Letter to the editor: 3 no-brainers

To the editor:

1. Decades ago, research concluded teenagers’ biological clocks require later bedtimes and longer hours of sleep (eight to 10 hours). It is absolutely crucial to their ability to learn and retain what they learn. I railed against 7:30 a.m. high school start times as a high school teacher in the 1970s as I watched what it did to my students. Five decades later, I can’t believe it is still an issue. No high school should start before 9 a.m., period. I call no-brainer.

2. City sidewalks are public means of transportation no different from city streets. I have lived in various cities and never even heard of one that required homeowners (often only on one side of the street) to bear the cost of repairing public walkways. Shame on any city that tries to unload this civic responsibility onto select homeowners. I call no-brainer.

3. Why do we agonize over security cameras downtown? As for privacy, when we shop, eat and walk our magnificent Mass. Street we are in public space. Truth be told, we are there to see and be seen and hopefully meet friends, a Lawrence ritual that can be witnessed any evening. It’s what makes Lawrence such a fantastic place. Why not protect that asset? On adding security cameras downtown, I call no-brainer.