Last night, for the first time in three years or more, I did not attend our PTO meeting at the Fitzgerald. As the immediate past-president, I felt a little like I did when I left my kids at a party for the first time: my dear friends on the Board -- people I recruited! -- would have to make it through a meeting without me.
I know that they did just fine because, after the meeting, they sent some text-abuse from John Brewer's, our traditional post-PTO gathering spot.
I didn't go last night because I have some work-related stuff going on that has been giving me agita and because ALICE was on the agenda. Again. And I am still all ALICEd-out from last year.
In case you don't remember, ALICE is the response system to an armed intruder that Waltham is implementing. I wrote about it in the Patch last year. So, this was a follow-up meeting to the implementation. After the Citywide PTO meeting last year, the Safety Resource Officers (Hooray! SRO's!) came to a PTO meeting at EVERY school in Waltham and parents participated in a mock drill. Even some of our crossing guards attended the meeting at the Fitz. We sat in a Kindergarten classroom in those little chairs and then acted out what we would do if an armed intruder came to the door.
Thinking about it right now, I think that I may throw up.
I also remember that several Waltham gun owners posted comments -- thoughtful comments -- on the Patch, and gave an overview of what is necessary to get a licensed firearm in the Commonwealth. It was enlightening: it's hard to get an actual licensed gun here.
The problem is that it's too easy to get an unlicensed gun. The Waltham PD recently had a gun buy-back program and 50 guns were turned in. Also, two guys showed up holding a sign that said "Will buy guns and ammo." They were sent on their way, and yet, I am guessing that they can buy guns and ammo at other venues. And then re-sell them to gangbangers and drug dealers who can use them to kill teenagers in a Waltham neighborhood.
Anyway, I'm getting off track. After the ALICE meetings last year, a parent said to me, "We prepare our kids for a fire at the school with a fire drill, even though the school will probably never catch on fire. So we should prepare them for this, too." And that's good logic, if a bit flawed. Because it seems much more likely that someone will show up with a gun at school than that the school will burst into flames. (gas main explosions notwithstanding.)
Sending kids to school shouldn't require an act of faith.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Of Sinkholes and Railroad Tracks
If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I have been maniacally obsessed with the clusterflub that is the Beaver Street culvert at Beaver Brook. It started with annoyance at the traffic delays and detours and general disruption associated with the 'discovery' of the sinkhole. Then, it turned to anger when the City Engineer was quoted in the News Tribune as saying that he "had known about" the roadway for sometime, and hadn't realized it was "that bad."
Of course, it's hard to tell that the roadway is in disrepair because it's not clear when walking or driving by and seeing the disused pedestrian bridge tossed on top of a few concrete barricades all of which is overgrown with brush. And it's difficult to determine that it's "that bad" when taxpayers and pedestrians have been calling city councillors to get the road repaired for at least the 13 years I have lived here. I mean, really, what evidence is there that the roadway is "that bad"?
Oh, but wait! Apparently, there was a request from the City Engineer in October of 2013 for $150,000 to repair the road. I say 'apparently' because I cannot find the minutes from the October 2013 meeting (or minutes from any meetings in 2013 after June.) So, something must have tipped him off. Of course, even when the money was appropriated by City Council, there was no request for proposal initiated until July of this year. You may recall, then, that there was something called "winter" that occurred and probably didn't do anything to help the condition of the road.
So, fast forward to September 2014 and the EMERGENCY and the ROAD CLOSURES and the TRAFFIC! And the CONFUSION! If the City of Waltham owns the road and the state (MDC) owns the brook and the brook is part of a designated wetlands under federal oversight, then we all must wring our hands because. Confusion.
And there's more! There's a natural gas pipeline that runs under the culvert. The pipeline runs on both sides of the road and is, apparently, 'live' on only one side. I still don't know which side, however, I am guessing that if there is a sinkhole, the whole roadway will fall into Beaver Brook, taking infrastructure from both sides of the roadway with it. Near the gas pipeline, there is a propane filling station AND a gas station. Can anyone say 'combustion'?
And still more! Since the infrastructure holding up the roadway has failed, things like tree roots and crumbled concrete and the adjacent railroad tracks have all done their part to keep things moving along Beaver Street. And this weekend, the MBTA replaced the commuter rail tracks! So, if the old tracks were, in part, helping to keep the roadway out of the creek and off of the gas lines, then WHAT IS HOLDING THE ROAD UP NOW? Ah yes, tree roots. I feel much better.
I have pointed out in other media that Beaver Street is about two miles long and connects the eastern part of the city to the center and western part of the city and is home to Bentley University, an office park, the American Legion, two Historical Mansions, a private high school, a Girl Scout camp, and many homes. Fitzgerald Elementary School, with its 516 students, backs up to the office park and is adjacent to the creek. I've been told that there are 'weekly inspections' by the state and that no less an authority than MassDOT has confirmed that the roadway is safe 'enough' to have traffic in one direction along the center of the roadway. And that the natural gas line won't explode. Because that never happens.
So what's the timeline for the repair? It is scheduled to begin in approximately SIX MONTHS, if there is an accepted plan in place by then.
I'm sure we'll be just fine until then.
Of course, it's hard to tell that the roadway is in disrepair because it's not clear when walking or driving by and seeing the disused pedestrian bridge tossed on top of a few concrete barricades all of which is overgrown with brush. And it's difficult to determine that it's "that bad" when taxpayers and pedestrians have been calling city councillors to get the road repaired for at least the 13 years I have lived here. I mean, really, what evidence is there that the roadway is "that bad"?
