Renaming Barnitz Stadium
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Schools
Forum Name: Other School Issues
Forum Description: Discuss other issues such as school security, student activities, etc.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5122
Printed Date: Nov 21 2024 at 7:57pm
Topic: Renaming Barnitz Stadium
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: Renaming Barnitz Stadium
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 7:20am
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Journal story..... Middletown group wants field named after former Middie great It took Cris Carter 11 years after his illustrious professional career ended to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’ll have to wait a little longer to possibly have the field where he starred for Middletown High School to be named in his honor. MHS teacher Mark Kerns gave a passionate — and far longer than the allotted three minutes — plea for the Middletown Board of Education to name the Barnitz Stadium football field the Cris Carter Field I LIKE THE INSERT "AND FAR LONGER THAN THE ALLOTTED THREE MINUTES".  Kerns said he’d like to have the field named as soon as possible. A few weeks ago, the court at Wade E. Miller Gym was named the Jerry Lucas Court, as was the court at Sunset Park. AND YOU JUST ANSWERED YOUR OWN REQUEST KERNS. HOW ABOUT INSTEAD OF CHRIS CARTER STADIUM, MAKE IT BARNITZ STADIUM.....CHRIS CARTER FIELD?....JUST LIKE WADE E. MILLER GYM- JERRY LUCAS COURT. THAT LEAVES THE DOOR OPEN TO ADD ANY OTHER NOTIBLES TO THE LIST WITH LUCAS AND CARTER, BUT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FACILITY. “This is nothing but a big positive,” Kerns said. Then he referenced Forbes magazine that several years ago named Middletown one of the “fastest dying towns” in the country CRAP, NOT SUPPOSE TO MENTION THE FASTEST DYING CITY THING KERNS. Kerns said Middletown is experiencing a 360-degree turnaround. Then he added: “This can be the exclamation point that shows a total reversal. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” A TAD BIT OF AN EMBELLISHMENT AND OPTIMISTIC VIEW KERNS. NOT YET SON. MAYBE DOWN THE ROAD. Kerns predicts the May 7 event will be the “biggest day this city has ever had.” NO, THE BIGGEST DAY THE CITY WILL HAVE WILL BE WHEN WE SEE NEW JOBS AND PEOPLE HAVING HOPE AND THE CITY PROGRESSING. THAT IS WHAT IS IMPORTANT. FOCUS KERNS, FOCUS. “He the most transformed person I know,” Kerns aid. “He’s totally different person since he left Middletown.” HMMM....A DIFFERENT PERSON SINCE HE LEFT MIDDLETOWN. He called the Carters, who lived in People’s Place Apartments, under the shadows of Barnitz Stadium, “the most resilient family” he ever met NEED TO MEET MORE PEOPLE. ALOT OF "RESILIENT" PEOPLE WHO HAVE (ARE) DEALING WITH SETBACKS EACH AND EVERY DAY. “They absolutely love Middletown,” said Kerns SOME OF US LOVE THE TOWN AS MUCH AS THE CARTERS. JUST DON'T AGREE WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING RIGHT NOW. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Replies:
Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 8:27am
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Doesn't a 360 degree turn bring you back to where you started? Shouldn't it be a 180 degree turn that sends you in the opposite direction? |
Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 9:36am
| The request is to name the field the Cris Carter Field at Barnitz Stadium. They did not ask to rename the stadium. |
Posted By: Miss Kitty
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 10:22am
| What has Mr Carter done for Middletown? I know he's pro-football star but has he given anything back to Middletown? Just curious. |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 10:53am
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Kitty,
I would assume that part of these discussions with the Carters include an understanding that he will be doing something for the school -- perhaps funding this program or that program, new equipment, new astroturf, a new team bus, who knows. And I'm guessing that expense will be rather large. So don't worry, Mr. Carter's generosity will be evident.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 11:20am
You are correct Ms. Andrew. My mistake. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Marcia Andrew wrote:Posted By: Rhodes
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 5:12pm
It's not Barnitz Stadium, it's Barnitz Field Stadium. Has always been Barnitz Field Stadium. It's unfortunate people do not even know the name and repeat it incorrectly so much that doing a Google search actually pulled up the incorrect name. In fact, most people from Middletown refer to it as "Barnitz Field". It might have something to do with the fancy entrance the Barnitz family had erected along South Main. Did the Barnitz family fund the whole venue when it was built? Does anyone know why it is named after them if they didn't fund it or at least the majority of it? I'm against changing the name. Find something else to name after Cris Carter. I don't get all of this stripping away of heritage to feed egos. If he wants his name on something just name the scoreboard after him. This way his name can be lit up in bright lights for all to see every weekend. That's what this is really all about isn't it?  |
Posted By: Rhodes
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 5:15pm
| I just read on the library site that the land was donated to the school by the Barnitz family. Unless Cris Carter can top that one, his name doesn't belong on the field. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 8:23pm
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In fairness, Cris Carter did not ask for any of this, and has never asked for anything locally.
