By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield High School fields complex will be the center of attention on Friday, Oct. 10 when townspeople will celebrate the high school’s brand new fields during a grand opening celebration.
The grand opening ceremony for the $6.5 million LHS fields complex will take place during half time of the football team’s home opener against Georgetown, beginning at 7 p.m. According to Superintendent of Schools Jane Tremblay, captains from various athletic teams will be on the field and school officials want all “youth athletes to wear their team shirts in support.” Additionally, school officials will be presenting awards to “key people” for working diligently to upgrade the high school’s fields.
Fields Committee Chairman Arthur Bourque said he is eagerly anticipating the grand opening celebration of the LHS fields complex.
“Everybody in Lynnfield should be excited about the completion of these fields,” said Bourque. “They will provide years and years of quality playing time for the athletes of Lynnfield on one of the nicest turf complexes in the country. This was a great community effort with special thanks to the 551 people who showed up at Town Meeting to make it happen and my fellow members of the Field Committee who had the foresight and vision to make this happen. In addition to being a great football game, Friday night should be a great celebration of community success and reflect the great community spirit that got us here.”
Tremblay concurred with Bourque’s sentiment.
“This is a wonderful time to be part of the Lynnfield school system as well as the greater Lynnfield community,” said Tremblay. “We are looking forward to an amazing evening as we come together in celebration and gratitude.”
Due to an anticipated parking crunch at LHS, a free shuttle service will be offered for townspeople to use. Local residents will be able to park at Lynnfield Middle School or Town Hall and the shuttle will transport people to and from the game.
The shuttle will begin transporting townspeople to LHS an hour before kickoff at 6 p.m., and the shuttle will be running over the course of the evening. Tremblay said the shuttle will be available for residents to use up until 45 minutes after the football game concludes. Additionally, the police department will be at the game and will assist with directing traffic.
“The police department is working with us to ensure a safe evening for everyone,” Tremblay added.
Before the football team’s highly anticipated home debut against the Royals, the boys’ soccer team will play at the LHS stadium field for the first time this season against Manchester-Essex, beginning at 3:45 p.m. Additionally, the girls’ soccer team will be holding an alumnae game on Saturday, Oct. 11, beginning at 3 p.m. The Lady Pioneers will play under the lights for the first time against Natick on Oct. 11, beginning at 6 p.m.
Local athletic teams have been practicing on the new fields regularly since the LHS stadium field, field 2 and field 3 have been completed over the course of the past several weeks. Boys’ soccer coach Brent Munroe and girls’ soccer coach Mark Vermont said their teams have enjoyed making their triumphant return to the new and vastly improved LHS fields.
Project update
Bourque said the contractor building the 3,800 square foot amenities building is continuing to “make great progress and the construction is moving along quite nicely.”
“While we may not have the entire building available to us, I have been assured by the contractor that we will have the bathrooms,” said Bourque. “Power was turned on to the building Friday without any surprises.”
Bourque also said the Musco lights were wired and programmed on Oct. 3.
“We expect to turn those on for the first time on Wednesday when we conduct a training session with the coaches,” said Bourque.
Additionally, the PA system has been installed on the press box and wiring was completed on Saturday, Oct. 4. Installation of new fences, except the decorative fence, was scheduled to be finished by either Tuesday or Wednesday.
According to Bourque, the columns located at the entryway were built last week and the final pour for the handicap ramp was completed on Oct. 3. The new asphalt ramp and entryway was paved earlier this week along with additional items that needed to be paved.
Bourque said contractors are currently grading the area around the existing high school locker room doors, have installed a drainage system for that area and the area will be paved this week. He also said the decorative organic beds at the ramp and at the amenities building, the flagpole base and lights in front of the amenities building, were installed on Oct. 3. The curb and plantings will be completed this week.
The fields committee chairman said recently the baseball and softball fields are scheduled to be completed by the end of October. Renovations to the baseball field include a new drainage system, field resurfacing, batting cages and a pitcher’s warm-up area. The new softball field will have covered dugouts, field drainage, fencing, batting cages and a pitcher’s warm up area.
