BIDDEFORD — Members of the St. Louis Alumni Association have stepped up and donated $5,000 to the Biddeford School Department to assist in the renovation of Waterhouse Field.

Earlier this week, St. Louis Alumni Board of Director members John Thibault and Richard ‘Dick’ Dion presented a check for the generous donation to Biddeford Schools Superintendent Jeremy Ray. 

“We are fortunate to have an association which remains active and honored to support youth athletics in Biddeford,” Thibault said. “Waterhouse Field is an important part of this community and we are pleased to be able to support the renovations that are unfolding.”

Waterhouse Field was closed indefinitely this spring because of safety issues stemming from the field’s dilapidated bleachers.

In early summer, the Biddeford City Council chose to refinance a $34 million bond for renovations to Biddeford High School, returning to the city $1.18 million in savings that was then allocated to the field to make repairs and upgrade the facility.

Ray said it expected that most of the renovation work will be completed in time for fall sports teams to use the historic field.

So far, the field’s original bleachers have been removed and will be replaced with temporary bleachers. New permanent bleachers will be installed later during the 2017-2018 school year.

This week, new exterior fencing was put up along Prospect Street adjacent to Waterhouse Field and new lighting for the facility is expected to be installed by Aug. 20.

Workers also will be erecting a high-tech digital video scoreboard and a new state-of-the-art speaker system will be installed sometime in September.

The St. Louis Alumni Association was founded in 1940 and was established to promote the social welfare of the youth of the area through the establishment and maintenance of athletic programs. 

— Executive Editor Ed Pierce can be reached at 282-1535 ext. 326 or by email at editor@journaltribune.com. 

Comments are not available on this story.