Mine proposal "dead on arrival," Onorato says

The citizens of South Park have spoken.

Mine proposal "dead on arrival," Onorato says Mine proposal 'dead on arrival,' Onorato says

Next up, the other county parks. There are lots of proposals that have been sent to Allegheny County where firms offer to extract resources -- from trees to minerals to deer and geese.

Carlynton has sports and participation troubles. Some school board members

For a few years, I was a swim coach at Carlynton with the CSC, the Carhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giflynton Swim Club. Plus, I coached at Crafton at a municipal pool and the Crafton Crocs. Great fun. With the growing boys and changing duties (last fall I ran for city council and city controller), it made more sense to switch to another team and our time is now been spent working out at the JCC.

Furthermore, I ran for public office in a state senate district that includes most of those areas that are west of the city. PA Senate 42 stretches from South Side, where we live, to Green Tree to Crafton to Montour, Scott and the Rocks. So, I like to stay involved with the communities, to say the least.

There is some weirdness going on with a suburban school district outside of the city. Go figure. At Carlynton, a few want to change the school's facility use policy. Bad ideas.

To help get the issue out and understood, another blog has been launched, http://Carlynton.blogspot.com.

Generally, you win by addition. When subtraction is used -- defeat comes quickly, often and with a vengeance.

In the realm of education, being open minded, competitive, inclusive, and outgoing brings big benefits. I want to invest in areas where good things happen and were there is hope and opportunities to create literate Olympians here.

If you'd like to help with this issue at Carlynton, let me know.

---

By Francesmary Modugno

Some elected school board members of the Carlynton School District are proposing significant changes to how the community uses our facilities. Their policy proposal is sure to cause great hardships to kids and families throughout the district. They want to limit children’s after school programs run by parent volunteers to groups consisting of 100% Carlynton students, kicking out their friends from neighboring areas. Groups that fail to meet that requirement would be shut down or forced to pay thousands of dollars in additional fees. Some school board members want to go a step further and ban adult programs from using the classrooms, pool, gym and fields.

Think again. Let’s side with inclusion and participation so our kids are kept off the streets. We should help the program leaders work with our youth so they have goals to shoot for rather than shooting at each other out of boredom and turf war madness. And let’s make our schools centers for education, culture and recreation for citizens of all ages. Our adult residents should see the schools as resources for them as well.

Curtailing opportunities by advancing a policy to limit programs to school-aged children is short sighted:

• The proposed plans being pushed by some school board members would destroy swim lessons for our pre-schoolers - that's a safety issue!
• Adult GED programs, AARP and Silver Sneakers would be barred – not welcomed at Carlynton.
  
• Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and local youth groups with kids and volunteer leaders from other municipalities would get axed by the proposed changes, too.

Every Carlynton resident could be impacted by the lack of quality local programs because our kids are going to be hitting the street corners and not be engaged in positive, directed pursuits. The majority of people in the district would be denied access to the properties their taxes built and maintain. No more walks with friends on the track for residents. Walkers, use the streets and co-exist with the kids displaced there too, just hanging out.

The current policy allows youth sports teams and any group to use Carlynton facilities at cost provided the group's enrollment has 75% district membership. The activities with fewer district residents (below 75%) pay heavy fees. Even with this current policy, several youth sports teams told the school board they have trouble fielding teams. Allowing some non-residents to join our clubs gives local programs more stability, more income and lower-fees for in-district participants. Still, some directors want to push forward their agenda to curtail our children’s opportunities.

The May 27, 2008, school board meeting featured several leaders of our youth programs. These leaders clearly stated that changes to the after school policy will wipe out opportunities for our kids and impose additional burdens to our respective programs. Notes.

Schools need to be a part of our community. Families need to keep our kids engaged in safe, healthy, wholesome fitness and team building activities. With rising gas prices, we need to create more opportunities for our kids right here, near their homes. Because Carlynton is the smallest school district in the region, this can only happen if after school activities are open not only to our own kids, but to their friends in our neighboring communities as well.

