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JULY - DECEMBER EDITOR TEDDY LINENFELSER Letters To The Editor must include a name and contact (phone/email) and may be Emailed to Editor or addressed to: Letters to the Editor, 1871 Whitehaven Road, Grand Island, NY 14072 Previous Letters To The Editor Letters to the Editor are not necessarily the 'viewpoint' of the management at Isledegrande.com and GIECOM.Net Inc. Reader Claims Isledegrande Successful In Getting Capital Project "Shot Down" - Nov. 2009 I find the recent lack of “fair and balanced” reporting by this publication disturbing. I am referring to the decision to print FIVE editorials from residents against the school district’s capital expansion plan versus ONE editorial from a student supporting the plan. Certainly, your editor must realize that if you are to be considered a legitimate news media outlet, you have a responsibility to fairly and equally represent both sides of an issue that is set to be voted upon by residents. Anything short of this leaves one wondering whether you are “Grand Island’s #1 news source,” that you claim to be, or nothing more than a gossip column with your own agenda. I am sure that some of the comments published unanswered by this gossip column 4 days before the vote are valid issues that people should question. However, there are really only two fundamental questions: 1) Do you, as taxpayers, want to upgrade your schools, some of which are 40+ years old? And if so, 2) how much do you want to spend? With regard to the first question, perhaps the district could have done a better job detailing why they elected to add each particular item to the project plan. A brief bullet after each item explaining why it needs to be upgraded would probably answer most questions that people have. With regard to the second question, there is no easy way to assess “the will of the people.” It is easy to obtain the will of the few vocal people that eagerly promulgate their opinions. However, in the end, it is going to come down to trust in the school board that we elected. It does appear that there is a lack of trust that pervades the board when it comes to managing capital projects. But let me remind everybody that this board is different than any previous board that may or may not have managed previous capital projects. I sincerely hope that the school board carefully examines the criticisms that have been made before they make any decisions about resubmitting a smaller plan. It seems that many people on both sides of the issue believe that we need to do some capital upgrades, but have remaining questions regarding the scope of work proposed. I hope that those who have offered criticism of our school board can be equally diligent offering constructive suggestions for the board to consider. Mark Sadkowski Posted November 19, 2009 Editor's note: As editor of Isledegrande.com, I take no position pro or con on any issue. I post every signed letter to the editor regardless of the writer's views. Perhaps you should have written your own Letter to the Editor stating your views and encouraged your friends to do the same. Boys Volleyball Team Expresses Appreciation - Nov. 2009 Dear Isledegrande.com, The Grand Island High School Volleyball Team would like to sincerely "Thank You" for putting our tournament on your web page! People were telling us that it was the best tournament concession stand they had ever been to. We so appreciate your continued support through the years! Again, many thanks, Anne Bolton and the boys volleyball team Posted November 16, 2009 Go Back To The Drawing Board For Capital Project - Nov. 2009 The Buffalo News reports Superintendent Christmann's claim that if the $ 47.3 million Capital Project is rejected, the district “would have to absorb all of the architectural expenses incurred so far.” But he has also said that these expenses were kept to a minimum to allow flexibility, and also that this is why he could not define project priorities. This is trying to have it both ways! An expert in high school technology has said that the computer plans for the classes are “already obsolete.” What’s needed, he said, is merely one teacher wireless laptop computer per classroom with groups using a computer lab as needed. The Middle School science lab pictured on the front page of “The Bridge” is not even listed in the project plan as one of the items to be addressed. These are some of the reasons to reject the current proposal. The School Board has 90 days to offer a new plan which will better meet the educational and safety needs of our students. We should expect this of them. Patricia Akinbami Posted November 11, 2009 See Buffalo News story by Janice L. Habuda Mulcahy Responds To Capital Project Letter - Nov. 2009 Young Mr. Kulak seems to believe everything he hears from the Administration and the Board President. (Did he really expect Mr. Little to say that the Board was goldbricking?) Still, it is hard to be upset with him even though I believe he is missing the point in all of this. After all, I was his age once. Where to start? How about his slam against those who are opposed, “I also think that voting ‘no’ because of such a small increase is just selfish and cheap.” Really? How so? The fact that someone doesn’t share your preferences on how to spend the income they earned, doesn’t make them either selfish or cheap. Impugning their motives, though, does nothing for one’s standing. Or this gem, “As for the tax increase, sure your taxes will go up, but only like $15 or less per year. The increase in value to your home because the schools are better would more than make up for this.” Want to bet? This is an assertion that he has no foundation for, unless he is saying that the negative impact of the $2.6MM they suck out of us over and above what is necessary to run the place should be ignored. He makes a point that is correct as far as it goes: one wouldn’t let their home fall into disrepair the way the Board has allowed the schools to. However, the problem is that the Board has deliberately neglected maintaining these facilities because they would have had to raise taxes or cut other expenses. They were unwilling, obviously, to do either. This leads to a problem. We are now being asked to pay for repairs through long-term borrowing for items that will need to be repaired/maintained well before the bonds are paid off. This is fiscal insanity. Financial legerdemain of this sort is what caused New York City to go bankrupt in 1975. Mr. Kulak also bemoans the state of the science labs. Be careful with this one. They were supposed to be upgraded and added to in the last capital project. They weren’t because the Board wanted another gym but didn’t tell anyone about it. That capital project was so poorly (scandalously?) run that much of this project is to compensate for screw-ups there. No one has been held accountable in the least for it. I said at a Board meeting that there should be an investigation of it. I still think there should, preferably by the FBI. In sum, it isn’t that there aren’t some items that make sense, i.e., the science labs, it is that they are being used as stalking horses for all sorts of waste. Returning to Mr. Kulak’s personal home example, one wouldn’t waste money on baubles that don’t improve anything. Further, the State is broke. They will