Questions high school plan

The building of a new Minnechaug, which the Minnechaug Building Committee recommended and the Regional School Committee voted to pursue, or even the possibility of the renovation of the existing Minnechaug (ultimately the decision will be made by the Massachusetts School Building Authority) will be a massive, extremely complex, expensive project. Input, from anybody, in any form, is constantly solicited and warmly welcomed by anyone working on the project, because everyone realizes that a full and continuing discussion of this entire matter will be essential to its success.

However. However, Allan R. Kinney, Vice Chairman, Concerned Citizens of Wilbraham, in his recent letter raises six alleged "errors" in the $30,000 Dore-Whittier Feasibility Study dated December 21, 2004. Not one of these alleged errors is something new.

Moreover, in one manner or another, all of the issues he raises have been fully and openly discussed by the Building Committee, the School Committee, the Minnechaug administrative staff, the executive offices of both Towns, numerous State officials, at School run public forums, at public forums run by Concerned Citizens, and been aired extensively in the public print media and on public television.

At a certain point in life's work, on certain issues, it becomes clear and one realizes that no matter how thoroughly one endeavors to explain, engage, cooperate some individuals either do not hear, or do not care to hear, or have a completely different agenda and most likely will never hear what is actually being discussed. It is thus with the Concerned Citizens of Wilbraham and their alleged "six errors.".

The citing by Mr. Kinney, Vice Chairman of the Concerned Citizens of Wilbraham, of six errors adds nothing new to the lively discussions in both Towns concerning Minnechaug High School. From time to time in the past couple of years he, they, have raised issues of concern. These well worn, completely vetted six issues were not one of those times.

The people of Wilbraham and Hampden may be well assured that no person working on this project welcomes increasing property taxes. Each of us, however, takes very seriously the historic obligation of communities to provide the best, most reasonable education for our posterity.

Each of us is trying mightily to balance these two crucial, life-affirming goals: property taxes and continuing educational excellence. One of these goals alone cannot be, has never been, the sole way of life in the balanced, healthy life of either of our two communities. Careful, realistic balancing is what we are all about, every step of the way.



John Lovejoy

Wilbraham