Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Tribute Hall?

 

• Tribute Hall is the second floor of a new building to be built at Pete Susick Stadium.  It will recognize and honor veterans affiliated with the Coos Bay School District.

 

So that’s the second floor; what happens with the first floor?

 

• The first floor will house two new ADA-compliant bathrooms and provide secure, dry storage for school district athletic equipment including pole vault and high jump pits, hurdles, football and band equipment.

 

Besides recognition and storage, does the new building offer other services?  Is it available for public use?

 

• Like Heritage Hall, the second floor provides multi-use space for up to 95 people.  Within the school district, we anticipate use by athletic teams, academic classes, and co-curricular groups.  We foresee and encourage use by local veterans and civic groups for meetings, ceremonies, and presentations.  Unlike Heritage Hall, there will be no food preparation or kitchen facilities.  One use might include offering catered hospitality to invited guests during football games or visiting coaches during athletic contests like large track and field meets.  We encourage use by local groups and will develop a process for scheduling events that provide public, ADA-compliant access to a centrally-located facility.  We are especially open to use by veterans’ groups within the community.

 

Who will pay for the new building?

 

• Private funds will pay for the building and Tribute Hall displays, with no outlay from the school district.  A fundraising committee works with the Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation to seek grants and donations of money and in-kind products and services.  We anticipate much of the labor will be volunteered under the overall guidance of a licensed general contractor and in cooperation with school district personnel charged with facilities design, management and maintenance.

 

How much will it cost?

 

• An estimate for a turn-key building built by professional contractors at prevailing wage is $420,000.  This estimate is provided by a local architectural and engineering firm, donating those in-kind services and is based on a material take-off, unit-price process.  Nearly 20% of this cost is included in a sub-contracted foundation that remediates underground aquatic instability with extensive piling.  Once the foundation is built, we hope to complete the building using the same approach as Heritage Hall, with most of the cost offset by in-kind donations of materials, services and volunteer labor.

 

How much have you raised so far?

 

• To date, three foundations have awarded $30,000 in grant, four individuals have donated $10,000 each, one has donated $5,000 and another $1,000.  We continue to seek grant awards and began a limited fundraising campaign in late-September soliciting local people with personal ties to the hall.  We have secured pledges for $97,000 in-kind products, services and labor.  We reached our goal to raise $150,000 by December 31, 2016, an amount that allows us to proceed with construction of at least the engineered foundation, first-story cinder block walls and flooring for the second story.  We may be able to make further progress if businesses and individuals are willing to donate additional in-kind products and services and volunteers provide the bulk of labor.

 

When will it be done?

 

• Like any building project, completion of up-front requirements dictates start of construction.  We are already engaged in concurrent efforts to design the building, seek permits, and solicit donations.  We hope to break ground by early spring 2017, before contractors gear up for their summer projects and we have access to a large group of volunteers.  Pace of completion will depend on incoming donations of money, products, services, and volunteer labor, but our goal would be to finish within a year of groundbreaking.  We will fill the hall with our physical and virtual displays and hold a "grand opening" on Veterans Day of 2018.

 

Is this project part of the proposal to cover a portion of the South stands and build a new concession area, additional seating options and new coaching and press boxes?

 

• No, it is not, although both projects share a common vision - making Pete Susick Stadium and Prefontaine Track the finest high-school sports complex in the state.  Both projects are underway and are managed, funded, and built by separate groups.  These groups are sharing progress and searching for ways to reduce costs in building infrastructure common to both projects like electricity, plumbing, stadium stairs and ramps, and digital connectivity.  By coordinating with the school district architect and facilities manager, both projects will share common design and color schemes, presenting a professional façade to the public.

 

For inclusion in the hall, how do you define “affiliation with the Coos Bay School District?”

 

• We want to include and recognize as many veterans as possible.  Our categories of “affiliation” include alumni, a family member of an alumnus or currently enrolled student, licensed staff members, unlicensed administrative personnel and unpaid volunteers who attended school in the Coos Bay School District.  The latter category includes those who support education and other co-curricular activities, including athletics.

