The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-06-11
Lively District Meeting Held
To Protest Closing Of School
Mayor and Commissioners
Participate in Tilt at
Reidville Mass Meeting

Residents Of the Hopeville school
district last night named COM
mittee Of three to appear before the
Board of Education Monday and
protest the boards action in closing
the school.
Consisting Of DR.. Frederick Herr,
chairman, Joseph DeLuca, and Mrs.
John Mariner, the committee is
pledged to have the board either
go back on It's decision to close the
school, or provide transportation to
the East Farm school for all the
present Reidville pupils, instead Of
only the first three grades.
The meeting took place In the
Reidville school in jammed class
room. Attending were Mayor Vim
cent "A. Scully, Comsr. Emma C..
Lowell, Comsr. Thomas p. Ashton,
Comsr. Anna Hadden, and Comsr.
Francis p. Barnes. Children lined
the Railways Of the 28-year-old
structure and overflowed onto the
stairway as their parents hotly de-
bated the boards action In the
AAov-AOOl VAu<ooAOOah'
Cheers For Mrs. Lowell
Mrs. Lowell, the only Republican
member of the school board present,
was hailed with ringing applause
after she decried the boards action.
"I am glad to see the big crowd
said Mrs. Lowell, glad to see the
interest"
IT agree with all the questions
and answers" she went on. II be-
lieve this building should stand. I
believe it's a good building
Cheers.
Mrs. Lowell then went on to
describe the dilapidated structure
which she said she used to attend
when child.
1.-THE building was so DID," Mrs.
Lowell declared, "that 1t shook from
top to bottom when the children put
their knees under the desks and
heaved."
'This building here Is good enough
for your children until the city can
build you a new one" Mrs. Lowell
said. 1.-THE mayor is doing a good
Job she continued, "but I don't
agree with his point in closing the
school,"
Traffic Hazard
1.-THE traffic hazard" would be
terrible" she cried. II watched
automobiles go by at 80, 40, SO and
so miles an hour. Think Of the
little children"
"The Board Of Education should
be ashamed Of itself for closing this
school," Mrs. Lowell said. Il hope
you get money for fire escapes, and
I hope you all fight and keep fight
ing" (Cheers).
Mrs. Lowell was then asked
whether she would send her own
children to the Reidville school and.
amid applause, replied:
I'D consider this good school
for my children"
Ottavio Magi, proprietor sof the
Sanitary Market, 1886 East Main
street, threw the house into PAN
demonium, when he proclaimed in
broken English that he was a
resident Of the Reidville section since
"Cristoforo Colombo"
when I came-a here In 1916"
he said, "this was all-a-woods."
"Why?"
The city don't give us q chance.
They want to bury us In the snow"
Then Mr.. Magi said that the old
schoolhouse has been there for %
years, "but q store as good as j got,
never here before"
No Fire or Rat Trap
Referring to the boards conten-
ton that the building Is fire-trap,
Mr.. Magi said:
This building no rat-trap. Keep
It here" (Cheers).
Mayor Scully declared that he was
happy to see such large attend
ance. ut indicates q genuine in
terest In the affairs Of the neigh
borhood."
Referring to the fact that one of
the residents asked why the fire.
hazard question had never before
been raised. Mayor Scully said that
|it was because somebody was
asleep"
"I'd rather not run the risk Of
having anything happen here. the
mayor continued. 1.-THE highway Is
dangerous today. We admit and
realize the danger. But I'd rather
be IN the highway than tn q burn
Ing building"
the mayor then explained that the