renege on their commitment to fund, through our income taxes, fees, and sales taxes, their share which means our property tax portion will increase. They are already having to address cutting operating expenses midterm. While a good school system increases property values relative to a bad one, excessive spending on unnecessary items lowers value. He thinks that people don’t have all the facts. The difficulty here is that when people questioned Mr. Christmann at the public meetings they were arrogantly dismissed without having their concerns addressed. Even at follow-up meetings the answers provided were said to be less than forthcoming (See Donna Tomkins letter). This has led many, quite rightly, to decide that there are better ways to spend their hard-earned money. Some day, Mr. Kulak, if all goes well, you will be a taxpayer. At that time you will have to decide if you want to opt for every item on the Board’s wish list. You will have to make choices just as you will with all of your other purchases. Jim Mulcahy Posted November 11, 2009 Many Unanswered Questions Regarding Proposed School Capital Project - 2009 Dear Editor, What are the Superintendent and the School Board trying to hide? There are still many unanswered questions regarding the proposed Grand Island School Capital Project and we have yet to be shown an actual itemized budget. How can we vote on the unknown? I submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) application to the Superintendent to receive this information and have not gotten anything back. It leaves me to believe that there are things in the Capital Project that he does not want anyone to see, until after he is presented a check for $47 million dollars. It seems the Superintendent/school board members maintain that athletics are not a main concern, stressing that the safety and education of the children come first. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was quoted as saying, “Football fields are an integral part of creating SAFE, viable and healthy communities. Not only do these fields enable youths to play sports but they also provide areas for recreation, EDUCATION, and relaxation that contribute to the overall quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the nation.” Are you aware that our varsity boys and girls soccer teams had to travel to Lew-Port to practice for Sectional Championship games because our fields are inadequate and that the varsity football team had to practice for their Sectional Championship game under a portable light that one of the player’s father provided. The football team also had to travel to Sportsplex to practice on a turf surface. Our Children are worthy of updated and safer playing fields. The structure and discipline regimen for those playing sports is an education in itself, and the association between a healthy body and healthy mind are undeniably linked. Our Grand Island sports teams have certainly earned the privilege of being afforded improved facilities and equipment, and the betterment of addressing the needs of our sports program/department should be given priority as such within the proposed budget. As the budget currently stands with such obvious lack of concern and cooperation in upgrades needed for our sports program - please vote NO. Thank you Donna Tomkins Posted November 12, 2009 Hey Brother, Can You Spare $47 Million? - Nov. 2009 I have to say it: $47 Million is a lot of dough. The unemployment rate in NYS hovers close to double digits. The State is in financial crisis, with current estimates of a multi-billion-dollar deficit this year, double that in 2010, and some long term estimates approaching $50 billion in the next half decade cumulatively. I’ll say it again: $47 Million is a lot of dough. That is my first issue with Grand Island Central School District’s proposed Capital Project plan. The “Special District Meeting” being held on the 17th is to decide whether we should spend another $47 Million on an array of items throughout the district. Frankly, the “laundry list” does seem to have a number of valid entries. However, this voter can’t escape feeling that there appears equal validity to claims that we are being asked to pay for work we already paid for years ago. Or to repair work performed poorly. And that is just the second part of the dilemma for me. Before voting yes or no, one should clearly evaluate some recent history. It’s been said, “Don’t trust the teller, trust the tale.” Well, in the last two years we have seen our teaching staff turned upside down. A fair number of teachers who have invested their heart and souls have been churned to new grades, to new schools and new assignments without as much as a discussion. Many fine professionals, in whom we have entrusted the instruction of our children, were effectively ordered into new jobs. Is that the district aligning its staff strengths with evolving student requirements? Or rather, is it a signal of an ongoing and curious movement in our district? Our District administration has seemingly morphed into a quasi-autocracy wielding wide control in this and other areas. Our School Board has been relatively silent on most matters - that is troubling enough. We hear the district say it courts public opinion, yet provides little evidence of it when making staffing decisions that are so impactful. Consider also that less than two years ago, this district, this administration, hired a consultant to develop specifications for a sorely needed telecommunications system for the district. The consultant did the work, submitted specifications, got approval by our district, and then sent these on to NYSED for approval. Within a few months the plans were indeed approved by NYSED. The School Board’s minutes show basic informational updates over a several month period. But then a funny thing happened. The district in its infinite wisdom decided that they would forego the intended bidding process as communicated to NYSED and to its own Board (and the public therefore), and opted to buy a specific product (Nortel) using NYS pricing schedules. The sad truth was that this move left nearly all vendors “out in the cold,” unable to bid. A couple of ironies worth noting: First, Nortel is only one of dozens of providers of the technology in question – so choosing a single manufacturer placed the district in a terribly unfavorable position with respect to obtaining ample competitive bids. Second, the company they chose (Nortel) has gone bankrupt in 2009 – and will unfortunately never be the same. The most troubling aspect of this episode though is that the district has produced no record of any internal or public communication among the district administration, the School Board, or the Public that this new course was ever being contemplated, much less determined. And no, this was not like buying a few boxes of chalk – it was hundreds of thousands of dollars. So yeah, $47 Million is a lot of dough when one considers a fuller picture. You may have seen the recent “Special Edition” of the BRIDGE where on page 6 a little chart shows the Project Timeline for your $47 Million. It notes among the milestones “SED Review and Approval” and “Bid Period.” I would submit to my fellow Islanders that a long pause is in order before you cast your vote. I think back to “Don’t trust the teller, trust the tale” and