Keep the Grass

On Monday, May 16, I attended the high school committee meeting. I went to listen to the discussion about the proposed installation of artificial grass sports fields. Also to experience the process, but mainly to support community members who want to keep natural grass on the sports fields.

A few, of many, questions I have for MV@play follow:

• Why if the current fields have not been maintained are you using their current condition as the reason we need artificial grass?

• Why would you think that people will want to come here, for tournaments, with the added time and expense involved? There are already great tournaments off-Island, centrally located at amazing sports complexes.

• Will this community project, apparently for and funded by the community, be constructed by the community and why not include us from the start?

• What are Gale Associates’ ties to the community?

I, like many members of this community applaud everything you are trying to accomplish. We all agree that we want what is best, in our minds, for our children.

I have watched my step-daughter, her friends and teammates play from mini-kickers up to current day MV United (U-18), high school soccer and ice hockey.

I have been at every game and tournament I possibly could. So just like yourselves, and many others, I am a supportive parent of a high school athlete. Our differences are that you want to put down artificial grass and I don’t. That’s fine. We all have different beliefs.

So to finish up, I do sincerely hope your dreams become reality. I also hope you will be respectful of other community members views.

I personally will be looking into possible natural grass options and the funding required. I will, however, not be supporting your project in any way, financially or otherwise.

Also after my experience at the meeting and the days following (the lies regarding the petitions, the conduct of members of the committee and disrespect to members of our community) there are also a number of other community organizations and businesses I will not be supporting.

Dave Miller
West Tisbury

My husband and I fought a similar battle in Concord, MA. A friend and I sponsored a town warrant article calling for a ban on use of artificial turf. With guided pressure from the community, the ban became a moratorium and even that was defeated. Amazing how everyone perceives the best for their children as something artificial and potentially unsafe. When on the Vineyard, our bedroom overlooks grass playing fields. This year clover is blooming, nature and kids are happy and healthy, and all is well. I hope to see that grass for as long as we visit. The sweet smell provides a sense of peace. Meanwhile, high school and youth leagues play on the artificial stuff in Concord. The stench of hot plastic floats through the air in the heat of summer. No bees, no beneficial insects. Kids find the little black particles- crumb rubber - in their cloths, their hair, and their shoes. It gets into everything, including nearby water and the school. As a Ph.D. former medical researcher, the content of the crumb terrifies me. Our organization in Concord has identified around 4-6 level 1 carcinogens. This means that the substances have been shown to cause cancer in people. Young children, 12 and younger, are at particular risk. And carcinogens are just the tip of the iceberg. It makes me angry to hear artificial turf proponents claim the surfaces are safe. This has not been proven. Three government agencies are currently conducting studies that will take years to complete. In the meantime we are conducting a very unethical experiment on the population we adults are charged to protect. Stand firm in your fight! For further info, you may want to join the Grass Fields for Safe Sports facebook page. Best of Luck!

Lori! Thank you for your comment and support. There have been a lot of unethical things happening regarding this issue. I expect there will be a reply stating that Crumb Rubber is not being used. We know that. I personally cannot believe that Crumb Rubber Infill was ever considered by MV@Play. Enjoy the Vineyard and its natural beauty, thanks again. Dave

Lori, With a Ph.D. and being a former medical researcher perhaps you could explain to us in writing the chemical make-up of the contents of a bag of fertilizer or a fertilizer combination product that has a growth inhibitor blended in. These are the types of products that are used on natural fields. Usually, more than 75% of each bag of fertilizer is product not identified on the label. Do you think there are any potentially harmful chemicals in that concoction? It sure seems like there might be some equally important, or perhaps more important, questions about the lawn care products used on natural playing fields vs fields like MVatPlay have proposed. Up your way, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University published a study (peer reviewed, accepted) that links a common lawn care product to canine cancers. Granted, it's only one product - I'm sure the others are safe! Plus, it was cancer in dogs - not humans. Here's the link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3267855/ It sure seems like the chemicals needed on grass are pretty darn bad. By the way, we've tried putting no fertilizer on our fields...they're pretty crumby :)

Hi Lori I am one of the members of MV@Play. We heard the concerns voiced at the public meetings the All Island School Committee held and have replaced the original crumb rubber in fill you mentioned with an organic product. We have information on this produce which I can provide for your review if you would like. The organic infill also plays much cooler than the crumb rubber produce. The added benefits of a Turf field, besides added three times usage vs grass is improved water quality, no nitrogen loading or pesticides required. We didn't enter this project planning on using Turf, we reached the conclusion by following the facts, science not emotion. Terry Donahue

The scary part to me is that there has been almost no maintenance performed on the High School leading to huge problems with HVAC systems, leaks, and the existing fields. New artificial turf playing areas are going to require maintenance and a set-aside ($1M a year?) for replacement. Where is that going to come from? My guess is if the recommended maintenance isn't performed the artificial fields become unsafe, unsanitary, unplayable and no longer covered by manufacturer warranty in very short order. Are we setting ourselves up for a very large problem a few years down the road? I fear that past non-performance is going to be indicative of the future in this case.

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Comments (5)

Lori Pazaris, Vineyard Haven

June 7, 2016 - 4:50pm

Dave Miller, West Tisbury

June 7, 2016 - 6:12pm

We need your help!, on the touch line

June 10, 2016 - 2:44am

Terry Donahue, Edgartown ma

June 19, 2016 - 10:54am

WashAbhored, Edgartown

June 9, 2016 - 10:50am

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