Good housekeeping
Sometime in the distant future — probably after I’ve crossed into the ultimate end zone — there will be a completed rail and a new football stadium.
And after years spent at the Stan Sheriff Center, weeks at Les Murakami Stadium and a morning at the robotics competition, I’m convinced that UH should manage its next football facility. Sure, the critics’ favorite pastime is to mock all things UH. But one of the things UH does really well is maintain facilities.
A lot of it has to do with the nit-pickiness of the coaches. Bob Coolen, who uses a ruler when he writes to ensure symmetrical lettering, appears to do regular white-glove inspections at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. Nick Rolovich picks up litter on the Lower Campus. By having the dugout swept after every game and practice, Mike Trapasso does not have to spend money to replace flooring that was around when Greg Oniate played.
UH’s on-cacmpus sporting venues are clean, comfortable and, most important, the men’s rooms have individual urinals instead of troughs. It wasn’t always that way. When it went by its maiden name, the Special Events Center did not have enough locker rooms for visiting teams. The softball stadium was initially built with a flaw: home plate could not be viewed from the press box and many of the stands. (Dirt was U-Haul’d in to raise the field.)
But now things are hunky and dory. The latest robotics’ competition was evidence that the SSC can accommodate an event unique to the facility. It was well organized, the sound system was NSA clear, the participants were happy, and UH got a nice $20,000 rental check. While Rich Sheriff does a terrific job with the arena, the No. 2 guy, Russ Gima, probably is ready to run a facility on his own.
1st
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I agree that Rich Sheriff and Russ Gima do an outstanding job at the Stan Sheriff Center Arena. They are extremely dedicated, put in many, many long hours and do an amazing job with the limited resources that they have access to.
They not only Supervise their limited Staff, but roll up their sleeves and lead the way physically doing whatever needs to be done to make the Stan Sheriff Center a place all of Hawaii can enjoy and be proud of.
Mahalo to Rich Sheriff, Russ Gima, Kekoa Seward and all the other UH Coaches and Staff for all you do.
Yes, UH Athletics does a very good job of maintaining the facilities on lower campus. Recently, the men’s bathroom on the 1st level at the athletic admin and SSC complex was under construction. Football coaches nearby directed me to the bathroom/toilet facility on the second floor. To my surprise, it was very large, well lighted and very clean. Hand soap and paper towel dispensers were in ample supply. This is not my experience at Aloha Stadium. I just wish a group of innovative architects-engineers can re-design the lower campus to accommodate a football stadium for about 35,000 fans, even at the expense of relocating existing venues such as the tennis courts and the RWSS. So yes, I totally support the idea of an on-campus football stadium. The state can redevelop the Halawa facility for a shopping mall/complex, affordable housing, etc.
Good morning Gangeez!
I have to agree with you Stephen. In addition to the reasons stated above, I think an on campus stadium, an idea first floated by June Jones would be good for UH. Given the iniquity of the relationship UH has had with Aloha Stadium, it makes even more sense. And when you and I have crossed into the ultimate end zone, the logistics and engineering involved in building an on campus stadium will likely be less problematic. Meanhile…
GO WARRIORS, RAINBOWS AND WAHINE!
I like troughs! Best ever Air Force Academy Falcon field the best!
Manoa Park Rec center and another place, i forgot where in some retail place, has waterless urinals.
The cost to build infrastructure for freeway ingress and regress for a stadium in Manoa is too expensive according to some.
Sound system in Stan Sheriff is terrible or is it my old age? Hard to understand what the PA announcer is saying most times.
Warrior Dave
When I covered men’s volleyball, every time it was unclear who was part of a double block, it would be “block by Taylor Averill and Psndnpdbge.” I’m like, what? Who? It was like when the Fonze used to have to say sorry. S-s-s-hhhhr …
Kaimuki High School would be the perfect place for the stadium. The school’s enrollment has dropped drastically in the last decade and is about 400 students behind Kalani and Kaiser so it would make sense to close the school down. UH and the DOE could do a land swap with part of the UHWO campus being traded to build a new high school. Aloha Stadium would then be opened fully to transit oriented development that could help fund both the stadium and the new school. There are much more ingress/egress routes at that Kaimuki location than on lower campus. Date street could be widened towards the golf course side to 6 lanes with 2 full-time parking lanes. Another idea would be to build a pedestrian trail along the western side of the golf course and then build a pedestrian bridge over the Ala Wai at an angle so that it connects to the Lewers Street intersection. The stadium site could have around 4500 parking stalls, and combine that with the 6,000+ Saturday stalls with shuttle service that UH Manoa would have you’d easily have more parking opportunities than the current stadium site(less than 8,000). If you needed more places to park, you’d have the 1,300 spaces at KCC, plus military members could park at the Hale Koa and Fort Derussy and make the trek through Lewers, across the pedestrian bridge, and to the stadium. The Zoo and Kapiolani Park could be a spot if you could find parking. Since UH Manoa is kind of an all day parking area, you could get your tailgate on much earlier than you could at No Aloha. If UH managed this stadium the 4500 cars could also get there much earlier, thus easing the traffic problems. With the pedestrian bridge, non-tailgating fans can go to the bars/restaurants and catch all of the early games. For those looking to park at KCC, they can enjoy the farmer’s market. There also shouldn’t be a real big adjustment to bus service as Kaimuki High school and UH Manoa already have several stops. UH could even start a shuttle service from the mall to the stadium to promote TheBus ridership over taking your car. In 2072, when the rail opens at Ala Moana, UH could increase the shuttle service.
#9, lol, you are giving the city and county of Honolulu and for that matter the state of Hawaii (since they hold the purse strings) way too much credit about completing the rail in 2072. I was thinking more in the neighborhood of 3025.
It was decided long ago by North Korea and friends to nuke Manoa Valley and Waikiki. So I think those in the know are holding off, and one reason why they built a West Campus…
🙁
I recently read Naomi Klein’s “This Changes Everything” which laid down the relationship between capitalism and climate, and rail systems is one of the main problem solvers in regard to cutting down carbon emissions, but our rail doesn’t go where I want it to go.
It’ll be interesting to see who Coach Trapasso starts in right-field today.
Last night’s game will be the NCAA Tournament Baseball Committee’s excuse to exclude Hawaii from the field of 64 as an at-large team.
“Oh, but they lost to that team at home who is sub-200.”
Doi in left and Fogel in right. If you don’t count the first six games, where Doi went hitless, he is hitting at a decent clip. He also had hits in consecutive games when inserted as a pinch hitter.
“Rust will actually strengthen the stadium’s structure, over the years. That, along with the moving stands will make Aloha Stadium the top facility in the nation.”
I actually remember taking a tour of Aloha Stadium while still under construction back in the early 70s and still remember these words.
Great Morning All!
Congratulations wafan and djmitcho. GO Zags!
Build da stadium where Bachman Hall is…no one will care anyway!
Das it.
Guud Morning Tsaikos…Bootiful Day!
#15…I remember that selling point also. I’d like to meet the salesman who closed the stadium deal. He did a magnificent job! It’s like selling a desalination plant in the middle of a desert. Next he will be advising the Stadium Authority that they are compromising the structure by removing the rust. You see the rust is holding hands and if you remove it, then….
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