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Be Clearly Informed

Back in February, I and several other Madison residents formed a group called Academy Save the Heart of Madison. Our main purpose was to inform the residents of Madison that the developer proposals put forth for the Academy included the greenspace in our Historic District. This is more than five acres, including the open space, ballfields, and playground. We also wanted a fair vote for the Academy building, one that included a proposal for rehabbing the building without using our land. We obtained more than 1,500 signatures in our efforts. All these signatures supported saving the land. We did, however, discover that not everyone shared the same vision for the building itself.

The Ad Hoc Academy Building Guidance Committee was formed by the town to look at all the proposals, analyze the costs, and present viable options to the town at a public information session. The committee has been hard at work for many weeks and will be ready soon to present these options. I encourage all town residents to attend the information sessions and be clearly informed on all the possibilities presented in this forum, and I encourage all residents to be sure that our voices, which were heard loud and clear at the public hearing and through our petition, are again heard: We do not wish the land to be used in any of the proposals.

I am hoping that the proposals and information will help citizens make an informed decision relative to the referendum that will be presented.

Catherine Flynn-Donovan

Madison