Posted By:
Brown Bear
Posted On: Sep 5th 2002 06:34:36 AM
Views: 36
|
Subject: New Fields
We can't maintain the ones we have.
We have other priorities (drinking water is one).
We also need to ask ourselves if we are balancing the scheduled
sports activities with leisure, imaginative, non-scheduled
sports activities. |
Posted By:
Swifty
Posted On: Aug 28th 2002 10:25:00 AM
Views: 95
|
Subject: Priorities
Tom,
I am not at issue with the fact that a lot of kids play sports
and the fields may be crowded. Admittedly my last comment was a
bit of sarcasm meant to lighten the mood. What I have always
been concerned with is why this is a priority NOW and whether
the town can afford to go another 1.7 million in debt to put in
these ballfields?
I pulled the list below from an article on this website
regarding the building of the downtown parking lot. It refers to
other things that the town needs to resolve. Do me a favor and
prioritze these and tell me why you prioritized each the way you
did. The first four are from the article I have added a few of
my own:
- The project to provide more playing fields to the rear of the
high school is yet to be resolved.
- The project to consider the cleanup of environmentally
contaminated land off Route 1a near Norfolk is still under
consideration.
- The traffic congestion issues around the intersection off East
Street heading toward Route 1 continue unresolved.
- The Washington Street Bridge in East Street is yet to be
fixed.
- The loss of well #4 (500,000 gallons per day)
- Lack of adequate ambulance service
- The imbalance in the Walpole residential vs. business tax
base.
- Continued loss of state funding as the states's revenue
decreases.
- Additional strain on infrastructure from addition of 190 Toll
Brother homes and Gatehouse complex. |
Posted By:
tom
Posted On: Aug 27th 2002 03:09:20 PM
Views: 105
|
Subject: practice schedule
:To Swify: Let's try to keep this positive. Each high school
boys and girls varsity and Jv practice each day of the week.
That turns out to be 16 practices and/or games considering they
also play away. Each 12, 13, 14 year old team practices twice a
week for 1 1/2hr. ( I doubt many people who have ever
participated in organized sports would consider this over use.)
There are approximately 945 children in Walpole playing soccer.
Approximately half that number are older children playing a
competitive travel program in the Boston Area Youth Soccer
League. If you really took a moment and considered these
numbers, field space is limited at best. Keep in mind that the
parents that volunteer practice between 4:30 and 7:30 after work
and before dark. In total their are approximately 75 youth
teams, I only included the 20 that are scheduled at Bird. |
Posted By:
Swifty
Posted On: Aug 27th 2002 06:36:00 AM
Views: 98
|
Subject: Ball fields
Wow...12 teams practicing a total of 45 times a week, 1 1/2
hours at a time, AND playing 20 games a week?
Maybe the problem isn't overuse of the fields but instead
overuse of the 12 - 14 year olds.
Why are these teams all at Bird, why not Johnson? I understand
your argument about the fertilizer but is it possible they mean
chemical fertilizer? Could organic fertilizer be used?
More food for thought...Assume these new fields are built, does
this mean that these 12 teams now shift to the new fields so
that the Bird fields can be maintained? How soon before the new
fields are beyong repair? If half the teams move to the new
fields does that provide enough releif to repair the existing
fields? On top of all this...if the fields are not being
maintained today where does the money come from to maintain them
(and two additional fields) tomorrow? |
Posted By:
Tom
Posted On: Aug 23rd 2002 06:23:32 PM
Views: 81
|
Subject: Fields Cont.
Do most people realize that Bird Middle School fields are used
by 12 teams of 12-14yr.old youth teams in addition to JV and
Varsity Boys and Girls teams each week in the Fall during the
prime grass growing season? What do you think happens to a field
with 20 soccer games and approximately 45 1 1/2hr practice
sessions each week? This season follows the summer months that
usually do not provide adequate water to be maintained.
Old Post Rd, Fisher, and Boyden all have insufficient fields for
school recess without even considering organized teams using it.
So where are the fields, my team would like to practice on safe
green grass or maybe your yard! |
Posted By:
Tom
Posted On: Aug 23rd 2002 06:11:58 PM
Views: 77
|
Subject: Fields
The town most certainly needs new fields. That does not excuse
the lack of foresight and proactive maintenance to the current
ones. The High School currently has insufficient space to rotate
fields in order to restore and care for current football field
and JV baseball that doubles as JV baseball. How does one repair
the wear and tear of football practice the ends in November in
order for new grass to grow in April when the baseball team is
already on it.
Johnson has wonderful space unfortunately the State will not
allow fertilizing that is necessary to maintain an active field
because it sits of an aquafier. |
Posted By:
Swifty
Posted On: Aug 20th 2002 08:55:43 AM
Views: 107
|
Subject: Ballfields
What Walpole needs.... is to spend money to fix issues with the
wells ($1.6 million in override money leftover from last year
and no repair yet on well #4, a $400,000 dollar job).
What Walpole needs.... is to spend money to attract businesses
to our town to balance the tax load.
What Walpole needs... is to spend money to improve overall
services in town (like an ambulance service and paramedics).
What Walpole needs.... is to use and maintain existing fields
(could fit at last three decent fields behind Johnson middle
school, land is alraedy there and designed for it but it is not
maintained very well).
What Walpole DOESN'T NEED... is to spend money for yet another
"nice to have" for the schools so that the high school teams can
all play at the high school (only reason I have seen given so
far as to why these fields are "necessary"). |
Posted By:
Casper
Posted On: Aug 15th 2002 12:53:12 AM
Views: 123
|
Subject: ball
fields
Walpole needs more ball fields and soccer fields.
The fields we have need to be maintained better and their should
be restroom facilities available at all the fields. Not the
portable potties. Other towns have these facilities available to
them, why not Walpole. We pay enough in taxes. |
Posted By:
blueand orange
Posted On: Aug 2nd 2002 04:59:12 AM
Views: 205
|
Subject: FIELDS
New fields needed....YES.
Improved maintenance needed...YES.
Town(Municipal) budget is responsible for care of fields. They
do what they can with the money and manpower that they get. New
fields would allow proper rest/rotation of fields to help with
maintenance. If they are in constant use, then no real
maintenance can be done, other than watering what little grass
is there (when there is no water ban) raking, and mowing. The
High School is the best place for these new fields and they will
be built. It only make sense to have them up there. It would
centralized the high school programs and it would centralize the
maintenance. When they are built, we should consider privatizing
or tri-partnering with Booster groups, local
landscapers/businesses and the Town to get our existing fields
in better shape. Sounds like pro-active and creative planning.
Is that something we can do here in Walpole? I say YES to that,
too.
I say YES for the new fields at the High School. |
Posted By:
BallPlayer
Posted On: Jul 31st 2002 11:42:29 AM
Views: 200
|
Subject: Fields
IF I see Walpole can take proper care of the existing fields,
find who is responsible for paying and caring for the existing
fields,
THEN Walpole should plan for more fields.
JUST SAY NO. |