Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Observations on the 5th Anniversary

Five years ago our country experienced a seminal event; an event recounted within the pages of the Crier this week. A little over five years ago, I was a different person before the terrorist attacks of 9/11. A young mother, full time employee, recent home owner.

That June my husband and I posed with the SOLD sign in front of our home the day we moved in. One of our first acts of home improvement included installing a flag pole by the front door for Old Glory. A few weeks later I cut back my work as a researcher for a small think tank to take more time to be with my son, something I hadn’t been able to do since a short maternity leave following his birth.

In September, my husband’s job as an engineer for a defense think tank took him to an Army base in Bosnia, a place still dangerous in 2001. Anticipating the workload and security concerns, he planned weeks for his project while I planned to work from home for the duration of his trip.

On that mundane Tuesday morning which dawned sunny and crisp, I first learned of the hijacked planes on a news website. At first I thought of one small plane, woefully off course. I turned to the television for clarification and watched the horror of that day unfold on the news.

So much changed in a flash; for the terrorized passengers on those flights, the office workers trapped in the buildings, and their families. So much changed for those who survived and so much changed for our country. The events of one morning never before had such impact.

My husband, half a world away in Bosnia, heard the news just before I did and tried to stay out of the way while the base locked down and went into high alert. News reports became ever more alarming, as every few minutes we learned of another attack, another suspicious incident, another building evacuated, and on and on all day and for days afterwards. The bomb scares, the collapsing buildings, Cantor Fitzgerald, the fleeing workers and residents, the brave firefighters and police officers, the speeches, the three months of fires at Ground Zero, the anthrax, the clean –up, the decimated airline industry, the air quality, the job losses… these are just a handful of the images that followed in the wake 9/11.

My office, evacuated due to its close proximity to a federal building in Boston, shut down for a couple of days. Like so many parents, I picked up my son from his daycare center that morning, wanting him nearby in case the destruction came closer. And the family gathered. My brother-in-law, recently home from three years of teaching in Japan, came over and my mother drove down from her home in Maine a few days later. We all watched the news together and found things to distract my son from the gloom of the television that we just could not shut off.

I remember taking us all for a drive just to escape the despair. It was sunny, beautiful, and vibrant, like most autumn days in New England. And all the tragedy seemed otherworldly and detached. The quiet skies, the ticker tape line at the bottom of news screens, the television channels off the air in respectful salute, and the Hollywood telethon. My memories combine into a haze of the sorrow and anger and determination I felt at that time.

But perhaps what I remember most from that days and weeks that followed September 11, 2001 were the abundance of American flags. On car bumpers, flying from homes, the occasional flagpole hoisted in the back of a pick-up, in storefronts; people everywhere donned the flag as the symbol for which it was originally created, national unity. For a few short weeks we weren’t rich or poor or middle class, we weren’t White or Black or Latino. The political divides that existed before 9/11 and returned shortly thereafter were leveled in the wake of those buildings for just a short time, and for a little while, our nation lost her collective cynicism and became one nation of Americans again.

After 9/11 my family played a game in the car with our not-quite three year old, counting American flags we saw while driving around town. Many are gone now, replaced in some cases by seasonal decorative flags, or not replaced at all when the old ones became worn. And for Halloween that year my son joined scores of little firemen as they stalked the streets for sweets that night, going from house to house in a sober reminder that our firefighters were again at the top of the hero chain.

Today parents are charging football fields; occasionally a driver shares a rude hand gesture, and I guess in some ways we’re back to where we were before 9/11. Perhaps that ability to return to normalcy, rather than adjust to the “new normal” touted by news outlets in a limp attempt at gravitas, marks the true American spirit. That national glue, that strong sense many of us had of being American, lies just below the surface, everyday.

Itty Bitty Developments Suck Municipalities Dry

Like every summer, driving around town I’ve noticed a startling increase in building projects. One project, not yet in the build stage, will gain more visibility over the next few weeks and months as the developer, The Hanover Company, appears before various boards in town working on due diligence.

