Submitted by Robin Steele for the Bedford Recreation Commission
We are writing in support of the turf replacement on Sabourin Field, which will be part of the Capital Expenditure budget presentation on Monday March 25th at the Annual Town Meeting.
Sabourin Field is an essential part of the Bedford community hosting athletic, recreation and sports activities year-round. The High School utilizes the field during school hours, after school and weekends for football, soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, pre-season baseball/softball and marching band. After the school use, the Recreation Department schedules practices and games for Bedford Youth Soccer, Youth Flag Football, Youth Track & Field, Youth Summer Camps, Summer Adventures, Adult Soccer, and Adult Fitness Classes. Additional town use includes Bedford Youth Lacrosse, Bedford Babe Ruth Baseball & Softball and events such as Relay for Life and the JGMS Moving on Ceremony.
This field is not just for supporting sports. For example, when the snack shack is open during a game, money is being raised for POMS to support the music students. Sabourin Field is a meeting and gathering place for Bedford families during all these events that take place there.
When you drive by Sabourin Field, you will see it in constant use, from early morning until 11p.m. It is usually athletics/schools, Bedford recreation or a Bedford resident group using the field. If Sabourin Field were not a turf field, it would limit outdoor recreation use by at least 60% on the field. Meaning, at least 60% of the Bedford youth, students and adults would not be able to participate in recreational activities on Sabourin Field, and the Recreation Department would be forced to make significant cuts to the capacity of outdoor sports programs. As a town we have become reliant on having this turf field. We cannot imagine the impact if we were forced to replace the turf surface with grass.
In addition to program capacity, we are concerned about frequency. For fall and spring season sports, the turf allows numerous town groups to practice or play games after rainfall, when they would have otherwise been cancelled on a grass field due to inclement weather.
Please come out to the Annual Town Meeting on March 25 to support the replacement of the turf surface on Sabourin Field. It is essential for athletic, recreation and sports activities that we continue to have access to a turf field in our town.
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