Terrebonne might entertain track grant

Terrebonne Parish High School might be eligible to receive a grant that could cut $50,000 from the $285,040 cost of resurfacing its running track.

Terrebonne’s Building, Transportation and Food Services Committee recently green-lighted a request to apply for the Bowerman Track Renovation Program grant through Nike.

&#8220We approved it, but we still need five (school) board members to sign off on it,” said Hayes Badeaux, building, transportation and food services chairman.

The board could potentially vote on applying for the grant at their Oct. 2 meeting.

The Bowerman Track Renovation Program grant was established to memorialize Bill Bowerman, a former track coach at the University of Oregon and a footwear pioneer who made great strides in improving running shoes.

If eligible, Terrebonne would have to paint the Nike logo on the track and install a plaque commemorating Bowerman.

But School Board President Clark Bonvillian wants to find out more about the grant before any decisions are made.

There could always be a few hurdles.

&#8220Right now, the details are still a little bit hazy for school board members,” he said. &#8220But if Nike is planning on putting up that kind of money and they only want to put their logo on the track and put up a plaque, I don’t see anything detrimental about this. Still, you have to read everything. We need to wait to be presented with more facts.”

Terrebonne six-lane running track was last refurbished in 1997.

&#8220It’s deteriorating,” said Terrebonne High School Principal Graham Douglas. &#8220The timeline to begin (resurfacing) is right after football season in early November.”

Deadline for completion is December.

&#8220We’re going to redo the whole track and bring the lines and markings up to date,” explained Ira Davis, Terrebonne supervisor of physical plant/maintenance. It’s going to be a world-class track that will look nice when it’s done. But the grant (application process) isn’t going to change the time frame of when it gets finished.”