New Haven Independent

Posted by: charlie | April 12, 2007 9:24 AM

This is an incredibly stupid place for a new school. The site should be used for high density housing with some limited retail stores, like what you have with the Wine Thief farther down Whitney. There are plenty of empty lots over towards Willow Street that the city could use for a new school. The new school could be combined with the impending construction of a new East Rock Magnet, that way they could even all share the same athletic fields.

Posted by: East Rock Resident | April 12, 2007 10:04 AM

These terriblely oppressed multi-millionaires on Everitt St. How horrible to have the best school in the city located on your block. All evidence suggests that having the most desired school in the city NEXT DOOR to you would actually improve property values - bu these guys would rather make the City spend millions of dollars of our tax monies fighting to put the school where the School-based advisory committtee, almost all of the greater community, the Management Teams, the City Pan Commission and the entire Board of Alderman all thought it should be. A waste of tax dollars by these whiney overpriveliged NIMBYs

Posted by: Sally Joughin | April 12, 2007 11:39 AM

I have lived at the other end of Everit St, very near the old Hooker School, for over 30 years. I never saw that school as a "noisy invader that would disrupt the stately, quiet street and sink property values" --which, by the way, have appreciated 5 times since I bought my house. If the opponents of the new school are planning to move away, I am sure there are many families with children who would love to live near that school. If they are not planning to move away, I would think they might be more concerned about the enormous taxes we are paying because of the high values of our houses.
Concerning increased traffic on my street--yes, it does happen for a short period at drop off and pick up times. Although it doesn't bother me, I thought this was a legitimate concern for neighbors of the new school. But I believe the proponents of the Whitney Ave site have addressed this issue. And I don't agree that having a school would "disturb the tenor of the surrounding neighborhood"-- a school and children are an integral part of a neighborhood. Nor do I think of kids on a playground as "unwanted ruckus". And by the way, the church parking lot which is on the Everit St part of the site has always been used after school and on Saturday by kids of all ages, for skateboarding and bike riding and other non-quiet activities. I am also wondering if the opponents are even at home during school hours.
To be honest, I am wondering if the opponents just don't like kids or don't like people from poorer neighborhoods or wish they were living in the suburbs instead of an urban environment. Otherwise I don't understand why they wouldn't welcome the Hooker School, one of the best schools in the city.

Posted by: East Rock Resident | April 12, 2007 11:47 AM

Charlie-

Empty lots toward Willow? Non-existant. Certainly not the size for a new school. Perhaps your thinking of the old factory buildings or parking lots/dedicated parkland. Those are out of the Hooker school district and not big enough for the State-mandated programs (yes, stupid mandates, but mandates nontheless)that this school must have.

Maybe you weren't paying attention during the site-selection process, but those empty lots were quickly identified as inadequate, the environmental concerns too high for the factory buildings - plus the area is out of the district.

This is the best site (not ideal, but a built city has few "ideal" locations for a new school) and was overwhelmingly supported by the community ( just a few anti-Destefano, anti-school-construction people and the NIMBY's were against it - or the people who are a pain in the ass no matter what is proposed.

Posted by: charlie | April 12, 2007 3:36 PM

East Rock Resident,

The parking lots could be relocated. If you think they are too small, they could be built up more than two stories and easily fit a school. Meanwhile, Whitney Avenue should have high density construction (with a light rail system connecting it to downtown New Haven & Hamden), not a small suburban type school sitting on a huge lot. I would support the school at that site if it combined housing above, or if it had housing on the lower floors and school and office areas on top. Of course, that would never happen, because the State is too shortsighted to fund projects that would actually contribute to the urban environment.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | April 12, 2007 6:55 PM

ok first a little more history about me and the start of the K-8 fight :)

My kids went to Hooker back when it was a K-4. Betsy Ross was always the feeder Middle school for Hooker and then the city infomed us (when my child was in 4th) that they were no longer going to allow Betsy Ross to be the feeder, they changed it to Fair Haven Middle School. The Problem was that Hooker was an Arts school and of course being a large number of Betsy Ross students were from Hooker it to became an arts school. To change to to Fair Haven did not make much sense. So the parents of our 4th grade class (me included) and parents of childern in the other grades tryed to fight the city on this, they would not budge. So we set up a 5th grade class in the music room, and then the basement (lunch room) became another class room. When they saw we were not going to budge on this and Betsy Ross was no longer an option they put us and Jepson (who was fighting the same fight we were at the time) into Conte School (now West Hills). Finally they set up a temp. place in St Stans.

