Before the Mustangs scored their first touchdown on the new
synthetic football field, vandals marred the turf by burning a
spiral into the bright blue
”
G
”
that adorns the center of the field.
Gilroy – Before the Mustangs scored their first touchdown on the new synthetic football field, vandals marred the turf by burning a spiral into the bright blue “G” that adorns the center of the field.
Gilroy Police collected beer cans, cigarettes and matches from the 50-yard line Monday morning after being notified by members of the construction crew working on the $1.8-million Mustang Stadium renovations.
“Someone had a party,” said foreman Mark Whitman. “This isn’t like you can plant some grass seed to fix it … there’s a lot more to it.”
In the center of the field is giant blue “G,” with singed holes in the lower right hand corner that measure about eight inches. While damage may not be noticeable to someone in the stands, it cut school officials deep.
“It’s pretty pathetic when you think that you’ve not even finished the installation of the field and they’re already destroying it. It’s disgusting,” said Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Steve Brinkman. “That ‘G’ stands for a lot of things. It doesn’t just stand for Gilroy.”
GUSD’s new Facilities Administrator/Planner Rob Mendiola visited the site early Monday afternoon, walking on the new turf for the first time since his hire.
“It’s just that they haven’t even used it yet,” he said shaking his head. “Apparently, there’s a high level of vandalism lately (at GUSD sites.)”
According to GUSD’s Maintenance Manager Jeff Gopp, just last week five individuals were arrested at Antonio Del Buono School for breaking into the school and setting off fire extinguishers.
Over the weekend, windows were broken at Glen View School’s new multipurpose room.
As of press time Monday, Gilroy Police did not have any leads in the high school’s vandalism case.
Crews were nearly finished placing the turf, and will begin laying down the new track later this week. School officials are questioning whether to beef up security at Gilroy High School.
Protecting the track would require 24-hour surveillance for 15 consecutive days, Brinkman said. The plan does not seem feasible, he explained, “At some point, decency’s got to step in.”
School officials will be reviewing Gilroy High School security tapes for more information. According to Whitman, there is a camera close to the field, but he was uncertain whether or not the camera overlooks the turf.
Gilroy Unified School District opted for the new synthetic turf because the cost of building such a field is less than the maintenance of a natural grass surface over time. The field does not require watering on a regular basis, and no one needs to paint lines on the field or cut the grass before a game.
Synthetic fields are expected to last about 15 years.
However, the turf is like a carpet in one’s home, Whitman explained: “The more it’s used, the faster it wears out.”
Whitman likened patching the new field to patching a carpet – it requires an expert to ensure that the color and lines match – and experts cost money.
He estimated that fixing the field before the Mustangs’ Aug. 26 first scrimmage game will require about four to five hours of labor by Sprinturf specialists. The cost was unavailable as of press time.
“Vandalism is a problem on these (synthetic turfs),” Whitman said. “They can do a lot (of damage) pretty quickly.”
Anyone with information about the recent vandalism incidents is asked to call the anonymous tipline at 846–0395.
