Counting Down the Days: 14

By Sue Ellen Woodcock

There’s just 14 days to go until the 2017 Winthrop Football team steps on to a new Miller Field to play the annual Thanksgiving Day Football game against Revere.

Monday night at 6 p.m. the Miller Field Committee will give a presentation to the School Committee on the $9.8 million project, which includes a new synthetic field and regulation synthetic track, bleachers, press box and more drainage, especially in the Lewis Lake and Veterans Road area. Contractors and project managers from Gilbane and Skanska will also be at the meeting.

The committee is expecting to present a plan to the school department on how the field should be maintained.

Committee co-chair James Letterie said everything remains on time and under budget.

“We’ve been right on point and it’s been relatively clear sailing,” Letterie. “The field is really beautiful. All members of the community will benefit and enjoy this facility.”

The Winthrop Vikings will play the Revere Patriots on home turf for the first time in almost three years. In fact Letterie believes the field will be ready the week before Thanksgiving.

This week sidewalks are being installed, the field is being prepared and small-detail items like posts and a flag pole are being addressed. The electricity and lights have been tested. The only two items that won’t be completed are the field house, being built by Northeast Vocational School, and the ticket booth, being built by Winthrop High School students. Both projects will be completed in the spring. There will be port-a-potty facilities on both sides of the field during the Thanksgiving Day game.

“We will fulfill the promise we’ve made since January,” Letterie said.

Letterie said the project went smoothly largely in part because of the committee, made up of Letterie, co-chair Vin Crossman, School Committee member Ron Vecchia, Principal Matt Serino, DPW head Steve Calla, Karin Chavis, Dave Girard, Tom Chibina, Conservation Commission member Norm Hyatt. Non-voting members will be Rich Cifuni, Jim Evans, and Bob Flavin.

“Every member of the committee gave 100-percent effort and were deeply involved in the project,” Letterie said. “Participation at our meetings has been high.”