Robert McTiernan took his leave from Blue Ridge at the School Board’s workshop on April 27th. After 5 years as District Superintendent, he will shortly take up his new position as Executive Director of the Northeastern Instructional Unit #19 in Allentown; so it wasn’t actually a “good-bye” since Blue Ridge is a member of “the IU” and contracts for some of its services. His replacement as Interim Superintendent, Matthew Button, a local boy and until now Principal of the Elementary School, will compete with outside talent for the permanent job. During the meeting Mr. Button sat at the head of the table next to Board Chair Laurie Brown-Bonner, gratefully accepting some kibitzing from Mr. McTiernan on particular issues. Mr. Button later said that it was definitely a learning experience so far.
As usual, the Board reviewed some of the items expected to appear on the agenda of the business meeting a week hence, most of which Ms. Brown-Bonner pronounced “routine.”
For about 4 years now, Blue Ridge has started school each year after Labor Day. This year Labor Day is late, on September 7. So once again Board members debated the relative merits of beginning classes before or after the holiday. With no strong feeling on either side, the calendar presented by the administration was accepted as is: classes will begin on September 8, with teachers arriving a week earlier. The end of the school year is expected to be June 8, 2016, with 10 days reserved for snow.
A long discussion then ensued about how absences are handled. The schools are obligated to offer 180 days of instruction. Students are allowed only so many absences; but absences are counted by day and by class. Only full-day absences count against a student’s attendance record. Absences from individual classes – for sports and other activities, for example – are reported for informational purposes only, so that parents can keep abreast of a student’s performance.
Absences and student attire are policies described in student handbooks, and prescribed by district policy, the province of the Board and its Policy Committee. Michael Detwiler, Chair of that committee, had little to say this time. The new handbooks allow shorts only up to the tips of the fingers with arms fully extended. The use of the ubiquitous cell phone (and other similar electronic devices) is not permitted, with exceptions generally only for instructional use and emergencies. All of these policies allow for the discretion of the school principal.
Among committee reports, Middle/High School Principal Matthew Nebzydoski reported that Colton Hewitt won the state championship in the somewhat peculiar but very useful sport of “precision heavy equipment” operation, and will go on to a national competition.
The District has received sizeable grants from Exxon/Mobil and Peoples Security Bank & Trust to support a new STEM initiative to foster instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. First efforts along these lines are expected in computer science and software engineering. Board member Christina Whitney consistently advocates for STEAM, to include the Arts.
Since Loren Small left, the District has been struggling to find a way to replace the functions of the former Business Manager. Penny Greene served for a year in the position before she too left; the District also contracted informally with the Susquehanna Community School District for assistance. Then the Board considered sharing the services of a new position to be hired at the IU. Now they are again looking for a Business Manager of their own and may have found one in Brian Dolan.
Meanwhile, the Board has to come to some sort of agreement with the District’s teachers, who have been working under a contract that formally expired last June. Ms. Brown-Bonner announced that the Board will meet with representatives of the Blue Ridge Education Association – the teachers’ union – in mid-May at which time a proposal from the union is expected.
Michael Detwiler, Chair of the Board’s Wellness Committee, reported that state auditors had reviewed the Blue Ridge food service operation, found nothing amiss, and highly commended Director Linda Cole-Koloski.
The Board celebrated the transition in upper management – following the workshop and preceding an executive session called by Board Vice Chair Shane Rumage on a personnel issue – with a delicious sugary cake decorated in Mr. McTiernan’s honor that probably didn’t meet Mr. Detwiler’s Committee’s standards for wholesomeness. But it sure was tasty, and a suitable dessert to follow the wonderful rice and beef soup provided by the honored Food Service Director.
The Board will formally consider some of these issues and more at its May business meeting on the 4th, beginning at 7:00pm in the cafeteria in the Elementary School. That will probably be before you read this, but Blue Ridge business meetings usually don’t serve soup and cake anyway.
(Part 2 in a Series)
Public distrust is the fruit borne of government acting in opaque and convoluted fashion. When making an appointment to fill a vacant public office, transparency is demanded by the law. Sadly this is not always so. Last week’s column opened an investigation into the filling of the office of Judge of Election in Forest Lake Township in last November’s Election.
Here is a timeline of events. On September 23, 2014 the Voter Registrar notified both Democratic and Republican Party Chairmen of vacancies on local election boards throughout the county. Each Chairman was notified of the specific offices to be filled by his or her respective party. The Republican Party controlled the judgeship of Forest Lake and had responsibility to fill the office for the upcoming election.
For reasons unknown the Republican Chairwoman did not immediately notify Forest Lake’s Republican Committeemen Matt Fearnley and Edna Paskoff. But on October 28 the Republican Party Chairwoman finally did notify Mr. Fearnley (but not Mrs. Paskoff) with the following email, “Forest Lake is in need of a judge of election. If you have any idea, please let Laura and myself know. Donna” In an email to Committeewoman Paskoff on October 29 Mr. Fearnley stated that he was made aware of the vacancy on the Saturday before (October 25) by the Minority Inspector--NOT by the Party Chairwoman.
