Susan Zacharia

Opinions Editor

The Naperville Park District’s garden plots are on their way to becoming Central’s future athletic fields.

The lacrosse team will use the fields rather than commuting to other locations to practice, and the football team will utilize them while their original field undergoes construction.

The Naperville Park District voted 4-3 in favor of moving the garden plots to another site to add more athletic fields.

“[The fields are] definitely a positive addition because they will make the team feel more like a Naperville Central sport,” said senior Emily Susin, girls’ lacrosse team captain. “They will help make the program stronger and make kids more aware of what the lacrosse team does.

“Overall, [they] will just make the lacrosse team grow.”

While Principal Bill Wiesbrook sees both sides to the issue of moving the garden plots, he supports the decision.

“I suppose I can understand how a gardener that uses that location would be frustrated,” said Wiesbrook, “[but] the list of people that will benefit from those athletic fields being in that location will be a lot longer than the list of people that will be frustrated or disappointed. In my opinion, I think it’s something that should be done.”

The next step is for the city council to vote on the matter. If they vote in favor of adding more athletic fields to the site and relocating the garden plots, the fields will be ready by late summer or early fall of 2010.

If they vote against it, the land will remain as the garden plots.

“It’s not perfect because the garden plots are still several blocks away,” Wiesbrook said. “Like a lot of things, it’s not perfect. But I think it’s the best solution that is available.”