BOARD OF EDUCATION SLAMMED AT APR. 23, 2013 MEETING FOR SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC JOHN MARSHALL HIGH AND FOR POISONING THE ENVIRONMENT!

BOARD OF EDUCATION WAS SLAMMED AT THE APRIL 23, 2013 MEETING FOR THE SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC 81-YEAR OLD JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL – A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND FOR POLLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT BY THE DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR – A CRIME AGAINST THE COMMUNITY – ALL FACILITATED BY A 100% CORRUPT SYSTEM LED BY MAYOR JACKSON AND COUNCILMAN SWEENEY – CORRUPT POLS (POLITICIANS) – AND THEIR CRONIES – A CORRUPT AND VISIONLESS SCHOOL DISTRICT -- AND PERPETUATED BY AN EQUALLY CORRUPT MEDIA.

Comments made on behalf of Petitioners at the CMSD Board of Education,
April 23, 2013 Meeting held at Robinson G. Jones School, 
4550 West 150th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44135
(19th Appearance) (1)

To: Denise W. Link, Chair, CMSD Board of Education

Copy to: Eric S. Gordon, CEO, CMSD (Cleveland Metropolitan School District)

Subject: A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY: THE ILLEGITIMATE, SENSELESS, DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC 81-YEAR OLD JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL FACILITATED BY A 100% CORRUPT SYSTEM IN CLEVELAND, OHIO; AND A CRIME AGAINST THE COMMUNITY: THE POISONING OF THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS!

Good Evening!
 
Madam Link, Members of the Board of Education, and CEO Gordon.

My name is Satinder P. S. Puri.

This is my 19th appearance before the School Board – advocating first to SAVE historic 81-year old John Marshall High School (built in 1931) and renovate it and now talking about its illegitimate, senseless, destruction – a crime against humanity -- which has destroyed our link to the past, poisoning of the environment (1), (4), (5), (7)  – for present and future generations -- a crime against the community – and also calling for INVESTIGATE CITY HALL (1), (3), (4)  for collusive inaction, vote rigging, and denial of due process to over 2,400 petitioners who wanted to renovate the architectural gem – similar to the renovation of 84-year old John Hay and 81-year old Rhodes High Schools.

During my multiple appearances to SAVE historic John Marshall – there was not a word from any Board member to SAVE the historic landmark and renovate it.

Yet, when the topic of sale of the 82-year old historic Administration Building (built in 1931) came up at the March 26, 2013 Board Meeting – all of a sudden – there was extensive discussion – and Board members started talking about – renovation, historic tax credits, historical significance, etc.

According to the minutes of the subject meeting:

“Ms. Mitchell asked what other buildings owned by our School District have historical significance, similar to the Board of Education Administration Building.

The CEO replied that Collinwood high School and a number of our K-8 buildings.”

Of course, CEO Gordon failed to mention that the corrupt and visionless School District that aspires to be the premier district in the United States and teaches our children ethics and fair play – played downright dirty with the petitioners -- had just (March 2013) not only completed the senseless destruction of 81-year old historic John Marshall but also permitted the Demolition Contractor to poison our environment in the process.

And now the Board has agreed to part with its soul – the historic building -- where the letter “E” which stood for Education will probably morph, in course of time, in to an “H” for Hotel – or may be later in to an “O” for Off-Track Betting – all dissonant  transformations.

And the replacement for historic John Marshall – a new high school (scheduled for opening in August, 2015) – a jazzed up warehouse – embodying the vision of Councilman Sweeney  -- a so-called -- state-of-the-art school – “a crown jewel of the student’s academic experience” without an auditorium, swimming pool, and underground running tracks –with a suggested name of MARTIN J. SWEENEY HIGH SCHOOL (6) – another dissonant transformation from the architectural gem.

Again, according to the minutes:

“Ms. Dempsey moved to adopt a Resolution Authorizing a Contract with Salebien Trucking to Provide Abatement & Demolition Work for A.G. Bell School Building in an Amount Not to Exceed $748,000.00 and Authorizing Five Percent to the Contingency 6 Fund in an Amount Not to Exceed $23,900.00 for a Total Amount Authorized of $501,900. Ms. Milam seconded. The motion was approved by a vote of 7 ayes (Link, Dempsey, Crutchfield, Heard, Milam, Mitchell, Thomas) to 0 nays.”

The A. G. Bell School Building opened in 1969, closed in 2010, was authorized for demolition in 2013 – without any discussion by the Board.

THE CALL FOR “INVESTIGATE CITY HALL” CONTINUES SO THAT CORRUPT POLITICIANS -- MAYOR JACKSON AND COUNCILMAN SWEENEY AND THEIR CRONIES -- RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ILLEGITIMATE AND SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF OUR ARCHITECTURAL GEM AND THE POISONING OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE !
   
JOHN MARSHALL DESTROYED!

INVESTIGATE CITY HALL!   INVESTIGATE CITY HALL!
 
MAY THE NAMES OF ALL THOSE WHO FACILITATED THE SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC 81-YEAR OLD JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL
FOREVER LIVE IN INFAMY!
                                 
I have two copies of the comments (one for the Board’s minutes (2) and one for Mr. Gordon).

