Adams Parks Board Eyes Valley Street Field Improvements
ADAMS, Mass. — The Adams Soccer Club is hoping the town will restore the Valley Street field, which has taken a beating from high school sports over the past year.Soccer club President Stephen Vigna asked the Parks Commission on Monday to advocate that the town allocate enough money to bring the field back up to snuff and then form a regular maintenance plan.
Separately, Vigna said a sprinkler system was installed in 1999 but has fallen into disrepair and he would like to research to cost to fix that also with the town's help.
"The field has taken a lot of abuse in the last year," Vigna said. "Whatever it really needs and get it into a maintenance program."
Vigna said the soccer club and the Adams Cheshire Savoy Youth Soccer League will work with the high school to move their programs to Hoosac Valley High School for a season while the field is worked on.
The cost for repairs is not known but the Parks Commission said it will meet with David Nuvallie, the town's parks, grounds and cemetery supervisor, to find out exactly what the field would need and the expense.
"I would be in favor of doing some turf maintenance," Parks Commissioner Quinn Gladu said. "It is in tough shape."
The field's been put to use while the high school and its grounds underwent renovation this past year.
The coaches for the soccer programs, which have some 300 kids per year, are currently refilling divots in the ground before every game, Vigna said.
The commission will revisit the request at its next meeting with more details and Vigna said he will get a price quote for the sprinkler system.
Nuvallie will also be asked for advice on the baseball field at Renfrew Field. Gladu said there is need for material for the infield and that the Adams Babe Ruth League would like to ask the Selectmen for money to put in more clay or for the league to purchase it.
Commissioner James Fassell, however, said he was unsure about allowing the league to purchase the material on its own without direction. After a heated argument between Fassell and Quinn, the commission agreed it would ask direction from Nuvallie about the type of material.
In other business, the commission approved C.T. Plunkett Elementary School's application to use Russell Field on June 15 for field day.
Also on the agenda was "Mill St. Field acquisition," but the commission did not discuss the topic at length. After the meeting, Fassell said he put on it on the agenda to share his "wish list" of the town acquiring the field in the future.
"It would be a beautiful place to acquire for parks," Fassell said.
The high school reached an agreement with the Springfield Diocese, which owns the field, for lacrosse, football and track. However, the teams will be returning to the high school in the fall but since the use of the grounds worked so well, Fassell said he would like to see the town's Capital Improvement Committee look at acquiring it. There is a need for more park space for sports groups, he said.
"Right now, it's just a good idea," Fassell said.
Tags: parks, sports fields,
