Two months after the committee appointed by the Town Council decided not to rename Plainville High School’s Alumni Field after two deceased longtime school board members the group will revisit the idea at a special meeting slated for 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2 at the Plainville Municipal Center.

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the committee had decided that Alumni Field is meant to honor living and deceased alumni from the high school. Donald St. Pierre, a former state representative, had asked the school board to name the field after Thomas L. Wazorko, who was on the school board from 1984 until his death March 25, 2008, and Thomas R. Ferguson, who was a school board member for 16 years, and who died March 24, 2008. St. Pierre, who knew both men, made the proposal in May 2008.

The renaming committee, made up of Becky Tyrrell and Anthony Goldberg, both of the school board, and Helen Bergenty and Jason Rupaka, of the Town Council, decided unanimously to send the idea to the council and school board, suggesting a more appropriate way be found to honor Wazorko and Ferguson, perhaps a wing or new part of the high school or another school building.
In addition, the committee asked the council to alter or expand its purpose to place an honor for people who serve or served the community and make that part of the proposed mini-green area in front of the police station.

At the council meeting held Sept. 8, Tabitha Wazorko Manafort, Thomas Wazorko’s daughter, spoke to the council asking about the status of the renaming of the field. She expressed concern about the length of time it was taking for the renaming group to make its decision.
A letter dated Sept. 8, was sent to the Wazorko and Ferguson families, explaining the field renaming committee’s Sept. 3 decision. “The committee would like to honor these two gentlemen who served the town of Plainville so faithfully,” according to the letter that was sent by the committee.

After she learned that a special meeting had been set to revisit the renaming group’s Sept. 3 decision, Bergenty expressed some concerns, saying the group had made a unanimous decision and she thought an appropriate way other than renaming the field would be found.

Bergenty said she thinks a new meeting isn’t necessary. “Mr. Ivan Wood served on the original building committee to construct the fields,” she said. “At one point the name Ivan Wood was suggested, but he said he and the committee agreed the name ‘Alumni Field’ would better serve to honor all students past and present who attended Plainville High School, plus the fact many alumni had donated large sums of money to construct the fields and bring the construction costs in under budget,” Bergenty said. Wood was a longtime former principal of PHS who died a few years ago.

Manafort said she didn’t receive the letter written by the renaming committee. She said she was “disappointed” that it has taken so long for a decision to be reached.

She said she won’t be able to attend the Nov. 2 meeting, but another family member would likely be there. “If the town is behind something, then it should have happened easier,” Manafort said.
Manafort said she thought the proposal was to rename the complex, not the field. “My father gave half his life to service in the community,” she said, adding that some people are dragging their feet. Manafort said she is not trying to minimize the contributions of other deserving people.

Bergenty sent a copy of an e-mail apparently written by Tyrrell that indicated she was resigning as head of the renaming group, but would remain as a member.

Comments :