Rockville Centre School board briefs

Proposed SSHS lights

Don Rhuda of Musco Lighting provided details on lights that have again been proposed for South Side High School’s athletic field, answering questions about cost, spillage and installation. At the Oct. 11 meeting, Rhuda said that four poles, two on each side of the field, with 10 lights each, would be installed near the 10-15-yard line just outside of the track. The poles on the school side would be 80 feet high, and the two on the other side of the field would be 70 feet tall.

Rhuda said his company has worked closely with proponents of the dark skies initiative and that the amount of light spillage from the proposed installation “is minimal at best.” Taller is better, he said, because it creates a deeper angle. The poles could be installed by local contractors the company recommends, into hollow, pre-cast, reinforced concrete, 30 inches in diameter at a depth of between 16 and 18 feet. Winter is the best time to install the lights because the ground is solid. Installation would take approximately four weeks.

Rhuda said the proposed lighting is operated remotely, includes bulbs, a 25-year warranty and is designed to meet New York state standards and wind gusts of up to 150 mph. Power would be supplied by Rockville Centre Electric at a lower cost than LIPA. Rhuda added that the equipment would cost $144,000 and total installation costs should not exceed $180,000.

The South Side Field Co., Inc. which does business as “Turf’s Up” and is also known as the “Athletic Council,” has raised $107,000 in cash and has been urging the school district to make use of a reimbursable N.Y. State Dormitory Authority grant for $250,000, that Council members say will soon become unavailable. The project’s supporters say the gift of lights will be “free” and that left over funds, if any, with additional donations, can be used for bleachers and eventually, a new turf field to replace the current field, which nearly everyone agrees is in poor condition.