In my weekly print column, the Letter From the Editor that appears in print Mondays, I shed some light on my personal connections to those beloved athletic fields in Clifton Heights.
They are at the epicenter of a controversy that is pitting proud Cliftonites against the Upper Darby School Board and their proposal to located a new middle school on those very fields.
There is no doubt that Upper Darby, which has not built a new building in 50 years, needs a middle school. The question is where.
There is no shortage of people in Clifton Heights who are vowing to fight the move to build on the Springfield Road fields.
In talking to any number of them, it's clear this is about more than just fields.
I'm wondering if the school board - despite the best intentions - full comprehends what those fields mean to so many people in Clifton Heights.
That's one of the the things I tried to focus on in Monday's column.
But reader Mark Campbell said it so much better.
He sent me an email yesterday after reading my column. This is what he had to say:
"Thank you for your article in today's paper. No one will understand the value of Clifton Heights fields unless you live here. Born and raised here my whole life (57 years), I can tell you it was and still is the joy of my life. As a little boy, I played most of the time on those fields. If it wasn’t organized sports, it was pick-up games with my friends. I grew up with two older sisters; one older brother; and one young brother, all of them played on those fields. Coached football for 10 years on those same fields. Two hours every night, and games on Saturday. Was gifted with a son and daughter, both played many sports on those same fields. My first carnival as a little boy was at Clifton Heights fields. I won a blow-up Coca-Cola can that I had for years in my room. I bought a house on Davis Avenue because it was a half a block away from those same beloved fields. As you can see most of my life has been spent on those fields of dreams. I hope and pray that many more generations can do the same. We just respect all those men and women that coached and helped out all those years ago. If we lose those fields we all bleed orange and black. Let us all stay together and see you through. As my mom used to say, it’s in gods hands now!"
I think that pretty much sums it up.
Comments