The Lodge at Ames Pond is coming to Tewksbury, and planning to bring 364 rental units in a three phase building process. Of those 364 units, plans designate 25% of the units as affordable with 49% of the units as 1 bedroom, 40% as 2 bedrooms and 11% as 3 bedrooms.

The project, still in relative early stages of approval, scares the heck out of lots of residents, particularly parents worried about the already overburdened school system. I had to take a closer look at Tewksbury’s 40B situation to sort out whether or not this enormous rental housing project makes sense.

Surprisingly, it does.

I’m no fan of Chapter 40B, which effectively hogties communities trying to manage growth, when the community possesses a housing base less than ten percent of which is categorized as “affordable.”

With 498 units of affordable housing in Tewksbury, the town stands at about 4.9%. Surrounding towns fare better than we do with Billerica at 6.1%, Chelmsford at 5.8%, Dracut at 5.5%, and Wilmington near 9%. Andover has already met its 10% commitment.

And yet, residents surely know that the Town has a “higher percentage of condominiums and apartments than can be found in most towns nearby,” as the Tewksbury Affordable Housing Plan cites in the Comprehensive Needs Assessment portion.

So, why the contradiction? Poor planning seems like the easy, and obvious, answer. The town has allowed many smaller sized developments offering few affordable housing units compared to the number of units being built. Over the next 1-2 years, according to the Affordable Housing Plan, the town will see eight projects built ranging in size from one to 60 units including the first phase of the Lodge at Ames Hill (again, these are projections). These eight projects will build 222 units but only give the town 76 units designated affordable contributing to the 10% required by 40B.

The town needs 77 units in order to have the right to refuse dubious developments for one year, a provision available to towns not yet at the 10% requirement. When a Zoning Board of Appeals rejects a developer’s project the developer may appeal that decision to the State Housing Appeals Committee (HAC). Of the 415 appeals that board heard from 1970 -2002 , 45% of the cases were withdrawn, dismissed or settled, 24% of the cases were negotiated between the town and the developer and 31% were decided by the HAC. Of that 31%, 84% ruled in favor of the developer and only 16% for the town. Clearly, towns are at a disadvantage with developers under the 40B law.

But, back to those eight near term projects. Almost all of them are ownership, or condominium, developments requiring up to 25% of affordable housing units as part of the development. When building small 16 unit projects that means only four count toward Tewksbury’s 10%.

The problem is that the projects, and affordable units, are coming piecemeal. And it gets worse.

“As Tewksbury continues to approve market rate homes in conventional subdivisions and cluster developments, the town accrues an unmet liability for 40B units,” states the Affordable Housing Plan mentioned earlier. Current estimates indicate that the town needs an additional 690 affordable units. According to a Northern Middlesex Council of Governments study Tewksbury would have to create a whopping 2761 additional homes to obtain 690 units under the 25% allotment.

However, all rental units count toward the elusive 10% of total housing stock. Thus, a large development like that planned for Ames Hill, offers 364 units, a big dent in that 690 unit goal, and perhaps presents less stress for our schools.

Renter occupied housing in Tewksbury averages 2.08 people per household versus the owner occupied households which average 2.9 people. Ames’ projections on the saturation level of children that would move into the Lodge seem grossly underestimated with only 49 children in the entire 364 complex. The developer contends that fifty percent of those children will be high school aged and the other 50 percent will be elementary and middle school aged.

That said, the project currently plans for a three phase managed building process over three years, with the first year only opening 34 units. Thus, the pain of a sudden influx of students will take a little longer to feel, and perhaps give the town more time to repair school budgets and hire teachers.

Keep an eye out for 40B developments as you drive around town. Accepting a development like the Lodge at Ames Hill, ignoring for the moment the legitimate cries of “Not In My Backyard” allows Tewksbury to claim a chunk of that 10% and returns some autonomy to town going forward in the near term.

Banning the Burning?

