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Future of New Stadium
By Paul Sturm, Constitution-Tribune, Dec 29, 2011

C-T Photo / Paul Sturm

CAPTION: Mike Turner, Phil Willard, Mike Simmer, and Ed Douglas all pose in front of the area designated for the new Jerry Litton stadium being constructed by the Chillicothe Education Foundation. State Bank (of which Simmer is the President) is handling the stadium loan, and the bank also provided the largest corporate donation for its completion.

As 2011 exits and 2012 enters this weekend, the "out with the old, in with the new" theme certainly applies to a long-sought and long-awaited project which likely will continue to impact Chillicothe and its public school system well into the latter half of the 21st century. In less than three months since the Chillicothe Educational Foundation announced it had garnered sufficient pledged financial support to back a loan to build a new multipurpose stadium just north of the Chillicothe High School, a majority of the necessary excavation/ground work has been completed . That puts the project in position for the new calendar year to usher in installation/erection of the stadium's surfaces, superstructure, and buildings.

As the project continues to advance through the loan secured through Chillicothe State Bank, the effort to assure that the facility can be constructed to efficiently and effectively serve the school district and community not only in the near term, but well into the future, remains ongoing.

Pledged donations from locally-connected foundations, community-based organizations, corporate entities, and highly-successful individuals were accumulated over the past handful of years to establish the backing for the loan to construct the basics of the stadium and associated facilities. However, to enhance the stadium's immediate functionality and appearance and its long-term sustainability as an effective public asset, the educational foundation is in the still-early stages of an extended campaign of seeking additional, smaller donations from current and past community members, school alumni and past athletes, and businesses. Just as more than 50 years' worth of Chillicothe High School and junior high/middle school athletes have benefited from extensive public and private investments of time and money into the former Chillicothe Business College stadium now known as Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium, the foundation believes present-day Chillicotheans and those who utilized the now-aged and outdated facility will want to step forward and share in providing similar opportunities for not only current students and residents, but generations to come.

The foundation has established many levels of 3-year-pledge financial contribution to the project. Contributors at any level will be recognized in a permanent display at the new stadium.

Stadium Work

C-T Photo / Drew Van Dyke, 12 23 11

CAPTION: Among items discussed during Tuesday night's meeting of the Chillicothe R-2 Board of Education was the future of the Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium. Shown above, the Chillicothe Education Foundation is building a new stadium sports complex just north of the high school (which is expected to be completed at the end of next year). Once this occurs, the current stadium, just west of Grand River Technical Center, will be left vacant. The board is seeking public input on ideas for usage of the stadium. Some ideas discussed on Tuesday included (but were not limited to): using the stadium for middle school athletics, using the property to expand GRTS in the future, stripping down the worn all-weather track and graveling the surface for community usage, and using the stadium to host Grand River Area Family YMCA football games.

New Stadium for CHS
09 29 2011

C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley

CAPTION: Dirt work on the new CHS Stadium complex has begun on the north side of the high school. Construction activity will begin immediately with the installation of the new fields this fall. The buildings (including locker rooms, concession stand and press box) and bleachers will be built early next year, with the anticipation that the project will be completed for the 2012 fall sport season.

The Chillicothe Education Foundation today announced plans to build a new Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium complex north of the Chillicothe High School. The stadium complex will include a synthetic turf field for multiple sport use, as well as a football field, full size soccer field and an eight-lane track. The project has a cost of over $3 million and will be totally funded by private gifts. Supporting this project are many local foundations, including the Jerry Litton Memorial Foundation, the Joe and Lenore Lambert Foundation, and the Mervyn W. Jenkins Foundation, the Roger Browning Foundation, the F.M. and Gladys McCall Foundation, the Hedrick-Lawson Foundation, the Chillicothe Community Foundation, and the Orscheln Foundation. Other donors include numerous local businesses and individuals, led by the Chillicothe State Bank.

This project began a number of years ago, when the Chillicothe Education Foundation purchased approximately 60 acres north of the high school for future expansion by the school district. Five years ago, a group representing the Foundation went to see a former Chillicothe resident, who gave $100,000 as seed money for the stadium project. Since then, an enthusiastic group of school supports has been working towards this result.

One of the driving forces for this project was the fact that the existing Jerry Litton Stadium is over 80 years old and is badly in need of majors repairs which, with the inclusion of a new turf field, would have cost over $1 million. No party was interested in spending that amount of money on the old stadium.

Additionally, the old stadium is separated from the high school, which makes physical education at the High School very difficult. As an example, students who run the mile in physical education classes run on the gravel parking lot and in wet weather, because there is no suitable place for outside physical activity. The new synthetic field will be available for use - even in wet weather - for physical education classes, band practices, football, soccer, track, softball and baseball. Also, the old stadium was landlocked, so there was no room for a full soccer field or an eight-lane running track. The new stadium will allow the soccer team to play inside a stadium, and will enable the school to host track and field meets, which have recently been lost to other towns due to the condition of the track, and the fact that the existing track has only six running lanes.

Representatives from the three largest donor Foundations - Litton, Lambert and Jenkins - were all extremely interested in building a new stadium that they believe is a once in a lifetime opportunity. These foundations all believe that the school district and its patrons have the responsibility of building school buildings for the district, but they believe this project is an "above and beyond" project, that would be very unlikely (if not impossible) to be done by the school district in the foreseeable future. It should be noted that no school district money will be used for this project. The R-II Board of Education is very supportive of this project, but the Education Foundation and the Stadium Committee thought it very important with the current state of the economy that the school district not spend any of its funds for this project. This will allow the school district to allocate all of its resources to educational programs and facilities.