Committeeman Fearnley responded to the Chairwoman’s email six hours later with a list of 15 candidates he suggested as qualified to fill the judge of election position. He noted that he did not have the Voter Registrar’s contact info, and asked the Republican Party Chairwoman to forward the list of names and phone numbers to her [the Voter Registrar] for Judge of Election. The Republican Party Chairwoman responded with an immediate reply at 6:30 p.m., “Laural (sic) received this from Matt Fearnley.”
On Thursday night (just over 48 hours later) Committeeman Fearnley sent an email to the Voter Registrar, the Republican Party Chairwoman, and Committeewoman Edna Paskoff with this cryptic message, “I received a call from Sandra Griffis that she will be Judge of Election for Forest Lake Twp. Kim Grace contacted her. Thanks. Matt”
Kimberly L. Grace, Minority Inspector of Election, is the Democratic Party’s elected officer on Forest Lake’s Election Board. Did Kim Grace “select” the Republican Judge of Election for Forest Lake Township, or was she just the messenger? If she was only the messenger, then who made the decision behind the scenes to appoint a Judge of Election? If the County Board of Election made the decision, how is it that the board cannot produce the document and the rationale for their action? And why is it that not one of the 15 candidates suggested by Republican Committeeman Fearnley was appointed (Were any even considered?)? It appears inconceivable that this decision for who would serve as the Republican Judge of Election could have been made without the consent and foreknowledge of the Republican Party Chairwoman, the Voter Registrar, or the President Judge (Judge Kenneth Seamans).
The mystery of how this public office vacancy was filled remains unsolved, but we can be sure more scrutiny will be applied. Now let us consider another matter engendering deficits of trust: how vacancies in the Republican Party Offices came to be filled after the May 20, 2014 election.
When the last race was decided on June 25, 2014 some 42 of the 86 Republican Committee offices were still vacant. On June 25th, the GOP Committee conducted elections for the top five offices, including Chair and Vice-Chair. Donna Cosmello was elected Chairwoman in the highly charged race. Because of the lateness of the hour, the Committee made a consensus decision to elect District Area Representatives at the next meeting. According to the County Committee By-laws that next meeting was required to be held within five days. It was not.
Five weeks later, on July 30, election of District Area Representatives took place, only 30 days late. A point of order was raised before the meeting officially came to order on the basis of other violations of County Committee By-laws by the Party Leadership. When the Chairwoman denied the motion to adjourn the meeting until the Party complied with its own By-laws, the Committeewoman making the motion appealed the ruling of the Chair and requested a roll call vote of those present to overturn the ruling (denial of the Point of Order) of the Chair. By a vote of 24-7, with a number of abstentions, the County Committee voted to uphold the ruling of the Chair (even though it was clearly explained that the meeting was by definition illegal since it violated the Party’s own Rules).
Put aside the illegality of the meeting for this day. During the roll call vote on whether the Chair’s ruling should be overturned, various individuals--individuals not elected at the previous election--were called upon to participate in the vote. Objections were made to those attempting to vote who were not elected. The Republican Party Chairwoman responded that she had appointed them to fill vacancies in the five weeks since her election on June 25th. The rub is that under the By-laws she was not empowered to make such appointments. A specific process governs, beginning with the recommendations from the county committeemen, and following the chain of command through the respective District Area Representative, before the Chair has any option or opportunity to make recommendation for any such appointments to fill vacancies. The bottom line is, no District Area Representatives had been yet elected, and so it follows that the Party Chair could not have legally appointed anyone to fill any vacancy on the County Committee.
Reason is quite apparently no match for emotion. Those “on a mission” have no time for the niceties of rules or by-laws, or State Election Code. Fast-forward six months to February 4, 2015. According to records provided by the county in response to a Right-To-Know (RTK) request, 49 names appear on the county’s record of the Republican County Committee. Notably, this document notes the resignation of Carolyn Paccio from her committeewoman position in New Milford Township, lists four names with the annotation of appointee, and names two persons who had neither accepted election by the deadline on June 25 nor were appointed to fill vacancies.
When the Republican Party roster of February 4, 2015 came to my attention, I was reminded of the events of July 30, 2014. It occurred to me that in order for anyone to be appointed to the Republican County Committee, a Letter of Appointment must be on file with the County Board of Election and maintained by the Voter Registrar. In an April 14 RTK request to the county I asked the county to share the prerequisite details: “copies of all Letters of Appointment to the Susquehanna County Republican Committee on file with the County Board of Elections made between May 25, 2014 and April 14, 2015.”
