October 2014

Beyond the Cave

News

Thorsted Field: Debut set for October 17

Continued from front page

Photos courtesy of Levi Graham & Kelley Figley

The aesthetics of the field are much improved, with the end zone capturing the audiences eyes, and the S logo
dominating the midfield. Contractors not only improved the field and track, they rebuilt the iconic announcers booth
(above middle), which will still display the title: Thorsted Field. They are working hard to finish the rest of the
project in the next few weeks.

before the projected completion date:

October 17.
He and the rest of the Boyer Construction
crew are working to meet this deadline,
recognizing that the cement for the
bleachers needs to be poured, the track
surfaced, the bleacher seats put in, and the
coachs box finished.
When asked if the completion deadline
was reasonable, he said, Its hard to say.
As long as we dont encounter any
unforeseen obstacles, well be fine.
As far as the challenges his team has faced
with the project, Mr. Oliva said theres been
nothing out of the ordinary.
In any job, there are always challenges.
Weve tried to minimize the amount of
delays to this project as much as possible,
he said.
The only major delay the project faced, he
explained, was when the team had to break
ground a month late because they were
waiting to get the plans approved by the
state architect.
When asked about working with the
administration on this project, Mr. Oliva
was very positive.

Theyve been great, he said. Weve

received a lot of help and support and the
school has been a really good partner.
Mrs. Mager, the Summerville Athletic
Director, stated she has "nothing but
praise" for Boyer Construction, as they
have been "working so hard."
She further pointed out why the debut
date was changed; after an already delayed
start due to state funding, she stated,
"Quality jobs take time. We are hoping for
October 17. There is no guarantee."
Mrs. Mager further said that with 20 guys
on the job, "Boyer Construction has done
an amazing job."
The main group benefitting from the new
stadium is Summervilles student body,
and many students have expressed
excitement about the changes taking place
on campus.
I am positive that the new field will not
only look fantastic, but be able to meet the
expectations that the players and users
have for it in order to have the maximum
amount of fun, said freshman Caleb Britt.
Even students not involved in sports are
looking forward to the upgraded facilities.
I love the new change to the school,
sophomore Laura Johnson said. The old

field had too many lumps in it and it was

irritating to run on.
Even though Summerville athletes miss
playing on their home turf, they know that
the new field will be worth the wait.
It stinks that all of our games are away
games, but its going to be really fun to use
the new field next season, said junior Jake
Noonan.
Mr. Johnstone, Summervilles principal,
is also excited about the changes the new
stadium will bring to the campus.
"I love watching the transition. It's a
symbol of freshness and it really brings our
community together," he said.
He added that he knows students of every
grade level are anticipating the opening of
the field, and the graduating seniors will
have a "mental picture" of what was
accomplished in their last year at
Summerville. He has felt an outpouring of
support from both the student body and
the community.
"Students have been phenomenal at
listening and following directions," Mr.
Johnstone stated. "We have been able to use
Sonora's field free of charge and the
community has really helped us."

He also emphasized that once the stadium

is finished, it will be available for the
community, as well as Summerville's
student body.
"When this is done," he said, "and I don't
have an end date, it's going to be a beautiful
facility for everyone to use."
When asked about the options if the field
is not finished by homecoming, Mr. Spisak
simply stated, "Oh, it'll be done by then."
He mentioned that the new goal for
completion is October 17.
Mr. Spisak added that the most exciting
part of this project is seeing the dramatic
improvements take place out on the field.
"The whole snack bar has been renovated.
That field, and the track, is going to be state
of the art. It's something the community
can be proud of for years to come," he
stated.
He also acknowledged the frustrations of
the community in regards to the time
frame, and mentioned that the project had
many frustrations of its own, including
passing the original bond measure. He
emphasized, however, that everyone will
be safe and happy when the project is done.
"Our response has been, 'It's finished
when it's finished'," he said.
Contributing Reporter: Dietrich Bader

Drought: Tuolumne County prepares for another dry year

Continued from front page
because, while residents need a certain
amount of water to use, approximately
80 percent of the water gathered in the
state is needed for agricultural
purposes.
The current water system in
Tuolumne County began development
in the early 1800s, with the oldest
pipes being approximately 125 years
old.