Proud to say my daugter was one of only 8 kids (only eight made it through the fight many just moved away or went to privete schools) that were the first 8th grade graduating class of Hooker...GO HOOKER!! (And my Uncle was (proud to say) was the Pricipal of Hooker for decade and made it the great school that it is)!! Go Joe!!

But during those 4 years of fighting we had several sites that would of been a great alternative within the area but we kept getting shot down. Finally they have this site within the community and a few home owner are going to fight it........come on!! Do you know why your houses our of great value??? Because they are in the Hooker district!! Having a school that closes at what 3:00 (well not including a few after hour events) is not at all a disturbece!! Get over it and let the school be built. Stop being such Grinches!! Let your heart grow!

Posted by: Nancy | April 12, 2007 10:51 PM

A little more history::East Rock Community School was originally designed by a resident architect of East Rock as a K4-5-8 two-in-one building, and originally had 2 principals; it was pretty much rejected by the Hooker parents because it was 'too far to walk'(and other objections, like bussing in from other neigborhoods,) and since then they have been looking for another location. Well, how about the Cooperative High School on Orange & Bradley streets - just down the street from the Creative ARTS, the Neighborhood Music School; sounds ideal -- no need for a zillion dollars new construction, and it will be available in a year!
Might save some money--wow what a novel idea!

Posted by: MARYROSARIO | April 12, 2007 11:27 PM

to cedar hill great job on fighting for your children!!!!!!!! your right let them build the school.i know the team of the schools commitee and they do a great job of checking out sites and a lot of people in the community also help out.i am positive this was the best site the commitee had so let the kids have their school.

Posted by: strangerthanfiction | April 12, 2007 11:53 PM

Let the kids have their school already. Shame on these Everit St. folk who with their Yale connections and money demand to get their way, as they presumably always have. This is an outstanding school that will be an asset to the neighborhood and enrich the surrounding community. The sites have been studied to death and this site selection is the result of a process that has taken years and given every part of the community a chance to be heard. The Whitney Ave. site is a valuable piece of real estate that will be developed regardless. Condo developers would love to have it or maybe the city will put in public housing units!

Posted by: cedarhillresident | April 13, 2007 8:19 AM

strangerthanfiction has a point... Something is going to be built there like it or not. Why not a school at least the traffic to it stop before dinner . Nancy does have a point about the bradley street site, but the only problem with that is there is no out door room for the kids at that site. Like it or not this is the best site for it. It has its pro and cons but the pro's far out way the con's. Question, were do they come up with the figure that it will drop the value of there home if it is built?? That does not add up to me. Look at the values of the homes surrounding the original Hooker.. I really think that these people have not fight..but if by a slim chance in hell they do win...are you not worried about what will happen with the property...hmmm Like strangerthanfiction said it can be a large condo or house developmet ....becareful what you wish for... you may get something much worse than an A+ school and then where are your property values going.

Posted by: Esbe | April 13, 2007 10:12 PM

I am a long-time East-Rocker and I agree that Hooker school increases values in the neighborhood. Nearby high quality public schools put the "location" in the old real estate mantra of "location, location, location." If the Everit street folks hate children that much, they should sell their houses for a million dollars each and then they can each move to a 3 acre lot in Woodbridge, where they will be isolated from human contact.

These days, plenty of folks want to live in urban areas, and of course that means nearby schools. So there will be many willing buyers for those houses.

