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Ripon High field work moving forward
bleachers rip1
The Ripon High School visitor bleachers are shown being moved as part of the preparations for the demolition of the track and field on May 25. Finishing touches are being put on the relocated field house with electricity being hooked up by Joe Burth of Burth Electric and painting by Jeremiah Caswell of Ace of Painters, plus paint from Kelly Moore (100% donations). Better Built Truss provided the cranes for moving the bleachers and Cal Crush gave the roadbase to set it on. - photo by Photo Contributed

RIPON – Some of the finishing touches are taking place at this stage of the Stouffer Field remodeling process.

For starters, the aging portable bleachers on the visitors’ side of the Ripon High School stadium were recently moved.

“We’re moving quickly into the final preparations for the demolishing of the track and field,” said Stephanie Hobbs, president of the Ripon Community Athletic Foundation.

Work is scheduled to begin on May 25.

Earlier, the field house was moved. Work included Joe Burth of Burth Electric hooking up the power and Jeremiah Caswell of Ace of Painters providing a coat of paint made possible by a 100 percent donation from Kelly Moore, according to Hobbs.

She also recognized Better Built Truss for use of the cranes to move the bleachers and Cal Crush for the road base to set it on.

“The stadium already looks bigger after the move,” Hobbs said.

She added: “We are doing as much as we can before the heavy equipment rolls in (on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend).”

Gallo Winery is scheduled to provide trucks to haul away the old sod and weed mixture on the current playing surface.

Meanwhile, RCAF member Vince Hobbs indicated at Monday’s Ripon Unified school board meeting the new sod will be that of high-bred Bermuda.

“It’s a great product,” he said. “Just like the ones used in the last Super Bowls.”

Vince Hobbs is estimating large rolls of sod to be installed in the summer months, and would need “four weeks to take root before the start of football practice.”

RCAF continues to receive plenty of support.

Tom Owens of Owens Design Consultant has put in many volunteer hours using his professional surveying skills.

Roger Hamilton of R&B Company in Manteca has donated over $2,000 in supplies along with future purchases at his cost.

“I’m just amazed at the outpouring of support during these last critical months of the campaign for Phase 1,” Stephanie Hobbs said. “We went from needing $70,000 on Feb. 1 to $33,000 today.

“The Quarterback Club just gave us an additional $3,000, making their total donation at $11,000 – we have Rina’s Run coming up in May and we’re hoping to generate enough revenue from those sponsors to cover the remaining costs.”

Future plans also call for the stadium to have a state-of-the-arts scoreboard along with Redwood trees.

For more information, call 209-599-6861 or log on to www.rcafsite.com.