HighSchoolSports.Net shows Langley HS schedule

Now that the weather has broken, you can catch a lot of the local high school teams' schedules on the web site, HighSchoolSports.net.

HighSchoolSports.Net - Listings Tuesday 04/18 Home vs. Steel Valley High School at Sheraden Field 3:30 PM

Wednesday, 04/19, Home, vs. Brashear High School, Langley Field 3 pm

Fridaym 04/21, Home vs. Allderdice High School at Langley Field at 3 PM

Monday, 04/24, Home vs. Peabody High School at Langley Field at 3 PM

Wednesday, 04/26, Away at Oliver High School at 3 pm.

Saturday, 04/29, Away vs. Beaver Falls High School at 7 PM

Monday, 05/01, Away at Perry High School at 3 PM

Wednesday, 05/03, Home vs. Sto-Rox High School at Sheraden Field at 3

Monday, 05/08, Away at Westinghouse High School at 3 PM

Thursday, 05/11, Away at Schenley High School at 3 pm.

Friday, 05/12, Away vs. Bishop Canevin HS at 8 PM

Thursday, 05/18, Home Quarter-Finals at Langley Field TBA

Tuesday, 05/23, Away, Semi-Finals, TBA

Sunday, 05/28, Away, Baseball City League Finals, To Be Announced

Statement before City Council, odds and ends and downtown wireless tip-off

My name is Mark Rauterkus.

My family and I reside at 108 South 12th Street on the South Side.
I have a home on the internet at Rauterkus.com.

I am vice chairman of the Allegheny County Libertarian Party.

Recently I was a candidate for City Council and I'm presently circulating petitions for the November election.

My voter registration is now as "independent.'

Democracy is important and at the time of elections, we need to put forth new ideas and new candidates. I feel that the one party system in the city -- and the national 2-party system -- both need drastic overhauls.

One simple, level-headed change I endorse concerns ballot access. The PA ballot access coalition has put forth pending legislation that is common-sense and should be adopted.

The new voting machines we are getting in Allegheny County raises another serious problem. Thankfully the Sequoia option has been scratched from consideration. That's out. It was junk. Frankly, the new option is NOT MUCH better.

Years ago, I called for OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE as the best method for getting our "voting machines' -- and that "feature" is still lacking from the solution -- so I'm not satisfied.

Technology is important to me and our society.

I have a rich tech background. I am a 'geek" that understands many of the implications and impacts of tech policy.

Today, my main message is about the Downtown Wireless plans and proposals.

If I was in your position, I'd NOT take the plan that is before you now.

Downtown Wireless is "downtown." You are a 'city council.'

I would INSIST upon City-Wide Wireless.

This is another example where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

One of your roles, as city council, is to lead with integrity and understand and apply a big concept -- EQUITY.

Would you ever build a POLICE FORCE and have it ONLY serve Downtown?

Would you ever deploy a FIRE Department and say -- you can't leave downtown?

The wireless downtown plan is just for downtown.

It makes no sense to embrace a downtown plan because we should have wireless city-wide -- and great firms like Earthlink can help to throw the switch on the deployment without ANYTHING from the city -- except a key ingredient.... That is "LEADERSHIP."

Furthermore, Downtown wireless for 2-hours is silly.

+ The cost after 2 hours of use per day is UNKNOWN. You should NEVER buy into an agreement until the big facts are on the table. HOW MUCH and WHEN are key questions that MUST BE ANSWERED.

Both 'consumer costs' and 'government costs' are matters that city council should represent as part of its duty.

+ Downtown businesses -- for example, Alcoa or a financial institution, or a law firm, -- are NOT going to use the public wireless infrastructure. Don't fool yourself. The firms mentioned and others with a downtown address are the kind that need security and control as well as accountability with their mission critical networks. This solution will NOT provide, especially at the outset, the necessary components for the downtown business sector. And, these firms already have networks that are beyond what this plan aspires to deliver.

+ Even pending residents of downtown, as featured in in today's newspaper, who are moving from suburban homes to return to city living, (such as Rich Trombetta, 42, a computer project manager for PNC Bank) are NOT going to reply upon 2-hours of free wireless so as to live downtown. He can afford his own line. Like I've got my own line.

