Dance Recommends Eastwood Elementary Closure

Shell9 January 23, 2013 at 02:32 am

Nice to know that KK has Dance in his pocket...Eastwood,Norwood and Holabird are the only schools in the the system that are combining the grades. I heard that the Towson park has been saved and will not be sold. Must be nice to count..Obviously our kids in Dundalk don't count.

Lewis Melcher January 23, 2013 at 11:50 am

I have no Idea why the people of Dundalk are bitching about this . We need better stores in Dundalk we need to move in to the 21st century . Dundalks realestate has droped because we have yet to inprove dundalk its been the same old place for 50 years its time to move on and bring in the new box stores and better resturants instead of Dollar stores , Discount stores , Pawn shops , Bail Bonds Companys

Ari Warren January 23, 2013 at 11:56 am

It's sorta like Sparks elementary. It's always different for the working lower-middle class people, as opposed to the upper class. They don't want to piss off the people that have the money to support their campaigns.

DARRELL HAMMERBACKER January 23, 2013 at 12:26 pm

Dundalk is always the sacrifical lamb for these Towson Elites,our very Councilman from this District does nothing for the people in this District and they and they alone are responsable because they keep voting him in there.I do give them one bit of praise,they are putting Police close to our schools.But we need to clean these Elites out and put People in Office who'll do for the People instead of against them.

Jay Addis January 23, 2013 at 01:19 pm

I still want answers to why the police station which in the center of the community is moving within blocks of the city line. KK, you WILL be a one term liar

dan ricci January 23, 2013 at 03:19 pm

How is closing a great school moving forward? Judging by your spelling and grammer, you could have used a school like Eastwood.

Steve January 23, 2013 at 03:26 pm

LOL "Dr Chance"?, "tenured history"?

Buzz Beeler January 23, 2013 at 03:30 pm

How does Dr. Dance come on board and in less time then it takes for lunch period make a decision to close a school with the tenured history of the Eastwood Elementary School? This is absolutely a ludicrous decision and shows how far reaching the tentacles of the Kamenetz administration are and how his ineffective leadership have lead to raids on both police departments pension systems for his cash strapped agenda.
With that in mind he is now making reckless decisions that will impact our children and neighborhoods for decades to come. As far as Dr. Dance goes I would unwrap at least one of those tentacles. Quality education is based on quantified data and studies and I have seen neither on the issue of the Eastwood closing or the relocating of the North Point Precinct to that location. School Board President Lawrence E. Schmidt, Esq., are you listening?

Steve January 23, 2013 at 03:39 pm

ROTFLMAO Why don't you send "Dr. Chance" a PIA?

Buzz Beeler January 23, 2013 at 03:39 pm

Mr. Melcher, do you live in Eastwood? Whose leadership has this decline you speak occurred on? Are your children impacted? Will you live right in the midst of a police facility?
You speak of bringing in "new box stores and better resturants", which as you should know do not pay living wages for a family.

MC January 23, 2013 at 03:52 pm

Not every decision is going to please everyone. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun this move will expand a magnet school education to far more students in the Dundalk area. I like Dr. Dance's decision, it shows he can think outside the box and do what is best for the masses not the few.

PTAmom January 23, 2013 at 04:01 pm

Note to Superintendent Dance:
BCPS is overcrowded. Closing even one school for consolidation purposes, shows us that you have no idea what's going on in our system. As a parent who has advocated for BCPS students for over 10 years, (i.e. attended board meetings, regional meetings, gave speeches, PTA board, fundraised, etc) If I had the resources, I would home school my kids or move. Just get your children out of the system. The inequality which exists between Towson schools and the rest of the county, is documented. Baltimore County Public Schools was once a system concerned with all of its students. There is a paradigm shift in the BCPS and it does-not-include-your-child. It is up to YOU to make the decision whether YOU will spend your child's youth battling for the very basic rights and needs BCPS should be providing. My husband and I regret the effort and time that we took away from our family, our children, to advocate for what should have easily be given.

Shell9 January 23, 2013 at 04:15 pm

I am all for Dundalk moving forward but this is really the wrong way to go about it. The only reason Eastwood is closing is because the owner of the Seagrams plant wants to build where the Government Center sits. So KK and John O Sr had to come up with a way to get it through without the input from the citizens. So the police station had to be relocated so Eastwood became the sacrificial lamb. They did not think that anyone would care because it is so far out of main Dundalk. Please lets talk about moving Dundalk forward. We have vacant stores ALL over the Dundalk area. Do you see KK and J.O Sr. worrying about those properties? Look at the North Point Blvd property where the old movie theater sat. Where was the help to reinvent that plot of land? The Merritt Blvd shopping center, Danville Square shopping center, Eastpoint Mall? I will tell you why, It is because KK and J.O.Sr aren't bed buddies with those owners. So please don't make a case for growing Dundalk. In addition, Does KK,Dance and O'Sr. care about the citizens who have disabilities? They have a wonderful organization there that helps citizens with disabilities train for Jobs,Community service and just how to be apart of the community. Isn't it nice to have these citizens work hard rather than sit home just collecting a check? Which if they chose too I would understand. I have a daughter with special needs who can't even get cutouts in the curbs. Years of asking!!! Sad!! We need a change in the council and soon.

