Palestine renames athletic complex for Curtis Wayne Fitzgerald, council to add commemorative plaque

Palestine City Council on May 27 voted to rename the city's athletic complex the Curtis Fitzgerald Athletic Complex and asked staff to prepare a commemorative plaque recording his military service and community work.

Council considered several naming options after earlier community feedback showed renaming a street would impose address change burdens on residents. Councilors debated formal naming conventions: some members urged using Fitzgerald’s full name as the official facility name and reserving the informal nickname “Fitz” for the plaque, while others noted that the existing wayfinding signage and the facility’s current branding as an “athletic complex” argued for keeping the “complex” designation.

Speakers discussed scope and future naming possibilities: councilors said the facility will host baseball, softball and T‑ball and that individual fields or elements could later carry other honorary names. Several members emphasized that the plaque should include Fitzgerald’s military rank and a summary of accomplishments; staff said the plaque would draw from obituary and family‑provided material.

A motion to name the facility the Curtis Fitzgerald Athletic Complex was made, seconded and carried on a voice vote. Council directed staff to return with the ordinance text and implementation details, including signage and plaque language; members asked staff to consider wayfinding costs because recent sign work had been expensive.