It's shocking to me that the Mayor wishes to spend untold dollars on this foolish, excessively costly, unnatural, high-maintenance, potentially toxic, non-disposable, trash-based product. It's apparent that developing natural grass fields with adequate drainage (which should have been done years ago) would cost lass than 1/2 of this non-"GREEN" product that ages, needs repairs, may harm the land, and worse, may be dangerous for our children's health and safety (including injuries). Why does our leadership, both the Mayor and Aldermen, just blindly support this excessively costly, environmentally unfriendly artificial turf when the alternative is clearly more economical, maintainable, and certainly more than adequate for our young, amateur athletes?
Something is out of control at City Hall!!! I do NOT SEE handicapped ramps at parts of Newton South! I do NOT SEE a swimming pool at Newton South! I do NOT SEE as many theater, art, and music electives, and clubs available to students at Newton South! Most importantly, I do NOT SEE as many teachers at Newton South!
Could it be that our politicians are just that, and not at all concerned about the welfare of the many versus the special interests of the few (supporters of athletics and soccer!)? Do our elected officials worry just a little too much about a season of football games (and by the way, I understand the head coach never requested these fields, but said he'd be happy with improved drainage), while ignoring the importance of providing the best and most advanced education with higher teacher-to-student ratios for our children? Could it be that there is a foul odor at City Hall? What's missing from this equation? Why is there such persistence and insistence that we install this questionable product in the "GARDEN CITY?" Is this about cronyism and special interests? Are our politicians casting a blind eye to the facts and the numbers? What's in it for them?
I wonder and wonder. I hope more Newtonites consider this travesty and question their elected officials. Why haven't our officials consulted some of the many local Engineers, Accountants, Financial Actuaries, Business Consultants (e.g., MBAs), Lawyers, Environmental Experts, Landscaping Professionals, Medical Doctors, Quality Personnel, Proposal Writers and Reviewers, and others to IMPARTIALLY assess the data exclusively provided by the proponents of this project?
Would it not make sense to tap into our most lauded and valuable Newton resource, our incredibly talented and diverse working population? It's apparent these folks do not reside at City Hall! Not only could the City solicit a REAL REVIEW of this seemingly steam-rollered project, it could open up the issue to the entire community who should know how our government is spending millions of dollars at a time when our economy is in a terrible downward spiral!
Residents are losing their jobs; citizens have lost enormous portions of their savings, investments, retirements, and senses of security; tax revenues and state distributions are likely to decline; City services are at risk; some (particularly elderly) citizens are in need; teachers, firemen, and policemen are threatened with cutbacks while the City 'Pols' continue to spend, spend, SPEND on its glorious projects (witness the new Newton North High School!). And, they finance these excessive projects on the backs of our children and grandchildren.
Have our Mayor and Aldermen failed to learn from the greatest US economic disaster since the Depression? Do they miss the News every day? Don't they understand that limited oversight, irrational thinking, unrestrained spending, no financial reconciliation, improper influence, and plain bad management can lead to a terrifying black hole (okay, sink hole)?
Our current administration's legacy will be a declining quality of life, second-rate schools, a disintegrating landscape, and severe financial hardship for others to clean up later.
maureen - 15 years ago
This material is not safety tested for our kids or for the bodies of water receiving runoff. Natural grass, correctly installed and organically maintained, can be a highly successful athletic field.
And the fake grass cost is prohibitive. Your town will be replacing this million dollar field in 10 years or less. And what if the research shows they are not acceptable?
Will you have to pay to rip them out and dispose of the material? And then replace the fields?
Just put in natural grass. It is the best solution.
Chris Van Dyk - 15 years ago
Given the highly critical science now a available, it is unbelievable that an elected official would turn an athletic field for kids into a used tire dumping ground. Parks are for people, not possibly toxic waste. Anybody politicians who votes for this should be recalled. On economic grounds alone, it is a total waste---a marginal improvement in usage, for something that will have to be replaced in a few years. Net cost savings: less than zero. As Forrest Gump would say, stupid is as stupid does. How many of these fields across the country have to be shut down before elected officials stop putting them in?
