Ribbon-Cutting Ceremoney Opens New Entrance/Ticket Booth for Outdoor Sporting Events at OHS

The new structure greeting Cooney fans arriving at sporting events at the athletic complex at the Oconomowoc Senior High School may look like a simple ticket booth, but it is much more.

Finished in time for the Oconomowoc Sports Booster Club tailgate party two weeks ago (and the OHS-Beaver Dam football) game, the new structure is the first physical element built as part of Athletic Fields Forever, the community/OSBC/Oconomowoc School District plan to renovate and expand the school’s outdoor athletic facilities.

The Sports Booster Club is driving the $3.9 million fundraising campaign that will provide funds for the multi-year project. Visit OSBC website site.

As such it represents the power of a community banding together to raise funds that otherwise might not be available during a time when school districts are struggling to raise bare minimal operating funds.

For more on Athletic Fields Forever, check out this section of the website.

From a practical perspective, the new masonry structure replaces an outdated and small  wood ticket booth that sat on a corner of the parking lot north of the football stadium.  That congested location’s high-pedestrian and vehicular traffic plus its potential for safety-related problems when there were lines of people purchasing tickets and cars dropping off fans made its replacement a priority.

Built with a variation of a bridge loan from the OASD, the new structure has three ticket windows and in mostly covered so fans purchasing tickets are shielded from adverse weather. It is also located far enough from the old location that the safety issues are no longer a concern.

Oliver Construction served as the general contractor and it and several sub-contractors were able to finish building the structure below the original $165,000 estimate. At a recent OASD Board of Education meeting assistant superintendent Mike Barry said that donated labor and materials may bring the final cost down by as much as $30,000 to $40,000.

Also new to the complex is a two-tower entrance way which will channel fans to the stadium. When finished the two towers will featured an archway that will announce the new name of the stadium. As part of the Athletic Fields Forever fundraising campaign, naming rights for the field are available. View article on the various naming rights opportunities.

During a ribbon-cutting ceremony held to mark the opening of the ticket booth and entrance/gateway, OSBC president Tina McKandes thanked Oliver Construction and other local businesses, plus a group of volunteers for their work on the structure.

Participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony were past OSBC presidents Paul Kopydlowski, far left, and Tim Kay; current president Tina McKandes; OHS principal Joseph Moylan; OASD Board of Education member Sandy Schick and OSBC board members Staci Guzanick, Tammy Derynda, and Lori Merkt. In the back row, from left, at John Griswold, OASD board member; Mike Bickler, a former OSBC president and current board of education member; David Guckenberger, OASD board member, and Keith Farley, another former OSBC president and a partner at Oliver Construction.

Photo courtesy of Sue Boyer.