They also directed Brown to notify the King George Youth Athletic Association, a youth football organization, and any other community groups, that the stadium field will be off limits to uses other than the football teams from the high school and middle school this fall.

Brown proposed the plan for Mitchell to take over maintenance of Hunter Field at the May 24 meeting, saying he volunteered to take it on.

“Let me emphasize we by no means are going to be able to get it into prime condition, and it would not be a permanent solution,” Brown said.

School Board member Rick Randall agreed.

“What we can do in-house, we should do in-house,” he said. “I am concerned we are not going to be able to meet all the requirements for the referees association, but what we can do, we should.”

King George High School Principal Todd Satterwhite told the School Board the field is already in better shape than it was a few weeks ago, adding that officials should be asked to re-evaluate the field over the summer.

“I’m hopeful that the referees associations will work with us,” Satterwhite said. “There are some things we can fix and some we can’t.” 

He added that Mitchell is providing routine maintenance, including some seeding and fertilizing, along with mowing, clipping and watering,

There was discussion again by School Board members that part of the problem with Hunter Field is that it has been overused. 

Chairman Lynn Pardee asked: “And then are we going to issue letters to other organizations that they will not be able to use that field?”

Renee Parker stated, “As a courtesy we need to let them know.”

No votes were taken on the issues by the three members present at the meeting and Dennis Paulsen and Mike Rose were absent.

But Pardee asked Brown, “Do you understand what we are asking of you?”

Brown responded, saying, “Yes, but understand that this is a Band-Aid.” She added that discussions with the county over a long-term solution for an adequate stadium must continue.

Following the meeting, she told The Journal that the maintenance would basically be a class project directed by Mitchell until school is out on June 18, then Mitchell would likely receive an hourly wage based on the amount of time he puts in.

That hourly rate has yet to be set by the School Board.

One thing is certain is that it will be a lot cheaper than the $120,000 option provided to the Board of Supervisors last week by CHA, Inc. to get Hunter Field in shape for this fall. (See related article elsewhere in this issue.)