University and Community Partnerships

The BSU Office of University and Community Partnerships is an important resource for university neighbors. Director Sue McCombe has worked with BCNA on joint town-campus concerns. Her office continues to be a great help in figuring out how to bring neighbor concerns to the appropriate parts of the university. Her office also helps to make residents aware of public events and other campus resources.

Please visit the Partnerships web site for more information, and to join the e-mail list to stay informed.

Hearing Next Wednesday

Eviction hearings for residents of Kenneth Yelle's three derelict properties will be held on Wednesday, November 3 in Brockton. The Enterprise included an article about this today, October 28, but it has not yet appeared online.

Denied. Denied. Denied.

Thanks to all of the neighbors and town officials who turned out to speak against the lodging license for Mr. Yelle's three properties that had become a collective blight on the center of town as well as dangers to the 40 or so residents. Rents totaling close to $20,000 per month were not being reinvested in the safety of those properties, and the crowing resulted in conditions that were both dangerous and frustrating for neighbors.

Because Mr. Yelle had operated the houses for more than two years since being ordered to apply for licenses, the license decision would have condoned serious past violations.

Absentee landlords renting to more than three unrelated tenants are required to obtain lodging licenses. In turn, these licenses require public hearings, on-site managers, and certain health and safety conditions. Mr. Yelle has been far from alone in thwarting these requirements. With any luck, this case marks the beginning of better times for Bridgewater's neighborhoods.

Lodging Houses Out of Control

The plight of neighborhoods surrounding BSU is getting increased attention from local and regional media, including this recent article by Enterprise reporter Maribeth Conway. More importantly, it is getting the attention of town officials, as licensed and unlicensed lodging houses come under increased scrutiny. Although licensing and enforcement agencies are overburdened, it is important that residents continue to file complaints about noise, fire, safety, and health conditions with the appropriate town departments. Building a record against offending properties is essential in securing relief.

Yelle hearing

On Tuesday, September 28, neighbors will have an opportunity to comment on Mr. Yelle's application for lodging licenses for three properties in town, including this one at 57 Spring Hill, which is currently unlicensed, over-crowded (13 students in a single-family home), in disrepair, and surrounded by discarded furniture.

The hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Academy Building.

Welcome BSU students

As reported in the Brockton Enterprise, 900 first-year students arrived this weekend, the first to start their college careers at Bridgewater State University.


By furthering their own education, contributing to service projects, and enriching the cultural life of the town, these students contribute greatly to the quality of life of Bridgewater Center.

The Bridgewater Center Neighborhood Association welcomes the class of 2014.

Burrill Avenue Gearing Up

Students are moving back to campus and back to neighboring rental properties. Most of them are very welcome, because of all the great things they bring to the town.

A small percentage, however, are clearly not here primarily for learning and self-improvement, and they have found landlords (mostly living in other towns) who are willing to accommodate them, whatever their priorities.

Brian Kaplovsky, for example, retained his lodging license for a couple of notorious Burrill Avenue by promising various changes in management. Apparently these did not include letting students know that this was no longer to be thought of as a party house. Ironically, the "Welcome Back BSC" beer sign is one that BSC/BSU forced a local bar to remove after a brawl turned deadly a few years ago.

"Idyllic Learning Environment"

A few doors down, the party is starting early, at one of the sites that received the Springfest overflow in March 2010. Because Kaplovsky had positioned police details on his property, the party shifted to 39 & 45 Burrill Avenue, where move-in day 2010 is giving some sense of the caliber of students absentee landlords are attracting to this otherwise lovely corner of town.

"You honk: We Drink" and
"We HEART Freshman Moms."

Boston targets fire risks

Following a huge warehouse fire in Roxbury, the City of Boston is now actively evaluating the fire risks of abandoned structures throughout that city. As several readers have commented on the Boston Globe article, the move is long overdue, but at least Boston has started the process. In Bridgewater, a small number of speculators routinely keep properties vacant until they find a buyer or tenant, and then the demolish or renovate them. Although the process is complicated, it would be helpful to use whatever legal tools are available to discourage these practices, or at least to put the burden of building safety on the property owners.

Welcome Crack-Down on Poorly Managed Properties

57 Spring Hill Ave.

Several owners of properties in Bridgewater operate them to maximize profit, with little regard for the neighborhoods in which they make their money or the tenants who pay them. Among the worst is the operator of three houses that are intended to provide court-ordered services for tenants with drug and/or alcohol dependency. Instead of providing the services, the owner has simply loaded the houses, collected the money, and provided almost none of the mandated supervision. The health and safety of both tenants and neighbors has been put at risk. After five years of attempting to gain compliance through local ordinances, the Town of Bridgewater is taking Kenneth Yelle to housing court.

UPDATE: According to the mother of one of the new tenants, THIRTEEN students are moving in to the 57 Spring Hill property; I imagine a similar overload is planned on Yelle's other properties.

