Leslie Anderson, a University City resident and community angel, has spent the last several years looking at University City High School’s (UCHS) athletic fields in need of upgrades. Leslie’s two daughters matriculated through the local high school, but even after their UCHS graduations, Leslie continued with her goal of getting these 30-year-old fields in 21st-century condition. Leslie gathered around some talented U.C. residents, including Greg Zinser and John Hargrove and Jim Winter. She involved the former City Council President Scott Peters, and she also sent out an SOS to developers. “Jim Winter and Madeleine Baudoin from Scott Peters’ office were helpful from the city side of things. Jim always made sure that our project was included in the monthly meetings regarding joint use of the fields,” according to Anderson. She found a friend in Mike Price, the UCHS principal, and she also got lucky that in spite of our economic turndown, San Diegans passed Proposition S. “The best thing about this funding coming from Prop S is that the school now becomes the custodian of the track and football stadium. This move should help eliminate some of the angst about the stadium lights, because the hours of operation will be significantly less. The fields will still be available to the community but at the discretion of the school district and not the city,” Anderson added. Price answered some pointed questions about the athletic fields project as well as other projects that come under the umbrella of Proposition S. According to the principal, “The long-range facilities plan and a planning team consisting of teachers, administrators and central office staff participated in the development of the bond issue items for U.C. High. The fields’ portion of the bond for U.C. was built on the work of the Centurion Foundation and the office of former Councilman Scott Peters. The bond was a backup plan for community fund-raising for the fields’ renovation.” How would you spend $25 million at U.C. High? Besides upgrading the fields, the Proposition S funds of will improve health, safety and security issues and access for disabled students. “Our technological backbone is going to be strengthened with a full high-speed wireless Internet with sufficient bandwidth to handle instructional items well into the next decade,” Price reported. The heating and air conditioning systems also will be renovated. Since security is a major concern at schools, additional security cameras will be installed, while upgrades for existing cameras will occur. Leslie’s dream of a first-rate athletic fields and courts project will consume a major portion of the funding. The football field will see an artificial playing surface and an all-weather track surface, stadium lighting, handicap-access bleachers, a scoreboard and even enhancements to the snack bars. The upper fields will have some renovation in surfaces, safety and access, “although they will not be included to the extent that we have designed in the campus master plan,” according to Price. The Centurion Foundation, the City of San Diego and the North U.C. Planning Group will host a capital campaign in the future specifically designed to open access to the upper fields to the community. Upper fields host soccer, baseball, field hockey and softball teams. Lacrosse, gaining popularity with students, is played on the stadium field. Although Price is not at liberty to share a detailed timeline until approval by the Board of Education, work should begin in the near future and continue for several years. After 30 years of heavy use, UCHS needs a facelift on these athletic fields. Who doesn’t want to play a home game on a state-of-the-art field? Price is quick to point out that University City is “woefully underparked” and needs more recreational space for children and adults. A probable joint use of upper fields, similar to Standley’s joint use with Spreckels Elementary and Standley Middle School, should be motivation for the city to move this project along even in these uncertain economic times. Leslie is not one to seek the spotlight, but she proves the difference one person can make in this world. She saw a need, focused her energy on it and involved talented, committed people. Those in charge should name the field after her — AMTRACK: Anderson Miracle Track.