just cannot shake this uncomfortable feeling. I truly hesitate to take anything from our children. Yes, we really need some improvements in our schools, as well as some items that are not part of this plan or current annual budget. Our great footballers should not have to worry about practicing in the dark because we do not have adequate lighting. Our community should not have been stripped of the experience of a Pep Band at the football games. These are the little things that collectively grow large in all of our lives and in how we view GICSD. Most of all, I cannot shake the more important truths that guide this very letter. We are in terrible economic times. We have historic reference of questionable spending, signs of worsening morale in the schools, and a seeming cavalier attitude toward those who might question actions. I sincerely hope for change as we should have a district comprised of real community involvement, open and inviting communication, and true collaboration toward the greater good. To my dismay, this has been sorely lacking. This vote could be a “wake-up” call on the Island for future inclusiveness. $47 Million sure is a lot of dough. Bob Hanaka Posted November 12, 2009 More Specific Facts Needed For Budget Vote - 2009 Dear Editor, First of all, I would like to thank the Superintendent for the information provided regarding the budget. However, as a voter, I need more specific facts. I am respectfully requesting that the Superintendent make available a line item budget immediately. These figures are necessary in order to know specifically what we are voting on. This data should be made available to all so that we are adequately aware of where our tax dollars are being allocated. Without this detail, voters cannot confidently vote on the budget. I understand that the Superintendent received a Foil (Freedom of Information Law) application that is unanswered. These questions are legitimate and vital to the voting taxpayers. It is crucial that more precise data be made available to taxpayers without delay. I am writing to stress the significance in having more complete information so that as a taxpayer, I may vote with confidence and assuredness that my tax dollars are being most effectively distributed in the proposed Grand Island School’s Capital Project. Since time is of the essence, I ask that the Superintendent give this matter immediate attention. Karen Rogers Posted November 12, 2009 Accident Brings Out Wonderful Webb Road Neighbors - Nov. 2009 To all of the neighbors including two teenagers who stopped immediately when they saw what had happened to our truck and trailer on Friday, November 6th at 5:15 p.m. on Baseline and Webb roads, thank you from our entire family. We are thankful that no one was hurt including the other driver. Everyone pitched in and helped salvage 40 gallons of home made cider of the 104 gallons my dad, Don Swain, and I were hauling home. Terry Swain Posted November 12, 2009 GIHS Student Addresses School District's Proposed Capital Project - Nov. 2009 As the vote for the proposed capital project for Grand Island schools draws nearer, I am getting more and more worried that it will get voted down. Everywhere I go, I have been getting negative feelings about it from people. They think it is a waste of money, their taxes will go up too much, there is not enough emphasis on athletics and the list of excuses goes on. It seems that people will go to any length to find a small reason to vote “no.” I have attended many of the meetings regarding the project and talked to Mrs. Anzalone of the high school and Mr. Little of the school board personally. After the meetings and talking to them, I can’t understand how anyone could even consider voting it down. To those of you who say we don’t need it, or it’s a waste of money; you could not be more incorrect. Imagine for a moment that the school was your home. Would you live in your home for 50 years and not make one single improvement to it? Would you just let it fall into disrepair? That is the state of our high school. Things like the science rooms are the exact same as the day the school opened. Think about it. Science has progressed a lot over the past 50 years and learning in classrooms that were designed for the science of 50 years ago is not easy. In addition, the technology rooms are simply too few and too small. To put it simply, Grand Island has outgrown its school and improvements need to be made. It is getting to the point that lack of improvement to the facilities over time is beginning to hinder education. An approved capitol project would alleviate all of this. As for the tax increase, sure your taxes will go up, but only like $15 or less per year. The increase in value to your home because the schools are better would more than make up for this. I also think that voting “no” because of such a small increase is just selfish and cheap. To those of you who are voting no because of the lack of emphasis on athletics, I would like to point out that considering the fields are grass they are not even bad compared to other schools. In fact, the grass fields are quite good. Sure an artificial turf field is not being put in, but lights will be put up so night games may be played and the bleachers will be built so the space underneath can be utilized for storage. An electronic baseball scoreboard would even be put up too. These improvements are just the tip of the iceberg in what could potentially be a great thing for Grand Island schools. All of the schools would be improved, not just the high school. So to all of you who are thinking about going out on November 17 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. to vote the capital project down, just think about what you are doing. Are you voting “no” just because you can’t be bothered to vote “yes”? Are you voting “no” because you don’t have all the facts? Vote “yes” for better education. Vote “yes” for Grand Island. Brian Kulak Regency Drive Posted November 10, 2009 Thanks To Islanders During Car/Deer Accident - Nov. 2009 I want to thank a very nice lady who immediately stopped and stayed with me for 25 minutes, after I had a car vs. deer accident on Bedell Road - until the police arrived after. I also want to thank a man named Tim who lives on Stony Point Road for staying with me and offering to drive me home. I also want to thank Chuck Berlinger who stopped and offered medical attention to me. And lastly I want to thank my daughter, Danielle, for coming to take me home after my very scary experience." Diane Hassan Posted November 12, 2009 Island Pride - Nov. 2009 This year, Grand Island High School will send multiple sports teams to the Sectional finals. That's right - "the finals." Football, Soccer, and Volleyball. Many people have contributed to this success, parents, coaches, players and students. Grand Island thanks all of those who support these teams and go to the games regardless of weather or location. One of those Islanders who made a special effort was the Rom Figler family, not only for the display of our pride at the Town Hall Commons but for being sport fans at so many events for so many years. Their efforts and attendance were continuous. Thanks Figlers from the fans, coaches, parents and players. Your efforts have been a major contributor to Island Pride. Thank you. The Town Commons