“Name that Year” is designed to put your knowledge of Tracy and its newsmakers of the past to the test. Each week, we will publish a news item that ran in a past edition — maybe it was a major event, or a story about a Tracy resident — it’s up to you to determine in what year that particular news item hit the pages of the paper:
• THE CITY OF TRACY AND THE TRACY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDED IN THIS YEAR TO MOVE AHEAD WITH A COOPERATIVE PLAN TO IMPROVE THE VETERANS’ MEMORIAL CENTER ATHLETIC ARENA.
The city council accepted a school proposal for the school district to pay for about $200,000 worth of VMC improvements, in exchange for 12 years free use of the facility.
The council had previously offered 10 years of rent-free usage, while the school board had requested 15 years of rent-free activities.
In exchange for 12 years usage of the VMC athletic arena, the school district will:
• Install a new wood floor that will be large enough for two full-size basketball courts. The new floor will replace a 20-yearold vulcanized rubber floor that is badly worn.
• Replace 1950s wood bleachers on the west side of the gym with new bleachers.
• Re-paint the interior of the gym.
• Install acoustical panels.
• Pay for the labor and supplies needed to refurbish the wood floor every other year for 12 years.
In turn, the school district has requested that a leaking roof be fixed prior to the installation of the new floor.
Council members felt the school’s offer was a fair compromise. “Obviously, 12 years is middle ground,” said Mayor Steve Ferrazzano. The mayor said both the city and school district will benefit from the agreement, since the VMC will be greatly improved, for both school and community activities.
Sanford Health has announced that they will be giving the school district a $75,000 grant to help pay for the VMC improvements.
It is hoped that the VMC improvements can be in place by the start of the fall high school sports season.
The joint VMC improvement plan was first proposed to the city council and school board in January.
• Last week’s answer: In defeating Storden-Jeffers 47-35 at the Met Sports Center, the Panthers became the first prep team in state basketball history to defeat three undefeated teams en route to a state championship in 1988.
