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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Harvesting the fruit of seed money for art ... Tuesday growers market reopens ... School district leader Hummel announces resignation ... Harvesting the fruit of seed money for art ... Tuesday growers market reopens ... School district leader Hummel announces resignation ... OUR VIEW Our View: Time to step up again Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News The campaign to install artificial turf at Walter A. Phillips Field has grown since its inception, first to expand the size of the field to accommodate soccer, and most recently to upgrade from a crumb rubber fill to a natural fill material. This is a major investment for the Ashland School District and for the community, and getting it right is important, but it will be up to the community to contribute the necessary funds to make it happen. Some residents expressed concerns about the use of artificial turf at all, saying they preferred natural grass. But that has its drawbacks. The field is being replaced precisely because the existing grass field becomes too muddy to use in the rainy season. In addition, grass fields require large amounts of water, not to mention fertilizers and other chemicals that many in Ashland abhor. The existing standard for artificial turf incorporates a crumb rubber fill material made of ground-up tires. While recycling tires is a good thing, concerns have surfaced about the tendency of crumb rubber to emit fumes in hot weather. So turf makers have come up with "natural" fill, a mixture of coconut husks, rice fiber and cork, which not only solves the fume problem but absorbs impacts better than rubber, meaning a safer playing surface for young athletes. That improvement will cost about $200,000 more than the crumb rubber option. Ashland residents have repeatedly responded when their schools needed support. We are confident that they will again. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Feb. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501