Herrick Road site right for school

On behalf of School District 200, I would like to thank the Daily Herald for its supportive editorial of Sept. 16 concerning the Hubble Middle School project. We, too, believe we have been responsive, diligent and did the right thing in addressing the variety of concerns as they relate to this project. We also appreciate your acknowledgment that we would never ignore any known risk to the children of District 200.

With respect to the Cenacle property, please know we did examine that site. It is my understanding that Dr. Catalani had conversations about the Cenacle site and that it was dismissed for a variety of reasons. Being adjacent to a landfill, questions about thorium deposits and a significant river close to children alone makes the property suspect at best. In addition, roughly two thirds of the property is in a flood plain as dramatized during the Aug. 23 storm, which makes building on that site very restrictive. There are some very telling pictures that confirm the flood plain designation.

In addition, there are significant concerns related to access to the property, particularly from the west, which is critical from a safety standpoint as it relates to a public school and fire, police and rescue response.

We understand your role as a newspaper. We hope that you appreciate that we have been and continue to be very conscientious in finding the best location to replace the current Hubble Middle School. We believe that the proposed Herrick Road site meets the needs of our children, including their safety, as well as the needs of both communities. It is the most viable location and the most feasible site for the new Hubble Middle School.

Thank you again for your supportive comments. I trust I have addressed any questions you may have had about the Cenacle location.

Andrew Johnson

president

Wheaton Warrenville School District 200 Board of Education

Herrick Road site wrong for school

The building of a new middle school in my backyard has become a controversy. Some people in Warrenville want it built there, while others from Wheaton prefer another location. I oppose the building for many reasons.

I do not like the thought of a school building in my neighborhood. I do not have an attachment to public schools anyway, since I prefer either parochial schools or home-schooling. District 200 would serve parents better and more cheaply if it simply paid each family $8,000 per child to contract with some other educational agency. The trend toward bigger and bigger public schools affects negatively on family finances through bigger taxes, and exerts similar pressure against private schools.

I have examined the building site and found it an interesting ecological area. As an ecologist, I wonder why no one before has commented on this. Ecologists would note that the area shows evidence of "old field succession." Various kinds of trees grow there, offering shade and hiding places for deer. Pheasants at one time thrived there. Now, I occasionally see wild turkeys. Hawks fly overhead, while raccoons, foxes and coyotes come and go as they please. One year a big old woodchuck dug a den under my breezeway.

But most unusual was the appearance of the snout butterfly (Hypacus bachmani). It is interesting because actual fossils of its ancestors exist, and it is rare, according to lepidopterist Clarence M. Weed. This funny-looking little butterfly should be protected from the "public school sprawl" that is disrupting our communities.

George Kocan

Warrenville