Light poles at Bessemer's Massie Field refurbished

By MEGAN HUGHES

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Bessemer - Bessemer's Massie Field is getting a touch-up this week, as painters with Pole Painting Plus of Maple Lake, Minnesota, began work on refurbishing the light poles on the field.

The project is moving along smoothly, according to Bessemer Area Schools Superintendent Dan Niemi, and is the first paint refurbishment they have done to the poles since the mid 1990s.

The light poles were installed in the mid-50s, according to Niemi, and the paint being used this time around is meant to keep them from rusting.

"They got here early this morning and got working," said Niemi on Monday morning.

Pole Painting Plus Owner and operator Peter Zielsdorf, of Maple Lake, was overseeing the project on-site and walked the Globe through the process of refinishing the poles. The poles will be sanded down to remove rust and flaking paint, then primed and painted with a top coat.

"The paint is a really good urethane, bio-aluminum. It's a moisture cure urethane. If it rains a half-hour after we are done, it would cure even faster," said Zielsdorf, "We were here until sundown (Sunday) working."

To reach the tops of the light posts, operator Anthony Klatt used a 120-foot lift that they rented for the project, which he was harnessed into.

Niemi expressed that he was extremely pleased with the progress they had made in such a short amount of time, "They've done a really good job."

In addition to refurbishing the light poles at Massie Field, there has been work done on updating the softball field in Ramsay in preparation of the Bessemer-Wakefield girls softball team playing there beginning in the spring.

Niemi said some parents, a couple players and he have been working on the Ramsay field, adding the booster club is putting up a scoreboard there.