Fwd: DAP Newsletter

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "DAP" <jayson@diversityinaquatics.org>
Date: Aug 30, 2013 8:33 PM
Subject: DAP Newsletter
To: "Male" <Mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:

Issue: August 2013 Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Welcome to DAP's monthly Newsletters! Every first Friday of the month (excluding this issue) we feature a few stories and event notifications here on the DAP Newsletter.  If you would like to have your event or organization featured in the next issue, please send the details to Sarah Lynch at least a week prior the coming issue. Enjoy! Upcoming Events! East Oakland open water swim event, September 23rd, 2013. More details: https://www.wepay.com/events/173170 The 8th Annual DC Nation's Triathlon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Sunday, September 8, 2013 in Washington, DC. More details: http://nationstri.com/event-info-overview.html Monthly T-Shirt Contest! Starting next Month, in every Newsletter we'll feature a small quiz or task for DAP members to participate in and have a chance to win a Free DAP t-shirt! Be on the look out for September's give-a-way! Monthly Featured Member!   Member: Thaddeus Gamory Hometown: Bronx, New York Aquatic Interests: Competitive swimming, Spring board diving, Triathlons, Wind surfing, Paddle-boarding, Jet-skiing, SCUBA Diving, Swimming and Triathlon coaching, Designing and using the pool water for Total Body Fitness and Active Recovery Routines, for runners and triathletes, as well as athletes of all sports.  Using underwater meditation and martial arts training for enhanced training and recovery, for swimmers, triathletes, runners (all sports) and overall strength conditioning. Please describe your Aquatics Background? When did you start?      "I learned to swim at about 6 years old while attending a summer camp in the Bronx at an indoor High school pool. I loved the water and would spend endless amounts of time at the large NYC public pools (some as large as 100 meter long and 50 meters wide). The older boys would play rough and dunk me and other younger boys under the water, but after  a while I could easily escape them, because they did not know how to swim and I would swim away fast from them and/or go underwater and elude them. [...] I stayed in the deep water and gravitated to the diving well, where they were afraid to go.  And that is when I fell in love with spring board diving, (but at that age, I had no formal coaching or understanding of proper diving techniques until I started diving in High School)       My grandparents on my fathers side were from Trinidad and Grenada and were fishing folks, who knew how to swim and my grandmother loved the beach and taught her children to swim.  My dad and my aunts and uncles would go to the beach to swim, socialize and fish during the hots summer days as often as possible and we kids loved the water.       After following in my older sisters footsteps of being on our Evander Childs High School swimming and diving Team in 1976, I took a semester long Lifeguarding course, that was designed to prepare for jobs as lifeguards at the beaches, lakes and pools in the New York City and surrounding area.  It was very demanding course and included extreme survival skills we aren't required to do today.       I became a NYC Police officer in 1982, and began running and playing basketball to maintain the fitness I had gain to enter and complete the police academy training.  I would run, play full court basketball and then swim a mile if time permitted.  This was my 2-3 times a week routine and the water was my recovery from being on my feet all day and then playing basketball.        I joined the running clubs in the area and did numerous 10k competitions. In 1984 I joined Middletown NY YMCA, US Masters Club and swam my first meet, and then was challenged to do my first triathlon in Greenwood Lake NY (1/2 mile Lake Swim, 18 mile Bike and 10k run).  I continued training for triathlons and was invited to join a sponsored team on several occasions.  