Beyond the Cave

The Summerville Union High School
Student Newspaper

How to Contact Us
209.928.4228 ext 270
Website:
www.beyondthecavenews.com
17555 Tuolumne Road, Tuolumne,
CA 95379
Room 601
CONTACT INFORMATION
Brianna Willis, Adviser
bwillis@summbears.net

The county's system today includes,

14 treatment plants and about 72
miles of ditches that are used to
transport water to the treatment
plants," according to TUD general
manager Tom Scesa.
The biggest treatment plant is in
Sonora and it produces 2800 gallons of
water per minute.
Water is stored not only in the
various treatment plants throughout
the county, but also in places like
Pinecrest Lake and Lyons Reservoir,
where surface water is collected until
it is sent to a treatment facility.
The water in California comes from
two main sources: groundwater and
surface water. Groundwater is water
that is pumped from the ground,
whereas surface water is any water
that gathers or travels above ground.
In this region, most of the water is
surface water, meaning it is reliant
upon the amount of wet weather, and
this especially impacts the state when
there is not a lot of rain and snow
because of its high population.
Not only does the water supply have
to provide for the needs of humans in

the state, it also is a necessity for all of

the farms and agricultural centers.
In this region, most farmers have
strict agreements with TUD about how
much water they are allotted to water
their crops, ensuring a fair balance
between residential and agricultural
usage.
While Tuolumne County has a
complex system when it comes to
supplying residents and businesses
with water, TUD has asked since early
this year that people conserve water
and do not use more than what is
necessary for their daily activities.
This dry spell is not only affecting the
lives of people throughout California,
but the lives plants and animals as
well.
Local ecosystems are still surviving
off of the limited water supply, but,
"With reduced available water sources.
Springs and creeks drying up faster
than normal. Wildlife are likely
concentrating more around the
remaining water sources," stated
Crispin Holland, the local Program
Manager for Range, Watershed,
Wildlife & Botany.

From a plant's perspective, Holland

said, "Many species are experiencing
earlier and shorter bloom times. Plants
that survive on shallow soils, such as
lava caps, are definitely showing
decreased vigor or plant health.
Decreased water availability is also
stressing trees, causing them to be
more susceptible to insect attacks, and
in the case of deciduous tree, some are
losing their leaves earlier than
normal."
If this drought continues, many plant
and animal species will adapt and
while, individual plants and animals
may be affected, one should not expect
dramatic changes in [any one] species
to occur quickly, said Holland.
Holland also stated, In nature
things will find a way to survive and
adapt. The human population puts a
large demand on clean water
supplies.
Local residents are able to use, use
native drought tolerant species in yard
landscaping, but also be aware of
certain species that need more water
during the dry months, stated
Holland.

Katie Freeman, Editor-in-Chief

kaitlyn.freeman@summbears.net
Editorial Staff
Catelin Moody, Assistant Editor
Mariah Graham, Managing Editor
Kara Wessel, online editor
Bailey Richter, sports editor
Nicholas Ashe, editorial editor
Reporting Staff
Lauren Adams, reporter
Mikaela Amaya Wood, reporter
Dietrich Bader, reporter
Sarah Boyer, advertising director
Elizabeth Brouns, reporter
Ayla Buck, reporter
Gabrielle Chipponeri, reporter
Leian Dinatale, reporter
Kelley Figley, photographer
Levi Graham, photographer
Devon Groff, reporter
Melissa Hart, reporter
Emily Hartle, reporter
Meaghan Hodge, reporter
Min Kerr-Schifrin, reporter
Danielle Kirkland, reporter
Jessa Lucas, reporter
Claire Schermeister, reporter
Chantz Witt, reporter

OUR MISSION
The mission of Beyond the Cave is to
present reliable information to all of our
readers while creating a forum that acts
as the watchdog of our community; we
promise toand are committed to
verifying all information and keeping
biases out of our stories. Loyalty to our
fellow reporters, our school, and our
community is our main focus and we
will not be swayed or influenced by
outside powers that distract us from this
purpose.

Beyond the Cave

thanks you!
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Black Oak Casino
Robert E. Boyer Construction
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