After the speeches comes the fun

There were pictures, speeches and thank yous — and then the fun began.

The city officially reopened the newly re-surfaced Lucchesi Park field with a gala ribbon cutting last Friday, just in time for the Petaluma Youth Soccer League to play Kickin’ Chicken Tournament games on the new state-of-the-art artificial turf.

The soccer kids weren’t the only ones to quickly swarm onto the field. By the end of the weekend, adults, lacrosse players and a bundle of fascinated visitors had sprinted onto and around the gleaming green field.

The new turf was purchased from Field Turf of Montreal and cost around $342,000. The majority of the funds to pay for the project came from user fees set aside for replacement of the original turf.

It was installed with striping for soccer and lacrosse in place.

The original turf was installed in July 2000 and, according Petaluma Recreation Supervisor Don Phoenix, “changed the way people recreate in Petaluma.”

The lighted field is used 365 days a year and most evenings. It is home to several adult leagues, PYSL teams, the Petaluma Lacrosse League, and is used by many other organizations.

“We use the field year round,” Kevin McDonell of the Petaluma Youth Soccer League. “In the winter, we really pack the kids on the field.”

City officials point out that the new turf is not only well used, but is also economical, saving on water and maintenance costs.