Published on
November 15, 2008 in
News.
On behalf of the dozens of alumni, neighbors and friends who are working hard to re-establish the Roosevelt High School Campus as an essential community asset — we invite you to help us build the St. Johns/Theodore Roosevelt Athletics Complex (TRAC).
This site is designed to keep you informed of the progress of this campaign. You can find information about the project plan and discover why this project is so vital to the St. Johns and Roosevelt community. Follow the media coverage as this campaign gains momentum.
But most of all, get involved–either as a participant or as an ‘investor‘.
Teddy said it best. “DO WHAT YOU CAN, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, WHERE YOU ARE.”
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With extraordinary cooperation and support from Portland Public Schools, the City of Portland, and Nike – the St. Johns TRAC project moves forward this Summer and Fall with the installation of a new, synthetic main stadium field surface and press box.
Brockamp-Jaeger Construction has been retained to use every dollar wisely and provide a premium facility for field sports student and adult athletes as soon as possible this Fall. Some scheduled games, practices and activities may need to be re-scheduled to other locations to enable late season construction. Please consult the PIL Website or contact your local sports program administrator before making plans to attend an upcoming event.
Student-athletes and coaches are responding well to delays and inconveniences. They realize this investment is important to a long and successful future for St. Johns students and families. And neighbors have been very understanding as well – realizing the long-term community economic benefits of a top-quality facility in North Portland.
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Homecoming 2010 will again offer many reasons for celebration. Currently, a large-scale Homecoming Celebration is planned for Friday, October 29th. More details can be obtained by contacting Roosevelt HS – 503-916-5260 or Alumni Association President Mike Verbout.
Inspirations is a first-year Art and Music Festival featuring two major expressions promoting art and music within the North Portland Community:
Events occur in and around the energy of the St. Johns Parade on the Roosevelt campus on May 8th. All events are free.
11:00 a.m. – All Campus
- A spirited opening ceremony for the Parade
- Great food and fine art studio displays
- A Community Choir rehearsal
2 p.m. – Main Stage
- A Community Choir performance
- Deep Roots CD Release Party
- RHS Theatre One-act Festival
- Finale Stage Performance: ED Mondaine’ and The Belief
Moon Inspirations Events center on two great stages in Portland:
5:30 p.m. – Roosevelt Jazz Band tries to upstage the Mel Brown Quintet at Jimmy Maks in NW Portland [$5 Cover Benefits Roosevelt Music]
7:00 p.m. – The Greatest House Band supports A Surprising and Entertaining Roster of Guest Artists at the Historic Roosevelt Auditorium in North Portland [$25 Suggested Contribution/Pledge to Roosevelt Arts/Music or 12 Easy Payments of $2.08]
Contact Gary Mansavage ’59 for information about May 11th Alumni Reception
Other organizations have FUNDraisers. Roosevelt aims to Raise Spirits with a cutting-edge musical presentation that you will treasure forever.
Pending Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole Smith’s announcement on high school redesign plans, the St. Johns TRAC Project has requested that PPS approve TRAC’s Phase II Construction through the Summer of 2010.
Phase II features include:
- Tennis Courts
- Track and Field Facilities
- Main Stadium Artificial Turf Installation
- Press Box at Main Stadium
This is an exciting time for the St. Johns community and will add to the capacity of the school to serve the community and school-aged students in many compelling and important ways for a decade or more.
Thank you donors and friends.
Please let Carole Smith and the Portland Public School Board know that you appreciate their vision for Roosevelt and St. Johns. All can be reached via mail c/o:
501 North Dixon Street
Portland, Oregon 97227-1807
Carole Smith – Superintendent
Ruth Adkins – Board Chair
radkins@pps.k12.or.us
David Wynde
david.wynde@pps.k12.or.us
Martin Gonzales
mgonzalez@pps.k12.or.us
Pam Knowles
pknowles@pps.k12.or.us
Trudy Sargent
tsargent@pps.k12.or.us
Dilafruz Williams
dilafruz.williams@pps.k12.or.us
Henry Johnson
hjohnson@pps.k12.or.us
Published on
December 28, 2009 in
News.
What if a high school played a whole football seas
on and almost nobody came to watch?
For one team, it took a coach and a village to save the day. Tom Friend’s article for ESPN is heartbreaking and hopeful all at once – thanks to Coach Swain and the countless supporters of Roosevelt High School Football.
Click here to read it.
Published on
October 16, 2009 in
News.
Classy Class – 1959
Inspired through celebrations of a 50-year anniversary of graduation, the Class of 1959 has surged into an elite place of Roosevelt’s history. A new push of donations, fueled in large part by the silky sales skills of Gary Mansavage, has moved the Class of 1959 over the $5,000 total contributions level and into second place in the Class contribution standings. While this competition has remained friendly – all of the students of St. Johns and Roosevelt HS win as ever more alumni classes creep toward the President’s level status.
For updated Class standings and to get a sense of what YOU can do to move the needle forward, go the Class Challenges page.
Published on
October 14, 2009 in
News.
The growing support community of Roosevelt and St. Johns has made it possible to charge forward with the St. Johns TRAC project – even in a tepid economy. Building permits are secured and the race is on to get Home Grandstands in place in time for Homecoming 2009 [November 6th].
Special thanks to all of our donors and friends who helped bank the resources necessary for the project. But the hard work had just begun.
