Oxford First Selectman George Temple is enthusiastic about the town’s new $3.1 million athletic complex.
So when he arrived at the high school about 1 p.m. Monday for a ceremonial ground-breaking on the project, he didn’t spend his time glad-handing other politicians or schmoozing residents for votes.
Well OK, he did do some of that. But then he insisted two reporters follow him into the tall grass while he envisioned what the new football will field will look like when completed.
“It’s like a natural amphitheater,” said Temple while, wearing a suit and loafers, he waded into the hip-height overgrowth.
“It’s going to be a beautiful view from here, especially the bleachers,” he said. “This is going to be one of the nicest places in the Valley.”
About 50 or so officials and residents gathered at the site — to your left if you’re driving up the main driveway to the school — Monday afternoon for the ground-breaking.
Click the play button on the video below to see the first shovelfuls of dirt being moved — albeit slightly — as Temple lauds the efforts of those involved.
The real heavy-duty work of building the field will begin tomorrow.
And though a Dec. 1 target completion date was optimistically set down at a “pre-construction” meeting of officials at the site Monday, springtime is probably a more realistic goal.
After the ceremony, high school football coach and athletic director Joe Stochmal said that if everything falls into place, the football team could be on the field by the end of the season.
“We’re holding out hope that we’ll be able to get on the field at some time this year,” Stochmal said. “We’re not going to tell our kids there’s no chance of getting on this field when we think there might be.”
Residents approved the $3.1 million project at a referendum last week by a margin of 501 votes — 1,321 to 820. Turnout was about 25 percent.
The high school opened in 2007 but the project was scaled back to save money, and the original plan for an athletic complex was nixed.
The new complex will include an all-purpose, artificial turf playing field, a synthetic running track, bleachers and lighting.