display was donated by a Grand Island business, Asi Modelex. See you at the games. Don Ehinger Sandy Beach Road Posted November 10, 2009 GIHS Boys, Girls Soccer Teams Win NFL Regular Season Titles - 2009 Good Morning Teddy; In regard to the boys and the girls varsity soccer teams, for the very first time, both teams have won the NFL regular season titles in the same year and I've confirmed this with Jon Roth, the GI Athletic Director. The GIHS boys and girls teams did both win the Section VI championships at the same time in 2003. We won't know if that feat will be duplicated till after Saturdays games. The boys varsity soccer team won their semi final game versus Cheektowaga last night with a score of 3 - 1, and advance to the Section VI Class A finals game versus Williamsville South this Saturday. The game is scheduled for 3:00 pm at Amherst High School sports complex. The girls varsity soccer team won their semi-final game versus Amherst yesterday afternoon with a score of 2 - 0, and advance to the Section VI Class A finals versus Williamsville East this Saturday. The game is scheduled for 1:00 PM at Amherst High Scholl sports complex. Who would have thought that both of these teams would be playing for the Section VI Class Championship on the same day at the same field, so they can be there to support each other like they have for most of their soccer playing careers. Both the boys and girls varsity teams have roots that go back to their Grand Island Soccer Club travel team days, and they did that together as well. For a number of years, the boys and girls teams practiced and scrimmaged together during the travel years when they were coached by Brett Banker, Chris Hollander and myself. I believe it made them all better players, because they pushed each other so hard. The girls wanted to beat the boys in the worst way, and the boys didn't want to lose to the girls. These scrimmages and practices were as physical as any game they played in their league games, so they were very prepared to handle just about anything come game day. It's a great bunch of fine young men and women, who are a credit to their school, their community and to each other as friends. Not to mention it seems to be a banner fall season for a lot of the GIHS sports teams. Besides the soccer teams, the varsity football team is playing for the Section VI championship Friday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium, The boys and girls varsity cross country teams won the NFL titles, and I think the girls tennis team may have won as well. Rom Figler Posted November 5, 2009 $47 million Capital Project: School Board’s Latest Boondoggle - Oct. 2009 I’m sure most, if not all of us, are aware the New York State is broke. Creative Accounting is keeping the farce going. (It is as if no one wants to face the fact that old uncle Harry is dead: instead we prop him up, put on some rouge and lipstick, and pretend he’s only sleeping.) The Governor recognizes the problem and is trying to herd the cats in the legislature to do something about it, for which he will be defeated next year. He is recommending that school budgets be pared back, among other cutbacks. Keep in mind that NY along with other states has been able to ignore reality due to the influx of Federal money, which goes away after next year, at the latest. Grand Island schools are being targeted, by the governor’s mid-term reappraisal, with a $1MM+ decrease, a 6.6% reduction. This is one of the highest percentage decreases in Erie County. As I have noted before, Grand Island is considered an above average income community and, as such, will bear the brunt of cutbacks in Albany. This is Albany’s way, and that of its unions I might add: the rich can afford to shoulder more of the burden. Unfortunately, they are fleeing the State and, even worse, fewer are moving in. Why do I mention this in an article whose title suggests it is about the capital project, you may ask? The School Board, Mr. Christmann, and Mrs. Ingrasci keep telling us that the $47MM project won’t cost us much, except, of course, for what they have already exacted from us (so they could save $.12 while costing us $10.00! see below.) The translation of this nonsense is that they won’t have to rattle a tin cup to raise the funds since Albany has already done the fleecing for them. The unfortunate fact is that this will cost us plenty. The State is cutting back, as it has to, on operating subsidies. Don’t kid yourself, State aid has peaked. Repeat after me: NY State is broke. The next round of cutbacks will be on capital projects. This is clearly the rational thing to do: everyone in the parallel universe known as the private sector does this. If funds were tight or not forthcoming the school systems would be forced to reassess their wish lists and make choices: the cruelty of it all. The Board has scheduled some tours of the high school and held a one-hour session to discuss the project. I haven’t gone on the tours as I am sure they are the Board’s equivalent to a Potemkin village. I also passed on the one-hour talk because it has been my experience that all they do is bloviate so there is no time for questions. (Donna Tomkins went and her experience is put forth in a Letter to the Editor at Isledegrande.com on October 22nd. I’m not alone.) So, let me bring up my questions and concerns here. What are we getting for all of this money? Let’s take a look. (these are taken from the district’s website): 1: Locker Rooms: Replace gym lockers and toilets 2: HVAC: Replace boilers and chimney, add classroom unit ventilators, add air conditioning to the auditorium, offices, event lobby, IT rooms, art and library media center 3: Fitness Room: Expand current fitness/weight room by 1,700 sq. ft. 4:Science Rooms: Construct state of the art science rooms including four new science prep rooms 5: Athletics: • Add two soccer/lacrosse fields with portable bleachers • Enhance varsity and JV baseball field • Complete six lane track resurfacing • Replace home bleachers with 750 seats, new press box and under bleacher storage • Provide new, portable visitor bleachers • Add field lighting and electrical power to outdoor facilities • Add concession stand and electronic baseball scoreboard • And more! 6: And more! WRT #1) In a time long, long ago; 1999, to be exact, we approved an $18.4MM capital project that had repairing/replacing the gym lockers. It wasn’t done until at least 2003, if at all. What happened to that money? WRT #2) In the 1999 project there was $2.145MM allocated and spent on an “award-winning” (the Board’s description) energy conservation system for the Ransom Road complex. This particular project is one that should cause everyone to be extremely skeptical of anything the Board or administration tells you. The taxpayers approved $18.4MM to be spent on a laundry list of projects: gym lockers, science, labs, HVAC, among others. A new gym wasn’t included (the “And More” version circa 1999) but it replaced the science labs. The district found out that the HVAC project could be funded under a capital lease, which meant they didn’t need voter approval. By doing so this freed up the $2.145MM under capital project approval to be spent on other things (remember, we didn’t get the science labs even though there was now an extra $2.145MM available). The state had some budget