"...your only opportunity to be heard..."
The following letter appears in today's Eastern Gazette:
To the Editor:
There are a lot of good people who are supporting the new school project, There are many equally good people who are supportive of children and education who will be voting NO on Tuesday, March 27,2007 in the MSAD #46 new-school referendum… for many different reasons.
There are voters who cannot accept the fact that the new school will close three small, useful elementary schools in order to enhance the middle school application. Voting NO doesn't make them bad people. There are citizens who don't agree with the site location for a variety of legitimate reasons. Voting NO doesn't make them bad persons either. For some, the lack of complete information represents a leap of faith they are unwilling to make.
Whether or not residents of Dexter, Exeter, Garland, and Ripley agree with the plan to close their small, well-supported elementary schools as part of a State push for consolidation will be decided once and for all on Tuesday, March 27. The importance of every eligible voter's participation in this decision cannot be overemphasized.
There have been few real opportunities for public involvement in the planning leading up to the presentations of the final project site and concept. To the eligible voters of SAD #46 this is likely your only opportunity to be heard on this. Good people have good reasons to vote NO. For your own sake, take the time and vote.
Sincerely,
Arthur Jette
Cambridge
posted by PP | 3/24/2007 08:39:00 AM
3 Comments:
I will be voting for the new school Tuesday, but I respect your opinion. There are many of my friends who will not be voting because they do not want to be identified as either for or against it. I'm afraid that is their loss.
How is it though that Fred Wintle, of Garland, signed the Gazette front page school board letter dated March 12,2007 since he was replaced on March 10, 2007 by Shawn Lancaster, who I think still lives in Dexter?
In response to Anonymous, regarding the letter from the school board, the letter was approved at the March board meeting which occurred on March 7, 2007 before the Garland Town Meeting. Therefore, Fred Wintle was still a board member at that time. The March 12 date of the letter was due to revisions which were made to the language of the letter at that board meeting. Also, Shawn Lancaster does live in Garland now. He would not have been allowed to run for school board for Garland if he did not live in that town.
It may be a minor point to you, but the Garland Town Meeting was held on March 10. The letter was dated March 12. Whoever was responsible for the letter, was just sloppy, and screwed up. Lancaster was elected to replace Wintle on March 10, whether he actually is still in Dexter, he claims to be living in Garland.
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