PRIDE members Kevin Mullins and Peter Naton delivered their state-of-the-turf-field address to the Duxbury School Committee last Tuesday night at the Alden School.

While last year’s town meeting brought the issue of a new turf field to the forefront with its granting of CPC funds, there has been little publicity since that time on its construction progress.

PRIDE members Kevin Mullins and Peter Naton delivered their state-of-the-turf-field address to the Duxbury School Committee last Tuesday night at the Alden School.

While last year’s town meeting brought the issue of a new turf field to the forefront with its granting of CPC funds, there has been little publicity since that time on its construction progress.

Fundraising has been ongoing for the past year in hopes of matching the CPC funds and meeting the eventual goal of building two turf fields. But a turn in the economy has been a doubled-edged sword, as some pledged contributions have been written off and bids for the project came in lower than expected in late February.{sidebar id=4}

Mullins told the committee that PRIDE is now recommending building the high school field first. He said that PRIDE and others have always recognized that the DHS field was the field most in need of repair. When the DMS field was proposed to be the first built, it was with the full intent of building both fields. However, PRIDE has realized how difficult it is to raise enough money to build two fields and recognized that if only enough money can be raised for one field, it should be DHS.

The cost for the high school field is projected to cost $1.35 million with lights ($200K) and a track ($255K), while the second field at the middle school would be approximately $800K.

Approximately $900K has been raised, which is enough to do the DMS field, but not enough to do the high school field. PRIDE needs approximately $200K to complete the high school field without lights, but the project would include the conduit and wiring to be in place when funds are raised to install the new lights on the visitor’s side of the field.

Members of the PRIDE committee are working diligently to acquire $150K in outstanding pledges and get it in the bank, while also focusing their efforts on several significant donors and foundations.

Mullins stated that several private donors had expressed an interest in “Founder Loans” in order to get the project rolling, but revenues derived from use of the fields would be difficult for targeting payment of those loans. He asked for School Committee assistance and advice in seeing if there was any way to direct turf field revenues to pay back these “Founders Loans”.

PRIDE members said they are working hard to achieve the first of their four options which is raising $200K by April 30, 2008, so the DHS field can be built without lights and ready for play by September of 2008.{sidebar id=1}

Should PRIDE be unable to raise the $200K until November 1 construction will begin over the winter with the field ready for play in April of 2009.

Option three would necessitate PRIDE raising $450K by November 1, 2008 and building the DHS field and lights with play being available in April of 2009.

The final option would be to raise $1.25 million by November 1 so that the high school field with lights and the DMS field could be ready for play by April of 2009.

“The support of the various youth groups and many townspeople has been great,” said Mullins. “We are in the stretch run for funds and would greatly appreciate any donations between now and April 30 to make up the $200,000 shortfall. (PRIDE, PO Box 2882, Duxbury 02332). That way we can have the DHS field ready to play on next fall.”