Newmiddle school will have identity of its own

The completion of the playscape at the Pat Kidney Sports Complex marks the end of the total overhaul of the space. It’s a beauty. Kids and adults alike love it. All we can do nowis use it, enjoy it and hope the upkeep on the natural grass doesn’t bankrupt the city.

Fingers crossed on that one. Some other thoughts:

** On the afternoon before Thanksgiving Day in 1983, in front of a boisterous student body inside Prof Gallitto Gymnasium, John Skubelwheeled out Willie theWildcat to the center of the floor.

Thiswas a more than special occasion. He— Skubel, notWillie— was about to say a fewwords to the kids, teachers and staff of Wood row Wilson High School. Manywere dressed in maroon and gray that day.

The final school year in the history ofWilsonHigh waswell underway. Each passing day carried with it a tinge of wistfulness. The mergerwith crosstown rivalMiddletown into one public high schoolwas on everyone’s minds. I have to believe that across town, the Tigers of MHS felt a similar sentiment.

I amremembering the scene in the gymthrough

14yearold eyes. Iwas a freshman atWilson at the time. Itwasmy first and THE last pep rally before the annual Wilson Middle town Thanksgiving Day football game. Itwas the pep rally to end all pep rallies.

Skubelwas the football coach atWilson and he would go on to coach the Blue Dragons, whowere born out of the merger, to multiple state championships. Hewas a great man who radiated goodness and decency. He never cursed— his idea of profanitywas shouting “cheese and crackers!” when a play broke down. Education, family, religion, people and football were the things Skubel valued most in life.

On that afternoon of Nov. 23, Willie theWildcat— I don’t knowif hewas the product of a taxidermist or just a stuffed and mounted entity— commanded everyone’s attention. Skubelwas given a hand mic. He placed his left hand onWillie, and as he began to speak his voice cracked.

“I’mgoing to try to not get too emotional … ” he said, collecting himself and going on to articulate how incredibly meaningful the momentwas for all of us.

The memory resurfaces nowbecause the building onHuntingHill Avenue formerly known as Wood row Wilson High, which became th emerged Middle town High, which became Wood row Wilson Middle School aswe knowit today when the new, ninefigure MiddletownHigh on LaRosa Lane opened 11 years ago, is going to be torn down. An $87.35 million facility for the city’s students in grades 6, 7 and 8 will be built over the next two years to take its place.

This newmiddle school will get a name and identity all its own. Thatmuchwe can be sure of.

Wait, you didn’t think the committee thatwas formed to considerwhat the name of the newschool will be would keep theWilson name, did you?

It seems to me that the

committeewas not formed to maintain the status quo. Not in 2019, when communities across the country, communities just as diverse and thriving as ours, are thinking long and hard aboutwho stood forwhat, andwhen, andwhy, and whether their names deserve to remain in block letters on buildings, or streets, orwhatever it might be.

WoodrowWilson taught history atWesleyan University in the late 1800s, just one of his successful endeavors before being elected the nation’s 28th president in 1913. The record also shows that hewas a proponent of segregation, and, well, what more needs to be said in a timewhen people, rightfully, have had enough?

TheMiddletown community has arrived at a point in timewhen something like a newmiddle school should not cling to the past in name, just becauseWilson graduateswant to cling to theirs.

Those Wildcats who still love their school and have pride in theWilson name should not be dismissed. That’s not the point here. Some have spoken to pride, a sense of identity, maybe even a longing for the old days ofwhat their sense of communitywas at that time.

It’s also important to acknowledge that there is an opportunity to give the newschool its own sense of “who” and “we.” And that’s where the conversation and the Common Council’s looming decision should end— at the feet of generations to come, who can feel their own future sense of pride inwhatever name the school is given.

SERIOUS STRETCH FOR 75ERS

Middletown Post 75 enters a makeorbreakweek in its season. To have any shot of being one of the five Zone 3 teams that qualify for American Legion state tournament, the 75ers have to win out, starting with Wednesday’ s home doubleheader against Walling ford.

“We need to finish 139,” coach Jay Famiglietti said. “We need to treatWednesday like they are playoff

games.”

The 75ers are 89 in the zone’s Southern Division and 1011 overall. Five teams from each of the state’s eight zones qualify for the state tournament. In Zone 3, it’s the top two in each division by record, plus the next team with the best record.

Middletown is outside the top five as theweek begins. Glastonbury leads the South, with RockyHill/ Cromwell/Portland and EastHartford/Manchester each three games back in the loss column. Enfield leads the Northern Division andWindsor Locks/Windsor and Ellington are jockeying for second.

Bottom line: Famiglietti is right. The 75ers need to take two fromWallingford, take two from Northeast on Saturday at Palmer Field. If they do that, a threegame series against Glastonbury starting July 14would be crazy meaningful.

The 75erswere an average team last season until the start of July, when they went on a run and got to the tournament. They control their own destiny once again.

THISANDTHAT

** If I had a say in naming the newschool, itwould be Ida Keigwin JuniorHigh. Because Keigwin (for current sixthgraders in the city) will cease to be a school when the newfacility opens, the city should not abandon Ida Keigwin’s good name. Think about it.

** Sponsors and foursomes are still needed for the Colter Classic Golf on July 15 at Quarry Ridge in Portland. Tournament proceeds benefit the Colter Abely Achievement Fund at the Community Foundation ofMiddlesex County. The fund supports the Xavier andMiddletown wrestling programs, aswell as a summer wrestling camp for middle school youth. Abely, who died in 2012, wrestled at Xavier andwas a member of the Class of 2010. For more information, visit middlesexcountycf.org.

** Middletown Post 75’s annual Fan Appreciation Night is July 15, the middle game of its series against Glastonbury. First pitch at Palmer Field is scheduled

for 6 p.m.

** A GreaterHartford Twilight League quadrupleheader will be played at Palmer Field on July 15. A portion of ticket sales will benefit Middle town American Legion’ s Mil ar do Wilcox Post 75.

Games will be played at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 4 p.m., with the 6:30 nightcap featuring Malloves Jewelers ofMiddletown against the South Windsor Phillies. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased on game day at Palmer Field.

** AnotherWomen’s World Cup, another title for the United States. The Dutchwere a step behind and unable to mount a sustained attack in Sunday’s final. The Americanswere just too good.

Thewomen’s game is more fun towatch than the men’s becausemuch of it is played on the ground, so you see and understand howan attack develops. It’s a better learning experience as a viewer.

Now wemove on to whether the team, or a portion of it, accepts the president’s invitation to come to theWhiteHouse. Hmm.

** FIFA president Gianni Infantino has a goal of expanding the field to 32 teams from 24 in time for the 2023women’s tournament. This is an ambitious plan, but if it means more teams like Thailand qualifying and then losing a 130 match, like they did to the U.S. in the group stage, no thanks. Meanwhile, FIFA says it will increase its investment in thewomen’s gameworldwide to $1 billion over the next fouryear cycle. Good deal, as long as there’s no corruption in it.

** The Celtics’ Tacko Fall, who stands 7 feet, 7 inches in sneakers, dunked in a Las Vegas Summer League game without leaving his feet. Howdo you not love that?

** With 15yearold American Coco Gauff still going strong intoWimbledon’s Round of 16, she will be appointment viewing in the U.S. Open.

** Three gentlemenwho look good at 81 years of age: John Sterling, JerryWest and BillWithers.

Paul Augeri / For Hearst Connecticut Media The area surrounding the front ofWoodrowWilson Middle School recently has been enclosed by eightfoothigh fencing. Construction on a new school on the land in front of the existing building begins soon.