District debates artificial turf fields.

Byline: Anne Williams The Register-Guard

BETHEL MEETING The Bethel School Board will hold a work session on the field issue at 6 p.m. Tuesday, and also may address the issue at its regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the District Office, 4640 Barger Drive.

Bethel School Board member Greg Nelson admits that nostalgia plays a role.

Artificial turf fields, in his mind, will never be superior to real grass, no matter how sophisticated the product.

"There's no reason that kids shouldn't smell mud," said Nelson, who grew up playing on sometimes-sloppy fields in Northern California. "I'm an anthropologist, and I see our society just pulling further and further away from nature."

On Tuesday, Nelson will argue his point of view with his board colleagues, who face the daunting decision of whether to join forces with the city of Eugene to replace the grass at Willamette High School's Wolverine Stadium with synthetic turf.

The City Council in May agreed to place a $27.5 million parks bond issue on the November ballot, $5 million of which would be earmarked for artificial turf fields at Willamette and several Eugene middle schools.

But the Bethel board has yet to sign off on the plan.

Bethel spokesman Pat McGillivray anticipates the issue will be a difficult one for some board members, and possibly also families and community members with strong ties to Willamette.

"I think we're a long ways away (from a final decision)," he said, although Superintendent Colt Gill will have a resolution at the ready Tuesday should the board decide to plunge ahead.

At a work session prior to the meeting, board members will pose questions about the proposed partnership to city parks and open space Director Johnny Medlin. Among them: How much scheduling control would the district retain under such a collaboration? And would the city help pay to replace the synthetic field when it eventually wears out?

One of the chief benefits of artificial turf fields, especially in the rainy Northwest, is all-weather play. Use at Wolverine Stadium is limited to 10 to 15 football games each year, plus graduation. Synthetic turf fields can be used year-round, for any kind of field sport, and can endure a much higher level of use.

The Eugene district was a beneficiary of a 1998 city parks bond measure, which set aside $4 million for synthetic turf fields at all four high schools and youth sports parks at three schools. The fields opened in 2000, allowing football teams to play on home fields after years of games at cavernous Autzen Stadium. Through an agreement with the city, the fields accommodate a wide range of community sports leagues as well as school teams.

Nelson said that, if it were the goal of the district to use the field 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, then artificial turf would be the way to go. But he doesn't think that's necessary, and can't understand the logic of replacing the stadium's beautifully maintained grass field.

"To my mind, you put in a turf field if you NEED to put in a turf field," said Nelson, who notes that even the Web site for FieldTurf, one of the leading manufacturers of artificial turf, states plainly that "the best surface for athletic contests ... is good natural grass." "(Eugene) had to have those fields. It was the best thing they could have done to put those football fields at the schools ... But we really don't have that necessity at Willamette."

At a board meeting last month, Nelson, a physical anthropologist at the University of Oregon, shared his own research countering some industry claims about lower injury rates on synthetic surfaces. Based on his findings, he believes it's essentially a wash, and that lower injury rates should not be a factor in the board's decision.

Nelson also has concerns about the long-term replacement costs for synthetic turf. The estimated cost of building the new field would be between $650,000 and $1 million, including lighting, pathways and fencing. The district expects it would save some money on maintenance, however. It costs $7,650 a year to keep up the grass field, roughly $3,300 more than the estimated cost to maintain a synthetic field.

Board Vice-Chairman Keith Andersen said he doesn't share Nelson's sentimental attachment to grass, and generally likes the idea of opening up the field to a wider range of user groups. But he, too, has doubts about the costs.

"Is it really a wise investment, in terms of weighing he community and district benefits and costs?" he said. "It's going to have to be a pretty clear benefit."

Willamette Athletic Director Barry Bokn said he hears universally positive remarks from his counterparts in districts with synthetic turf fields, but appreciates the differing points of view on the topic.

"There's the traditionalist viewpoint, the love of a natural grass facility and what that brings to a community," he said. "But also, with the multitude of youth and adult programs that are constantly scrambling for places to recreate, it's unbeatable to have an artificial field."