Still, some elected school board members want to kick out neighboring kids from our programs and raise program fees. The organizations can’t afford those proposals and neither can local tax payers and parents. In essence, these directors want to impose on Carlynton residents an additional facilities tax for the use of school properties that we have already paid for with one of the highest millage rates in Allegheny County.

The reasons these directors give for excluding non-residents:

1. Non-resident children take away opportunities from Carlynton children because the non-residents outperform Carlynton children (directors Brown, DiPietro and Schirripa)

2. By allowing non-residents into Carlynton programs, we are “training the competition” and that’s the reason the Carlynton JV and Varsity teams don’t win more often. (directors Brown, DiPietro and Schirripa)

3. School facilities are for the use of school-age children only. (directors Brown and Schirripa)

Their proposals are detrimental to all Carlynton residents, especially children:

1. There is no evidence from any group that non-resident children are taking opportunities away from Carlynton kids. Furthermore, it is insulting to Carlynton children to imply that their peers from other districts are better than they are. Moreover, these directors are implying that they need to create artificial environments for Carlynton children to succeed because they don’t think Carlynton children can succeed on their own. That’s insulting, too.

2. There is no evidence that youth sports groups “train the competition”. Nor is there evidence that non-district youth athletes are the reason Carlynton Jr/Sr high school teams don’t win more often. No way. If non-resident athletes get expelled, they would likely go elsewhere for training and enrich other clubs by keeping those teams’ costs in line. Meanwhile, Carlynton clubs would be unable to field teams and would fold. Sure, Carlynton clubs might not “train the competition”, but they would certainly not be training Carlynton children either. With the plans advocated by some directors, Carlynton's youth would have to go elsewhere and pay higher fees, if our kids are fortunate enough to have parents who could drive them places and pay more money for after school activities. Carlynton youths whose parents can’t provide this type of support would be left out. Their policy attempt to not “train the competition,” results in Carlynton youth athletes being less prepared to compete at the Jr/Sr high school level. Their proposals would backfire and ensure the exact opposite of what the directors are claiming they want to do.

3. State law (SC 775) allows the use of school facilities by non-school age children and other groups. Carlynton residents have made a tremendous investment in the school facilities. As stated in the School District Policy: “..our schools are an integral part of the community and in order that maximum benefit might be derived by the school system and community from properties held by the district, should be available to the public for education and recreational use at such times when school is not in session…” While school property is primarily for school use, no where is it written that it is exclusively for school use. After spending millions of dollars on facilities, one would hope that the residents could get some return on their investment. This return comes via activities at the school.

The evidence is clear. Carlynton does not gain by excluding non-residents and Carlynton will lose greatly by doing so. The evidence confirms that Carlynton residents gain when our facilities are open to both residents and non-residents.

Many groups stated on the record:

1. Non-resident help Carlynton groups field teams. Without the non-residents, these teams would fold. That would be lost opportunities for Carlynton children.

2. Non-residents help in keeping lower fees for residents. Additional members, especially in lean years, help with stability and organizational survival.

3. More members creates more competitive teams and encourages young athletes to strive to improve their skills.

The non-residents want to be in Carlynton clubs are our friends and neighbors who live in Ingram, Thornburgh, Greentree, and Scott. They live blocks away from the Carlynton elementary schools and down the street from Carlynton high school, itself located in the Montour school district. These non-residents want to be in Carlynton clubs because they are friends with Carlynton youths. Kids want to be in after school activities with their buddies. Some live closer to Carlynton than their own schools and many attend parochial schools, especially St. Philip in Crafton. They consider Crafton their “home town” – where they shop, worship, work, go to school and have fun.

Being neighborly helps. Carlynton Jr/Sr High School was built in the Montour School district. Montour provides gymnastic facilities to Carlynton because Carlynton has none. Let's return the generosity of our neighbors and go a step further by being the most welcoming school district around.