I’ll never forget the weeks and months after September 11th watching the proliferation of flags on homes, automobiles, businesses, you name it. My son, not quite three at the time, would count all the flags he saw as we drove around town and I marveled at the flag’s presence. Little by little those flags went away, first on cars, and then elsewhere. I miss them and the small voice in the back seat reaching his upper counting limit less than a mile down the road.

This week leading up to July 4th our nation’s Senators debated the merits of a Constitutional amendment banning flag burning. On Tuesday the amendment failed by 1 vote.

Like most of America I abhor the act of burning Old Glory. Other than for the respectful and appropriate retiring of a used flag, flag burning flies in the face of all that I hold dear; respect for our country, our collective heritage, the service of all our soldiers for well over 200 years, the sacrifices made in the name of liberty.

And yet, adding this amendment to the Constitution, as living and breathing a document as you will ever find, raises flag burning to the level of women’s suffrage, presidential succession and income taxes.

Why would America need this law? The roots of American culture are under attack from all directions every day. Should the kids say the Pledge of Allegiance, because it mentions God? Prayer in schools stopped years ago. Would an amendment to the Constitution protect American culture or open us up to more divisiveness?

Most of the states already adopted various declarations opposing flag burning and the House of Representatives voted in favor of the Amendment. So, why did the Senate block the passage of an amendment it seems most of the country wants? Why, in fact, was it proposed in the first place?

Well, to answer the latter, primarily to take back the right to ‘protect’ the flag from the Supreme Court ruling in 1989 that categorized flag burning as part of freedom of expression. Republican Orrin Hatch proposed the amendment in an attempt to show that the people have more right to decide this issue than five unelected judges. Most Democrats opposed the measure overall, while still condemning the act itself (Sen. Kerry called it “stupid”). So, was it a partisan issue? Not really, the measure needed to pass by a 2/3rds majority and only lost by 1 vote (66 votes instead of the necessary 67). The Senate is split 55 Republican, 44 Democrat and 1 Independent. So, at least 10 Democrats had to cross that aisle.

Why did it lose? I’m not sure. Perhaps those Senators know something the rest of us do not.

I think the issue boils down to respect. Respect for all the things sacred to American life, in a way, which our Flag represents. At the end of the day, however, respect cannot be legislated. Surely we do not allow our government to regulate manners, dignity, respect or pride. We teach those ideals in our homes, our schools, and in our communities through various expressions such as parades, festivals, baseball games, and even giant flags on cell phone towers (though that one could send mixed message).

The flag is rarely burned now, the wind taken out the proverbial sails by the lack of taboo that made it interesting to those less imaginative rabble rousers. Mostly our enemies on foreign soil burn the American flag, occasionally even lighting themselves on fire while doing it (an ironic but somewhat delightful twist).

Perhaps the problem is that respect for the flag and the way to honor its symbolism isn’t taught much anymore. Perhaps making a constitutional amendment would reenergize interest in how to handle the flag. Perhaps not. I submit that had that amendment passed, we would have seen more flag burning the following week than in the last 5 years combined. But that’s unscientific and unproven.

Burning the flag is offensive. Funny how that Neo-Orwellian think-speak called political correctness categorizes offending soldiers and patriots by burning the flag as ‘correct’ while stopping the offense by making illegal flag burning would be ‘incorrect.’ This banal logic makes my head swim.

As offensive at flag burning is, offending people is not illegal, nor should it be. Once we legislate that, we’re all in serious trouble. Flag burning shows a certain level of simplemindedness, but simplemindedness is not illegal either.

One thing is clear, with an amendment that lost by so close a vote, expect this one to reappear, especially if a few more Republicans join the Senate after the mid-term elections this autumn.

So, in honor of the Fourth of July and the failure of the Amendment I reprint here the Standards of Respect of Flag Etiquette. Have a happy and safe Fourth.

