Soccer Complex Concerns
By: Kevin Flanigan
Updated: December 10, 2012
ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - With Blair County Officials drawing up plans to sell of the land currently occupied by the Valley View Soccer Fields, supporters of the popular recreation site are getting ready to fight back.As part of their plan to sell the County's Valley View Nursing Home, the Commissioners in Hollidaysburg announced last week their sale offering will include the eight acres currently occupied by the Valley View soccer fields.
During the playing season, hundreds of youngsters from all over the region converge on the fields in Altoona every weekend. It's for those young players that long time supporters of the program say they will fight any ownership change.
It took a huge community campaign to provide the funding and volunteer labor that was needed to transform a rocky wooded hillside into smooth and level soccer fields. Some of the people who took part in building the facility are now determined to try and protect it.
The Blair County Commissioners say it would be possible for any new owner of the property to work out a new lease with the local chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization and keep the fields open to youngsters. But that is not their concern as they move toward a possible sale of the nursing home.
People who support the soccer program say its time to step up and be heard if protecting these fields is important. The future of the Valley View soccer fields is expected to be on the agenda at Tuesday's meeting of the Blair County Commissioners. A number of soccer program supporters say they will be on hand to push for preserving the program they have put so much into.
During the playing season, hundreds of youngsters from all over the region converge on the fields in Altoona every weekend. It's for those young players that long time supporters of the program say they will fight any ownership change.
It took a huge community campaign to provide the funding and volunteer labor that was needed to transform a rocky wooded hillside into smooth and level soccer fields. Some of the people who took part in building the facility are now determined to try and protect it.
The Blair County Commissioners say it would be possible for any new owner of the property to work out a new lease with the local chapter of the American Youth Soccer Organization and keep the fields open to youngsters. But that is not their concern as they move toward a possible sale of the nursing home.
People who support the soccer program say its time to step up and be heard if protecting these fields is important. The future of the Valley View soccer fields is expected to be on the agenda at Tuesday's meeting of the Blair County Commissioners. A number of soccer program supporters say they will be on hand to push for preserving the program they have put so much into.
