message from Friends of Reynolds Field

[Douglas Rushkoff]

Friends of Reynolds Field asked me to send this to members of the Reynolds Field Google Group:



Friends and Neighbors,

As strong opponents of the plan to spend millions of tax dollars to massively reconfigure Reynolds field and install a new, untested form of artificial turf, we have spoken loud and clear at Board of Education meetings and to the individual Board members. Despite that, they have chosen to go ahead with their plan, and are putting it to a vote on October 22.. Our only option at this point is to vote this destructive plan down and ask them to come back with a more sensible solution. When they do, we will have a chance to debate which aspects of the plan we may or may not support, such as the new track and tennis court configuration. Our first order of business is to defeat the bond vote. This is going to take a major effort to make Hastings residents aware of the plan and to get out the vote.

As someone who has expressed concern about this issue we hope you are still on board with the effort to help save Reynolds Field and preserve the character of Hastings. We are planning a major campaign before the vote and have two questions for you:

1. Are you willing to “host” a yard sign? It will say:

SAVE REYNOLDS FIELD
NO TO PLASTIC TURF
NO TO HIGHER TAXES
VOTE NO ON SCHOOL BOND
10/22/13
www.savereynoldsfield.org (Active by 9/7/2013)

2. Are you willing to go door to door for a few blocks in your neighborhood to distribute flyers? If so, please give us a sense of how many hours you are willing to devote to this, and which blocks in Hastings you would like to cover?

Please let us know via email (in...@savereynoldsfield.org), and let us know your phone number as well.

The bond issue that is up for a vote will cost $4.32 million for a massive field overhaul, adding large concrete retaining walls, removing trees, dramatically increasing traffic and parking congestion, and replacing natural grass with synthetic turf which many experts conclude is not the best for younger athletes. These proposals would turn Reynolds into a generic, mass-produced field space that would be out of character with the village of Hastings. A modern grass field would give our student-athletes the quality field and playing time they deserve, while preserving this precious Hastings resource, arguably our town commons. We don’t have to destroy the village in order to save it.

Please forward this message to others who will also be concerned about the drastic proposal for Reynolds Field.
Friends of Reynolds Field