Politics & Government

In Hazlet, A New Dry, Grassy Football Field Takes Root

There will be football games next fall at the Steven J. Paterson field, named in honor of a September 11 terrorist attack victim.

Seven years ago a wet, wooded piece of land near the Hazlet Train Station was acquired by the township for recreational use, and cleared off for play.

But the field was a no-go. The minimal drainage system that was installed left it too wet, and the ground got sloppy. New York Avenue and adjacent residential lawns became flooded by the field runoff when it rained.  

Now, with $250,000 in funding from Hazlet Township, a proper drainage system has been installed and a carpet of new sports-grade sod and sprinkler system is in place. The new field will be ready for a rowdy pounding by youth football teams and athletic cheerleaders in September, 2013 -- on the 12th anniversary of the death of Steven J. Paterson in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in New York, the son of Hazlet residents for whom the field is named.  

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In addition, New York Avenue will be reconstructed with curbs and sidewalks and beautified with shrubbery along the field. Sidewalk improvements will continue down adjoining Maple Drive.

Seb Burtone, the President of HYAL said the club is thrilled. "We're coming back to playing on our own home field. Right now, we play at Raritan High School, which presents logistical problems for us." 

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Burtone explained that for every home game in the season, parent volunteers have to lug over all of the snack stand supplies beginning as early as 5 a.m. Their American Youth Football schedule is always at the mercy of the Raritan High School sports schedule, and rescheduling the AYF games costs money in penalties. 

Also, the money the league has had to pay the Board of Education in user fees for use of the turf field for home games is about $3,000 a year -- money that can now be put to HYAL's use, said Burtone. 

From its Headquarters on Hazlet Avenue and Van Mater Terrace, HYAL oversees for the recreational and travel football, baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading and wrestling teams in town. (Soccer is overseen by the Hazlet United Soccer Association, near the Municipal Complex off Middle Road.)

The fields are owned by the Township of Hazlet and are Green Acres protected. The site is commonly known to be dedicated primarily to the HYAL but, by law it is available for use to other groups and the general public by reserving the space when not in use by the league, said Township Administrator Brian Valentino.

However, the upkeep of the fields and cost of repairs falls completely on the club and its loyal volunteers, said Burtone. The extent of that contribution by some was obvious when the community recently mourned the former Commissioner of Building and Grounds who was a daily presence at the fields. 

The project to make the fields playable -- and correct a related drainage problem that has flooded New York Avenue and residential lawns there since the tree clearing -- will be funded by capital improvement bonds that were previously adopted, as early as 2003, for capital improvements, said Valentino.  "The payments on the bonds are made through taxation at interest rates as low as 0.95%," he added. 

The renewed upper field, which will be accessible by foot from the main entrance of the complex and the train parking lot, has been set aside for football use and possibly lacrosse and field hockey in 2014, said Burtone. 

Football games will be played on the field from 7 a.m. to up to 6 p.m. on Sundays, said Burtone. 

Future "wish list" ideas for the upper field, to be paid for by the league through fundraising, include lights, a new fence, permanent restrooms to replace the portable ones that will be put on site, some audio speakers for announcements and music for the cheerleaders, and a full-blown snack stand with grills, said Burtone. 

Vandalism has been a nagging problem at the site. This year, some of the club's registration money will have to diverted to replacing a pretzel oven and barbeque grill stolen from the snack bar. "We're thinking of installing a security system," Burtone said. 


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