Architects, engineers [Group Mackenzie], project managers [Laura Day, Nick Harris, Todd Grimes], the Portland Planning Department, and –
more recently, our team of construction contractors – Brockamp-Jaeger, Extreme Excavation, Whitaker-Ellis, and Southern Bleacher Company have flown into action in just the past few weeks to make sure we hit the deadline, under budget, with a high quality set of bleachers to host our fans.
The inconvenience of construction is being handled with flair – as the school and community are excited to fill the gravel pit with a set of stands, suitable for our historic campus. For user groups of the field and school – please contact Rich Recker – 503-916-5260 Ext. 71437 before making plans to use the field or track. Things are a bit messy as we get ready to grow.
Published on
October 14, 2009 in
News.
Homecoming for the Ages – Bring the Spirit!
The Roosevelt High School community has broadened the 2009 Homecoming Celebration to include all who “Do What They Can, With What They Have, Where They Are!” – and this list has grown considerably in the past year.
Friday, November 6th will be a big day, including the Dedication of the first element of the St. Johns TRAC project – the Home Grandstands.
Events begin at 1 p.m. with Campus Tours – including:
A homage to Roosevelt’s History with the new Heritage Room
2 p.m. Dessert Theatre Performance
4 p.m. Community Bonfire is Lit and Nostalgic Pop Tunes Begin
5:30 p.m. Community Barbeque and Community Rally
6:45 p.m. Parade to Stadium
7:15 p.m. Dedication of Grandstands and National Anthem
7:30 p.m. ‘Rider Football v. Marshall
All events are complementary – as a special “thank you” to our community who always – “Do What They Can…!”
Grandstands have some unique features –
- 800-seat capacity – expandable to 810 if people squeeze together
- Heating element –from the body heat of people squeezing together
- Personal play-by-play commentary – by sitting close to about any Alumni
More seriously, the construction project included modernized, aluminum
construction with handrails system;
- Wheelchair and disability access seating
- Framework for a media table and pressbox
- Graduated slope ramps for access to stands for wheelchair and reduced mobility fans [yes, this means most alumni pre-1950]
But come to the stadium EARLY. Our first game is expected to be a sell-out!
Thanks for everyone’s spirited support.
Published on
June 15, 2009 in
News.
Alumni, friends, current and past Roosevelt parents, and others rocked
the Rose Garden to benefit the St. Johns TRAC project at Rock and
Roulette. Over 250 people packed the Club Level of the Blazers arena,
drawn by the chance to see old friends, meet new ones, and meet the
challenge put out by Portland’s Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund – to raise
$50,000 during the collective bid portion of the evening – and earn a
1:1 matching gift.
Musically inspired by the Rat Pack [Roosevelt friends Pastor Kip Jacob;
and Nike Executive Wilson Smith], and messages from TRAC Chairman Norm
Daniels ’66, the crowd rose to the occasion – raising their paddles to
swiftly earn the matching gift of $50,000 and – like true ‘Riders –
going above and beyond.
All told, the event generated nearly $120,000 toward the TRAC project
construction – with some portions of the project now able to start this
Summer!
Special thanks go out to Laura Day and Event Builders for organizing a
classy evening. More thanks go out to underwriting sponsors – The
Portland Trailblazers and NIKE – for helping to keep costs as low as
possible.
Published on
June 15, 2009 in
News.
Wow! With the help of many of you, the City of Portland and Portland
Public Schools have now dedicated significant resources toward the
construction of grandstands with a genuine interest in construction and
placement in time to support Fall sports in 2009!
Thanks to Mayor Adams, Nick Fish, Amanda Fritz and the entire City
Council [and staff] for your work on this challenge. Thanks also to PPS
Superintendent Carole Smith, working with a very tight budget scenario –
and yet freeing staff and resources to get a great place to sit for all
of the Rough Rider fans!
So, by all means – keep calling City officials. But change the message
to “Thank you!”
Published on
May 21, 2009 in
News.
The St. Johns TRAC Committee has determined to make a push to install -
effectively – a set of visitors stands [800 capacity] in the Home
Grandstand location until clarity about the potential for District
funding is resolved. To have Grandstands in place by FALL 2009, we need
a few simple things from YOU:
1. Send an email to City of Portland leadership asking for their
partnership in putting a reasonable set of grandstands in place at
Roosevelt High School by Fall 2009
Mayor Sam Adams – 823-4120 c/o james@ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Nick Fish – 503-823-3589 Nick.fish@ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Amanda Fritz – 503-823-3008 amanda@ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Dan Saltzman – 503-823-4151 dan@ci.portland.or.us
Commissioner Randy Leonard – 503-823-4682 rleonard@ci.portland.or.us
2. Send an email to Portland Public Schools Superintendent Carole
Smith csmith1@pps.k12.or.us – asking her to work with the City of
Portland to put a reasonable set of grandstands in place at Roosevelt
High School by Fall 2009.
The economy and some practical construction timeline issues may bog
down selected goals for the overall St. Johns TRAC project. At this
time, we project installation of Turf on main soccer/football to begin
shortly AFTER the 2009 Fall Season. The All-weather track facility must
be completed AFTER the Turf Field has been installed. We can hope for
as early as Track Season 2010.
Yes, there is still some work to do, but it will all come together.
Thanks to YOU [and the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund]!
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