DIXFIELD – Harlow Park athletic fields will soon sport a field-of-dreams hue for local youngsters.

At least that’s the two-year goal of SAD 21 Superintendent David Pierce and Fayette contractor Brian Roy of Field of Dreams.

During Monday night’s Board of Selectmen meeting, both Pierce and Roy, whose firm the district hired, outlined their new ballfield maintenance service program for the town-owned park. The fields are adjacent to Dirigo High School on Weld Street.

The first-year cost to rehabilitate, reseed and fertilize the park’s baseball and soccer/football fields is $8,000, of which selectmen will have to find $4,000 in this year’s budget, said Selectman Eugene Skibitsky.

“In subsequent years, it will be less,” Pierce said, noting that the year-to-year budget cost to maintain both fields will be $6,500. Because the fields required more work this year, the initial cost was higher.

Pierce also noted that while the district is willing to maintain the fields, SAD 21 won’t maintain capital improvement items like bathrooms.

“We will water and mow it, but if we have a breakdown on the mower, will the town loan us a mower to do it?” Pierce asked.

While unsure of what to do about the restrooms, the board did agree to help the district in the event of a mower breakdown. Selectmen and Public Works Director David Orr also said the town would do spring cleanup work on the fields.

Both the town and school district agreed to split the cost to water the fields. Each will also buy a self-propelled watering system unit for irrigation.

Work on the baseball field, which included removing two hazardous ridges and reshaping the pitcher’s mound, has already been done, Pierce said.

This fall, work will commence on the soccer/football field.

“This is a beginning,” said Selectmen Chairman Hugh Daley. “It’s been a long time coming.”

Other board members echoed Daley’s comments.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com