EPHRATA – Ephrata Public Works staff worked late into the night May 1 to pour and protect the new concrete pad for the new restrooms at the Sports Complex located at 121 Alder St. SW.  The staff, according to Public Works Director Rob Harris, stayed until 4 a.m. to complete the project to ensure it was ready for a softball game the following day.  

Unfortunately, the next day, some children were seen riding bikes on the fresh concrete, which left marks throughout the pad.  

“It turned out that it didn’t really hurt. It was more frustrating than it was detrimental to the world type of thing,” Harris said. “It did a little bit of damage when we saw it Friday. It had just damaged the cure and not the concrete.”  

Harris said the city is not going to do anything to remove the small marks on the pad. However, the city did release a statement asking that the community help the city protect these projects by respecting construction areas and asking others to do the same. The city said that every improvement takes time, effort and care and they are grateful for everyone who helps keep the parks in great shape.  

“If you were to go over and look at it right now, you would see that you can still see the marks, but it isn't any different than it's going to look in six months after the concrete weathers a little bit, it'll look probably almost exactly the same,” Harris said.  

Harris said the new bathroom is now open to the public. The bathrooms were paid for by insurance money from a claim filed by the city after the previous bathrooms burned down in May 2024.  

“I was sad to see that the old building got burnt down, but I think we weathered the storm for the better,” Harris said. “I think these bathrooms are far nicer and will be able to withstand a whole lot more.” 

The new bathroom complex is also tamper-proof. The complex is made from concrete, with stainless steel appliances and an exterior paint that allows for spray paint to be cleaned off more easily.  

“The building is solid. There are some stainless-steel fixtures and other stuff that could be damaged,” Harris said. “But as far as trying to hurt the building itself, it's pretty durable. I mean, they're nice bathrooms and I hope the public enjoys them.”