Posted by: jms | April 14, 2007 10:12 PM

Along with plenty of other good reasons we purchased our home in New Haven BECAUSE of it's proximity to the local neighborhood school. (In our case Westville/Edgewood) I would echo the comments of ESBE and say that there are plenty of people who would jump at the chance to buy those homes on Everit Street if the locals want to flee to the suburbs. After we completed some renovations we got offers on our house all the time... in the mail... even an occasional note on the door. People probably assumed we had purchased the house as an investment and were looking to turn it. The point is people want to live in these neighborhoods and the vast majority of my friends and neighbors consider a quality local school as a huge asset.

Posted by: ericaholahan | April 15, 2007 8:04 AM

I have a few comments. One is that I think the school should be built at the Whitney Ave. site. It's true that the students of Hooker school have waited too long for an appropriate building, and they deserve the best, as all kids do. I think the proposed school would enhance the neighborhood. On the other hand, the city's ability to change the zoning laws of a neighborhood is a slippery slope. In the Hill, it meant tearing down several houses to make way for new construction. People were displaced. While this is not happening in East Rock, and probably wouldn't, the city has exercised excessive power in the past. Finally, I would like to say that Hooker is arguably the best public school in the city. However, it is inaccessable to many families-those who live out of district and don't get in on the "out-of-district" lottery. I know there have been problems in the past with families being given slots for their kids in an unfair and "backdoor" manner. Accessibility is an issue-and perhaps it should be turned into a lottery school. I doubt that will happen, either. There are many politics involved with the school, as so many people would like their kids to go there. I don't say this to detract from the staff or students who make it great. I would love for my daughter to attend. I hope she might have the opportunity some day.

Posted by: cedarhillresident | April 15, 2007 12:06 PM

ericaholahan
I have to argue with the fact that the out of district applications (not lottery because lottery is for magnet schools) for hooker is not fair. I was an out-of district but I had to jump through hoops to get the placement because the board of ed are the ones who choose the out of district applicants. You have to show good reason why your child has to be placed out of district. (not just I want my kid in that school).

Hooker was always fair with there available slots (meaning slots that are not filled by children that lived in the district) you must also remember it is a small school and that is the beauty of it. People do not want there kids in big schools and if they were to make the classes larger to accommodate more children it would lose what makes it a great school.

This is one of the reasons I am so against the larger fancy schools. We should of stuck with small community schools. Not classes filled to the brim, teachers trying to teach to many kids at once ....but hey we do have a nice lobbies and pretty hallways and a great looking building with state of the art toilets.

strangerthanfiction is right the school has been fighting for so long, longer than most schools and should get there school.

If I remember correctly the problem was that Hooker did not want to become a magnet school so the city limited the money that would go to the school. Then they cut the feeder Middle school and several other things. This is far from a rich school I would even go so far to say it is struggling more than a lot of New Haven schools...I remember the refrigerator broke and we had to look for someone to donate it.

Every school can be a Hooker School.. It should of been a modle for the elemerty and middle schools.
If I remember corretly Hooker is a modle school for Japan.
my opion only but what makes a good school is
-Small class rooms.
-Parental involvement
-the Arts
-the freedom to be different in fact the incuregment to be different
-key.... community!!!! a school should be more than the place your child learns.
-Varied learning and teaching styles should be honored.

