What a commentary on the dangers of cell phone radiation especially to children! Tampa's Coleman Middle School passed up annual lease payments of $36,000 from the cell phone provider to erect a cell tower on school property. What reason could have caused a school in these economic times to bypass this extra income?
In Pasco, Florida and all over the world, the same uproar is happening. Cell phone providers are looking to cover the planet with cell phone reception. The FCC is enabling them. Cellular communication providers offer school tower leasing even though cell phone reception coverage is sufficient at schools. Citizens and parents are getting smart and saying no to cell phone radiation and yes to safety. (See excerpt from the School Board's Independent Study at the bottom.)
Oh... before you read the news article below ....
1. Check out the informative site Expel Cell Towers run by PACTS or People Against Cell Towers at Schools! These parents and citizens believe there is conclusive evidence that Cellular Tower emissions affect humans and the safety of our children may be at risk. They feel the small amount of money gained by cell tower leasing on school grounds is not worth the health of any child.
2. Take matters into your own hands. Vital Vibes has a number of tools to protect you from the harmful effects of cell phone radiation and electromagnetic pollution. Call 772-882-7911.
Discord over cell towers at schools, County Commissioners want halt in construction
TAMPA, FL — Hillsborough County commissioners have asked that the School Board immediately halt plans to raise any more cell towers at schools until concerns are resolved. The letter arrived shortly before school leaders went into a public meeting packed with orange-clad parents and students protesting the towers, and another large group supporting the towers and the money they raise for schools. Commission Chairman Ken Hagan, who signed the letter, said the county wants to "ensure that we're doing everything we can to protect our children and to ensure that the public has the opportunity to participate in the process." School Board chairwoman Carol Kurdell noted that district officials needed time to review the letter from the commissioners, which expressed concern that people were not always given the chance to have a say on the possible placement of cell towers. Kurdell said the district would make sure it had the facts straight and get back to the county by the end of the week.
It is clear that the community divide over whether to raise cell towers at school campuses will not go away so quickly. School Board members heard an earful on the topic at Tuesday's meeting, where 20 people railed against the cell towers and 12 in support of them. The sudden outburst comes after more than a dozen Hillsborough schools added cell towers to their campuses in recent years with relatively little attention. Principals were glad to have the extra cash, which can range into the thousands. That calm ended this year when community protests over a proposal for a cell tower at south Tampa's Coleman Middle prompted the principal to table the idea.
Since then, parents have started organizing anti-cell tower campaigns in other communities too. "Schools and communities are being torn apart over this controversial issue," Cynthia Shellabarger, a mother from South Tampa, told the School Board. Many opponents brought their children to the meeting, dressed in bright orange shirts that read "No Towers" and "No Towers at Schools." They raised concerns about the health effects of exposing students to the towers, which government regulators have deemed safe. Others worried about the effect on neighborhood property values. Many came from Pride Elementary in New Tampa, where parents complain they weren't given enough notice before a cell tower went up.
Joining them in the campaign against cell phone towers were parents representing schools from Valrico to South Tampa.
After everyone spoke, Kurdell asked superintendent MaryEllen Elia to find answers for the concerns raised and get back to the community, as well as the School Board. And they also will need to get back to the County Commission, which in light of recent protests decided last week to take another look at a land use change that made it easier to raise cell phone towers at schools without public hearings. Writer Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3400.
Independent study, performed by the School Board, re-enforces concerns.
“More recently, other scientific laboratories in North America, Europe and elsewhere have reported certain biological effects after exposure of animals ("in vivo") and animal tissue ("in vitro") to relatively low levels of RF radiation. These reported effects have included certain changes in the immune system, neurological effects, behavioral effects, evidence for a link between microwave exposure and the action of certain drugs and compounds, a "calcium efflux" effect in brain tissue (exposed under very specific conditions), and effects on DNA.”— excerpts from p47 of Field Exposure Survey provided to the Hillsborough County Public Schools Dec 2008.