Carlynton is the smallest school district in the area. Plus, we have the greatest number of students on public assistance. Forty percent receive some form of federal aid. That’s more than twice the rate of neighboring school districts. Those districts offer programs and activities not found at Carlynton. Their policies are less restrictive than Carlynton’s current policy, welcoming non-resident youth. Let's hope those districts don't ever adopt a similar “no outsiders here” attitude put forth by some of Carlynton’s school board members.

At the April 17, 2008, school board meeting, the board members considered six (6) different proposals to replace the current policy. These proposals had numerous problems, including charging excessively high fees in the thousands of dollars to sports teams to host home games. The fees were far in excess of the actual cost of running the facilities.

At that meeting, the urge from citizens to the directors was to consider the impact of the proposed policy changes. The text and video of the statements and discussions are online. Citizens pointed out that Residents already pay for the facilities through their taxes and charging groups a fee above cost to use facilities would be a form of additional taxation. Instead of excluding non-residents or charging a fee to groups that include non-residents, charge a facilities usage fee to non-residents, much the way many municipal swim pools do.

Counter proposal:

1. Resident groups with a majority of district residents use district facilities at cost;

2. Resident groups give priority in membership to residents; and

3. Non-resident participants pay a small facility usage fee. Sure, non-residents do not contribute to the tax base that supports the facilities. The sum of $60 per year, (or pro-rated at $5 per month) represents 50% of the per capita cost of Carlynton facilities operation and management. This is more than fair compensation to the district because no group uses Carlynton’s facilities 50% of the time they are available.

In follow up meetings, the board heard more details about process:

1. Team are ensuring maximum participation of Carlynton youths in clubs using district properties;

2. Youth sports and other groups aim to create the best possible environments for members, thus insuring a fertile training ground for future Carlynton Jr/Sr high school athletes;

3. Teams aim for fairness in the relationship with tax payers. Non-residents charges are equivalent to what tax payers are paying to maintain facilities. The additional monies would offset the cost of running the facilities, thereby decreasing the facilities costs to all Carlynton residents; and

4. Carlynton parents benefit by avoiding additional “facilities tax” for after school programs.
   

In this way, Carlynton youths win, the taxpayers win and Carlynton maintains positive relationships with its neighbors.

Hopefully, Carlynton residents will stand up for their rights and protect their children’s futures.

2-fer LTEs (Letters To Editors) against war on drugs and for Barr for President

LTEs on Drug War by Mik and Harold

Mark Crowley:

Do you remember my nagging about using the Barr candidacy to promote libertarian ideas, I suggested a Pgh Post-Gazette editorial about the drug war being an LTE opportunity. Well Mik and Harold both submitted LTEs and they were both printed today -- a two-fer.

Here's the link. Their LTEs are the last ones.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08165/889584-35.stm

Mark

---

Minds need to change on the drug war

It was disheartening to read about the consequences of the
drug war in the Post-Gazette's June 3 editorial ("Drug War:
In the U.S. and Mexico, the Casualties Pile Up"). There is
no doubt the harm caused by this flawed policy is
far-reaching and has dire effects not only on individuals
but also nations.

This issue must be addressed if there is to be any hope of
eliminating the tragic results of the drug war on people and
communities. Fortunately, there is a candidate who will
initiate a sensible approach to the issue, Libertarian
presidential candidate Bob Barr.

That's right, Bob "Drug Warrior" Barr has realized there is
a better approach and come out against the drug war. He
would completely reorient federal law enforcement
priorities. Clearly there is a better way to approach the
issue of drugs, and I hope Bob Barr can bring some reason on
this issue to Washington, D.C.

MICHAEL J. ROBERTSON, Sligo

---

Barr can help

I read with interest your June 3 editorial about Mexico and
our failed "drug war," which is really a war against people
and human nature. You noted the elephant in the living room
-- the $400 billion U.S. recreational drug market.

While I don't use drugs other than caffeine and alcohol, and
while I abhor unnecessary violence, I find it both
refreshing and reassuring that many people still take action
to do what's in their own best economic interest, rather
than relying on government handouts.

