FROM THE NEWSROOM: Despite some public concerns the new Putnam high school gym should include more than just the six currently planned basketball backboards, Superintendent of Schools Bill Hull confirmed it is unlikely that more than six will be constructed as part of the project. During Tuesdays High School Building Committee meeting, some members argued it would be better for coaches and athletes if the gym featured 8 backboards instead, and a couple alternatives were proposed. One would be to increase the number of backboards on the sides of the court, but that idea lost steam when members agreed it would compact the practice areas too tightly; the other would be to install a double-sided, retractable backboard from the ceiling in the middle of the court, but that too was later discouraged when it was learned the fixture would likely interfere with volleyball even when retracted. Hull said the most likely solution is the school will later purchase some portable standard basketball goals, which would only cost a couple hundred dollars or so; as reported, Hull said making the gym any bigger than proposed would make it difficult to operate within the projects allotted budget. However, Committee member and Selectman Scott Pempek noted that he was the one dissenting vote when the committee decided on the planned size at an earlier meeting; he said while he is far from a basketball expert, he trusts the opinions of the coaches who told him that 8 backboards would have been better for practices. Hull also said, regarding concerns about what some criticized as scanty seating, that a proposal to do a 40-60 split in favor of more seats on the home teams side than the visitors side would help ensure that Putnam families would consistently have a place to sit – Hull confirmed options for pulling seats and bleachers out less to make seating more flexible are also being explored. Tune in for the full report.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:42:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015