Since I was always playing basketball tournaments, I didn't want to dedicate my time to triathlon training full time.       I was a part of the Triathlon community since 1984 and continued to train with cyclist and run with runners, but usually swam on my own.  Wasn't until arriving in Florida in 2004, that I joined the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Master Swim team and started to compete again at swim meets and open water events, all the while continuing to compete in triathlons.      I became a competitive swimmer again competing in Masters Nationals and YMCA Masters nationals events.  At Y-Nats one year I competed in a triathlon that morning and arrived at Hall of Fame Pool in Fort Lauderdale with my triathlon suit and race numbers still on my arms and just in time to compete in my 50 Free event.     When I arrived in Broward County, Florida and learned that there were more drownings going on in Broward County than the rest of the nation, I began to focus my energy on how to create opportunities for more kids of color to learn how to swim and wanted to use triathlon training as the draw to get them in the water.         I helped start a triathlon club for that purpose of creating mentors to help kids learn the sport of triathlon (which didn't pan out), so I and some of my sports professional friends, have started working on a triathlon training model that happens in the pool  and on the pool deck (Total Fitness Triathlon Training; Swim, Aqua Jogging/deep water running and stationary bike training.)         I am currently training a group of 22-25 members of the Black Girls Run South Florida, at the Lauderdale Lakes, Florida pool, using the Total Fitness Triathlon Training model, some of which were previously none swimmers and/or traumatized swimmers."   Additional involvements in aquatics: Owner/Founder - Swimming, Triathlon and Athletic Development Professionals, LLC, Boca Raton Florida, July 2012   Bay City Y Aquatics - Masters Swim Coach/ Triathlon Training Club Coordinator and Coach, Raritan Bay Area Y, Perth Amboy New Jersey, July 2010 – December 2010   Midtown Weston Aquatics at Midtown Athletic Club - Youth Age Group and Masters Swim Coach,  Weston, Florida, September 2008 – May 2010   YMCA of Broward County - Masters Swim Coach/Age Group Assistant Swim Coach, Weston, Florida, July 2007 - July 2008   Broward County Public Schools - Substitute High School Teacher, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 2006 - September 2007   David Posnack, Hebrew Day School - High School Swim Coach, Sunrise, Florida, September 2006 - November 2006 Member of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, the Broward County Drowning Prevention Taskforce   If you would like to be or know of anyone who should be in the next Featured DAP Member section please send an email to Sarah Lynch 2013 Diversity in Aquatics Convention Recap!   Thank you to each of our sponsors, amazing members and wonderful speakers for making this event the best!  On August 8 – 11th the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa set the stage for the inspiring event that had great moments and game changing opportunities while promoting various aquatic sports and program.  In line with the Diversity In Aquatics mission of "curving drowning disparities", the convention provided an opportunity for leaders develop ground breaking partnerships and networks to help propel aquatics sports forward in regards to diversity and inclusion.  