By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
EDWARDSBURG – From the color of the floor tiles in the entrance of the new performing arts building to the shade of blue seats in the new gymnasium, one man has been watchful to make sure everything is perfect.
Edwardsburg Public Schools Superintendent Sherman Ostrander gave the Edwardsburg Board of Education a sneak peak of the new facility following the December board meeting.
"The response has been 'wow,'" he said. Ostrander's devotion to the project is "my gift to the community, a delayed Christmas gift. It couldn't have happened without the support of the community," he added.
He wants a facility they can all be proud of – the parents, the students and the community at large.
"When I came from Niles, there wasn't a lot of pride," he said, something that he has seen change in his 12 years as superintendent.
Walking around the new facilities, he is eager to share those elements that will dress up the buildings, such as some areas of wood paneling, a trophy case and full orchestra pit, which will be heard but not seen.
He is just as proud of the way the structures will accommodate the handicapped and save money, such as the furnaces positioned under the auditorium, with air brought up under the seats to help heat the space.
To enable the project to be within the budget, the seat count needed to be fewer than 800. With some seats added along two sides for adults, the total will be about 750, Ostrander said.
The budget has only gone over at 2 percent, Ostrander said.
The areas for the students to build sets and put on make-up and costumes rivals many major colleges.
Some of these areas, including a way for the middle school students to come over for performances without going outside, were add-ons the board approved for an additional $600,000 to $700,000.
"The fine arts staff is elated. It exceeds their expectations," Ostrander said. Seeing the rigging being added to the stage right before Christmas, they realized the dream was actually getting close.
"It's the realization of a dream," he added.
They expect to be in the gym by the end of February and the fine arts building by the end of March.
"We are looking forward to spring concerts," he said, adding there will probably be a production crew and an usher club for the students to join and receive practical experience.
Though they realize there is still not enough room in the auditorium to hold graduation, the building will be useful for school functions and community events, such as Miss Edwardsburg.
The new gymnasium will be plenty large to accommodate the graduation ceremony, with room for up to 1,800 people, and if they ever should need more space, Ostrander added, they could use Notre Dame's ACC.
The gym has two grades of maple hardwood, with the slightly lesser grade surrounding the playing field. The honey and blond colors will make a nice contrast. The floor is considered a "floating deck system," he said, being installed by a local company, Mid-America Sports Services.
Another Edwardsburg business, North American Forest, supplied plywood.
Ostrander does regret the shade of blue on the seats is not really the Edwardsburg blue, but he was unable to change it.
Team rooms will allow the competition a way to enter, go on a sidewalk to the practice field and the game without having to travel all over the building. There are locker rooms for both boys and girls.
A weight room and area for wrestling can be opened up to its full size of 2,400 square feet or divided by a curtain.
Eventually, Ostrander said, the community will be able to come and use the space for exercise and weight training.
Near the new concession stand, which the athletic boosters will furnish with equipment, will be a trophy case and Hall of Fame, where members of the community who contribute their time to the school district will be honored.