 

• I am a Marshfield alumnus and my father served during World War II but did not attend a Coos Bay School District school.  Will he be included?  Yes, this meets the “family” criteria and it also applies to grandparents. 

 

• My US History teacher served in the Army during Desert Storm.  Does he qualify for recognition?  Absolutely.  He is a licensed employee.

 

• The janitor served in the National Guard for 20 years.  Does he earn recognition?  Yes, he meets our “unlicensed administrative personnel” qualification.

 

• A gentlemen volunteers to run the shot put at our home track and field meets.  He served in the Army for 2 years.  Is he “in” or “out” of the Hall?  He’s “in” as he meets the volunteer criteria.

 

• I am a veteran affiliated with the school district.  Are my children who serve(d) in the Armed Forces eligible?  Yes, they qualify as “family” members.

 

How do I submit an “application” for inclusion in the Hall?

 

• Go to the website:  http://piratecoach.wixsite.com/tributehall

• Push to the "Add a veteran to the hall" button and complete the application.

• Follow the instructions to access an online form to record your service information.

• Meet one of the verification criteria.

 

Will Tribute Hall be a museum?

 

• Like Heritage Hall, it will be a “living” museum with permanent and regularly updated displays.  We envision permanent displays highlighting veterans’ service during America’s armed conflicts, including both world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and ongoing operations.  We envision prominent displays of groups of veterans and their contributions to the school district and its greater community.  One such grouping would celebrate those members of the “greatest generation” who fought in World War II and returned to the Bay Area.  Veterans like Pete Susick, Lynn Farr, Jack Schneiderman, Walt Paczesniak, Chet Haliski, William Huggins, Betty Jean Knox and scores of others built businesses that continue to anchor the Bay Area economy today and mentored a generation of student-athletes as teachers, counselors, coaches and employers.  Another grouping would include “baby boomers” and their contributions to the community.  Veterans like Wally Hazen, Jerry Worthen and Lou Leberti built thriving businesses and served on boards after returning to the Bay Area.  Graduates serving currently in the armed forces merit inclusion in a separate, regularly updated display.  We hope to include every veteran affiliated with the Coos Bay School District in a regularly-updated database and display their service history within the hall.  We are working with the national Service museums to secure long-term loan of memorabilia.

 

How can I be part of this project?

 

• Donate money, products or services, including your labor.  Spread the word and encourage others to do the same.  If you or a family member will be recognized as a veteran, provide as much information as possible to our research committee.  Send monetary donations to:

 

Tribute Hall Fundraising Committee

Coos Bay Schools Community Foundation

PO Box 1372

Coos Bay, OR 97420

 

Your donations will be recorded, acknowledged and displayed in the building.  They are tax-deductible.

 

I would like to make a large donation.  How will it be recognized?

 

• We will acknowledge and display all donors by name or business.  Our model is the large list of donors acknowledging their support of the stadium project; it’s mounted behind the concessions area at the East end of the home stands at Pete Susick stadium.  We plan additional recognition of generous donations of money and in-kind products and services with prominent and permanent displays in the new building.

 

• The four most generous donors will earn the right to name the four themed displays.

 

• The first ten donors to pledge $10,000 and the first five to pledge that amount in in-kind products or services will be recognized with large, prominent, and permanent plaques.

 

• The first ten donors to pledge $5,000 and the first five to pledge that amount of in-kind products or services will be recognized with prominent and permanent plaques.

 

• The first twenty donors to pledge $1,000 will be recognized with permanent plaques.

 

How can I get more information?

 

• Visit our website at: http://piratecoach.wixsite.com/tributehall

 

• Feel free to call the primary contact for this project: 1971 alumnus, retired Air Force Colonel and current head track and field coach Mac McIntosh.  He can be reached at (541)759-3995 or by email at piratecoach@gmail.com.  Go to and “like” the Tribute Hall facebook page; ask to join the group.

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• Mac is willing to present a 30-45 minute briefing about Tribute Hall to your group.