IBEW Local 48 (Portland, OR) Light Football Fields for students and save city $75,000

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Let there be light on all PIL fields

Let there be light. Please. After all these years, can three Portland Interscholastic League football teams finally get lights for their fields?

Yes, they can. If you help.

What seemed like a guaranteed project a few years ago has been iffy for a while. But most of the heavy lifting is complete, and all that's left is for those of us who benefited from the PIL to lend a hand.

You may recall that when PGE Park was renovated, a deal was cut with its operator, Portland Family Entertainment. PFE would develop and contribute to a fund that would provide lights for the football fields at Cleveland, Roosevelt and Marshall high schools. The city would match the funds, and the project would cost $450,000.

PFE made the first payment, $40,000, and the city matched. You know what happened to PFE after that.

But then some very nice people stepped in to help PIL Athletic Director Greg Ross keep the project on track.

Joe Esmonde of IBEW Local 48 offered to have his members do the electrical installation at no cost, saving an estimated $75,000. PGE Executive Vice President Fred Miller stepped forward with an offer to provide power to the sites at no cost, a $35,000 value. Harvey Platt at Platt Electric, who is seemingly always giving to this area's worthy causes, is going to donate several thousand dollars worth of materials, including wire. ZINK construction of Vancouver, Wash., offered to install the poles at no cost. Vickers/Nelson Associates came through with project management. A lot of other smaller donations came along.

City Commissioner Jim Francesconi's office helped the permit process along and was instrumental in getting the permit costs lower than forecast. "The city needs to do everything it can to make schools more attractive to their communities," Francesconi said. "This is just one step we are taking to that end."

Now, this thing is getting close.

Ross says only $75,000 is needed to complete the project and have the lights in place in time for football and soccer season in the fall.

"I think it's remarkable that this project started out with a price tag of $450,000 and we will end up with about two-thirds of the costs being donated," Ross says. "Even more impressive is that the city of Portland, the Parks Bureau, Portland Public Schools, IBEW, PGE, and private contractors and suppliers were all able to work together to get this done.

"We are so close to the finish. Our goal is to get the fields lighted this summer. We need to have the funds in hand by the end of June and have the project completed by mid-August so that fall sports can be played under the lights at these three schools — as they are at almost every other 3A and 4A high school in Oregon."

I think it's a great project. PIL football has lagged behind the state's other 4A schools for a variety of reasons. Getting the fields lit so that schools can build community pride in those Friday night home games will help a lot. It will help make football important in those districts again.

People who support PIL athletics are asked to give frequently. Probably too often. But I'm asking one more time. If you played in the PIL, if sports enhanced your high school experience or if you have children who could someday benefit, this one is a worthy cause. I encourage you to help push this over the top.

You can write your check to the Portland Parks Foundation/Field Lighting Fund and send it to 888 S.W. Fifth Ave., Suite 1600, Portland, OR 97204.

It's a gift that will benefit a lot of kids, a lot of families, for years to come.

Contact Dwight Jaynes at djaynes at portlandtribune.com .