Greg Nelson is a member of the Bethel School Board and wants the field to remain natural.

?EUR??,,????'??There?EUR??,,????'???s no reason that kids shouldn?EUR??,,????'???t smell mud,?EUR??,,????'?? mud said Nelson. ?EUR??,,????'??I?EUR??,,????'???m an anthropologist and I see our society just pulling further and further away from nature.?EUR??,,????'??

Last May, the city council placed a $27.5 million parks bond issue on the ballot. Five million dollars of that money might be used to install artificial fields at Willamette and a few middle schools in Eugene.

In addition to the students becoming detached from all things natural, the cost of replacing a synthetic turf field also concerns Nelson. It is estimated that the cost of building a new field for the high school would run somewhere between $650,000 and $1 million. The cost includes lighting, pathways and fencing. However, the district thinks that they will save approximately $3,300 a year in maintenance costs if a synthetic field is installed.

Vice Chairman of the School Board, Keith Andersen doesn?EUR??,,????'???t agree with Nelson. Andersen thinks that artificial turf will open up the field to a broad range of uses. However, he is also apprehensive about the costs involved.

?EUR??,,????'??Is it really a wise investment, in terms of weighing the community and district benefits and costs??EUR??,,????'?? asked Andersen. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s going to have to be a pretty clear benefit.?EUR??,,????'??

Inclement weather in the Pacific Northwest will also be a deciding factor in the whether or not the field goes synthetic. With the current natural turf, Willamette?EUR??,,????'???s football team is limited to about 10-15 games each season. A synthetic field would make year-round play possible.

?EUR??,,????'??There?EUR??,,????'???s the traditionalist viewpoint, the love of a natural grass facility and what that brings to a community,?EUR??,,????'?? said Willamette Athletic Director Barry Bokn. ?EUR??,,????'??But also, with the multitude of youth and adult programs that are constantly scrambling for places to recreate, it?EUR??,,????'???s unbeatable to have an artificial field.?EUR??,,????'??