Palmer High moves forward with plans for turf field

PALMER — Despite an amended appropriation in the 2008 state capital budget, Palmer High School will continue to move forward with its efforts to land a turf field, Palmer High assistant principal Jim Simmons said on Thursday.

A total of $1.5 million was initially requested to be part of the capital budget, a sum that would go toward the materials and labor needed to replace the grass of Machetanz Field with artificial turf. Gov. Sarah Palin’s recent vetoes to the budget included reducing the requested amount of $1.5 million to the allotted sum of $500,000.

Even though Palin did not approve the entire amount, Simmons said Palmer High is far from disappointed.

“We’re very appreciative of what the state had to offer,” Simmons said. “This is a big first step.”

Simmons said the Palmer High School administration is currently in the process of determining how to obtain more funding for the project.

“We’re moving forward to see what we can do to get this project done,” Simmons said. “As far as a timeline, I don’t know what it would be. We’ll move forward and put forth the maximum effort to make sure it happens.”

There’s been a recent push for an artificial playing surface in the Mat-Su Valley.

“We wanted to get something much like Anchorage has,” Palmer activities director Jeff Thiede said earlier this year, referring to Anchorage facilities such as Anchorage Football Stadium and the turf fields at Dimond High School and Begich Middle School.

Simmons said the addition of field turf could not only extend the high school soccer season, but potentially add to the prep football schedule and give the Valley the potential of hosting postseason games.

Weather was particularly troublesome for local soccer teams this spring. Numerous games in the Valley were either canceled or moved to Anchorage this season because of late snowfall.

Thiede said the low maintenance of the quick-drying artificial turf would allow more games to be played even if it snowed.

The PHS activities director also stressed the addition of a turf field is not just a bonus for Palmer High, but something to benefit the entire community.

“(It’s) a facility schools and community (programs) can use on a more year-round basis,” Thiede said. “Something to extend play.”

Palin also approved $100,000 of a $185,000 request to fund the addition of field lights to the Houston High School football field.

Houston High activities director and head football coach Norm Bouchard said the Hawks could have field lights for the 2009 season, an addition that would allow the school to do something it has never done before — host a night football game.

“It’s huge,” Bouchard said Thursday. “It’s big to have that ‘Friday Night Lights’ mentality and do what other Valley schools are doing.”

Bouchard said the school still needs between $60,000 and $80,000 to complete the project.

In other Valley sports related business, $50,000 from the capital budget has been allotted to the Mat-Su Miners for field repairs and upgrades.

The PDF document showing requests for money and vetoes can be found at http://ww1.matsugov.us/images/stories/news/approved%20capital%20budgetwvetoesr.pd

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.