End of an Era?

It has snuck up on us again, the final dual meet of the outdoor track season.

Today Newton North hosts Needham. It will be the final home meet for seniors, which means it will be the final high school meet for many. Of course, for others, there are still big meets to come -- the league meet, the Class meet, and the State meet.

The meet itself -- that is, the competition -- might not be anything special, as Newton looks to be too strong for Needham, but the atmosphere will be festive. Knowing JT, there will be cake or chocolate or something else good to eat at the conclusion.

This will also be the final meet at Dickinson stadium. The facility is crumbling, and the track is disintegrating. By summer, work crews are supposed to break ground on the construction of the new high school. I don't know if runners today will be nostalgic for the track, since it has been obvious for several years that it is in terrible shape. On the other hand, it's very strange to think that Newton North will be without a track of any kind for at least two years! And I've been told that the Newton South track isn't in great shape, either.

It seems that winds of change are blowing. Who knows what other changes are in store?