Email to Burlington Historical Society members and Precinct 4 Town Meeting Members today
Hello,
I am emailing all of you today in hopes that we can avoid another lost opportunity for preserving what little Burlington History is still available to us and all of the residents of Burlington.
For several months, I have been trying to promote an historic alternative to the (generic) name given to the newest park in Burlington. As it stands right now, the new park will be called Wildwood Park. I know that these fields were the home of the Wildwood School for many years but the school has been gone since 1996 and most of the children who will be playing at this park have never even heard of the Wildwood School. Which brings me to the suggestion that the park be named after the area in which is located: Havenville. In trying to contact you all, I googled the history of Burlington and it brought up the home page of the Burlington Historical Society. This page, ironically enough, features the story of the birth of the Historical Society back in 1964. Upon reading the story, I was amazed to find that it was because of the Havenville (West) School that the society was even created. How can we let the very beginnings, the very foundation of the society just fall to the wayside? How can we let another piece of Burlington history slip away?
The Havenville suggestion has not met with much response at the Recreation Department and I could really use some assistance in this matter. I know this sounds like an episode of the television show Parks & Recreation but it's REAL and it's important for our town!
Incidentally, I am all for the park project. I have no desire to stall or halt the park progress. However, I do believe that we have an opportunity to promote something that may be lost if we don't act now. I have several classrooms of children and at least one Girl Scout troop willing to begin a campaign supporting this suggestion. This could be an amazing chance for the children of this town to learn about the history of Burlington and also to learn how to responsibly work through an issue that could affect a whole town. I already have pre-printed postcards for residents to sign and mail in to the rec department to show their support. Please, respond to me as soon as possible as I believe this matter needs to be handled in a very timely fashion. Thanks!
http://Havenville.Blogspot.com search Havenville on facebook or try
Havenville@groups.facebook.com
For the hundreds if not thousands of former students,like me, who went to the Wildwood school, having that name disappear from our history seems a larger loss than a name I never heard in my first 22 years of my life in Burlington.
ReplyDeleteHello Anonymous, while the Recreation Department declined to name the park after the area (still) known as Havenville, it is still of historical significance. There is a planned kiosk being made by students at the Shawsheen tech that will be in the park within the next few months. It will highlight both Rec Dept info and Havenville history. Wildwood School may be part of your personal history but Havenville is a recognized part of Burlington's history. It would be a shame if it were completely forgotten. Google it sometime...it still shows up on the map as a part of town...
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