City council should not be suckers for rich get richer propositions -- based on downtown neighborhood hype.

+ On the other hand, small business -- say, the South Side's Pickle Barrel and Dee's Cafe, -- could use the wireless in two hour chunks for themselves and their customers. The sector who can really use and thrive with a new wireless capacity is the small, neighborhood business throughout the city that operate beyond downtown.

+ Downtown is easy to make wireless -- without telephone polls. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse -- in PPG's business complex -- does not need a telephone poll to make the jump to wireless.

+ Downtown buildings, for decades, have been serviced with high speed, cable, fiber optics.

+ Our neighborhoods, are a different matter, unlike the landscape of downtown and the needs of those who work and conduct business downtown.

+ The school kids would be PRIME users of free wireless for daily, two-hour periods for doing their homework. That is PERFECT as I don't want my kid on the internet for longer stretches anyway. Our kids needs to be literate with technology. Doing homework at grandmas, or in a rec center before a ballgame, or elsewhere would be a great boom to our quality of life.

+ When city council sanctions sweet-heart, downtown deals, like the downtown wireless plans, it then NULLIFIES all hopes for a city-wide install. City council's act lets them "pick the cherries." Serious city-wide work needs to be done.

+ City-wide wireless isn't a breeze. But, it isn't hard to accomplish.
The entire Philly area, full of its corruption, is going wireless. Philly is going wireless, as a COUNTY. We don't need to take Allegheny County wireless, like they are doing in Philly, but we should enable the entire city to have wireless access.

Perhaps City Council is being hoodwinked.

Perhaps, city council members are ignorant -- or just dis-ingenious to the neighborhoods.

+ The PDP, Pgh Downtown Partnership, should be sent back to the drawing boards.

+ There is no rush to get wireless installed before for the 2006 All-Star Game. Give me a break.

+ Tell the PDP to co-host, a REGION WIDE, youth technology summit. After two or three days at a summit, with everyone under the same roof, we'll be able to tell city council what is our best course of action.

Wireless should be for the entire city, not just downtown. Otherwise, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. And, downtown is easy to make wireless within various buildings and hubs. The city should have been wireless years ago. But, this is the kind of absent minded services you get when you have this type of city council leadership.

Swim programs at the college level

Good news and bad news about some college swimming programs. Iowa State Univ. is going to re-start its men's swim team -- and -- UNH is going to cut its program.

Camp AK-O-Mak The University of New Hampshire is ending its men's swim team program. Let's help our alumni who swam at UNH - by helping them spread our disappointment with this decision. Swimming is a great sport - and means a lot to so many of us. So, too, does equality in sport. Swimming seems to be on the short end of the stick in the UNH case. The school needs to save money - so they're ending a program that is considered 'easy' to cut.

Here is a link to write UNH's president, if you'd like to help save men's swimming:

http://www.unh.edu/president/presemail.htm or email the UNH Athletic Director Mr. Marty Scarano at marty.scarano@unh.edu It's time to speak up for swimmers everywhere!

Thanks "running mates" for the clicks and the short note to the AD and University President.
These kids won't be going to UNH. They won't even dream about it. And, the parents of these kids won't be taking jobs as faculty and staff at UNH either. More than 100 quality students depart a campus when the men's swim team is dropped as college coaches often recruit 25 students to their campus each year. Only 10 may join the team, but more are pulled to the school for their education.

---

My note:
Message: I would say that the decision to cut mens swimming and diving would take away more than 100 quality student athletes from your school. A decent college coach recruits 25 new students to the school each year. Only 10 or so may join the team. But, others show up and become students. And, they'd not go there if swimming wasn't an option.

Pull together a water polo program and you'd get another 100 students -- quality students -- on campus.

Furthermore, my wife, Ph.D., professor at Univ. of Pittsburgh, won't ever go to work at a university such as yours because you don't have swimming programs. She won't swim -- but the benefits would be great for our family and for the greater community. So, you'll need to subtract ten possible new faculity members each year who won't even be interested in jobs at UNH.

Hope you see the big picture.