I'll probably support the Libertarian Party presidential
candidate, former drug warrior Bob Barr, who lately has been
lobbying in favor of states' rights regarding medical
marijuana and for ending the federal government's calloused
role in keeping dying people from getting their medicine.
It's not just cancer patients deprived of their medicine,
slain government officials in other lands and children
caught in the drug dealers' crossfire here at home who are
the victims of this myopic repeat of Prohibition. Mr. Barr
rightly recognizes that our privacy rights also are a
casualty.

I'm encouraged that Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
also have vowed to let sick people obtain their medicine.
And if Mr. Barr's candidacy does nothing more than prevent
drug warrior and global interventionist John McCain from
attaining the White House, I will consider it a resounding
success.

HAROLD KYRIAZI, Schenley Heights

Schenley proposal called irresponsible'

Yes. Mark Roosevelt's proposal to close Schenley High School, a top performing school, is irresponsible.

Schenley proposal called irresponsible': "Schenley proposal called irresponsible'

Mark Roosevelt is not responsible. To have the slogan, Excellence for All -- one needs to find areas of success, such as Schenley High School, and replicate it. Sustain the high performing places.

Roosevelt's plan is about squashing excellence. Roosevelt seems like he wants domination of all, not excellence.

The full reports from Roosevelt have not been released to the masses and reported upon by the Post-Gazette. Hence, that is were the irresponsible resides.

The headline from the P-G is telling.

Mr. Dowd, a former school board member, said it would be foolish for the district to overhaul Schenley with little more than hoped-for taxes from a Reizenstein redevelopment.

Mr. Dowd says something I am in full agreement with. Read the quote and all the words.

It would be foolish for the district to do an overhaul of Schenley. However, it would not be foolish for the district to do a modest rehab so as to remove the asbestos and patch a bit of the walls and ceilings.

It is Mark Roosevelt who says that the cost is $76 million -- and his plan is an overhaul of all the systems. That is foolish. That is stupid. That is NOT want we need nor what we want.

We don't need a food court.
We don't need air conditioning throughout the entire building.
We don't need to rehab the pipe organ in the auditorium.
We don't need to change all the electrical.

We need the school to be touched up this summer and resume operations again in September.

An overhaul is foolish. That's the only thing that small thinking, high spending, consultant driven, out-of-touch politicians like Mark Roosevelt can spin.

Fix the school and save money by just doing what must be done.

The new windows are being screwed shut in some spaces because the warranty work has not been requested.

Do the basics.

Sustain a good school.

Ask Mr. Dowd if he feels he has been lied to in the past by Mr. Roosevelt.

Ask Mr. Down about the ALAs and the performance of the extended school year and how few of the students go to classes in August.

Ask Mr. Dowd about the performance of Reizenstein in the past.

Ask Mr. Dowd about when the fight to save Schenley really began and why it was on the closed school list when the right-sizing plan looked at Elementary Schools.

Ask Mr. Down about the plan for Vo Tech Education. That was promised when South Vo Tech closed. We are still waiting.

Peduto's Schenley plan praised, panned - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Peduto's Schenley plan praised, panned - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review A Pittsburgh councilman's last-ditch plan to save Schenley High School got a sharp rebuke from school Superintendent Mark Roosevelt but praise from parents fighting to keep the Oakland landmark open.

Frankly, what Mark Roosevelt says any more is not going to matter.

Schenley will either be open again in September or it will be open again in a future year. Schenley is too important to be closed. The future school boards will re-do what he wants to do -- if this board doesn't do it anyway.

What is preposterous is how an entire high school reform task force can do work for a couple of years, with hand-picked mandate from Mark Roosevelt. Then, Mark Roosevelt tosses their suggestions out the window.

On one meeting, the work of one person (Mark Roosevelt) tries to take down the legacy of 91 years and academic success of many students and families each year.

What is preposterous is how clueless Mark Roosevelt is. And, his out-of-town consultants and out-of-town advisors are out-of-touch. The golden parachute from Mark Roosevelt is preposterous.