Posted by: ericaholahan | April 16, 2007 1:01 AM

cedar hill resident,

I agree with you on many things, namely on the list of things that make a school great: small class size, parental involvement, art education, nuturing people's differences (and encouraging people to recognize that there is commonality within uniqueness), community, and varied learning and teaching styles. I also know that Hooker is not a "rich" school in the sense that the families who attend come from a wide range of economic backgrounds. Here's the thing-I bet if you did an average of family incomes at Hooker, and family incomes at most other non-magnet schools in New Haven (with the possible exception of Edgewood), there would be a huge differece. Nobody does those averages, but the difference exists. Hooker may not be a "rich" school, but it's certainly in a "rich" neighborhood-I know, because I spent the first 23 years of my life in East Rock. My parents moved away, mainly because they could no longer afford to live there. I don't begrudge Hooker it's success or "amazingness"-as I said before, I would love my daughter to go there. But I will not pull strings to get her there, and I'm sorry to tell you that there are some kids there now because strings were pulled. I don't know their names, and don't want to, and again, it's great that they are getting the benefit of a Hooker education. But it is not fair, and this is the reality of an unjust system. The BOE, the city, and many parents in New Haven will hate to read these words, wil vehemently disagree, and I know the implications of what I'm saying. But I also know it's the cold hard truth. And I don't think it's true that every school could (or should!) be Hooker. Hooker is unique, and it is wonderful. But it will never be able to be replicated across the city. You and I both know that. Otherwise more parents would fight to make ER neighborhood school a school more like Hooker. They don't, and maybe they shouldn't. I think it's fantastic that you fought to get your child into the best school you could. Not every parent will do that, and most will not.

Posted by: ESS | April 16, 2007 11:48 PM

Actually, the Worthington Hooker student body typically contains about 40 percent out of district children. You will not find a more ethnically, culturally or economically diverse yet balanced student body anywhere.

Quoting from N. Dawidoff's story about his WHS:
..."in a city that is simultaneously home to Yale University and some of America's dreariest slums. Worthington Hooker typified New Haven's makeup: The Coffins were the children of Yale's radical preacher, William Sloane Coffin; Arnold Gibbs's dad collected garbage; my mom taught school; Michael and John Buchina's parents worked in a factory; Jon Logue's father became mayor. Our innocence was such that we blithely referred to our school as Hooker School, never realizing that a Hooker was anything but a famous Connecticut doctor.
Kickball played a significant role in shielding us from the political climate. We respected people for what they could do on the blacktop, not for how much money their parents made. Joe Zito, for example, became school president largely on the basis of the home run record he set. The day he kicked his 100th of his career, he signed autographs for most of the school..."

I would echo Sally Joughin's thoughts above and add that this seems to me NIMBY at its worst because at least eleven children from the families of five site opponents from Everit St. actually attended Worthington Hooker School; they had their piece of the pie but won't pass it on.

Re. site opponents concerns about unwelcome playground noise:
My family lived for over 35 years a few houses away from the Canner Street WHS and for nearly 40 years my wife's family has resided on Cold Spring St. a block away from Hooker, a few houses away from the Leila Day School and half a block from Wilbur Cross High. We never considered hearing the sun dappled, gleeful murmur of the site opponent's children playing in the WH schoolyard (or the Leila Day School) an unwanted ruckus.

Re: Site detractors citing "traffic" concerns:
Living in close proximity to these three Schools has never prevented us from getting where we wanted, when we wanted to.
The plan for the Whitney Ave site does not include School buses and bus stops or even drop offs on Everit Street -- we also never minded that the previous WHS parents who are now site opponents, dropped off, picked up and parked on our street year in and year out but I see that they wont be returning the favor to their fellow citizens as even if the Whitney Ave school is ever built, the current WHS folks won't be allowed access from Everit street.

The same Everit St. resident who cited President Kennedy's call to "serve our country" as well as belief in "the value of integration" and "common ground" in her anti 691 Whitney Ave. site letter is the same person whose three daughters enjoyed attending W. Hooker but who stated at a city zoning hearing that she didn't want a new W. Hooker School near her home because she might have trouble parking her car on Everit St!

This seemed disingenuous because the Everit Elite received special consideration and conciliations such as a big, expensive serpentine fence and plantings that ate up precious play area and removing the pre-existing Everit St. curb cut to the school site so that no school access would be allowed. The removal of the Everit St. curb cut necessitated a huge paved turn around that took up 1/3 of WHS' first big grass play area, which is ironic in light of the fact that another site opponent, a Yale SOM M.D. living on Everit St, feigned concern for the WHS children at a public hearing, stating something like: In this day and age of super-sizing, super-sizing this and super-sizing that, I'm veeerrry concerned that the Hooker children aren't going to have enough place to play at this site...right, so keep the 3rd - 8th grade WHS children playing on the tiny St. Stans parking lot, breathing the fumes from I-95, next to the homes of OTHER people, while whining about unwelcome playground noise and forcing the city to spend all those tax dollars fighting your selfishness.