Signed, MR (contact details)
Dad of two swimmers, coach of two swim teams and a six years as a NCAA Division I swim coach (Ohio Univ., Baylor Univ., Bradley Univ.).

Revised plan would delay West End school closing

Revised plan would delay West End school closing Revised plan would delay West End school closing

This is great news and another example where people were able to "Think Again." I love it.... for many reasons.

The Gifted Center needs to move out of its present location in The Hill District. The plan was to put it over on the North Side at Ridge -- a dumb decision. That building has ONE WINDOW. And, it went up for sale and there were a number of interested parties that was thinking of buying the building. Well, the long and short of it was that The Gifted Center would NEVER fit into where the "right size plan" called for it to move. That isn't going to happen. Such a relief.

The Gifted Center is not slated to move into the West End's Greenway. GREAT. That is a funky school -- but these kids are gifted and they'll be able to fit and have a good place to learn.

Furthermore, the whole shift of the Classical Academy into Langley made no sense to me. The "right sized plan" was ONLY about elementary schools and middle schools. There was little to no thought put into the landscape of our assets and options with those in the high school grades. That is still to come. So, putting more students into a high school building -- without thinking about the overall impact of the high school educational mission and directions was foolish.

Really, in the end of the thinking process -- it might make great sense to move LANGLEY High School into Greenway. Then the gifted center might need to move again. Okay.

Hats off to Mr. Roosevelt for a much, much better decision. Way to go. Thinking again is necessary.

Open Clip Art Library :: openclipart.org :: Drawing Together.

I love community projects and public domain drop offs and pick-up points.

Open Clip Art Library - openclipart.org - Drawing Together.Drawing Together.

This project aims to create an archive of user contributed clip art that can be freely used.

Hartford is nice

Hartford suitor ready to woo Penguins - PittsburghLIVE.com First it was Kansas City, and now it's Hartford, Conn., that wants the team if it can't get a new arena in Pittsburgh.

Hartford is wailing.

What is to say that the Pens would NOT leave even IF we build them a new arena?

The lease helps ground the team in the area -- right?

Well, better than a lease to a building that the Pens would NOT own -- how about if the team has a building of its own and then that building acts as real roots to the area.

Let's not build a new arena and have the arena's ownership be anything other than the Penguins. The Penguins should own the new arena.

School buildings should be owned by the school district. Homes should be owned by homeowners. Commercial buildings should be owned by businesses. Parks should be owned by a park district. New toll roads should not be owned by Australian Investors. But, out of the list, the last one is not such a bad deal as they can't move the highway.

Mayor opens dialogue - PittsburghLIVE.com

Mayor opens dialogue - PittsburghLIVE.com Stephen Opara, 17, a senior at Taylor Allderdice High School in Squirrel Hill, told O'Connor that students need more recreation centers and summer job opportunities.

A commission that meets four to six times a year should really be called a 'pep rally.' Others might call it a photo opportunity too.

Of course we need more Rec Center engagement. Of course we need more educational enrichment. Of course we need jobs -- such as lifeguarding -- in the summer months. Those items, ranging from youth technology to dynamic aquatic programs are near and dear to my heart -- and to the soul of the future of this city.

I think probably we should listen to students more often than we do -- and I include myself in the group that should probably do that more often," said Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt, who chatted with O'Connor and students.

Right on. Think again.

But Mr. Roosevelt -- how about if you start by doing a way better job in your communication activities with the school teachers. Send them a blasted email or two -- each week. And, allow them to communicate among themselves as well.

I hate to see the boss of the schools on his knees trying to beg for student to superintendent communications when there is much more to be done among faculty and administration, administration and parents, and administration and tax payers.

kdka.com - O'Connor Puts Hold On Plans To Expand Police Force

kdka.com - O'Connor Puts Hold On Plans To Expand Police Force Right now, the city has 814 officers and 45 cadets will start field training next week.

Glass is half full -- not half empty.

The headline, O'Connor Puts HOLD on Plans to Expand Police Force, is wrong if you just read the article. When you do the math, + 45 + 814 = 859. That is a net gain -- and movement to 900.

