DSU Track Team, No Place to Practice

sarah gustin

3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kxmb.com/video.asp?ArticleId=347732&VideoId=26880

KXMD/CBS Coverage of Whitney Stadium Demolition

Sarah Gustin

3/17/2009 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kxnet.com/video.asp?ArticleId=345898&VideoId=26779

Demolition of Whitney Stadium underway

3/13/2009 4:25:00 PM

The Minneapolis-based company Belair Excavating began demolition of Whitney Stadium Friday, March 13. The contracted company first removed a water line in the stadium parking lot and then began demolishing the concrete bleacher foundations. On Monday, March 16 the company is expected to continue removing the concrete and knock down the building. Exact times for demolition of the building are tentative and depend on a number of factors, but will be announced as they are confirmed.

DSU Poised to Begin Construction on Badlands Activities Center

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

2/26/2009 12:00:00 AM

Dickinson State University officials announced today that bids for a substantial portion of the Badlands Activities Center project have been reviewed and the university is poised to begin the construction phase of the project.

Bid package #1 included demolition of the existing facility, asphalt paving, artificial turf, synthetic surfacing for the track, seating, electrical work and sports equipment.

Because DSU is a public institution, the bidding and construction processes are governed by the North Dakota Century Code. DSU has gained approval of the North Dakota University System Chancellor’s Office and legal counsel to move forward with issuing contracts to the lowest bidders. Contracts for this phase of construction are expected to be finalized next week, with the exception of one portion of the package, the synthetic surface for the track, on which all bids were over budget. The university will seek new bids for this component of the package.

“We are extremely excited that this portion of the bidding process is complete and eager to move forward with construction,” said Casey Jackson, project manager. Jackson works for Mortenson Construction, a Minneapolis-based company that is acting as construction manager for the BAC.

According to Jackson, demolition of Whitney Stadium is expected to begin within two weeks. Demolition will likely start with removal of the concrete stands. The exact date of demolition will be determined next week.

Bid package #2, which includes concrete foundations, has been re-bid and will be opened March 17. Bid package #3, which includes steel fabrication and steel erection, was opened on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and the university is prepared to move forward with issuing contracts. Bid package #4, which includes the remaining components of the project, will be opened in late March.

To keep the public informed about the progress of the project, DSU has created a new Web site that will include current information, news stories, pictures and video. The site will be launched Monday, March 2 and can be accessed at www.dickinsonstate.edu/BAC/.

DSU solicits bids on BAC

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

1/16/2009 12:13:14 AM

Dickinson State University is soliciting bids from licensed contractors for all contract categories included within the Bid Package 1 and Bid Package 2 for construction of the Badlands Activities Center (BAC). The BAC is a football, track and multipurpose facility being constructed on the DSU campus.

Although bids had previously been submitted for Bid Package 1 and were opened on Jan. 13, 2009, all were rejected and will be re-advertised. A number of the bids were disqualified because they did not meet the requirements of the North Dakota Century Code. Qualifying bids were rejected because they exceeded projected budgets. New bids for Bid Package 1 will be opened with the bids for Bid Package 2 on February 10, 2009. All contractors who previously submitted bids are welcome to resubmit. The re-bidding of Package 1 should not disrupt the project’s schedule for completion in late fall 2009.

“This is certainly not unusual,” said Casey Jackson, on-site construction manager from Mortenson Construction of Minneapolis, Minn. “It simply means that it will be another three weeks before we complete the Bid Package 1 process. Meanwhile, solicitation of bids for Bid Package 2, the finalization of the remainder of the project drawings, continues on schedule as we prepare for the start of DSU’s upcoming football season.”

Four Bid Packages are planned for the project allowing work to begin on certain aspects of the BAC while others continue to be developed and refined. The first two Bid Packages deal primarily with site prepartion and procurements that require substantial lead time, such as artificial turf, synthetic track surfaces, grandstands and structured steel.

Work to prepare Whitney Stadium for demolition has been completed. Salvageable items have been identified and work schedules are being prepared to arrange for their removal before the Bid Package 1 and Bid Package 2 opening on February 10.

BAC Groundbreaking

KQCD-TV

1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kqcd.com/News_video.asp?news=25698

Badlands Activities Center

KXMB-TV Bismarck

1/6/2009 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kxnet.com/video.asp?ArticleId=316243&VideoId=24987

DSU to break ground for Badlands Activities Center

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

12/23/2008 12:00:00 AM

Dickinson State University will hold a ground breaking ceremony and celebration for the Badlands Activities Center (BAC) on Monday, Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.