To begin to build new high schools -- rather than use the capacity of what is already built -- is preposterous. To close 22 schools and make some K-8 one year and then to try to open new schools and make then for grades 6 to 12 another year is preposterous.

Roosevelt dismissed parts of the plan as "preposterous."


What is wrong is Mark Roosevelt.

"From what I can tell, this is a couple students who did some work," Roosevelt said. "Almost every fact throughout the thing is wrong. In some places it's so preposterous. As a paper for a college term paper, it would barely pass muster."

Roosevelt is wrong because Roosevelt didn't do his homework.

Campaign for Liberty

Attention Ron Paul supporters:

If you haven't heard Ron Paul's big announcement last night, we are entering a new chapter in the freedom movement! Ron Paul announced that he will be leading a new national organization called the Campaign for Liberty!!

Because of this major announcement, and exciting new campaign to spread the message of freedom, peace, and prosperity, the Original Ron Paul Pittsburgh and Western PA meetup group (#97) has undergone an exciting change to show Ron Paul that we are behind him in this new endeavor, and WE WILL CONTINUE THE FIGHT!!!

The Original Ron Paul Pittsburgh and Western PA Meetup Group, is now Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty: Pittsburgh and SW PA!! We are one of the first Ron Paul Meetup Group's in the nation to have undergone this change in support of the new organization. This group's new focus is to facilitate grassroots organization at the local level for Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty.

The Meetup group page has been updated to reflect this new focus: Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty: Pittsburgh and SW PA.

In addition to a new "About us" page, two new meetups have been added: The Revolution March in Washington, DC, on July 12th, and The Ron Paul "Convention" in Minnesota, on September 2nd. In addition to the two meetups already scheduled, a first-ever meetup of Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty: Pittsburgh and SW PA will be called and will be posted in the next few days!! Please look for that, mark your calender, and plan to attend!!

There is good reason for calling the first meetup. In Ron Paul's announcement of his new organization he set two very important goals. First, he asked for 100,000 members by September. Wouldn't it be great to double or triple that number by September? We could if we promote it!! We must get the word out about this new campaign so the goal can be exceeded!!

The second goal he set is to get 11,000 people to Minnesota on September 2nd for his rally/convention! We would like to coordinate the transportation and help with lodging arrangements for as many local supporters as want to expirience that event!!

The third thing that we want to do is discuss new and exciting ways to do something that Ron has asked us to do and that is "SPREAD THE MESSAGE!!" So many people in this country are being forced to chose between option A and option B and don't like either of them! We want to show them that there is a third option, option C (of course, C standing for Constitution). We want to show them that Americans can be free, can be at peace, and can be prosperous at the same time!! It's a message that unites us all regardless of party, or religious affiliation, and regardless of race or social status. It's also the only way to save this nation!!!

So the primaries are over, but it's not the end!! This is just the beginning of the glorious revolution to restore our great republic!! We now know that Ron Paul is stepping up to lead us in the fight through his Campaign for Liberty!!

So please join Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty at www.campaignforliberty.com, and join the local effort to restore freedom!!!

Any questions, comments, ideas, or suggestions you can always email ronpaulpgh@gmail.com, or click on the "email me" link under the "organized by" section on the meetup page.

Ron Paul's Campaign For Liberty: Pittsburgh and SW PA has a site too.

Honz Man Show to talk, we think, about Schenley

Watch Friday's show on PCNC:

Fred Honsberger offers thought provoking and entertaining insight on politics and news during the hour-long talk show.

Honsberger LIVE starts at 10 a.m Talk to Honsberger live by calling (412) 333-PCNC during the show. Honsberger LIVE airs:Monday-Friday 10 a.m. (repeats 5 p.m. each day)

If anyone sees the show, let us know. Send a mini report. I'm going to be busy.

I'm # 33 and Erik is #34 -- Monday the 16th at Pgh Public Schools Board of Ed Bldg

To speak on Monday, June 16, 2008 to the Pgh Public School Board and Administrators call this phone #: 412-622-3600.

