Neighborhood isn't supporting lights

I would like to correct a statement which appeared in the Sept. 21 story about the lights at St. Edward High School.

In that article, Father Seisser was quoted as saying, "Though some neighbors have expressed concerns, the local neighborhood association supports the project."

I am the president of the Near West Neighbors Association, and St. Edward is in our neighborhood.

Our organization has never issued an endorsement of the lights.

We regret that we have been cited as being in support of this proposition.

Within our group, we have had several discussions on this matter.

Most of our members have not been in favor of the lights. Others have had no opinion on the matter.

But we have all been concerned that St. Edward has failed to reach out to its neighborhood to discuss how the impact of this situation could be minimized.

When the school had its expansion program several years ago, it made an excellent effort to reach out to the neighborhood and to keep everyone informed as to what was happening.

That level of diplomacy and consideration has been entirely lacking in the lighting situation.

But stating that the neighborhood group supports this project exceeds even the limits of poor diplomacy.

Perhaps if our neighborhood were not so densely populated and over-stressed on so many levels, the issue of lights at St. Ed's would not be so important.

But that is not the reality of life in this neighborhood.

Our group knows that the city council will decide this matter based upon its own merits.

We all wish St. Edward well, and want it to prosper in all that it does.

But we also hope the city council will take the required measures to minimize the added stresses that these games place on our neighborhood, should it decide to allow lights.

Chuck Keysor, president

Near West

Neighbors Association

Elgin