10/02/1997

Recently, a Bristol Eastern High School student, Amanda "Mandi" Quinto, died of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. I am writing this letter on behalf of the Senior Class and all the friends of Mandi Quinto, to complain about the City of Bristol Park Department's lack of compassion toward our young people. This tragedy had a major effect on the students of this school.

As a means of dealing with this, the students and friends of Mandi went to Page Park and created a memorial to her on the dead end road by the Pavilion. It was a place where these young people could go and reflect about the loss of their friend. They left messages and feelings about their friend. The park road became a place for these kids to go. Now, through the wisdom of people in the Park Department, it has been paved over, no longer to be seen by these grieving youths. I feel that this tribute should have been left intact for some time, so these young people could go and remember their friend.

I would like to see the people responsible for destroying this memorial make an apology to the students and especially the seniors of Bristol Eastern High School for taking this away from them. I was with many of these kids throughout this ordeal and I saw the hurt and anguish they endured. This was a place of release where they could feel close to their beloved Mandi. Now it's gone and these kids feel empty again. I would have been nice to see the Park Department show a little compassion for their feelings and loss but I guess it is more important to have a little piece of road be neat then a place of solitude and reflection for our young people who suffered a loss of a friend and loved one.

I can not help but wonder. Why destroy a memorial of love while right down the road a pentagram, symbol of evil, is left untouched. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Jeffrey Flannery, Bristol
Editor's Note - The writer describes himself as a concerned BEHS senior's parent.