Ram Football on New Turf Field by Mid-October

It was a groundbreaking ceremony, literally, at Cheshire High School's main athletic field Thursday morning when a bulldozer began digging up the grass field to begin construction of a new synthetic turf field.

The symbolic groundbreaking, complete with a silver-colored shovel, was followed almost immediately by the real thing as a crew member from RAD Sports began digging up the field to the cheers of supporters who have worked for about three years to get to this point.

Cheshire Rams football coach Mark Ecke said he hopes only two of the team's home games will have to played elsewhere this season. "We're hoping for October 14," as the first game on the new field, he said. The location for the off-site games hasn't been confirmed yet, Ecke said.

A new track will also be built, after last-minute funding approval Tuesday by the Town Council allowed the two projects to be done at the same time.

The track is expected to be competed by Nov. 11.