problems after 9/11 so they required all districts to refinance their lease projects, extending the maturity a couple of years to reduce the cash flow requirements on the State Treasury. In late 2002 or 2003, I forget which, the district refinanced the $2.145MM project. Since a year, or more, had passed since it was originally put on, one would think that some principal would have been paid down. Silly you! The district refinanced the lease for $2.3MM, giving them at least $155,000 additional dollars to play with. Let’s do the arithmetic: $18.4MM, that was voter-approved, was spent on the capital project plus an additional $300,000 they admitted to having to fund out of operating expenses, plus $2.3MM that they moved over to an operating lease. The grand total: $21MM, with no science labs, but another gym and an entranceway that is waste of money! By the way, the energy project lease runs until 2017, or so. WRT #3) Why did we need this in the first place? It is now being proposed to be expanded by the size of most of the homes on Grand Island. If this was your money (actually, it is) would you do this? WRT #4) The science rooms are probably needed since, as I noted above, they were surreptitiously excised from the last project in favor of weight rooms and a goofy entranceway, among other gems. WRT #5) Does this one need any comment? The state is broke, which of course, means we are broke. Is any of this an appropriate expenditure of the taxpayers’ dollar? WRT #6) My favorite. If one goes to the district’s web site and looks under the capital project, it breaks out the projects by school and facility. The last bullet point under each subcategory is: “And more”. What exactly does this mean and how much does “and more” add up to? This is where the District can take your money and spend it on whatever they want without really getting your approval. Again, looking at the description of the projects, one sees a number of items that look suspiciously like repair and maintenance. You know, the type of stuff that one would pay for out of his/her normal budget as opposed to taking out a loan and financing it over many years. The EXCEL (FREE MONEY) capital project of a few years ago was almost totally comprised of repair and maintenance items. Why do they do this you ask? If they maintained the facilities on an ongoing basis, as they should, they would either have to raise local taxes or cut waste. They are unwilling to do either, even though eventually the taxpayer gets stuck. There is no free lunch. There is another, new, boondoggle that the administration wants to inflict upon the taxpayer; that is, a program called the International Baccalaureate Program (IBP). Rather than have me describe this lulu, let me quote from an article by Thomas Sowell, Ph.D, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. “Parents in Fairfax, Virginia, have succeeded in getting rid of one of the endless series of fad programs that distract American public schools from real education in real subjects. Like most fad programs, this one had a high-sounding name: The International Baccalaureate Curriculum. It also has a left-wing hidden agenda, as so many other fad programs do. One of the program's supporters gushed that it teaches students "how to think globally" and "how to make us part of the world." One of the parents critical of the program put it quite differently. She said it "promotes socialism, disarmament, radical environmentalism, and moral relativism, while attempting to undermine Christian religious values and national sovereignty." Other districts have eliminated it because it is costly and has few students interested in it. I admit to having a jaundiced attitude towards nonsense of this sort as well as semesters abroad. They are means by which administrators get to go on junkets and to conferences, all at nice watering holes (ever hear of a conference at International Falls, MN. in winter?) at the taxpayers’ expense. I’m told that teachers are already going to conferences around the country, at $2,000 a pop, about this program even though it hasn’t been budgeted for yet. Good job, Board members. Not only do some of the capital expenditures relate to this boondoggle, but it will obligate us in increased operating expenses for ever. At the very least, we deserve REAL answers to the following questions, and well before any vote takes place. 1. How much of the $47.3MM represents work that Ciminelli, the contractor, or Cannon would properly classify as repair and maintenance 2. How much is due to making the system IBP ‘compliant’; that is, if the IBP were shot down, how much spending wouldn’t be required? 3. How much of the money being spent on HVAC at the schools represents fixing the screw-ups from the “award-winning energy project of the $21MM , oops, $18.4MM, capital project? 4. What exactly are included in “and more?” 5. How much is being spent on the entranceway at the High School? How much was spent building the existing structure? Why is it necessary to do anything? If it is a safety problem, are we suing the people responsible for restitution? 6. How much will the IBP cost on an annual basis? How many students will be involved? How does that compare with other districts in the area such as Lewiston-Porter who dropped it due to cost and lack of interest. 7. We need to see a financial statement showing, by year, the specific sources of revenue to pay for it and all of the indebtedness that the taxpayers will be obligated for. This is the minimum set of questions that we should expect forthright answers to before voting on this. If we don’t get them, we should vote no, regardless. Their stewardship of our money has always been a sore point with me because they are either financially ignorant or intellectually dishonest. There is no free lunch. Grand Island taxpayers will bear the full cost of this project. It may come out of taxes and fees assessed directly by Albany instead of coming through our property taxes, but we will pay. Only East Aurora, Clarence, Williamsville, Amherst, and Iroquois had higher percentage reductions in proposed state aid. The state is legally obligated to shovel billions at NYC’s schools. With the budget situation in the state being of a secular, not a cyclical, nature, more cuts for well-to-do upstate districts can be expected. One of the dirty little secrets is the capital reserve fund. They state that it has $5.38MM in it. This fund has been accumulating money for only the past two years. In essence, the district has over-taxed us $2.69MM each year. This is the only way it is going to cost an additional $9.75 per $100K of assessed value each year for the capital project. The $9.75 is the increment over the $2.69MM they are already taking from us. Why are they being allowed to accumulate these funds? The State Comptroller said it wasn’t sound practice. I know the Board disagrees with him. (I’d be happy to debate any member of the Board on this issue: any time, any place. I’ll do it sitting down, blindfolded, one arm tied behind my back, you name it.) The blunt truth is that this slush fund enables the board to get funds from people who don’t live here anymore and got a lower sales price for their home because of the higher taxes. The Board can spend it on goodies without having to confront the taxpayers with an apples to apples