Buzz Beeler January 23, 2013 at 04:52 pm

MC I would say it is quite obvious where you loyalties lie with comments such as this one directed at me: "How many veterans applied for jobs? I guess KK should go door to door solicitating then. Your sad life must suck. Your envy of the entire County Administration is quite pathetic."
I did not see in Alison's Sun article the expansion of the magnet program in Dundalk concerning this issue. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-co-dundalk-meet-20130122,0,441578.story However I did see this account of the current situation. http://parkville.patch.com/blog_posts/geographic-inequity-and-schools-dundalk-united-against-school-closings-and-untested-pre-k-to-8-in-2-buildings-school-format The only thing I dislike is poor leadership.

Francis January 23, 2013 at 05:48 pm

Right across the street from the planned Target site sits the virtually unused and stagnating Merritt Plaza shopping center. Plans to rejuvenate it seem to be at a standstill. That would be a much better site for the Target. There would be NO opposition and nothing will have to be relocated except for the very few businesses that cling to the Plaza.
Mr. Melcher, we like Dundalk being “the same old place for 50 years!” May it be that way for another 50.

Ari Warren January 23, 2013 at 05:55 pm

They said they want to make it a community magnet which means as soon as the Eastwood kids grow out of the school, it will only serve the kids that live in those schools lines. That is not helping the whole Dundalk community. They are just trying to sell it that way to get the community's support. The only expansion is making it from Eastwood's environmental science to a stem program.

nicole sw January 23, 2013 at 07:51 pm

I think people need to know the facts. First of all the goverment center will not be a target. We do not meet there income requirements the average dundalkian earns 38, 000 target wont but a store here because the income is to low. 52, 000 or above is what they want. There are trying to rezone it for industry. They are gone to take over dundalk with industry. Mark my words. Its eastwood now wait til its your childs school. They want the land. They repaved merrit for tracker trailers thicker pavement why? Secondly they are trying to say they are expanding eastwood but they aren't telling you that eastwood wont excist. We our losing our staff now and adminstration after first year. Our kids are being split up. They are putiing 4 graders in with 8 graders we are talking santa to sex and drugs. Eastwood is not just a school but a family. We choose Eastwood because of what they offered for our kids. Eastwood has attendence, behavior and grade requirments. A community based such as holibird will not. Also would you likesending your kids to a school they rushed together in 6 months. They have no curriculm for this new stem academy. It doesnt excist yet in md. Would you want your kids used as guinea pigs for political gain. They closed gm and Bethlehem steel why? Think people dont just buy into the lies. There is always more to story.

Eric Schindler January 23, 2013 at 08:14 pm

FYI. Target, Lowes, and many other big bix stores are not interrested if they were they wouls have bidded on the old north point drive in.

Buzz Beeler January 23, 2013 at 08:35 pm

Where are the studies on these proposed actions. There is no study on moving the police facility and it's impact on the Eastwood community, as Kamenetz's own point man said at the Eastwood community meeting.
Let the voices of the community keep the pressure on because there is a lot more to this story that has not been told. There are those that know of what I speak of.

Steve January 23, 2013 at 08:39 pm

Studies are a waste of money. The decision has already been made.

Dundalk Mom January 24, 2013 at 12:17 am

For those who are expecting a large retail store on the site of the North Point Government Center, there are two problems. First, Target has already decided the area can't support another large retail chain. Second, according to the request for proposal, the property is currently zoned high-density residential. Which means if the current owner of the Seagrams property buys it (that corporation is a housing developer), we're going to end up with apartments or townhouses to the tune of over 10 units per acre of land. The property is over 27 acres. What's that going to do to the school capacity levels?

Steve January 24, 2013 at 12:41 am

Not if he builds a PUD. Then you are going to get a little bit of everything homes, offices, retail.. Probably a strip shopping center at the intersection.

Liz Mercy January 25, 2013 at 02:14 am

"There is always more to the story." I am so with you on this thought.

Liz Mercy January 25, 2013 at 02:16 am

Oh Lord, not more of them.

Liz Mercy January 25, 2013 at 02:19 am

Yes, but where are the stats used to come up with this decision. I think that is what people need to see.

Matthew January 25, 2013 at 02:21 am

It would be rezoned. Read the RFP.