His family never had it easy around here, despite their athletic success
When the bball went to Fla.this season, he attended the games and picked up the tab for not only the players and coaches, but for their parents and all of the locals also.
The guy struggled early on like many of us did when youngwer, not always making the best decisions.
He seems to have made his life right, and was spectacular as an athlete
Pretty much all the guy can do at this point
This up-coming event will feature 2 gold medal winning Olympians
A member of the NBA hall of fame and a member of the NFL hall of fame
Pretty impressive for Middietown imo
Barnitz Stadium will always be Barnitz Stadium to me
The field is mush and needs to be replaced
It was promised to be switched to artificial, and that promise has not been kept
Artificial would favor our team's speed, and prevent many football injuries over what we have now
jmo
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Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 8:52pm
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How about if there was a donation to tear down about a block of housing around the stadium? That might be the best gift of all! Another idea would be to fund a tutoring/career development program for these Middie athletes. So many in town play football or hoops as if that was their meal ticket and yet won't grasp that they will virtually all have to make their living doing something other than sports. Let's just celebrate what little claim to fame we have around here. No reason to denigrate Carter for what he may have done as a teen or maturing young man. And let's not hear anymore from all the bitter residents sitting around with their hand out think every successful person "owes" them and the town something.
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Posted By: LMAO
Date Posted: Mar 19 2013 at 9:25pm
 Never understood why they changed the name of the rec center. Also they want to change the basketball court. Im a good citizen name something after me.Chris was a hell of a player cant take that away from him.But the Barnitz did donate the field. |
Posted By: Miss Kitty
Date Posted: Mar 20 2013 at 10:11am
Thanks Neil. Do you have any inside scoop on the subject? I think it would be great to have a Mr Carter help in any way. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Mar 20 2013 at 10:34am
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I don't think that anything of the sort is expected. Especially on that large scale. I believe that Atrium has committed to turfing the field (Don't hold ME to that). No strings to this honor--no promise on a name change(for the field only). Lucas, Carter, Harrison--sincere deserved congratulations with no strings attached. For athletic achievement only What they do in their own us entirely up to them, and should be Appreciated and not expected or demanded Jmo |
Posted By: Marcia Andrew
Date Posted: Mar 20 2013 at 6:30pm
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Rhodes, thank you for the information and photo. I don't usually enter from Main Street side, so was not aware of the Barnitz Field sign and name. We will look into it. The proposal may need to be tweaked.
This is one reason why we did not approve the request on the spot Monday night. Good practice to check out for any unknown complications.
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Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Mar 20 2013 at 8:08pm
Ms.Andrew. The Barnitz Field entryway, in the old picture, on S. Main St. is no longer there. The arches and sign were knocked down years ago by a band bus that backed into the arch. Did enough damage to warrant tearing the whole thing down. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: AKBobby
Date Posted: Apr 07 2013 at 9:35am
| Never met Mr Carter, but I disagree with naming a field after someone who is still around. See Joe Paterno. |