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Murphy wants city to fund Ultimate Frisbee fields
The fields in the Heth's Run section of Highland Park would serve a growing number of people playing the game, described as a combination of Frisbee, football and basketball.
Murphy proposed legislation Tuesday for the fields. Pittsburgh's 2003 capital budget, which was approved by city council, calls for using borrowed money to pay for the fields. But the money can't be spent without council approval.
Councilman Alan Hertzberg, whose public works committee received the legislation, questioned whether this is the best time for such a project. The city needs to invest in recreation, he said, but it has a projected $60 million deficit this year and not enough money to pave roads.
"There are probably more pressing needs in the city than that right now," he said.
Supporters respond that Ultimate Frisbee might just be the kind of thing that reaches that elusive demographic for Pittsburgh — young people.
"This is part of the mayor's continuing effort to create more outdoor playing fields in the city of Pittsburgh," said Craig Kwiecinski, the mayor's spokesman. "There is a growing interest specifically for Ultimate Frisbee, and we are working to meet that demand."
The Community for Pittsburgh Ultimate, a local amateur league, fielded 20 teams last year with an average of about 22 people on each team, said Dara Stern, 25, of Squirrel Hill. Her own women's team, Pounce, competed in the Ultimate Frisbee national championships in Sarasota, Fla., last year.
Groups use soccer and other fields for competitions. The city does not have any fields specifically for Ultimate Frisbee.
"It's definitely grown considerably in the last couple years," Stern said of the sport. "The issue really is that there isn't a lot of field space."
Ultimate Frisbee fields resemble a narrow, short football field — 70 yards long and 40 yards wide, with 25-yard endzones.
The fields need to be flat and have grass that can withstand lots of people using them in different kinds of weather, Stern said.
Charges to use the fields would be determined later.
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