LAWRENCE: Groundbreaking held for ballfields at ex-airport

By John Tredrea
   Monday at noon was a big moment for the Hopewell -Lawrence active recreation community and youth sports leagues.
   Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes was joined by local officials, at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of athletic fields at the former 40-acre Twin Pines Airport site.
   ”You know the old saying, build it and they will come . . . well, they are already here,” said Lawrence Mayor Greg Puliti at the ceremony. “The new fields being built will fill a big void in providing quality recreational space for the youth of Lawrence Township.”
   Hopewell Township Committeewoman Vanessa Sandom, who was township mayor back in 2005, said later that “back in 2005, both Mayor (Pam) Mount of Lawrence Township and I went to the county, hat in hand, asking the county for land and funds to build active recreation fields in this area.
   ”Instead of cutting the baby in half, County Executive (Brian) Hughes and his excellent staff led by Donna Lewis, Mercer County planning director, urged us to work together, along with Pennington and Hopewell boroughs, to apply for the Mercer at Play grant in 2008.
   ”(Now), we’re breaking ground on one turf field and two sod fields. But we’re also breaking ground on walking trails and a picnic area. And we’re creating this park aware that we’re thereby celebrating our local intrepid pioneers in aviation — the Weasner family.
   ”Together with the four municipalities, the county and countless other citizen volunteers, we will truly build our fields of dreams for generations to come.”
   The Twin Pines Athletic Complex will have three athletic fields, two of grass and one of artificial turf, along with lighting and other park amenities. An advantage of a turf field is that it can be used much more frequently than a grass field.
   The site is off Pennington-Lawrenceville Road, near Federal City Road in eastern Hopewell Township, near the Lawrence border.
   In 2008, Hopewell and Lawrence townships and Pennington and Hopewell boroughs applied jointly for a Mercer at Play matching grant from Mercer County. The application to create new athletic fields was approved, and Mercer County allocated $1.97 million in county matching funds toward the project. The county also contributed $1.2 million to acquire the land.
   ”Mercer at Play” is a matching-grant program that encourages municipalities to join together to rehabilitate or create athletic fields or facilities.
   An airstrip and hangar operated on the Twin Pines Airport property from 1945 to 2008, when the airport owners — the Weasners — sold the land to the four municipalities and the county to pave the way for creation of needed athletic fields.
   Hopewell and Lawrence officials have said the fields will be used by youth soccer, lacrosse and field hockey teams.
   The grass-strip airport was one of the oldest in the nation and was once used by aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose family maintained a residence, known as Highfields, north and east of Hopewell Borough in the early 1930s, during which period their baby son was kidnapped.
   In April 2008, a New Beginnings celebration was held at the airport site.
   County Executive Hughes joined local mayors, youth sports teams, airplane enthusiasts and supporters of the airport to watch the final flight take off and to celebrate its new use as athletic fields.
   Speakers included then Hopewell Township Mayor Vanessa Sandom, Lawrence Mayor Mark Holmes, Hopewell Mayor Paul Anzano and Pennington Mayor Anthony Persichilli.
   A thank-you banner was presented to airport owners Bill and Jean Weasner by Hopewell and Lawrence townships’ recreation departments and youth sports participants.