Opinion/Letters: Should construction stop on Rogers High School? Arguments for and against
Rogers High School. It's Inflation.
In November 2020, voters in Newport overwhelmingly approved a bond to build a new Rogers High School after the current Rogers was deemed the worst high school building in the state. Let me repeat the date: November 2020. At the height of COVID. When there was no vaccine. When manufacturing was shut down everywhere. When workers were still home and/or sick and dying. In 2021, the COVID vaccine was finally made available and folks started slowly but surely going back to work...and global prices immediately went through the roof. Remember that lumber and steel prices rose by 50%? Remember the summer of 2021 when there were no construction workers and labor costs went sky-high?
All the while, the School Building Committee – a body created by enabling legislation passed by the Rhode Island General Assembly – kept its eyes on the prize and the promise of a new school. And then, just when we thought we were past the COVID inflation surge, when labor costs started to cool, when manufacturing costs started to slow down – not to 2019 levels, no, never that – then Russia invaded Ukraine. And guess what happened? Global prices shot up again. All of them. And Putin’s war is not over.
So here we are in 2023, and some look at the increased costs for the building as incompetence at best and fraud at worst. No, the word is “inflation.” Covid-induced and war-induced INFLATION. Let’s all remember the median price for a home in Newport in November 2020 was $589,250. That price is now $719,500. Did we really expect the school construction project to buck that trend?
It is a miracle that the School Building Committee and construction partners have been able to limit the cost increase. A miracle. And I for one, thank them. They could have given up. But they haven’t. Because we, the citizens of Newport, made a promise to our children in 2020 and we intend to fulfill it. I urge our elected officials on the City Council to follow the lead of the School Building Committee and finish the project without self-created delays.
Aida Neary, Newport
Time to pull the plug on new Rogers
I am writing in response to the Rogers Building Committee and the joint City Council meeting held on Aug. 7 at Pell School. Both meetings eliminated any questions or comments from those in house and some had both to offer, After listening to what I call a lot of double talk from the Building Committee and finally hearing, what to me as the facts from City Councilor David Carlin, we the taxpayer must be ready to pony up another $40 million or more for this circus to get close to home. I think more than $50 million.
With that being said in the open it is time to pull the plug and stop all construction. Ask for another attempt at a joint high school with Middletown, built in Middletown, and redesigning what is in the ground on Wickham Road into a middle school. Next, we close Thompson and those students will go here. With Thompson closed on Broadway we sell the whole thing to a developer to do what is planned for Coggeshall and return it to the tax roles.
After all of these schools are operational we next sell large house lots on Wickham Road allowing only large homes and adding to the tax base. As we stand no one wants to say how much real money we have left except to say it is far from what is needed and I am sure Jay Leno is not going to pay for the Auto Shop or Judge Judy Cosmetology, it is up to us to fix this mess.
Middletown is just like us except they have not made the leap but together we could build a great future all of our children for many years, doing nothing does not cut it we must act now and yes we will take a large hit but we will take it if we just sit back and let this circus continue, as I said before it is "The Taxpayers Cemetery" and they are filling in the grave now.....speak out now or live with what you get
Jack Milburn, Newport
How would teachers improve education?
I will say it again and maybe somebody will listen: ASK THE TEACHERS. Yet no one has been listening. So now, I will do it myself.
I am tired of hearing pronouncements from those at the top of the educational chain who are looking for pre-packaged solutions without consideration for the impact on both students and teachers, never mind on schoolbudgets.
Meanwhile, no one asks the teachers – those who have spent their careers – for their recommendations abouthow best to help kids learn.
Well, now, I am asking you – the K-12 teachers in our three communities: If YOU had the ability to make improvements to the quality of education in your classroom or at your grade level, what would YOU do? I am not interested in facilities or in test scores. I am more concerned about the required curriculum and the resources that are mandated by those in authority who offer rewritten goals and creative strategies that have been recommended by “experts” at the top – with little, if any, on-the-job experience – and developed by textbook publishers - who are in it for the money.
And I am more interested in advocating and promoting education at all levels that progressively enables students to meet the eventual obligations of their personal lives and provides them with the skills to gain satisfying employment or prepares them to successfully pursue higher education.
As a teacher – What would YOU do to help your students learn more easily and readily? What are the biggest challenges for you in your classroom? What do you need that is not already provided? What would you change?
Let me be clear with my intent. I am not asking as a municipal leader but as a private citizen with educational experience who is asking you – the teacher – to share your expertise which I will carry forward to the public.
This is not intended to be a gripe session. I am seeking positive suggestions that – if I receive 25 or more replies – I will send to the media for publication. Contributors will be identified only by grade level – K-4, 5-8, 9-12.
But it’s time for your voices to be heard!
As a convenience, you can send your recommendations to my e-mail at bvonvillas@middletownri.com but I stress again that I am not asking as a municipal official but rather as an educator like you.
Barbara A. VonVillas, Middletown town councilor
Why a recession is on the horizon
In the past year, the financial world has been packed with predictions and forecasts, often riddled with technical jargon that leaves Americans more perplexed than informed. It’s crucial to cut through the noise and explore the cold, hard facts of economic data to shed light on our current situation. My thesis is both simple and daunting: a recession is looming on the horizon. While this is not an original view, as many economists have warned of an impending recession, there appears to be a naive sense of optimism towards markets today, particularly among Newport’s elite.
