M-A moves ahead on lights and expands usage hours

the rest of the story includes:

"Parents and M-A football fans approached the Board of Trustees to study the idea of lights late last year. The request came after parents rented lights for one home night game last fall. During the meeting, players told the trustees of a different feeling playing under lights on their home field. Part of that feeling could be associated with attendance. On the Thursday afternoon game the week prior, M-A saw 1,680 people at the game. During the lone night game, attendance rose to 5,500.

Implementing a later start time for students is also playing into the district’s argument for lights. Schools within the Sequoia district are slowly moving back the start time of school to allow more time for students to sleep. As a result, students are getting out of school later and starting practices later. Without lights, the later start time coupled with earlier nightfall in the winter months will lead to shorter practice times, a district staff report argued. "

Web Link

So, despite all of the opinions expressed in earlier posts condeming those Atherton residents that filed the law suit, there you have it. The SUHSB is going to put in the lights, put in loud speakers, expand their use to 7 days a week, AND, oh by the way, declare it all not subject to local ordinances. Why--"because we can!" I'll say it again, the issue here isn't the lights; it isn't even the law that exempts school districts from local ordinances (although I personally think that law should be modified/limited); it is the arrogance of this school districts board of directors, better known as Gemmaville. Stick to you guns residents. Please don't let anyone talk you in to dropping the suit this time.

Who RU ppl:

Yes. Stick to your guns. Or your frivolous lawsuit.

Because 5,500 community members at a football game must be a violation of the rights of the neighbor who bought next to a school. How many of these neighbors actually cared enough to show up at the district meeting? one? two? ten? one hundred? five thousand, five hundred?

Or is it one neighbor who found it easier to call his lawyer?

The reporter above seemed to have cherry picked very selectively from the article referenced.

I reiterate my personal position is neither for or against the lights - I simply believe that the level of truthful consultation leaves a lot to be desired as is exemplified by the fact that a number of neighbors felt that they had no recourse except to sue the school district.
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The temporary lights come AFTER the Board at its June meeting accepted a report that states that:

"The Board will consider the Initial Study and a Negative Declaration in August 2010

Construction plans will be submitted to the DSA (Division of State Architect) after passage of the Negative Declaration

The Board will evaluate the impact of the temporary lights in March 2011 and set policy for usage

The project will be put out to bid after plans are stamped out of DSA (approximately March 2011)

Permanent lights will be installed for usage beginning in Fall 2011"
********************
Now, just two months later, the Board is about to adopt a policy for use which extends the usage times on Monday - Friday from 8 PM to 8.30 PM.

This is exactly the usage "creep' about which the neighbors who sued were concerned.

Is M-A headed for the same light schedule, as reported in an earlier thread on the same issue, as Woodside:"Unless M-A is totally different from Woodside High, the neighbors are correct in assuming the lights will be on 200-250 nights a year, usually until 10-10:30pm."?

"Is M-A headed for the same light schedule, as reported in an earlier thread on the same issue, as Woodside:"Unless M-A is totally different from Woodside High, the neighbors are correct in assuming the lights will be on 200-250 nights a year, usually until 10-10:30pm."?"

People say.

Be careful! People Say if you go to Mexico, you will wake up in a bathtub of ice with your organs removed! Crocodiles in our sewers!

People say. In a blog.

Mr. Carpenter - as the reporter listed above, your recent post uses these words in JUST the last line:

- IS M-A headed...?
- ...as reported in an earlier THREAD...
- "UNLESS M-A is totally different...
- ..the neighbors are correct in ASSUMING...
- USUALLY until...

Can you report the facts? Or just scare stories?

One blog post claiming 250 nights a year until 10:30. I will admit to seeing them on a few times towards ten, but 250 times? Let's hear from the administration at Woodside about that. Has this supposed poster shared what s/he was told by Woodside?

Anonymous - I am NOT a reporter, just an interested citizen that tries to put useful information on the table for others to evaluate. When not giving my own personal opinion I always cite my sources and if my sources choose to be anonymous posters then all I can do is put their comments in quotes. And I would love to hear directly from the School District or Woodside High or M-A but unfortunately the only way to get information from them is to read the minutes of their meetings - which I have quoted verbatim above. Perhaps you can get them to be more forthcoming on what is the actual usage at Woodside.

"Perhaps you can get them to be more forthcoming on what is the actual usage at Woodside."

So when an individual questions your wild representation of 250 nights a year, it's up to them to prove a negative? Since neither you nor your poster reference have bothered to cite any evidence, apparently.

I took the liberty of viewing other threads, Mr. Carpenter, indeed, you are not a reporter.

I did notice, however, in the alcohol thread, your mantra of personal responsibility.

Bravo.

Good day to you, sir.

Anonymous - I did not ask you to prove a negative but rather stated "Perhaps you can get them to be more forthcoming on what is the actual usage at Woodside".

If other posters present information which you think is incorrect then why not provide the counterpoint? I realize that getting facts by researching Board minutes and other means can be frustrating but how else can we get the facts?

Quite the quandary. How, indeed. Golly. Shucks.

(650) 367-9750

Or stake your lot with the poster you referenced.

Your call.

Anonymous - no, your call if you want to make it; I have done more than my share of research on this subject.

Of course that would be your response. I imagine frequent posters/readers saw that one coming from the beginning of your thread.

You repeat a wild, unprovable accusation from a blog. Claim it was your reference. When I refute it by my own observation, you back up into your Board Notes cubicle.

And refuse to make a simple phone call.

Makes one curious about the neighbor who filed the Atherton lawsuit. Was the only call s/he made to her/his lawyer?

The world works much better when one gets out of their castle and mingles with the common folk, Mr. Carpenter. According to the the one cite you failed to provide (the link to the article) there are 5,500 of them nearby.

Thank you for sharing with us your mantra of personal responsibility as it relates to our community.

Good evening.

Anonymous states:"Thank you for sharing with us your mantra of personal responsibility as it relates to our community."

You are welcome.

While the numeral four has been used in reference to the number of night football games per season at M-A, the use of the field by other groups has always been in the discussion, as has the stated desire by lighting advocates to be good neighbors to the residents.

Note the mention of soccer and lacrosse at Web Link from November 2009.

This story from January notes the school district's stated intent to consult with neighbors: Web Link

thank you for updates

so much scare about lights. is woodside a high crime zone?

bad ppl

"thank you for updates"
You are welcome.

Education is even better and more important than music or football

[Post removed due to disrespectful comment]

Done.

pete

you anti footballer were not there last night

lights are happening

easy to call lawyer, not so easy to show face to school board

i still like

The world works much better when one gets out of their castle and mingles with the common folk, Mr. Carpenter. According to the the one cite you failed to provide (the link to the article) there are 5,500 of them nearby.

that a good laugh

I don't understand why forum contributors (in particular, anonymous posters) do not have the courage to separate disagreement & debate from personal attack. If Peter Carpenter and neighbors are willing to voice facts & opinion, that can only help the discussion. Where there is personal bias, NIMBY, or whatever, this will show through. It remains difficult to see why there is any value in being rude. This certainly won't convince opinions to change or and it is not likely to promote resaonable discussion.

Football lights? There are laws & policy that govern the school district's right to make decisions. The community and voters can initiate change, if that is necessary. Currently, the school district may not be required involve neighbors, but it appears they have done so (to some degree), and good sense says that this may still be an important and productive course of action.

and your point is...?

This looks more like your problem another forum contributor than about the issue.

Nothing wrong with good (or bad) debate, espescially if this brings out the facts and chases out untruths