The time to take action is now in updating the facilities at Memorial Field.

As a 1986 graduate, I played football on this field. Three of my kids, one niece and two nephews use the field on a regular basis.

Memorial Field isn’t just a high school football field; it has become a community sports facility. It should be something we are proud of.

Instead, it has become a source of embarrassment. We now must ask visiting teams to arrive early to find a seat or bring lawn chairs.

Memorial Field hosts many events year-round — lacrosse, soccer, rugby, youth football, field hockey and, of course, football.

I understand others want a multisport facility somewhere else, and I agree. But where? We don’t own viable land elsewhere. The South track and Community Field aren’t available; the Borough won’t allow additional lighting. The Haugh Tract by Park Forest Middle School isn’t large enough to fit the field, bleachers and parking.

Memorial Field is the only option. Do we really want to lose the convenience of Memorial Field to another apartment building?

Would we say to music department, “Sorry, we won’t fix the broken seats in the auditorium because we are contemplating building a new high school”?

Of course not. We need to maintain what we have. Let’s show our support to the school board members so they can do what we elected them to do — review the facts and update the facilities at Memorial Field.

David Roeshot

State College