News for the Few
The DPD Public Meeting Survivors.

A Big Warm Thank You to ALL who attended
the Department of Planning and Developments public meeting regarding the renovation and addition project at Ingraham High School.

This was to be the night to publicly discuss the Ingraham plans, to try to get answers as to why the 60-90 mature trees had to be killed to make room for an addition to Ingraham High School. A public meeting to create an open space to discuss issues. It never happened.

It was a night where the School District played the card of cards: "it is for the students". Not an unexpected move for the District to take, since it is the fall back, and often only explanation for any of the decisions it makes.

The meeting was to discuss Environmental issues that pertained to the renovation, demolition and addition at Ingraham High School. These issues could include: Tree removal, landscaping, drainage, parking, traffic, air quality, and other pertinent topics.

It became a meeting of the staff, teachers parents and students at Ingraham High School complaining about how cold the portables are, how moldy the math modular building is and how the neighbors are wasting taxpayer dollars. The battle cry of this project was : move on before we all die from the poison of mold and cold. All topics that I believe are the responsibility of the School District regarding the maintenance procedures, and the pulling of the Department of Planning and Developments permits. None of which the neighbors have or had control over.

Of course facts land on deaf ears when the propaganda ends with "it's for the students" "it is for student education". Who can resist the cries of innocent children for education, comfort and health? Who is going to figure out who the responsible party is that put the education, comfort and health in danger?

Due to the dominance of students it often sounded as a Pep Rally. "YES, YES WE NEED MATH. STUDENTS BEFORE TREES. And there was nothing the Department of Planning and Development representatives could do but allow the Rally to run its course. I applaud the DPD's patience and wise decision.

I question the way the School District has "passed the Buck " of maintenance, and bad decision's (pulling building permits) onto the Neighbors Shoulders.

I await the Department of Planning and Developments decision in regards to the placing of the Addition on the Ingraham High School Campus. Will the Trees Stay or will they Die?