You Guest It: It Takes Time To Do What’s Right

 Right after Thanksgiving, my sixth grade son came down with respiratory symptoms. We brought him to Boston Children’s Hospital several times over the next month. He was diagnosed with RSV and thrush, but still the cough continued after being treated. I started to look into environmental causes, which is when I started to catch wind of the water leakage problem at the Monomoy Middle School that he attended. 

 Though I don’t think this is what caused his issues, I was genuinely worried about sending him back into a school that could have compromised air. The Chronicle wrote several articles on the proposed capital project for new siding and a roof but also about the water damage that’s been happening due to improper flashing when the school was completed in 1997. That’s almost 30 years of water leakage. I started reading and digging more and more. I went on social media asking if anyone felt like it was a problem. And then overnight, I became the mold hotline. 

 I wrote a letter to the school committee and Chatham and Harwich select boards voicing my concerns. I posted the letter online and that’s when I started to hear from friends, acquaintances and strangers regarding the issue. I knew something had to be done. 

 Over the next several weeks I spoke with parents whose children had mysterious illnesses or were just plain concerned that it could be a major problem. I spoke with faculty who were too nervous to speak up for fear they’d lose their jobs, but were suffering from symptoms that could be related to mold. I talked to town leaders, school officials, mold specialists and parents from Barnstable United Elementary School, where a similar situation occurred. I had the phone attached to my ear every second I got. I just wanted to keep learning. 

 Luckily, Harwich resident, artist, parent and friend Steve Swain was ready to tackle this with me. The two of us did tons of research and learned more about mold and mold testing than we ever imagined. We got our hands on the mold testing report and learned that the proper testing wasn’t done in the school.

 So we attended the Harwich select board meeting a few weeks ago where we knew Superintendent Dr. Scott Carpenter and Business Manager Mike MacMillan would be presenting the capital plan to the board asking for siding and a new roof to be funded by the two towns at town meetings in May, which in our minds didn’t make sense. Why were they going to ask for two projects that could essentially seal up the damage and toxins that this building may have? 

 Following their presentation, Steve and I then got up and made our statements. We asked for better, proper air testing and better communication. The board all agreed. Selectman Jeff Handler was the most vocal about it, but board members unanimously agreed. Jeff had been talking to Steve and I during the week, and we appreciated having a leader hear us and steer us in the right direction. I also had separate conversations with Julie Kavanagh and Don Howell as well as Chatham Select Board members Shareen Davis and Cory Metters. All were very helpful and supportive. 

 The following week was the school committee meeting. After getting vague feedback from the committee, it felt as if the meeting was a bit passive. We once again asked for additional testing, better communication and for a mold task force. None of our questions were answered so we felt a bit discouraged. 

 We let it rest for about a week until I found out that the newly appointed Monomoy Building Committee would be meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Steve and I attended and we are so thankful we did. This group included a mix of parents, faculty, town leaders and contractors, just a whole bunch of respectable residents. We also decided not to push for a mold task force since it took so long for the building committee to be put together and approved. A mold task force would just add additional days and hours that we don’t have. We needed movement on this immediately. We were hoping that the building committee would take on this problem. 

 Steve and I once again got up during the public comment and voiced our concerns, which were: When was testing happening? Will the committee be handling the potential mold damage or were they just responsible for the exterior envelope? Will the kids be in school during the work? And lastly, can we get better communication and updates, as parents and faculty?

 During the meeting, several companies presented proposals to be project managers for the siding and roofing project, some of them mentioning that mold may be a problem. After the presentations, retired builder, teacher and parent of kids who went to Chatham High School Robert Stello asked, “What are we doing here?” He was concerned that they were jumping ahead on a project that clearly needs more work. His point of why not do it right if we’re going to do it all really struck everyone, including the chair of the committee, Peter Troy. Eastward Homes’ John Marsh, who is also a parent of two children about to enter Monomoy schools, chimed in, saying how concerned he is about the air quality in the school. One of the presenters for the project manager answered a question about “if you find mold, what will you do?” and his response was “Oh, we will find mold. It’s just a matter of what type of mold it is.” 

 Following a lot of discussion amongst the committee members, Steve and I sat back and watched as our words were really being put into account. Dr. Carpenter and Macmillan then announced that they would be moving forward with air quality testing in about a quarter of the rooms spread throughout the building. They were talking to a company out of West Dennis to complete the testing. A committee member commented that they should really be choosing the rooms with the most water damage to test. The committee also changed its mission to include the interior/air quality work. The meeting was several hours long, but we feel like it answered our questions and we were really happy with how it concluded. Now, we wait for actions to be taken. Steve and I are both committed to seeing this through. 

 What I find so fascinating about this process is how quickly a movement can start. You can have one thought and it can ignite an entire field. What started as a small post on Facebook has now turned into at least 100 phone calls, hours of reading about mold, attending meetings, some sleepless nights and so much follow through. 

 People keep asking “What can I do to help?” Showing up at meetings would be the first suggestion, but I know how hard it is. If you can’t do that, then send emails to our town officials about your concerns, inform people through conversation or social media and write letters to The Chronicle. 

 If there is something you care about, speak up. Especially if it’s for the betterment of our kids, the faculty and our community. In order to see any changes in our world, big or small, we must be willing to take risks and use our voice. And we must be committed to put in the time, even though none of us have time. I have weeks of laundry piled up, dishes in the sink, you name it. However, you find time when it comes to the future and health of our kids. And if that’s the end prize, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.