Perhaps Finally a Home Field Advantage

Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch

DeLaSalle has been the biggest influence in my life.

So said local business owner, Skip Maas, at the groundbreaking ceremony for an athletic field at DeLaSalle Catholic high school in Minneapolis after handing over a check for more than $2 million to foot the bill for construction. The Islanders may finally have a home game; I had several friends who went there and always had to play their games somewhere else. (Predominantly lefty) critics claim the new facility will be a blight on Nicollet Island, where the school is located and which has had a rebirth of sorts in recent years. Predictably they have filed suit to stop construction.

What should not be lost is that the field is privately funded and will be made available for public use. Nor should it be forgotten that DeLaSalle has a rich history in the city of Minneapolis for over a century and was the primary inhabitant of the island for decades when the rest of the island was in fact blighted. The plan for the field has been vetted for four years and has included many changes to address public concerns. It's time to bring in the bulldozers.