To the editor:

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you threw all caution to the wind? Because you wanted it so much, you stopped listening to any advice that this might be a bad idea? You wanted it fast, and you couldn’t wait. You rationalized that this is a great idea, put blinders on, paced ahead and fulfilled your dream. Hurrah! How exciting! And then, you got buyer’s remorse —big time!

It seems that this is the state of mind of those pushing for artificial turf in Barrington.

There are real, and serious costs and side effects. Our children will be at risk of artificial turf specific injuries like skin abrasions, be exposed to a greater risk of heat stroke and to the chemicals that will be applied regularly to keep the fields from reeking like an old sneaker. Our environment, against all our pledges to protect it, will be covered with plastic where there could be grass. The infill that needs to be frequently replenished will wash into the bay when flooding occurs, with the chemicals that leach out of the field. And after eight to ten years, we’ll be left with a huge pile of soiled plastic that will need to be recycled, assuming that it will be accepted by anyone. That is a costly proposition.

And the buyer’s remorse will hit hard: we will realize how far we could have gotten with $4.5 million to maintain and expand real grass fields, with organic methods that minimize use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Methods, that don’t harm the players and the environment, and that other New England communities are using successfully. We could learn from them.

It’s time to pop this pipe dream bubble: VOTE in November; AGAINST artificial turf in Barrington! Your children and the environment will thank you.

Dr. Hans Scholl

Barrington