Save a Seat For Me!!!

There is good news from the Phillips County Commissioners regarding the grandstand. The original grandstand was built in 1915 and was the victim of the severe winds on April 5, 2022. The winds came in such power and velocity, that all that was left, where the grandstand had been, was a slab of cement and memories. Bleachers were brought in from the drag strip in Malta, and have been in place since. This is the last year for the makeshift seating.

Even though the County had insurance on the building, anyone knows that dealing with insurance companies takes time. There was "talk" that the grandstands would be moved to Malta...which was just that..."talk," as the insurance clearly laid out that the replacement had to be built where the previous one stood.

As people are reading this, one can almost wager on whether their thoughts wander to questions like...what will this cost and who is paying for it...in other words...will we have to absorb the cost on our taxes?

The cost is $3,008,173.82 as per the commissioners office, which will be covered by insurance, as they had replacement cost insurance. There will not be an increase in taxes due to the damage. The contracted was awarded to Corland Construction, LLC out of Sidney, Montana; the completion date is June 30, 2025. The commissioners are confident with the decision.

The engineering firm that designed the grandstand was Interstate Engineering out of Fort Peck, Montana. One of the engineers for the design of the new structure was Teaguean Knudsen, son of Gary and Nancy, and he is a graduate of Malta High School.

Also, there was discussion about whether the Boy Scout booth would have to be moved or taken down. Originally, the word was that it had to come down, as the west side of the booth was attached to the east side of the grandstands. In a visit with the County Commissioners, John Carnahan and Richard Dunbar, on Tuesday, they stated, "Yes, that is what we were originally told." Since that time, they have encountered some less than pleasant visits from the public, demanding that the booth remain.

More importantly, they have had discussions with the insurance company, and the Boy Scout booth will remain standing. As stated earlier, it takes time, and as some know, since Rome wasn't built in a day, one has to be patient. Be patient, work together and "communicate."

Carnahan said, "Originally, we thought we were going to have to remove everything out of that building and take the building down, because of where the new grandstand was going to sit. In the meantime, we talked to the insurance company and they said we cannot do anything with it because it never was damaged in the windstorm. But, the back wall was against the old grandstand. When we removed the old grandstand we went up and had a contractor go in and build a wall in it."

He continued stating the booth/building will be used this year. A ten foot slab will placed on the east side and at a point additional seating could be added by the Boy Scouts.

Carnahan and Dunbar shared that the design came from the contractors that build these particular structures; they had four designs and two were on the west coast. One was from the Griz stadium and one was from the Cats stadium. The reason the decision was made to go with this particular one was due to the amount of leg space - this one selected allows ample knee space, which will accommodate someone trying to get in past you as you are seated.

Entry into the grandstand will be at ground level, there is a three foot and six inch rise that gradually goes up, plateaus out for a while, ascends again, and is 66 feet long. Changes have been made on the inside as well. The ticket-takers will now be right at the entry vs 3/4 of the way into the grandstand.

The commissioners shared that the grandstand will be 126 feet by 66 feet; it will be taller than the "old grandstand" and will be a welcome addition to the fairgrounds. Seating capacity is approximately 1,140 people.

There will be handicap seating on both sides of the stands once you enter the area, they will be aluminum seats with backs on

them. It is hoped that the younger people will see the need to leave those seating spots for the elderly and handicapped. While it would have been nice to put seats with backs on the entire seating, it was cost-prohibitive, and decisions were made to limit the number of backed seating.

There will be a 10-foot slab around the front (north) in both directions, with handicap ramps. These ramps will be to the Beer Garden on the west and to the open area next to the Boy Scout booth. There is even a spot designated for those who might be selling raffle tickets or such.

A new feature of the grandstands will be the lighting and fans that are built into the ceiling. This would enhance not only the safety, but the comfort of sitting there.

The plan is to have a plumber go in and lay out the plumbing for new bathrooms; at this time, the number has yet to be determined.

As things are laid out at the fairgrounds since 2022, insofar as where the different buildings were improvised, is where they will remain until there is ample funding in the budget. What worked in 2022 will continue to work a bit longer.

At this time, the plan is for the work to begin a week or two after the fair closes, and it will be ready and complete by June of 2025, in time for the opening of the 110th year of the Phillips County Fair, the longest continuing running fair in the state. Let's head to Dodson this weekend and enjoy the 109th...see 'ya there!