May 2018
THE BEACON
Page 11A
East Central Plans for Synthetic Turf
By Elizabeth Loch
East Central has always
been known for being at the
top of school sports. From
football to soccer, the high
school has excelled. To keep
this legacy alive and well, the
school board has decided to
install synthetic turf on the
football field.
This discussion has been
ongoing for the past fifteen
months, starting in the fall
of 2016 when the suggestion
was made by board member
comments. The discussion was
then delayed until the begin-
ning of the school year and af-
ter negotiations with teachers.
Dr. Jackson, the superintendent
of Sunman-Dearborn Commu-
nity Schools, brought pre-
liminary numbers on the cost
and budget of the project to a
meeting in the spring of 2017
where the board discussed the
costs. After a new contract was
approved in Oct. of last year,
giving every EC employee a
raise, Dr. Jackson prepared a
full proposal on the synthetic
turf for the board. At a meeting
on Feb. 15, the full proposal
was given to the board.
The presentation that Dr.
Jackson gave included how
the synthetic turf would be
installed and the benefits that
M
DEAR
ARIE
By
Marie
Segale
[email protected]
Dear Marie,
I am a 39-year-old woman.
I have a son who recently
turned NINE and a daugh-
ter who is five. I have been
divorced for four years and
am currently in a committed
relationship of six months. I
have only had one previous
relationship since my divorce.
The father of my children is
not involved in their lives
at all- no visits, no holiday
card, no presents. Dating
with all of these previously
stated circumstances is very
difficult at best! My children
are absolutely in love with the
man I am currently dating,
and he loves them. We are
all very happy together. My
question is if my extended
family is not fond of my cur-
rent relationship, and each
party is aware of each other’s
the school would experience.
Dr. Jackson advised the board
that the bid was $750,000
for the main field, West D
Zone, and shock pad, as East
Central is part of the Wilson
Education Center Coop-
erative. Among the services
offered by the cooperative
is the bidding of projects for
their clients to get the best
price possible. In addition
to the primary $750,000, a
$50,000 contingency amount
would be required only for
any underground existing
conditions. Another $100,000
will be used for the excavated
dirt to be utilized for a new
grass soccer field. Dr. Jack-
son stated, “The board also
approve[d] moving the topsoil
to the soccer area and [to]
build a secondary grass field
for the soccer program.” In
that same meeting, the motion
to approve the synthetic turf,
soccer field, and contingency
amount passed unanimously.
The company that will be
installing the synthetic turf is
The Motz Group from Cincin-
nati. They have been in the
synthetic turf business for fif-
teen years. Chris Larbes from
the Motz Group was present
at the February meeting to
answer questions. One question may be why?
Many benefits are available
with synthetic turf. First,
is durability. Synthetic turf
can handle tournament after
tournament and any com-
munity activities. Second, is
the ease of maintenance. Turf
that does not grow means less
upkeep and more time for
athletes on the field. Seeding
to fill in the grass and mowing
are not needed. With a lack of
real, growing grass, the need
to water and use pesticides is
obsolete. Synthetic turf will
last ten to twelve years.
Another more pressing
question is where the financ-
ing for this project will be
found. Dr. Jackson said, “The
money will come from the
Rainy Day Fund. RDF is used
for one-time type expendi-
tures. We will not raise taxes
or ask for additional money to
pay for it.”
At the meeting on Feb. 15,
comments from the public
were welcome, but none
came. East Central will be
moving forward with the plan
to install synthetic turf. Before
installation can begin, how-
ever, track season has to wrap
up, which will be in late May.
The turf will be ready for the
fall season of 2018.
distaste for the other, what is
the best way to continue to try
to integrate my boyfriend into
the family? I feel like each
side would rather just not be
around the other, and that just
isn’t a realistic situation if
this relationship is going to
continue. other. After all, six months is
a very short time. Your family
and your boyfriend don’t
know each other the way you
two know each other. Your
family is used to you being
single and not having to share
you with a man in your life.
Certainly, if your family can
see over time how happy you
are with this man and that
your children are happy, they
will be more at ease with him.
As they become more at ease,
perhaps your boyfriends’
distas