Granby Drummer (https://granbydrummer.com/category/voice/page/27/)
Unsigned editorials are the consensus opinion of the editorial staff and publisher. Commentary pieces express the opinion of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of the Drummer.
We’ve seen only one proposal for using decommissioned Kearns School, an asset owned by the town. Maybe that is because the town has done a poor job of ascertaining Granby residents’ usage preferences.
On March 9 I attended the statewide Poetry Out Loud competition in Middletown. I have served as a judge in the Granby Memorial High School for Poetry Out Loud for two years running and I had a rehearsal in Middletown that morning but I was able to see a little of the end result of the hard work of students from every town in Connecticut.
My focus in prior op-eds has been Granby’s economic fate relevant to the potential of its assets and the risks inherent in fiscal miscalculations.
Recognize Equal Pay Day on April 2 to symbolize how far women and minorities are “in the red” with their paycheck. On Tuesday, April 2, women across the United States will join in a national day of action called Equal Pay Day.
I have written a number of op-eds on this subject and spoken at BOS meetings during public sessions over the past year or so. I acknowledge the objectives of a diverse public facility as proposed by the soliciting Facility Committee for the lease of Kearns School.
For many in town, as farm property has been passed along through the generations, zoning laws have become more restrictive and complicated each year. When an aunt or uncle dies, several family members may own the farm.
We are concerned that the condition of the state finances is going to cause the taxes in Granby to go up. We have watched the Kearns School sit empty for almost 3 years, requiring maintenance annually for $30,000–$50,000.
I am not the type of person whom accepts help; in fact I hate receiving help. Over the past three years I have had three major surgeries and two minor ones between Boston, Hartford and New York. I have had long recovery times at home with little ability to do things.
Early in November, an injured bear appeared in our backyard. Impaled in its right eye was a plastic dart, apparently fired from a toy crossbow.
The proposal by the Kearns School Committee, led by Elliot Altomare, is an altruistic objective; however, it must make dollars and cents for the Town of Granby, its citizens and its relative economic health. While a non-binding letter of intent is being drafted, there are several points to be considered.