Norwalk turf project nears completion

NORWALK -- The finishing touches will be added to Contractors Stadium at the Warren C. Whitney Athletic Complex in the coming weeks. The synthetic turf for the football field was installed last week, capped with the blue and red end zones with the Truckers and Flyers school nicknames to represent Norwalk and St. Paul high Schools. There is a white block 'N' at the center of the field. The turf installation crew was on schedule to finish the field Sunday, according to Norwalk High School athletic director Josh Schlotterer. The track surface installation on Fisher Titus Track will begin Monday. The track will tentatively be finished by Friday, but will not be stripped until the beginning of September to allow the surface to cure. The new Daktronics scoreboard has been shipped and should be delivered Monday. Installation is scheduled for the end of next week. Posts for the visitor bleachers signage is now installed along with much of the updated fencing around the track. The main entrance to the stadium and the parking lot has been graded and significantly upgraded. Schlotterer thanked RockStar Concrete, D. Schaffer Construction, Smith Paving and Lake Erie Construction for their work. Flag poles, landscaping and signage will be installed soon. "When we started planning for this project almost three years ago, I had so much optimism that the Norwalk community would come together to transform our stadium to be something that we can all be proud of," Schlotterer said. "It has been amazing to see it first hand as everyone involved in the project has exceeded my expectations. "I look forward to watching the final few weeks of construction and ultimately opening it up for our schools for the football season. I am optimistic that football will be played this year and we can celebrate all who have helped make this project a success." On July 23, St. Paul had a camp day at the complex. Football coach and athletic director John Livengood said volunteers and crews were working through the rain. "When you see that, it gets you excited to be a part of something like this," Livengood said. "You can't wait to be able to get on the field and see the finished product. It's really tough thinking all the time and work put into it and there is a possibility it might not happen this season. "One of the things we remind our kids of all the time is you have to take advantage of every day you've got, and this another reminder of that." Livengood was referencing the status of high school football in the coronavirus pandemic. Many schools in Ohio have already delayed or canceled fall sports, though the OHSAA has told schools they can move forward with practices. The first scheduled game at Contractors Stadium is Aug. 28 when Norwalk entertains Mansfield Senior. St. Paul is set to host Fremont St. Joseph on Sept. 5. But the start of the season on Aug. 28 has yet to be approved by the Ohio Department of Health and Gov. Mike DeWine. The OHSAA said that the football season will start only if the state does not require COVID-19 testing. The latest OHSAA memo also said if contact sports are not approved for school-versus-school competition by Sept. 4, those sports would move to a condensed schedule that would take place between mid-December and the end of June 2021, meaning football would be played in the spring.