HARTFORD'S WEAVER HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FIGHTING THE RIGHT KIND OF FIGHT

This past Saturday on the Hartford Public Access program that myself, J.Stan McCauley, Bishop John Selders and Angel Morales hosted, we interviewed students and parents from Weaver High School. As part of the program, Stan McCauley produced and edited a great piece narrated by Hartford resident June Lyons graphically portraying the deplorable conditions that exist at Weaver, a school that has seen no substantial renovations since it was built in 1974. Graphic pictures portrayed the awful conditions including water damage, missing cinder blocks in walls, shower rooms in total disrepair, hardware on emergency exits missing or broken and students detailed the presence of rats and roaches in classrooms and the cafeteria. Many residents also called in to express their dismay at the condition of the school.

Although there was apparently no mention of major repairs at a PTO meeting held last week, after the program aired Saturday night, on Tuesday the Superintendent of Schools announced that $3 million dollars had been "found" for repairs at Weaver. Makes me wonder how you suddenly "find" $3 million dollars when you are laying teachers and support staff off. Was $3 million in a shoebox on a shelf in Kelvin Roldan's office? Regardless, at least the students at Weaver who brought the issue up should be commended for stepping forward and making a difference.

1 Hartford airs on Hartford Public Access Channel 5 on Saturday's at 10:00PM and can also be viewed on the internet at http://1hartford.com and click on the "1hartford program" box. That's the numeral one "1" in the internet address