To the Editor:
The proposed sports complex at MVRHS has been in the works for a number of years — that’s no secret. What appears to be a secret is who will pay for it. As someone who has been focused on this proposal since early on, I need to write about some financial concerns. In 2016 at a MV Regional School Committee meeting a member of the MV@Play group stated they were a 501 C3 charity, as a nonprofit they had started accepting donations to pay for the project. In an effort to find out how long they had been in existence I went to the commonwealth’s website of nonprofit listings. Not being able to find MV@Play I was then directed to the office of our Attorney General Maura Healey with the idea that the application was still in process. There was no application.
Last month the assistant superintendent stated in an MVC meeting that there are no donors, no donor list, and it was not appropriate to engage in formal discussions about donations. In 2016 I wondered about donors with the very same question I wonder about today. Who is going to pay for this initial outlay? One of the selling points used by the proponents was/is that all the regional school system will be on the hook for is maintenance. Since the outset, those costs have been minimized to the public. When one delves deeper, there is a marked outlay of funds needed to train workers and purchase cleaning supplies to maintain the warranty. There is also liability insurance for the school to carry. Since injuries occurring on artificial turf can be severe and run a high risk of infection that has to be accounted for. As for the recycling at the turf’s “end of life” we are supposed to accept that a facility will be built and transportation costs will be covered. Last time I checked the turf warranty is less than 10 years. The proposal before us is using 25 years as a benchmark for recycling. What happens in the ensuing 15 years?
There are so many unanswered questions, incomplete information and things taxpayers are being asked to accept. Even the numbers about how many athletes are injured as a result of the condition of fields at present. When medical representatives are presenting those numbers have they disseminated out the injuries from non field sports? Ice hockey? Swimming?
There is one issue that has no question in my mind and that is — our athletes deserve safe, healthy surfaces to compete on. Part of the reason our facilities are in such poor condition is that regular maintenance including rehab as needed hasn’t been done in many years. So to the student athletes, as someone against artificial surfaces, I know you need and deserve better — we agree on that, we just disagree about what the safest, healthiest surface is. You deserve to be safe now and in the future as does your Island community.
Susan Desmarais
Oak Bluffs
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March 27, 2021 at 05:45PM
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Too many unanswered questions - Martha's Vineyard Times
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