Part of the appeal of having a high school located in our community is following the athletic teams, cheering on the marching band, offering clubs on campus and organizing many other extra-curricular activities.

It is this “hometown” aspect of Fountain Hills that makes the community attractive to younger families and others thinking of relocating here.

The football team’s home opener on Friday evening is even more exciting because the new artificial turf field will debut alongside the new track, thanks to an $8 million bond package approved by voters last November.

The Fountain Hills Unified School District has sold $4 million of those bonds to finance various projects over the summer, most notably the new turf. All campuses within FHUSD received some type of capital improvements this summer. The football field undoubtedly will look crisp and colorful. Officials opted for the artificial turf because in the long run it will save FHUSD money. A new field was needed regardless, so it was decided to install the artificial turf. This multi-purpose field will be used for a variety of sports and other activities. Officials are hoping that state tournaments and the like can be hosted here as well.

Various other incentives are being offered to attend Friday’s game (see front page story). The start of football season is always an exciting time and sort of an unofficial start to autumn, even though our weather certainly isn’t yet reflective of that season.

Come on out Friday evening, cheer on the Falcons, and help contribute to our school spirit.