DAY 1:                 Day 2-3:                                  Thank you to our Host Fort Lauderdale and each of our speakers! Master of Ceremonies Lee Pitts - Senior Aquatics Director, Boys & Girls Club of Broward County Presenters Shaun Anderson - Co-Founder, Diversity in Aquatics Manny Banks - Diversity Specialist, USA Swimming Dr. Angela Beale - Founder, End Needless Drowning NY Kim Burgess - Executive Director, National Drown Prevention Alliance Richard Butler - Inclusion Manager, USRowing Wanda Butts - Founder, The Josh Project Thaddeus Gamory - Triathlon Chair, Diversity in Aquatics Arthur Lopez - Executive Director and Head Coach, Nadar Por Vida, Inc. Miriam Lynch - Diversity Specialist, Diversity in Aquatics Ken Roland - Recreation Coordinator, City of Fort Lauderdale Parks & Rec Bruce Wigo - Chief Executive Officer, International Swimming Hall of Fame   Thank you to our sponsor Nike Swim and Maritza Correia McClendon for their support of the 1st Diversity in Aquatics Convention Cullen Jones' Interview with ABC World News: Just this past March, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer interviewed Olympian Cullen Jones who spoke about the importance of water safety and the Make a Splash Foundation.  The segment, titled "Preventing Tragedy in the Water this Summer", opens up with clip of a young boy easily sinking to the bottom of the pool.  How easily that could be prevented with just a summer of swim lessons. ABC's David Kerley talks with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission asking parents to prevent these drowning tragedies by having your own kids learn how to swim and safeguarding the area around your home pool. Cullen Jones shares his own near-death story of being a child drowning in water for 30 seconds! Once he learned to swim he kept it up and became one of the world's fastest men in the pool. Cullen Jones shares that it only takes "1 summer" to learn to swim and that it is a skill you'll remember for the rest of your life… 1 summer well worth it. See more of the video at: ABCWorldNews -Photo Credit: ABC World News DAP gets a Shout Out in US Masters Swimming's "Question for Coaches"! The June issue of U.S. Masters Swimming included Diversity in Aquatics in their article by Bill Brenner, "Question for Coaches" What Partnership Should I Pursue?".  Bill writes that there are "[…] three important categories of partnerships […]" that one's program should absolutely partner with. Bill included Diversity in Aquatics under the Community Service category along with other diversity programs and nonprofit groups such as American Red Cross and Urban Swim Program. Check out the full article at: U.S. Masters Swimming Little Known Water Fact: Not many people can say they have swam for 6-8 hours straight while tugging a raft full of 24 wounded men away from Japanese capture and through shark infested waters to safety, but Charles Jackson French can.  Arkansas born, African American, Naval officer, Charles Jackson French didn't imagine he would be completing such a feat at just the age of 23 years-old.  French had enlisted in the Navy in 1937 and served as a seaman aboard the USS Gregory during WWII. When the USS Gregory was destroyed in battle, 25 surviving seamen piled into a raft but noticed they were floating toward Japanese land, where they could potentially be taken as prisoners and possibly killed.  French bravely volunteered to swim the raft away from the shore believing he was a strong enough swimmer to battle through the treacherous waters.  Unfortunately, French's extremely selfless act did not receive its deserved respect and appraisal. Once French had swam until he saw another Naval vessel he was treated with appalling disrespect from white seamen aboard the vessel who ignored his remarkable heroism.  Several years later, when the Navy finally decided to recognize French, they merely sent him a letter of commendation that down played the actual courageousness of French.  Charles Jackson French may be one the strongest open water swimmers of all time yet his story is continually left out of Navy, swimming, and even American history. To read more on Charles Jackson French check out The Story of Charles Jackson French by Bruce Wigo and additional history of African Americans and swimming check out Black Splash: The History of African American Swimmers by Lee Pitts -photo credit: Bruce Wigo, President/CEO of International Swimming Hall of Fame  follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Diversity in Aquatics Programs, All rights reserved. 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Golf preview for WPIAL South