The public is invited to attend this free event, which will include a mock ground breaking ceremony in the ballroom and a program featuring comments from city, county and state officials. Stadium-style refreshments will be served.

There also will be displays of memorabilia and photographs of DSU athletic events including those held during the past 38 years at Whitney Stadium.

The BAC will replace Whitney Stadium with a $16 million athletic facility that includes multipurpose space for community events. The new field will feature artificial turf and a comprehensive drainage system to ensure sporting events can take place as scheduled. The new Huffman Track will be an Olympic Standard, eight-lane track with state-of-the-art electronic information and scoring. The facility also will house a training/medical room, handicapped-accessible restrooms, and locker rooms for the three home teams: DSU, Dickinson High School and Trinity High School.

A featured attraction of the BAC will be the multipurpose space included in the design. This will allow year-round usage, expanded food service options, space for community and other special events, and numerous opportunities to promote the community and the region. Possible uses for the multipurpose areas include car shows, dog shows, family reunion receptions, banquets, meetings, exhibitions and trade shows.

The BAC will offer outdoor space for concerts, marching band competitions, vehicle sales, and will enable expanded programming for the public and parochial school systems and for the Dickinson Department of Parks and Recreation.

Plans for BAC underway

KQCD-TV

12/2/2008 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kqcd.com/News_video.asp?news=24726

Dickinson votes yes for BAC

KXMB-TV Bismarck

11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kxmb.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=294492

Badlands Activities Center Hot Topic

KQCD-TV

10/23/2008 12:00:00 AM

http://www.dsu.nodak.edu/Press_Story.asp?ID=404

Badlands Activities Center

KXMB-TV Bismarck

10/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

http://www.kxmb.com/video.asp?ArticleId=286712&VideoId=23016

DSU Foundation Announces Biggest Year Ever

Kevin Holten

7/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

The Dickinson State University Foundation announced today that pledges and gifts for its just completed fiscal year amounted to more than $9.3 million. That is an increase of $8 million from the prior year, making it the largest single annual gain and the largest amount ever gifted in any one year.

The Foundation’s 2007-2008 fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th.

“Gifts and pledges to the development of the Badlands Activities Center had a lot to do with that increase,” stated Kevin J. Thompson ’87, Executive Director of the DSU Alumni Foundation. “Each year we have a primary focus and this year the BAC was that focus. As of June 30th over $8 million has been gifted and pledged to this regional project which will be constructed on the DSU campus.”

A pledge of $1 million by the Walton Family Foundation and another of $1.6 million by Fisher Industries are a major part of the $8 million that has been received. In addition there is a $1 million commitment from the DSU students who agreed to increase student fees by $5 per credit hour.

The BAC is a multi-purpose athletic and convention facility that will replace aging Whitney Stadium in 2009.

“It has been a great year but we still have a long ways to go,” Thompson added, in reference to the additional $8 million that still needs to be raised to keep the BAC on track to open its gates prior to next season’s first home football game.

It is also important to remember that the Foundation provided more than $765,000 this year in scholarships to deserving DSU students.

“We strive to create a consistent flow of funds to achieve our vision,” stated Linda Steve, President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “It is our duty to secure, manage and disburse private funds for the benefit of the students and the University and to do so with integrity.”

In all, the total net assets of the DSU Foundation currently exceed $16 million, which represents an increase of $4.2 million from 2007 and an increase of $12.7 from 1997.

“The growth of the Foundation has been possible due to the outstanding support of our alumni and friends,” Mr. Thompson said. “These donors are creating a very bright future for everyone at DSU.”

Walton Family Foundation Makes Big Impact

Kevin Holten, Director of Communications, Marketing and Events, DSU Alumni Foundation

6/17/2008 12:13:48 AM

Few people have an opportunity to impact their university the way Melani Lowman- Walton ‘98, a third generation Dickinson State University graduate originally from Sidney, Mont. has.

During her outstanding collegiate career, Melani set (and still holds) the scoring, rebounding and field goal records in women’s basketball and remains the DSU record holder in the triple jump. In addition, she was named to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-American Track & Field Team three times, to the NAIA All-American Basketball Team and was elected to the DSU Hall of Fame in her first year of eligibility in 2007.

