September news and views. A new thread will be started when this one gets too full.

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2001

Answers

Note several postings that just came in at the end of the July thread.

-- Anonymous, September 01, 2001

Board Meeting monday, Sept 10th.

I and other parents are going to advocate for the Indie Works Program. It's a fabulous alternative program that could eventually be the major program up at high school if all goes well. What makes it different is staff focusing on kids learning styles , coopertive projects, teaming of 4 major subject teachers, consultants, mentors, subject content connected to real life, regents requirements met, less homework so kids can have personal time or work, communication w/studends and parents thru web site and counsilors managing groups of 10, and more and more. Making school enjoyable. Out of approx. 165 students in 9th grade last year, 130 were recommended for this program. What does that say! My son is thrilled and if the board says no I'll scream. There's grant money involved and this board is funny about grant money.

Also, Phoenicia principal, picked by shared hiring committee, up for approval. I was an interviewer and she was very fine. Greg Walters was as well. I'm hoping he'll go with the committee decision. Doan is stuck on Ernie Levin. Levin is an inappropriate candidate...but Doan is inappropriate, so, I'm not surprised.

Hope all are well...not much activity on bbs.

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2001

I was surprised to see my name in the Woodstock Times this week for giving Doan a hard time at the last meeting. Opps! I hate to get noticed disrupting public meetings as I feel it discredits our more worthy positions. Even if I was right...

An interim principal has been selected for West Hurley. She is a friend and was told by a skittish Hal that she could not start until the board approved her on Monday. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Sentiment has really been high lately in the community against Doan. So let's keep up the pressure with letters and PBH at meetings. Don't let down our guard and keep swinging. The Woodstock Times this week really held them accountable for their actions. The Townsman got things wrong but somehow seemed to spin it in our favor but then again maybe I'm biased. ;-)

Good night. I'll be at Olive Day!

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2001

Oh Yeah I forgot. Melissa, you really cracked me up with your Erne Levins story...

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2001

Oops! I didn't mean "Greg was fine"...I meant he was at same interviewing committee meeting.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2001

Meg's latest letter was in Kingston Freman today...haven't looked online, but it is in print version..keep the fires lit...Jim, from whom are you hearing that Doan is trouble...I assume (??) you mean people who might have formerly backed his efforts???

watch for his attempts to sway homeschool parents, pushing for access to school activities, for gymnasict parents although no money was allocated in budget for this team and the word is that the cost will be double what Doan predicts (Nice to have a gymnastics team, but it should be done in the regular budget process, not as a special deal because Doan wants it now! (as an election ploy))

Also softball parents (girl's team, with his move for a new field...nice to have, but is this in the budget?) I'll be speaking to the hidden tapes at the meeting, Monday. Should be fun...can you spell collusion?

Fear not, Melissa, we're here..and this forum will undoubtably pick up as school gets going.

Only 8 months till election time! Tobe

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2001

The Freeman no longer do letters online, so if you still have a copy of the one I wrote on behalf of STAND recently, I'd love a xerox for my files.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2001

Jim -- when Sarah gets her forms for the seventh grade magazine fundraiser for the Boston trip, would you let me know immediately? I'll be happy to renew some of the subscriptions I got last year through Alison with her.

Agenda for Monday's board meeting now online. Meeting officially starts at 6, is expected to be in executive session for first hour, returning around 7 (but it could be earlier or later, of course).

Bobbie Schnell is being proposed as interim principal at West Hurley, I'm not familiar with Linda Sella, who is being proposed as interim principal for Phoenicia.

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2001

I would love to read a transcript of Meg's letter as I didn't get the Freeman today. Could someone post it here if possible?

Doan was at Olive Day with his two little cute dogs. And his ugly one, Fred Perry. (I was recently witnessed an altercation with Mr. Perry and my friend at the Boiceville Inn where he called my friend an asshole and told her to shove her views up her ass)

Kim Alexander (formerly Maoris), treasurer of CARE, approached me today and wanted to know why I told her mother that she (Kim) threatened me. This wasn't at all what I said to her mother but she did listen to me explain my side of the story and why some people on our side were defensive after being attacked both figuritively and literally during the mascot debate. She was being very nice and seemed to want to open up a dialogue with me about issues. It was amusing. And even more interesting was Dennis Yerry was there with me! She tried to defend Doan whom I attacked as being simply power hungry.

But as usual, she only had half the facts so I challenged her on it. There wasn't much to come out of it but amusement. Olive Day is always fun!

-- Anonymous, September 08, 2001

She is still Alexander-Maouris on the CARE web page, though that dates from early June. Was this hyphenation an interim thing? We should still refer to Rose as Ms. Rainwater-Ostrander, since that is what she is on the CARE masthead.

I'm not sure what exactly the Roseline Simon business about Halloween is that is on the agenda for Monday, or how it will be handled. However, if the subject comes up in conversation with any of you and you need to present any facts on it, you can mention that a local Wiccan parent (better not muddy the waters by mentioning my name) assures you that she has seen no pagan religious practices in Bennett School, only secular, mainstream Halloween celebration. If our atheist, Buddhist, pagan and Jewish students can get together and sing the "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" content of the Hallelujah chorus at the Winter Concert, perhaps similar tolerance of cultural diversity can be practiced at other times.

Roseline Simon's initial complaint was bolstered by documentation from a bigoted and inaccurate website. Refutation of that website's claims was given to Laurie Cassel and Hal Rowe last fall, along with other resources on legal and educational aspects of Halloween in the schools.

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

Carol, I suggest faxing the Halloween materials again to Hal, since a year or so is a long time with the amount of materials that pass his desk.

Jim,

Has Doan moved to Olive...any rumors to the effct that he's not running this spring should be displelled by his appearance, dogs and all.

