P>We are representing Cedarcrest High School as students and

athletes. We are writing this to give you a few reasons why getting a new athletic

facility is so important to us. As you may know, the Tolt Field, where we

play our home football and soccer games, is completely inadequate in not

only the quality of the field, but the location, as well. We have had many

injuries on Tolt Field in direct result of its unsafe nature.

Having Tolt as our high-school field is absurd. One reason is

because the bleachers are not competent enough to hold the amount of

high-school fans, parents or community members that attend the games.

Another reason is the announcing system. At our last football games, it did

not even work! “This facility is, without a doubt, the worst facility I have seen

at any high school. Granite Falls and Sultan even have better facilities,”

as said by a teacher and coach at Cedarcrest High School.

The lack of a sports facility not only affects field teams, but also

the track and cross-country teams. The track team at Cedarcrest uses the

community around the school as their track. The hard asphalt roads are

terrible on the runners’ legs and the result for many is painful shin

splints. Not having our own facilities prevents the track team from practicing

specific events, such as hurdles and pole vaulting. Not only do the athletes have

to beg other schools for use of their track for practices, but also for our

home meets.

The commute for many athletes is a burden. One major dilemma

for many high-school athletes is that most do not have a driver’s license. This

creates a problem when practices are held at other schools. The confusion

and extra driving time makes the transportation much more difficult.

The athletic bond will be voted on Nov. 7. We encourage all of you

to vote “yes” for this issue, for it

affects many people.

Greta Smoke and Brianna Card

Cedarcrest High School students