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Sports Town South Zone articles" <internetdesk@post-gazette.com>
Date: Aug 31, 2013 3:04 PM
Subject: Sports Town South Hills Updates
To: <Mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:

Sports Town South Hills Updates

---

• Boys Golf: 2013 South Season Preview
• Girls Golf: 2013 South Season Preview
• Girls Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch
• Boys Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch

Boys Golf: 2013 South Season Preview Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:15 AM PDT Here is a preview of the South boys golf season. Both Peters Township and Upper St. Clair high's boys golf teams ...

Girls Golf: 2013 South Season Preview Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:15 AM PDT Here is a preview of the South girls golf season. Peters Township's girls golf team has yet to taste defeat following ...

Girls Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT Here are some South girls golfers to keep an eye on this season. Lauren Waller, Canon-McMillan, Jr. Melissa Kearlney, Upper St. ...

Boys Golf: 2013 South Players to Watch Posted: 31 Aug 2013 04:00 AM PDT Here are some South boys golfers to keep an eye on this season. Thomas Steve, Upper St. Clair, Sr. Grant Engel, ...

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10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Steven Clift" <clift@e-democracy.org>
Date: Aug 29, 2013 2:17 PM
Subject: [DW] Fwd: Blog CFA: 10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov
To: <newswire@groups.dowire.org>
Cc:

Lots of thought went into this:
http://www.codeforamerica.org/2013/08/29/10-ways-to-collaborate-w-gov/
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "IFTTT Action" <action@ifttt.com>
Date: Aug 29, 2013 1:06 PM
Subject: Blog CFA: 10 Ways to Collaborate w/ Gov
To: <clift@e-democracy.org>
Cc:

   [image: Team
Louisville]<http://www.codeforamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/8551745623_4ecd76bab6.jpg>Collaborating
with local government is one of the defining criteria of a Brigade. To
build the most impactful solutions, both government and citizens must have
a seat at the table.

But collaboration isnt always easy. It takes commitment from both parties,
time, and a willingness to walk the proverbial mile in one anothers shoes.

To help citizens get started in their community, weve put together the
guide How To: Collaborate with
Government<https://docs.google.com/a/codeforamerica.org/document/d/1WtoE_Kfqcu73MCUOIXujrzTfqrQAW3DGt0sC8iKJ6Rw/edit#>.
We wanted to share a list of 10 tips for reaching out and collaborating
with government.
10 Ways to Reach Out & Collaborate with Your Local Government

*Get to Know Your City & Local Government*

   - The best way to get started working with the local government in your
   city is by getting to know it. Do some research, either by yourself or with
   your Brigade at a hack night.
   - Some useful questions to answer include: Does your city have a strong
   mayorcouncil system, a weak mayorcouncil system, or a council-manager
   system? Who is the mayor and who is on the city council? Are there any
   departments or government employees that would make good allies for your
   Brigade?

*Attend City Council Meetings*

   - Send a representative from your Brigade to each city council meeting.
   They can take notes and report back to your Brigade on the meetings
   outcomes, city priorities, and any opportunities for overlap with current
   Brigade projects or opportunities for new projects.
   - City Council meetings are also great places to advocate for policies
   your Brigade would like to see, such as open data or procurement reform.
   Theyre also great venues for you to show support for the work your local
   government is doing. Its important to recognize when your city does great
   work in addition to advocating when you want to see something change.

*Start a Conversation*

   - Once youve gotten familiar with your local government, youll
   probably get a sense of the department heads, councilors, or executives
   whose interests or areas of expertise overlap with your Brigades.
   - Ask these folks to meet up for lunch or coffee. Understand what
   theyre passionate about. See if theres any overlap with what you want to
   do and with technology. The more you meet with members of your local
   government, the faster you can learn about their processes, systems,
   constraints, intentions, and desires.

*Extend An Invite *

   - One of the most important and productive interfaces for collaborating
   with local government is being in a room together, collaborating on solving
   problems face-to-face. Local government staff might not know about your
   group or how they can participate.
   - Ask them to come to your meetup or hack night. Invite them to
   participate in a Q&A or give casual presentation on their department to
   your group.
   - As Raleigh, N.C. Brigade Captain Jason Hibbets says, [Having local
   government at our events] makes it so much easier because we can eliminate
   a lot of assumptions we have about data or programs or how things work in
   city government that can help us move the needle faster.

*Find a champion(s) in City Hall*

   - As you meet with folks in City Hall and as they come to your hack
   nights, its more likely that theyll become engaged and enthusiastic about
   your group and the work its doing. As these champions emerge, make sure to
   find ways to keep them in the loop on what youre doing and let them know
   how they can help.
   - As Hibbets also says, Youve got to find the champion. Youve got to
   find your city councilor or department head whos into technology, whos
   into this stuff. Thats been pretty critical to our success.

*Find quick wins*

   - Is there a city project that has an easy technical solution? Are there
   city officials or departments interested in learning more about open source
   and open data?
   - Finding quick ways to prove your skills and the value your group can
   bring, whether theyre developing technology or helping your local
   government better understand your community, is one of the easiest ways the
   garner support from them.

*Meet in City Hall*

   - If 80 percent of success is really just showing up, showing up and
   meeting at City Hall can go a long way. Brigades such as Open Oakland
   (Calif.) and Code for Kansas City hold meetups in City Hall. In Virginia
   Beach (Va.), the Captains have earned a hall pass  badges that let them
   meet with city staff where they work on the municipal campus.

