What’s in a name? Plenty, these days. From selling the rights for a stadium to the thought and love that parents use to decide what they’re going to call the baby, names go a long way in defining what or who we are.
Should Greenfield name a new senior/community center after John A. Zon Jr. — an idea recently presented by Town Council Vice President Isaac Mass? The town would be doing more than simply bestowing an honor on the late life-long resident of Greenfield. It would be sending a strong message that this new public facility is a “community” center — an issue that had been in play as town leaders debated spending about $4 million on the project.
After all, Zon epitomized inclusion and commitment to the place he called home.
The list of volunteer activities or civic organizations he supported is a long one. They included serving as a little league coach for 10 years when his children were young. And this interest in the lives of children continued as Zon spent many years as a Greenfield representative to School Committee for the Franklin County Technical School.
If he had a lifelong concern for the youth of the community, he was also interested in what was happening with his peers. Zon took an active interest in much of what was taking place in Greenfield, from politics to the many challenges and changes that the community faced over the years. In many ways, Zon had a front-row view of those changes since he spent his working life at Greenfield Tap and Die as a machinist and later as a supervisor. He worked there when Greenfield was truly a tap and die town and saw the industry adjust to shifts in markets and manufacturing and become less of an economic engine locally.
This transformation, however, didn’t lessen his love of Greenfield and his desire to lend a hand in the community, leading to his service on the Greenfield Council on Aging for many years, including time as the board’s chairman. Indeed, Zon knew full well the need for a place that seniors or teens could call home. He was part of efforts to get the seniors out of the Weldon and into a more modern facility. We think John would approve of the latest plans for a new senior center in place of the former Davis Street School, including plans to use the new building to be more encompassing, and to allow other groups to use it.
Naming this building after John Zon would be a tribute to a man who was proud of his hometown, and this act would reflect the heartfelt welcoming attitude that served him in his life — an approach that should be part of any community center as well.