School District 203 and the Park District have voted to destroy most of the Community Garden Plots on West Street so that they can be converted to athletic fields for after-school activities of students at Naperville Central High School. The primary reasons for this request are the loss of practice fields owned by Naperville Cemetery and an additional need for fields to support a new sport, Lacrosse. Lacrosse is not a varsity sport at this time. Currently Naperville Central has a team which practices at Nike Park.
The gardeners are very much in favor of providing the students with the athletic fields they need. However, the question has been asked, why cannot other fields in the area be used for Lacrosse (as now, in the case of Nike field), and can't scheduling be improved to allow for additional soccer games? There appear to be plenty of fields proximate to the High School. No answers have been forthcoming from the Park District or from School District 203.
We believe that the destruction of the garden plots for new fields is not a popular broad-based theme among the students, but rather a land grab by the School District.
In regard to the need for fields, we have found recently that the Park District, by its own admission at a Park District Meeting in January, is not confident that it is scheduling fields efficiently, and it has begun anew to overhaul its system. We know that many fields are empty during many days in the football and soccer season, and have asked to no avail that a study be made to determine if there are fields available for Naperville Central's football, soccer and lacrosse teams to practice in without destroying Garden Plots. To day, the Park District has refused to acknowledge our request.
A specific request for data on usage of Brush Hill Park, which could hold two fields, has been declined because the Park District says that it is "heavily programmed." When asked for data, they have none. This park is pristine, and appears to be virtually unused.
Comments: I have a son who plays soccer @ Neuqua. The other day we played St Charles North. The game was played @ Harvest Hills Park about 3 miles away from the school. There was a total of 3 High School games being played there at the same time. It all worked out fine. Their team also practices there after school.
The younger players take a bus and the older players drive just like the golf team does. The Plainfield High Schools do not have pools. All of the schools come together and have 1 team and swim at the YMCA. Naperville Central has run out of room and should move not the gardeners. Our soccer season is only 2 months long and the girls play 2 months in the spring. There are about 100 boys and 100 girls that play soccer at Central. Does the Park District and Dist 203 really think that their 200 players are more important than the over 500 families that use the gardens. No wonder why the park district is so screwed up!!!
LETTER TO A PARK COMMISSIONER
I hope you are doing well. I remember when you first ran for the Park Board and K.L. encouraged support for you in the election.
When I was in high school, the soccer team often ran to our practice field which was several miles away. We would have never thought to target as our own, a long established, community and public space for our practice field.
We were 2nd in the State during those years.
District 203 needs to learn to live within its means, especially given that enrollment is in decline.
My mother was a teacher and a gardener. Gardening is a life long education in itself and learning to grow your own food is not only coming back into vogue, it may once again become a survival skill. Quite simply put, it is important.
I wanted you to know that many of us are carefully following the board's handling of the garden plots and we do watch these board meetings on TV.
If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you to you and all the members of the board for your service.
Best regards,
Paul W.
The map above shows Naperville Central High School and the athletic fields in its immediate area. The Community Garden Plots are indicated by an asterisk * in the lower left corner.
Copyright 2008, Save Naperville Gardens on West Street E-Mail: Info@NaperGardens.com