Re: Site detractors citing "safety" concerns for children walking to a 691 Whitney Ave. School while supporting the out of district location near the Highway:
Six children (incl. myself) from our two families walked out of district to attend the East Rock Community Bunker and we know from firsthand experience that it would have been safer to walk to a centrally located school such as the 691 Whitney Ave. site. Many WHS families are graduate students living up the hill near the western edge of the district so walking all the way across the district and back is too far -- we're talking about children as young as 8 years old -- 3rd graders. (All these WHS families live right next to the Foote playing field but I've never heard them complain of having to endure any unwanted ruckus).

My wife and her four siblings crossed Whitney Ave. to attend St. Mary's School when it was on Prospect St (before attending WHS) and my brother was fortunate enough to attend St. Thomas's and Hamden Hall Day schools so that's at least six kids crossing Whitney Ave. to get to School with no problems over the years, yikes, come to think of it, the kids in our family have attended four schools on Whitney Ave!:

1) Bethesda (with a playground adjacent to Whitney Ave and St. Ronan St. residences. The back yard of a WHS family abuts that playground but they're not complaining).

2) Head Start / Hamden-New Haven Educational Co-Op

3) St. Thomas Day School (with playgrounds adjacent to residences on Ogden and Cliff Streets and Whitney Ave).

4) Hamden Hall Country Day School (with play field adjacent to residences on Heloise, Augur and Morris Streets).

And what about the other schools on Whitney Ave. that are adjacent to residences, lets head on out towards Skiff St:

5) Church of The Redeemer nursery (with playground adjacent to residences on Whitney Ave and Cold Spring St).

6) Children Center/Whitney Hall (with play fields adjacent to residences on Mather St).

7) St. Rita Elementary School (with playground adjacent to residences on Dessa Drive, Terrace and Highland View Aves).

8) Lorraine D Foster Day School (with playground adjacent to residences on Whitney Ave and Norris St).

9) Spring Glen School (with playground adjacent to residences on Whitney Ave and Glendower St).

10) Oops, forgot Yale...

"I am concerned with the next generation of voices.
I wish them to be as strong and confident and effective in what they do as those who came before.
And they will be, if we can recall our nature and our purpose and engage each other to fashion our future together."

A. Bartlett Giamatti

Posted by: ericaholahan | April 17, 2007 2:14 AM

ESS,

First, I am with you. I want the school there, and I wish this battle were not happening. Your Dawidoff and Giamatti quotes were well placed. Ultimately, there are many kids here who should be granted a better space in which to learn, and the Whitney Ave. site is a much better one than say, the Martinez Elementary school in Fair Haven which is built a stone's throw from English Station on questionable soil (environmentally speaking).

I think I may understand your stance on the issues. I agree that NIMBY is at play, and I don't think the Everit St. folk are hiding their NIMBYism. Who knows why a school would be unwanted noise to them. Surely they don't hate kids playing, and kids from all over currently play in the lot all the time. The fact that some neighbor's kids went to Hooker means that maybe they are being honest-they simply want to preserve their street as it is now. Change is hard.

I grew up around the corner from this block, and I can tell you that I was always jealous that the kids could play in the street, that they had block parties, and a sense of community that did not exist where I lived on Whitney. These are not bad people fighting the school-in fact, some of them are great public servants. I babysat for the kids of many of them, and I would stand by every single one of their characters. I don't agree with their fight, but you are painting them out to be people they are not. Just because people are wealthy and affiliated with Yale does not mean they should have less of a say in what happens in their backyard. The city is changing zoning laws. Why should they be able to do that whenever they feel necessary? Like I said before, in the Hill, peoples' homes were destroyed.

In the spirit of teaching our children that everyone's voice counts, and even when we can't understand someone else's point of view, we work towards peace and understanding, let's get all of the sides together. It does not have to be so contentious. Let's listen to the students as well-most want this, and let's encourage them to continue to have their voices heard.