choice: is this project worth $X, not is it worth $X-$5.38MM and and all the continuing deposits into this fund. By the way, this slush fund is money that you could spend paying down 6% or higher mortgage or 10% or higher credit card debt, thereby saving anywhere from $6 to $10 per hundred dollars. Instead, the district brags it has a high bond rating. They are saving about $.12 per hundred dollars because of it. Does this bit a financial wizardry make any sense to anyone, other than Mr. Christmann? I didn’t think so. We, as taxpayers and homeowners, need to question the spending, taxing, and other activities of the Board and district. School taxes represent over 60% of our property taxes, and a large portion of our other taxes. They shouldn’t be given the benefit of the doubt because “they are doing it for the children” because they are not. New York can’t afford any more of these self-proclaimed sacred cows. If you don’t get clear, concise answers that make sense from the Board on this issue then you should vote no on November 17th. Jim Mulcahy Posted October 29, 2009 Vote No to "New Capitol Project" Nov. 17th - 2009 Do we really need all of the improvements to the High School or is it a front for something else? They are not giving all of the details here and we as taxpayers have a right to know. Grand Island CSD has applied for an international Baccalaureate program for Grand Island High School. In order for Grand Island to be considered for an International Baccalaureate (IB) program in our school it needs to meet certain standards. Some of these are being done under the guise of the bond issue. During the summer it was determined that Grand Island High School was not equipped to run an IB program with the current classroom setups in the Science and Tech Depts., hence the new Capitol bond project. The Library media center upgrade is for IB standards, the science upgrades which should have been done with the last Capitol Project are for the IB standards. Computer on wheels are for the IB standards as I am to believe. They also want to redo the offices in the high school and that was already done in the last project. Also the amount of money already spent to train the numerous teachers for a program we do not have in place is unbelievable. Several went to Texas for a weekend of training and more to Rochester, all at our taxpayers' expense. There are several trips planned (a week in Florida in December) for IB training at a cost of $2000 per teacher of which several teachers will be attending all at our expense. OK, so how many children will benefit from this program? Maybe six per year, we don't really know because the district has not informed us of the program and all it will offer. I do know these are College courses. What ever happened to taking College courses in College? Don't we already offer Advanced Placement Courses? Lew-Port School District has tried this program and withdrew because it could not support it. Williamsville withdrew before it started because it was not cost effective. It seems to me we are being asked for money for one thing when truly there is another agenda in place. I think we as taxpayers need to say NO and get the work we have already paid for finished before we jump into something we cannot support. I may not have all of the facts but I am sure there is more to this Capitol Project that needs to be explored before we give anymore. There are also other things in this Capitol Project that are being done that are not being publicized because it is a repeat of work that has been done in the past. And now that Mr. Little who works for Cannon Design is on our school board they are suddenly very interested in doing work that in the past they had no interest in. In these economic times our money needs to be carefully guarded and our programs need to be geared toward all the students at Grand Island, not just a select few. Susan Socko Posted October 27, 2009 Candidate Addresses Political Signs - October 2009 Dear Editor, Hi. Ray Billica, candidate for Town Councilman with some thoughts about signs. Well folks, I’ve just got to get this off my shoulders. This issue has bothered me for a long time, way before I decided to run for office. Why is it that some politicians seem to think we don’t mind all the signs they put up in locations they’re not allowed to place them? Specifically, you need to have permission from the property owner before you place your sign. Additionally, the shoulders of the road are owned by the agency in charge of that road and random placement along shoulders of the road should not be allowed. Apparently there are some candidates who don’t follow this way of thinking. I have seen many signs by some of my opponents, and others, with signs placed in areas that permission has not been granted. Just in case you need a specific instance, the northeast corner of Stony Point and Whitehaven roads property owner does not allow any political signs on their property. But there are some there!! I HAVE GOTTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR EVERY SIGN THAT I HAVE PLACED. Some say, “Why don’t you just put up your sign next to the others?” I say, “NO!” Two wrongs don’t make a right. If that’s what I need to do to win, then I guess I won’t win. So in closing, I’d like to request that all politicians remove their signs from properties for which permission hasn’t been granted. Thank you. Ray Billica Candidate for Town Councilman Posted October 27, 2009 Thank You From the Russell Family - 2009 We would like to thank all of Rosanna's friends for standing by her with all the support, prayers, and love you had shown her. It really sustained her through her 2.5 year struggle with cancer. Sincerely, The Russell family Posted October 29, 2009 Rus Thompson Voices Questions on the Zelonis Court Case - 2009 I was just notified that the next court date is November 4th at 5:15 p.m., 2255 Baseline Rd. Grand Island, Judge Sybil Kennedy For proceedings. I have a couple questions. What is the final disposition of the Thruway Authorities disciplinary action? His hearing was supposed to be Oct 17th? There has been an order of protection issued by Judge Sybil Kennedy. We all know Zelonis was suspended for 30 days and put back to work but transferred to the North Bridge. Twice last week I had to hand David Zelonis a toll for a dollar each time. I do not have an EZ Pass on my Concrete Delivery Truck. So much for a 100 yard safe zone as we had to transfer toll money as I returned to Grand Island. Something is really, really wrong here. Twenty-three months of threats and he continues to work and I have to hand him money. See you in court. Rus Thompson 563-9901 Posted October 22, 2009 More Questions Than Answers - 2009 Dear Editor, I recently attended a community forum at our Grand Island High School to learn about the proposed capital project plan. The funding for this project will be coming to a vote on November 19th. I came away with more questions then answers, so a few others and myself, requested a follow up meeting with our school superintendent and the president of the school board. The details of this project seem to be a moving target. I asked questions about line items and was given answers that conflicted with either the printed material handed out or their previous responses. They want to spend millions of