
When the football season starts Aug. 31 with the Pirates of Neah-Kah-Nie hosting Reedsport, even the local fans may be in for a surprise.
Not only is the track new, but the stadium stands have gone through a major makeover, according to the school district’s superintendent.
The stadium was in bad condition, said Neah-Kah-Nie School District Superintendent Paul Erlebach Monday.

“We are re-siding – we took off the old siding. We are painting the exterior and the interior,” the superintendent said. “Even the painting took a lot of effort, having to sand the surface down, having to prime and paint it again. I think it took more than 40 galloons of paint on the inside.”
Bill Scholerman is painting the stands, with help from his son, the superintendent added.
A local contractor is re-siding the exterior.
“We are putting in a new sound system. You’ll even be able to hear the announcer,” the superintendent joked.
“It hasn’t been done for a long time…”
There were other reasons for the makeover, Erlebach added. “There was dry rot. So we are doing it right and fixing it up.”
The work is being done under the district’s capital improvement plan.
The renovations should be completed in less than a week, fixing it up before the fall sports teams will be starting their practices on the track and the football field, Erlebach explained.
