the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon5-18 | Page 11

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