“They Said It” is an occasional feature where we round up comments on recent Andover News stories, as well as social media posts on current issues. Join the discussion by commenting on our stories. Opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of Andover News. See our Mission & Policies Page for more information.
On AHS Principal Caitlin Brown resigning:
“Caitlin Brown is the best educator Andover will ever see. Too bad this town is so difficult to deal with.” @hope4blueskies on Instagram.
On the release of MassDOT’s Elm Square pedestrian safety recommendations:
“My ask for this group on this work is let’s not let perfection get in the way of progress. Let’s move fast on what’s sensible and learn from it. Something that we could sit around and debate for three to six weeks probably could be done in one.”
– Eric Olson, whose five-year-old daughter was killed while crossing the street in Elm Square.
“Glad to see the top priority recommendations to eliminate competition between pedestrians and vehicles during a ‘WALK’ signal. That not only improves real safety, it improves the perception of safety in our downtown, so people don’t avoid the area. As pointed out in the audit, Elm Sq. is the only major Andover intersection that allows traffic to turn through a crosswalk during a ‘WALK’ signal, so consistency for both drivers and pedestrians would be improved by eliminating this exception. I look forward to the Town’s follow-through on these recommendations.”
On the proposal to build a new Andover High School:
“I have listened to many community members who have put forth alternative suggestions to tackle the ‘problems’ with the existing school at a lesser cost, however it seems that the AHS Building Committee…[was] satisfied with this half-a-billion-dollar plan that will ‘sink’ so many town resident taxpayers, many retired…Can Andover Tax-payers afford this? Does the community really want to approve another $1.3 million for the schematic design thus locking into this single plan even further? Folks, some of you may be all-in, and some may not. This plan will cost us all a lot of money for the next 30 years. The town’s taxpayers need to show up at the Special Meeting and Town Meeting to be heard and to vote.
“I’ve been on various committees looking for solutions since 2016 – everything from modest safety & security upgrades, to adding an addition, to moving student off-site, to a new building, and everything in between – and I have reached the conclusion the current plan proposed is the most realistic and financially responsible path.
“I fully acknowledge it is a lot of money, and it will be a big decision for every voter in our community to make. But I’m concerned we’re not doing a good enough job of explaining the vast amount of due diligence that led to the current path. I would appreciate an opportunity to walk through that work to help you and others gain confidence in other options that have been examined.”
AHS Building Committee member Shannon Scully on Facebook