Bob Opotzner, Board of Education

• Additional Comment from Matt Opotzner, 5th grader at Farmingville:
  Vote YES or I`ll be stuck in a crowded Middle School.

Mary Pat Devine, Board of Education

It's time for Ridgefielders to pull together and build the schools that are necessary to relieve the overcrowding at East Ridge and in our elementary schools.

There may not be any "ideal" site that satisfies every Ridgefielder, but our site selection team and the Board of Selectmen have worked hard to come up with a solid, workable proposal that deserves support on June 19th.

I urge my fellow voters to turn out and vote "Yes" for this first step in our building program. Ridgefield's children are facing intolerable overcrowding. The town's reputation for educational excellence can't be allowed to evaporate in an endless debate over location.

Bernie Dzielinski, Chairman, Board of Finance

Mike Jones, Selectman

First, if you are among the undecided, you are in good company. There's thousands of you out there. That said, it's time to vote in favor of this school. Here's why:

• We have the need. An independent expert, isolated from political pressures and school lobbyists, forecasted Ridgefield's middle school population to balloon to more than 161% of the capacity of the current school within eight years. The kids are here and their need is real.
• We have the right site. A public-spirited committee of 41 volunteers worked all through January and February to review every possible site in town, and they selected this site as one of the best locations. We already own the land, and it's big enough to support this school.
• We have a great plan. A savvy building committee has developed a flexible design which minimizes the size of the building and maximizes its versatility. Even the troubling issues of traffic, playing fields and septic systems can be minimized with proper scheduling and clever engineering. This school on this site works fine.
• The price is affordable. Yes, it looks expensive; everything today seems expensive. But it is cheaper to build this school than to see our educational system deteriorate. If we allow our schools to deteriorate, we are imposing a huge but hidden tax on ourselves in reduced home valuations. Make no mistake: our public schools are the economic engine that determine most of the value of our homes. Everything else, from our shady streets to our historic Main Street, is trivial compared to the importance of a good school system.

Is this true? Ask anybody in banking, economics or real estate. Ask anybody who lives in Bethel, where home prices have been hammered due to their inability to pass a decent school budget. Ask the New Yorkers window-shopping in our village on the weekends. Quality schools are the key to a quality town.

So, if your home is your major retirement asset, then do something to protect it. Be selfish. Make an investment in your retirement fund and support this school.

And then just smile when you see a school bus filled with little kids. Every busload makes your retirement condo just that little bit nicer.

Voting Information

If you're not already registered to vote in Ridgefield, it's not too late!
You can register until 4:30 on Friday, June 18.

Absentee ballots
The fastest way to obtain an absentee ballot is to apply in the Town Clerk's office and fill out the application and ballot on one visit - no later that 4:30 on Friday, June 18. The Town Clerk's office will be open this Saturday, June 12 from 9:00 to 12:00. If applying for an absentee ballot by mail, you must do so by Tuesday, June 15.

Voting as a [non-resident] property owner
To vote as a property owner you must be on the October 1, 1998 grand list with at least $1,000 assessment for cars, personal and real property. You must also be 18+ AND A U.S. CITIZEN!

Town Clerk's Office:   431-2783
Registrar of Voters - Democratic:   431-2771