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Residents urge pause and public meetings on proposed Roberto Clemente park renaming
Summary
Speakers at the June 11 Worcester Parks & Recreation Commission meeting asked the panel to pause the Roberto Clemente playground renaming and hold community meetings so local history and family perspectives can be reviewed before a final decision.
Gordon Ward asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to pause action on renaming Great Brick Valley Playground/Roberto Clemente Park and to open the proposal to broader public meetings so community members can review the historical record and weigh in.
“My name is Gordon Ward and I’m here to talk… I would ask the commissioners to put that on hold,” Ward said, citing a 1957 film featuring a local resident and arguing the city should examine how the community was represented before finalizing the change. He urged the commission to “open it up and talk about it” and hold one or two meetings for community input.
City staff told the panel they are “in agreeance with the family at this time to put this on hold” and recommended moving the item into old business so staff can do additional vetting and schedule follow-up discussions. The administration said the item will be brought back to a later meeting after that outreach.
Commissioners and several public commenters said they welcomed more community conversation. Alexandra Tubielli, who said she is a member of the Ward family, told the commission the story “meant so much to me” and expressed support for a public process that preserves community history.
The commission moved the rename request to old business for further review and signaled it will return to the topic at an upcoming meeting once staff and the family have had a chance to consult with the broader public.
