BY
PETE CLARKE - PCLARKE@SIERRASTAR.COM
PETE CLARKE/SIERRA
STAR
The YHS pool complex lost some construction time because of a series
of storms that passed through the Mountain Area in the past weeks.
Some of the gunnite work was damaged and will need to be re-done.
The foundations of the the pool complex buildings are now in the
process of being dug.
PETE CLARKE/SIERRA STAR
YHS Principal Steve Raupp stands on the infield of the new varsity
softball diamond that is nearing completion. Across the field in
front of him and to the side of the multi-use soccer fields, the
JV softball field is also almost finished.
“A person who
left five years ago wouldn’t even recognize the place,” said Yosemite
High School Principal Steve Raupp during a recent tour of his changing
campus. Big time construction has been taking place and the next
year will see even more.
The original campus was built in 1976 around an open space concept.
The octagonal buildings were open inside with the ceilings held
up by massive laminated beams. Classes were separated by five-foot
high partitions. It was good at the time.
The interiors of three of those original buildings — the Administration
Building, the Library/media Center and the Science Center — have
already been re-configured and remodeled. They all have new roofs
— metal instead of fire-hazard shake. The five classrooms of the
Science center are all well over the California state standard size
of 960 square feet. They are roomy enough for lectures, labs and
storage.
All three remodels were finished two years ago at about the same
time as the completion of the Multi Purpose Hall and the Harry H.
Baker Gym Complex and Cafeteria (part of which houses older facilities
which were redone at the same time, including athletic lockers and
dressing rooms and showers).
The new spacious parking lots came on line at the same time. “All
of these changes were essential to our being able to close the campus,”
said Raupp. Previously students were able to leave campus during
the day; now only seniors in good standing are allowed to do so.
The octagonal performing arts building, which had been shared by
two departments — music and drama — now stands vacant. A final play
in the building was performed months ago. In the coming weeks it
will be gutted and everything removed to the bare outside walls.
Inside a modern theater will be build with amphitheater style seating.
Instead of excavating the floor inside, the entrance will be raised
four or five feet. There will be approximately 250-300 permanent
seats with an area remaining in the front that can be used for an
additional 150 portable seats (for a total capacity of 400) or for
a trust-out stage extension or for an orchestra pit. The Drama Department
is presently being housed in one of the temporary buildings, while
band and choir have now moved into their state-of-the-art music
building which has just recently been completed. This completely
new facility will be officially dedicated next Thursday, January
15 at 7 p.m.
According to Principal Steve Raupp, the new Performing Art Center
will be a multi-use facility, not only for performances of all kinds,
but also for such things as testing and registration. “It’s an additional
venue for us and very functional for multi-use,” said Raupp who
was exited about all the changes taking place on his campus.
In the recent past most of the Music Department’s major presentations
have been given off-campus at the Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church.
Now the school will have an on-campus location that has a generous
seating capacity and is easily accessible to the public.
In the near future the last of the original buildings — the food
service building — will undergo renovation. Presently it houses
home-economics and art. Both departments will remain there after
construction is completed.
At the same time as all these changes are taking place on the main
campus — the surrounding old athletic fields, diamonds and courts
are in the process of going through major overhauls as well, and
new facilities are either going online or are in the process of
being constructed.
YHS has not been hosting track meets for several years now. This
will not be the case next year. Construction has begun on a $100,000,
state-of-the art, all-weather, nine-lane track. A massive face lift
of the whole football field/track area is underway. The football
field will be moved about 20 yards to the southwest to accommodate
the additional lanes of the track. The press box which is already
five yards off center will be moved to the exact location of the
future fifty-yard-line. Two new sections will be added to the grandstand
hillside which will provide seating for an additional 1,000 spectators.
The first three rows of the stands will be taken out and a retainer
wall with a walkway will be added.
“The changes will help both with the traffic pattern in the stands,
with viewing — since no one can see at track level — and with crowd
control,” said Raupp. “The field will have the new hybrid Bermuda
grass which is the same as we’re using on the baseball fields. It
is much better than the fescue we had.”
All of the track events that had been previously held on the sides
of the playing fields (pole vault, triple jump, long jump) will
be moved to the ends. This will make room for the wider track and
also allow a wider soccer field. At present the school has been
using the minimum size field allowed. All of the night lights will
have to be moved to new locations. Finally, the visitors bleachers
will no longer be placed on the track, but will be set on a cement
pad on the edge.
“The challenge we have right now is practice for the track athletes,”
said Raupp. The construction work also has to be juggled with baseball
season, soccer, and the June graduation ceremonies.
Next to the football fields, the baseball fields have also been
undergoing major changes. The hardball JV and Varsity diamonds have
been converted to JV and Varsity softball. Both diamonds have been
redone — all new chainlink fences, backstops, dugouts, storage areas,
batting gages and bullpens. The varsity field had had drainage problems.
This has been addressed by pouring a continuous foundation/retainer
wall form the bullpens on the third base side all the way around
to the bullpens/batting cages on the first base side. The baselines
have all been laid using crushed brick, which drains better the
previous surface. According to Raupp, game day preparations after
a rain should be easier and more successful.
One of the old baseball diamonds presently holds all the excavated
dirt from the pool. Eventually this field and backstop will be eliminated
and the stored dirt used as fill elsewhere on campus.
The huge new Varsity and JV baseball field complex is finished.
Located above the FAA Ag-Complex, the teams are in the process of
preparing for the upcoming season. The new grass is in and the crushed
brick baselines ready to be tested. Besides school use, the fields
may eventually provide a venue for adult league play.
Below the baseball fields, some of the most visible changes are
taking place at the site of the pool facility. The pool itself has
suffered some setbacks because of the rains over the past several
weeks. Water got behind some of the gunnite walls and now the walls
have to be re-poured. Workers are busy at it and nearby the foundations
for the buildings of the complex are being dug.
“Our goal for next year is to start a men’s and women’s aquatic
program with both JV and Varsity,” said Raupp. “We’d like it to
be as accessible as possible to the public, especially in the summer
with recreational swimming, water safety and swimming classes.”
Raupp added that the school would like to offer both competitive
swimming and water polo. All the details need to be worked out in
the future. In the present the focus is on completing the work on
the facility.
As though there isn’t enough going on, behind the pool area a new
soccer field is being graded in. It will be a full size field (with
lights if the budget will allow) and it is being considered that
perhaps Pop Warner football games could be played there. On top
of all this an Equestrian Arena is being planned for the FAA Ag-complex.
Finally, sometime in the near future work will begin on a 23 classroom
building that will be located in front of the Administration Building.
“Most if not all of our programs except science will be held there.
And when those classrooms are done,” said Raupp, “The temporary
classrooms [along School Road] will be removed. They are on loan
from the state and will be returned.”
Twelve such temporary buildings will be removed, nine along the
road and three on the hillside behind the Administration Building.
Some of the temporary buildings belong to the school and will be
kept. They will provide flexibility of usage.
Within a year-and-a-half most of the changes will be in. Already
a beautiful campus, it will be stunning when all the construction
is completed. However, more important than the final appearance
is the incredible range of athletic and academic experiences that
the school - already topnotch - will be able to offer.
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