The current situation in America shows clear signs of an impending recession. Examine the consistent link between decreases in median house prices and the emergence of recessions. This pattern has remained constant in the majority of downturns. The key takeaway is that housing plays a central role in the U.S. financial landscape, significantly impacting household wealth and shaping cultural perceptions of success.
Understanding the “wealth effect” theory is central to grasping this relationship. When housing prices dip, household wealth shrinks, leading to decreased consumption – the significant driver of economic growth. Year to date, median housing prices in the United States have declined by a striking 13.22%. This may seem relatively small, but it signifies a trend that shouldn't be ignored. The impact is amplified by the parallel downturn in commercial real estate, casting a shadow on consumer spending and economic expansion.
Amidst these housing woes, another storm is brewing in the form of rising loan delinquencies. This paints a picture of a financially stretched population struggling to cope with rising capital costs. The resurgence of defaults, spanning commercial, personal, credit card, and business loans additionally strains consumers. Since 2022, delinquency rates have done nothing but increase. In the most recent quarterly data, delinquency rates are reported at 2.43% for credit cards and 2.23% for personal loans. That is a staggering 57.7% increase in credit card delinquency and 46.71% increase in personal loan delinquency.
Apart from housing and defaults, investors are flocking to safer assets, notably short-term treasuries. The Treasury spread curve, a reliable harbinger, is flashing warning signs with a narrowing 10-2 spread. The spread illuminates investor sentiment. A rising spread indicates expectations of growth, while a declining spread indicates fear and negative expectations. When 2-year yields surpass 10-year yields, this constitutes an inversion. These inversions have preceded every recession since WW2.
With a comprehensive view of housing, loan performance, and treasury yields, Americans should expect a recession starting in January 2024. While optimists may argue against this trajectory, it's important to remain skeptical and consider the historical indicators here. Don't be swayed by mere market momentum; allow evidence to inform your investments.
Benjamin Chapman, Portsmouth
Preparedness should start with Fort Adams
As we all just witnessed the tragic fires in Maui, our hearts go out to them all.
The ability to be prepared and protect against catastrophic events is a critical and crucial necessity. Do not think for a minute it can not happen here. We on Aquidneck Island and in Newport have a gem of a facility that has been egregiously neglected for too many decades. Fort Adams.
Being a real fort, not just for playtime recreations, it can be an emergency preparedness center and house necessary equipment to deliver critical medical resources to us in an emergency when local public health resources would likely be or have already been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the emergency.
Examples might be emergencies resulting from a major hurricane, pandemic flu, a smallpox event, and or terrorist events of chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, or explosive incidents.
FEMA funds are available for this opportunity but those in power and control of the fort are against this for some unknown reason. Why?
In no way have they raised the many millions of dollars the fort needs for restoration. And the roofs are leaking and huge sections are dangerous now because of the lack of funds to properly restore them. If any building has a roof leak we all know how critical it is to repair it immediately.
At Fort Adams establish a command control center from which personnel can get to by helicopter, boat or land.We have had, in just the last few years, power outages that left thousands in the freezing cold for weeks, or without refrigeration in mid-summer.
We do not need emergency locations far away without adequate accessible supplies, housing and personnel.
Major hurricanes or events would leave us totally unprepared.
Fort Adams can house personnel and supplies and equipment if restored better and larger than anywhere else. Fort Adams needs the funds – it is a R.I. gem sorely neglected and the money is not apparent anywhere else.
Let’s not be unprepared.
Nick Gencarelle, Newport
Opportunity is there to make Aquidneck Island a bicycling-friendly community
Sixteen hundred people rode their bicycles to the Newport Folk Festival. That’s significant! The front page article "Cyclists seek safer Newport" points to a wider issue on Aquidneck Island. The island as a whole has some great areas for bicycling. And, as indicated by the article, it could be a great bicycling community where citizens could safely commute via bicycle to their jobs, errands and even for recreation. But as an avid cyclist, I can tell you that the island is divided in such a way that certain areas are cut off from one another by barriers only the most hearty cyclist dare to transit. You can’t proceed without either riding on the highly dangerous East Main or West Main roads, or it requires a lengthy detour. For example – in Portsmouth, the area of town north of Turnpike Avenue is safe enough. But there is no safe passage to the Middle Road corridor. The Middle Road-Union Street-Jepson Lane corridor is somewhat OK to ride. But then getting south beyond Oliphant Lane becomes dangerous. If you do get safely past Oliphant Lane, then the area around 2-mile corner presents a problem. The thing is, these areas that are relatively safe for bicycles could be easily interconnected with simple, short multi-use paths (MUPs). In Portsmouth, the path up Quaker Hill on East Main Road could be extended to Middle Road. And/or a short path could be installed in the area of Corys Lane/Hedly Street. There are other examples. The new path along Connell Highway has helped greatly. And, with parking, and a safe route from Portsmouth, through Middletown, and into Newport…the Folk Festival bike count tells us that apparently there are lots of tourists who would use that route, and make a great impact/reduction on parking needed in Newport. Imagine a typical summer weekend day in Newport with hundreds fewer cars on the streets seeking parking. The bottom line is that the wider island in general could be a very bicycling-friendly community with the establishment of just a few simple corridor connectors.
Charles T. Tamori, Portsmouth
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rogers High School project opinions from both sides
