Marshall shares work of PHS Foundation
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PARKERSBURG -- The Parkersburg High School Foundation is working on projects to improve the historic high school building.
Bob Marshall of the Parkersburg High School Foundation appeared before the Wood County Commission on Monday to discuss the work the group is doing.
Non-profit organizations have been appearing before the Wood County Commission to discuss and inform the public about what they are doing in the community.
Marshall made no funding request from the commission for the projects they are working on.
The foundation was started in 1988 by a group of prominent business people who knew the school would need financial help in the coming years, Marshall said. Marshall thanked Commissioner Jimmy Colombo for his support, as a local businessman, since the beginning of the foundation.
''Parkersburg High School is over 150 years old,'' he said. ''The construction on the current building was started in 1915 and completed in 1917.
''We are asked many times, 'Why does a high school need a foundation? Doesn't our real estate taxes take care of the necessary monies?'''
The PHS building is over 100 years old and the school board has certain requirements for the tax money it spends, Marshall said. The foundation is able to raise money for other projects to improve the building.
''We are helping to meet the financial needs of the school while encouraging traditions and enhancing educational excellence,'' Marshall said.
Marshall detailed a project to replace all of the chairs in the PHS auditorium, called "Take A Seat." The fundraising project replaced all 767 seats on the main floor of the auditorium. The wood floors have been repaired. Many of the seats taken out date back to the 1960s and the balcony seats date back to 1917. Each seat cost $250.
The new seats were installed by RM Huffman Company of South Charleston for $157,123. The fundraising efforts raised $123,000 for that project with around $35,000 to finish it.
Work on the auditorium improvements began in 2013 with replacing the stage curtains for $18,000 and eventually replacing the sound and lighting system for $79,000.
''When the seat phase of the auditorium project is completed, we will have spent around $254,000 just in the auditorium,'' Marshall said.
The foundation plans to restore the sculptured decorations below the balcony.
''The board has 15 members and they have worked extremely hard on this project,'' Marshall said. ''They would love to hear from anyone who would love to help us raise the final dollars.''
The foundation has had the support of the school's administration and staff.
''This has been a group effort,'' Marshall said.
The foundation has a website at parkersburghighschoolfoundation.org with information about making contributions. Checks can be made out to "Parkersburg High School Foundation" and mail it to "Take A Seat, P.O. Box 5515, Vienna, WV 26105.
In other business, the Wood County Commission gave its unanimous approval for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council to apply for a Small Cities Block Grant to extend sewer service to areas outside the Parkersburg city limits in the Marrtown area.
Fred Rader, MOVRC representative, appeared before the county commission along with representatives from Burgess and Niple and the Parkersburg Utility Board for a public hearing to discuss the proposed project.
Burgess and Niple did a study last year of what the costs would be to extend and provide sanitary sewer service to the Marrtown area with waste water coming to Parkersburg.
Timm Utt of Burgess and Niple said the project includes Marrtown Road, Hill Avenue, other nearby areas and could include over 75 customers. A new lift station is being proposed for Vine Avenue.
''This seems like a worthwhile project,'' Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said.
The project is expected to cost $4 million. The grant would be for $1.5 million.
''We have other funding in mind,'' Rader said of making up the difference.
If the full $4 million was unavailable, the project could be divided into phases that can be covered with available funding with Hill Avenue being first.
Officials would better define their plans for the project and are planning to appear in front of the commission again to get the final approval for the plan before the end of August so they can move forward with the final grant application.
The date will be set soon.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com