*Collaborate On A Project or Co-host An Event*

   - Once youve established relationships with those in your local
   government, start working on something together. Whether its collaborating
   on an app or co-hosting an event, producing something together is rewarding.

*Keep the Dialogue Going*

   - As you build more and more relationships with local government, make
   sure to keep your contacts in City Hall in the loop. Continue to invite
   them to your meetings, make sure theyre aware of whats happening and of
   your objectives.
   - And dont get discouraged if you hit roadblocks or go through periods
   where there are lulls. As Raleigh, N.C. Brigade Captain Chad Foley says,
   Be patient. Its going to take time to establish and build those
   relationships.

*Join Citizen Advisory Councils*

   - If there are commissions or councils in your city that overlap with
   areas your Brigade is working on, join them! In Austin, Texas, Brigade
   Captain Chip Rosenthal is the Vice Chair of the Community Technology and
   Telecommunications Commission.
   - Conversely, invite interested local government employees to be your
   Brigades municipal sponsor or co-captain. Open Asheville, N.C. is lead by
   city staff in the GIS department with the support of the CIO. Code for
   Raleighs (N.C.) Chad Foley works for the city and co-captains the Brigade.

Do you have tips from experiences collaborating with your local government?
Share them with us! Hit us up @codeforamerica<http://twitter.com/codeforamerica>
.


via Code for America
http://www.codeforamerica.org/2013/08/29/10-ways-to-collaborate-w-gov/



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  Put the internet to work for you.  via Personal Recipe
2308384<http://ifttt.com/myrecipes/personal/2308384>

-----------------------------------------
Group home for Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire:
http://groups.dowire.org/groups/newswire

Replies go to members of Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire with all posts on this topic here:
http://groups.dowire.org/r/topic/3tltyeojo5ZAzTQb0lS5E9

For digest version or to leave Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire,
email newswire@groups.dowire.org
with "digest on" or "unsubscribe" in the *subject*.

Newswire - Steven Clift's Democracies Online Newswire is hosted by Democracies Online - http://dowire.org.

Fwd: 2013-2014 HDCG Planning School "The Greenprint: A Walking Tour"

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Hill District Consensus Group" <hdcg@wildapricot.org>
Date: Aug 30, 2013 10:33 AM
Subject: 2013-2014 HDCG Planning School "The Greenprint: A Walking Tour"
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:

2013-2014 HDCG Planning School "The Greenprint: A Walking Tour" Wednesday, September 4th @ 6:00pm (Rain date: Thursday, September 5th @ 6:00pm) Lobby of Hill House Association, 1835 Centre Ave The Hill House and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy invites the community to join them on a walking tour of the Hill District Greenprint Plan. The Greenprint Plan seeks to re-connect the Hill District to its landscape and its community members to the greater Pittsburgh area. Centre Ave Tour: Public Art Installation, Olivet Baptist Church, Chauncey Street Steps, Kennard Field, and more. Drinks & snacks will be provided. Please RSVP to shao@hdcg.org or 412-697-4692. Click here for the Facebook event About the Series The 2013-2014 HDCG Planning School seeks to spark community discussion and coordinated action around important neighborhood issues. Each event will focus on a particular Program Initiative framed in the Greater Hill District Master Plan. The series aims to fulfill two main goals: Community Education Provide an opportunity to learn about the Master Plan and any progress being made to fulfill community goals Community Engagement Provide an opportunity to discuss important neighborhood issues and take action to be part of the solution Copyright © 2012 Hill District Consensus Group. All rights reserved. Contact email: info@hdcg.org Facebook   Twitter You are receiving this message because you opted in at http://www.hdcg.org/ Unsubscribe

Public School Teachers Paid More Than Most Households

From Newsmax:

Despite the clamor about low teacher pay in America, the average teacher in a taxpayer-supported public school earns more in base salary alone — with summers off — than the median U.S. household earns in an entire year.