The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.
The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.
The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard
The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.
The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.
The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

School Initiatives Chokes on Bone

A little less than 4900 braved yet another soggy Saturday to vote in last weekend’s election. While a small number overall, it represents more than double the voter turnout in April’s election where the Community Preservation Act triumphed. About 29% of registered voters in town came out to vote solely on education issues and the best that can be said of the turnout is that the victory of question 1 and the defeat of question 2 were well beyond a margin of 8 votes.

I’ve read reports that people didn’t know this vote was even happening or of locals that didn’t bother to head to the polls. Not in my neighborhood. We emailed each other, lobbied each other, reached out to spread the word and remind each other to make time to vote. One of my neighbors even took another neighbor to the polls because she could not drive herself having recently had major surgery.

This vote was important to many people. And the turnout illustrates 3 kinds of voters: 1) those that stay informed about local politics and go to the polls, 2) those that do not stay informed and do not go vote, and 3) those that do not stay informed and still vote.

I’m not sure which is worse; uninformed non-voters or uninformed voters?

Many newspaper articles and some commentators seem to want to find a large message here, a clear message, if you will, telling searching for meaning in the chaos. Just to recap, question 1, a measure raising $687,000 for furniture and computers for the high school in a short term, minute increase in property taxes passed. Question 2, a $1.8 million proposition 2 ½ override that would have balanced the school budget and added teachers to our system for a permanent increase of $160 (in the first year), failed. In fact, overrides are failing all over the state, for those that even make it to the ballot.

Education funding is complicated. Making it accessible to parents and residents is the role of elected officials, helping residents understand the nature of the budget, expectations about what is reasonable and what can be expected in the future. It seems to me that the folks of U-25 worked exceptionally hard for several months to get something done not just to stem the bleeding in our schools, but actually improve the situation. Their dedication and fortitude is commendable and I hope we’ll see them again next year, in even bigger numbers, trying to do the right thing for the kids.

And I hope the economy and consumer confidence improves such that we can afford to do the things we need to do to make education in Tewksbury robust. Until then, though, I’m afraid the schools are fighting a sort of financial inertia destined to end in poor literacy, lower testing scores, and an inability for Tewksbury students to compete academically for limited college spots.


The school committee will be very busy in coming weeks making necessary cuts to meet the budget. Watch this space to see if we can swallow the bitter pill to come.

Shock and Awe in Suburbia, or Fear Factor Tewksbury Style

As a general rule, I dislike paying taxes. All too often I disagree with the philosophy and methodology of redistributing my income and I’d rather have much more say, and direct interest, in the outcome of my disbursements. Suffice it to say, I often have opinions on where, and for whom, my money is spent. Yes, taxes are what we pay for a civilized society, I’m not a libertarian. But, I want my money spent largely on two things, indivisible goods and public education.

Foregoing the inevitably pedantic economics dissertation, indivisible goods cannot be measured individually for the good or service provided. National Defense is a classic example of an indivisible good since none of us can in any way seriously measure the individual costs and benefits of having a defense.

Much the same stands true for public education. Failing to properly educate our children means we’re just breeding kids unable to take over the reigns of national leadership when their turn comes. Properly educating our kids means, in part, moving with the times. A debate rages in Tewksbury about the merits and pitfalls of two articles in the upcoming election June10.

One article seeks funding for new desks and computers in the high school, two areas in such need that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges cited them in its Fall 2005 accreditation visit. “The school’s equipment has not been replaced when needed, primarily with regard to the aging, slow, and inadequate computers and the aging furniture that in part dates to the opening of the school in 1959. Some classroom chairs are disfigured and some classroom desks are broken apart or held together with strong tape.”

Last year’s override for additional funding to rectify these problems, lost by only 8 votes at the polls and indicates a bigger problem than simple lack of funds. Apathy.

I blame much of this lack of interest on the advent of the reality television show.

Seriously. These “reality” shows are incredibly popular with Americans so interested in escaping their own realities they prefer to watch horribly contrived situations and see what “normal” people do to get through it all. Finally, we have entered Richard Connell’s Most Dangerous Game, turning to hunting our own species for entertainment. While I’m all for escapism and television programming, I’m afraid that culturally we’ve left the national controls to spin willy nilly while we munch microwave popcorn and debate the finer points of Fear Factor.

