Newark Memorial Takes Center Stage for Boys Wrestling, Basketball

Student athletes, families and fans should expect big crowds and alternative restroom facilities at this weekend as the campus hosts two major sporting events.

Starting today, Newark Memorial varsity will represent the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) during the North Coast Section (NCS) Championships for boys wrestling. Tomorrow afternoon, the Newark Memorial boys basketball team will face Berkeley in the next round of the NCS Division I playoffs.

Newark Memorial’s team also has a big match this weekend at Dublin High School. Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., Newark will play De La Salle in the NCS Division 1 Finals.

In the meantime, the Newark Unified School District has opened up restrooms in another classroom wing as well as installed portable restrooms in order to accommodate this weekend’s crowds due to a failed sump pump that supports the South Gymnasium, Community Events Center and Student Commons area.

According to the website for developer Deems Lewis McKinley, construction crews built the 47,480 square foot Community Events Center in 2004. The website shows the facility has more than 2,500 seats in its main events configuration.

The failed sump pump was on the list of facility projects that needed attention, as presented by interim administrator of the Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Dominic Machi at the Jan. 25 school board meeting. Machi told school board members that the events center and gym could not handle large crowds due to the condition of the sump pump.

According to Newark Superintendent Kevin Harrigan, timing played a factor in the sump pump repair project even though school board members authorized funding for the project on Feb. 1. He told Newark Patch in an email message that the repair projected needed one to two weeks lead time to order parts, secure the material and schedule a contractor. Harrigan said he expects the repair project to start on March 7.

“To address the reduced capacity we have decided to limit the availability of restrooms in the events center to reduce the likelihood of sewage backups,” Harrigan wrote. “In addition, the primary restroom in support of the basketball game will be located in the 700 building located in the interior of the high school campus. As a contingency, several portable restrooms units have been ordered and will be located outside the events center to support both events.”

This is a list of Newark Memorial maintenance projects that had funding approved on Feb. 1.

Science Chemical Removal

New Science Chemical Storage Cabinets

Sump Pump (Event Center Restrooms)

Yearly Mandated Fire System Testing

Fire Panel Wireless Security System

Aluminum Fencing (Bike and Front Entry)