According to a new report from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average base salary for a full-time public school teacher in the 2011-2012 school year was $53,100.

The Census Bureau estimated that the median household income in the United States was $50,054 in 2011, the latest year for which figures are available.

The income earned by public school teachers is also significantly higher than the base salary of the average private school teacher, $40,200 a year, according to the NCES.

Many public school teachers earn more than their base salary. For example, 41.8 percent of teachers receive additional income to work in extracurricular activities in the same school system; 4 percent earn additional compensation based on students' performance; and 7.3 percent receive income from other school-system sources, such as state supplements.

On top of that, 16.5 percent of public school teachers have another job outside the school system.

When all sources of income are included, the average public school teacher earned $55,100 in the school year studied.

Teachers at public high schools earned even more: $57,700 in 2011-2012, and teachers at schools with at least 1,000 students made $59,100.

In contrast, teachers at private elementary schools earned just $38,400 that year, and those who work in a community classified as a "town" earned only $31,200.

Footnote: The NCES figures for public school teachers do not include their often generous retirement pensions.

Fwd: Hill Dance Academy Theatre's First Gala Fundraiser

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Hill District Consensus Group" <hdcg@wildapricot.org>
Date: Aug 31, 2013 3:07 PM
Subject: Hill Dance Academy Theatre's First Gala Fundraiser
To: "Mark Rauterkus" <mark@rauterkus.com>
Cc:

Facebook   Twitter Hill Dance Academy Theatre - September 2013 First Gala Fundraiser     Saturday, September 21, 2013 5:00pm to 9:00pm Thelma Lovette YMCA, 2114 Centre Avenue Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT) will host its first Annual Gala Fundraiser celebrating Youth Champions in the Arts. One young artist in Dance, Music and Theatre, who is doing outstanding work in the arts, but is unknown, will be selected as HDAT's First Youth Champions in the Arts. Please read the following and help HDAT to get the word out to identify youth in Dance, Music and Theatre, who are unsung, and doing outstanding work in their field of Dance, Music and Theatre. Show your support: Click here Event flyer: Click here Copyright © 2012 Hill District Consensus Group. All rights reserved. Contact email: info@hdcg.org You are receiving this message because you opted in at http://www.hdcg.org/ Unsubscribe

Fwd: NEWS ALERT: County Councilman Matt Drozd will hold a news conference this afternoon to urge residents to speak at Council meeting in support of his ordinance/referendum that gives the people a voice

