Looking at relocating to Gardner, Massachsetts

[litlux]

Originally Posted by twiggy

That explains it. My grandfather shipped furniture out of there. Oh well, that's to bad.

There are still a couple of furntiure makers there, and a half dozen discount furniture outlets, upscale and bottom feeding. I furnished my little cottage from merchants there, even stayed overnight a couple of times.

I shop there, but overall Gardner is a pretty dreatdul place to live in. To these eyes, it never bothered to see how other mill towns pulled themselves out of the doldrums. I think long range planning is discouraged by the naive natives.

[aomething]

I would say stay of out of Gardner. We are looking into moving to Ashburnham. It's not far from there but their school system is shared with Westminster and it's a much better area to live in. Smaller town and not built but that's the charm. Again though, jobs are few and far between. Hubby works in Andover and we currently live in N. Attleboro. Going to rent in Billerica for a while to save money then move to Ashburnham. Nice private school there, Cushing Academy.

[Charleyne]

Hi there,

I wanted to give you a link, MCAS Results - Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System - this is a link to the Massachusetts website in regard to our MCAS results by town.

I sell about 30 miles from Gardner, however I have shown property out that way in the recent past. I think you may want to visit the city before thinking of moving there. It is more affordable for a reason.

[IMAWARE-R-U]

FROM 1983-2006 FOUR OF MY CHILDREN(NOW ALL YOUNG ADULTS), ALL ATTENDED THE GARDNER SCHOOL SYSTEM
IN ALL THOSE YEARS I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR THE HARD WORKING TEACHERS,THE INTERACTION WAS TOP NOTCH
HOWEVER THE YEAR WAS 1994 WHEN GARDNER HIGH SCHOOL EMPLOYED A CERTAIN VICE PRINCIBLE((HE WAS FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD)) AND HE CREATED HAVOC WITH NEW POLICIES AND A SET OF RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT CAUSED MY 173 IQ ,A+SON (WHO HAD AN AVERAGE OF 30-40 DAYS OF ABSINTEISM FOR MULTIPLE MIGRAINES DOCUMENTED FROM THE AGE OF 8)
TO NOT BE ABLE TO GRADUATE. HE WAS TOLD 2 MONTHS BEFORE GRADUATION BY THIS VICE PRICIBLE THAT HE COULD NOT GRADUATE BECAUSE OUT OF THE 22 DAYS MISSED HE ONLY HAD 16 NOTES, WHEN Asked who came up with this new rule he proudly smiled that he did.
BECAUSE OF THIS VICE PRINCIBLES ARROGENCE MY SON WAS NOT ALLOWED TO GRADUATE AND IT HAS PUT TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON HIS WHOLE LIFE. HE WOULD OF ACTUALLY GRADUATED WITH HIGH HONORS AND EXTRA CREDITS IF ALLOWED TO BRING IN 3 MORE NOTES, BUT ((YES)) MR G. SAID THAT BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT HE INDOCRINATED THIS NEW SET OF RULES THAT IF HE BENT THEM FOR MY SON IT WOULDN'T BE FAIR TO ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS.........FAIR, IT SURE WAS NOT FAIR TO MY SON....WHO THAT NEXT WEEK TOOK A TEST AT THE LOCAL COLLEGE AND ACED THE TEST FOR HIS GED((ALTHOUGH NOT PROUD OF HIS GED-IT SHOULD OF BEEN HIS HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA)). THE COLLEGE WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH HIS 100+ TEST SCORE, THAT THEY ASKED HIM BACK. I AM PROUD TO SAY THAT CURRENTLY MY SON OWNS HIS OWN BUSINESS WITH A NET OF WELL OVER 140,000 A YEAR. BUT HE IS STILL VERY BOTHERED BY WHAT THIS ONE MAN DID ((OR DID NOT DO IN THIS CASE)) TO HIM.
IT'S A SHAME THAT MR GILLIS((OOPS DID I SAY THAT)) WAS PUT IN THAT POSITION TO RUIN A YOUNG MAN'S LIFE, ALL BECAUSE HE WAS SO PIG HEADED AND PROUD OF HIS NEW SET OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.

[IMAWARE-R-U]

Stats For Gardner :
Population : 20,805 +-
Male: 10,645, 52.3 %
Female : 10,125, 48.7%

Med. Age : 37.5

Med Household Income : 43,300

Med. House/condo Value :207,900

White :90.9%
Hispanic: 4.1 %
Black : 2.3 %
Indian : .8%
Asian : .5%
Other :1.2 %

[CityRes]

Are you kidding me? Many teens resorting to alcohol and drugs? More than any other place? And seniors loitering on the front stoops of businesses at all hours of the days and nights? The CEO, quoted as saying the City is "picky" about which businesses they bring in? Who fabricates this stuff? Lets be real and put things in perspective. Whoever is selling this makes it sound like the City is on a teenage drinking binge.

Underperforming schools? The Middle School in Gardner was put on the CORRECTIVE ACTION list for ONLY the subgroups, but overall none, and I repeat none of the schools IS ON THE UNPERFORMING LIST--check your facts.

And anyone who comes here speaks about the degree of civility, how polite and friendly people are, especially our kids, how well our children perform academically, and that can be proven through the number of placements in Ivy League and top tier schools through out the country.

As to the State Court in Gardner being full, just stop in at any court, in any city, in any state, in any county, anywhere, that handles multi-jurisdictions, and tell me if they are NOT full, and then we'll talk.

Gardner is still a manufacturing area. In the past 20 years, the north central Massachusetts area has seen growth in manufacturing jobs, whereas all throughout the state, manufacturing jobs have declined. As a result, we feel harder and longer the effects of a recession. We go in earlier, and come out later. That is a fact. The entire northeast is feeling the impact of a slowdown in our economy, and why should Gardner be exempt?

Clearly, there are some who have a prejudice against this community, a community I am not native to, but one in which I now reside and call home. I do not have the same slanted and jaded perspective, and if you want to truly experience the City, contact these same officials who I have had the opportunity to interact with, and find to be helpful, involved, experienced, and committed and don't rely soley on one person's comments. Find out for yourself.