'Unsafe' Fields, Major Drainage Issue Impacting Ridge Softball

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — After parents expressed safety concerns at the Ridge High School varsity softball field, the school board is looking to address the drainage issues.

Kate Rafanello, one of the two parents who spoke at the Feb. 7 Board of Education meeting, said the conditions at the field are a "very important safety issue."

"The girls navigate this safety hazard every single time they set foot on their very own field," said Rafanello.

"This has been a problem for years. Softball players have been known to have their cleats get stuck in the mud, they trip and fall, they actually lost a cleat while they have been running," said another parent Andrea Lardiere.

Both parents received applause from audience members.

The issue in the field is related to its low-lying location and water.

"As a result when it rains, water streams down from above causing pooling at the field," said Lardiere.

Both parents noted that the problem has increased since the addition of parking lots, turf fields, and other construction.

Rafanello added that even after a rainfall, the field will still have water days afterward.

"Do we have to wait until a player breaks a leg? Or tears an ACL until changes are made? Would you want your children to play on a field that is unsafe?" questioned Lardiere.

Superintendent Nick Markarian said Board President Robin McKeon had already got the ball in motion to meet with the finance committee at the end of the month to discuss this issue.

He added that the drainage problem behind the high school has been "persistent."

"It is difficult to keep up with the water," said Markarian.

The district has tried to remedy the situation by putting down infield mix which will have fields looking good one day but then it was washed away by water a week or two later, said Markarain.

"It is an ongoing problem and I hope we can come up with a way to help resolve it in the long run," said Markarian.

Board member Karen Gray, who has sat on the finance committee for a number of years, said this has been a "historical issue" at the softball field. The cost 10 years ago to fix this issue was over $1 million.

"That is a very daunting project," said Gray. "We certainly need to get creative to try and get some solutions in place to make it safe but there are no simple fixes, unfortunately."

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