"For the sake of the residents"?! I don't need no stinkin' turf! You mean the kids of the community! I thought the last time the HS field was rebuilt was with the anticipation of turf someday going on the that field and the drainage was installed, what's this about drainage problems? How do you know if there's drainage problems if you didn't even hire an engineer yet?! Sounds familiar, look at the hockey rink! BTW, didn't the town recently put lighting on the field behind the municipal bulidling? That money could have been used toward turf at the HS, it would've been half the cost! The council criticized the super and BOE a few years back, AND that was when there was the Field of Dreams and there was private donations of around 250k! Sounds like the council is a day late and a dollar short. What happened to the property behind the municipal building with purchased with green acres money? Wasn't the current mayor quoted he envisioned fields up there? I know, they can't build there because of the Highlands act....this council has NO FORESIGHT!

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Are you kidding me? They don't let up on this turf thing.

WE CANT AFFORD it. The schools are cutting teachers, they are working with 10+year old books, and some kid that wants to be in a club has to pay the same “pay to play” as some jock that is in 5 sports - and you want to spend money (probably more like $1million) on TURF?

Get your priorities straight! – this isn’t Penn State. Academics should be where the money goes, not athletics and artificial turf.

Mr. Freda cares about artificial turf. Most residents don't. Don't care about it, don't want it, don't want to pay for it. I've never heard a compelling argument for this very expensive boondoggle. Explain it clearly for the residents who will have to pay for it. Or, better yet, just drop it. I have a kid who uses the KRP and other Kinnelon fields all of the time -- as far as I'm concerned they are just fine.

I agree! Academics not turf. I don't have any children in the school system and haven't for almost 24 years. What I do have are roads that will bend tire rims and cost you a front end alignment every time you use them. My street has not been touched in all the years I have lived here and for what my taxes are, we should be driving on glass roads!!! Enough with the artifical turf. Move on, we don't need it!!

A necessity? What was the cost when taxpayers last footed the bill to regrade, improve/install new drainage & automatic sprinkler system and resod the entire high school football field? Wasn't that done just about three years ago?

Wow does this councilman own an artificial turf manufacturing company? What a clown.

To everyone that has previously commented on this:
You are clearly the problem because you do not care about anyone but yourselves. As many of you clearly stated you can care less about the turf field, you should think again. The fields in this town are a disgrace and it is time we put in a turf field for the sake of the kids. Who cares if you no longer have kids in the school but this community has sacrificed so much because the elderly are selfish and care about no one but themselves. And many of you are to old to know that the pride of the high school is based off of the motto, "Tradition, honor and excellence in the Academics, Arts and ATHLETICS" We are clearly fine with the academics and arts as we continuously are recognizing dozens of students in both areas. Also, our high school was ranked among the best which clearly states that we are making progress with our academics. It is the athletics that are suffering because they no longer have a nice field to play on and it is a disgrace to see other towns come in here and bash us for the poor quality. It is time the narrow minded elderly of this community grow a pair and support the kids for once because it is LONG OVERDUE!

Hmmm, somebody isn't so laid back! Well, insults aside, I have yet to see an objective comparative assessment that makes a strong case for artificial turf. I have heard strong opinions and heated talk, but have seen no details about other schools (high schools, I assume) that provide artificial turf nor do I know that this is necessary. Anyone who wants this is free to make the case. Less opinion, more facts. Who has artificial turf? Why do we need it? How will it hurt us if we don't get it?Which sports are affected? How many kids play the sports that are affected? Remember, even though we have a 2% cap on property tax increases, that isn't a license to increase our taxes by 2% each year and we are struggling to balance our budget. Half a million bucks, which is the figure being suggested, is a lot of money. More than 5 teachers for a single year, all expenses included. Most residents (I think) don't want a very expensive athletics specific "improvement" without a good solid case for the necessity of the expense. Which I have yet to see. Make the case publicly without the arm waving and strong talk, and people will listen, otherwise ...

I don't live in Kinnelon. But the beautiful new field in Butler, only a couple of years old, is grass, not turf.

Yes Butler has a grass field but how many sports are played on that field. I have heard that they are having a problem with drainage.

I don't have a problem with the turf, I have a problem with the short sighted council that poo-pooed the idea to turf the HS field years ago, even with private donations going toward the cost! Now, the same council wants the turf. AND, they are spewing out mis-information without even hiring an engineer first! Look at the old hockey rink that they decided to rip up to create more practice fields and found out it'll cost more than they anticipated to haul it out of here! These are the guys running our town?! Why didn't they create more rec areas in the town when they were planning these new developments? To have a street named after them? it could've been a ball field!

I have to agree...we don't need turf. We have a better field than most school systems, and as long as we pay the taxes we do and teachers are let go, the last thought should ne about turf. How about trimming the overgrowth along the roads, and applying the "turf" money to enforcing the speeding issues in Fayson Lakes, and like mentioned above, the roads need repairs. Kids have played on natural grass since the beginning of sports, Kinnelon athletes can do so just fine.

I don't have a problem with putting in a turf field, but this should not be a top priority in this economic environment? Let's be real, I'm sure we have residents in town who are just making ends meet and this governing body wants to spend money like we are back in the .com era. I hate to disagree with Councilman Freda , but a turf field is NOT a necessity! Not at this time. As far as the rec field behind the municipal building goes, how about purchasing a few dump truck loads of top soil, re-grading, and installing a sprinkler system?!

