As an AYSO soccer coach and mother of a player, I ask state Senator Don Harmon and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources: Please do not cave in to fear about the plan to renovate the Field Center and park. Apparently, a few persons’ grief over losing 14 trees, has blinded them to the plan to plant many more trees which will last far longer into the future.
I love old trees, too, and feel sad when they come down. I also feel sad – and as a soccer coach, angry – when my son’s AYSO team can’t play soccer because either there is no field available or because we have been rudely bumped by another team trespassing during our practice time. The soccer field shortage is a huge problem which affects hundreds of children and dozens of teams. Our parks are not nature preserves or arboretums but, first and foremost, places for our children to play. Please stand firm behind the mission of the park to provide recreation to many and, secondarily, beauty to the neighborhood.
Suzanne Haraburd
River Forest
