Another gridworks remodeling

It’s not a major stadium reconstruction project on the scale undertaken by the WSU Cougars, but it has been getting a little extra notice. The Colfax gridworks at Schmuck park has added a press box on top of its press box.

Colfax Athletic Director Shawna Kneale said the addition was accomplished with a lot of volunteer help and donations. The aim of the addition was to provide more space and better vision.

“It has been getting pretty crowded in there,” Kneale noted on the press box space assignments in recent seasons.

The press box actually fills up with people who have no direct relationship with a press. The normal inhabitants are the team announcer, a timer, a broadcasting team from the local radio station and assistant coaches who act as spotters and are linked to the decision makers on the sidelines.

Kneale said last year Dean Ellis, team announcer, had trouble seeing the action on the far corners of the field. Ellis at different times found he had to abandon the press box to get a better view of the action on the field so he could relate the particulars to the fans.

In fact, Ellis at times actually perched on top of the press box, a site which is now occupied by the second-story addition.

The job was officially listed on the Colfax building permit files at $800, a cost estimate which is close to being valid because of all the volunteer time which went into its construction.