We must ask ourselves what we want our children to accomplish in school. So often in this debate I read or hear about residents that find themselves so nonplussed with the town budgets and management that they plan to vote against these school articles June 10 as a punishment to local town officials. Or others that feel they got along just fine without computer classes, fine arts, and modern desks (the old ones were just fine, built tough), so why should kids today benefit at cost to taxpayers.

Well, partly because we have a rich cultural tradition in America for public education. We believe that educating a child not only benefits that child and parents but society at large. By not fully and properly advocating public education we do our children a disservice in the short term and everyone a disservice in the long run. This does not mean throwing good money after bad. However, if we educate ourselves as taxpayers, parents and residents and watch what our elected officials do with our money, surely then we will know better how to help manage Tewksbury’s schools.

Every year since 2003 the Town refused School Department requests for a bigger budget resulting in a levelly funded school system over the last three years. Much of the blame for the tight spot we’re in is often attributed to a decrease in Chapter 70 and other funds from the state. This is largely true, Romney cut many wasteful programs in the budget and cut back on others. For me though, I’d rather pay lower state taxes and higher property taxes.

With property taxes you actually live in the town the money supports. Residents elect the people responsible for budgeting and spending that money. When money is unwisely spent, voters may put that person out of office. The accountability makes real sense.

So I leave you with thus, I ask nothing more that instead of apathy, residents vote next weekend, June 10. I ask that you consider the merits of each article, encourage your neighbors, and come out that day. By not participating in this election we bring a reality upon ourselves far scarier than Fear Factor.

What's in a Fortnight?

Fortnight in Review

Two weeks, that’s a fortnight. Old English, or olde English depending on your droll factor, gave us the term fortnight from feowertiene niht meaning fourteen nights. Irreverence aside, a 20/20 look in the rear view mirror every two weeks may be just the thing for equanimity.

About two weeks ago residents at town meeting voted to put two school oriented warrant articles (the debt exemption override question for technology and furniture and the Proposition 2 ½ override) on the ballot for a special election June 10. Getting these questions on the ballot, that’s the first hurdle. Passing these items, that’s something else entirely.

Voters also expressed dismay with several development initiatives, including the cell phone tower erected by Verizon for Sprint usage at the south fire station by voting not to grant an easement enabling Sprint to actually use the tower. Another cell tower article died on the floor for a similar reason. Residents denied a development off Pinnacle for townhouses and refused to rezone a small parcel of land on Andover Street, keeping out what promised to be a quaint ice cream stand.

Residents in Tewksbury organized, rallied, and showed that old New England mettle. I love it. This Yankee ingenuity, a sort of stick-in-your-craw way of getting things done, will take this town back from questionable development. If the votes at Town Meeting are any indication, clearly Tewksbury residents know what they want and what they do not.

Does the town need development? Yes. But SMART growth. With the passage of the Community Preservation Act its time to bring back the Master Plan. Perhaps you haven’t heard of the Master Plan, but yes, Tewksbury has one. Completed in 2003, the Master Plan committee developed a comprehensive plan to improve the town through careful development that preserves the comfortable, unpretentious character and semi-rural nature of the town. Readers may view the document online at www.Tewksbury.info and select Master Plan committee from the drop down menu.

If you ever read the posts on Tewksburyissues.org (and if you have not I suggest you run to your computer and check it our right after you finish reading the paper) you may pick up on a somewhat vitriolic vibe against town officials, both elected and appointed. A deep distrust exists from residents toward elected officials; a distrust revealed four years ago in an early report from the Master Plan committee. This lack of trust makes it difficult for residents to discern the kinds of development that fulfills positive objectives in town rather than just contributing to overcrowding in the schools or creating a drain on already scarce resources.