SEE US ON FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, REALNEO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Submitted on behalf of over 2,400 petitioners by:

Satinder P. S. Puri

Retired Structural Engineer, and Community Volunteer at Riverside School
13217 Cooley Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio: 44111-3312
(216) 251-3978        spspuri9 [at] sbcglobal [dot] net

Follow the campaign on:
SAVE JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL group on Facebook, and

On three YouTube videos at: http://youtu.be/S6Shgwi5cuU ;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdTaCQrwoF4 ; and at
http://youtu.be/nyoL5sFBjeA

(Use the links shown above or do a google search on the three YouTube videos:
Save John Marshall High School, Cleveland, Ohio,
Save John Marshall High School Pt. 2: Demonstration, and
Save John Marshall High School Pt. 3: Call for a Hunger Strike

Also see posts in my blog at REALNEO.
Here is the link to the blog:
http://realneo.us/blogs/satinder-p-s-puri

FOOTNOTES:

(1): Eighteen earlier appearances at Board of Education meetings were on: August 23, 2011, September 27, 2011, October 25, 2011, November 22, 2011, January 24, 2012, February 28, 2012, March 27, 2012, April 17, 2012, May 22, 2012, June 26, 2912, July 31, 2012, August 21, 2012, September 25, 2012, October 23, 2012, November 20, 2012,  December 11, 2012, February 26, 2013, and March 26, 2013.  A copy of written comments was submitted at each meeting for the record for inclusion in the Board’s minutes.

See Reference Documents dated August 23, 2011, September 27, 2011, October 25, 2011, November 22, 2011, January 24, 2012, February 28, 2012, March 27, 2012, April 17, 2012, May 22, 2012, June 26, 2012, July 31, 2012, August 21, 2012, September 25, 2012, October 23, 2012, November 20, 2012, December 11, 2012, February 26, 2013, and March 26, 2013. 

(2): Please include the full written comments from this meeting as well as copies of written comments made at all the prior Board meetings as part of the minutes and not as two or three line summaries which are incorrect reflections of the full comments. We are dealing with an over 50 million dollar project and the public has a right to know what is included in the comments submitted on behalf of the petitioners.

(3): 60-page document sent to Mayor Jackson dated November 8, 2012 via e-mail and certified mail. The document contained a request for written responses pertaining to questions on the $50 million John Marshall High School Construction Project from:

Mayor Frank G. Jackson; Councilman and City Council President Martin J. Sweeney;
CMSD CEO Eric S. Gordon; Chair of CMSD Board of Education Denise W. Link;
Cleveland Landmarks Commission Chair Jennifer Coleman;
Manager of Architecture Robert Vilkas; Councilman Anthony Brancatelli; and
Councilwoman Phyllis E. Cleveland -- all in the context of  Mayor Jackson’s statement: I have “never lied to you” and the The Plain Dealer’s call for honesty, trustworthiness, accountability, clarity, and transparency in public officials!
No response was received from either Mayor Jackson, Coumcilman Sweeney,
CMSD CEO Eric S. Gordon, Chair of CMSD Board of Education Denise W. Link, and others – despite repeated reminders.

(4): Satinder P. S. Puri’s blog at REALNEO:
*Posts pertaining to WANTED FOR CRIME IN PROGRESS SERIES: MAYOR JACKSON & COUNCILMAN SWEENEY FOR DESTROYING HISTORIC JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!
*Posts pertaining to Demolition Contractor Evans and Pollution of the Environment in the Hall of Shame series.
*Additional posts – pertaining to the senseless destruction, corrupt media, corrupt politicians, the three-week long hunger strike, Martin J. Sweeney High School, etc.
Here is the link to the blog:
http://realneo.us/blogs/satinder-p-s-puri

(5): Correspondence with Ohio EPA: My e-mails dated January 22, 25, and 30, 2013; certified letter dated January 30, 2013, and e-mails dated January 31, 2013, February 5, 2013, February 13, 2013, February 14, 2013, February 18, 2013, March 11, 2013, and March 15, 2013.

The air is so polluted -- I have to wear a gas mask when I visit the ruins of John Marshall High, and I don’t see any of the contractor’s workers wearing them. Ohio EPA has declined to test the air and assure the community that there will be no ill effects on the residents – both short-term and long-term.

The school (John Marshall High) had literally tons of asbestos which the Demolition Contractor claims to have removed safely and whose removal Ohio EPA claims to have inspected.

Well, Ohio EPA made two inspection visits.

Unfortunately, both were dud visits and Ohio EPA inspected NOTHING!

During the first inspection (on 07-26-12) – according to the Ohio EPA report – “no one on site, building was secured.” During the second inspection (on 08-08-12) – again, according to the Ohio EPA report – there was “no activity”, “no work started”. Two dud visits and Ohio EPA claims that literally tons of asbestos was safely removed.

Next, the Demolition Contractor started demolishing the building. For over three months, Ohio EPA had no idea that the Demolition Contractor was having an open house polluting the environment because the Demolition Contractor did not file the necessary papers with Ohio EPA.

Only when I made a written complaint (on January 22, 2013) – did Ohio EPA get the Demolition Contractor to file the necessary papers – and of course – no fine was imposed.

Violations have been documented in e-mails and over 2-dozen photographs showing the polluted air and violations --and still Ohio EPA has refused to test the air and provide us with an assurance that there will be no short-term and long-term ill health effects on the community – an excellent example of how citizens without power or wealth are treated by a government agency supposedly dedicated to protecting our environment -- but actually is working to protect the interests of the irresponsible Demolition Contractor and permitting poisoning of the environment -- a crime against the community.

(6): PHOTO (NOT INCLUDED) SHOWING:
A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY – THE ILLEGITIMATE, SENSELESS, DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC 81-YEAR OLD JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL LOCATED IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

(7): THREE PHOTOS (NOT INCLUDED) SHOWING: A CRIME AGAINST THE COMMUNITY – DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR POLLUTING THE ENVIRONMENT -- CAN ONLY HAPPEN IN CLEVELAND, OHIO WITH CORRUPT POLITICIANS AND A CORRUPT SCHOOL DISTRICT!