WESTFIELD – The public is invited to attend an informational meeting on the new practice lights being installed at the Westfield High School practice football field. The meeting will be held at 6:30 under the south goal post on the high school’s practice football field, located at the end of Powder Mill Road. If you are traveling by car, please park in the high School parking lot and walk to the field, as there is no parking on Powder Mill Road. In case of rain, the meeting will be held in the Main Office at Westfield High School.
The Westfield Public Schools is installing low level lights on the practice football field at Westfield High School. This lighting system consists of five 35-foot poles each containing two 250-watt floodlights. These lights are intended for practice only and are not suitable for games. Westfield High School, in conjunction with Westfield Youth Football and the Westfield Gas & Electric Company, have worked to design and install the lighting system for afternoon and early evening practices for the high school and youth football teams. With the fall days getting shorter, these lights will be turned on at sunset and then turned off when football practice ends at 8 p.m.
“This is basically a courtesy we’re doing for the neighbors,” said Ronald Rix, director of technology and business services for Westfield Public Schools. “When I looked into what we had to do as far as public hearings or the like, the city’s law office advised holding an informational meeting.”
“I know at Bullens Field we have all kinds of regulations about when games can start and all that, but this is designed to go off when youth football is done practicing in early November,” he said.
Rix said that he has spoken with several residents who live near the school and put them at ease about the new lights.
“When they saw the things going in, they were afraid that stadium lights were going in and we were putting the field there to have Friday night games,” he said. “I figured we’ll meet under the goalposts, turn them on if they’re ready tomorrow and answer any questions (residents) may have. It’s better to be proactive than reactive.”
Westfield High School Principal Jonathan Carter said that the lights will improve the practice facilities for all of the high school’s fall and spring sports teams, in addition to the city’s youth football program.
“They practice after us and go well into the evening on many occasions,” said Carter of the youth team. “Traditionally, the youth team has purchased temporary portable lights and used those in past seasons.”
Carter said that he has not personally heard any complaints from residents about the lights and that they will improve the safety of all athletes.
He also said that the cost of the lights will be distributed between Westfield Public Schools and Westfield Youth Football, with the Westfield Gas & Electric doing installation work free of charge.