Construction activity will begin immediately with dirt work and installing the new fields this fall. The buildings (locker rooms, concession stand and press box) and bleachers will be built early next year with the anticipation that the project will be completed for the 2012 fall sport season. McAnany Construction Inc., located in Shawnee, Kansas, is the general contractor for the buildings. Michael Cole of MW Cole Engineering, Inc., a CHS graduate, is the engineer for the project.

According to those close with the project, Chillicothe Hornet fans should be "wowed" by several new features included with the stadium (in addition to the new synthetic turf and track), including improved locker rooms, top of the line lighting, improved concession and restroom facilities, and a new electronic scoreboard. The project is funded with five-year donor pledges and will be financed with a loan from Chillicothe State Bank. The Education Foundation will own the property throughout the construction period, after which time it will then be given to the school district. The Board of Education will determine the ultimate use of the existing stadium property.

Finally, the Hornet Booster Club will embark on a community fund-raising campaign to obtain the last $200,000 necessary for special items to complete the project.

Representatives for the Chillicothe Education Foundation and the Stadium Committee are excited about this opportunity to enhance the athletic programs in Chillicothe with this new stadium complex. The officers of the Chillicothe Education Foundation are Ed Douglas, president; Brenda Fellhoelter, secretary; and Mike Turner, treasurer.

C-T Photo / Catherine Stortz Ripley / 10/11/11

CAPTION: The landscape just north of the Chillicothe High School parking lot is rapidly changing as dirt is moved as part of the construction process for a new stadium. The new Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium complex is expected to be completed by fall 2012.

2011 Mini-Grants Awarded
The Chillicothe Education Foundation blew their horns and awarded $4,000.10 to 18 teachers within the R-2 district on Tuesday, September 20, 2011... read all about it and see photos here...

2010 Teacher of the Year Fundraising Reception
The Chillicothe Education Foundation annual reception was held February 2, 2011 at the home of Mr. Ed Milbank, Education Foundation board member. Invitations were sent out after Christmas. If you would like to attend future events and do not receive an invitation, please email Brenda Fellhoelter, Secretary. A donation of $75 per person attending is requested.

On The Hunt
Constitution-Tribune, Laura Schuler
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Aidri Carden, Trae Toot, and Claire Shipp examine a loom at the Grand River Historical Society Museum today during a field trip. Fourth-graders from Central School were on a scavenger hunt at the museum as part of "Missouri Day."

Along with visiting the museum, the students also viewed murals in downtown Chillicothe and had scheduled Missouri Knowledge relays at Simpson Park in the afternoon, following a picnic lunch.

The project is all related to the Mini-Grant project awarded to the 4th grade teachers by CEF this fall.

Foundation Acquires Land for Future
Chillicothe Constitution Tribune, Friday, May 30, 2003

Caption: What is now little more than idle farmland could be transformed, one day, into an entire education complex as part of the Chillicothe R-2 School District. The Chillicothe Education Foundation announced Friday, May 30, that the foundation has acquired 61 acres of land just north and northeast of the present high school. The foundation will hold onto the property until a time when the district and its patrons are ready to build. Members of the foundation, representatives of the schools and school district as well as donors who made the acquisition possible were present for the ceremony. This picture was taken north of the high school with the camera pointed in a northeasterly direction. -- C-T Photo by Catherine Stortz Ripley

The Chillicothe Educational Foundation took a significant step in supporting Chillicothe R-2 School District's future by securing enough land to someday accommodate an entire educational complex. The land amounts to 61 acres and is located north and northeast of the existing high school.

Foundation officials as well as school representatives and donors gathered on a small plot of land overlooking the new acquisition during a celebration ceremony held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 30, 2003. R-2 Superintendent of Schools Dale Wallace welcomed those in attendance and introduced Ed Douglas, who serves as president of the Chillicothe Educational Foundation. Douglas explained that the foundation received the gift of a 15.6 acre tract from Mr. and Mrs. C.P. Hutchinson, and has purchased an adjoining 45.6 acre tract of land from Dr. and Mrs. Donald Metry.

The foundation will have ownership of the land until the school district has need of it for future building expansion; at that time, needed land will be deeded to the schools at no cost. "We believe we are providing for our school system and the students in the school system for the long term, possibly for the next 100 years," Douglas said. He said the gift and acquisition consisting of the additional 61-plus acres will allow the school district to put all potentially needed new school buildings on one campus location. There is sufficient land for new elementary, middle and vocational schools, football and baseball fields, a bus barn and administration offices, he said. "We obviously don't know for sure that all of these buildings will be built on this location, but we think it would be great to have the ability to put everything together, even if the time frame ranges from 20 to 50 years."

"We are extremely grateful to C.P. and Dot Hutchinson who have very generously given a valuable tract of land, in addition to the 24-plus acres that they previously donated for the high school," Douglas said. "Additionally, Donald and Cynthia Metry were very helpful and cooperative in allowing us to acquire their adjoining property on very reasonable terms." Douglas further stated, "In addition to providing for the future of our school system, we think another benefit of this acquisition will be the positive effect on future proposed bond issues for new schools; having land available at no cost will positively impact voters."

Superintendent of Schools Dale Wallace was elated by the news. "Members of the school board and I are thrilled by the purchase made by the Chillicothe Education Foundation," he said. "This will be a benefit for generations to come... This sets the course for this school district and the community for forever."

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