Bringing the YMCA Back to the Glory Days

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Abandoned Homes in Windham

50 Machine Shop Hill Road South Windham

Windham, today has over 70 single and multi family abandoned housing units listed at Town Hall.
There are approximately 50 units in Willimantic and the remainder in the Windhams.
The vast majority of these properties have been taken over by lenders but they have not been foreclosed. Most still are in the name of the owners. Most are not tax delinquent as the lenders
have paid off property taxes.
This list does not include abandoned commercial property nor buildings presently in foreclosure.

See 70 Abandoned Properties

Fall Foliage Train Trip, Willimantic-Baltic

Pictures of the fall foliage train trip, Willimantic to Baltic
Oct. 13, 2013

View Pictures Here

It used to be called education, now it's called reform

When is school reform not reform?

Ann Evans de Bernard, Ph.D, recently retired as principal of Waltersville School in Bridgeport.

 I was born in 1946 along with millions of other babies. So, when I started school, I sat in classrooms with upwards of 75 children until our cities and our parishes could get new schools built. After spending my first semester of second grade in the gym where I and 100 other children sat in desks nailed down into long rows trying to see our teacher in the front of the room, we finally moved into our new school. That was 1954. In 1957 I was in the first class to enter another new school and yet another one in 1960. When I got to college, there were hundreds of new dorms, a new library and new academic buildings. New schools were built because America did what America had to do to meet the needs of its children. It wasn't called reform. It was called education.

Part I : When is School Reform not Reform?
Part II : When is School Reform not Reform?

letter to planning a zoning

To: Windham Planning & Zoning Commission

IV. New Business (Discussion and Possible Action)

1. Path Academy - Windham – 832 Main St. Willimantic – Site plan review for alternative school

On September 26, 2013 the Windham Planning and Zoning will take up for consideration the proposed new charter school, The Path Academy, to be located in the former YMCA building on Main Street.

Before this project is acted on, all those involved  should be informed of the importance of their vote. It could be the most important  vote of their ZB career and could determine the fate of downtown Willimantic for years or decades to come.

The proposed Path Academy is intended to educate overage under-credited students, 14 to 24 years of age. Windham and 18 sending towns (as far asVernon and Norwich) will fill the 200 seats approved by the State Board of Education. Windham is allocated 75% of the seats, sending towns the remainder. If Windham fails to fill their allocated seats, sending towns will take those seats. (Special Master Adamowski foresees Windham filling 90 seats)

Windham officials have promised Our Piece of the Pie (OPP), the charter management firm that will oversee the Path Academy that parking will be no problem. Potentially 90% or 180 students plus teachers, staff and those on school business will require parking. Will we jeopardize future economic development on Main St for school parking?

OPP's charter application to the State references the types of students that they intend to  recruit to the Main St charter school. "Path Academy will engage in widespread and aggressive marketing and recruitment. The academy will specifically target to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds." The Path Academy will recruit students that have a:

• History of low academic performance. 
• Students who have been recommended by their home district
• Students receiving free or reduced lunches
• ELL students
• Students with behavioral and social difficulties
• Students with special need 's
• Special education students

The Chronicle points out in a September 13, 2013 article that 13% (84 students) are responsible for 70% of severe behavioral referrals at Windham High School. Having an alternative setting for these students, board members felt it would improve the learning for the rest of the school. Master Adamowski said, 

"Many of these students might fall into the  overage under-credited of youths who will be admitted to the new Path Academy charter school set to open in the fall of 2014 on Main St."

The potential of 84 troublemakers funneled to Main St from Windham High, possibly the same numbers sent from 18 sending towns......  five bars, one gambling house and an established drug culture at the front and back doors of this proposed Academy.  Is this environment conducive to a school? Is this school conducive to Willimantic's Main St.future?

Has anyone done an impact study of this type of program on surrounding business? Has anyone done an impact study of any kind at all about this school being located on Main Street?

John Monaghan

860-456-4897

www.frames224@yahoo.com

Blog: http://windhamweek.blogspot.com/

FOI requested information from WPS
http://windhamweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/special-master-adamowski-miracle-man-or.html
Path Academy Charter School Application
http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/equity/charter/path_academy_state_charter_school_application_4.1.13.pdf

Facade. proposed Path Academy on Main St

Former YMCA today

Proposed Main St view

Proposed Riverside DR view


Back to, "You know you are from Willimantic if"
www.facebook.com/groups/134936515713/

On the Twelfth Anniversary of Nine - Eleven

A Day of Terror: The Sights and Sounds of Nine - Eleven

Mr President, "The United is under Attack"

Der Spiegel (The Mirror) is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.

September 11, 2001, 8:20 a.m. — Betty Ong, flight attendant, contacts American Airlines operations center: " We have been hijacked." She is flying that day third in command on American Airlines Flight 11 from Boston to Los Angeles. Little does she know that Flight 11, a Boeing 767, has been diverted to the south tower of the World Trade Center.

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