Turf Action Speeds Up

The initial stages of the transition according to NeXturf began right after the Phillies game concluded, but the hardest part is expected to begin in the pre-dawn hours and then soon after major leaders in our city`s government will be getting subpoenas.

Jonathan Saidel/(D) City Controller: "It seems a lot of this was done, and I hope not, in a way to say that we want NeXturf and set up a process where NeXturf is the only one to get the sole source bedding and if that`s the case we`ve got real problems."

City Controller Jonathan Saidel says he hasn`t got the records he requested to find out why there wasn`t competitive bidding for the Vet`s new turf and now he`s going to force the parties involved to hand over their correspondence.

Tuesday morning he will subpoena: Mayor John Street; Managing Director Joe Martz; Recreation Director Victor Richard; Procurement Commissioner Louis Applebaum; Director of the capital program Richard Tustin and the city`s stadium director Greg Grillone.

NeXturf`s Turf Division head is in town to personally oversee the transition to avoid a repeat of August 13th`s embarrassing and costly cancellation of the Ravens-Eagles exhibition game because of indentations at the base cutouts. NeXturf along with city Streets Department workers have roughly 60 hours to lay down two inches of asphalt on the bases, then lay down the pads and finally the carpet.

The Eagles are planning a mock game on the NeXturf the day before the preseason finale with the Jets. Andy Reid/Eagles Head Coach: "We have trust that it`s gonna get done now. All talking aside it`s just got to happen and yeah we`ll go to look at it."

Chad Lewis/Eagles Tight End: "We should expect to walk out on that field and have a nice field and play. That`s what we all expect we played last year on hard turf and so what we`re going to do is go out and play football that`s what we`re paid to do."

While the mayor, in published reports, has expressed confidence that the problems with the turf are fixed, Action News has been told by his office that our cameras will not be allowed to watch as it is underway. The city controller however will have a camera and an engineer to document what happens.

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News