The county granted my request. Their reply was stunning. Simply stated, there are NO Letters of Appointment on file with the County Board of Election in the Voter Registrar’s Office. The only document the county could offer was an email dated January 6, 2015 from a registered Republican expressing interest in being “more active in the party,” which was sent to the Republican Party Chairwoman, and which she forwarded to the Voter Registrar with the message, “We had a Ex meeting on Monday and they OK Richard… for committee person for Clifford” (sic). The email from the Republican Party Chairwoman to the Voter Registrar was dated February 18, 2015. That is the closest semblance to a Letter of Appointment the county could offer.
Here’s the gist of the matter. Essentially, names have “materialized” on the official roster kept by the Voter Registrar for the County Board of Election, but the County Board of Election can provide no supporting documentation to show who made the appointment, by what authority, and on what date. In essence, there is an end-product with no supporting (and required) documentation. Is not an investigation warranted?
Even if only lax procedure, poor filing, or administrative deficiency are the excuses offered, any one alone is reason enough for great concern. But what if there is suspicion of collusion between Republican Party Chairwoman and an employee of the County, perhaps in the Voter Registrar‘s Office, during the timeframe in question?
The County Board of Election need only contact the three other entities to whom Letters of Appointment should have been distributed soon after origination. Do appointees themselves each possess a Letter of Appointment? Does the Republican County Committee’s Secretary have required Letters of Appointment on file? And finally, did the State Republican Party receive timely notification of each appointment as State Party By-laws mandate?
If Letters of Appointment are not found to be in the possession of these entities, a systemic problem exists and the leadership of the Republican Party, one person in particular, has much to explain. The aforementioned perceived improprieties I touched upon are only the proverbial tip of the iceberg.
Not surprisingly conditions of ignorance, neglect, or disinterest sometimes pervade key offices of government and political parties. If the press and public slumber at such times, is it not to be expected that “clever individuals” will game the system for purposes of power, perks, or perhaps more? Institutional corruption finds a comfortable home when powerful politicos are not held to an accounting. Next week’s column will sharpen focus further--or as we said in the Navy of old, “Stand by for high seas and heavy rolls.”
Note to Readers: In the interest of full disclosure I am a Republican County Committeewoman elected from Lanesboro Borough. I am the Committeewoman mentioned in this story who raised the Point of Order and Appealed the Ruling of the Chair at the July 30, 2014 meeting of the Republican County Committee.
Harassment by Communication: On 03/05/15 Silver Lake Township Police took a report of harassment by communication. The victim stated that she had received harassing messages on her cell phone and on her facebook page. This case is still under investigation. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report.
Trees Down: On 03/12/15 Silver Lake Township Police took a report of trees down on Heavy Road. The Silver Lake Township Road Crew was notified and took care of the incident. Chief Timothy Burgh took the report.
Trees Down: On 03/17/15 Silver Lake Township Police were dispatched along with The Silver Lake Township Fire Department, for a tree down near Valleyview Road that was in the roadway. Traffic control was conducted while the tree was being removed. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.
Trees Down: On 03/17/15 .Silver Lake Township Police were dispatched for a report of trees down on Patton Road. The Silver Lake Township Road Crew was notified and took care of the incident. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.
Disabled Vehicle: On 03/17/15 Silver Lake Township Police took a report of a disabled vehicle located on John C. McNamara Drive. Officer Levi Tiffany took the report.
M.V.A.-Non reportable: On 03/18/15 Silver Lake Township Police responded to a report of a motor vehicle crash with no injuries near Meahan Road. Upon arrival by police the owner of the vehicle stated that the vehicle slid into the ditch on their way to work. Friends of the owner were on scene and were able to pull the vehicle out of the ditch. The driver was then able to go on their way. Chief Timothy Burgh was the responding officer.
Silver Lake Township Police responded with The Silver Lake Fire Company or Silver Lake Ambulance a couple of times during the month of March.
Any information or questions for Silver Lake Township Police please call 570-278-6818 and leave a message or email us at silverlaketwppd@epix.net, all information will be held strictly confidential. You can look at the Silver Lake Township Website at www.silverlaketwp.org, to see all Silver Lake Townships' news, profiles, and resources, including the police reports. For all emergencies calls or if you need an immediate police response, dial 911.
Richard J Marcy, 56, of Montrose, PA to 30 days t0 12 months in Susquehanna County Correctional Facility, pay $300 fine, pay cost of prosecution, not to possess transport or consume alcoholic beverages for Disorderly Conduct in Bridgewater Township on December 26, 2014.
Thomas Edward Price, 31, of Montrose, PA to 2 years to 4 years in a state correctional facility followed by 6 years probation, pay $500 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee, pay restitution to the victims in this case for Burglary in Bridgewater Township on June 30, 2014. Mr. Price also received 2 years to in a state correctional facility, followed by 6 years probation, pay a $500 fine, pay cost of prosecution, pay $50 Criminal Justice Enhancement Act fee, pay restitution to the victims in this case for Criminal Conspiracy/Burglary in Bridgewater Township on April 17, 2014.
