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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels July 28, 2004 Grizz parents step up, save AHS Booster Club By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland High Booster Club is alive and well, thanks to a group of parents who have taken over the organization to keep it from folding. Lynn Costantino and Ellie Thivierge will be the co-presidents, Marty Lenk and Vance Littleton will be the vice presidents, Kim Rooklyn will be the secretary, and Dale Rooklyn will act as treasurer. "It's a good organization, it just needed some new blood and more energy," Costantino said. "The other guys have done it for years and their kids are out of the [school]. "The booster club is important for the kids and important for the community." The club was in danger of extinction in early June, when outgoing president and treasurer Terry Kemp made clear publicly that he would not return and that nobody had even applied for the vacant volunteer positions. "I don't want to see this thing dissolve, but I don't see anything that's coming on the horizon," Kemp told the Tidings. That doomsday scenario sparked Costantino and company to take action and form the almost all-new club. Lenk retains the position he held last school year, but everyone else is new. With new blood has come a new vision. "It's going to take us a little time to get organized," Costantino said. "We have some ideas, especially with the new AD (Athletic Director Karl Kemper). We want to incorporate a lot of things to try to increase spirit." Costantino and Thivierge will share the workload at the top spot. They hope that distribution of time will help the club run smoother. Kemp estimated he worked about 10 hours per week as both president and treasurer. The booster club has been an integral part of the AHS athletic department for for than 20 years. Its responsibilities, which range from staffing the concession stands at sporting events to disbursing $25,000-30,000 per year to various clubs and teams, have become so far reaching, the impact of its demise would likely have been devastating. Costantino said the former booster club members were happy to finally hand over the reins. "They were excited," he said. "They didn't want it to die. They wanted to hand over leadership of their club and keep it going. I think they were kind of relieved, truthfully." The new club will make its first presentation during Ashland High's sports night, Aug. 10 at the school. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams