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Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023 HOCKEY | FROM Page 7 The cost to destroy the forested hilltop is approximately $40M. According to the signed budget agreement, MSBA will only reimburse up to $8.3 M for site work. Why would the SBC want the district taxpayers (Chelsea, Malden, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Saugus, Stoneham, Wakefi eld, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn) to pay so much for site costs, not educational costs, when there is no need to do it? This will be a punishing cost for some towns, especially Chelsea, Revere, Malden and Saugus. Project documentation submitted to the MSBA show there are 2 viable alternatives that meet the same educational requirements on the lower campus, site C.1 on the current practice fi eld behind the school and C.2 on the current football fi eld. New fi elds will be built upon the footprint of the current school once it’s demolished. No one will say how they intend to use the current football fi eld. SBC and project documentation show multiple references to a “Future Hockey Rink” presented and discussed in the months leading up to the SBC’s vote to approve the Hilltop Building Site (C.3) in December 2020. The future rink was clearly a factor in the site selection, as evidenced by the Final Evaluation of Alternatives prepared by PMA and submitted to the MSBA. It stated “The district gains additional athletic fi elds with this option [C.3] and maintains the potential of reserving the current football fi eld/ track for future development as a hockey rink.” Again, when MSBA reviewers asked for justifi cation for the high site costs related to the hilltop location, the project team responded “The new football fi eld and track is replacing the existing fi eld and track that is … being reserved for future recreational development (outside of this Project)” By locating the school on the forested hilltop, 12 towns will pay to address the ledge and build a road. Stephen Maio, town administrator and David DiBarri, NEMT superintendent, can now get the rink and road they have wanted for years using new school funding. Developers can aff ordably build whatever “facility” they want on the current football fi eld. The SBC members have not acknowledged that there are better, safer site options for the new school. Residents have spoken of concerns about the safety and access to the new school, the 1100 ft system of stairs and ramps. The SBC responded that there will be liability insurance. Citizens requested an environmental review by the state. Since the SBC denies there are future plans to build a rink, the building plan does not trigger an environmental review. A new energy park is planned for the article 97 land abutting the school site that will leverage solar power generated from the school rooftop to benefit Wakefield customers. The Energy Park is described as part of the school project when the Wakefi eld Municipal Gas and Light Department wants voters to approve the use of the public land. It is deYour Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $150 per paper in-town per year or $200 per paper out-of-town per year. Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 scribed as not part of the school when they’re trying to avoid environmental review, which they have done. There is no scrutiny or oversight. The SBC reports back to themselves while determining what is allowed to exist and spending hundreds of millions of public funds. There is a confl ict of interest law, requiring all municipal employees to act in the public interest. The NEMT SBC has a responsibility for all 12 towns, yes? I do not see stewardship, responsibility, or ethics. The school site had been decided without a word about the location on the ballot to fund the school in January 2022, see the Reading Post article “Why-didnt-the-publicknow-about-the-plan-to-buildthe-new-voke”. There is something called a Right to Honest Services. It is about transparency, deception and a breach of a fi duciary duty. Why is new school funding being used for this long desired rink and road? The NEMT project team claims that the school property is private land. It is public land which is why the public will pay all costs. The loss of this forest will be ours too. There has been extensive outreach to Massachusetts’s state-level legislative leaders. Many representatives that claim to prioritize the environment support blasting away this core forest and wetland habitat. The safety issues posed by the ramp design and lack of sidewalks within the campus cannot be remedied. Students will lose access to the baseball, football and practice fi elds while the hill is blasted and dewatered and rock is crushed for months behind the existing school. Voters were told this site option was the least disruptive. Wakefi eld’s beautiful native forest will turn into a rock quarry with a parking lot. Maintenance for this school site will always cost more. That cost will not be for a better school. It will be for a facility and road that Wakefi eld and NEMT have sought for years. There are better, safer, less expensive and less destructive site options. Please share this information and contact your town. New school site plan pics: tinyurl.com/NEMTSchoolSitePics All citations for this letter: tinyurl.com/WakefieldRinkCitations This letter can be shared: tinyurl.com/WakefieldRinkLetterV2 If you agree or disagree, have questions or advice please write to whyshouldwepay01880@ gmail.com No taxpayer dollars were spent bringing you this information. Karen Johnson Malden Resident CAVARETTA AND SON, LLC ~ DRAIN CLEANING SERVICES ~ Frank Cavaretta - Over 21 Years Experience * Main Lines * Kitchen Sinks “You clog it, we clean it!” 24-Hour Service * 781-526-4750 1. On June 23, 1845, what state was annexed that is nicknamed the Lone Star State and includes the “Big Thicket” and the Panhandle? 2. How many sides does a nonagon have? 3. What is the meaning of the “19” in COVID-19? 4. Reportedly, what sport has been called diamond ball, indoor baseball, kitten baseball, mush ball and pumpkin ball? 5. What fl at picture can also be pictured in three dimensions? 6. On June 24, 1675, what war began in Swansea, Mass.? 7. In what city would you fi nd Carnaby Street (once famous for fashion)? 8. On June 25, 1924, what female who worked in the World War II war industry was born? 9. What does PIN stand for? 10. Reportedly, what game became popular at the same time as the invention of the cylinder lawn mower? 11. On June 26, 1870, what fi rst boardwalk in the United States opened? Answers 12. What attracts June bugs? 13. On what continent was the fi rst swimming championship (a 400-meter race): Australia, Europe or North America? 14. On June 27, 2001, what actor (born in Boston) who appeared in “Grumpy Old Men” and “The Odd Couple” died? 15. In what Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is the song “June is Bustin’ Out All Over”? 16. In June Guinness World Records reported that in Boston, Mass., Chef Nick DiGiovanni with help created the largest ever of what English meat dish – weighing 56.79 lbs.? 17. On June 28, 2007, what bird was removed from the list of endangered and threatened species? 18. How are Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine similar? 19. In 1970 what TV show fi lmed “Salem Saga” episodes in Salem, Mass.? 20. On June 29, 1973, the Federal Energy Offi ce was created in response to what? 1. Texas 2. Nine 3. It was identifi ed in 2019. 4. Softball 5. Hologram 6. King Philip’s War 7. London 8. Rosalind Walter (Rosie the Riveter) 9. Personal Identifi cation Number 10. Croquet 11. The Atlantic City Boardwalk 12. Lights 13. Australia 14. Jack Lemmon 15. “Carousel” 16. Beef Wellington 17. Bald Eagle 18. They were “ The Beach Boys” 19. “Bewitched” 20. The Arab Oil Embargo

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