Gretchen Long: Let's move toward a lifestyle with LESS plastic, LESS need for disposal of material

Dear School Committee- I am a Williamstown tax payer and the parent of an avid soccer player at Mount Greylock.  I have two other children who have already graduated from the school. I attended last week’s meeting and discussion about the turf field, and I realize that you have largely come to a decision to install the turf.    I would urge you to reconsider.  I am not a medical expert and I understand that there are a number of unknowns about the health risks of the turf. My main concern, and one that even proponents of the turf share, has to do with heat.  I found the reports of the high temperatures on this surface unsettling.  I know that the athletic director insisted that coaches will monitor the temperature and keep children off the turf when it becomes too hot.  However, that will be a burden on coaches and teachers who naturally want kids to practice and do well. ALL predictions are that we are headed into decades with significantly higher temperatures that we have right now.  The months of April, May, August, September, and October, could easily include many many days that are too hot to safely play on this field.  

Additionally, I am hoping our community can move toward a lifestyle with LESS plastic, LESS need for disposal of material (rather recycled or not).  I would urge you to look into the organic grass field option that we saw the video about.  It would be cooler, hold more water, and be a less wasteful and greener option for our community.  I understand that students might not be able to play on it as many days each year.  However, with the climate changing as much as it is, ALL of us, and especially our children, are going to have to make much much larger sacrifices than this in the decades to come. Sincerely, Gretchen Long Williamstown