PORT TOWNSEND – A ceremony Wednesday recognized the completion of an upgrade to Memorial Field, Port Townsend’s athletic centerpiece since its 1948 construction, which will allow the field to host record-breaking moments for several generations to come.
A new sprinkler system that will enhance the quality of the playing field is now in operation, the culmination of a monthlong volunteer effort spearheaded by local contractor Rich Stapf.
Stapf, 40, a native of the Port Townsend area, and a host of other volunteers finished the installation of a state-of-the-art sprinkler system in five days.
The new system is expected to use less water, save money and result in a more professional playing surface than the two aging sprinklers that once serviced it.
The field is owned by Jefferson County, but budget cuts have created uncertainty about its maintenance and operation.
Hand-watered until this year
Until this year, county employees regularly watered the field.
Last year, the county sought to offset park maintenance by asking for local volunteers.
“When the county announced that people were needed to adopt parks, no one stepped forward to adopt Memorial Field,” said Stapf, who played football and baseball on the field while in high school.
“This surprised me.
“It was like being at a junior high dance, where everyone wants to get on the floor and no one will take the first step.”
When Stapf took the first step, several others followed.
Landscape designer Roger Hall designed the system and supervised its installation.
Twenty-two East Jefferson Fire Rescue firefighters donated their days off to dig holes and lay pipe.
The city of Port Townsend provided necessary permits, and Jefferson County supplied some manpower.
Hall designed a 10-station, 110-head system with 4,000 feet of PVC pipe, which Stapf said, will decrease the cost and increase the efficiency of the watering operation.
Rotary donation, other gifts
During Wednesday’s ceremony, Port Townsend Rotary President Dave Stanko presented Stapf with an oversized cardboard check, representing a $13,000 contribution.
Stapf originally projected a materials cost of $18,000 to build the system, which did not cover labor.
The materials cost was also greater than expected, topping out at $25,000.
Donations have added up to more than $19,000, with the money from the Port Townsend Rotary Club and $6,700 in other gifts.
Stapf signed a note for the financing, stating that he was willing to kick in about $6,000 of his own money and raise the remainder from the community.
“This needed to be done right away,” he said.
“I didn’t want to be going to service groups asking for money. I wanted to start the job and raise funds later.”
The urgency was because there was only a two-week window between scheduled uses of the field when sprinklers could be installed.
Stapf said many donations came from people he knew but had not seen in years.
Five people donated $1,000 each. Their names will be inscribed on plaques outside of the facility,
Stapf is short about $6,000 — the amount he said he was willing to contribute in the first place.
The fundraising will continue, and he hopes to raise the entire amount.
Volunteer effort
Viewed a different way, the cost of the project reflects a significant volunteer effort.
Adding the cost of 849 volunteer man hours, Stapf estimates that the total cost is $53,186, including materials and labor.
“These guys did it to help their community,” Stapf said of the volunteers.
“They saw the need and helped us achieve the goal.”
Will save money
Jefferson County Parks and Recreation manager Matt Tyler said the new system will save the county between $4,000 to $6,000 a year in maintenance and labor costs, and increase irrigation efficiency.
The new system will run every other night, so people who are using the field during the day won’t have to accommodate watering.
The sprinklers have only been in operation for a few days but the grass is already looks a lot better, Stapf said.
“A lot of people worked hard so we can use this facility in the future,” Stapf said.
Three Jefferson County Commissioners, other county officials and representatives of the city attended Wednesday’s ceremony.
Commissioner Phil Johnson did a little politicking, saying that revenue from a measure on the November ballot that asks voters to approve raising the county sales tax would finance Memorial Field operation in the future.
The sales tax measure, if approved, would raise the county sales tax from the present 8.4 percent to 8.7 percent, or three cents for every $10 purchase.
Stapf attributed much of the success of the fundraising effort to a July 23 Peninsula Daily News story.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