Posted by: ESS | April 17, 2007 10:31 AM

Many thanks, yes, let's consider the children:

Consider that the city bought 691 Whitney Ave to finally build a school for them in 2003 and that approximately 265 WHS 3rd - 8th graders will spend 182 days per year for at least 3 MORE years shoehorned into the old State Street site. That's about 144,690 collective child-days from TODAY, not counting the past years of delay caused buy the site opponents. If they're in this swing space for 5 MORE years that adds up to about 241,150 collective child-days in a crumbling building, too many collective child-days on the tiny, bare St. Stans black top with no play structures, breathing the fumes from the highways, next to OTHER peoples homes.

Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health Inc., wrote a forum piece that was printed in the Thursday, June 15th, 2006 edition of the New Haven Register. This informative article was written in support of the 691 Whitney Ave. site and basically states that HEALTHWISE, schools should never be located near highways due to the harmful effects of vehicle exhaust.

She reported that "Many studies have shown that children who are exposed to vehicle exhaust near motorways have reduced lung function and many of them develop asthma."

The old State Street/St. Stans temporary site for Hooker School is located next to Interstate 91 and very near the junction with Interstate 95, where cars and diesel trucks idle for long periods and is located directly on State St. (Rte. 5) where traffic backs up nearly every morning rush hour. If you consider that approximately 265 sets of lungs will be in the school 6.5 hours a day for at least 3 MORE years that's about 940,485 child lung-hours of breathing this polluted air. If the school is in this swing space for 5 MORE years that's about 1,567,475 child lung-hours of breathing highway exhaust.

Given the above HEALTH issue alone, I do wish that people would please stop offering to put other folks' children near the highway.

Re. The planned Worthington Hooker School at 691 Whitney Ave affecting real estate values:

One of the site opponents argued at a City Planning Hearing that the prospect of the 691 Whitney Ave. School next to his 5,673 square foot 190 Everit St. home prevented him from being able to sell it - yet he sold the house on 6/1/2005 for $1.2 million!

Another school site litigant bought a 3,852 square foot Everit St house across from the proposed site on 2/28/1992 and sold it to a WHS family on 8/3/2004 for a $529,000 profit.

Now that's progress!

Re. site opponents "simply wanting to preserve their street as it is now" -- consider that the houses on Cold Spring St. were built across from College Woods ca.1900, incl. my in laws, used to have a wonderful view of the Mill River meandering under East Rock.

52 years later the city built Wilbur Cross High School partially across the view that generations had enjoyed, but people considered the children and THE GREATER GOOD and for 55 years now, the multi-district school children ALSO enjoy the location and the view.

So if all those Cold Spring St folks can happily live near 3 schools (while paying almost $20k per year in property taxes), then the Everit St. litigants should be able to welcome one small school.

We're not talking about destroying homes or a neighborhood here we're talking about improving it -- most of the residences adjacent to the above listed 10 schools on Whitney Ave predate the schools but new schools are generally considered as an important form of progress.

Posted by: jm69 | April 18, 2007 1:21 AM

Don't insult us, Erica, by calling our school's opponents "great public servants". This is a classic example of power and the common good: money, and often race, allow the privileged few to squash the needs and rights of the many. It's just that simple.
Your comments are interesting. You manage to empathize with "the great public servants" of Everit Street while admitting that our school is one you "would love" your child to attend. Do what my husband and I did - buy in East Rock! We even managed to buy on Everit Street, and you know what? Our street has at least 9 multifamily properties on it; I know this because I own one of them. The "Garden of Eden" attitude is bought only by the grandiose folks who hold it as argument against our school.
This is about the arrogance of wealth and privilege, nothing less. Our foes would love to cloak their prejudice under the guise of civic mindedness and caution, but their true motivation is transparent.
I will be bitterly disappointed if we lose this court case, but I also believe --as do many in our community-- that the foes of this project are, and always will be, the real losers.