I just called, Thursday at 4 pm, and got onto the list. I'm number 33.

Makes me thirsty.

I'd love for you to get onto the agenda too.

The secretary will ask you what you are speaking about. I told her, "Fix Schenley." My son's topic, simply, "Keep Frick."

She'll also ask for an address and organization.

Don't wait. Do it.

If you can't show up that night -- get your name on the list and be 'counted' at least.

The meeting starts at 7 pm. If every person is present and each take the full 3 minutes, that's 10 speakers per 30 minutes. I'll be speaking around 8 pm, give or take 15 minutes.

Mr. Isler, bless his heart, the board president, has, in the past, gone through the entire list of speakers and then at the end they do a roll call again of those that were signed up to speak in case anyone missed their scheduled slot. That was very nice. I missed the last time by about 2 minutes due to some late drop off at the swim pool. I did get to speak. So nice.

Bike Pittsburgh � Get Ready for BikeFest 08!

Bike Pittsburgh � Get Ready for BikeFest 08!: "Get Ready for BikeFest 08!"

Close South Side, expand Mercy, UPMC keeps up with the times

South Side Hospital, err, UPMC South Side Hospital, is going to close, it seems.

Paul grabs prime time while campaign books nearby arena - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Yesterday's Trib had as its top story on the front page -- with a photo -- Ron Paul. Paul grabs prime time while campaign books nearby arena - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Paul grabs prime time while campaign books nearby arena"

In additional news from the Paul campaign:

Thursday, June 12th, 2008

We invite you to watch the live video broadcast of Dr. Paul's rally tonight, June 12th, @ 9PM CDT in Houston, TX. Dr. Paul will be making a major announcement, and we would like you to be a part of it.

To view:
http://www.justin.tv/ronpaul2008

I still have my big Ron Paul sign in the window. I had thought about taking it down. But, I think it should stay up until after the GOP convention.

Family friend finds body of missing man in Ohiopyle

Family friend finds body of missing man in Ohiopyle Homer Ray Brown promised a grieving mother that he would find her only son wherever his body might be in the Youghiogheny River.

Mr. Brown, 39, of Sharon, a veteran outdoorsman and former lifeguard, accomplished that sorrowful goal shortly after noon yesterday. He found Esker H. Cottrill III facedown in the water near the left bank of the river, a place shaded by a large overhanging tree, about two miles downstream from Ohiopyle.

Sad. Good deed Mr. Brown.

Bill Peduto holds press conference on Schenley's situation

Update:
Bill's plan, with multiple pages, is on his city web site:
http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/district8/assets/08_save_schenley.pdf

Original post:

From schenley

Bill Peduto held a press conference moments ago (Thursday morning) in the conference room in city hall to give solid suggestions about the school situation and Schenley High School.

There were three TV stations, two radio stations and two or more newspaper reporters there -- so I'm sure we'll be hearing about it shortly.

In a nutshell -- he says:

* Sell Reizenstein.

Mark Roosevelt wants to move the students out of Schenley High School, a great building and a great school, and put some of them into Reisenstein. Reisenstein was a failed school when it was a middle school -- never a high school. And Reisenstein is a failed builing as a school. Reisenstein was build in the era when they made schools much like prisons -- but worse. There isn't a single window in Reisenstein. A lot of good educational research proves that schools have better test results if they have natural light and windows. Duhh....

* The money from Reisenstein can be used to fix up Schenley!

From schenley

Of course the right thing to do is sell the valued properties. Sell Reisensein -- and -- sell the Oakland location for the Board of Education and Administration. Roosevelt wants to sell the wrong buildings.

We'll watch Bill's city council web site for more details, and the media too.

From schenley

Update: Trib article in comments.

Mayor Ravenstahl anxious to settle dispute with developer

Mayor Ravenstahl anxious to settle dispute with developer Mayor Ravenstahl anxious to settle dispute with developer

Mayor anxious. He should have been anxious a year ago. He should have been anxious two years ago. He should have been anxious when he was on city council too, when he was not getting anything done.

