Follow the Yellow Brick Road

I have discovered something else that I think I already knew. Immersing myself in a book means
my mind is not busy with my own thoughts.

I didn't write a post yesterday. I responded to a number of e-mails  as they came in though and late in the day I had to wonder. 


I'd like to respond to a few points made re the school site on Mavrinac.

First the neighborhood didn't come to Council up-in-arms about the need for a park if a school
was not going to be built on the site.

A Councillor went to them and alerted them to the situation and advised them , in his judgement, the site should be a park.

Homeowners  gathered in the Council Chamber on Wednesday  in response to the Councillor's invitation.

Some speakers  shared notes  at the meeting about what they understood to be the case when they bought their homes.

Not everyone was talking. Some  listened.

When one person ,seemingly impatient to know,  I would peg him in the Councillor campaign organization, posed the question to Councillors present,where they stood on the issue...Councillor Abel,Ballard and Gaertner were more than willing to  assure the crowd they were on side.

I couldn't hear what Councillor Thompson said. The Mayor did not make a commitment.

The Former, equipped with lap-top but carrying hard copies, referred to a clause in the contract
that  pinned down the price of the site and  proved there was no need for an in camera discussion.

The fact is...the developer owns the  site serviced at his expense, with roads, sidewalks,
boulevards, trees. lighting, storm and sanitary sewers, water mains, parks and schools as required by school board and town , Everything required to create human habitat.

I fancy it will take more than a clause in a contract to transfer title to the municipality.

The question of the much larger high school site in the vicinity never came up in the  discussion.

Yet it must.

To the residents, it is a far more significant factor.

The homeowners are not reacting  differently than most would in the same situation.

In my judgement, they are no better served than the rest of  the community by  receiving only enough information to  raise their  concerns

You know, if this was a challenger's strategy  to make inroads for the next election it would be  instantly recognized and rated. It would not be dismissed.it would be qualified.

But it wasn't a  declared challenger.

It was by an incumbent   using town stationery and town facilities to give credence to his
actions.

It's the difference  between the way it was and the virus.