San Carlos Highlands Park: To turf, or not to turf?
That is indeed the question.
And the answer to that question may come as soon as this Monday April 13, when the San Carlos City Council will likely decide whether or not to move ahead with replacing the aging grass field at Highlands Park with a new all-weather, synthetic surface. In what must seem like “deja vu all over again,“ (to use Yogi Berra’s words) a pro-turf contingency will once again square off against the very effective and well organized anti-turf group at a City Council Meeting. Does this sound like a broken record? (Or for you younger ones, a scratched CD?) It is.
We’ve been down this road before.
Lest anyone think that I have a vested interest in this either way, I don’t. When Round I of the Turf Wars took place eons ago, I had three kids playing soccer in one league or another in San Carlos. Would I have benefited from an all-weather field the first time this issue was tabled? Sure. But today, my remaining soccer player will be likely be in college before the first shovel of dirt gets turned over at Highlands. So like many others who are growing weary of this hanging over 600 Elm Street like a dark cloud, I would just like to see the issue settled…once and for all.
So…All Weather Turf, or Grass?
That’s the question that has caused me to take an unprecedented step on the White Oaks Blog — to run TWO POLLS at once. (Because I’m not taking down the Measure B poll until the vote is over. It’s just starting to get interesting now….) So cast your vote at the top left corner of the site. And don’t forget to attend Monday’s City Council Meeting if you want to see what will hopefully be the final edition of “Turf Wars.” If the previous hearings were any indication, plan on staying very late.
The City just posted a really good, concise time-line of the entire history of the all-weather turf discussions in San Carlos . Click here for the article: Athletic Fields – Evaluation and Consideration of Options.
Other recent news articles on this topic:
San Mateo County Times: San Carlos expected to OK artificial turf for Highlands Park.
Update:
Early on the morning of April 14th, the City Council voted 4:1 to move forward with installation of all-weather turf on Highlands Field in San Carlos. Here’s an article from Michelle Durand of the Daily Journal with all of the details: Turf Battle Ends.
It will be interesting to see if this is truly the end of the debate, or if might get its day in a courtroom….
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No, I am not for Turf! Not after my son was recently treated for a staph infection on his leg. Luckily, it was not MRSA+ ( a deadly and resistant strain). One of the questions out of his doctor’s (a PAMF MD) mouth was “Does he play on turf?” (he does). When I asked “why?” the MD stated that he has noticed a strong trend of MRSA infections and TURF.
I was FOR turf out of the simple ease of having more playing time.
NOT ANYMORE! Please “Google” “MRSA Staph infections and ARTIFICIAL TURF” and read…..it is scary stuff! 16x the MRSA infection rates…yikes…remember this is the same infection that closed schools in Virginia last year and caused student deaths!!!
Think about it…. atheletes spit, bleed, sweat, and yes….occasionally vomit on an artificial turf which is watered less, not mowed and has no natural break down cycle….Voice your resistance!!!!
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Artificial turf has also caused asthma issues with my children and I do not like the idea of having to use chemicals to wash the plastic turf. Our children will be healthier with real grass. Also, where is the City getting the funds to even look at doing this? They need to spend that money on higher priority items for the city…like maybe adding back the police officer positions the have cut over the years.
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Not to mention turf is known to have lead in it – not safe at all for children
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/artificialturf.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93364750
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I don’t know about the health aspects of artificial turf. I do know from talking to parents whose kids have played on the new turf in other cities that it is a good 10 degrees hotter than grass, making it uncomfortable for parents to sit and watch their kids play a game–and for the kids taking a break on the sidelines when they’re not in the game. The parents end up having to stand through the game.
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