I could really be angry with my son about now. On the Mississippi curriculum test, he scored advanced in all three areas they test in, reading, language, and mathematics. That one doesn't give much details. Just his proficiency level, the points he scored, and the possible points.
The Terra Nova is the more complete test. It is a nationwide test and not only gives his grade equivelant, but also his percentile score. Here is what my 12 year old, 6th grade (the test was given last year, he will be in 7th grade this year) child scored:
Reading-- grade equivalent: 12+, National Percentile: 98
Language-- grade equivalent: 12+, National Percentile: 99
Mathematics--grade equivalent: 12+, National Percentile: 99
Total Score--grade equivalent: 12+, National Percentile: 99
Now, with scores like that, he ought to be doing better than Bs and Cs.
After that, we came home and picked up J, then went to talk to Stanly DeShazier, the Grenada Building Official. What I had hope about yesterday seems to be not so easy today. Mr. DeShazier was not encouraging at all. It seems the Planning and Zoning commission does not like trailer houses within the city limits. Mine was here before this area was annexed in 1996, so it was grandfathered in. However, apparently what they want me to do is to let it deteriorate until it falls apart, then move it out and never replace it. So what I have to do now is to get affadavits from all my neighbors stating that they do not object to me upgrading my trailer, take pictures showing the poor condition of my trailer, take pictures of the new trailer I'd like to put in there, and take all that to the P & Z meeting on the 15th, then hope and pray that the committee will allow me to upgrade my home. If they refuse, I can appeal to the city council at the meeting in September. If they refuse, then I will have to move, and I will move out of Grenada.
Mr. DeShazier said we should have just done our thing and never told them about it. Likely the only way they would have ever known is if one of the neighbors complained. If it were up to him, he wouldn't have a problem with it, but he couldn't make that call himself, because he would be the one in trouble if anyone complained. But he said he was pulling for us, and hoped the P & Z would be reasonable.
Finally, we went and looked at homes again. I really liked the floor plan of this one:
But want the vinyl siding and shingled roof like this one:
However, I think I may get gray siding with blue shutters, instead of the tan and green of this one. Now, I just gotta do battle with the city, and we're good to go.
The tech came out and fiddled around with my DSL, but it didn't help. It's worked for almost three hours but started dropping again. He said if it didn't work, he didn't know what was wrong with it, but to call him back and he'd try something else. I wonder if my modem is overheating. I think I'll move it to a better ventialted place and see if that works.
But for now, off to karate class...
3 comments:
...and take all that to the P & Z meeting on the 15th, then hope and pray that the committee will allow me to upgrade my home.
Aiieee! Doing battle with bureaucrats...the dark underbelly of American life. The deck is stacked against you, going in.
Good luck, Becky. I'm pulling for ya!
I cringe when I think of all that the P&Z want you to do, but I am not surprised. The City of Red River, NM was the pits when it came to P&Z. "Farrrmmm living is the life for me". I want to live where my dogs can bark and not bother anyone but me. I want to live where I don't have to have curtains on my windows. But gee, I pay for it in gas money.
Thanks Buck. I could use all the pulling I can get!
Lou, when I moved here, I was living out in the country. Then the city annexed lots of land all around it to, uh, I'm ashamed to say it, but to return the city to a white majority. So the City Council retaliated by denying the newly annexed areas the right to vote (but still collected taxes from them) for almost 10 years. But that is definitely a story for another post as it gets quite complicated. Back to the point, I have horse pastures in front of me, cow pastures behind me, and cotton fields on either side of me, yet we are still zoned as resedential. Go figure...
Patch, I have liked living in a mobile home, and I have disliked it also. What I like about it is owning my own home. The one I am looking at will end up being (before tax and stuff) around $31,000, and I will be able to pay it off in 15 years, as opposed to the standard 30 year home morgage. That will save bunches in interest as well. The main thing I dislike about it is the lack of storage area. No attic or basement. Mobile homes have gotten much better in recent years. They are, in many cases, as solidly built as houses. They are just on wheels. For you and the cats, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one. Just try to find a piece of land, and not rent a lot in a trailer park. That has all the problems of renting plus all the problems of home ownership at the same time!
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