dollars “redoing” work that was just completed as part of the 1999 capital project plan. The construction of which did not actually start until 2002 and was finished in December of 2004. This new plan includes redesigning the front entrance again along with reconfiguring the front parking lots of the Senior High and Middle School complex. This new proposal has close to 3 million dollars to change it all again. When will they learn to stop wasting taxpayer dollars? Out of this $47 million plus capital project plan only $700,000 is being used to update the athletic fields. These structures and their surfaces have for the most part not changed since the school was built in 1963. Our student athletes and their spectators deserve a safer, more accessible environment, with enough suitable playing surfaces to accommodate all our teams. This capital project plan as it currently stands has too many unanswered questions and a few dubious design issues. I am not happy with the vague responses that I have received from our superintendent and I will vote against the plan unless these questions and issues are addressed. I encourage others to take a closer look at the details and ask questions. This is a lot of money; let's not let them mess it up again. Thank you, Donna E. Tomkins Posted October 21, 2009 Holiday Inn Backlash - 2009 I hope the Holiday Inn on Grand Island is prepared for the backlash that will follow, if they allow this group to hold their event there. Our residents use that facility for the pool, exercise room, restaurant. To me, the thought of what might be allowed to happen there, disgusts me, and it will be a long time coming before any of my family members step foot in that facility again! Annmarie Schneider Posted October 15, 2009 “Where Are Your Morals?" - 2009 As a businessman I know our economy is in hard times and those establishments such as the Holiday Inn need to create new and innovative ways for business, but this is ridiculous! I am disgusted and appalled that the inn could even fathom of booking an event such as this! I have one and simple question for the Holiday Inn’s management: “Where are your morals? I also have a question for our representatives and the citizens of Grand Island. Is this the way we want our community to be reflected as - a place for a den of iniquity? Or better yet how about we change the wording on the commons coming onto the island: “For a good time call Grand Island 1-800 xxx xxxx.” That should bring respective business in! I urge my fellow citizens and surrounding communities for a boycott of the Holiday Inn, not only on Grand Island but throughout their Western New York footprint. Cancel your memberships; stop dining and most of all for our community representatives that have bookings with the inn – CANCEL THEM. Peter Martin Posted October 15, 2009 Lawmakers are the Chief Lawbreakers - 2009 If you are not livid then you are not paying attention. I have lost confidence in Sedita, should he be fired? This is known as getting Delano'd. Mark Sacha has been fired by DA Frank Sedita, as retribution for the absolutely correct assessment that Frank's not doing his job. The infamously corrupt Erie County Board of Elections will never change so long as we have empty suits like Frank Sedita refusing to investigate or prosecute election-law violations. It's the reason Crystal Peoples and countless other elected officials haven't filed campaign disclosure reports, and it's the reason a snot-nosed kid with a lot of political power named Steve Pidgeon gets a pass, while honest people like you and I get thrown off the ballot because some signers of our nominating petition forgot to cross their T's. Because they never have to suffer the consequences for breaking the law. Please take two minutes and call the Assistant Attorney General at 716-853-8474 and let him know how disgusted you are at the DA's inaction over election-law violations, and the firing of Mark Sacha, which is just political retribution at its finest. After all, if Sedita et al are innocent, let the courts decide. I spoke at length this morning with Paul Volce, who is standing duty to take your call. Please call! It is very important! 716-853-8474 You can also file a complaint with the Public Integrity Bureau by filling out a form here: http://www.oag.state.ny.us/resource_center/complaints/pdfs/piu001_complaint_form.pdf Then you have to mail it in, cuz apparently they live in the stone age, and have neither an e-mail address, nor a fax number to send it to. NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PUBLIC INTEGRITY BUREAU 120 Broadway, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10271 Frank's not due for re-election for four years, and since legislators have insulated themselves against recall or impeachment by eliminating such provisions from our state constitution, we have little recourse but to get noisy, and be persistent. Maybe we can have him disbarred. You can call the New York State Bar Association at (518) 463-3200, if you're really diligent. Rus Thompson Grand Island, NY Posted October 8, 2009 Mary Star of the Sea Council #4752 Thanks Community for 50th Anniversary Support - Oct. 2009 After a year of planning the Council 50th Anniversary weekend is now part of our history. The Committee would like to say Thank You to everyone from St. Stephen Church, the Grand Island Community and the Mary Star of the Sea Council #4752 that helped make our celebration a wonderful success. Our job of serving the Church and Community now continues. If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus you can contact Grand Knight Ted Korkuc at 773-4725 or Deputy Grand Knight Paul Minton at 773-7170. Posted October 8, 2009 Whine, Whine, Whine - Sept. 2009 An article about Norman Moorhouse’s candidacy for the Town Board was published in the Sept. 11 issue of the Island Dispatch. His reason for running is that he believes the current Board isn’t doing right by the citizens. He cites rising taxes and shortchanged services. He also seems to favor downsizing the Board. Finally, he wants to eliminate for Islanders the $.09 bridge toll and extort some of the (now reduced) toll money for his pet projects. Needless to say, I disagree with him. (Note: I am an Independent.) The Town Board does a good job. Is it perfect? Probably not. Keep in mind, though, that our town taxes amount to less than 15% of our property tax bills. Cutting 10% out of its budget, which would be an enormous cut, would save us 1.5% of our tax bill. Clearly, this isn’t where the costs and waste are. The county budget represents 20%-25% of our tax bills while the school system consumes 60% - 65%, with more possibly coming if they get their way with the capital project. Why doesn’t he run for the school board, where there is real money to be saved? Downsizing the board is Kevin Gaughan’s stalking horse to eliminate local governments and replace it with a countywide one. This is a terrible idea on many levels. Most importantly, it won’t reduce taxes but it will reduce one’s access to his or her elected officials. Eliminating two positions on the Town Board would save under $60,000 per year or about $.18 or less per week for the typical property owner. Whoopee! Now, let’s look at his whine about the bridge tolls. Eliminating them is an incredibly bad idea about which I have written