NASHUA, NH – The Budget Review Committee on Nov. 25 voted to recommend a resolution to accept and appropriate a $200,000 donation from the Stellos family for the field replacement at Stellos Stadium.
“When we learned that the stadium had to be closed this fall due to the surface’s need for repair, we wanted to offer the city a gift that we knew Jimmy would approve of,” said Cassandra Stellos-Malvers, who is making the donation along with her sisters Melanie Colorusso and Alyson Stellos-Hartsock in honor of their father, Jimmy Stellos.
“He felt that it was important for the youth of Nashua to have a safe and quality place to play,” she added. “We knew he would have been distressed to find Stellos Stadium was closed to the children of Nashua. He would have stepped up to help the city restore and repair the stadium so we offer this gift in that spirit.”
On behalf of the city, Alderman Richard Dowd thanked them for their donation and gave an update on the repairs at the stadium.
As of Nov. 25, the old field had been entirely removed and new grating and drainage had been installed, and it was determined that additional drainage work may need to be done. Rubber padding will be installed underneath the field to make it even more conducive for play.
The contract calls for the entire field to be replaced and usable by December 21.
“The field is going to be in great shape come spring for all sports,” Dowd said.
Alderman Tim Sennott made the motion to amend the resolution to add language that would clarify that the donation is to be “counted as part of and not in addition to the $1.5 million which was supplementally appropriated for this project under R-24-104 which was passed by the Board of Alderman on Oct. 28, 2024,” as had been proposed by Alderman Klee. The motion carried.
Alderman Ernest Jette said how when the $1.5 million was authorized, there was discussion about the purchase of a protective field cover that many said was unnecessary. He said that at that time, he tried to amend the resolution to remove the language from the resolution that mentions the field cover, which failed.
“It bothered me that this language continues to appear in this resolution after we had a long discussion about it and the only reason it stayed in was the fear that it might trigger the need for another public hearing,” he said at the Nov. 25 meeting.
Part of the resolution reads: “This donation is to be used for the Capital Project Activity “Stellos Stadium Turf Field Replacement, Protective Field Cover, and Other Renovations” for the purpose of replacing the synthetic surface at Stellos Stadium, acquiring a protective field cover, and making other needed renovations.”
Alderman Dowd clarified that the purchasing of a field cover is not in the budget and there is no intention to buy a field cover for the project.
Alderman Sennott said that – to his understanding – the language in the resolution is in reference to the resolution that already passed and that’s why it can’t be removed.
However, he agreed with Alderman Jette, saying that it feels disingenuous to keep the language in the resolution when they don’t intend to purchase a field cover.
The committee recommended the resolution as amended, with the language regarding the field cover unchanged.
The full board of Alderman will vote on the resolution on Dec. 10.