After three years, field of dreams is unveiled

LA CRESCENTA ? A new field and all-weather track will be unveiled Friday at Crescenta Valley High School, after a three-year fundraising campaign that netted more than $1 million and initial glimmers of doubt that the project would ever happen.

"How am I going to not cry," said Mike Padula, president of Crescenta Valley Community Committed to Athletic Needs ? the local fundraising organization known as CV CAN ? referring to Friday's event, which begins at 2 p.m. at the campus. "Look what this community has done. What we've pulled off. You've got to dare to dream. And with hard work, things will happen."

The dream for a new field started with Jim Beckenhauer, Crescenta Valley High School's boys' athletic director, Padula said.

A little more than three years ago, Padula said he thought Beckenhauer ? the school's football coach from 1985 to 1992 ? was "nuts" when he brought up the idea of a new track and field. The idea was to have a field that would withstand the elements, allow teams to play and practice on turf all year round, and would not have to be shut down three months out of the year because of rain, Padula said.

With little money, a group of community members ? parents, educators, community leaders, school alumni and students ? went about raising money for a field that would ultimately cost $1.7 million.

They washed cars, organized walk-a-thons and even held a casino night. By May 2005, CV CAN had raised $220,000.

Then Glendale native Susan Osborne and her family donated $1.2 million to CV CAN, making the funding of the synthetic field turf and rubberized all-weather track a reality.

"It is unbelievable," said Crescenta Valley High School Principal Mike Livingston. "It's like a post card ? like a dream come true here."

Livingston said that among the reasons the field was needed was the difficulty of regrowing grass on the old natural grass field.

"Grass on that field was like trying to grow grass on a billiards ball," he said. "It's impossible to grow stuff up there."

The new field opens up many possibilities, Padula said, including physical education classes, team practices, state track meets and other activities, such as soccer. It can become a year-round spot for joggers and walkers, he said.