Putting the Master Plan to work, finally, may help the town transition from deep distrust to smart growth. Residents working together to defeat warrant articles at town meeting shows the power of organization and a shared will. However, rejecting growth for the sake of simply rejecting growth rather than a measured, thoughtful approach hurts the town in the long run. Without any kind of growth the town stagnates. Additionally, not resolving our lack of affordable housing also opens the door, legally, to more developments and skeptical planning.

Voters arrived en masse to vote for the school related warrant articles. Voters come out when something important to them personally shows up on the warrant. Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est. Knowledge itself is power. Residents must arm themselves with knowledge because when combined with numbers, knowledge brings about revolutions.

What residents need is unbiased guidance to good growth. What projects make sense? How do we mesh the borders between industrial and residential zones? How do we increase our income without selling out? The Master Plan, researched and written by a fair committee over several years, already tackled much of that work. It’s time for Tewksbury to take out the plan, dust it off, and start putting it to work.

Speaking of Politics

I’m amazed at what change two weeks brings. I have buds on my crabapple tree and mud on my porch. Flowers, baseball and budgets; that’s spring in New England.

While walking my dog early in the morning I hear my neighborhood come alive. What begins with soft light quickly becomes a cacophony of birdsong, doors slamming, cars starting, and feet running to catch the bus. The same could be said for Tewksbury this spring, particularly in the area of the School Department budget. The town is alive with budget drama, and I’m sure more is on the way.

The U:25 group, by gathering 250 signatures in a mere three hours to put a placeholder article on the warrant, started a movement that over the course of the last two weeks received the support of the School Committee and the Board of Selectmen and culminated in selectmen putting the Proposition 2 ½ override article on a special election ballot slated for June 10.

Selectmen marveled and the initiative shown by U:25 and supporters and noted that its been longer than any of them can remember since an citizen sponsored article made it to the ballot. An organized group coming before the town is powerful, especially one with as much traction as U:25. Traction equals voters.

Also included on that ballot is a debt exemption for $647,000 to buy new furniture and technology for the high school. A debt exemption represents a one time increase rather than a permanent property tax hike, which is why combining the two articles is out of the question. Last year this measure lost by only eight heartbreaking votes.

Students need a place to sit, people! They need a place to eat too. With too few tables and chairs in the cafeteria, a slew of unserviceable desks in classrooms, and outdated, often broken computers we’re embarrassing ourselves by what we’re providing these kids.

And, speaking of embarrassment, in the April 1 election only 14% of the town’s registered voters bothered to show up. Why register if you aren’t going to vote? With only 14% of the eligible voters actually voting, that means that for a ballot question like the Community Preservation Act which won with a vote of 1242 to 1118, 6.9 % of the town decided that issue. Seven percent! Those of you pleased with the seven percent of us that vote deciding your fate, by all means, stay home. But, those residents that want a say in how things are run, please, come and vote.

I take my children to the voting booth with me. I show them how it’s done and explain to them that voting is not only a right we have a citizens in a free republic, but a responsibility as well. We are responsible to our neighbors, children and parents for the consequences of our votes or lack thereof. Folks discouraged with voting need only remember last year’s article that lost by eight votes. Every vote counts, especially at Town Meeting, May 1, where residents pin on a ribbon and stand up to be counted.

U:25 already proved that citizen initiatives can make it to the ballot. The question remains, will citizens follow it up with a vote?

New Columns

I meant to write this one first.

Starting last February I began writing for a local paper as a freelancer. This takes much more time and pays much less than one might think. But, still, I have a good time with it.

I've decided to republish my columns here as the paper is not online (the very last one, apparently, but the business model just isn't there for the owner, I guess).

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy.

Column Regarding Public Education

The Board of Selectmen’s meeting March 21st, brought Tewksbury’s budget into sharp relief in a way, perhaps, unintended by the parents’ group U:25 which presented that evening to a sometimes unsympathetic Board and defensive town leaders.