elsewhere. In NYC if you live in Manhattan and work in White Plains, one would cross the Triborough (now the Robert Kennedy) bridge. Tolls are $5.50 EACH way, $4.57 for E-Z pass. People spend more in a week than we spend all year. Mr. Moorhouse finds it wrong that the Thruway Authority collects $12 million in tolls each year but doesn’t spend that amount on the bridge and surrounding roads (his assertion; but it isn’t clear that the Islanders don’t get services equal to their payments). On this basis, those who benefit should pay for a service, just as those who pay should benefit. Clearly, the main beneficiaries of the bridges (as opposed to having ferries, say) are Islanders. But with his logic, the whole edifice of State and Federal taxation with its quilt of subsidies and cross-subsidies should go. If each area is to get back exactly what it contributes, why send the money to Albany or Washington in the first place? Again, since this is where the real money is, why not run for the State Legislature or the US House if he is so offended by rising taxes and reduced services? At the least, he should protest them. He talks about new, fresh ideas. His ideas are just the same tired old litany of those who whine, ”we’re getting screwed.” Translated, it says I want somebody to subsidize me. WNY has this belief that we subsidize NYC. Not so. Wall Street subsidized everybody. This golden goose is now gone. We need to cut spending in this state. The Town needs to be frugal, but that is a truism. The school system, Medicaid, ECMC, and the whole county legislature edifice are where the real expenditures, lack of frugality and potential savings are. If he doesn’t realize this, he should study up before he runs for office. Jim Mulcahy Posted September 17, 2009 Door To Door Scam - Sept. 2009 My elderly neighbor answered the door to 2 young teen boys. They approached him to help support their school trip to London, England. He wrote them a generous check and told me about it. His "receipt" was made out refundable within 3 days. The address was United Circulation LLC PO Box 501 Waterloo, Ia 50704 There was no telephone number to reach these people and there were many disclaimers in fine print.....some saying there were no charities or school projects involved. I helped him put a HOLD on payment of his check, and also did send a letter of request for refund and cancellation of this transaction. As it turns out, M&T Bank was able to put the HOLD on the check but the registered letter we sent to cancel his transaction was returned as UNDELIVERABLE. It is clearly a scam and I will pursue this further, by sending the information to Andrew Cuomo's office. Dorothy Rowswell Posted September 3, 2009 VFW Queen of Hearts Raffle News - August 2009 To our Neighbors and Friends, The Queen of Hearts Raffle at the Charles N. DeGlopper Memorial VFW Post is in the 28th week and the Grand Prize is over $10,000.00 with 60% going to the winner. Tickets are available at the VFW during regular business hours, from 11 a.m. daily. Drawings are held on Fridays at 7 p.m. Winner need not be present. IRS regulations are applicable for this raffle. For Questions call the Post at 773-6343. Past Commander Dan McMahon Posted August 20, 2009 To The Lady Who Made My Day - August 2009 You have NO idea what my morning was like and it wasn’t pleasant. I was very irritated and starting it off not on the “right foot.” I pulled into Tim Horton’s for a little pick me up and to my surprise when I got to the window a very thoughtful lady ahead of me paid for my order. You truly made my morning brighter and it took all of my irritation away – I’m still smiling - I will pay it forward! Dorothy Bennett Posted August 6, 2009 Class of 1969 Reunion Committee Thanked For A Great Time - 2009 Hi Teddy I just wanted to say publicly what a terrific time the Class of 1969 had at our 40th High School Reunion. Special thanks go to the Steering Committee which consisted of Karen Raepple, Ray Billica, Eric Berger, Jack and Sandy Burns, Nancy Wonacott, Nancy Boettcher, and Larry Rogers. It was so great seeing everyone after all these years – there was some sad news about classmates who have passed away – but mostly it was a wonderful reconnection, not only of our high school years, but also our memories of Kaegebein, Huth Road, and Sidway schools as well. The events at Mallwitz’ Island Lanes and at River Oaks were superb. Hopefully, we will have a 45th reunion! Ron Gasbarro New Milford, PA www.rx-press.com Posted July 16, 2009 Rus Thompson - First the Lawsuit - 2009 First the Lawsuit. Last week Tom DiNapoli asked the court for permission to stop the pay of the senators. He did this after he was served with our Lawsuit. It's great that he is finally doing it but how he is doing it is not how we the taxpayers would do it. I am flattered that he is following our lead, but I just wish he would let us handle it. We are working on getting a declaration that will allow comptroller to stop paying them...but comptroller keeps doing things a different way and that may hinder us. DiNapoli is only in his position because of the leadership in Albany, he is stepping lightly as not to anger the legislators. We, the taxpayers are able to do it without fear from them. We not only want to stop their cash flow, we want to make this retroactive. Why they got paid for 2 weeks already is a violation of the state statute we are basing this suit on. The Comptroller violated the finance Law by paying them when they clearly are not faithfully discharging their constitutional duties as elected representatives. DiNapoli will ensure they will receive their pay after the deal is done and they finally return to work. We cannot allow them to get paid for anytime they have not done their job. The Senators know this, it is just like them not getting paid when the budget is late, they all end up getting paid anyway. The appointment of Lt Governor is a violation of the Constitutional duties of the Governor. It states that he can replace an elected official. The Lt Gov is not elected on an individual basis, he is elected in tandem with the governor. Now the residents and taxpayers of NY State will have to pay for all sides as this will be in court and the Republicans have already gotten a court order to stop this appointment and besides what has this accomplished? What it did do is stop the already agreed upon shared leadership agreement between both sides in the senate. The Gov has made this worse. Word has it that if a deal is not done by today's end the four Hispanics will join the Republican caucus along with two or more Democrats. The Governor stepped in it knee deep. It is a political power play for him and his bid for election next year. The robo calls sent out downstate last night were paid for by Paterson 2010. What a pity that he has made this a purely political move rather than a step for the taxpayers of NY State. This state is divided on "Party" not on taxpayer representation and it will tear us apart all the more. Party politics are destroying this state and it MUST come to an end! The proof is in the Senate. Rus Thompson Grand Island, NY Posted July 9, 2009 Letters To The Editor 2009 JAN. - JUNE Letters To The Editor 2008 Letters To The Editor 2007 Letters To The Editor 2006 Letters To The Editor 2005 Other Grand Island Pages to Visit: |