BY REBECCA LEAF

Administrators, community members and teachers have constructed plans for the installation of a new turf field at the high school by the fall of 2010.

The opinion of some is that the present field is not in suitable condition for sports activities. According to gym teacher Joe Toombs, “The field is inadequate to serve the community and has deteriorated to point that it is not safe to play on.”

Athletes and teachers alike are looking forward to the new turf field. Bari Suman, Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics, has expressed her belief that the administration is enthusiastic about the new field by mentioning how much our school is in need of a new field.

Suman also noted that other sports facilities at the high school, such as the locker rooms, have not been upgraded since being installed.

There has been some concern among the community that the materials being used for the new turf field may be a health hazard to athletes. The administration insists that it has thought ahead to take proper precautions in installing the new turf field and has put proper thought into the materials being used.

The new turf field will be lead chromate-free and will use EPDM, a light colored rubber in-fill. It will not be made from black recycled tires, as some studies have shown that this material may retain heat and be a health hazard.

There are some members of the community who are against the school spending money on the new turf field. This dissent was demonstrated when a bond proposal, which included a budget for the new field, was voted down this past spring.