Turning an Eyesore into a Tower of Eagle
Pride
May 2, 2010
The rusty
green eyesore the way it sits today.
Overlooking the Windham High School stadium
where the 2009 WHS football team made their
magical run to the town's first Class A
state title.
The attention
of the fans along the first base line of the
little league softball field behind the
Windham Primary School shifted between the
game and the tall rusted green water tower
rising above the trees on the opposite side
of the Windham High School stadium field.
It started as
more of an observation "I wonder why the
town doesn't clean that up and paint it. It
is an eyesore."
We thought
more people didn't think about it because
the hometown fans sit with their backs to it
while cheering on the High School teams. We
wondered whether visiting fans and players
noticed it as they came to town to take on
the Mighty Eagles of Windham.
A closer
look at the water tower after we made some
changes with the power of Photoshop.
By the end of
the softball game we had decided there was a
way to make sure every visiting player and
fan noticed the tower. We decided that the
tower should be painted white to stand out
in the background. Then we would paint
"Windham Football: 2009 State Champions" in
big maroon letters on the side facing the
high school fields.
We could use
it to intimidate the visitors. It would also
serve as a constant reminder to Windham's
student athletes of the accomplishments of
the 2009 Windham High School football team.
It could be something that instilled pride
in Windham's student athletes when they are
working hard in practice or taking the field
in a game. A reminder of the pride we all
felt in November of 2009 that they could
glance up at when they need that extra boost
of energy to push themselves further than
they thought they could.
We have signs that
honor our home town grid iron heroes on the town
line of the main arteries into Windham. Those signs
are great and remind everyone who drives into
Windham of the team's monumental season. We think
the sign on the water tower would be another
appropriate reminder that overlooks the Windham High
School Stadium.
It would be a
reminder to every opponent that stepped on
the field that they were facing a team that
knew how to win. That they are in a town
that is proud of their student athletes and
supports them any way they can.
In our
fantasy all of Windham's student athletes
would play under the shadow of the long
lasting reminder of the town's first Class A
State Championship and the talented group of
players who brought the gold ball to
Windham.
It would also
be a long lasting tribute to that team. It
was suggested that the signs on the town
line should be replaced sooner rather than
later. That leaving them up too long would
become a symbol of clinging to a potentially
very old accomplishment. Maybe a sad
reminder that there are no current
accomplishments to celebrate.
We prefer to
think that those road signs will be replaced
soon because Windham is going to be winning
many more state championships in the coming
years and those teams should be celebrated
with similar signs welcoming travelers to
Windham.
We also
believe that the town's first class A state
championship deserves a longer lasting
memorial. A reminder of a team that did
something no one before them had
accomplished. The water tower would be the
perfect way to accomplish that. Judging by
the wear on the current paint job,
repainting it doesn't appear to be part of
the regular maintenance budget. That would
be fine with us.
We didn't have
a plan for how to pay for it. Making this a
reality would would require a lot of paint
and labor. Most of which would probably have
to come from donations from generous local
businesses. More importantly it would take
an individual or group of individuals that
agree that the water tower should multi task
and stand as a reminder of the 2009 Windham
High School Football Team.
Do you agree or disagree with our idea? We
think opinions may be strong one way or the
other and encourage you to leave yours below
using Facebook comments.
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