I hate to see the twisted reporting. Move Saks (as blog says below) is media expansion and I say it is NOT a net gain. But, add 45 officers is called a a HOLD by the media, and I say it is a gain!

When the MATH is in question -- and the outcomes are at odds with the truth -- we've got some serious watchdog problems still lurking.

Another 45 officers in a month or two is going to be 'perfect.'

Heck we are already due to get more video monitors, cameras and robots. And, we've already got new river frogmen and high-speed air boats -- all in time for the All-Stars. Those acts are hardly "PUTS HOLD ON PLANS" if you ask me.

Another 'under current' (pun intended) is the fear that dangles about too many rookies hitting the streets in some tinderbox neighborhoods. The zone commanders have shifted. The city has some fragile areas that could spiral out of control if a few acts get out of hand.

Let's pray some more.

Lawsuits add to Pittsburgh's financial woes - PittsburghLIVE.com

Of course! Thanks for the notice. People do read my blog and platform.

Lawsuits add to Pittsburgh's financial woes - PittsburghLIVE.com Lawsuits have amplified the costs of guiding Pittsburgh out of its financial mess, according to preliminary budget figures from the city's state oversight board.

Much of the higher-than-anticipated costs comes from legal fights the board started or was forced into with former Mayor Tom Murphy, the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority and the city's firefighters union.

The coutless lawsuits that the city, and even the county have engaged, in the past decades is horrid.

I've called for a major shift in the benchmark for litigation. To me it is a no brainer. These court costs have been massive. And, the city has been big-time loosers. The decisions have more often than not gone against the city's best interest. And, for good reason.

The parking lot in Panther Hollow is one example.

The seedy theater in the North Side is another fine example.

As the country song goes, "you gotta know when to fold 'em."

The city's leadership must "Lay the Shovel Down" -- and do much more to cut their losses. Snip away.

The next big case that is brewing, and I already made mention of this on the blog and on the record at city hall before city council is the Bill Peduto sponsored "Bubble Bill." The city should not waste a nickle trying to defend the "Bubble Bill."

Background: In the fall of 2005, the city, at the urging of the women's health clinic and Planned Parenthood folks, drafted a new set of laws that makes a protected area around people that moves around a protected area already designated around the entry of women's health clinics. This new 2005 law came into being because the managers within the Police Department were without strong leadership. They were fearful of backlashes from city hall politicans who flapped in the wind. And, because of police force cuts and a lack of new hires to cover needed shifts.

Make no mistake, the situation was broken because of compounded problems on compounded problems -- all caused from the ill management of Tom Murphy and his administration.

So, city council acted -- and did a classic 'over reach' so as to write new laws. The best fix would have been new directions and understood policies from the police and top brass. And, there was an enforcement issue that needed to be monitored.

The people need to feel safe and respected on the streets -- and near the health clinics. But, the police were only able to toss their hands into the air and look the other way -- if they were even around due to cutbacks, overtime headaches and thin force in general.

Now that the 'bubble bill' of 2005 is on the books it is right where we thought it would go -- into the courts.

The city might need to spend $200,000 or $400,000 on the defense of the 'bubble bill' -- OR -- a wise, prudent city council member could introduce a new bit of legislation that RECINDS the 'bubble bill' and gets the court case to be dropped. That would take about ten phone calls and save $200,000.

Then, with the $200,000 -- the city can open a few swim pools, hire a few crossing guards and get new rat bait for rodent control.

I feel strongly that there are times and places where defending principles are justified. Let's not burn money on the 'bubble bill' -- NOR another dozen fruitless court cases.

Meanwhile, the ICA (oversight board) paid $800k to a law firm -- and that must stop too.

As we settle disputes in the courts -- nobody wins. Judges are bad at finding the best solutions for the long-term health of the region.

We need a better margin of litigation!

Piatt Place plan grows

This is a red herring alert. The catfish are jumping. ...

Piatt Place plan grows - PittsburghLIVE.com Millcraft Industries Inc., of Cecil Township, Washington County, also wants to talk to officials of Saks Inc. to determine its interest in moving its Saks Fifth Avenue store Downtown to its expanded development site.

