsafe to use, he said.
“From day one the safety and welfare of the students, staff and spectators has been my No. 1 obligation,” Gilmore said. “It’s going to be neat, streamlined and safe. People are going to love it when it’s completed.”
The 11-member Putnam Stadium Restoration Committee, chaired by Greg Jackson, has been working for the past five years and has plans in place to make the new Putnam Stadium a showplace with a $5.4 million project. Replacing the bleachers is the first phase of the committee’s plans. They have been fundraising and telling anybody who will listen that it’s time to renovate the stadium that opened in 1937.
“Definitely happy days,” Jackson said. “It’s been five years in the waiting. We’ve been talking about it for awhile now. Something needed to happen to assure the people who are donating.
The stadium’s initial cost was only $6,500 and put together through WPA funds. It was part of a larger building project at Putnam Junior High School. The Tomcats played at Armco Field, where a blast furnace sits today. Ashland’s first game at Tomcat Stadium, as it was called then, was a 20-0 victory over Ceredo Kenova.
Longtime Ashland attorney Bun Wilson, who died earlier this year, was the last member of that 1937 team.
The old concrete structure will be replaced with enclosed aluminum bleachers. Not only are they about three times less expensive than replacing the concrete, but the bleachers will allow for more storage underneath the stadium, Gilmore said.
The proposed new stadium will include a structural steel stadium structure for the new seating. There will be new home and visiting locker rooms as well as smaller locker rooms for Verity Middle School’s seventh- and eighth-grade teams, concession areas and equipment, restrooms and storage areas. Also included in Phase I is the electrical, plumbing, geotechnical investigation and some engineering.
“One of the biggest factors will be drainage,” Gilmore said. “We’ve talked to the city manager (Steve Corbitt) and the city is working closely with us. Drainage could be less of a factor since we’re laying everything new.”
Plans call for the aluminum bleachers to make a horseshoe out of the stadium with the open end zone remaining the same. The first phase also includes a bigger press box and 800 chairback reserved seats, an increase of 116 from the current structure.
The first phase will cost approximately $1.8 million depending on the bids, which could come in higher than estimates. About $300,000 of the money used comes from what has been raised through the restoration committee. The other money comes from Ashland schools, some through the nickel tax which is earmarked for facility improvements only. The State Board of Education in Frankfort gave approval to the facility plan.
Jackson said the stadium will keep its original shape with fans still walking down to their seats from the top. “It will be more of an enclosed stadium than it is now once we get the banked end zone,” he said. “It’s a beautiful setting that will only become that much better.”
The stadium bleachers, on both sides and in the end zone, will be taken down to the ground when the season is over. The demolition and site preparation itself comes at a cost of approximately $236,000. Work will begin a week after the final home game, Gilmore said. The restoration committee has several fundraising ideas for the debris, including selling sections of bleachers to give fans who want it a piece of the stadium history.
The plan is to have the new bleachers in place well before the start of the 2013 season. It takes about 90 days to put the bleachers in place, Gilmore said.
Engineers have been studying the stadium’s structure for nearly 25 years, Gilmore said. None could give a timetable on how long it would be safe to have spectactors in the facility. When Gilmore first became superintendent in June of 2008, he had engineers look at the stadium. Some work had to be done then to prop up one end.
“Nobody could put a handle on how long it might last,” Gilmore said. “I just wanted it to be safe for our students and our fans. That was my main concern. This Phase I takes care of that. Everything else is frills.”
New stadium lighting, a banked end zone, a donor wall and a turfed field are among the features included in future phases.
Go to putnamstadium.com for a look at what is planned and for ways to contribute to the project.http://dailyindependent.com/local/x62498...am-Stadium
10-09-2012, 10:59 AM
10-09-2012, 10:59 AM
10-09-2012, 10:59 AM
10-09-2012, 11:26 AM
Such a shame. I agree with all that if it was truly a "restoration" I'd be fine. But the concrete is what makes it so cool. I graduated from Raceland, but my first ever football game was at Putnam, in the Ashland Bowl. I can still remember walking down the steps to the field, not paying much attention...when I got to onto the field and looked around, I was amazed. My dad(who also is a Raceland Alum) told me stories of his football days from that field, my GRANDPA, told me stories of his playing days when he was at Fairview. Just a shame to see it all be changed. I guess next they will be taking roof off over at Tank Stadium...hate to see this staple of our comunity changed...but it is what it is.
