ELY — The school board voted unanimously Tuesday night to rename the football stadium press box in honor of the late Coach Bill Braun, a beloved teacher and coach who left a lasting impact on generations of students.
“Anybody who had Mr. Braun as a teacher or a coach had a great respect for that gentleman,” said board member Tony Colarich during the meeting. “I could never call him Bill - he was always Mr. Braun to me.”
The renaming coincides with a larger $5.25 million athletic facilities renovation project currently in the works. The Braun family is also making a five-figure donation that will help fund improvements to the structure.
“It just makes sense,” said Athletics Director Tom Coombe. “(Engineering firm) SEH will be doing what they do on the field, and we’ll make some renovations to the press box in Mr. Braun’s memory.”
Sinkhole
Director of Facilities Tim Leeson reported that crews discovered a sinkhole and voids on the north side of the track along the stadium during recent investigations. During the homecoming parade, a float became temporarily stuck when one of the tires sank into the ground.
“When they built these buildings and had to blast ledge rock for footings, they took those tailings and used that for fill on the north side of the track,” Leeson said. “That’s where we were getting some washout and some voids.”
Leeson said the south side of the field “looked great.”
The discovery echoes similar underground concerns raised earlier in the project. During initial preparation work, an old city storm sewer line running underneath the baseball field raised questions about whether it needed to be addressed. However, Leeson reported Tuesday that the city has confirmed the sewer line is in good condition and won’t require work.
Athletics projects on track
District officials remain optimistic about staying within budget. The money comes from a state grant that must be spent on athletic facility improvements, with strict deadlines: $250,000 by July 2027 and the full amount by February 2028. Preliminary cost estimates presented to the board show improvements distributed across multiple sports programs. Football field and track improvements are allocated between $985,000 and $1.036 million, serving a combined 122 students. The ice arena would receive between $937,000 and $1.02 million for structural repairs. Baseball field renovations, including a new standalone restroom and concession building, would cost between $1.561 million and $1.89 million, while softball improvements range from $351,500 to $385,500.
“Preliminary numbers came in a little under, so we’ve got some wiggle room, I think, hopefully,” Leeson said. The facilities team will meet with SEH on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. to refine cost estimates.
“Our goal is by January, so we’re still ahead of the timeline,” School Board President Rochelle Sjoberg said. The board will review the project in detail at a study session on Nov. 24, with a formal vote expected at the Dec. 4 meeting.