Time for A New Miller Field

With the construction of the new Winthrop Middle High School progressing at a rapid pace, it’s time to give consideration to an upgrade of the adjacent high school athletic facilities.

For far too long — especially for a community such as ours which has a long and storied athletic tradition which has proven invaluable to so many of our high school grads as they move on to college and other endeavors — our athletic facilities have been pathetic.

The track at Miller Field has been deemed unsuitable and unsafe for holding track meets. Miller Field itself, which was built on reclaimed marshland as a WPA project in the 1930s, often is an unplayable and unsafe mosh pit whenever it rains. (A former Revere High soccer coach felt that Miller should not be used for soccer games.) In addition, the high school has added the new sport of lacrosse for both boys and girls, further adding to the wear and use of Miller.

Our tennis courts generally have been acknowledged as the worst in the area and the baseball field was unplayable last spring until midway through the season.

When Winthrop fans go to Revere this year for the annual Thanksgiving Day football game, they will be amazed at the beautiful new athletic facilities that comprise the rebuilt Harry Della Russo Stadium and its turf field and the adjoining sports complex.

Our town and school officials, as well as interested citizen groups such as the Viking Pride Foundation, need to get together to figure out a private/public partnership (as has been done in other communities) that will accomplish the goal of constructing new athletic facilities with minimal cost to the town’s taxpayers. It has been done in other places and can be done here.

As our former business manager here at the Sun-Transcript, Mrs. Zita Quigley, would say, “Where there is a will, there is a way.”