Downtown corp. says no to school on the mall siteSchool's out for the mall site, board members of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. said Monday.
Urged on by board member John Leone, the panel formally voted to take a public stand against putting a school on the 17-acre, city-owned parcel.
Leone said he wanted the board - which is supposed to oversee the development of the mall property - to "go on record" opposing school board member Chris Wilson's idea of considering the mall site for a new 900-student, K-8 school for the West End of Bristol.
"We should be pretty adamant," said Leone, who last week said the fact that the city school site selection committee seemed to be doing something opposite of what the BDDC was doing. Others agreed. [...]
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
13 comments:
I read the article in the printed newspaper this morning. I think that Jennifer Janelle may have confused "bowing to political pressure" with sending a strong message that the site will not be used solely for public purposes.
She abstained from voting on the issue however it was necessary for the BDDC to vote in order for it to be removed from the list of possible K-8 site locations.
There shouldn't be a comparison between the BDDC responding to Art's request that no monetary contracts be signed prior to the November election, and taking the mall off the possible school locations list.
They are two very different things.
Maybe Janelle needs to read the fine print before commenting on an issue she clearly has no understanding of.
John Leone still runs this town. Thank God. Go John!!!
I think we need to remember that the mall site wasn't just Chris Wilson's idea. It was one of the proposed sites by the school consultants and the article stemmed from the school committee revisiting the idea of each of the sites listed.
Chris may have been strong on the idea of using the mall property for a new school, but it wasn't his idea.
Jennifer must have been confused with the information she received because she stated to or through the today's article that she didn't feel it was necessary for the BDDC to respond to a statement made by a politician in a newspaper article.
I have a feeling she didn't have all the information that John Leone had and wasn't sure what they were actually responding to with a vote.
Janelle is just being a diva, she has shown that pattern all along. I think she just likes seeing her name in print and wants to make it look like she is doing something with some special insight that nobody else has, thus the absentsion.
The person who stated that the school (closed all summer) would do nothing for downtown during that time is somewhat correct. Those teachers would have nothing to do with the downtown much during the day anyway.
I appreciate Janelle's contribution to the discussion. We should welcome diverse thinking and opinions. It brings us closer to solutions. We should be able to entertain opposing views without feeling we have to accept them.
Jennifer Janelle hit the nail on the head...screw the good ol' boy network Jen and keep fighting.
Janelle was just trying to make it look like she knew more about procedures than anyone else there. She missed the big picture point entirely.
Jennifer Janelle hit the nail on the head...screw the good ol' boy network Jen and keep fighting.
That was an ignorant remark. She refused to vote on having the mall site formally removed as a viable school location. That has nothing to do with the good ole boy network and she missed the nail completely.
It was about making sure that the BDDC communicated very clearly to the BOE that the mall site was not to be considered for a school.
By refusing to cast a vote she refused to communicate a very important detail to another City board.
She's starting to look like a lone ranger.
I have never responded to a blog post in my life, but I guess there is a first time for everything. First of all, "diva" is a pretty new one. I've certainly been called worse (and my daughter thinks it's cool anyway). However, my vote had absolutely nothing to do with being a diva, a lone ranger, or wanting to get my name in print (I get plenty of press in my professional life). I should also be clear that I have absolutely NO political aspirations and will never run for elected office. I was asked to "step up and serve my City," which I am trying to do to the best of my ability. I believe that by accepting this appointment, I committed to using my brain, my experience and not being afraid to do what I think is right and in the best interests of the City as a whole, irrespective of whatever pressure is brought to bear to do something else. I abstained from the vote because I did not want to vote no, because I agree (and stated on the record) that I do not believe the mall site is appropriate for a school and I also believe that the taxpayers expressed that viewpoint in voting out the administration that devised the prior plan for tax exempt use of the property. I abstained because I believe that the vote was unnecessary and inappropriate. The BDDC vote does not remove the mall site from consideration by the school committee. In fact, the school committee and Board of Ed are free to continue to consider the site and submit it to the City Council as their preferred site. It is ultimately up to the City Council to decide what to do with the mall property. Any plan that the BDDC devises will require City Council approval, and, in fact, the City Council can dissolve the BDDC tomorrow if it wants to. The vote was and is, unfortunately, meaningless, and only serves to add more fuel to an already blazing fire. I also feel strongly that the BDDC should not selectively respond to issues that are of great concern to taxpayers that do not fall squarely within our powers. The K-8 proposal is certainly a hot-button issue. There are also a lot of other issues concerning downtown that mean a great deal to taxpayers, including transportation, crime, etc. We did not vote to "send a message" about our feelings on any other issue, nor should we. We are merely individual taxpayers and voters, just like everyone else when it comes to these issues. Individual members are certainly free to express their viewpoints, and given the high profile nature of the BDDC, those viewpoints will certainly get press coverage. I am a stickler for process and procedure. Always have been, always will be. It is the nature of my profession. Quite frankly, if more people in City government were, we would not get into some of the messes that we do (i.e., the pending FOIA complaint, among others). I think it is important to separate personal feelings on the issues from professional responsibilities as an appointed official and I will continue to do so. Last Steve, I will respond here to your comments about the "bastion of white men" that is in another thread. The simple fact is that in Bristol, if you are not a 50+ white male and you dare to disagree with that political machine or vote differently or express a different viewpoint, you get cut off at the knees. I know an awful lot of folks in my demographic that are not willing to subject themselves to it. I myself will have to seriously consider whether or not I would ever accept another appointment in this City, as I do not enjoy having to explain to my children why people call me names on the Internet. Until Bristol grows up, as the need is demonstrated by the vile, unproductive posts on this blog and others, little will change on the political front. If you have an opinion, express it. Debate and disagreement are what makes our government better than any other form of government in the world. It also ensures well-thought out and thoroughly probed decisions. However, if you can't express your opinion without name-calling, you should reconsider whether you ought to express it at all. "Say what you mean and mean what you say, but don't say it mean."
Jenny,
With all due respect, attacking members of your own committee will get you no where. I referring to the 50+ white male comment. To say they the only ones with any political power in Bristol is unfair. Being an attractive 30 something white female has its advatages too. Also perhaps its not the gender thing but the age and experince thing.
Anonymous said... "She's starting to look like a lone ranger."
That might not be a bad thing. The following is a copy of the Lone Ranger Creed:
"I believe that to have a friend,
a man must be one.
That all men are created equal
and that everyone has within himself
the power to make this a better world.
That God put the firewood there
but that every man
must gather and light it himself.
In being prepared
physically, mentally, and morally
to fight when necessary
for that which is right.
That a man should make the most
of what equipment he has.
That 'This government,
of the people, by the people
and for the people'
shall live always.
That men should live by
the rule of what is best
for the greatest number.
That sooner or later...
somewhere...somehow...
we must settle with the world
and make payment for what we have taken.
That all things change but truth,
and that truth alone, lives on forever.
In my Creator, my country, my fellow man."
The Lone Ranger
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