The U:25 group seeks class sizes under 25, a number seen by education professionals as a benchmark for an effective learning environment. Class sizes throughout the school system from Kindergarten through Grade 12 struggle against this number with far too many classrooms exceeding its limits. Some classes in the high school have more students than available desks. Some children in the elementary schools suffer significant challenges with reading due to a lack of specialized teachers and large class sizes. So, the U:25 group has a point.

But the problem extends far beyond class size for Tewksbury schools. Furniture from the high school is hard worn and as old as the structure itself. Computers, an expensive and necessary part of modern education, are either broken, work poorly, and in too few numbers in the high school and many elementary classrooms. Reading teachers and reading programs stretch beyond limitations, due to the number of student referrals and lack of teachers. Fee schedules for activities, parking and more begin a march into the mindset of parents and the structure of the budget.

Over the last five years the school budget contracted, and contracted and contracted. Redundant to say and damaging to do. Per pupil spending in Tewksbury is one of the lowest in the state. Experiments in busing result in young middle school children riding with older high school students. Experiments in Kindergarten education saw significant changes to the schedule to avoid the expense of a mid-day bus. The School Board works very hard for creative solutions to significant budget problems. Contractual obligations from collective bargaining agreements create, effectively, a standing deficit where fixed costs increase every year. When met with a levelly funded budget, other budget items get cut to meet those fixed (but increasing) costs. Effectively, the school department’s budget, while at first blush a very large number, actually represents a department so tight that any surprises may push the system over its tipping point.

The U:25 group sought to move funds from other town departments into the school budget as a way to increase the budget marginally without needing to increase taxes. Their attempt, while admirable, brought quite a stir to that Selectman’s meeting as department heads came forward one by one to defend their budgets. Town departments hardly possess the fiscal functionality within their budgets to do little more than triage problems and slap band-aids on crises.

The police department has fewer officers than ten years ago and a rising, dangerous drug trade operating in and around our towns. The fire department finds that lowering the budget further may require closing the North Fire Station, a situation untenable with the growth Tewksbury recently experienced. The Department of Public Works barely has enough money for operating costs and the library, with a lower budget, may lose its accreditation. Town reserves are so low as to threaten the bond rating and more and more the budgets rely on one-time monies to meeting level funding.

The Tewksbury budget is flirting with disaster. Scott Consaul and Keith Rauseo of the school board both shook their heads but agreed that now may be the time to ask the Town for a Proposition 2 ½ override, across the board. And they are right.

At some point living in Tewksbury needs to be pleasant again. No more obscene cell towers in picturesque parks to reap a relatively small payoff. No more Superfund sites. No more driving around town on moon patrol with jarring teeth due to patched and rutted roads. No more overburdened classrooms and teachers. No more selling off parts of the town for questionable development that threatens the very way of life and character essential to Tewksbury.

What makes Tewksbury great is not a Wal-mart or a Home-Depot or even a mall. It is Tewksbury’s open spaces that offer a treat for an afternoon walk with the family dog. It is Tewksbury’s youth sports programs where families gather weekly to celebrate kids and have fun. It is generations coming together for Fourth of July activities and summer concerts on the common. This year, generations may need to come together again on Town Meeting floor, a sight rarely seen, but necessary to preserve the interests of all residents.

The time has come for this town, having enjoyed lower taxes than surrounding communities for years, to make some hard choices and consider an override. Residents need a budget that looks beyond the current crisis and accounts for impending long term needs. Tewksbury cannot support constricting the budget again and again. Budgetary seams are popping all over the place as the fabric of the town pulls tighter and tighter. No one wants to raise taxes and no one likes to pay taxes. Households on fixed incomes or with small incomes suffer when taxes rise, unquestionably and regrettably. But, we must reassess our priorities. Last week’s meeting clearly showed the town cannot continue to function without increasing the “inputs,” as Mr. Cressman put it. Its time to grow Tewksbury from within and stop the dependence on ever decreasing state aid and dubious development at the cost of our schools, our safety, and our way of life.