EntriesThis is an update on donations for the new high school…. If you intend to donate, our class representative has set a deadline of May 15th. The following email is from Sherrell Johnson with the El Dorado Education Foundation to the class representatives of 1954, 1961, 1981, 1985, 1987 & 2007. It explains in detail where the donated funds will be used.
As you know from the April 11th School Board meeting, Bob Watson got some wonderful news last week from the contractor: the new El Dorado High School will come in under budget, and although he doesn’t know exactly how much yet, he knows it will be enough to pay for the sign.
So we would like to use current contributions/pledges plus additional funds to be raised to landscape, light, maintain, and irrigate the sign site, as well as restore and transport historic EHS site panels and create the new power cat panel for the new sign, all using trusted local vendors who have a deeply personal and professional long-term interest in the end results.
Use Private Donations for Landscaping, Lighting, Sod/Irrigate “Grass Island” Around Sign, 1 Year Maintenance, and Remove, Restore & Transport EHS Historic Panels and Create New Power Cat Panel
Fund Raising Goal – $15,000: This includes sodding & irrigating the entire “Grass Island” and a contingency amount. If we don’t include sodding & irrigating the grass island, I’d recommend a fund raising goal of $10,000. However, if we don’t sod and irrigate the island, the “Grass Island” won’t complement and could detract from the otherwise beautiful sign and landscaping, so I’d like to see us do it all, and will commit to trying to raise the $15,000 if y’all concur. See attached EHS Entrance Plan & Budget.Pledged to Date – $7,000: Includes the six classes who’ve already stepped up at $1,000 each, and Diversified Services’ has pledged $1,000 in addition to 1 year maintenance and design services. Plus I’ve visited w/several other EHS grads who wanted to help w/the sign, so perhaps they’ll help w/landscaping, etc. I won’t have time to follow up w/them ’til later.Diversified Services: EHS graduates Blake and Vance Williamson at Diversified Services worked very hard on the hand-drawn landscaping design (see attached), and in addition to donating design services, are throwing in a year’s maintenance and $1,000. BTW, their parents are also EHS grads, and EHS Art Instructor Pat Johnson works part-time at Diversified. Pat is drawing a front view of the sign w/landscaping for us. See attached EHS Sign Landscape Design.Historic & New Power Cat Panels: Ed Langston (monument company; he makes all the head stones in his shop) & I visited the current EHS site in February so he could evaluate what it would take to remove the existing panels, clean them up, and create a new Power Cat panel for the sign. Ed enlisted Mr. Herring’s help (El Dorado Block & Brick). See attached Specs for Langston & notes on Budget.Recognition: For those who wish recognition, we will determine how to best recognize/acknowledge the classes and individuals who donate to the project, either w/an engraved paver(s) or something in a high visibility area inside the high school since folks will just be driving by the sign, or something else more appropriate.Attached are the Landscape Design, Entrance Plan showing the sign site including “Grass Island” entrance, specs I provided Ed Langston in February, and the preliminary Budget.Thanks so much for stepping up and adjusting to this revised plan, and please feel free to call or e-mail w/questions, comments, input, and most importantly, your “let’s do it!” go ahead.
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The new El Dorado High School construction is moving right along. As you may know, there will be a large sign at the entrance of the school welcoming people to the campus. The brick and stone structure is 34’ wide, 2’ 8” thick, 14’ tall at center peak, and 10’ tall at each end. It will complement the new high school in design and materials, and feature historic EHS elements as well as the contemporary Power Cat. The estimated cost of the sign is $30,000. (To see the architect’s drawings, please email ehsclassof85@gmail.com and we will email it to you)
Mr. Watson spoke to our 25th Class Reunion attendees last June about donating to this worthy cause. The El Dorado High School graduating class of 1981 has made the first class contribution of $1000 for a new sign at the Timberlane entrance to the new high school. They have challenged other classes to contribute as well. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Class of 1985 to make a lasting impression in El Dorado High School’s history books. Mr. Watson always stated that we were a unique class, one of the best to ever graduate from EHS. What better way to show that than to donate to this worthy cause! Can we raise more than $1000? Absolutely!
We ask that you all consider this thoughtfully and prayerfully. Let’s leave our mark on EHS forever.
All contributions are tax-deductible. Checks should be made out to the El Dorado Education Foundation and mailed to:
EHS Class of 1985, P.O. Box 10385, El Dorado, AR 71730
The deadline for donations is May 15.
All of our donations will be presented to the El Dorado School Board at a Board Meeting as a lump sum.