Board discusses drainage at Diamonds and Dreams

By Brenda Erdahl

Maple Lake School Board members discussed drainage issues at the Diamonds and Dreams ballfields at their Monday, May 13 meeting.

The subject was brought up when board members were considering approving an agenda item for some bi-annual turf maintenance, including fertilization and dirt work. School board members were concerned they were putting a band aid on more serious problems.

According to board member Liz Lind, who is also a softball parent and coach, in the spring the fields are a “muddy mess” after it rains and sometimes unplayable. She and other board members questioned whether they should consider holding off on any work until they can figure out what the bigger fix would look like.

“Are we just throwing money at fields that need to be redone completely,” Lind questioned. Board members and Supt. Mike Rowe talked at some length about the issue. To fix all the fields would require a considerable amount of work and likely a large price tag, school board member Joe Paumen said. It would also take a lot of planning. In the end, the board decided to move forward with the maintenance work to keep the fields playable and looking nice until a plan for a more long-term solution is created. Supt. Rowe suggested possibly getting a group together this summer to start looking into the future of the fields.

“It’s aging, so it’s probably time to put some dollars into it, but we need to know what we want to accomplish,” Rowe said.

As in years past, the school will hire Magic Turf for field improvements. According to the estimates submitted by the company, edging and detailing the three ballfields at Diamonds and Dreams will cost about $4,850. They will also create a customized program for building and maintaining strong and healthy fields at a cost of $6,814.50.  According to Rowe, the local youth softball and baseball groups will help cover some of the expenses.

The board also approved a summer maintenance plan to build turf health at the varsity football field at a cost of $9,900. This is also a bi-annual practice.

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