I have 2 children in the Kinnelon school system and my vote is for teachers and academics. If we have to cut back on teachers then we should not be wasting money on plastic grass!

Anyone concerned about the toxicity of synthetic turf?
http://rockvillecentre.patch.com/articles/letter-to-the-editor-my-concerns-about-synthetic-turf

This council needs to have their heads examined. They are a reactive bunch that change direction which ever way the wind blows. Our current Mayor wanted the Lacrosse coach fired when his son got no playing time and when he didn't get his way he was anti School Board and was anti turf field. So someone on the council must have a kid in town that needs to use a field. Jim don't knock on my door for a donation.

Maybe the council should pass another ridiculous ordinance like the Rec kids can only play on artificial turf. In the end us taxpayers will foot the bill for something unnecessary, something we can not afford. The current Mayor and council and tax and spend liberals. They used to brag about how the kept the tax rate flat but the truth is they kept increasing spending and now has caught up to them, Now the want to say you can not put solar panels on your roof even if your home is not visible from the street or a neighbors property. This council just keeps adding laws to the books that do not get enforced and spend our hard earned money like it grows on trees. They do it for the paycheck and some health reimbursements. It is disgusting.

This is the problem with having council people living in Smoke Rise, they have no concept of how the rest of us live. It's all about him and his quest to become Mayor.

Maybe if the developer of the Estates was persuaded to build parks instead of naming streets after the San Fillippo family and former Mayor we would not be in this mess.

To Mr. Aungst and anyone else who thinks, "We have a better field than most school systems" think again. That is a very ignorant statement and shows how up to date you are on this situation because in fact we have one of the worst fields in the numerous towns that surround us! And to everyone else who thinks that their tax dollars are going towards this field, you to, think again! (or read previous articles). You are all so worried about putting the money towards teachers and academics when in fact none of the money put towards this field has any effect on your tax dollars because in fact that were ready to implement a committee to raise money from private donations, etc. to build the field. Teachers and academics are not a problem in this community as test scores have improved almost every year. And to all the people that are shooting down, you clearly are misinformed or that ignorant on this situation or just don't give a crap about the kids. We have sacrificed to much in this community on behalf of the elderly because they don't like whatever the youth want to do and it is time our community stops suffering because of that. Also, kudos to Mr. San Filippo and the rest on the council for the numerous things and vast amount of time and effort they have put into this community.

This is just another example of poor planning by the supposed leaders of the Boro. The council lives for the moment and the next election. I hope they raise the money for Turf and I hope they also raise enough to replace it in 10 years. When field of dreams started years ago the economy was stronger and unemployment was low and they could not raise the money then. Now we have high unemployment, declining markets and municipal real estate taxes growing and out pacing the increased cost of living. The council lived large while the rate base grew and spent the spoils. The council increased spending by 75% of the last decade and they used to brag about the tax rate. Instead if being conservative looking forward they lived in the moment. We have high taxes, poor services and terrible roads.

I also think names if streets should be reserved for real hero's not elected or appointed officials.

Artificial turf is very hard on the athletes. Do we really want to ruin our kids knees? Mountain Lakes may have one - but guess what Mountain Lakes also did away with extra charges for any kid that wants to participate in sports and other after school activities this year. What fees did Kinnelon eliminate? What activities and classes did we bring back?

If you want to do something for sports at KHS, get rid of Rosenberg. We need an athletic director that is willing to make tough decisions on coaches and programs. this is what really matters - if the coaches have the emotional intelligence of 10 year olds and have minimal knowledge of the sport, it does NOT matter what the field is made of! We need to hire coaches based on their ability to coach, mentor and knowledge of the sport. We need to stop giving preference to KHS teachers and start giving the job to the most qualified!

BTW - did anyone notice the article about the town survey? it is going to take somewhere between $150K and $250K to get the maps fix - and the new major - Collins says - "we remember that we have been paying the current company to make ongoing revisions and number of years ago. We don't know why so many revisions are needed now". What is this - "we remembered" - Who is responsible for making sure we are getting what we paid for? I bet if was Mr. Collins' money he would be making sure he was getting the revisions he was paying for for years! time for a change!

Maybe you should call ASF privately. He or any o the council will never discuss these issues in a public meeting on the record.

Dear Mr. Freda, clearly the, penny wise speak the loudest on this issue here, but take heart. There are a vast number of citizens in this town who actually experience the deplorable conditions of the few existing fields here and realize how Kinnelon, a supposedly affluent commuity, has fallen woefully behind all the surrounding towns, to the point of embassasment. Hundreds of Kinnelon children (there are over 200 in the Kinnelon Soccer Club alone, and high school football and varsity and JV boys soccer and varsity and JV girls soccer and varsity boys lacrosse and varsity girls lacrosse and club lacrosse in which hundreds of children participate) are all being short changed by the lack of adequate facilities in a town that is growing not receeding in the number of children participating in sports. The few fields we have here are pounded into dust through over use, and remain in deplorable condition because they can't be taken out of service. Every surrounding town has at least one turf field, all but poor old Kinnelon. So please, don't be duanted by all the short sighted, ill-informed and out of touch, nay sayers here. We that volunteer and work with Kinnelon's children, and experience the sad state of the towns fields first hand, thank you for your efforts and appreciate anything you can do to remedy this untenable, deplorable situaton. We need a turf field and we need it yesterday.