• Contact Us
  • Events calendar
Entering Swellesley
Pinnacle, Wellesley

The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

  • Advertise
  • Contribute
  • Eat
  • Wellesley Square
  • School news
  • Pre-schools in Wellesley
  • Private schools, sponsored by Riverbend
  • Camp
  • Kids
  • Top 10 things to do
  • Business news
  • Embracing diversity
  • Seniors
  • Letters to the editor
  • Guidelines for letters to the editor
  • Fire & police scanner
  • Worship
  • POPS Senior Profiles
  • Deland, Gibson Insurance Athlete of the Week
  • Raiders sports schedules & results
  • Live gov’t meetings
  • Events
  • About us
 
Needham Bank, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Wellesley letter to the editor: regarding lights at the high school field

February 2, 2022 by admin

Editors of the Swellesley Report,

The School Committee has stated that an objective of their proposal for lights at the high school field is to achieve parity with other towns. This objective is misguided on several fronts. Wellesley has achieved higher sports participation levels and a higher winning percentage than other schools that have lights. An objective that strives to reach parity with towns who have inferior programs should draw the skepticism of every resident. But in a broader sense, it is incomprehensible why the School Committee believes that achieving parity is a positive objective at all.  Wellesley does not have to be like other towns. That Wellesley is not like other towns is precisely why I choose to live here—if I thought another town did it better, I would be living there.

Additionally, by seeking parity, the School Committee is imparting a “keeping up with the Joneses” attitude which is precisely what we do not want to convey to our students, or fellow citizens, in the approach to policy. The School Committee should require sound reasoning behind its proposals, not some misguided belief that we are subpar to other towns and have to catch up. This particular proposal does not further the school district stated values of Academic Excellence, Commitment to Community or Cooperative & Caring Relationships. Specifically, this proposal does not demonstrate cooperative and caring concern for the community that lives close to the school, some who are young children, and whose quality of life will be negatively impacted by nighttime amplified sound, harsh stadium lights, trash, parking issues and traffic. It certainly does not promote academic excellence. To try to justify the negative impacts to the school values and the community using an argument that we have to be like other towns is irresponsible.

Please join me in rejecting this proposal and asking the School Committee to focus its attention on matters that will strengthen the academic skills of students and will achieve the values of its mission.

Thank you,
Cliff Canaday
Smith Street

image_print

Filed Under: Letters to the Editor

Comments

  1. Bonny Nothern says

    February 2, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    While I share Cliff’s concern regarding a “keeping up with the Jones’es” rationale for expenditures, I am in favor of installing lights and other spectator safety equipment at the field. To me, it is indeed a little embarrassing that we don’t have the same equipment as other schools, when the improvements have a sound basis in safety. I am also in favor of demonstrating to our student athletes our pride in and support of their hard work.

  2. Aggravated resident says

    February 2, 2022 at 2:31 pm

    Dear Cliff,
    As a town resident I am in support of the lights. Our town needs more ways for people to come together and that has never been more apparent than during COVID times. Our youth needs to be given as much opportunity as possible to be proud of their talents and physically active. Our town needs to be more inviting in more way than one. The SC has bent over backwards, hired consultants that the Wetlands administrator recommended and has gone above & beyond, but the neighbors refuse to bend. I have been told even our Wetlands board members do not have an issue with the lights; but neighbors continue to berate some hard working volunteers who just want to do something that benefits our students on a field that already exists! We are not tearing down the North 40 here.

    Some of your neighbors are on our town boards and I honestly can say I have seen zero compromise from them . That is not the person I want on a town board, I want someone who can work well with others. I want folks to understand the NRC is for active and passive recreation because I am pretty sure most people are not aware of that by watching this committee in action. I am
    extremely disappointed in some individuals I use to respect.

    Some advice: stop stamping your feet, find a compromise and understand that there is more to being a resident in this town than accusing, insulting and bashing your fellow residents and their kids. It is far from becoming.

  3. Nancy Stakun says

    February 11, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    This is public parkland, that does foster active play. There is no where in Ma where lights would be so close to homes, 20-30 yards., in addition to riverfront area, wetlands, and a pond. All of which the town has spent millions to restore. This project includes team rooms and restrooms, therefore can be done at any location. This is a School Committee project, wouldn’t it make sense to be done on School owned land. Why would one develop and commercialize precious parkland, undoing what the town has spent millions to restore, when there is alternatives.
    Wouldn’t this be the compromise?

Advertisements:

Linden Square, Wellesley
Wonderful Wellesley, Lockheart
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Tip us off…

Please send tips, photos, ideas to theswellesleyreport@gmail.com

Advertisements

Wellesley Square, Wellesley Merchants
Wellesley, Jesamondo
Fay School, Southborough
Sexton test prep
Feldman Law
Wellesley Theatre Project
Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs, Wellesley
Volvo
Prepped and Polished Boston Tutoring and Test Prep
Cheesy Street Grill
Admit Fit, Wellesley
Mature Caregivers
charles river chamber
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
Never miss a post with our free daily Swellesley Report email
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

You can subscribe for free, though we appreciate any contribution that supports our independent journalism.

Most Read Posts

  • Sign up now for summer camp in Wellesley (and beyond)
  • Friday is letters-to-the-editor day on The Swellesley Report
  • UU Wellesley Hills to install & celebrate new minister
  • Wellesley Public Schools news: Last day is official; Advisory won't investigate; Evolutions showcase
  • Taylor Swift Makes a Triumphant Return to Gillette Stadium

Click on Entering Natick sign to read our Natick Report

Entering Natick road sign

Upcoming Events

May 30
7:00 pm - 8:15 pm

Memorial Day observances in Wellesley

Jun 3
9:00 am - 10:00 am

Hemlock Gorge & Echo Bridge guided walk

Jun 3
11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Free event: Big Joe the Storyteller in Linden Square

Jun 3
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Free event: Big Joe the Storyteller in Wellesley Square

Jun 4
8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Schofield 5k, Fun Run and Fun Fair

View Calendar

Recent Comments

  • Bob Brown on New Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds
  • Mauyra on New Wellesley Square high rise is for the birds
  • Ellen on Wellesley Rec to make pickleball rec to schools, NRC
  • Agility on Wellesley’s Cliff Estates gets its turn with proposed condo development
  • Ken O'Connor on Wellesley Dumps Standards-Based Grading

Links we like

  • Danny's Place
  • Great Runs
  • Jack Sanford: Wellesley's Major League Baseball Star
  • Tech-Tamer
  • The Wellesley Wine Press
  • Universal Hub
  • Wellesley Sports Discussion Facebook Group
Deland, Gibson, Wellesley
  • support swellesley
  • swellesley reach ad
Rick Cram, leader

© 2023 The Swellesley Report
Site by Tech-Tamer · Login