Stadium archway plan in motion

After years of planning, the proposed brick archway for the Charles Bland football stadium at Dexter High School is about to become a reality.

Veteran school board member, Rick Williams, is heading up a committee to proceed with the plan to construct the archway -- a project that was first introduced nearly five years ago.

When the former high school building on Park Lane was razed several years ago by Hessling Construction of Dexter, the late Don McCollough preserved the overhead stone that identified the school by name. It was the wish of McCollough that the stone one day be utilized for such a project.

What is proposed is a brick archway to be erected at the entrance to the stadium.

It was noted by Williams at the April meeting that it has been more than 50 years since any major improvements have been made at the DHS football field.

Board members unanimously voted at their April meeting to accept a low bid in the amount of $170,000 from Brown Construction to construct the arch. Steve Brown, owner of the company, is in possession of the stone from the former high school that will be the overhead marker on the proposed stadium arch.

Board members are confident that the sale of memorial stones and bricks will significantly help to pay for the long-anticipated project.

The task of organizing that funding project is in the hands of Williams and what thus far consists of three other committee members -- Board Members Bob Thrower and Mark Nea and Mark Becker. Becker has been an integral part of the Dexter Public Schools Foundation, through which any donations toward the archway will be funneled. The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization through the administrative offices which allows for all contributions toward the project to be tax deductible.

"Several other schools around the state, and even some local churches, have helped to fund projects through the solicitation of memorial bricks that are permanent markers at the site.

"We're looking at possibly offering three different levels of sponsorship," Williams explains.

The first level, he says, would bear the names of those whose initial contributions aid in establishing the portico.

"The second level would grant a donor a larger stone, engraved with the name of an individual, a family, or an entity that the purchaser would like to honor or memorialize," Williams notes.

A third and upper level of sponsorship would involve memorializing or honoring an individual, a family, or even a former football team from DHS, through the purchase of a granite bench to be placed in the portico at the stadium entrance.

"This committee that is being formed will study the prices of the bricks or memorial stones," Williams says. "We're already in touch with Christian Memorials, and they are doing some research for us to help us determine what our cost would be."

The Planning Committee will also determine the cost of the stones and their design in the near future, as the project is expected to be completed before the Bearcat's initial match in August.

Williams welcomes the input of additional local residents to serve on the Planning Committee. Anyone interested in serving on the committee is asked to contact any one of the four who presently make up the Planning Committee: Mark Becker at mbecker@bankofadvance.com, Mark Nea at mnea@dexter.k12.mo.us, Bob Thrower at rl.thrower@yahoo.com or Rick Williams at rwilliams@dexter.k12.mo.us.