Opinion/Letters: Support for Middletown schools bond

Regionalization remains the right step

It is high time the educational community on Aquidneck Island Community took bold steps to collaborate and share resources to improve the educational opportunities of all our students while paving the road to eventual school regionalization. It makes sense educationally and financially.

Ron Héroux, Middletown

One way to help improve traffic during Pell Bridge work

Motorists who regularly travel over the Newport Pell Bridge know that there has been a lot of road work on and around the bridge in the past few years. In addition to the ramp work done on the Newport side by our partners at RIDOT, our conversion to all-electronic tolling has resulted in considerable safety improvements on the Jamestown side, and there is often maintenance work to be done on the bridge. We are always mindful of how work zones impact motorists and have made every effort to minimize delays, but we need help from motorists, too.

Until April, there is going to be a “pinch point” where travel will be reduced to one lane in both directions on the Jamestown side of the bridge. We’re asking drivers to “zipper merge” to keep traffic flowing through this area. This means drivers use both lanes until the “pinch point” and then alternate into single file. Please do not straddle both lanes as it will cause unnecessary backup.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Lori Caron Silveira, executive director Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority

Why Middletown needs new school buildings

The upcoming school bond vote is very important to our youth, our teachers and our community. It comes with a big price tag. In order to make an informed decision whether or not to support the project, there is a lot of information to wrap your head around. It is also imperative to understand what happens if we as a community choose not to move forward with a new middle/high school.

The town of Middletown website has all the facts, figures, design proposals, research and more to educate voters about the history of our schools and the vision going forward. In the following paragraphs, I will give you my take on the situation.

Our schools average 60 years old – some will say that’s not an unreasonable age for a house - why not just fix what we have? Our halls of identical cement classrooms do not create the best learning environment; our buildings lack the ability to provide fresh air, controllable heating and cooling; the antiquated and inadequate electrical infrastructure prohibits the use of new technology; the capacity of our buildings to provide safety for our students is subpar at best. Addressing the issues above is costly, disruptive and inefficient.

If we do any major renovation (add bigger workspaces for groups to work together, retrofit existing buildings with new heating or air-conditioning infrastructure, upgrade the electrical systems, etc.) we will be held to the current standards from the RI Department of Education. There are rules about classroom sizes, fire code regulations, safety and accessibility requirements – the list goes on. Opening the structure (walls, floors) will require asbestos abatement. We are only able to continue today because we are grandfathered in. These types of projects are extensive and cannot be completed during summer vacation which means moving students – disturbing to say the least and a very expensive undertaking.

One of the requirements mandated by the state, when a community wants to build a new school, is to identify and price out all repairs needed over the next five years and compare that to the cost of replacing the same structure. Our schools’ results show we would spend almost ¾ the cost of a new school to repair what we have. Also consider: the repair project will result in a much smaller reimbursement (if any) from the state because we are not improving the educational experience.

The proposed new middle/high school will have the latest technology for teachers and students, high-efficiency mechanical systems, a state-of-the-art auditorium and 21st-century safety infrastructure – all brand new. The state reimbursement for the completion of the project stands at 55% of the $190 million price tag. Please join mein supporting the school bond.

Tom Welch, Middletown town councilor

New Middletown school is what teachers, parents and students deserve

Middletown voters have an opportunity to vote on a $190 million bond for construction of a new middle/high school on Nov. 7.

I agree, that the time has come for us to invest in our children in Middletown. With three terms on Middletown Town Council, two as president, 2008-2014, I have been involved in three attempts at developing a regionalization school district. The first effort would have benefitted my children, then. Each effort came up short, either by lack of proper planning, or by a lack of 400 votes. Mike Crowley, the chair of the Middletown School committee asked me to push for an enhanced school effort in Middletown in 2008 and I should have acted then.

Mike had a deep passion for our students and our schools and he was able to work successfully with other members of the School Committee, the school administration, members of the Town Council, and members of other school committees across the state to ensure we were providing the best opportunities within our means that we possibly could to our students.

I have reviewed this plan that was developed by a very talented group, including teachers and am very impressed, I think Mike would have been impressed. I have hosted tables locally presenting their information last weekend to local residents, in Newport and Middletown , along with councilor Barbara VonVillas and found that there is overwhelming support in the community for this plan.

Let's not chase issues that don’t exist, but are distractions. It is time for us to step up to the plate to provide thebest education platform that our teachers, parents and students deserve.

This effort will benefit my five grandchildren now, as well as other children and our community, and theydeserve it, I feel Mike would have agreed as well.

Chris Semonelli, Middletown

Now is a time to come together

Most people agree that all forms of violence should be condemned, but especially the slaughter of innocent people. The recent, surprise attack in Israel on Israeli people and on visitors was vicious, merciless and unwarranted. There can be no justification for this type of barbaric assault on humanity.

In advancing its political agenda, Hamas displayed such a reckless disregard for life that it cries out for everyone to express outrage, objection, disgust, and disdain. This is a prime example of the deepest form of hatred, which is undermining our way of life. Yes, it happened “over there,” but it still involves our brothers and sisters.

It is understood that a significant number (most likely the majority) of people living in the Palestine region do not espouse such heinous actions. But, they are caught in the grip of Hamas and are essentially helpless in speaking in opposition.

And, like so many others around the world, they yearn for a two-state solution. But, Hamas just blew up the prospect of a peaceful settlement any time soon by displaying the very worst of human behavior.

We cannot and must not be silent when such a travesty of justice takes place. Remember what Edmund Burke once said: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is when good people do nothing.”

All good people in this country should stand with Israel, stand for democracy, stand for the end of hatred, stand for peace, stand for the end of discrimination, stand for justice and equality, stand against violence, and stand for every person being able to pursue the life of their dreams.

We must demonstrate our concern about divisiveness in our own country and around the world. We must show our deep commitment to peace and freedom. We must reaffirm our belief in equality and justice. We must come together in our understanding and acceptance of one another.

I know that we have organizations in R.I. that are dedicated to these principles. I call on them to conduct a forum, establish a short list of values, publish their findings, and organize a good old-fashioned rally at the State House so that the whole state and the country can see what we believe in.

Then, let’s inculcate this newfound (or reborn) sense of togetherness into what we teach our children and grandchildren.

J. Clement ‘Bud’ Cicilline, Newport

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Letters: Support for Middletown schools bond