Does hanging with Perry help his credibility?

Here's the text of Meg's letter in the Freeman:

They edited it slightly, but this is the original, as sent.

To the Editor:

September 3, 2001

On August 29th, William Kemble reported on the written opinion I received from Robert Freeman, the Executive Director of the New York State Committee on Open Government concerning violations of the Open Meetings Law by the Onteora Board of Education majority. In his article, Mr. Kemble writes that Board President Marty Millman told him that Judge Connor, in Ulster County Supreme Court, "…upheld the appointment process" used in June to fill the vacant Board of Education seat.

This is untrue and Mr. Millman knows it. Judge Connor said nothing of the kind. In fact, Judge Connor did not rule on the merits of the case brought before him. He only lifted a temporary restraining order which had prevented the board from filling the vacant seat. Judge Connor then took the unusual step of adding a comment, in his own handwriting, stating that the "…respondents may lawfully act in carrying on their statutory duties." The key word here is lawfully.

As Mr. Millman knows, the only official opinion on the legality of the process used by the board majority came in the letter from Mr. Freeman in which he states that the board actions were "…inconsistent with law." This makes it clear that the board majority did not act lawfully in the appointment process. Since Mr. Millman had this opinion in his possession at the time of the newspaper interview, it appears he chose willfully to mislead the public.

The board majority rigged the appointment process. These unlawful actions denied the taxpayers their right to proper scrutiny of the political process. I believe, therefore, that it's appropriate for Rose Ostrander to step aside and vacate the board seat. The Board of Education should then call a special election to allow the voters of the district to decide who will lawfully fill this position.

Meg Carey Trustee, Onteora Board of Education

-- Anonymous, September 09, 2001

I pooped out of last nights meeting just before 11pm, as JD was sarting on his softball field. The Grinch is always willing to spend money on his pet projects, no?? So, what happened next?

Before I left:

Tobe, congratulations, gonna have a tape listening party? You are the guy who won't go away..... Greg Walters came out for us again: he's an interesting guy.

Hooray for Indy Works! This is great stuff for Onteora

Beth Lipton's departure was sad: is it because of the inquisition?

Is Michael Goodman coming out of his noplace? Bringing up the Rose farce must be distancing from his old buddies bigtime....

And...how about an SOS meeting to rough out our approach to the election? JD has already started his campaign.....

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2001

Joe looked so bored in the times when he wasn't ripping people's throats out. What's his problem with the $600k for the swing space, is it printed on his testicles?

Did they finally approve Bobbi? Was there any controversy?

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2001

Any word as to whether any members of the Onteora community have lost immediate relatives in the terrorist acts?

I've emailed Hal, Laurie, and Bobbi to see if there are any Muslim students in our schools who may need watching, and perhaps a buddy system in case of retaliation by some of the more hotheaded students.

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2001

They did approve Bobbi...the only controversy was Doan complaining that they make too much money - $350 a day including their benefits.

In the late night public be heard i spoke about the Doan tactic of complaining about stipends for art consultants at $350 a day while they approve a consultant to investigate Special Ed at $800 a day ($95 per hour)

Of course there were only two of us left by then, but Rene (Bless her soul) was one of them.

We are considering a point by point rebuttal of Doan's smear tactics, but then again we're considering just laughing at it and moving on. Tobe

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2001

There were no immediate family losses at Phoenicia School. Very frightened staff who had kids going to school in Manhattan and mates working there. With no communication (phones down) there was a controlled hysteria. The student population is doing very well. Stories are trickling in through parents and community. Our new principal, Linda Sella, is great, but what a first day. I go to work gladly. The school setting is safe, nurturing and I'm needed. It's easy to "be in the moment" there (yea Baba Ramdas)

My sincere love and compassion to all. We have all been affected by this event. Kinda makes Doan and all his nonsence seem stupid and more obsurd.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Forward:

At 02:11 PM 9/13/01, Anna-Kristine Flones wrote: >>Dearest Friends, >> >> The sun is shining and flickering on the green leaves making me >> think of >>you today. I want to ask you to join in a circle of prayer for peace on >>Friday evening at the Woodstock Community Center. (Please see attachment). >>This community event came out of our gatherings for the last two nights in >>my yurt where it was so evident that we have a such a load of grief to heal >>that it passes our comprehension. Please join Debby & Oscar Ogg, Kevin >>Kraft, Suzie Futerfas, Carol Robin and hopefully many more from our >>community to express your grief and pray for peace. Please bring your >>;friends and neighbors. >>Long life, Honey in the heart, No evil, Thirteen thank yous, >>Kristine Flones

PRAYER CIRCLE FOR PEACE

Friday, September 14 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Woodstock Community Center on Rock City Road

Join the Circle of Prayer Express Your Grief Pray for Peace Heal Your Heart

"Bless those in harm's way. Bless those who are suffering. Bless those who are dying. Bless those who are helping. Bless those who can do nothing but wait. Bless our children that they learn NOT to hate Bless those who are scared. Bless those innocents who may be blamed. Bless the investigators with discernment, clarity and true seeing. Bless those who seek not vengeance. Bless all those who strive for peace. Bless us all and give us strength. Bless our leaders, that they make decisions for the good of all, Bless our military, who will be sent to serve.

-- Anonymous, September 13, 2001

Now that it's October, be aware that Rose et al are trying hard to be super patriots at the BOE meetings...She wants the district to require saying the Pledge unless a written letter is handed in from the parents of the child ...this was declared unconstitutional in 1943...sorry Rose. Even though the current district policy calls for this it'll have to be changed to meet the Constitution of the United States. Be careful out there. Tobe PS Maybe we can get an October page started... Any interest in an SOS meeting?

-- Anonymous, September 30, 2001

Yes Yes...SOS meeting please.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 2001