February 12, 2008

School siting decision put off due to bad weather

Rather than take up the controversial site selection for a new school in West Bristol during a snowstorm, city councilors tonight agreed unanimously to postpone the matter until later in the month.
Mayor Art Ward said that he had reservations about taking up such an important issue during the storm.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro said that’s a proper move to take up the issue at a special meeting because of the magnitude of the decision the council must make.
“It’s a bad night out there,” Nicastro said, and not everyone who would like to speak on the issue could make it to the meeting.
The council had been asked to approve putting a new 900-student school on the site of a Scalia sand pit off Barlow Street, a site that councilors rejected last fall.
The new school, which would serve kindergarten to eighth grade, has been given tentative approval but officials haven’t agreed on where to build it. The West Bristol School Building Committee has endorsed the Scalia site.
Ward said that he will try to pick a date for a special meeting to focus on the school site decision that would work for the council, Board of Education and the public. It likely won’t be long until the session can be scheduled.
Nicastro said it makes sense “to do it right upfront” at a special meeting so that everyone who wants to weigh in on the choice will get a chance to speak.
The council showed no hesitation in agreeing to wait for another night to make the school site decision.
“Sometimes they get lucky and do the right thing,” said Ken Johnson, last year’s Republican mayoral candidate.

*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravo, Mayor Ward and Councilor Nicastro!
Shut up, Ken Johnson.

Anonymous said...

.....shame on you Ken Johnson, you lost the election so now everyone else is below you? I was at the city council meeting and I commend the mayor and the City Council for their giving everyone the chance to give their opinions - are you impling that if you got elected, you wouldn't have done the same?
It was also brought up that you and your energy company have been deadheads in working with the city and that you are the main guy again? I thought that you sold that company when you ran for mayor? Another election time lie? Talk about a lack of truthfulness but I guess if you didn't have it before the election, you sure wouldn't have it after the election either, win or lose.

Anonymous said...

Ken Johnson didn't lose the election, Art Ward barely won it. People should remember that. There is no mandate out for there for the guy who wants to jog around the Mall parking lot and look like a moron.

Anonymous said...

10:57 - great analysis but no matter how your feeble mass of confusion, normally referred to as a brain, finally recognizes it, "barely won" still is interpreted to mean that "WARD WON" and JOHNSON LOST!

Anonymous said...

Clearly the people made the right decision, and Ken Johnson, whenever he comes out of his rabbit hole, reinforces that decision.

I would have liked to have had the opportunity to vote for one or two other people, but that wasn't to be.

Johnson continually displays the ineptness of the republican party and leadership.

Anonymous said...

And the Republican leadership wanted him over Stortz?

No wonder they are in trouble.

Anonymous said...

Johnson clearly "LOST".

Most anyone else would have won.

Anonymous said...

6:07 ...

ward was bought by the unions in the last election .


That means Bristol LOST !!!!!

Anonymous said...

Poor form for Johnson to say that sometimes they get LUCKY and do the right thing.

Sour grapes.

Anonymous said...

Ken could have taken the simple high road with this. All he had to say was "they made the right decision". He chose to be adolescent about it.

Careful what you say Ken - it might get printed!

Anonymous said...

..."Ken Johnson didn't lose the election, Art Ward barely won it." ... (HUH?)

Thank you 10:57! We're all refreshed and challenged by your very unique point of view...

Anonymous said...

Bristol got lucky and did the right thing...They didn't vote for Ken Johnson!

Johnson - LOSER
Bristol - WINNER

Anonymous said...

Like the groundhog, Kenny pops out every so often, and leaves a bad message.

Can't wait for the next bit of the republican mayorial candidates bit of wisdom.

Anonymous said...

Who is Johnsons writer, Mocabee?

Anonymous said...

kenny talks a good game but can't score at all because he wants to be the only member of the team.

Anonymous said...

He scored with $10,000.00 of our dollars!!!

Anonymous said...

Guess Kenny never got lucky.

Anonymous said...

Ward may have been bought by the unions, but Johnson would have been owned by Zoppo/Mcauley/Minor.

Anonymous said...

No body owns Johnson. He obviously is his own man. That man be his downfall, but I think his comment is being taken out of context. Give him a break please.

Anonymous said...

GIVE HIM A BREAK? GIVE US A BREAK, HE SCREWS THE CITY OUT OF 10 GRAND, LIES TO THE VOTERS ABOUT DIVESTING HIMSELF FROM THAT ENERGY COMPANY, COMES BACK AND TRIES TO BUFFALO THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT AGAIN AND THEN FEELS RIGHTEOUS ENOUGH TO BE MAKING SNIDE REMARKS ABOUT CITY GOVERNMENT - HE SHOULD BE GIVING US A BREAK BY TAKING A BREAK HIMSELF.

Anonymous said...

One comment, OK, two, maybe, but this guy is loose cannon!

Anonymous said...

You are correct, Johnson is his own man. He is out for Johnson, and everyone else doesn't matter.

The "Bristol First" was and is complete BS.

Anonymous said...

The Mike Peters of Bristol