10-09-2012, 11:32 AM
Heck I feel we are getting a new stadium too. Lol
We play there every year! Hopefully many years to come.
Just one Rams dad opinion!
We play there every year! Hopefully many years to come.
Just one Rams dad opinion!
10-09-2012, 12:38 PM
Very bittersweet. The committee has done an excellent job to keep the stadium unique and beautiful. And it will be on the same hallowed grounds as the old one. But at the same time I feel as my heart along with every other tomcat fan,player,coach,parent,and even ghost of tomcats past is being crushed by this article. Ladies and gentleman this is the final season at Grande Old Putnam stadium I Just hope come playoff time it gives us One more round of magic. I hope these players win and win and win to keep our Icon standing as long as possible. I feel as though I am losing a friend. Like I am losing the final connection to my father who passed eleven years ago. We always attended games together when I was a kid and I still look to our old seats every game. But most importantly I feel as I am losing a home. I spent more time in this place than any other place in the world. And I was truly saddened by every word in this article. Come that final playoff game I may just breakdown and hang out an extra couple of minutes. It's going to be very emotional. I think all players,coahes,trainers,band members,and alumni should be allowed back on the field one last time in the playoffs. Everyone has a connection there whether it is football,band,graduation,or any event you attended. Maybe you just watched your child play his first game of football here. I am sorry for the rant but it is just awful news.
10-09-2012, 01:04 PM
I did not graduate from Ashland High School and I am not an Ashland fan. However, I have seen many football games- from college to high school to junior high to JFL- in this beloved and historic stadium. Some times I paid, some times I sneaked in, and sometimes I got in on a pass. The old stadium is a historic treasure. It is a personal friend.
I've seen too many historic buildings in Ashland torn down and replaced with steel, aluminum, or composition structures with no style and no heart. Others have been mutilated by covering their charm with plastic or some other trashy siding. The "renovation" will, regardless of all the maroon and white paint, join these other sad reminders of the decline of the city.
I will make one last visit to Putnam Stadium. It won't be to a game. I will be alone. It will be a private visit so that I can say "goodbye" to another local treasure that was an important part of my life and of the lives of many, many others.
I've seen too many historic buildings in Ashland torn down and replaced with steel, aluminum, or composition structures with no style and no heart. Others have been mutilated by covering their charm with plastic or some other trashy siding. The "renovation" will, regardless of all the maroon and white paint, join these other sad reminders of the decline of the city.
I will make one last visit to Putnam Stadium. It won't be to a game. I will be alone. It will be a private visit so that I can say "goodbye" to another local treasure that was an important part of my life and of the lives of many, many others.
10-09-2012, 01:08 PM
[quote=football 105]Heck I feel we are getting a new stadium too. Lol
We play there every year! Hopefully many years to come.
Just one Rams dad opinion
New is not always better. I keep hearing the words cheaper an cost effective. Well i call Bullshit on that one, do it right or don't do it at all.
We play there every year! Hopefully many years to come.
Just one Rams dad opinion
New is not always better. I keep hearing the words cheaper an cost effective. Well i call Bullshit on that one, do it right or don't do it at all.
10-09-2012, 01:14 PM
BADCAT74 Wrote:[quote=football 105]Heck I feel we are getting a new stadium too. LolI personally know Greg Jackson and know just how much Ashland means to him. He will make sure we have the best facilities in the state. Yankee stadium being rebuilt didn't tarnish the history if the Yankees. And with the raised endzone in the open in with tomcats in big white letters is going to be nice. So while it is a sad day. The Ashland tomcat football team is in good hands.
