Reporter Jackie Majerus wrote this story tonight:
Stunned but delighted members of the West Bristol School Building Committee praised the city council's abrupt decision to approve the Scalia sand pit on Barlow Street as the site for a new, 900-student, K-8 school.
"I think they're finally making a decision that's in the best interest of the city instead of one that's politically motivated," said Gary Vontell, a member of the committee.
Vontell said he was "absolutely surprised" but happy that the council reversed direction Tuesday. He said the committee had expected the council to approve the site on a 4-3 vote last week, with Minor in support of it.
But last week Minor voted against, and there weren't enough votes to pass. On Tuesday, Minor raised the issue again, with a change of heart.
"Really! Wow," said committee Chairman Mike Audette when he heard the news. "Craig has been a staunch supporter of the Park-Divinity site all along."
Audette, who is the principal of O'Connell School, said he was "really happy," but also a little surprised.
Michele Currie and others on the committee had said they didn't know what to do since the council had twice rejected their preferred location, and on Tuesday, Currie suggested that maybe the council didn't have a better alternative.
"They don't want to go back to a completely new drawing board," said Currie. "Of the sites that we had, this was by far the best choice."
Audette agreed.
"It was a unanimous vote of my committee. Of all the choices we had," Audette said, "that was our best option."
But the committee members also seemed perplexed at Minor's sudden change of heart.
"That sounds awful strange to me," said Currie, who said she wondered at Minor's change of heart. She said he'd asked a lot of questions of the committee and had the answering in writing before last week's vote.
"Why now, all of a sudden?" said Currie. Then she added, "I'm not really good at politics."
Audette said he's glad the site selection process is over, and called the council's decision "great news." Until the committee had a site, he said, they remained in limbo.
"The hard work is ahead of us," Audette said, but he said he's happy to be moving forward.
"We still gotta go through the negotiations," said Audette, to strike a deal with the Scalia family. "Just because they back it doesn't mean it's a done deal."
Audette said he never expected the choice of a location to be so difficult.
"I'm just thrilled that the process can now move forward," said Audette, whose students at O'Connell will transfer to the new school when it is finished. "I love my school, but my school is 95 years old and it's really showing its age."
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
36 comments:
This is the kind of reporting that drives me crazy. Why gary Vonteel would think, and Steve collins would report that "Minor was expected to vote in favor" of Scalia last week is absurd when in later in the article Audette is quoted as saying "Craig has always been a aproponent of ark & Divinity." So which is it? Maybe someone should be asking the mayor why he voted no last week - he was the expected fourth vote that never materialized.
Here's the scenario that insiders expected last week: that Minor would vote for the project despite his misgivings. But Minor apparently didn't do it because he thought Ward would be the fourth vote for the Scalia site. Ward obviously didn't provide that tiebreaker. So that's why insiders were stunned to lose the vote last week. They thought either Minor or Ward or both of them would come through.
Minor clearly decided over the weekend to change his vote and take whatever political lumps followed because he did not want to be responsible for holding up the project.
The story merely explains what committee members thought about all of this. It's not a portrayal of what goes on inside the mayor's mind - a story that I'm not sure anyone could write.
Yep we can still call Minor a stab in the back guy
Hooray, and good job!
thank you ken cockayne, kevin mccauley and cliff block
Mr. minor huh? but thank you also!
this is great news and here come the naysayers
McCauley, Minor, Cockayne and Block. Moving Bristol Forward!
Ward, Moving Bristol Backward!
Good Job you four! Take control of this city and keep moving forward! Don't let Ward and his favors get in your way!!
So Minor is more concerned over how his change is preceived not if it is the right or wrong decision.
Bristol politics as usual; decisions made not because they are right or wrobng, but how it makes the politican look.
Just think, this could have been decided 6-8 months ago!
Boy Nicastro is a has been in this process..Looks like we need Gealdino to challenge him for State rep so Frank can spend more time being a City Councilman.
Its a good thing someone is showing some leadership. Mayor Ward needs to lead, not worry about what the almighty public thinks he should do. And when is this town going to get over their love affair with Frank Nicastro who is not doing this town any favors?
