| Cooper/Emerson/Franklin | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 8 2005, 09:13 AM (2,860 Views) | |
| grantmom | Dec 8 2005, 09:13 AM Post #1 |
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Principal
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I have a few concerns, can someone please put my mind at ease or do I have a right to be concerned. I've been reading with great interest alot of the postings and a few have me concerned. Is it true that Cooper could be dangerous to our Children's health, is the soil, water and air contaminated? If so why are we keeping this school open? Why not reopen Dickenson? I'm worried about sending my children to Cooper! Also, I now have concerns with Franklin, not the students but the academics. Is it true that Stevenson and Churchill have better programs for their students? If this is the case I am outraged. How can this be, all students should be offered the exact same programs regradless of which High School they attend. Is it true that Emerson is not accredited? If so, why not. If anyone has answers to my questions/concerns please fill me in. Thank you, A mom of two who will attend these three schools.
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| angrymom | Dec 8 2005, 11:33 AM Post #2 |
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Principal
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Have you actually seen Cooper? Drove by the other day. Right across the street is the signs about the land being hazardous. The actuall building looks like alot of confetti was erased off the building. The playground backs into a unsitely trailor park. That whole place is not safe at all! Yes, I have also heard the high schools are not equall in the academics that are offered, with Franklin at the bottom end. And it also seems to be that Emerson is the only one not accredited. |
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| mom of 3 | Dec 8 2005, 11:40 AM Post #3 |
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Principal
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Grantmom, I hope I can help with a few of your questions. First, Franklin High School has more teachers with Masters Degrees and DOUBLE Masters than either of the other high schools. Franklin is a wonderful school (my oldest goes there). I know you said not the kids, but Franklin has less problems (drug, violence, etc) than the others. I spoke with a the wife of a previous Livonia Police officer who was assigned to Franklin and his words were that Franklin is "the hidden secret of Livonia". I forget what site I was on, but you can go on the computer and look up EVERYTHING that goes on at the schools: drug problems, fights, weapons brought to school, sexual attacks (yes there were some), etc. I don't know about Emerson being accredited or not, that interests me because my son will be changing from Riley to Emerson next year is this plan goes into effect. Gotta check into that one. Now Cooper: Got a minute? Yes, we have talked to the EPA, local, state and national. The "new" Cooper school has not been tested since 1991. When they start building at the old site, there is the very real danger of airborne particles making their way to the Cooper school. They will have air quality machines around the work site and this is supposed to monitor the contaminants in the air. They cannot promise that nothing will get to the school. |
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| Anna Krome | Dec 8 2005, 11:42 AM Post #4 |
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Principal
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Check out the post where the article about Cooper Thursday, April 8, 2004 Morris Richardson II / The Detroit News Westland City Councilwoman Cheryl Graunstadt worries about the safety of residents because of the contaminated soil at the old Cooper School, which was built on a landfill. Contaminated school's future remains unclear Livonia district pushes for cleanup funds By Shanteé Woodards / The Detroit News Morris Richardson II / The Detroit News "We don't know 100 percent what's at Cooper. It's an old, historic site, and from what we're told, there weren't a lot of records kept in those days," Graunstadt says. LIVONIA — The future of the vacant school building on Ann Arbor Trail remains uncertain, 13 years after contaminated soil was discovered on the site. Once known as the Cooper School, officials in Livonia and Westland are eager for the site’s redevelopment. Livonia Public Schools, which owns the Westland property, has been unable to secure state funding for its cleanup. A Southfield-based developer is interested in building on the 37-acre site, but nothing can be done until state officials declare it safe. District administrators are hoping their latest push for brownfield redevelopment funding will move the project forward. Brownfields are properties that can be reused once hazardous substances are removed. Since the school closed in 1991, the site has remained fenced in and students were transferred to other schools. The district estimates it needs at least $1 million to clean up the land. Right now, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing the applications. “The project had slowed down significantly because funding at the state level dried up for potential remediation,” Livonia Superintendent Randy Liepa said. “It’s just been slow, and that’s the way it has been for eight years — on and off again. The biggest issue has been getting over the funding hurdles ... to make sure it meets (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality) standards.” Still, that hasn’t eased residents’ concerns about living near a site that has high levels of mercury and cadmium, a natural element in the Earth’s crust. Breathing high levels of cadmium can damage the lungs and cause death. “If they’re going to do something (with the property), they better do it fast,” said Westland resident Charise McCullough, who attended grade school at Cooper. “It’s all fenced off ... it looks like hell. They’ve got to tear it down or do something.” The school was built on a landfill that was operated by the city of Detroit until the 1950s, which is when it was closed and capped with a layer of clay. The school opened in 1966. In 1991, a woman walking her dog reported finding a substance leaking from the sealed landfill into a local waterway. Soil tests showed that along with common household waste, the landfill contained toxins such as mercury and cadmium. Contaminants were found in school carpeting that had been tracked into the school by students. Parents reported finding syringes and medical waste in the playground soil. Administrators immediately closed the building and sent some students to a closed junior high school across the street. The school has since been renamed Cooper, while the original Cooper remains fenced in without signage. In 2002, Jonna Co. proposed building about 200 condominiums there, each selling for about $160,000. A golf range was planned for the other half of the property. Plans have since changed, and the developer is examining different options for the land, including a portion that would include recreation, Liepa said. In Metro Detroit, environmentally unsafe properties are being converted into viable sites for homes and businesses in Detroit, Monroe and Plymouth Township. The drawback to reviving an old toxic landfill