Feedback from Newton’s Residents
I am a lifelong resident of Newton.....47 years and counting. I have (3) sons, and many nieces and nephews which have depended and relied on the public fields throughout our city. I find it to be disturbing, that our city leaders seem to be less than enthused to improve our public fields. I am however optimistic, and hope our “city leaders” will invest the time and the resources to improve our current state of athletic playing fields. — Eric B
This is critical to the physical and mental health of our kids in Newton - I view this as a minimal requirement/request of the City. It impacts thousands of our kids now and going forward. More than ever, we have to prioritize making our Newton infrastructure work FOR our kids, not against....please support this initiative! — Linda L.
Any decision maker should take a look at our neighboring towns and cities and compare their soccer facilities with ours in Newton. I think you'll come to a quick understanding that Newton's athletic fields, particularly when it comes to soccer, is an embarrassment. Given the number of children and families in Newton compared to our neighbor's, then this becomes quickly apparent that Newton's field management, quality and availability have been severely neglected over many years. — Carl P.
We have the tax money, please spend some of it on the improvement of sports fields and equipment for children. —Jake T.
Our fields and parks need attention! Our fields are an embarrassment esp when compared to the condition of the fields we play when when at an opponent's home! — Kim B.
In these days where outdoor activity is the only option, and days get shorter, Newton Youth Sports needs more lighted fields for sports. — Ron F.
I have been playing ultimate on Newton's fields year round for 14 years. It's been a constant struggle to find adequate field space for our team and I would really like to see more fields available and improvements made to the existing ones. — Marc S.
I'm a coach for Newton Girls Soccer. The field conditions for games have ranged from fair to dangerous, uneven surfaces that can lead to knee injuries. There were holes so big at Oak Hill we've had to put cones in them. Please do something to fix the fields! — David C.
As a parent who has coached baseball and soccer, I've put in multiple days raking, removing debris, weeding, and filling holes, I can say that the condition and quality of our fields is below average to poor. This weekend I practices baseball with my 2 sons at Roche field at Albemarle. Both kids took "dingers" off ground balls that popped up and hit them - one in the mouth and one in the forehead, and we had 1 twisted ankle for running and stepping in a hole. At Lyons, right field is flooded and soft and is basically a hazard. Both boys are hoping to play flag football this fall, and we're enrolling our daughter to Girls Soccer. Please prioritize investing in our fields - quality and safety from design to maintenance. Thank you! —Matt S.
Newton is overdue for some improvements on this front. — Alec S.
As a parent of two children who play sports, I have observed that Newton fields are significantly below par, when compared to other towns in Middlesex and other counties. I hope that Newton can allocate funds to improve the conditions. Thank you. — Alisa K.
Newton parks and field are not maintained nor is the necessary funding allocated to maintain them to even an acceptable standard. When compared to surrounding towns, most of Newton parks and fields are in a poor conditions for athletics. There are frequent letters to the Tab on degrading conditions of tennis courts, basketball courts, etc. — Albert O.
I coach for my daughters teams and as both a mom, young women and an educator, it is paramount we sustain and support maintaining fields so that all children/ community members can appreciate the outlet given by partaking in and leading sports activities. Green spaces and fields slated for games promotes a healthier community. Please don’t neglect our fields! Please ensure equitable distribution of field time as well. — Julie L.
Our fields should be far better condition than they are. Nearly every other town and city we travel to has super fields. Newton's fields are way overdue for a makeover, and in fact, should receive significant upgrades. — Amy D.
There are not enough fields and fields need help. This is pretty obvious to anyone who has walked around a Newton field. Kids have gone through seasons barely practicing to "preserve the fields". So what is the point if they cannot even play on these fields! — Alex K.
I’ve coached Soccer and the fields overall are in bad shape. Our practice field in Upper Falls was mostly weeds and dirt. People used the playing field as an off leash dog park so our girls were stepping in dog feces and aggressive dogs would chase the girls during practice. The game day fields at Brown/Oak Hill are uneven with holes in the field and very poor drainage. One hole was so deep we stuck a road cone in and you could just see the tip sticking out. Even if it rained days earlier, there would be standing water on the field. For such an affluent town that prides itself on being family friendly, it seems very little is spent to maintain or improve the fields. The surrounding communities in Brookline, Wellesley, and Needham all have much better fields than Newton. — Michael V.
Lights are especially crucial in Fall and early spring for practice. — Elizabeth N.
Too long has the City failed in their stewardship of the City's assets. You have no problem bending over backwards for developers, but your duty should be to the residents. — Seth A.
Two priorities in my opinion. Add a turf complex for city of Newton. I cannot understand how a city this size does not have at least one municipal turf field. In addition, update the town pool. This means fix its leak, renovate and add a bubble/cover. — Lars D.
We have traveled to many towns across Massachusetts for our children's sports and we have seen what other towns have to offer. It is embarrassing when we return to Newton and see our facilities. A town with such resources owes more to our children. Britt B.
I wholeheartedly support the goals of this petition. The events of the past six months only amplify the need for maintaining and improving our open spaces for the use of all the residents. Ensuring safe playing surfaces also ensures equity in access to sports for a city that purports to value equal access. Eileen O.