On Monday April 13, the City Council unanimously passed Policy Order #3 amid very strong turnout from supporters. The policy order requests that the City Manager provide a report explaining how the decision to install artificial turf was made and how community concerns and public health considerations were addressed.
You can read about the meeting in the Cambridge Day and Cambridge Somerville Independent.
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The City Council expressed 2 things very clearly:
- They were not expecting such presence and push back from the community, to the point that this is now impacting their decision.
- This petition is a very effective tool.
Here are two ways you can help to pressure the City Manager and City Councilors to change the decision and keep Ahern as a grass field:
- If you have not already, send an email to citymanager@cambridgema.gov and citycouncil@cambridgema.gov, Cc: cityclerk@cambridgema.gov, and Bcc: saveahernfield@gmail.com (to help us keep track).
If you have kids who play with Cambridge Youth Soccer and prefer grass fields, please let them know in this email. - Spread the word to all our friends, family, and neighbors by sharing this petition. Every signature counts! We aim to reach 2,500 signatures to get the city to listen.
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We have received letters of support from these local organizations who oppose artificial turf:
- Mother’s Out Front asking “the City Manager to produce a robust analysis of all the health implications involved with the choice of synthetic turf”
- Sierra Club Massachusetts stating "We oppose the installation of artificial turf at Ahern Field"
Green Cambridge writing “to oppose the construction of a new synthetic turf field”
Here is a short informational sheet on artificial turf from Sierra Club Massachusetts and a testimony from Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, FAAP (Boston College).
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If you would like to get updates or be more involved, fill out this form or email us at saveahernfield@gmail.com.