By Heather McDonald

A fixture of Stevens Point Area Public High School (SPASH) was removed earlier this week due to safety concerns and repair costs, but the hope is that the school – and community’s – ropes course will soon be replaced.

Workers from Findorff, which is constructing the new Sentry building at Business 51 and Northpoint Drive, take down the high course ropes at Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) Monday, Oct. 2.
(Portage County Gazette photo)

“It’s kind of sad to actually see them starting to take it down,” Connie Negaard, school district director of Secondary Education, said as she watched workers unhitch the high course ropes and drop them to the ground on the northeast end of the SPASH property Monday afternoon. “I’ve been here for 23 years and it was here when I got here. It was one of the first courses in Wisconsin and one of the largest, and it’s been such an added benefit to the district.

“It’s lasted a long time and it’s well built, but you kind of have to redo the whole thing to first, make it safe, and also to make it the most effective,” she said.

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