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Lawrence High Field Damaged By Festival Ready For Thanksgiving Football

LAWRENCE (CBS) -- A Lawrence High School athletic field that was damaged during an outdoor festival held there last month is ready for play.

The turf field at the city's Veterans Memorial Stadium has been repaired and new lines for football and other sports have been re-applied.

Lawrence field
The repaired athletic field at Lawrence High School's Veterans Memorial Stadium. (Photo courtesy of Huntress Associates)

City officials say they will hold the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game between Lawrence High School and Central Catholic as scheduled Thursday morning.

Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera tweeted out this photo of the repaired field on Sunday.

On October 1st, a Brazilian festival was held at the stadium. The following Monday, damage to the field plus trash left behind was discovered.

At the time, Mayor Rivera was shocked at the condition of the field left behind.

"We're disgusted, and just shocked that this would be left this way," Rivera told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens. "It was the third time they've used it, and the first time they did this."

Mayor Rivera later asked to borrow $875,000 from the Lawrence City Council to pay for the repairs needed for the field. But it was discovered that the repairs to the field were fully covered by the city's insurance policy and only cost $385,000.

More repair work to the track is needed. Bids are out for that, but the mayor is hopeful insurance will cover that expense as well.

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