Andover Reader Comments of the Week

How Green Is Andover?

Kristina Trott: My faith in Andover's green credentials is severely shaken by the approval of new-paving plans for the coming Youth Center's surroundings. (This was presented to Town Meeting as a Doherty School issue, but the Youth Center is clearly the driver.) The Town Meeting vote on funds authorization was extremely close, and if more people had been aware of the impact on the Bartlet St.neighborhood I suspect the question would have failed. The plan to bulldoze a loop drive and several parking spaces into the serene little park in front of the Doherty is an abomination, an inexcusable assault on a residential neighborhood which endures enough noise and traffic as it is.The park has served since the school's construction in the early 50's as a welcome and necessary buffer between school zone and homes, and its destruction would be a crime against the Bartlet homeowners and the downtown greenscape as a whole. (Although the design people insist no healthy trees will be cut, how long can those beautiful mature specimens survive with their roots excavated and paved over?) An even more destructive paving plan was submitted once before, and rightly shot down. This version should be vetoed as well, or our "Tree City" designation is a travesty.

Tom: A tree warden - I thought this was a joke until I read the article! Why do we need a tree warden when we cannot pay teachers Why do we need a tree warden when we cannot pay the benefits for our retirees. Its free money right, so why not hire a tree warden.

Kristina Trott: This is NOT a new position. We've had a superintendent of parks, cemeteries, playing fields- and TREES- all along. Paul is replacing the previous "warden".

Philips Employees Collect Donations for Dress for Success

Pamela Walters: I looking for a wedding dress size 7 donated to special needs girl who dreams of wearing a wedding dress.

Howard Dean to Speak at Phillips Academy

Salemst: It's a golden opportunity to learn how government can solve all our problems.