'We also will be contacting Saks to determine if it wants to use part of the site to expand its store,' said Lucas Piatt, vice president of real estate for Millcraft, which in January completed purchase of the Lazarus-Macy's building from Federated Department Stores Inc.

If you move -- you move. That isn't a guarantee of growth. Rather that is called "CHURNING." We don't need to churn. We need to grown.

And more over, we don't need to subsidize the churning.

To get Sacks to move from A to B is but a shell game. What then goes to B, an empty building?

Even the downtown residents -- they'll be moving out of other neighborhoods to go downtown. That is displacement.

Developers make money when they bribe folks to move near them -- as their land values and property values can double, triple or more. But, holes elsewhere are created, often.

This shifting is often just to allow the rich, err, the super rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer.

If I had a voice in O'Connor's office I'd say in no uncertain terms that any move to this development area that is just as described in the article -- would insure that the entire project gets $0 as a subsidy. It should NOT be accepted.

We're going to take the high road and improve our city -- with gains, real net gains. We can't toss up some smoke and mirrors and expect real progress to occur. We can't have the city be fooled into such sillyness.

O'Connor shouldn't say, Saks should stay here. He should say that he wants Saks to stay PUT. Big difference.

Even with the Penguin discussions. The Penguins should stay here (in the greater Pittsburgh area) and the arena should stay put. The Pens can build a new areana and move out of the civic arena -- but the old arena is going to stay put and be a home to the circus and Disney on Ice and Carrick High School Graduations.

Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances - PittsburghLIVE.com

Pittsburgh Laurels & Lances - PittsburghLIVE.com Lance: To Dan Onorato. Allegheny County voters twice have rejected a home rule charter amendment that would have allowed sitting County Council members to run for other offices. The idea, a good one, was to prevent the council from becoming a springboard and soapbox for those with higher political ambitions. Yet Mr. Onorato, the chief executive, is proposing a third referendum on the very topic. How many times do the people have to speak?

Lance: To Mr. Onorato. The aforementioned amendment might not pass legal muster. Why? It places before voters not a single issue but a second issue -- if voters also want quick special elections to fill vacancies to avoid the practice of the council appointing people to fill vacancies. Convoluted, 'Christmas-treed' amendments are a constitutional no-no at the state level; there's no reason to think that same rule is not applicable at the local level.

Hear, hear. I've got plenty to say about special elections and those who want to run for office other than the one they are in presently.

Diven Speaks Out On Forged Signatures

kdka.com - Diven Speaks Out On Forged Signatures Diven has withdrawn from the Republican Primary.

Diven could still mount a write-in or independent campaign.

Mayor: Point Park's plan enhances efforts to redevelop Fifth-Forbes

too bad Point Park University isn't seeking to take over the now closed YWCA. That could be a recreation center for students, staff, faculity and community.

Mayor: Point Park's plan enhances efforts to redevelop Fifth-Forbes Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O'Connor says the purchase of five properties by Point Park University in the heart of the Fifth and Forbes shopping district Downtown only enhances his efforts to redevelop the beleaguered corridor.

Judge upholds third-party ballot access rules

This is bad, bad news. News like this means Pennsylvania will stay in the dark ages for another decade or more. Folks, this is the time to act up! http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/14272051.htm

MARK SCOLFORO, Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa. - A federal judge on Wednesday denied a request from minor political parties to reduce the number of signatures required to place their candidates on the statewide ballot.

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III said a formula that requires minor party candidates to collect 67,070 signatures this year is constitutional and reflects a legitimate state interest.

Jones said he was sympathetic to the plight of the parties and candidates who sought to overturn the law. He urged the General Assembly to reconsider the law, but he declined to issue a preliminary injunction that would invalidate it.

Jones wrote that he is not "a super-legislature, but rather a court of law, and thus we decline to supplant our wisdom in place of that of the Commonwealth's elected officials."

Jones said he shares the state government's concern that, without some standard to make minor parties demonstrate a minimum level of support, the ballot could become cluttered and confusing.

"Undoubtedly, and in particular during these contentious times in Pennsylvania politics, some will brand this concern as undemocratic in that it places little faith in the ability of voters to sort out a potentially long general election ballot," Jones said.

Robert Small, founder of the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, said his organization will next seek changes to state law that will loosen access.

