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Committee recommends full council consider naming Bay State Road park for longtime mentor Billy Robertson
Summary
The committee voted to send a proposal to the full council to name the new Bay State Road park after Billy Robertson, a Boys & Girls Club mentor of more than 50 years; councilors discussed preserving historical recognition for earlier civic figures and suggested plaques or nearby dedications to reconcile histories.
The committee voted June 23 to send to the full council a request to name the under‑construction Bay State Road park adjacent to the Boys & Girls Club for Billy Robertson, a local mentor who has served the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club for more than five decades.
Susan Fink of the Office of Planning and Development described planned park amenities — courts for basketball and futsal, a volleyball/pickleball court, a Learn‑to‑Skate/bike track, game tables and an esplanade — and said Mayor de Pena had approved the naming proposal. "Billy Robertson has dedicated 54 years of his life to the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club," Fink told councilors.
Marcus Fisher, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence, urged the council to approve the naming, saying Robertson’s quiet, steady mentorship has shaped generations of city children. "This is more than a name on a sign... it's a message to our young people that a life of service matters," Fisher said.
Councilor Mark LaPlante raised historical context, urging the council to remember Edward F. O'Sullivan, an earlier local figure whose name had once been attached to the site. Councilors discussed options such as a plaque, a bench, or naming a nearby parcel to preserve the earlier figure's memorial while honoring Robertson. The committee advanced the naming to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
