Welcome to HendersonCountyTurf.com, an advocacy website for artificial turf at the Henderson County high schools.

Henderson County fields
Buncombe and Haywood County fields
WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!
ARCHIVE (July 2007):  Story on Buncombe County artificial turf funding.  (AthleticBusiness.com)  Previously, Buncombe County Commissioners used Certificates Of Participation ("COPs") to finance turf at their high schools.  That is still an option, although using the N.C. Education Lottery Construction Fund is a better one.  The key point from the story now is the fields were $580,000 each.  The Asheville field was funded separately for $600,000 by the City of Asheville, which included new goalposts (Hello?  Hendersonville High?), two-toned turf, and extensive graphics.  Oh, and a look at what the fields look like: A.C. Reynolds Asheville Enka Enka North Buncombe Owen T.C. Roberson All seven photos from AthleticBusiness.com NEWS (Jan. 27, 2010):  Artificial turf discussed at Henderson County Commission budget workshop!  Just got back from the meeting.  Commissioners were discussing capital projects like the proposed soccer complex in Fletcher.  Issue was raised whether artificial turf would be a better investment.  After some discussion and confusion on the cost of turf, it was suggested by Chairman Bill Moyer to have the topic on the agenda for a future meeting so staff can get more accurate numbers.  Thanks to Commissioner Chuck McGrady for contacting me on the original soccer complex proposal, as it brought up the topic of artificial turf.  He is the primary reason this issue is now up for consideration. Also thanks to Commission Mark Williams for suggesting if there were turf at the high schools to make sure there's a partnership between the schools and Parks and Recreation to have more programming there.  (This is something advocated here.)
THE HORSE IS OUT OF THE BARN!  NOW IS THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED!
(Photo:  bctornadoes.com)	NEWS (Jan. 25, 2010):  Brevard College and Brevard High School need turf as badly as we do!  It's not just Henderson County that needs artificial turf at our high schools.  Brevard High School shares field with Brevard College.  One football game got moved to Asheville High School due to heavy rain.  Another game tore the football field all to heck and was called the "Mud Bowl."  This is NOT a safe nor productive surface for any team sport!
ARCHIVE (Originally published 5 and a half years ago!)  Green with envy.  Local coaches comment on need for artificial turf.  Note the costs of resodding and maintenance of grass fields, quoted as $15,000-$50,000 a year.  If the savings from artificial was just $20,000 a field (a very low estimate), over 4 fields, that's $80,000 a year, or $800,000 over 10 years!  One of three things could be done with the savings:  1.  Put the savings towards the financing payments of the turf fields, reducing actual cost.  2.  Give the money to the school system's general fund, which means a partial transfer in effect from the lottery construction fund to the general fund.  3.  Save the money.  Build up interest over 10 years and when the fields are replaced they have the money for the first couple of payments.
NEWS (Jan. 19, 2010):  AstroTurf another company to use cooler technology to reduce turf heat.
NEWS (Jan. 7, 2010):  Citrus Bowl field turns to mud during Capital One Bowl (Orlando Sentinel).  For those who romanticize about how grass is always better than artificial turf.  The grass field was in disgraceful condition due to overuse, misuse, and weather, and was subject of national ridicule.
VIDEO of the disgraceful grass field at the Citrus Bowl (wftv.com).  Even Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno said the grass was too high and was worried about players already with leg problems.
NEWS (Jan. 4, 2010):  Artificial Turf in Henderson County.  (This was a paper written for college, detailing why we need to get with the 21st Century and go to artificial turf!)
NEWS (Jan. 4, 2010):  See our photos on our Facebook page!
NEWS (Jan. 4, 2010):  New "green" artificial turf system may be helpful in expanding outdoor sports due to much cooler (and organic) fill system.
NEWS (Jan. 4, 2010):  HendersonCountyTurf.com is launched.  Please be patient.  We'll get information on this website as fast as possible.  Please let everyone know.
ABOUT HENDERSONCOUNTYTURF.COM
Greetings Henderson County!  Thank you for visiting. I created HendersonCountyTurf.com as an advocacy and news website discussing the need for artificial turf at Henderson County high schools.  Asheville, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, and Haywood high schools have it.  Some of those systems have much less money than Henderson County.  Appalachian State, Mars Hill, and Western Carolina also have it.  Brevard schools and Brevard College are starting to talk about it themselves.  We have been needing better recreation infrastructure for years.  For example, the fields at Jackson Park are hopelessly inadequate and many soccer players have to play in leagues in Buncombe County, costing this county a lot of economic impact and tax revenue.  However, can we afford to do what Asheville and Buncombe County has done, which is build soccer complexes AND install artificial turf at their high schools, leaving many fields greatly underutilized? No, we can't.  We must be smarter than that.  It seems to me that the high schools are more important to address than a complex for just one sport. I believe the most economically rational approach would be to have artificial turf at our high schools, but the difference being we really rent them out on weekends and the summer for soccer and other recreational sports, to get more "bang for the buck." The North Carolina Education Lottery provides a construction fund which could be used for this project (like in Haywood County for their two high schools), since it does indeed promote physical education for our kids. We should also use 21st Century technologies to provide cooler turf fields to get as many hours of use as possible.  The opportunities that artificial turf could bring to Henderson County could be wonderful, but only we make real commitments on some of them BEFORE the funding is approved.  Things like more women's sports in high school, more youth and adult soccer leagues and tournaments, etc.   Artificial turf also offers opportunities for concerts and major political events in the future.  Or, if Blue Ridge Community College were to add other outdoor team sports, they could rent out one of our high school fields, since we'd have turf there.  And we can pretty much avoid having to cancel, postpone, or move high school soccer games as had happened way too often in 2009.   Once approved, this website will monitor the process of approving a bid and the construction of the turf fields, to let the public be aware so we get maximum value for our money. During the process, this website will give updates and provide information for the public and our elected officials as needed. Please join our Facebook group as well.  We have materials on this website that I encourage you to forward to friends who may be in agreement. Again, thank you.  Please help the effort to help ALL of the outdoor team sports in Henderson County. Dennis Justice HendersonCountyTurf.com