The homework is past due. The management and stewardship is far too late.

There is no dispute. There are facts. Continental is in dispute with the truth. Time is up. Continental might have an internal dispute because someone there lost a golden opportunity. Not it is gone.

The validity of the no bid give-a-way from the past is like water over the damm. Gone. That same water isn't coming back. The way to resolve the situation is to put the package together and put it out for bid again. Put the price at 10 times what it went for in the past, at a minimum. Otherwise, let it sit. Sell off some other side yards around town instead.

We don't have to fear a long legal battle as the catalyst for stalling development between Heinz Field and PNC Park. Nope. The development has already been stalled by Continental. They should have the projects done by now.

Note that the mayor is not urging the residents of the North Side and their allies to settle the deal. The mayor is leaving the residents and City Council on the outside. They are being excluded. And, Bruce Kraus says so himself. He isn't going to insist that the land be re-acquired from the SEA and put out for bid by the URA. There are a lot of thing he isn't going to insist upon.

The vapor of the year-round entertainment complex between the stadiums has already delivered a lot of pain to the local economy.

Continental has vowed to advance the projects is a joke. Continental is too little and too late. Contenental voed to advance the project when the deal was struck years ago. The whole outrage is because they already broke the pledge to advance.

Stadium Authority Executive Director Mary Conturo refused to say whether she believes that is so, arguing that to answer "tips our negotiating hand."

Many might think, again, that city council is powerless. Those would be the ones without the creativity. Power needs to be taken and it needs to be applied in creative ways.

For example, the stretch of land that had been squandered can be re-zoned next week by city council. Then we'll see who gets the upper hand. The SEA negotiations should be off.

Mr. Kass is right in this quote: He said. "We haven't done anything .... STOP THERE ... in violation of a contract and, furthermore, they haven't notified us that we were in violation."

Perhaps he meant to say, "We haven't done anything. We are in violation of the contract. Furthermore, we haven't notified anyone we were going to do nothing."

Mr. Ravenstahl asked that cooler heads prevail. But Mr. Ravenstahl -- the players are already cool -- as in cold -- as in frozen out -- as in moving slower than an ice burgh! Cool has won the day, the past month and the past year. Global warming is going to come and flood the lower north shore before they figure out that they want to do something there. Hell, the Rolling Stones are all going to be dead by the time a concert could be hosted.

This would be a nice quote from the mayor about the first week he was in office: "Folks need to sit down and figure out a way to get this done and figure out a way to move this forward," he said. Interim mayor could have said this too.

None have been winners in this deal, except the hand-picked developers.

school recap from Jen

Enough stuff packed in here that I'll do the table of contents again:

Correction

City Council Hearing (June 17) scheduled today

News articles and blog links/video

Public Hearing (June 16)

Talking points (feel free to add)

*****************************************************

Whoops, incorrectly attributed something to Jill Weiss in the last email -- the thing about city council came from a different source! Sorry about that; it’ll teach me to try and save time by using an old letter as a form.

**********************************

City Council has scheduled a public hearing about the Schenley High School closing
on Tuesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. The hearing will be held in council chambers downtown
at the City-County Building. The hearing will also be televised. People who wish to testify
will be allowed a three minute presentation; appointments can be scheduled by calling
the council clerk's office (412-255-2142) no later than 5 pm on Tuesday, June 17th.

We are going to try to organize our presentation among the first ten to twelve speakers, after an initial presentation. We need to plan a meeting in the next couple of days to get this started. Testimony will center on the value of the building itself to the city, the value of the school (and of a transparent and open school administratin) to city life, etc.

If you are willing to meet, organize, and write AND/OR to be one of the speakers of the prepared presentation, please email. Perfect opportunity for people who work downtown to have a chance to speak up for Schenley. Students may also speak (as part of the main presentation or on their own) but again, the emphasis should be on issues relevant to the city/city life as a whole.

