One Town Over, But Acres Apart

As New Rochelle finalizes the Westchester County Legacy grant to build four turf athletic fields 

 

at City Park, turf controversy rages on in neighboring Larchmont and Mamaroneck.  Fields For Kids Mamaroneck is trying to raise enough money by November 1st to have a new turf field ready to go Fall 2010 at Mamaroneck High School’s Memorial Field.  According to the Fields for Kids website:  "While our [school] district is eager to implement the field renovation, it does not have nearly enough money to do so all at once.  Private fundraising is necessary for this project to become a reality.  Larchmont-Mamaroneck Fields for Kids has agreed to lead the fundraising effort, in partnership with other local organizations."  In other words, it appears "no new taxes" to build the turf field, though it’s not altogether clear how maintenance will be funded, and yet, the proverbial "gift horse" is being looked in the mouth through environmentally concerned glasses:  that turf is neither safe nor secure for people and the earth.    

 

And yet, not an earthly peep in New Rochelle.  

Certainly New Rochelle residents care about the environment,  just look at the GreenNR sustainability effort as but one example. But turf does not appear to be a concern.  Bill Zimmerman, New Rochelle’s Commissioner of Parks and Recreation (who once headed the Town of Mamaroneck’s Recreation Department) confirms there’s been no controversy. New Rochelle High School already has turf fields.  And for City Park, Zimmerman says they’ve done their homework, analyzed the available product and selected what he termed a high quality product (field turf pro series three layer infill) in order to maximize field usage.   New Rochelle hopes to start the bidding process soon and begin construction in Spring 2010.  

How can we be one interwoven community and one earth, but worlds apart?