[Truth]

I did not graduate from Ashland High School and I am not an Ashland fan. However, I have seen many football games- from college to high school to junior high to JFL- in this beloved and historic stadium. Some times I paid, some times I sneaked in, and sometimes I got in on a pass. The old stadium is a historic treasure. It is a personal friend.

I've seen too many historic buildings in Ashland torn down and replaced with steel, aluminum, or composition structures with no style and no heart. Others have been mutilated by covering their charm with plastic or some other trashy siding. The "renovation" will, regardless of all the maroon and white paint, join these other sad reminders of the decline of the city.

I will make one last visit to Putnam Stadium. It won't be to a game. I will be alone. It will be a private visit so that I can say "goodbye" to another local treasure that was an important part of my life and of the lives of many, many others.