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BRUNSWICK EAST – Athletes and others are greeted by two upgraded multipurpose turf pitches at Heavenly Farms.
The turf fields are among three located in the 147.6-acre park on Dunhams Corner Road, said Michael Reissner, director of the township’s recreation, parks and community services department.
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An inauguration ceremony celebrating the grand reopening of the fields will take place on Friday at 6 p.m.
“Both lawns were built in 2006,” said Reissner. “Typically the shelf life of these two turf fields is about eight to 10 years. They needed to be replaced. The third field, which is used for baseball, was built in 2010.”
“Turf fields have been in endless use for the past 12 years or more,” said Councilor James Wendell, liaison with the township’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Council.. “They have reached the end of their useful life. To ensure safety and provide the best playing surface for children in the city, the governing body and the mayor have seen fit to replace this sod.”
The cost of the project is just over $ 1 million, city officials said.
In addition, other improvements have been made including replacing all goal posts, football nets and fencing, Wendell said.
“The fields are able to withstand weather-related cancellations because the turf drains water so well,” Reissner said. “They are basically used all year round.”
The fields have been updated using “cool” sod, which stays noticeably cooler during the warmer months, Wendell said.
“There aren’t a lot of fields around that are like that,” he said.
The upgraded fields are used for soccer, football and lacrosse programs in the township, township officials said. The third field is used for baseball, softball and Challenger programs.
The grounds are also open to the public whenever an event is not scheduled, Wendell said.
The project started in mid-June.
The majority of the work is done, Reissner said. Children have been playing on the pitch since around August 7, he added.
“The city has always been very recreational sports friendly and thousands of children use the grounds,” said Reissner. “There is also a limited number of courts around that are lit, which is the case, which extends the length of time these teams and the children can also use the fields. It is a very valuable space for the children to use. can go out, play sports and be active. ”
“I think this is another example of the type of service we provide to residents who live here,” said Mayor Brad Cohen. “It’s built into the tax they pay here and this year alone we were able to do this particular project, which obviously had a high price tag, as well as roads and a lot of other projects and we had absolutely no municipal tax increase last time. year to this year. I’m really proud of the fact that we’ve been able to provide residents with all of these great services and keep spending under control. ”
“We need a facility where we can play in all types of weather,” said Wendell. “We need lighted facilities where we can play until the evening hours in the spring and fall when it gets dark early. It seemed like a wise investment to update these fields. everything we do here. ”
I would love to see us set up cricket grounds there, said Wendell.
Heavenly Farms Park, which was acquired in 2003 as a cooperative effort between Township, State and County of Middlesex, is also home to a community theater, dog park, playground, trails cycling and walking trails, a concession stand and restrooms.
“There’s also an aeromodelling club that flies planes there,” Wendell said. “It’s used a lot. There is nothing better than watching a park get used to it. ”
Additional information is available by calling the Eastern Brunswick Department of Recreation, Parks and Community Services at 732-390-6797 or for additional information on visiting the township www.eastbrunswick.org.
Editor-in-Chief Susan Loyer: 732-565-7243; sloyer@gannettnj.com
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