The magna cum laude BSED (Education) major and Scholar Athlete has also served on the DSU Foundation Board and shown a keen interest in student academic scholarships, the entrepreneurship program, the Ben C. Frank Human Performance Center and Native American Students.

Yet her greatest impact to date is the $1 million dollar gift recently given to the university by the Walton Family Foundation at the recommendation of both she and her husband Rob Walton.

This gift by the Walton Family Foundation enables the championship/multi-use portion of the new Badlands Activities Center to be named the Lowman-Walton Concourse and goes a long ways towards making this state-of-the-art facility a reality.

“The Walton Family Foundation’s contribution is timely and enormous,” executive director of the DSU Foundation Kevin Thompson said. “The Badlands Activities Center will be a focal point for the university, the community, the region and the state, hosting sports related events, exhibitions, trade shows, reunions, car shows, banquets and other special events. Through private and public funding we are already at $8 million or half way toward our goal of the $16 million total that will finance the project.”

“One goal of this university is to be a responsive and collaborative educational institution,” stated Dr. Richard McCallum, DSU’s 10th president. “The Walton Family Foundation’s gift and the Lowman-Walton Concourse and multi-purpose facility within the Badlands Activities Center, among other projects, will help set the tone for DSU to chart a marvelous educational and cultural future.”

Fisher Industries Leads Support for Badlands Activities Center

4/4/2008 10:52:22 AM

A $1.6 million pledge for the Badlands Activities Center (BAC) from Fisher Industries of Dickinson has propelled fundraising efforts for the project. Fisher Industries and other regional partners have set the pace for additional philanthropists to support this regional project at Dickinson State University.

“Since the fundraising campaign began in October 2007, the BAC Campaign of Champions has received more than $6.3 million in cash and pledges,” stated Kevin Thompson, executive director of the DSU Foundation. “Fisher Industries, Roughrider Electric Cooperative, MDU Resources Group and the students at DSU have provided more than half of the funds raised to date.”

The goal of the campaign is to raise more than $16 million from private and public sources.

“These leadership gifts have made a profound impact on the fundraising efforts of the capital campaign,” Thompson concluded.

The BAC is more than just a replacement for Whitney Stadium and Huffman Track. This facility, to be constructed on the west side of campus, will provide daily support for the athletic programs at DSU, Dickinson Public and Dickinson Catholic Schools.

The proposed BAC project will include a new handicapped accessible Whitney Stadium with artificial turf, state-of-the-art Huffman track with Olympic-standard lanes, the latest in electronic information and scoring, on-site locker rooms for home and visiting teams, seating for 4,000 and sufficient restroom facilities. Plans also allow for enclosed multipurpose areas for community and regional events.

“The magnitude and importance of the Badlands Activities Center project requires all of us to come together – the university, the city, the county, the region’s high schools and the business community – it is a great opportunity to show our commitment to regional development and to quality of place,” said DSU President Dr. Lee Vickers, who is also chair of the BAC steering committee. “These businesses and the students have clearly shown their commitment to the project and to the region through their generous donations. We are extremely grateful for their leadership and generosity.”

In addition to serving the athletic needs of DSU and Dickinson’s two high schools, the BAC will provide space for marching band, flag corps, drill team and similar youth competitions around the state. The new Huffman track will give community members a convenient place to walk or jog. The enclosed multipurpose space can be used for trade shows, special exhibitions, concerts, family reunions, youth group gatherings or other events.

To help these plans come to fruition, the following businesses have recently pledged their support and the student body showed its commitment by voting “yes” to increasing university fees.

Fisher Industries

Fisher Industries has pledged $1.6 million to the project. Because of this generous commitment, the new athletic field will be named “Fisher Industries Field.”

Fisher Industries began in Dickinson in 1952 as a small aggregate company founded by Gene Fisher. In 1967, Fisher Sand and Gravel, Inc., created a subsidiary called General Steel and Supply, Inc., to repair, remodel, design and fabricate quality customized aggregate processing equipment. Over the years, the company continued to expand. Today, the business is known as Fisher Industries and employs 1,200 people in nine states. Fisher Sand and Gravel operates 45 commercial crushing and processing plants throughout 12 states. Other subsidiaries include General Steel and Supply, Southwest Asphalt, Southwest Asphalt Paving, Fisher Excavation, Fisher Ready Mix, Arizona Drilling and Blasting, and Southwest Concrete Paving.