Other landlords in town do not seem to be doing much better, party houses are beginning to be established on Burrill Avenue, including the sites of the most recent Springfest disturbances.

New Study of College Drinking and Community Responses

The following article was distributed to BSU faculty and staff as part of the daily higher-education news clippings. It highlights the need for comprehensive responses from colleges and host communities.

“Report: colleges don’t do enough to stop student drinking” – from USA Today (Wednesday, July 28, 2010):by Robert Preidt
     U.S. colleges aren't doing enough to limit student access to alcohol, a new study contends.

     College administrators do recognize that student drinking is a major problem, but they focus on individual interventions and campus-based alcohol restrictions.
       They need to do more work with communities to develop policies to reduce excess drinking by students, such as monitoring of illegal sales of alcohol and limiting the number of retail alcohol outlets, according to study author Toben Nelson.

     Nelson, an assistant professor in the epidemiology and community health division at the University of Minnesota, and colleagues analyzed the answers given by 351 college administrators who responded to an online survey in 2008. The respondents were asked if they were following recommendations from the U.S. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's college drinking task force 2002 report on the best strategies for reducing student drinking.

      The 2008 survey showed there was "very little action on the task force recommendations and very little implementation," Nelson said in a news release from the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. "Very few had even had conversations in the communities."

      Many of the college administrators knew about the task force recommendations, but more than 22% did not know about them, according to the survey.

     Previous studies had shown that community-based alcohol control is effective in reducing college student drinking through policies such as monitoring of illegal sales of alcohol, limiting the number of alcohol outlets, increasing prices, and mandatory training for servers.

     But Nelson and colleagues found that only one-third of college communities performed compliance checks for illegal alcohol sales, only 15% mandated server training, only 7% restricted the number of alcohol outlets, and only 2% raised alcohol prices.

     Among the study's other findings:

    • Education about the consequences of excessive drinking was given to students at 98% of the colleges. The methods included lectures, meetings or workshops, poster campaigns and computer-based programs.

     • Two-thirds of colleges provided interventions for problem drinkers or those at high risk, either on campus or by paying for off-campus services.

     The study findings were released online in advance of publication in the October print issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

University Status

Moments ago, employees of the college recently received an update on university status from President Mohler-Faria. The following is copied from that memo. It mentions a web site about the transition; when that site is available, I will be posting it on this blog.
From Dr. Mohler-Faria:

I am overjoyed to announce that, following years of sustained advocacy and the tireless efforts of so many, our shared dream of becoming Bridgewater State University is about to become a reality.  Governor Patrick has signaled his intention to sign the university status legislation into law and a formal ceremony has been scheduled for 1:00pm on Wednesday, July 28, at the State House. 

No further action by the Board of Trustees or the Administration is required to actualize this change, though it is important to note that all non-emergency bills signed into law in Massachusetts are subject to a 90-day waiting period before they officially take effect.  For all intents and purposes, however, we will become Bridgewater State University on that day and a year-long transition will begin.  This year’s incoming class will be attending Bridgewater State University and, beginning with the January 2011 commencement exercises, all graduates will receive diplomas adorned with the university name and seal.

Obviously, there will be many questions surrounding this historic change and what it means for both the longer-term trajectory and day-to-day operations of the institution.  As we have said all along, this transition will not in any way change Bridgewater’s overarching emphasis on quality teaching and learning nor will it compromise our sustained commitments to affordability and accessibility.  The change in name recognizes and celebrates what we have already been for many years – a teaching university in everything but name.

Early next week, we will be launching a special website to be updated regularly and detailing important information regarding university status. 

Community Vision meetings -- RSVP now

Neighbors, please see the message below, which comes from a joint college/town effort at establishing a vision for our community: Please consider participating.

----------------
An economic development forum to be held at Bridgewater State on June 3.  This first meeting will be dedicated to drafting a vision statement.  However, subsequent meetings will follow, every 6-8 weeks to focus on issues related to economic development, with the goal of initiating attainable projects.

If you believe you can make a commitment, not just to this first meeting, but to the meetings that will follow, please consider attending.  There will be an educational component to each meeting so do not be intimidated if you have never been a part of this type of effort. 

There is some planning required prior to this event, so if you would like to attend please RSVP using the link below by May 27.

http://www.bridgew.edu/ccp/2020.cfm

Meeting with town officials

Police Chief Bois and Town Manager Troy Clarkson will be meeting with BCNA on Thursday, June 3 at 6 pm, in Mr. Clarkson's office in the Memorial Building.

The focus of the meeting will be the recent experience with Springfest and other concerns related to parties in residential areas.

Meeting about Swenson Field -- May 27

Hello, neighbors. Susan McCombe has asked BCNA to forward the invitation below to college neighbors. I hope you can attend; I personally will be out of town that evening.

-- James H-B

------------------------------

As you may know, work has begun on Swenson Athletic Field at Bridgewater State College.  The construction project will take place over the summer. We cordially invite you to an information session regarding the ongoing construction and to answer any questions you may have regarding this project.

