Lessons in Civil Disobedience

dsc_0022Over 200 Kingston High School students walked off campus and gathered on the sidewalk at City Hall about 11 a.m. today to protest the school’s pending “closed campus” proposal. One student said she wasn’t sure who had organized the walkout, but said school officials had warned students earlier in the day that they would be suspend any student who participated in the walk out.

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How About a “Plan C”?

The Daily Freeman reports today that the Kingston City Schools was presented with two renovation plans for the high school by KSQ Architects and Triton Construction.

“Plan A” would cost $151 million, and result in a major overhaul that creates a closed campus.

“Plan B” has a price tag of $101 million and would basicially reconfigure the site to include installation of a track and field.

Either option is pricey,  and I suspect given current economic conditions that residents would prefer a “Plan C.”

Triton Construction is a hugh construction firm based in Garden City, Long Island, and specializes in muncipal buildings such as schools, hospitals, libraries and the like. They are big, and think big.

Perhaps there’s another firm out there — a local one — that can offer some lighter fare. A smaller, less costly renovation that uses the existing space in a better way. I bet there are companies out there that can do it. And perhaps even make the site more green.

— Arthur Zaczkiewicz