Dist. 220 board OK's pro-style turf for BHS football field

When Barrington High School football players charge onto their new field for the first time in August, they'll be playing on the same type of turf the pros play on.

Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board members gave official approval this month for the installation of synthetic field turf in the new Barrington Community Stadium, which is currently under construction.

The new field, which will be funded by donations raised by the Friends of the Stadium Club, will be manufactured and installed by Field Turf. The company also has installed playing surfaces for more than 200 professional and college teams, including the University of Illinois, Ohio State University, the Minnesota Vikings and the New England Patriots.

Jon Stickney, co-founder of the Friends of the Stadium Club, said the group was thrilled to be able to raise the money it has and is looking forward to seeing the project completed.

"I think it is going to have a pretty big 'wow' factor," he said.

So far, the group has raised more than $750,000 toward its $1 million goal. Besides the synthetic turf, the money will fund permanent restrooms and a video scoreboard.

Stickney said he is anxious for the weather to warm up so work on the stadium can begin in earnest.

"Hopefully, the (bad) weather will hold off for the rest of the spring," he said.

Last April, voters agreed to spend $4.4 million to rebuild the stadium, which had a torn-up track, a dirt infield and stands that not only were old, but also did not meet guidelines established in the Americans With Disabilities Act.

The new stadium will include an eight-lane track and a larger field surface for soccer and lacrosse play. New bleachers will have 2,500 seats for home fans and 1,500 for visitors.

For information about the stadium project or to learn about how to donate to the Friends of the Stadium, visit www.horseshoeclub.org.

Emergency training: Village of Barrington residents will have a chance to learn how to prepare themselves for an emergency.

For three days in May, the village will host Citizen's Emergency Response Training, which is designed to help residents take a more active role in emergency response and preparedness.

The CERT program offers 20 hours of training in basic disaster-response skills, light search-and-rescue, medical operations and personal readiness.

The classes, which are open to those 18 and older, are scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. May 16 and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17 and 18 at the Barrington Public Safety Building. A $25 fee is required to help offset the costs of materials and equipment.

For more information, contact Detective Rita Kelley at (224) 629-2017 or by e-mail at rkelley@barrington-il.gov.