"We'll have to go back to Plan A, which is trying to get it through the state Legislature," Small said.

Republican and Democratic candidates for governor and U.S. Senate this year needed 2,000 signatures to make it onto the May 16 primary ballot.

But the signature requirement for others is 2 percent of the ballots cast for the largest vote-getter in the last statewide election race, which was Treasurer Bob Casey's record of nearly 3.4 million votes in 2004.

Sam Stretton, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he was disappointed in the ruling and said the parties have already shown public support by qualifying as minor parties under the state Election Code.

"I think it's a serious First Amendment violation and an equal protection violation, so we're going to let the 3rd Circuit (Court of Appeals) take a look at this," he said.

A spokesman for the state Attorney General's Office said the third-party access rules fit within the limits of the state constitution.

The lawsuit is being pursued by the Green and Constitution parties, the Green Party candidate for governor, the Constitution Party candidate for governor and the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate. The defendant is Secretary of State Pedro Cortes.

BUY ONLY OPTICAL SCAN VOTING MACHINES

STOP COUNCILMAN JOHN DEFAZIO
CALL (412) 350-6516
jdefazio@steelworkers-usw.org
JDefazio@county.allegheny.pa.us

STOP CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAN ONORATO
CALL (412) 350-6500
executive@county.allegheny.pa.us

DEMAND PAPER BALLOT VOTING!

Allegheny County's CHIEF EX. DAN ONORATO, AGAIN, wants to buy an UNSAFEGUARDED voting system without paper ballots.

The BOE will meet on Friday, 6PM, 119 of the County Court House to decide to purchase the iVotronic machine. Onorato is counting on John Defazio to vote with him.

Tell John Defazio to SAY NO TO PAPERLESS DRES...
SAY YES, ONLY TO OPTICAL SCAN VOTING.

Optical Scan is the only Paper Ballot system that we can purchase or use in PA today. Paper ballots form checks and balances for electronic voting. Op scan is the most cost-effective, secure, reliable and auditable voting.

Optical scan is the only voting system with a meaningful audit or recount. Avoiding recounts is not a valid reason for not choosing optical scan. Candidates are entitled to recounts and voters are entitled to see a permanent record of their vote to provide backup reliability in case of electronic glitches and to prevent fraud.

*Onorato/DeFazio plan to purchase iVotronic voting machines that dont have paper ballots and may never have them. Their plan is to wait for stalled legislation to pass (SB977), then will ES&S have to develop a new printer to submit for certification which may or may not be certified. Their present printer will not pass certification. Once again, Onorato has presented a farce of a plan for paper ballots in Allegheny County - Political cover for a fraud prone voting system. Don't let them get away with this.

Optical Scan costs less, is most secure, and is the most used system in the country, as well as the best ADA compliant system, why wouldn't the county buy it?

EITHER THEY DONT WANT RECOUNTS, OR THEY DONT WANT SAFEGUARDED ELECTIONS.

Recounts and audits are the standard for integrity in elections. they simply must happen.

Richard King, Ph.D.
(412) 400-3773
kinggaines@comcast.net
www.PA-VerifiedVoting.org
www.verifiedvoting.org

Jerry Bowyer - hope all is well with you these days

Jerry Bowyer - Home Page Susan and I would like to let you know what has been going on with me and my absence from the airwaves over the last couple of weeks.

Get well soon. I didn't notice a date on the blog entry.

Who's who -- getting along to recovery: Jill Carol

Jill Carroll, recently freed in Iraq after nearly three months in captivity, was a former swimmer and water polo player at UMASS (Univ. of Mass.).

My wife got her undergrad degree from UMASS too.

News accounts said Carroll is in good health and told reporters that she was treated well by her captors, but said she did not know why she was kidnapped. Her release came a day after her twin sister, Katie, made a televised appeal for her freedom.

Carroll, 28, was abducted Jan. 7 in Baghdad while on assignment for The Christian Science Monitor.

Hope all is well with her and her family.

Beep, beep. That's not a four-wheeled Harley -- but a three wheel motorized bike -- with a roof -- headed down the expansive sidewalk in Chengdu.