Agoura High School kicks off football season on new synthetic sport field
By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers PLAY BALL- The Agoura High School football field is officially ready for action following a ribbon cutting dedication by, from left, LVUSD Board of Education President Terilyn Finders, Agoura Hills Mayor Dan Kuperberg, and Agoura High School Principal Larry Misel before the start of the first home football game in the stadium on Friday.

Agoura High School kicked off the fall football season on a new artificial turf field.

Prior to the game, school and city officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.

"We're extremely happy with the new field," said Jason Rosenthal, Agoura High's athletic director. "We've been trying to get a field like this for years. It will last a long time and takes away a lot of headaches- we'll never have to cancel a game due to rain."

Earlier this year, the Las Virgenes Unified School District Board of Education voted to allow FieldTurf, the low bidder on the project, to install the field in spring rather than wait until summer 2008. Having the work done in the offseason saved the district time and an estimated $100,000, Superintendent Donald Zimring said.

" I think (the new field) is one more example of the community coming together in support of our kids and our district fulfilling its commitment to the taxpayers to deliver the projects we promised," Zimring said. "In this case, record time."

School board President Terilyn Finders expressed gratitude to the community. "This state-of-the-art field is in essence a gift to the school from you, the community, as you are the people who supported the facilities bond that made it possible. So we thank all of you for making this wonderful athletic field possible."

New football fields at Agoura and Calabasas high schools cost $1 million, Finders said. The fields were paid for through Measure G, the $128-million facilities and technology bond approved by voters in 2006.

Agoura Hills Mayor Dan Kuperberg thanked the community and the school district. "A safe football field for our teams is important, and another measure of great collaboration between residents, the city and school to improve educational facilities in the area," he said.

Finders also congratulated Agoura High's award-winning cheerleading team. "Hard work, dedication and commitment brought the (school's) cheer team the reward they so richly deserve," she said.

Measure G funds are also at work in other areas of the school district. "New athletic fields at both Agoura High and Calabasas High are just the beginning, as we look forward to building performing arts and education centers on both campuses," Finders said.

"Tonight we celebrate teamwork and sportsmanship on this new field," Finders said, "and soon we will celebrate the brilliant performances of our awardwinning performing artists . . . and it's all thanks to this supportive community."