The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – A name for the new field house a the Waitsburg Athletic Complex will not be decided upon until policies regarding the naming of school facilities can be updated, but school board members spent some time discussing the matter at their January board meeting.

Board chair Ross Hamann offered some historical knowledge on the project. Hamann said that years ago there were several projects in the works including a new press box and field house.

After receiving a $15,000 grant from Cycle Oregon, volunteers decided to move forward and get momentum going by building the press box because the cost was less and the code requirements were less stringent, he said.

Hamann said that as word got out a local benefactor contacted then-superintendent Carol Clarke about getting the field house up and running by putting a significant amount of seed money toward the project.

“There was something they wanted in return. If we were to get that done, and we accepted that money, they would like to have the field house named after Kenneth M. Zuger. He was on the very good 1931 football team and was the star of the team at that particular time. He was apparently very impressive with his involvement in the community and has family roots in the community,” Hamann said.

“It was touching when I met with him that he didn’t want his own name on it even though it was his money. He wanted a classmates name put on the fieldhouse,” he added.

Hamann said that, in the eight to ten years since, the district has gotten close to having enough funds to build the field house at times, but were never able to reach the goal.

The individual who wished to donate has since passed away and Hamann said his family still wishes to make it available toward construction of the fieldhouse, with the condition that is be named for Kenny Zuger.

Superintendent Jon Mishra explained that the section of the policy manual regarding naming of school facilities is missing and he wants to be sure that any required rules are followed. He said he would find a WSSDA policy and present it at an upcoming meeting.