We play there every year! Hopefully many years to come.
Just one Rams dad opinion
New is not always better. I keep hearing the words cheaper an cost effective. Well i call Bullshit on that one, do it right or don't do it at all.
10-09-2012, 08:19 PM
BADCAT74 Wrote:^Then it should be called exactly what it is a demolition. Not a Restoration or refurbish. Simply not true.
Yeah I know what you mean. But stadiums don't stand forever none of them. Can you imagine the day when Fenway isn't in Boston? 75 years was a great run. Here is to 75 more in the wonderful new Putnam stadium
10-09-2012, 09:44 PM
My first High School game ever was at Putnam back in 1998, it was a 14-19 loss to the Tomcats. This year my son started to learn the game of football in the Kindergarten JFL league at Putnam. This stadium has always held a special place in my heart, even before I was an "Ashlander." I hope the new stadium (I agree with others it isn't a restoration, it is the building of a new stadium in the same place) is able to provide the memories for my son growing up that the current Putnam Stadium did for the last 75 years.
Also, I kinda think its been the players, coaches, community support and the city that has made Putnam so great over the years, and not so much the structure itself... anywhere the Tomcats call home is going to have an intimidation factor for other teams.
Also, I kinda think its been the players, coaches, community support and the city that has made Putnam so great over the years, and not so much the structure itself... anywhere the Tomcats call home is going to have an intimidation factor for other teams.
10-09-2012, 10:52 PM
Turf is the word! Pretty big departure for sure.
The Tomcat alumi has to be a pretty big group. If you guys are really that upset with seeing it go, getting a sizeable group together who would donate $100 a piece for a true "restoration" as opposed to a tear down and rebuild, would seem doable.
Even if you couldn't get the above done, if enough people got loud enough, might be able to at least get the "new" stadium to reflect the "old" more. I.E. - concrete grandstands instead of aluminum, etc.
The Tomcat alumi has to be a pretty big group. If you guys are really that upset with seeing it go, getting a sizeable group together who would donate $100 a piece for a true "restoration" as opposed to a tear down and rebuild, would seem doable.
Even if you couldn't get the above done, if enough people got loud enough, might be able to at least get the "new" stadium to reflect the "old" more. I.E. - concrete grandstands instead of aluminum, etc.
10-09-2012, 10:57 PM
It's not so much we are upset. I am excited for the new stadium. Just that it Is bittersweet. The new stadium looks great atleast In Design. But it's a lot of history and memories. I agree This project is necessary and the new stadium will be grand much like Putnam was when it was first built. I will still miss my second home though.
10-10-2012, 01:42 AM
I enjoy going to Putnam as much as anyone. But, it needs to be fixed.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
âRelax, all right? Donât try to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring! Besides that, theyâre fascist. Throw some ground balls â itâs more democratic.â
Crash Davis
10-10-2012, 12:10 PM
Good lord, I've heard less crying at a funeral. If everyone that loved this pile of crumbling concrete so much you ahold have poneyed up the cash to have a restoration. Put your money where your heart is. If I read right only 300k was raised through donations. Dosent look as if there's that much heart for your beloved
10-10-2012, 01:08 PM
mightydog Wrote:Good lord, I've heard less crying at a funeral. If everyone that loved this pile of crumbling concrete so much you ahold have poneyed up the cash to have a restoration. Put your money where your heart is. If I read right only 300k was raised through donations. Dosent look as if there's that much heart for your belovedTimes are tough on people in this economy an this economy is taking our stadium. Cause thing are so bad people can't donate and the commitee is going the cheaper route. I highly doubt it has only been 300,00 dollars since the first phase alone will cost 1.5 million
10-10-2012, 02:12 PM
FBALL Wrote:Taxpayer dollars hard at work.
Mostly nickel tax set aside for things just like this.
10-10-2012, 03:00 PM
I dont have a problem with tax dollars providing local kids a great venue to stay active, in shape, and out of trouble in.
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