“We feel the Badlands Activities Center is a great addition to our community and to the university,” said Mike Fisher, vice president of Fisher Industries. “We are excited about economic development in the region and about this project’s potential for enhancing southwestern North Dakota.”

Despite its national expansion, Fisher Industries remains committed to supporting the Dickinson region. The company employs many DSU graduates and has long provided scholarship dollars to support the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program. Fisher Industries also actively supports Blue Hawk athletics, the DSU music program and Business Challenge. In addition, Fisher Industries has participated in the Strom Conference for Entrepreneurship held at DSU each spring.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative

Roughrider Electric Cooperative has given $500,000 to the development of the BAC. Roughrider Electric Cooperative was formed when Oliver-Mercer Electric Cooperative, Hazen, N.D., and West Plains Electric Cooperative (WPEC), Dickinson, N.D., merged on March 1, 2008. The consolidated cooperative will be based in Hazen and will serve electricity and other services to approximately 6,300 customers in the rural areas of Mercer, Oliver, Stark, Dunn, Billings, Golden Valley and Hettinger counties.

“Roughrider Electric Cooperative is committed to assisting our communities and improving local educational opportunities,” said Clayton Hoffman, co-manager of Innovative Energy Alliance, which provides management services to Roughrider Electric Cooperative and two other area cooperatives.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative plans to continue West Plains Electric Cooperative’s commitment to the region and to DSU. WPEC established an endowed scholarship fund at DSU in 2001 that helps fund scholarships in the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program, the manufacturing technology program and the Leaders in Agriculture program. These scholarship dollars were available, based on financial need, to students residing within the WPEC service area and will now be available to students in the Roughrider Electric Cooperative service area.

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

MDU Resources Group, Inc., committed $250,000 to the project, in keeping with its philanthropic goal to be “a neighbor of choice.” MDU Resources is a Bismarck-based corporation that provides services nationally and internationally in natural gas and oil production, construction materials and mining, and electric and natural gas utilities. MDU Resources has operations in 45 states and employs nearly 15,000 people during peak construction season. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co., a division of MDU Resources, is an electric and natural gas utilities company that serves more than 250 communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Minnesota.

“MDU Resources is proud of its record of supporting organizations that enhance quality of life in the communities we serve,” said MDU Resources President and Chief Executive Officer Terry Hildestad. “The Badlands Activities Center project is a good way to do that because the facility will be used by the entire southwest North Dakota region.”

MDU Resources established the MDU Resources Foundation Scholarship in 1992 to encourage higher education in the Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. service area near Dickinson and has been a supporter of a variety of other DSU scholarship programs for many years. Hildestad and his wife, Kathy, both graduated from DSU in 1971. Terry Hildestad has served on the DSU Foundation board of directors since 2002.

DSU Student Body

DSU students voted “yes” to a fee increase to raise funds to support the BAC project.

During the 10-year fee increase, students will pay $5 per credit hour with a maximum fee of $60 per semester for the first five years to help raise money to build the athletic complex. Students will then pay $1 per credit hour with a maximum fee of $12 per semester for the subsequent five years to help pay for operating costs at the complex. Fees will be collected beginning fall semester 2008 and are projected to raise approximately $1 million in the first five years.

“The majority of the students view the fee increase in a positive light,” said Lydia Johnson, student body president. “This is a great opportunity for students to take the lead and show their pride in their university.”

DSU Bluehawk Boosters to Hold Annual Spring Fling

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

3/17/2008 12:00:00 AM

The DSU Bluehawk Booster Club will hold its eighth annual “Spring Fling” on Friday, March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Dickinson Eagles Club. The Eagles Club is located at 31 First Ave. E., Dickinson.

This evening event includes gaming, dancing, a silent auction and a live auction. There also will be appetizers and door prizes. Cost to attend is $5 and tickets are available at the DSU Athletic Office, from any Bluehawk Booster Club board member or at the door. All proceeds go toward the construction of the DSU Badlands Activities Center (BAC) project. The BAC is a proposed athletic complex to be built at DSU. It will include a new track, stadium, field and multipurpose space for community and regional events.