Councilman Minor, you earned my respect.
Frank,
Mike, and Art,
You were elected to lead, not stick your finger in the wind and wonder what will happen to you personally. I know that's a hard habit to break, but its time for action, not for sitting there.
The issue that everyone is missing here is that a certain former mayoral contender on the Democrat side has clearly lost her grip on her minions. She supported Park/Divinity.
First McCauley grew some uhhhh, backbone, and then Block developed his own opinion, now Minor has cut the apron strings. So it’s Artie’s show now. All of the councilors are thinking for themselves, for better or for worse.
These votes, that abandon both former loyalties and party lines are a healthy sign.
Anyone notice that once again the vote was McCauley, Block, Minor and Cockayne!
At least they continue too move Bristol Forward!
But Minor apparently didn't do it because he thought Ward would be the fourth vote for the Scalia site.
My interpretation is that Minor didn't want to vote yes because if it ends up being a public nightmare the Mayor could be blamed instead of him. He could say "Don't blame me, I didn't vote for it."
It didn't work that way, so he changed his vote because a bad decision is better than no decision at all.
I hope Scalia asks for an unreasonably high amount of money so the real estate committee turns it down.
Hello? Mcauley, Block, and now Minor caved in to the demands of the O'Brien's. Cockayne did it so he can claim he actually voted for something.
Its amazing how much power even people that don't like her keep giving to Ellen Zoppo by insinuating she is controlling the Council. I bet she is genuinely amused by it. I know I am.
To poster @ 2:35
What are you talking about with Cockayne?
He is the only one on the council with a backbone. Maybe he shoots from the hip too much and is a bit of a maverick, but he has shown he means business and attacks the issues. Not everyone agrees with his stances, but at least he takes a position.
...if you find that amusing, you must be easily amused...you're also incredibly naive.
Think frank loves himself to much. To listen to anyone. Just asked the folks in hartford. He talks and they leave.
FRANK SHOULD STAY HOME HE IS A HAS BEEN. He likes to here himself talk he practises in the mirror and when it breaks he buys another.
Steve I think a better Headline would be:
"Majority of Taxpayers unhappy about council's change of heart"...and nobody in charge gives a sh*t !!!
Are you all the same people that were bitching about the last administration too?
Unhappy with the school sites, or the school plan?
I think the plan is awful. As for the sites, those are secondary. I wish someone on the council would grow a pair and state it like it is.
This plan stinks and no one is happy with it, BUT we are stuck with it, b/c no one came out and voted the losers running for Board of Ed out of office.
We did this to ourselves. Voting for the Board of Ed served as our referendum on this idea and no one paid attention.
Shame on all of us!
There was no way to get rid of the BOE people, each party nominates 6 people, so there were 12 people competing for 9 seats, and nearly every single person except for like 2 were for this stupid school plan. So you can't really blame voters, it's really the Dem. and Rep. town committees.
Good point.
Re: 9:11 & 10:15 blogs
Not a good point at all. There's no ball and chain around your necks holding you back from going to a GOP or Democratic Town Committee meeting and volunteer your services.
Both parties struggle each year to fill vacancies and at times, candidates.
Stop complaining, pick up your telephone and give the Registrars office a call. Either one, Ellie or Bob can offer advice, names, contact numbers, meeting dates and other pertinent information.
...11:10 - No,no, too much positive thinking! Blog people not like that. Blog people think everything BAD. Mayor BAD, school BAD, city council BAD, BOE VERY, VERY BAD...
From 11:01 blog to 9:08 blog
Now, that was a good point.
Joe Geladino should challenge Frank Nicastro so Nicastro can spend more time on his City Council duties
Would hope that Geladino would clen up his blight first!
Joe has a vacant piece of land moron can't get much blight on that
3-4 vehicles, junk etc.
Blight!
Nice to be one of the insiders, isn't it?
Geladino's property is a vacant piece of Land - no cars - no junk
V-A-C-A-N-T.
Take another look!
Frank has threatened to hold it up in Real Estate.
If he does, the BOE should not move ahead with Green Hills.
Lets hear all the ideas. Or are you pissing and moaning again?
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