Selectmen Forward Turf Recommendation to Capital Improvement Committee

Selectmen voted 3-2 to send the Athletic Field Study Committee's recommendation to the Capital Improvement Committee for its take on the $1.54 million plan.

  On Wednesday selectmen narrowly approved sending a $1.54 million proposal for a multi-sport surface at Blocksidge Field to the town's Capital Improvement Committee for their recommendation. After the Board of Selectmen receive the recommendation from the improvement committee, the board members will consider placing the field proposal on the town warrant as a Town Meeting article. Selectmen Rich Malagrifa, Jill Sullivan and Barry Greenfield voted to send the plan to the improvement committee; Selectmen Glenn Kessler and David Van Dam voted to not send it to the committee. Supporters said the town has failed to invest in its athletic fields and seen its sod fields deteriorate — some to the point where they cannot be used. The grass fields…

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David Arsenault

6:58 pm on Saturday, March 9, 2013

"Repairs to storm drains as well as other large projects" Nothing wrong/ the storm darins but the pipes under are too small and the town has only one large box culvert! For neighbrhoods to stop being flooded the roads need to be dug up and larger, more lines need to be added! The field project is minuscule in comparison and if the town is having a problem funding that how on earth is the urgency …   more ›

Artificial Surface Recommendation Comes to Selectmen Wednesday

The Athletic Field Study Committee met regularly for much of last year and through February of this year. They prepared a report and recommendations to meet the town's field needs.

  A study committee's representatives will recommend an artificial surface for Blocksidge Field when they report their findings to selectmen on Wednesday. The Athletic Field Study Committee report recommends a publicly funded multi-sport surface at Phillips Park as part of a three-phase project, said Town Administrator Tom Younger. The project's second phase calls for privately funded light towers, and the third phase, grandstands on the home side, also privately funded. More details will be available on Wednesday. The committee also recommends the town seek state funds to help offset the project's cost. Last summer selectmen asked the committee to study field needs and how to meet them.   The committee studied other improvements, as well…

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David Arsenault

12:42 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013

Not sure if this site could help with those signatures, by the way this is actually a very good bill: http://signon.org/sign/i-support-the-healthy   more ›

5 Things to Know: Artificial Turf Plans Emerging

On Wednesday the Athletic Field Study Committee talked about proposals to fund an artificial turf field.

1) Town and School Meeting Watch: The Renewable Energy Committee, 6:30 p.m., the Capital Improvement Committee, 6:30 p.m., and the Recreation Commission, 7:30 p.m., all meet Monday at Town Hall. 2) Newsbit of the Day:  On Wednesday the Athletic Field Study Committee talked about proposals to fund an artificial turf field. They talked about a three-phase approach that in the first phase would fund installation of the surface with town money. Phases two and three would use non-town funding including private contributions to pay for lighting and stands. The study committee also talked about a single-phase approach that would propose a town funded artificial surface but no lights. The board took no vote and will continue talks next week before…

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Swampscott Field Committee to Study Improvements Including Artificial Turf

Selectman Glenn Kessler wants the committee to consider Upper Jackson Park as an alternative to Phillips Park, which is prone to flooding.

  Selectmen agreed on Wednesday to have the new Athletic Field Study Committee look at the existing football field or alternative locations for a synthetic surface. The field would be paid for by public and private funds; and the committee's field recommendation, including a cost estimate, will be presented to selectmen by Feb.  14. Board members held off appointing the committee's seven members for at least another week. They want to see if additional people volunteer and give the committee a make-up more representative of the town as a whole. Selectman Jill Sullivan said the new committee should include Linso van der Burg, who would bring to the table his experience as a member of the group that proposed the previous field improvement …

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Selectmen Lay Groundwork For Athletic Fields Committee

Selectmen plan to adopt a mission statement for the fields committee at their next meeting and, ultimately, recruit members with varied perspectives.

