BETHEL – A $113,000 grant will pay for renovations to Telstar’s auditorium, school officials say.

Superintendent David Murphy told SAD 44 directors Monday that the Bingham Foundation’s Betterment Fund will foot the bill for the project.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Murphy said. “This major project is now complete … the last phase, installing new lighting, has been completed.”

Besides lighting, the project has involved improvements to the speaker system, refurbishing the seats, painting and other work. Murphy said a second major project at the middle and high school, the new track and field area, is also complete except for lining and cleanup that will be done by the end of this week. The track is a quarter-mile oval with an infield that can accommodate football, soccer and field hockey. The perimeter of the oval has been set up for track and field events.

“There is a natural amphitheater around the track that provides a perfect place for people to sit and watch the events,” Murphy said. “We do have room for bleachers to be added in the future, but we don’t feel we need them now.”

The track area will be fenced to keep vehicles out.

The track should be ready for use in the spring, and the infield ready for fall activities.

In other business the board appointed Steve Keene as the high school Nordic ski coach and Christine Coolidge as a part-time food service worker at the middle and high schools.

Board members also said they’ll support referendum Question 1A in next week’s general election. If passed, the referendum would require the state to pay for 55 percent of educational costs. Its intent is to reduce local property taxes.

SAD 44 consists of the towns of Andover, Bethel, Greenwood, Newry and Woodstock.

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