On September 29th the Homestead City Council conducted a PTSA meeting disguised as a public workshop (the public was not invited to participate) for phase II of the new Keys Gate Charter High School. At this partisan packed city hall meeting, filled with parents, teachers and students from the charter school and fewer than a handful of tax-paying non-school residents in attendance, the council gushed and gooed over every word from the developer as he explained what a great deal the city was getting for one dollar per year rental for 35 years on 90 acres of city owned stadium property at Palm Drive and Kingman Road.
The two most salient concerns for this project were never addressed by the four members of the council who were present for most of the “workshop”: the two council members conspicuous by their absence were Mr. Williams and Mr. Shelley.
1. The unresolved safety issue of building a school within the crash zone of the Homestead Air Reserve Base landing runway- KGHS is outside the APZ, but in the center of the flight path.
2. In 35 years, Charter Schools USA will have made approximately 1/2 billion dollars!!!
Not since Seward stole Alaska from Russia in 1867 for less than two cents an acre has a government been so easily manipulated in a land deal. And, to add insult to injury, not one member of our City Council has a clue as to the true value of this prime, city owned land.
As a member of the Homestead Education Committee, I stood outside the front door of the new Keys Gate Charter High School while the ribbon cutting ceremony took place. As it would happen, during the 5 minute ribbon cutting, the deafening roar of two propdriven planes which flew directly overhead, in a proper landing pattern were so close to the school entrance that I could count the wheels being lowered for landing. As I exited the building just 10 minutes later, an F-16 jet came screaming into the same pattern at a slightly higher altitude.
This Council should be ashamed of itself for approving this location for a school!
Dr. Jim Tranthem
Homestead, Fl.
Editor response:
http://www.southdademonitor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=620:letter-to-the-editor&catid=13:editorial&Itemid=26
The Girl Next Door responed :
Mr Tranthem, you are a very bitter and spiteful man who has an axe to grind with Keys Gate Charter school. Why? I don't know. But one thing I do know is that you Mr Tranthem have a very bad habit of exaggerating the truth.
At the public workshop many concerned parents, teachers, andministrators and residents showed up in support for the proposed phase II of the charter high school. The council listened to President and CEO of CSUSA, Jon Hage. The council asked a lot of questions and disscussed many possibilities. In the end recommendations were made by the council.
Mr Tranthem it was a workshop. What part of that don't you understand? Workshops are not for public comment, they are a tool used by the council to work out agreements with the public.
Mr Tranthem you fail to realize that all of the Keys Gate communities are subject to these "deafening roars" from the aircraft that fly continiously above our neighborhoods day and night. Many comming from other airports around south florida.You also ignore that fact that the elementary school of Keys Gate is less than 500 yards away and has the same issues as the intended High School. It too sits very close to the Acrews Zone. But you voice no concern for those students. Another point I'd like to make is to the reserve base, I am sure you are familiar with the word "Reserve" and in this case it means this base has very limited full active duty personell, on a monday thru friday basis or to simply you could say during school hours. Reservest mainly do weekend duty, so that means the school will be ajourned when most of the flying takes place.
As for your obsevations on the landing gears that you seem to be so concerned with as well, I can assure you that you were mistaken. Having talked to some of my neighbors, who are pilots they scoff at what you claim to have seen and I will explain. Landing gear creat drag, and when you are a prop plane and that far away from the runway (Runway 5 to be exact) you would never lower your "wheels" so far out of the landing zone. It would be like pushing the gas while ridding the brake.
Mr Tranthem you should be ashamed for telling lies and endangering the education and future of our children. We don't need your lies or you selfishness for what benefits you and all your neighbors in Northgate. You have no right to tell us how to educate our children, you retired from education many years ago. It is our choice not yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Since you have ALL the answers mr big shot, than I encourage you suggest something the city can do with that land, and make money from it. I DARE YOU!!!!
TGND
