Soil gifts make Pop Warner practice field possible

Beazer Homes and Capital Health System make donations

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   For years, officials of Hopewell Township and the Pop Warner football league have wanted a practice field adjacent to the Pop Warner playing field.
   But the land contiguous to the playing field is too steeply sloped to be used that way. The township Department of Public Works tried, several times, to regrade the land next to the playing field in order to make it suitable for a practice field. But in the end it was decided that the steepness of the land was too great for that idea to be feasible.
   Now the field can be built, thanks to 500 truckloads of fill dirt donated by Beazer Homes and 80 truckloads of topsoil donated by Capital Health System.
   Beazer has built several residential developments, totaling several hundred units, in the township. It is from those properties the fill dirt was taken and trucked to the Pop Warner site.
   Capital Health Systems is building a hospital in the southeastern township, near I-95 and Scotch Road. The topsoil, which will go over the fill dirt at the practice field, will come from the hospital construction site.
   ”Beazer was more than happy to help out,” said Thomas Mirande, the firm’s vice president in charge of land acquisition. “We believe in the Pop Warner program and in giving kids constructive things to do.”
   ”We’re delighted to be able to help in this way,” said Capital Health System spokeswoman Jayne O’Connor. The Capital Health System topsoil has not been delivered yet. No date for delivery has been set.
   ”A great story,” was the capsule comment of township Deputy Mayor John Murphy. Recreation is one of Mr. Murphy’s areas of responsibility as a Township Committee member.
   The committee voted unanimously Monday night in favor of a resolution authorizing acceptance of the fill dirt and topsoil from Beazer and Capital Health. Both Mr. Mirande and Ms. O’Connor attended.
   The Pop Warner fields are off the western side of Scotch Road, just north of the municipal complex.