Swenson Field Construction Information Session

Thursday, May 27, 2010

6:30 pm

East Campus Commons, Room 108

Parking is available in the Moakley Center Parking Lot

Neighbors are invited to join BSC Vice President Mike Gomes from Facilities Management and Planning; Vice President Ed Minnock from External Affairs; and  Susan McCombe, director of College and Community Partnerships, to learn more about the construction at Swenson Field.

Springfest Follow-up

Channel 4 news was onhand for Springfest this year, because coverage before the weekend suggested that a showdown might occur between police and determined students. As Alana Gomez reports, the unrest was less significant than expected, and less than last year. Town officials have offered to meet with neighbors soon, to discuss how things went and how to prepare for next year. We will post the meeting time as soon as it has been determined.

Special Olympics Aquatics Meet -- BSC April 25; many volunteers needed

BSC Athletics is hosting the 16^th Annual Special Olympics Aquatics Meet on Sunday, April 25^th  and has asked BCNA to share this with neighbors:

The 16^th Annual Special Olympics South Sectional Aquatics Meet to be held at Bridgewater State College is rapidly approaching and we  would like your help!  The meet will be held on Sunday April 25, 2010 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm in the Moriarty Pool at Kelly Gym on the West Campus of BSC.  You can volunteer for the 8:00  am – 12:00 noon shift, the 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm shift or you can volunteer for the whole day.  All are welcome to participate: students, faculty, staff, administrators and your families/friends.  You don’t have to be a member of the BSC community to volunteer for this great event.

The first 160 volunteers to register online using the “Special Olympics” button on the left side of the page at www.bscbears.com will receive a Special Olympics t-shirt and the opportunity to have an experience of a lifetime!

Come join us on April 25 and help us to “Inspire Greatness” with Special Olympics!

Bridgewater selectmen delay decision on two college party houses

At Tuesday evening's meeting of the Board of Selectmen, neighbors were given a chance to give testimony regarding the renewal of Brian Kaplovsky's lodging licenses. BCNA member James Hayes-Bohanan was one of two residents who spoke about the properties. One neighbor called on the college to do more; James emphasized the responsibility of the building owners.


As most town residents (and even many residents of greater Boston) know, Kaplovsky is the owner of several notorious houses near Bridgewater State College. Collectively, his properties are known as a nuisance, a danger, and a drain on town resources. To high school and college students throughout the region, they are known as a place to pursue underage and after-hours drinking, drugs, and fights.


The hearings and other legal proceedings -- which have themselves taken a substantial amount of town resources -- have focused on whether these properties are being managed effectively. The owner had already agreed to a one-year extension with "zero tolerance" for further disturbances. This condition has most certainly NOT been met, but Kaplovsky's attorney has had some success in shifting the terms of the debate to a matter of blame. He has argued that his client is powerless to stop the disturbances at the property. This seems the most damning testimony of all.


Selectmen will make their decision on Tuesday, March 16, but will have no more public hearings on the matter.


This image of the house is by now well-known:

Let's hope we turn the town around before any more young people are killed, and before we need to resort to the measures taken in Pecica, Romania, which recently installed these signs to warn motorists of drunken pedestrians:

Koplovsky decision continued

The hearings on the Koplovsky boarding license has been continued yet again; the next phase is at 6:30 Tuesday, March 9, at the next Selectmen's meeting at the television statement. We have been assured that this time community members will have a chance to speak.

March 6: next meeting

The Bridgewater Center Neighborhood Association will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 6 at the home of Pam & James Hayes-Bohanan, 108 Maple Avenue. Excellent coffee will be served. The agenda will include the pending lodging licenses on Burrill Avenue, and other matters related to problematic properties.

Lodging Licences for Bryan Koplovsky

Neighbors are encouraged to attend the Selectmen's meeting on February 23 at 6:45. The agenda will include whether to extend the lodging licenses at the notorious properties at 9 Burrill Ave. and 105 Plymouth St. The properties are owned by Bryan Koplovsky, who resides at 115 High Street in Duxbury. He also owns 103 Plymouth St., which he rents to students without a lodging license.

The lodging license has been extended for one month at Mr. Koplovsky's request. Neighbors may bring questions as to the basis for that extension and measures that Mr. Koplovsky intends to take to avoid the dangerous disturbances for which his properties have become well-known. If a license is to be extended, questions related to its conditions and requirements would be most appropriate.

Hope.Help.Haiti at BSC -- Feb 3.

Students, faculty, and staff at Bridgewater State College are responding to the earthquake in Haiti with sympathy, energy, and creativity. A fund has been established at the college, to be shared equally between the Red Cross and Partners in Health. Many different activities and initiatives are underway, both to raise money for that fund and to provide time for education and reflection.

The biggest event currently planned is the February 3 Hope.Help.Haiti event in the ball room of the Campus Center. All are invited -- the program will run from 1 to 8. See the BSC-Haiti blog for information about this and other, on-going activities, including a schedule for that day.