Brave step

To the editor:

I applaud the Lawrence school board for taking a leadership role in moving forward with a sports facilities feasibility study. It was so refreshing to see a group of our elected officials step forward and take a decisive stand on an important community issue.

Our City Commission talks a great deal about “thinking big” and “visioning.” But when presented with this same opportunity to take a leadership role, a majority of commissioners hemmed and hawed and once again tabled an important issue. I hope the school board’s leadership encourages the city and county commissions to ante up and join a community partnership to study and then address our needs for better athletic facilities.

For anyone who has traveled for sports events and competitions, it’s easy to see that Lawrence is embarrassingly behind our peer communities in terms of athletic facilities. It is time to finally do something. Yes, moving forward will be messy and difficult and painful. But I strongly believe our kids and our community deserve much better athletic facilities.

Our school board took a brave first step. Now it’s time for the rest of us to step forward and actively help make this effort happen.

Doug Stremel,

Lawrence