Hopatcong Schools OK Warriors' $500K Field Plan

Hopatcong's Board of Education agreed in principal to a youth football program's approximately $500,000 plan to renovate the behind the on Monday night.

The school board green-lighted the concept of Hopatcong Warriors' project pending lawyer review. The plan would give the program, which also includes cheerleading and is considered the borough's largest, a home, President Gene Clarke said. School officials said the project, which Clarke said wouldn't cost the district a dime, would provide the schools with updated fields.

"It's step number one," longtime Warriors official and Councilman John Young said. "We have to wait for the next step. But it's a positive step. How do I view the whole project? It's a win-win-win."

School Superintendent Charles Maranzano said the agreement brings the borough and the Board of Education "together for a common purpose."

"At this point in time there's been a perception that we've been acting separately on these items," Maranzano said. "Strength will come as we act together."

In a presentation to the school board, Clarke said the Warriors would fund the project and that as many as eight companies have agreed to pitch in. Clarke said he hoped the project could start by late November and finish before August.

He also said the program has about $65,000 in its Chris Anderson Field of Dreams fund, which has been saved for the project. A former Warriors president, Anderson died almost four years ago.

"Our thought is, we expand all these fields and we have more than enough room to get all of the 380 of our kids up there at the same time and eliminate the pressure on (other fields)," said Clarke, whose program currently uses several borough-owned fields and the high school football field.

But details still needed to be hammered out, both sides said Monday night.

Clarke said the Warriors want a long-term contract between the program, borough and school board stating that the facility would belong to the Warriors at no charge from Aug. 1 to Nov. 15 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. during weekdays. Also, the program wants to retain the right to use the high school football field and concession stand for home games at no charge, Clark said.

School board President Cliff Lundin said the parties needed to agree on the agreement's length and nature; how to prioritize the school versus the Warriors in regards to the facility; field maintenance; and other things.

"We need to set up the framework [of the deal]," said Lundin, who also said the district would still own the fields.

Clarke outlined some of the major changes to the fields—the Wayne L. Threlkeld Hilltop Sports Complex, named after a longtime schools superintendent—during his presentation. Among the biggest: The creation of a joint field house and concession stand; widening of fields and the access road from Lakeside Boulevard; connecting a sewer line from Lakeside Boulevard to the field house; an approximately 155-car parking lot with guard rails; and moving light towers and telephone poles.

Clarke guaranteed the project would finish once started.

"We could understand that being a concern—that we would get half done and it wouldn't get finished," he said. "I can give you my personal assurance that we will have the finances and the commitment from other people to get this project done."

Clarke said the Warriors met with borough council members and school officials at the beginning of September to discuss the project.

"We've been looking for a home for a long time," said Clarke, who proposed renovating a piece of borough-owned land on Sparta-Stanhope Road to the borough council in July.

Editor's note: Interested in donating to the Chris Anderson Field of Dreams Fund? Send donations to the Hopatcong Warriors at P.O. Box 368, Hopatcong, N.J., 07843 or to Dave Barella at 129 Rollins Tr., Hopatcong, N.J., 07843.