“Mommy, Can’t We Just Make the Cricket Field Option Go Away…The Town Selectmen Can Do That, Can’t They Mommy?”

This is a fictional story about Ben Good.  Ben has been living across from a park all his life and has enjoyed its wonder and tranquility.  Ben is very lucky to live in such a place and I guess you could say Ben’s life is good.  He loves playing fall soccer in the park and sledding during the winter.  

Ben has just learned that the park is being considered, as one of the many options, to build a school for kids that need a new school.  Ben Good is really upset that the park may need to be shared with kids that need a new school.    Ben’s mom is upset to see Ben upset because he may have to share the park with kids that need a new school.  Mrs. Good decides to rally as much support as she can to stop any further consideration of sharing the park with kids that need a new school.  Ben is not feeling lucky these days and I guess you could say, Ben’s life is not so good at the moment. 

Ben’s mom called her Selectman up and said “you can’t consider sharing our park with kids that need a school.”  The Selectmen says “why not Mrs. Good”…”because little Ben likes playing soccer and sleigh riding.”  The Selectmen says…”hmm, you may have a point…but you do know if there was a school built there for kids that really need a new school, plenty of green space and fields would be included for Ben to play on…there would also be a brand new park less than a mile from where you live now, perhaps little Ben could enjoy that park as well.”  

Mrs. Good was clearly not happy with the Selectman’s answer…and in the end, it probably would not matter, because it turns out only one Selectman had the courage to tell Ben’s mom that Ben would still have a park, the kids that really needed a new school would have one AND there would be a whole brand new park in a new location.

Then something not so amazing happened. Mrs. Good started talking to the surrounding neighbors who are equally upset about having to share the park with kids that really need a new school.  She told the story about how the park is being considered for kids that really need a new school. A group in the neighborhood organizes: creates a website, lawn signs, and brochures and starts a very successful crusade to save the park. 

The group informs the town that those kids that need a new school have plenty of other options, and the field Ben has been playing on should be taken off for consideration. 

Well, this organized group was smart indeed…they convinced the remaining four Selectmen that Ben should come first and that the kids that really need a new school had other fine options. 

The group also woke up the Parks Department and said…psst…”don’t you guys have jurisdiction on the park across from Ben…can’t you say to the Selectmen and the School Department that you are not sharing?”  And the Parks Department said “yeah, yeah, you are right…I am going to take my soccer nets and go home…Ben can still play in the park across the street and those kids that need a new school…well they can just figure on one of the many other options they have.”

Well, our story ends for now with all of Ben’s supporters signing a petition and showing up at Town Hall…The voice of the few fell on deaf ears that night…when one Selectmen was asked the question, “why not consider all options and keep the park across the street from Ben on the table Mr. Selectmen?”…the answer was “Ben is very important to us and we have other options…we have not considered eminent domain….”, I won’t say who this was, but that Selectman really needs to get a handel on things.   I can’t wait to write the next chapters of the story… I do know what will be non-fictional in those chapters…

1.) If the DeFazio option is played out and every family in Needham is redistricted, people will not be happy and little Ben Good could be viewed as a bit selfish.

2.) If the soil remediation at Hillside costs an extra many millions of dollars along with the extra many millions of dollars for temporary facilities…when every family in Needham gets that tax bill…each of the current Selectmen should hope they are retired…off to pasture thinking they did little Ben Good a solid.

3.) The ridiculous notion of eminent domain plays out and we start razing neighborhoods…

Let’s be responsible parents and citizens. Keep our options open for Ben and the kids that really need a new school.

John Tallarico