If you can’t make this, please send a letter to your city council member:

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
mayorcompl@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

City Controller Michael Lamb
michael.lamb@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 1, Darlene Harris
darlene.harris@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 2, Dan Deasy
dan.deasy@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 3, Bruce Kraus
bruce.kraus@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 4, Jim Motznik
james.motznik@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 5, Doug Shields
doug.shields@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 6, Tonya Payne
tonya.payne@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 7, Patrick Dowd
patrick.dowd@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 8, Bill Peduto
bill.peduto@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

District 9, Rev. Ricky Burgess
reverend.burgess@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

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Is today the last day of classes at Schenley? - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Hard numbers haunt district: City schools' debt $476 million - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

http://www.post-gazette.com/multimedia/?videoID=100678

Final days at Schenley High School video from the Post-Gazette website

Reader Forum: Share your memories of Pittsburgh's Schenley High School on Post-Gazette website

Blogging Schenley:

Think again about high school reform -- not everyone’s thrilled about the 6-12 CAPA concept

TV show about Schenley HS and the ‘sky is falling falsehoods’ -- listen to the broadcast from Friday, hear what’s in those reports.

Schenley HS – fixing asbestos costs $3.4M – according to their experts

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Board of Education Public Hearing on Monday, June 16th

Call 412-622-3600 to register. As of noonish today, there were 25 signed up to speak. Many talking points/unanswered questions directly below.

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Short version of the message -- stop, look, and listen before you do anything else as a board! The school board needs to have a clear idea of the vision and plan for the future before voting in any more spending or changes!

There are big changes coming to every high school in this district (being closed, having an influx of students, the "streamlining" of electives, new feeder patterns and a new lottery system, to name just a few), but no one has a clear idea of the big picture. In the meantime, money is being spent in bits and pieces as parts of this plan go forward. At some point, enough will have been spent that it will seem as though there's no turning back.

Why are we beginning reform by moving and changing currently attractive and successful programs? Innovation and change are great, but they should be aimed where there is failure and bad programming first.

What is going to happen to the currently underenrolled and underperforming high schools? How are those students helped by these plans?

Will it really save taxpayer's money to split students, faculty & staff into four different physical locations - all of which will require significant renovation costs?

If Reizenstein is not being renovated and Frick is supposed to be renovated next year with 4 grades there -- why is it again that the 9th graders aren't going to Reizenstein? Who is going to teach the 9th graders at Frick? No one wants to lose building seniority by moving for a year!

If Schenley is closed will we pay anyway to abate the asbestos if it is sold? (think South Hills High School: “The board of education recently completed a $3.5M site remediation, which included removing asbestos, replacing the roof and removing an addition.” April 2007 -- http://www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/shhs0418.aspx)

What are going to be the effects of dispersing a highly effective faculty & staff from a high school that most students want to go to?

How will all of these new schools be staffed without pulling good teachers from current programs?

Are smaller high schools equipped to provide full complement of athletics, arts, and after-school programs and extracurriculars? If the goal is college ready, all of those things are important. Roosevelt has implied that "comprehensive high schools" are obsolete. The suburbs don’t seem to have gotten this memo.

Parents and students will have to make "choices" about their educational track in fifth grade for these 6-12 schools. Do these themed schools also make later choices more difficult – what about kids that are a bad fit for the school, how limited will their choices be then?

Jen Lakin

Heated words, again, in council about North Shore -- time is up!

kdka.com - Heated Words Over North Shore Amphitheater: "Heated Words Over North Shore Amphitheater"

Great story from KDKA TV News. Good job citizens!

It is fifth, or sixth down. Steelers play football. They know that they only get fourth down. They punted. Time ran out. The clock has been at 00:00, time expired, for more than a year.

We should demand a new bid process. An OPEN BID process. Seek bids, not private deals from behind smoke filled rooms.

We don't need the Steelers to get a kickback from PA Governor Rendell again.

Good job KDKA and great job citizens.

Want to hear the public hearing, click the button below. The first part, a presentation from SEA boss, Mary C, was not included. This starts as the councilmembers question her after her presentation. Then come the citizens.