Upgrade some or all of your lawn to a Water Smart Landscape. After you upgrade, you can qualify for a cash rebate for every square foot of lawn converted to water-smart landscaping. Make sure you check with an ArtificialTurfSupply.com specialist or your local water department for details.
Remember, every square foot of natural grass replaced with artificial grass, water-smart trees, shrubs and flowers saves an average of 55 gallons of water per year, so you’ll also save money on your monthly water bill. Go green today!
By ed@heyfairfield on January 27, 2010
On Saturday, January 23rd, The Clubhouse celebrated it’s Grand Opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony and ceremonial first pitch by First Selectman Kenneth Flatto.
The Clubhouse has enlisted a full team of nationally recognized instructors and advisors who offer a wealth of experience to players and coaches. Participants can select from a menu of training options and clinics appropriate for different playing levels. During the grand opening, the public was invited to tour the 11,000 square foot facility, including its locker room, viewing and waiting areas, batting cages, and all purpose instructional area.
Head instructors include MLB veterans Mike Porzio, a 15 year professional, including three seasons pitching for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox; and Willie Upshaw, former player with the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians, who had a 17-year professional coaching career and was a three-time MLB hitting coach. Rounding out the roster of lead instructors are former Minnesota Twins catcher and current scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Merullo; and, Angel Echevarria, former outfielder/pinch hitter with the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, Amber Radomski, head softball coach at Manhattanville College and a former professional player will be the head softball instructor.
The Clubhouse features a professional playing surface of synthetic grass by ArtificialTurfSupply.com with full length batting tunnels for live hitting, and the same state-of-the-art motion analysis system used by Major League Baseball. In addition to coaching instruction, the Clubhouse provides expertise in strength, conditioning and sport’s medicine, as well as clinics on college placement.
Clubhouse attendees
The Clubhouse is located at 2215 Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield.
The ribbon is cut at the Grand Opening of the Clubhouse. L-R:Amber Radomski, Mike Porzio, Dennis Morgan, Hans Hanson, Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth Flatto, Angel Echevarria, Willie Upshaw
Alex Almeida Outfielder for the Trinity College Baseball team takes batting practice during the grand opening of The Clubhouse
Fairfield First Selectman and Former Toronto Blue Jays Willie Upshaw get ready for the ceremonial first pitch at The Clubhouse Grand Opening
Throughout 2010, there will be continued and increasing emphasis on the need for water conservation as imported water supplies remain at least 12 percent lower for SCWD due to continued, severe water shortages throughout the State caused by years of drought and regulatory restrictions on the transfers of water. Promotion will increase for Water-Saver Rebate Programs that encourage removal of grass turf and replacement with California-friendly plants or synthetic turf.
By ERIC WOLFF - ewolff@nctimes.com | Posted: Thursday, December 31, 2009 1:20 pm
A water conservation rebate program aimed at businesses is out of money early, but there’s plenty left for homeowners, the San Diego County Water Authority announced Wednesday.
The $4.6 million commercial program, which was run by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, allowed businesses to get money back after purchasing water-efficient equipment and appliances. The program was so popular that it ran out of money on Dec. 26, six months before the end of the fiscal year.
The $6 million residential program allows homeowners to get rebates on everything from cooling towers to drought-friendly toilets, but it’s barely been tapped —- the program still has $5.4 million left to distribute before June 30.
“The commercial program is a little more organized. A lot of plumbing contractors took advantage of it,” said Bill Rose, Water Conservation Program Executive for the San Diego County Water Authority.
Some local water providers are offering their own incentives to pick up where Metropolitan left off, including the Western Municipal Water District (which serves Southwest Riverside County), Escondido, Oceanside, Poway, and the Valley Center Municipal Water District, but Rose said that before businesses make a purchase, they should check Met’s conservation Web site, socalwatersmart.com, to make sure a given product is eligible for a rebate.
Western has been matching Met’s rebate on synthetic turf and high-efficiency and waterless urinals. It has budgeted $100,000 for 500 urinals and $65,000 for 5 acres of synthetic turf.
Residential customers looking to get rebates should visit 20gallonchallenge.com or socalwatersmart.com to find out what products they can get money back on, and exactly how to go about getting their money.
Metropolitan’s conservation division has been ordered to stay on budget this year, after it spent $54 million in the 2008-09 fiscal year, well more than the $20 million allocation.
“The board was quite direct they would not exceed $19.1 million,” Rose said. Much of that money goes to other programs and administrative costs.
But $19.1 million is a tiny sliver of Metro’s $1.65 billion two-year budget.
“Conservation is a very inexpensive way to offset demand,” said Tim Barr, Water Efficiency Manager for Western. “I’d like to see more money used to water conservation measures.”
Call staff writer Eric Wolff at 760-740-5412.