  Selectman Jill Sullivan said the town's need for athletic fields remains. Yes, the Blocksidge Field improvement plan and its artificial surface failed at Town Meeting in May. But the challenge now is to find a solution that will meet field needs— and that the town will back, supporters say. The need is to provide enough quality playing surfaces to support the town's youth sporting activities, supporters say. To that end selectmen on Wednesday agreed to have Selectman Jill Sullivan and the town administrator craft a mission statement for a committee charged with finding a solution to the town's field needs. Linso van der Burg, a member of the group that proposed the Blocksidge improvement plan, told selectmen that one of the reasons why …

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Fields And Artificial Surface Talks Before Swampscott Selectmen Wednesday

A group will talk to selectmen Wednesday about forming an athletic fields committee.

  Selectmen will talk athletic fields when they meet Wednesday at 7 at Town Hall. Chiarman Rich Malagrifa said members of the group that brought forward the Blocksidge Field improvements including an artificial surface want to ask selectmen to form an athletic fields committee. The committee would include broad representation from the public, he said. The chairman said he does not know exactly where the discussion will end up. He expects a capital project, fields, and an artificial surface will be in the mix of the conversation. Ultimately selectmen will determine the scope and membership of any committee that is formed. Critics of the Blocksidge Field improvements proposal said the public was not involved in it enough.  Two proposals, one…

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Letter to the Editor: Toward a Responsible Artificial Turf Field

Dr. Lawrence Block of the Board of Health would support a safe and sound Blocksidge Field renovation.

  Two news stories were published on May 17 which made me think about how I hope the renovation plan to install artificial turf at Blocksidge Field progresses.  The first report was that the Centers for Disease Control lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in children, from 10 to 5 mcg/dl.  Overnight, the number of children in the US with lead toxicity doubled to 450,000 cases.  Of course, there has never been a safe level of exposure to lead or to any other heavy metal;  it just took until now for studies to prove such low levels to be toxic.  Similarly, of the 80,000 chemicals approved for sale by the US government, few have been studied to demonstrate their long-term safety. Concern for possible lead (present in some artificial …

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George Potts (speaking as a private citizen, not a member of the Swampscott Planning Board)

11:43 am on Friday, May 25, 2012

How about spending some $$ on the bathrooms in Hadley? Porta-a-potties would be better.   more ›

Big Blue Sports

Walk Phillips Park With Coaches on Sunday

Varsity coaches whose teams use fields at Phillips Park will be at the entrance by the field house Sunday morning at 8:30 to tour the fields with residents. Everyone is invited.

    Two varsity coaches will tour the Phillips Park grounds with residents on Sunday at 8:30 am. Everyone is welcome to attend regardless of their stance on the proposed artificial surface for Blocksidge Field, said Swampscott High varsity lacrosse coach Josh Field. The coach said he and varsity football coach Steve Dembowski will be at the entrance to Blocksidge Field, to the side of the field house, at 8:30 am. The tour comes one day ahead of Monday's town meeting vote on Blocksidge Field improvements. "It's an opportunity for everyone to see first-hand the condition of the fields and will allow us to make a more accurate evaluation of the fields as we head into this very important town meeting vote," Field said. The coaches, who, …

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Phillips Park Upgrade Price Tag $2.5 Million in Public/Private Funds

Supporters hope to raise about $750,000 in private funds for the project.

  Selectmen got an update from Phillips Park improvement plan supporters last week, learning they plan to raise about $750,000 in private donations for the project. That money would be in addition to the $1.8 million capital request proposed to go to Town Meeting for a vote in April. The entire $2.5 million package, combining the public and private funds, would fund installation of an artificial surface at Blocksidge Field, seating for about 1,500 people, as well as lights and other improvements. Right now, the football stadium has a grass surface and no lights.  Selectmen introduced the Phillips Park upgrade in September, asking the town administrator to assemble a financial plan for the work. Last Wednesday, Board of Selectmen Chairman …

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Selectmen Want To Pursue Phillips Park Improvements

The improvements, and expansion, would include an artificial playing surface.

Selectmen want to pursue improvements to Phillips Park, among them adding an artificial playing surface. By pursue, Chairman Matt Strauss means the board has asked Town Administrator Andrew Maylor to figure how much the work would cost. The financial plan would estimate how much private money and how much public money would be needed to complete the project. “The cost of the carpet (artificial surface) is the most important,” the chairman said. The financial plan will consider whether the project is feasible, he said, The project would be a capital project, meaning funds would need public support. More often than not a capital project is approved by going through the capital committee and then being approved by Town Meeting, said the town …

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