It's shocking to me that the Mayor wishes to spend untold dollars on this foolish, excessively costly, unnatural, high-maintenance, potentially toxic, non-disposable, trash-based product. It's apparent that developing natural grass fields with adequate drainage (which should have been done years ago) would cost lass than 1/2 of this non-"GREEN" product that ages, needs repairs, may harm the land, and worse, may be dangerous for our children's health and safety (including injuries). Why does our leadership, both the Mayor and Aldermen, just blindly support this excessively costly, environmentally unfriendly artificial turf when the alternative is clearly more economical, maintainable, and certainly more than adequate for our young, amateur athletes?
Something is out of control at City Hall!!! I do NOT SEE handicapped ramps at parts of Newton South! I do NOT SEE a swimming pool at Newton South! I do NOT SEE as many theater, art, and music electives, and clubs available to students at Newton South! Most importantly, I do NOT SEE as many teachers at Newton South!
Could it be that our politicians are just that, and not at all concerned about the welfare of the many versus the special interests of the few (supporters of athletics and soccer!)? Do our elected officials worry just a little too much about a season of football games (and by the way, I understand the head coach never requested these fields, but said he'd be happy with improved drainage), while ignoring the importance of providing the best and most advanced education with higher teacher-to-student ratios for our children? Could it be that there is a foul odor at City Hall? What's missing from this equation? Why is there such persistence and insistence that we install this questionable product in the "GARDEN CITY?" Is this about cronyism and special interests? Are our politicians casting a blind eye to the facts and the numbers? What's in it for them?
I wonder and wonder. I hope more Newtonites consider this travesty and question their elected officials. Why haven't our officials consulted some of the many local Engineers, Accountants, Financial Actuaries, Business Consultants (e.g., MBAs), Lawyers, Environmental Experts, Landscaping Professionals, Medical Doctors, Quality Personnel, Proposal Writers and Reviewers, and others to IMPARTIALLY assess the data exclusively provided by the proponents of this project?
Would it not make sense to tap into our most lauded and valuable Newton resource, our incredibly talented and diverse working population? It's apparent these folks do not reside at City Hall! Not only could the City solicit a REAL REVIEW of this seemingly steam-rollered project, it could open up the issue to the entire community who should know how our government is spending millions of dollars at a time when our economy is in a terrible downward spiral!
Residents are losing their jobs; citizens have lost enormous portions of their savings, investments, retirements, and senses of security; tax revenues and state distributions are likely to decline; City services are at risk; some (particularly elderly) citizens are in need; teachers, firemen, and policemen are threatened with cutbacks while the City 'Pols' continue to spend, spend, SPEND on its glorious projects (witness the new Newton North High School!). And, they finance these excessive projects on the backs of our children and grandchildren.
Have our Mayor and Aldermen failed to learn from the greatest US economic disaster since the Depression? Do they miss the News every day? Don't they understand that limited oversight, irrational thinking, unrestrained spending, no financial reconciliation, improper influence, and plain bad management can lead to a terrifying black hole (okay, sink hole)?
Our current administration's legacy will be a declining quality of life, second-rate schools, a disintegrating landscape, and severe financial hardship for others to clean up later.
This material is not safety tested for our kids or for the bodies of water receiving runoff. Natural grass, correctly installed and organically maintained, can be a highly successful athletic field.
And the fake grass cost is prohibitive. Your town will be replacing this million dollar field in 10 years or less. And what if the research shows they are not acceptable?
Will you have to pay to rip them out and dispose of the material? And then replace the fields?
Just put in natural grass. It is the best solution.
Given the highly critical science now a available, it is unbelievable that an elected official would turn an athletic field for kids into a used tire dumping ground. Parks are for people, not possibly toxic waste. Anybody politicians who votes for this should be recalled. On economic grounds alone, it is a total waste---a marginal improvement in usage, for something that will have to be replaced in a few years. Net cost savings: less than zero. As Forrest Gump would say, stupid is as stupid does. How many of these fields across the country have to be shut down before elected officials stop putting them in?