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or perhaps it shows that this city actually gives a damn about dealing with this issue instead of letting slip out of the consciousness of our city's attention and our society's mind. yeah, gloucester's taken a hit reputation-wise with this. there's nothing about the situation that doesn't stink. but the fact is, we could potentially serve as an example of what it is for a municipality to face the problem of teen pregnancy head on, address the wide-range of issues contributing to its cause (including that of parental, family and mentoring involvement) and put forth valid, effective and appropriate steps to reverse this awful trend. and guess what folks? that's not gonna happen successfully if we leave it to administrators to decide. we have seen what happens when we leave it to "those in charge" to deal with the issues of gloucester...we end up with the fiscal crisis and ultimate shit-show we have now.

it takes civic involvement. it takes the input of the actual residents of gloucester and those who have an invested interest in what policies are derived over the next two months prior to the start of the new school year. get off this board, go to these meetings and actually provide constructive input with those who will be the deciding voice on this issue.

criticize CK all you want, but at least she's reaching out. at least she's listening and at least she's taking active measures to make sure the School Committee hears from everybody who has a stake in this...from the elected officials of gloucester, to those qualified in their respective psychological and social fields, to even---oh what is this!---those people (all of us!) that will face the receiving end of the decisions that are made through our children and grandchildren going through the gloucester school system.

if we do this right, we could become an example of a successful failure in dealing with something that just isn't an "international crisis of attention" but rather, a real, shameful and embarrassing failure of our schools and our community in gloucester.

the fact that CK is looking for input from us......well, i think that says something about the approach she's trying take, and that involvement ultimately, will only enhance the public discourse, public policy and resultant effects on turning our community around. and then in 10 years perhaps, we'll see a true success story emerge from this disheartening time.

oh and BTW...even if she had tried to call that number, it wouldn't have worked. Sully was on "vacation."

i'm sorry, i didn't see where she admitted this. could you attribute a source? maybe i missed an article...

Insider,

How do you still not understand this in retrospect??? THE PRINCIPAL, Dr. Joseph Sullivan, BROUGHT THE WORLD to Gloucester with a simple, four letter word: P A C T. How can you say that the mayor "invited" the world to Gloucester, when it was she who wasn't even in Gloucester when the world arrived, but rather returned to Gloucester to find the world knocking on the front door of City Hall because of Sullivan's comments.

HOW DARE SULLIVAN comment on and accuse girls (who HE personally has and DID NOT reached out to) of something that he could not, and still cannot substantiate to one of the most widely-read publications in the world. The press wasn't here because of Farmer or Kirk, or really even those 18 girls that have been forgotten, deamonized and THROWN UNDER THE BUS AND BEFORE THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION OF THE WORLD BY SULLIVAN throughout of this. They were here because of Sullivan's PACT.

You are right about one thing. Sullivan should have been at the press conference. Then he could have stood before the world and told the media that although he could never, ever prove or substantiate anything he said to TIME magazine that brought the world to this city, and shame to Gloucester, he was sticking by his guns because of rumors he heard from the rumormongers that work for him. Yup, that would have played really, really, really well for Sully and the legitimacy of Gloucester High School as a public institution that protects reputation and privacy of its students.

"The World" came to Gloucester Insider, because of the PACT. And Joe Sullivan.
Gloucester's reputation is ruined because of the PACT. And Joe Sullivan.
Those 18 girls' privacy and reputations were ruined because of the PACT. And Joe Sullivan.
Teenage girls of Gloucester, MA became the targets of international scrutiny and harassment because of the PACT. And Joe Sullivan.
Carolyn Kirk had to hold that press conference for one reason and one reason only: because of the PACT that Joe Sullivan falsely substantiated.

And now she's cleaning up the mess starting by forcing the School Committee and officials to listen to the people that matter: Us.

That's the truth of this matter.