During this week, I have received lots of emails,
phone calls, and visits from concerned parents and angry neighbors.
1) Many parents
are very upset about the safety
problems created by the BOE’s new Wilson configuration. A big concern is the exit strategy
during a fire and the capability of emergency responses to reach the
building. One concern is that
strangers are now able to walk through the student play area. The
new play area is much reduced in size and is less safe. Another concern is that some cars are parked up against one side of building. In fact, one car already drove into a window.
2) Many
neighbors are very angry about the ugliness of the prison fences and the affect it will have on home
values. Many neighbors have had past
problems selling their homes at their current assessed values. They are now fearful that they will never be
able to get for their homes today what they could have a just a few months ago.
In case you didn't notice, no other school in Lodi has fences so high or fences so ugly. Most now reference Wilson with prison names and ask, "what are we living in the Bronx?"
In case you didn't notice, no other school in Lodi has fences so high or fences so ugly. Most now reference Wilson with prison names and ask, "what are we living in the Bronx?"
3) Many parents and young people are very upset about the removal of the half basketball court at Wilson. Wilson has had a basketball court for at least 60 years.
With all the schools in Lodi, only one half court
remains at Hilltop. This is
unacceptable. Troublemakers from other towns are not going to
drive into Lodi for a half court. But a
half court might be used by some middle school students. It might be used by the father or mother up the street
that wants to spend time with their young child.
It
is easy for the Capizzis to make the Lodi schools unsafe, neighborhoods ugly, and
have less for the children. It won’t
affect their home values. Joe lives in
Saddle Brook. Marc lives in River Vale.
The Board of Education members actually live in
town. They should receive more blame for
Lodi’s deterioration over the years. But
they don’t. Most dismiss them as “puppets”, believing the trustees are unaware of the votes they cast. Six
figure positions for family members are more important than community.
For years, I
was told by reliable BOE employees that the Lodi politicians were going to
change the Wilson school parking lot to get back at me for challenging their
unethical and in many cases illegal behavior.
But I didn’t expect them to spend so much money to do
something that made so little sense. The response to the project
has been nothing but negative from everyone across the spectrum.
Many people are asking who to contact. The buck has to stop with someone. Marc Capizzi is now in charge.
