Here we go…we’re getting into the final stretch of local elections. Candidate statements start this week. And, we start with the Selectboard race…and we have a race! Lisa Plante is challenging incumbent Bob Espindola. See page 18 for their statements.
The Rogers re-use discussion got off to an energetic start this week. The new proposal was bounced around by the neighbors (see page 12). It looks like no one wants a big apartment complex in the neighborhood.
But, no one seems to have the desire to tear down the building, either. Something’s gotta give.
I understand not wanted an extra 100 or so people in the neighborhood. And I understand people want to keep the building. But, let’s face it, that building is a mess. If Henry Huttleston Rogers were alive today, he’d be the first one tearing it down.
Mr. Espindola is right when he says we don’t know if we can or cannot afford the $2 million (about) that it would take to demolish the building. If we wanted to do it, we could. Hell, we just spent $1.2 million on turf for a bunch of kids to toss a ball around.
My vote would be to get rid of that old building, make a nice parking lot for public parking and/or to rent to Our Lady’s Haven to ease the parking woes in that neighborhood. And then fix up that playground. It could be the best one we have. It’s a huge piece of property right in the middle of a dense neighborhood. It’s already a gem, thanks to volunteers, imagine if we sank some real money into it?
HHR was all about the new shiny thing and looking ahead and modernizing things. Let’s think about what he would do. This is not the magnificent Fairhaven High School, or our Town Hall that looks like a Disney castle, or the Millicent that is just…the Millicent. This is the Rogers School building. Yeah, it’s kind of cool, but it’s not he Castle on the Hill, or…the other one.
There’s other great stuff in here, of course. As you flip the pages, please note who our advertisers are so you can tell them you saw their ads in the Neighb News.
Until next week then…see ya
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Click here to download the entire 3/4/21 issue: 03-04-21 RogersSchool