Oh, but wait! Apparently, there was a request from the City Engineer in October of 2013 for $150,000 to repair the road. I say 'apparently' because I cannot find the minutes from the October 2013 meeting (or minutes from any meetings in 2013 after June.) So, something must have tipped him off. Of course, even when the money was appropriated by City Council, there was no request for proposal initiated until July of this year. You may recall, then, that there was something called "winter" that occurred and probably didn't do anything to help the condition of the road.
So, fast forward to September 2014 and the EMERGENCY and the ROAD CLOSURES and the TRAFFIC! And the CONFUSION! If the City of Waltham owns the road and the state (MDC) owns the brook and the brook is part of a designated wetlands under federal oversight, then we all must wring our hands because. Confusion.
And there's more! There's a natural gas pipeline that runs under the culvert. The pipeline runs on both sides of the road and is, apparently, 'live' on only one side. I still don't know which side, however, I am guessing that if there is a sinkhole, the whole roadway will fall into Beaver Brook, taking infrastructure from both sides of the roadway with it. Near the gas pipeline, there is a propane filling station AND a gas station. Can anyone say 'combustion'?
And still more! Since the infrastructure holding up the roadway has failed, things like tree roots and crumbled concrete and the adjacent railroad tracks have all done their part to keep things moving along Beaver Street. And this weekend, the MBTA replaced the commuter rail tracks! So, if the old tracks were, in part, helping to keep the roadway out of the creek and off of the gas lines, then WHAT IS HOLDING THE ROAD UP NOW? Ah yes, tree roots. I feel much better.
I have pointed out in other media that Beaver Street is about two miles long and connects the eastern part of the city to the center and western part of the city and is home to Bentley University, an office park, the American Legion, two Historical Mansions, a private high school, a Girl Scout camp, and many homes. Fitzgerald Elementary School, with its 516 students, backs up to the office park and is adjacent to the creek. I've been told that there are 'weekly inspections' by the state and that no less an authority than MassDOT has confirmed that the roadway is safe 'enough' to have traffic in one direction along the center of the roadway. And that the natural gas line won't explode. Because that never happens.
So what's the timeline for the repair? It is scheduled to begin in approximately SIX MONTHS, if there is an accepted plan in place by then.
I'm sure we'll be just fine until then.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Going Nowhere Fast?
At the Special Meeting of the School Committee, held on 9/16, the entire meeting was dedicated, yet again, to the results of the architecture consultants, SMMA and the results of the parent questionnaire, which I ranted about here. I live-tweeted the meeting (@lizhmccarthy) for those of you on the Twitter. Here are some observations from that meeting, as well as the regular meeting held on 9/17.
At the beginning of the special meeting, Mayor McCarthy asked the Committee Members if they had anything to say before the business part of the meeting began. The first huggable moment of the Special Meeting came when John Frassica asked, "OK, so now what are we going to DO?" Implying that there may actually be action taken. I gave him a "huzzah!" from my home, where I was tweeting and folding laundry.
The Superintendent read the results of the parent questionnaire. I certainly hope that SC members had paper copy, because there were so many numbers being bandied about that I couldn't tweet fast enough to keep up. Those numbers, which aren't included in the official minutes, were important enough to ask the principals to compile and yet unimportant enough to have a visual. Sigh. It also appeared that there was about a 25% completion rate of the questionnaires, which is actually higher than the voter turn-out for the Primary Election, which does not make it good. Big sigh. Do parents really NOT CARE about this? Gah!
SMMA then showed more numbers, including the information that there were 251 fewer students enrolled in elementary schools this year compared to last. Which leaves me wondering why the Fitzgerald has 516 students and is home to both LBRR and ELL programs. Well?
The minutes are clear on the decisions that the SC Members made. And I commend them for making actual decisions. Another huggable moment came when Teddy Tarallo suggested that, if Pre-K is moved out of the elementary schools and to its own building, that would open the possibility of offering universal pre-K. Woot! And a second 'alternative' high school! Yay!
After the dust settles, here is what we are left with:
At the beginning of the special meeting, Mayor McCarthy asked the Committee Members if they had anything to say before the business part of the meeting began. The first huggable moment of the Special Meeting came when John Frassica asked, "OK, so now what are we going to DO?" Implying that there may actually be action taken. I gave him a "huzzah!" from my home, where I was tweeting and folding laundry.
The Superintendent read the results of the parent questionnaire. I certainly hope that SC members had paper copy, because there were so many numbers being bandied about that I couldn't tweet fast enough to keep up. Those numbers, which aren't included in the official minutes, were important enough to ask the principals to compile and yet unimportant enough to have a visual. Sigh. It also appeared that there was about a 25% completion rate of the questionnaires, which is actually higher than the voter turn-out for the Primary Election, which does not make it good. Big sigh. Do parents really NOT CARE about this? Gah!
SMMA then showed more numbers, including the information that there were 251 fewer students enrolled in elementary schools this year compared to last. Which leaves me wondering why the Fitzgerald has 516 students and is home to both LBRR and ELL programs. Well?
The minutes are clear on the decisions that the SC Members made. And I commend them for making actual decisions. Another huggable moment came when Teddy Tarallo suggested that, if Pre-K is moved out of the elementary schools and to its own building, that would open the possibility of offering universal pre-K. Woot! And a second 'alternative' high school! Yay!
After the dust settles, here is what we are left with:
- Lots and lots of feasibility and usage studies at the Fernald and at the Fitch and Lawrence Schools
- The land at the Fernald is part designated wetland, part hazardous asbestos site, and part power plant toxicity site
- Modular buildings at the Stanley, Fitzgerald, and MacArthur; partitioned classrooms elsewhere
- Redistricting
- A Superintendent who is leaving at the end of this year
- A Mayor who is running for re-election next year
All of which leaves me feeling more than a little uneasy. How about you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)