Subject: Sprint backs down on siting antennas at 2 schools (Kelley).
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2001 090616 -0600
From: Roy Beavers
To: guru
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Subject: Sprint backs down on siting antennas at 2 schools
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 22:56:42 -0800
From: Libby Kelley
To: "Friends and Advisors"
http://www.uniontrib.com/news/metro/20010303-9999_2m3cell.html
Sprint will not place antennas at 2 schools
Protests of parents, neighbors win out
By Susan Gembrowski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER March 3, 2001 Citing protests from
parents and residents, Sprint Communications has decided
against building wireless antennas at two La Mesa-Spring
Valley elementary schools. The two sides will negotiate over
how much money the school district should pay Sprint for
construction already completed at Northmont Elementary,
including the installation of a concrete base for a 20-foot
fake palm tree to disguise nine wireless antennas. The school
board is set to decide whether to accept the tentative
agreement at its meeting Tuesday. "We're very, very happy,"
said Brandy Holland, one of many parents upset over the
Sprint contracts. "All our hard work paid off." Parents and
other residents met with the school district last month to
express concerns over the health of their children if the
wireless hardware was installed at the elementary schools.
They complained that the fake palm was visually offensive.
They also were upset that they hadn't been notified and only
learned of the contracts after work had begun at Northmont.
Residents who lived near the school noticed the construction
during the holiday break in December, and notified parents
and others about it. In response, Holland and others printed
and distributed 300 fliers to neighbors of the school. PTA
presidents gave the students notices to take home to their
parents, informing them of the school board's contracts with
Sprint. "Sprint is committed to being a good corporate
citizen," said Mac Strobl, a government relations consultant
for Sprint. "We didn't expect this. The district didn't
expect this. From our point of view, the concerns are not
warranted. But perception sometimes is more difficult (to
overcome) than reality." Under federal communications law,
local governments can't deny permits for wireless sites
because of health concerns. School trustees postponed a
decision at their board meeting Feb. 20 on whether to rescind
the district's contracts with Sprint, a move that could have
landed them in court. The Northmont contract would have
netted the district $11,400 annually for five years. Trustees
said they would delay until the La Mesa City Council decided
whether to issue a temporary moratorium on wireless antenna
sites. Earlier this week, the La Mesa council appointed a
task force to work out an ordinance to oversee the sites. The
Grossmont Union High School District also is considering a
$15,000, five-year contract with Sprint for the installation
of wireless hardware at Grossmont High School. Holland, who
lives near the school, said she plans to fight against it. "I
just wish they wouldn't look at schools as possible sites,"
Holland said. "I realize they need to keep up with technology
and what people want for phone service, but we would just
like them to stay away from schools." The Grossmont district
contracted with Pacific Bell last year for a wireless antenna
site at Monte Vista High School. The contract pays the school
district $15,000 annually for three years, and it can be
renewed up to 20 years, said Mark Pettis, Grossmont
spokesman.
© Copyright 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
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-------- Original Message --------
| Subject: |
Sprint backs down on siting antennas at 2 schools |
| Date: |
Sat, 03 Mar 2001 22:56:42 -0800 |
| From: |
Libby Kelley <libby@energyfields.org> |
| To: |
"Friends and Advisors" <info@ccwti.org> |
Sprint will not place antennas
at 2 schools
Protests of parents, neighbors win out
By Susan Gembrowski
| UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER March 3, 2001 Citing
protests from parents and residents, Sprint Communications has decided
against building wireless antennas at two La Mesa-Spring Valley elementary
schools. The two sides will negotiate over how much money the school district
should pay Sprint for construction already completed at Northmont Elementary,
including the installation of a concrete base for a 20-foot fake palm tree
to disguise nine wireless antennas. The school board is set to decide whether
to accept the tentative agreement at its meeting Tuesday. "We're very,
very happy," said Brandy Holland, one of many parents upset over the Sprint
contracts. "All our hard work paid off." Parents and other residents met
with the school district last month to express concerns over the health
of their children if the wireless hardware was installed at the elementary
schools. They complained that the fake palm was visually offensive. They
also were upset that they hadn't been notified and only learned of the
contracts after work had begun at Northmont. Residents who lived near the
school noticed the construction during the holiday break in December, and
notified parents and others about it. In response, Holland and others printed
and distributed 300 fliers to neighbors of the school. PTA presidents gave
the students notices to take home to their parents, informing them of the
school board's contracts with Sprint. "Sprint is committed to being a good
corporate citizen," said Mac Strobl, a government relations consultant
for Sprint. "We didn't expect this. The district didn't expect this. From
our point of view, the concerns are not warranted. But perception sometimes
is more difficult (to overcome) than reality." Under federal communications
law, local governments can't deny permits for wireless sites because of
health concerns. School trustees postponed a decision at their board meeting
Feb. 20 on whether to rescind the district's contracts with Sprint, a move
that could have landed them in court. The Northmont contract would have
netted the district $11,400 annually for five years. Trustees said they
would delay until the La Mesa City Council decided whether to issue a temporary
moratorium on wireless antenna sites. Earlier this week, the La Mesa council
appointed a task force to work out an ordinance to oversee the sites. The
Grossmont Union High School District also is considering a $15,000, five-year
contract with Sprint for the installation of wireless hardware at Grossmont
High School. Holland, who lives near the school, said she plans to fight
against it. "I just wish they wouldn't look at schools as possible sites,"
Holland said. "I realize they need to keep up with technology and what
people want for phone service, but we would just like them to stay away
from schools." The Grossmont district contracted with Pacific Bell last
year for a wireless antenna site at Monte Vista High School. The contract
pays the school district $15,000 annually for three years, and it can be
renewed up to 20 years, said Mark Pettis, Grossmont spokesman. |
© Copyright 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing
Co.
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Archive provided courtesy of WaveGuide, http://www.wave-guide.org
Reprinted with permission of Roy Beavers, http://www.emfguru.com