Our mayor recently responded to claims by opponents of her Edison Fields Project that playing sports on artificial turf results in greater injuries than playing on natural grass. In response, she asserted that she hadn’t heard a single concern from anybody about increased injuries from playing on artificial turf in town. In other words, artificial turf? No problem!

Hardly a study that would be cited in the literature on the subject, wouldn’t you say? But, alas, there is extensive literature on the subject. And just this past May an article appeared in the American Journal of Sports Medicine which was the first time a systemic review of lower extremity injury rates on artificial turf versus natural grass playing surfaces was conducted.

The authors reviewed 53 articles on the subject and concluded that the greater proportion of articles reported a higher foot and ankle injury rate on artificial turf, including “new generation” turf.

Shouldn’t our mayor be honest with her constituents instead of misleading them? Shouldn’t our mayor be representing the interests of all her constituents instead of acting like a paid lobbyist for interest groups such as the private sports clubs and others who were instrumental in designing and pushing this project?

Two more hazardous and less safe and environmentally friendly plastic grass playing fields for an estimated $18 million dollars over 15 years. A real bargain.

Vote “NO” on the Edison Fields Public Question.