Closing Park Ave School ‘would be the displacement of so much’

We are a Village of families - some as old as the mountains, some as new as a sprout of grass. These families have come from many places, but the common denominator, the common ground is that they feel this is home.

The decision a young couple makes to live in the Village relies on many factors. I know for a fact that the presence of a vibrant business district, houses of worship, tree lined streets, safe neighborhoods and a school within walking distance are an important part of the criteria and decision making process.

A school, a library, a post office, a hospital, parks are places that define us and without them we lose a critical part of our identity. This is not simply about the sentiment of an old time idea of walking to school. This is a clear understanding that a central place where activities take place, where multiple amenities are close at hand is sustainable and creates a bond.

That bond is the very stuff we call community. What makes community doesn’t portion in an even slice by its essence; it is a blend – the infrastructure of human support.

Closing Park Avenue will be the displacement of so much – an historic school structure that has been caringly maintained, a meeting place, a playground, play fields, an interface of community activities and connection, and a school that is a perfect place to teach since it is part of a Village context.

It would be the displacement of so many beating hearts, bright minds, and curious spirits.

It would be the loss of children among us that make our world real and better.

I think of our Village as a big classroom. The minute you step out the doors of Park Ave School begins an interactive experience. The Village, its physical environment, its people and places are our teachers. So to close Park Ave is not only about closing a building, it shutters life’s events; it breaks a vital connection in the system of Village life. It is another chink removed from the foundation of our identity, another thread from our sweet tapestry. It is contrary to every Comprehensive Master Plan we’ve engaged to write and every vision of sustainability.

The Village clearly understands the importance of Park Ave School and has been working on initiatives to make it better. Our partnership with the PTA to create an outdoor classroom, pursuing grant money to create safer road crossings, a pathway along the length of McFarland Drive, a native stream planting in Memorial Park as an outdoor learning opportunity are a few examples of our clear commitment. How do we explain to the Eagle Scout that the Butterfly Garden Project he planned for Hallowed Ground’s outdoor classroom may have to be turned down?

Dr. Bryant and School Board members, I fully understand the difficulty and complexity of your decisions. I implore you to look beyond bricks and mortar and square feet alone. It may be better to recognize the level of causality and ripple effect of this action; the job loss, the business loss, the real estate value, psychological disrepair, the loss of identity and finally closing Park Ave School will be the end of an elementary school in our Village forever.

In life we attach ourselves to things that have weight and meaning. The generation of children who have walked the corridors of Park Ave who have walked over the crest of the hill to plant a tree in Stanley Deming Park on Arbor Day, who walked to the library or simply walked home will have ended here at this moment.

I believe we need time and we need to find solutions that don’t destroy the very fabric of our community. As you know, we are all willing to roll up our sleeves to use our minds, to find the elusive answer to this potentially disastrous conclusion.

Michael Newhard is mayor of the Village of Warwick.