Heath is a wonderful community, tolerant and caring. I have been a “Heathen” since 1973. This current issue about whether to sell the former school property or keep it and adapt it for town use is an intense one, with potential to create deep and lasting divisions. I hope we can all respect the democratic process and each other, however this turns out.
When my son was going through elementary school, I was on the Heath School Committee for many years. I have participated in some tough town decisions through the decades. I am writing to say that I can not understand the good sense of disposing of our former school property at a time when we have multiple pressing space needs in town: for the library, the fire department, meeting space for town meetings —- to name only a few. To me it does not make sense to sell the school property and then immediately need to resume talk of constructing a multi-million dollar municipal building/safety complex. (No matter who pays for it.)
I love the classic Heath town center just up the road from my house, and I feel a swell of pride in its history and beauty every time I go there. But I think we can have an additional center of pride at the former school building location as we adapt it to a center of community activity —- if that is the choice we make as citizens at our upcoming Annual Town Meeting.
Lynn Perry
Heath