We in Middletown seem to be unable to get the town council and the Board
of Education (BOE) to agree to meet and arrange for the town’s soccer leagues
to use BOE fields.Currently, the township council is moving to re-purpose Stevenson Park for use by
soccer leagues. They claim the BOE has denied the league’s use of
their fields.
The BOE denies that they refused to allow the town to use their field and
claim that the councilmen have cancelled scheduled meetings set up for a
discussion about this.
All the while they are squabbling away, Stevenson Park’s future
hangs in the balance. The town council seems determined to destroy it.
If you have never seen this gem of a park, you should take a ride over
there. It is right off West Front Street in Middletown.
It is unthinkable for the lovely unspoiled piece of history, dating back
to 1700, should be wrecked just so the leagues can have nine fields for
tournaments. Currently, Mayor Kevin Settembrino and Deputy Mayor Anthony Fiore have
claimed that they only want to put in two fields; however, their drawings
show nine fields with parking for 325 cars. No one believes that they will
stop at two fields and that more fields will be built in the future until
they get nine fields and utterly destroy Stevenson Park.
Soccer may be in fashion for only a few more years until a new sport
takes over, but the destruction of this pristine piece of land will be
forever.
Florence Pospeck
Red Bank |
