Petersburg Pilot

Field of dreams where pool was

Keith Chaplin

March 4, 2010

When third-grade elementary teacher Gregg Kowalski stares out of his classroom window, he sees what could soon be a “field of dreams.”

To anyone else looking out the same window all you would see is a pile of gravel, long grass, rusting storage containers, a dilapidated track, and puddles. Large puddles.

Kowalski wants to change that, and has started exploring the option of installing what has been dubbed the “field of dreams,” a 200-meter track in the open area that would be for school and community use.

“There is no open field space in Petersburg except the cemetery,” Kowalski said. “We are yet to ever host a high school track meet in Petersburg.”

The track in place is rarely used, and athletes are often forced to find other areas to practice.

Stedman Elementary School Principal Erica Kludt-Painter sees this as a problem.

“Many track athletes are forced to run in the streets,” she said.

At the Feb. 16 Petersburg School Board meeting, Kowalski introduced the idea and site plan that he and several community members had developed.

The plan shows a 200-meter, six-lane track that sits between the elementary school and new community pool.

“This is an area we’ve looked at for years,” Kludt-Painter said. “It would be nice for a more usable space,”

And while the space has been cleared and is relatively open, building a track in Petersburg would be a large project.

“It is a big process to build a track space in any place, but here (Petersburg) it is quite the undertaking,” Kludt-Painter said. “Building here is such a chore.” She also pointed out that parking, lighting and security will need to be worked out as the plan takes shape.

Nowadays the site does house shop class projects and storage containers, but Kludt-Painter said the “field of dreams,” would offer much more to the school and community.

She said the possibility of a field for soccer and community garden space along with the track would be a great asset to the community.

Kowalski has already formed various committees for the “field of dreams,” to look at track and field needs, community garden needs and fundraising needs. He also recently started looking at options that would allow winter use activities such as ice-skating.

And while the plan for the “field of dreams,” is still in its infancy, Kowalski and Kludt-Painter said they are excited about all the possibilities for the schools and community of Petersburg.