is public perception, according to developers, city officials and residents. Westland City Councilwoman Cheryl Graunstadt had been critical of the condominium plan or any type of housing. She had worried about the safety of the residents because of the contaminated soil. Graunstadt sent her two daughters to the school and wasn’t aware that a landfill was there until there were complaints about landfill debris. “What I want to see is it cleaned up, and that’s the main thing I want,” Graunstadt said. “We don’t know 100 percent what’s at Cooper. It’s an old, historic site, and from what we’re told, there weren’t a lot of records kept in those days.” Graunstadt compared Cooper’s situation to the Beard School in southwest Detroit, which was built on land contaminated with lead, arsenic and other pollutants. A group of parents sued to keep the building from opening, but a federal judge overruled them. The only viable option for the site would be a storage facility or some other option that didn’t involve people living there, she said. “The tests that were done there I don’t feel were adequate,” Graunstadt said. “They backed off once the children were removed.” You can reach Shanteé Woodards at (734) 462-2204 orswoodards@detnews.com. |
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| grantmom | Dec 8 2005, 11:43 AM Post #5 |
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Principal
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Yes I have driven by the building and yes I did see the signs across the street that say "do not enter toxic landfill" or something to that nature. I am extremely concerned at where the school is located. I am one of the few parents who was allowed to tour the building because I went the day after the Comm. came out with their proposal. But from what I hear the school put the brakes on the tours. I must say more investigation needs to be done to insure this property is safe and again I question, what happens when the site across the street is disturbed. |
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| grantmom | Dec 8 2005, 12:00 PM Post #6 |
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Principal
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| rmille26 | Dec 8 2005, 12:00 PM Post #7 |
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Principal
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Grantmom and anyone else who is interested: First let me say there is alot of information out there to find on the old Cooper site if you have the time. I spoke with Bob Paulson from the EPA in Chicago telephone # 1-800-621-8431. He told me that all the information about the old cooper site is in the public library at 5 Mile Road. You do have to ask at the desk for it, because it is sensitive matter. Anybody is entitled to see this information. Also I spoke with Pam Howd from EPA in Michigan telephone # 1-800-662-9278 and her quote to me was "There is still measureable amounts of waste above what they say are reasonable at the old Cooper site". Also spoke with Paul Owens from EPA Michigan telephone # 1-586-753-3821. They did core sampling on the old copper site last week. He will have the information on that some time the week of the 20th he believes. I SUGGEST everyone call these people and talk to them. They are incredibly nice people. They will answer any and all questions you have. Also get on the web and type in airborne particles, there is alot of information on this subject also. When they build on that site, the airborne particles are the things that EVERYONE should be considered about. |
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| grantmom | Dec 8 2005, 12:13 PM Post #8 |
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Principal
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The air particles are my biggest concern along with the water. Thanks for all the great info and phone numbers, I'll be calling. |
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| cat | Dec 8 2005, 02:26 PM Post #9 |
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Principal
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Oh my gosh COOPER scares me for the children more than anything!! I am in the north/east and would jump on the wagon with that one...I had no idea...It should be closed and turned into???? Something that does not threaten the well being of little people, elders or anyone. Shame on Livonia... |
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| NFarquharson | Dec 8 2005, 02:30 PM Post #10 |
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Principal
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Airborne particles may be a concern, but the water is not. All of our water comes from Detroit, not from near the specific building into which it is piped. |
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| Anna Krome | Dec 9 2005, 10:30 AM Post #11 |
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Principal
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What about leaching into the water table, affecting the environment w/lead? Help. Anna Krome |
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| MOMOFTHREE | Dec 9 2005, 01:53 PM Post #12 |
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Principal
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I will be removing my kids from LPS if this proposal continues to stand. There is NO WAY I will send my kids to school across from that toxic dump! They can make all the claims they want regarding air quality, my kids will not be their test subjects or so called "bubble kids". From what I have heard from my kids friends a lot of parents are looking into private schooling. |
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| lpsproposalsrbad | Dec 9 2005, 02:12 PM Post #13 |
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Principal
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I already signed my daughter up at a private school. I never imaged that I would feel the need to do so. But I am not sending her to Cooper. So if any of you board members are reading this, you should start counting how many people are planning on leaving LPS. There are MANY. So there goes your supposed 1.5 million savings. And of course, we will be the was to blame. You did what you thought was best, now we are doing what we know is best for our children. It still breaks my heart thinking about it, don't get me wrong, we're not done fighting. Until the minutes are approved at the next meeting, this propsal is not official. I guess I'm waiting for a miracle. Holly |
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| MOMOFTHREE | Dec 9 2005, 02:16 PM Post #14 |
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Principal
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I guess they won't have to worry about the bus being overcrowded. |
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| f11 | Dec 9 2005, 07:46 PM Post #15 |
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LPS, transportation for all
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I just had a thought.... Did the decline in enrollment projected for next year "include" a factor for people that would leave because of the turmoil? Thus, there will be no "extra" decline in enrollment. That would be brilliant on their part. Just a thought..... |
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