As Gilda Radnor's character used to say on Saturday Night Live, "Never mind ...".
Or, as the CCT said this morning, "Almost as hastily as it was posted by Chairwoman Sherry Marshall, a meeting to talk about pool use at Sandwich High School was canceled."
At last week's meeting, the Chair announced that the discussion on whether to allow adults off the street to roam around the locker rooms during the school day would be tabled for a second time to "gather more data". I'm curious what "data" may have been gathered by the time that last-minute posting was delivered to the Clerk's office for a "special" Thursday Night meeting just moments before the 48 hour Open Meeting deadline.
If the promised "data" had been accumulated, why was the meeting cancelled?
I'm not even sure what data was being sought -- the pool lost $130,000 in 2009, I have to assume restricting use will only make it worse --- The real question should be, "Why aren't swimmers paying the full cost of the pool?" A related question would be, "Why are other Community School customers paying extra to support the swimmers?"
Please don't tell me that in 1972 the voters agreed to indefinitely screw the Pre-School Parents, Adult Ed customers, the kids paying for Drivers Ed, and the Sandwich taxpayers so that the nice folks from Cotuit could have a cheap swim.
But, wait -- it's a safety issue -- not a financial one!
Why haven't we heard from the School Safety Committee ? They've done some great work improving security across the District. They must have an opinion about naked strangers in with the kids. I would certainly consider their opinion more relevant than that of the nice lady from Barnstable who seems to think Sandwich taxpayers owe her a discount swim membership.
At least, let's be honest about this --- if a Superintendent can be chosen in three days (without a site visit), than it shouldn't take 3 meetings to settle a locker room issue that has been a problem for 20 years (anybody who thinks situation was caused by only one parent's complaint is misinformed -- or a liar.)
It's well known that Seniors (particularly swimming Seniors) vote and parents don't. It's time to stop pandering for votes, make a decision, and move on.
If this issue can be resolved next week, that will give the current School Committee 3 accomplishments: they "unrenewed" a Superintendent, leased some copy machines, and decided whether or not naked strangers should be allowed in with our kids.
Sounds like a great campaign ad !
