OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen
Fredonia resident Ed Schrantz, a softball coach at Fredonia, spoke at a recent Board of Education meeting to reiterate his belief of the need for a new athletic complex.
A year ago, Fredonia junior varsity softball coach Ed Schrantz addressed the Board of Education about field conditions on the baseball and softball fields at Fredonia High School. Schrantz provided the Board with an alternate model to consider and shared his concerns with the current fields.
Now more than a year later, Schrantz made the same points as the Board still deliberates on a decision with sights set on a capital project proposal this upcoming winter.
Schrantz returned to reiterate his stance after Fredonia assistant football coach Justin Sherlock spoke up at a recent meeting about the needs specific to the football team because of dangerous playing conditions at the Orange Bowl. In his remarks, he preferred field designs of schools such as Cheektowaga and Medina have, rather than the option Schrantz presented of the complex at Grand Island. Schrantz preferred the Grand Island complex because of the ability for multiple sports to host contests at the same time.
While their preferences on which turf complex to model after differ, Schrantz and Sherlock both share the same overall belief: something needs to be done, and it needs to happen at Fredonia High School. They each took exception to the idea of prioritizing or ranking the needs of any one team over the other.
“The football field is bad. The baseball field is bad. The softball field is bad. The soccer field is bad. They’re all bad,” Schantz said. “I don’t think there is any ranking that needs to go on, but I do believe that the new complex needs to be built back there.”
Board of Education President Brian Aldrich responded to the comments Schrantz made by referring him to speak at a Board of Education workshop designated for facilities upgrades.
“You can bring your concerns to those. I don’t have an issue with people talking at public sessions, but that’s where the work is getting done,” Aldrich said.
The Board has held several workshops of that nature in recent months with its architects from Young and Wright, but has not yet announced a date for the next meeting.