Letter to the Editor: Make no little plans!

“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood.” This is my favorite quote, from Daniel Burnham, one of America’s great urban planners, the architect of the city plan for Chicago, and the director of works for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition (Fair).

I learned about Burnham while living and working in Chicago from 1992 to 2006. Burnham collaborated with Frederick Law Olmstead in the early 1890’s on the landscape plan for Chicago’s World’s Fair. Ironically, Olmstead’s masterpiece is New York City’s Central Park, a place I frequented while living and working in New York and on the east coast from 2006 to 2022.

I moved home to Newton in 2022, a true blessing for which I am inexpressibly grateful. At the final stop on this Odyssean journey, I’ve asked myself, “How is it possible that I - a former paperboy from northeast Newton – has been able to realize career success in places like Chicago and New York?” And the answer is, “Because my coaches and my community told me I could.” In fact, they expected it.

I graduated from Newton High School in 1988, and had the great fortune to play for legendary Coach John Jenkins. Our 1987 team – nicknamed “The Smurfs” – began the remarkable streak of 17 consecutive playoff appearances for Newton from 1987 to 2003. My best friends and I played for the Cardinals during a phenomenal era of “Red Pride”.

I know now that Red Pride wasn’t some “thing”. Red Pride was “some-one”. Red Pride was in the hearts of my coaches, my teachers, my teammates, and their parents. Red Pride taught me discipline, and toughness, and grit. Red Pride never stopped stirring my blood. Red Pride told me I could do it. And I believed you.

Red Pride is in the blood of this community. (Take this from a guy who has seen a few things in his life: it wasn’t Maytag that made Newton great. It was the other way around.). Thank you, Red Pride. I love this town, and I believe our brightest days are ahead.

Make no little plans!

Mike Skinner

Newton