tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post5395210761828763639..comments2023-04-03T07:35:52.219-04:00Comments on ------ Lawn: Under the clock towerOld Mill Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00325710488598264250noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-15794884218558266372008-01-26T09:04:00.000-05:002008-01-26T09:04:00.000-05:00The School Board is being duped and force-fed fals...The School Board is being duped and force-fed false information by the School Development Agency (SDA). Why? Because any high school project for this city, whether it's renovation or building 1, 2, or 3 schools (I can't keep track anymore) will be one of the most expensive school projects in the state. You think the SDA wants to pay up? Now, with a limited pot of money they need to show progress-better to build 5 or 6 schools in other cities than blow it all on Trenton.<BR/><BR/>Get the Board to throw away a renovation plan that has already been drawn up and approved by all the powers that be, a plan that keeps the grand exterior of the high school and guts the interior for a new, modern facility is great for the SDA. The Board will spend years to figure out the new site(s), get new plans drawn up, and go through the whole process once again. Meanwhile, the SDA can build somewhere else, and by the time the Board finally figures out what they want and goes hat in hand to the SDA asking for money, guess what happens next? The project cost will have escalated, the SDA will have run out of money, and Trenton gets nothing.<BR/><BR/>The Board needs to dust off the renovation plans, modify them however it needs to be, and push it through now.Trenton007https://www.blogger.com/profile/15961127931419164168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-59591792138811767002008-01-20T11:03:00.000-05:002008-01-20T11:03:00.000-05:00Maintenance is on ongoing issue in this city. We ...Maintenance is on ongoing issue in this city. We seem incapable of taking care of anything, regardless of how much money is in the coffers or from whence it comes.<BR/><BR/>As for the issue of demolishing the existing building coming back again and again, it is only a thought but it makes me wonder:<BR/><BR/>Could the powers that be at the former SCC have been "miffed" that Trenton decided to renovate rather than build anew and therefore stonewall the process? And now that the SCC has been succeeded by the SDA and funding be "tighter" could they be trying to manipulate the process inorder to "punish" Trenton for not playing along plus appearing (through the use of questionable finance numbers) to be fiscally responsible to the rest of the state?<BR/><BR/>Let's hope our school board and city administrations step up and do the right thing here.Old Mill Hillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00325710488598264250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-20975454652304199762008-01-20T08:08:00.000-05:002008-01-20T08:08:00.000-05:00The move to demolish the High School keeps coming ...The move to demolish the High School keeps coming back like some character in a bad horror movie. It really makes you wonder where this is coming from. It really begs the question who stands to benefit from the demolition and how are they able to continually push this through the school board.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-81327322286017705592008-01-18T22:26:00.000-05:002008-01-18T22:26:00.000-05:00Actually, the city is resposible for capital impro...Actually, the city is resposible for capital improvements, which is why Abbott included funding for construction. Otherwise schools would never have been built (or mmaintained)in impoverished districts. <BR/>The price of $90 to $100 million quoted for new constuction is snake oil. The quote for $250 million to renovate is crap.<BR/>Nothing gets done, because no one leads.Calhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03200245796754350003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-92078869190292383572008-01-18T12:54:00.000-05:002008-01-18T12:54:00.000-05:00When it comes to the school board, I believe it wo...When it comes to the school board, I believe it would take a referendum to change it.<BR/><BR/>For the record, Trenton has had both an elected and appointed board (a couple of times each) during my life time. I know a lot of people are starting to mutter about changing back to an elected board, but looking at who we elect (repeatedly) to public office I wonder if we'd be any better off.<BR/><BR/>And you're right about the maintenance issue. We obviously haven't done a very good job at taking care of TCHS (or most of our other public buildings). Fortunately, the quality of the building allows it to still stand and be salvageable.<BR/><BR/>What are the odds that something built today will last 10 years, given our seeming inability to perform even the most basic maintenance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33451159.post-66670175243877867122008-01-18T12:05:00.000-05:002008-01-18T12:05:00.000-05:00We live in the same neighborhood as the high schoo...We live in the same neighborhood as the high school, so this very literally is close-to-home for us. It seems senseless to destroy a landmark -- our city needs to hold on to its history; and to destroy a landmark and still be stuck in a stupid arrangement where the new construction would not be maintained is simply ASININE.<BR/><BR/>Based on the behavior of many young people in this city, it's obvious that many parents aren't doing their jobs; but reading LA Parker's article recently about the sharp decline in truancy after the parents got involved was kind of inspiring. Still, it's hard to envision a community-run school board right this very second, but I believe that is exactly what we need. The current Mayor Palmer-appointed group is not only NOT accountable in any way to the community it serves (which is a huge problem), but it runs completely counter to democracy in America.<BR/><BR/>I have no idea of how to go about it, but I think we, as a community, need to figure out how to wrestle back control of the school board. If the people on the board were in fear of getting voted out at the next election, we would not be in this situation. We have some great minds in this city, and the recent citizen lawsuit brought against the Mayor and Police Director is great inspiration that we can, even if we're reasonably small in numbers, make some important changes around here.Christine Otthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506823491982635443noreply@blogger.com