Groundbreaking Held for EHS Turf Field, Scoreboard Project

(THOSE GATHERED FOR MONDAY'S GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY, FROM LEFT: EHS Director of Bands Trent Mason; Chris Kessler of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center; Unit 40 student Max Buzzard; Unit 40 School Board Member Chad Thompson; Unit 40 Board Member Steve Bone; EHS Head Football Coach Brett Hefner; EHS Head Soccer Coach Logan Arney; EHS Trainer and Coach Troy VanBlaricum; EHS Principal Kurt Roberts; Effingham Sportsbackers Member Steve Boswell; Effingham Mayor Mike Schutzbach; Chuck Deters of Dieterich Bank; EHS Assistant Principal Tony Pullen; Travis Franklin of Heartland Dental; Unit 40 Activities Director David Woltman; Allison Carpenter of Washington Savings Bank; Paul Koerner of Koerner Distributor and Board President of Washington Savings Bank; Jordan Koerner of Koerner Distributor; Ann Wagner of J&J Ventures Gaming; Mel Stock of Midland States Bank; Jeff Mefford of Midland States Bank; Effingham City Commissioner Larry Micenheimer; Blake and Laura Linders of Linders Limited McDonald's; Unit 40 Board President Robin Klosterman; Effingham Sportsbackers Member Manny Wei; Unit 40 Board Member Jill Wendling; Unit 40 Assistant Superintendent Jason Fox; Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan)

Many of those who provided funding for a turf field and video scoreboard for Effingham High School gathered Monday afternoon on Klosterman Field for a groundbreaking ceremony.

The facility will now be known as Klosterman Field at Washington Savings Bank Stadium. The bank purchased the naming rights for the next eight years as a lead gift in the fundraising campaign. All of those who made significant contributions were recognized at Monday's ceremony. Chris Koester of Taylor Law, who helped oversee the fundraising effort, was not able to attend the ceremony.

The projection is that the field will be ready August 12 for a more formal recognition ceremony. The project includes a video scoreboard to be stationed in the southwest corner of the football complex.

(SOME OF THE DEBRIS AS WORK HAS BEGUN TO REPLACE THE NATURAL TURF WITH A TURF FIELD AT KLOSTERMAN FIELD)

A significant factor for Washington Savings Bank President David Doedtman was personal, though. Doedtman had seen one son transport his band instrument from the high school across Henrietta Street for rehearsal on the junior high field. Another son played soccer on the only field in the Apollo Conference that didn't have lighted field. This was an opportunity to address those matters. 

Doedtman said the bank, which is contributing $250,000 toward the project, saw this move as the next step after participating in various financial education courses in district schools.