For more information, contact the DSU Athletic Department at 701-483-2181.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative Provides Leadership Gift

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

2/28/2008 12:00:00 AM

Roughrider Electric Cooperative has given $500,000 to the development of the Badlands Activities Center (BAC) at Dickinson State University. The capital campaign for the BAC has raised more than $6.2 million in cash and pledges as of February 28, 2008.

“This leadership gift has made a profound impact on the fundraising efforts as the capital campaign seeks to raise $16 million in support of the BAC project. With the outstanding support of Roughrider Electric Cooperative, DSU is one step closer to making the dream of the BAC reality,” said Kevin Thompson, executive director of the DSU Alumni Association and Foundation. “Roughrider Electric Cooperative has provided a benchmark of support through their leadership gift as the capital campaign continues to search for additional philanthropists to make the dream a reality.”

The BAC will include a new Whitney Stadium with artificial turf, state-of-the-art Huffman track with Olympic-standard lanes, the latest in electronic information and scoring, on-site locker rooms for home and visiting teams, seating for 4,000 and enclosed multipurpose areas for community and regional events.

“Roughrider Electric Cooperative is committed to assisting our communities and improving local educational opportunities,” said Clayton Hoffman, co-manager of Innovative Energy Alliance, which provides management services to Roughrider Electric Cooperative and two other area cooperatives.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative was formed when Oliver-Mercer Electric Cooperative, Hazen, N.D., and West Plains Electric Cooperative (WPEC), Dickinson, N.D., merged on March 1, 2008. The consolidated cooperative will be based in Hazen and will serve electricity and other services to approximately 6,300 customers in the rural areas of Mercer, Oliver, Stark, Dunn, Billings, Golden Valley and Hettinger counties.

Roughrider Electric Cooperative plans to continue West Plains Electric Cooperative’s commitment to the region and to DSU. WPEC established an endowed scholarship fund at DSU in 2001 that helps fund scholarships in the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program, the manufacturing technology scholarship program and the Leaders in Agriculture scholarship program. These scholarship dollars were available based on financial need to students residing within the WPEC service area and will now be available to students in the Roughrider Electric Cooperative service area.

In addition to serving the athletic needs of DSU and Dickinson’s two high schools, the BAC will provide space for marching band, flag corps, drill team and similar youth competitions around the state. The new Huffman track will give community members a convenient place to walk or jog. The enclosed multipurpose space can be used for trade shows, special exhibitions, concerts, family reunions, youth group gatherings or other events.

“The magnitude and importance of the Bad Lands Activities Center project requires all of us to come together – the university, the city, the county, the region’s high schools and the business community – it is a great opportunity to show our commitment to regional development and to quality of place,” said DSU President Dr. Lee Vickers, who is also president of the BAC steering committee. “Roughrider Electric Cooperative has clearly shown their commitment to the project and to the region through this generous donation. We are extremely grateful for their leadership and generosity.”

Students Vote to Increase Fees to Support BAC

Shanna Schoch, News Bureau Manager

2/21/2008 12:00:00 AM

Dickinson State University students voted last week to support a fee increase to raise funds for the proposed Badlands Activities Center (BAC). Of the 438 students who turned out to vote on the student fee increase, 312 voted yes.

During the 10-year fee increase, students will pay $5 per credit hour with a maximum fee of $60 per semester for the next five years to help raise money to build the athletic complex. Students will then pay $1 per credit hour with a maximum fee of $12 per semester for the subsequent five years to help pay for operating costs at the complex. Fees will be collected beginning fall semester 2008.

"Our students’ overwhelming support of the proposed Badlands Activities Center signifies their vision of the future and their desire to see intercollegiate athletics continue to excel," said Roger Ternes, director of intercollegiate athletics.

The BAC will accommodate DSU, Dickinson High School and Trinity High School athletic teams. The facility will have a new Whitney Stadium with artificial turf, state-of-the-art Huffman track with Olympic-standard lanes, the latest in electronic information and scoring, on-site locker rooms for home and visiting teams and seating for 4,000. Plans also include more than 16,000 square feet of enclosed multipurpose areas for community and regional events. Of the $16 million projected cost of the project, $6.2 million has been raised to date.

“The results symbolize the historical commitment that DSU students have toward the development and progress of their university. It was a student fee vote that paid for a substantial portion of the expansion and renovation of the Student Center and students turned out in great numbers to support the effort for construction of the West River Community Center,” said Hal Haynes, director of student development. “Their positive support for the Badlands Activities Center came as no surprise to me.”