MATT DROZD DISTRICT 1       COMMITTEES   Appointment Review Budget & Finance Economic Dev.& Housing Parks Public Safety     Office of the County Council 119 Courthouse ∙ 436 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone (412) 350-6525 ∙ Home Phone (412) 364-1600 Matt.Drozd@AlleghenyCounty.us Http://www.AlleghenyCounty.us/council           MEDIA ADVISORY, August 25, 2013 County Councilman Matt Drozd will be holding a news conference this afternoon (Sunday August 25 at 3:00 PM) in the Courthouse Court yard to urge the residents of Allegheny County to speak at County Council’s Tuesday night meeting (August 27th at 5:00 PM) in support of his ordinance which will place a referendum on the ballot to give the people of Allegheny County a voice as to whether or not to drill for gas in the County Parks.  The Councilman is quoted as saying that “my ordinance to place this subject on the ballot is also about giving the people the opportunity to voice their opinion on any major issue.  I am a firm believer that the people should have a say when it comes to any major decision that affect their future and day-to-day lives”.   In this particular referendum, our county Parks will greatly benefit by making them world-class parks and the people will also greatly benefit via tax relief similar to the people of Alaska.  A draft of the ordnance/referendum is found herein.  Hopefully, this will generate the largest turn-out ever of people speaking before Allegheny County Council.  In order to speak at Tuesday evening’s meeting, people will have to call the offices of County Council by no later than close of business tomorrow (4:30 PM-Monday, August 26) at 412-364-6525/6491   ORDINANCE   An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania directing that a referendum question amending Article IV of the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter, pursuant to the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law and Second Class County Charter Law, be placed on the 2014 Primary Election ballot contingent upon the passage of the referendum question.               WHEREAS, the citizens of Allegheny County adopted a Home Rule Charter, effective January 1, 2000, which provided for, among other things, the powers vested within each branch of government; and   WHEREAS, the Allegheny County Council desire to submit a proposed ballot question to the citizens of Allegheny County which, if passed, would either allow for or prevent the exploration for natural gas in the County Parks whichever is approved by a majority of voters; and   WHEREAS, there has been some discussion about the leasing of  County park mineral rights specifically Deer Lakes Park as there are plans to drill platforms adjacent to the park; and   WHEREAS, the mere discussion of a proposal to allow a private company to drill for natural gas on County Park land has generated public outcry for and against such proposals; and   WHEREAS, the County retains control of the mineral rights on all County-owned land which encompasses the County parks; and   WHEREAS, the County Council retains the authority over the use of Park lands, Parks have historically been created for the use and enjoyment of the citizens of the County; and               WHEREAS, while there has been no formal discussion or approval for the lease of mineral rights at this time yet many of the citizens of Allegheny County are aware of the possibility  and are concerned about using park land for such a controversial activity; and   WHEREAS, if a formal discussion about leasing the mineral rights of the County parks does take place the citizens of Allegheny County and the County Parks as an institution should benefit directly from any revenue generated; and   WHEREAS, County Council accordingly will create a fund in the amount of 1/3 of the revenue generated from any approved mineral exploration on County Park land for the purposes of maintaining and improving the County Parks Allegheny County and for the remainder to be deposited into the General Fund for the purpose of reducing the tax burden on the citizens of Allegheny County; and               WHEREAS, the approval of a ballot question accomplishing these changes would necessitate certain amendments to the Administrative Code; and               WHEREAS, these changes will inure to the benefit of the citizens and taxpayers of Allegheny County by promoting a more open, transparent and participatory government by increasing the opportunity for direct citizen involvement for the use of County Park land for the purposes of mineral exploration.     The Council of the County of Allegheny hereby enacts as follows:     SECTION 1.            Incorporation of the Preamble.   The provisions set forth in the preamble to this Ordinance are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.      SECTION 2.            Ballot Question.   Pursuant to the Second Class County Charter Law and the Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law, the Allegheny County Board of Elections is directed to place the following question on the May 17, 2014 Primary Ballot for consideration and approval by the registered electors of the County:   Shall the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter be amended to establish that it shall be the decision of a majority of the voters of Allegheny County whether or not to allow for the exploration and extraction of minerals in, on, or below County Park land?     SECTION 3.      Provisional Amendment of the Administrative Code, Powers and duties of the County Council.   If the Board of Election certifies that the ballot question set forth in Section 2 above has been approved by the registered electors of the County, then the Allegheny County Home Rule Charter shall be amended as follows and pursuant to the effective dates established in Section 4 of this Ordinance:   A.            Amendment of Article IV, §2 (k):   (k) By ordinance, lease, convey, vacate or abandon, or permit the use of County land, buildings or other real or personal property, except for the exploration and or extraction of minerals from County Park land which will be decided by referendum of the citizens of Allegheny County and shall not be subject to a veto by County Council nor the County Executive for at least two years following its approval or disapproval.       SECTION 4.            Effective Dates.   A.      The provisions of Section 2 of this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon the date of final approval.   B.      The provisions of Section 3 of this Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon the date of certification of passage of the date of certification of passage of the referendum provided for in Section 2.     SECTION      5.      Severability.         If any provision of this Ordinance shall be determined to be unlawful, invalid, void or unenforceable, then that provision shall be considered severable from the remaining provisions of this Ordinance which shall be in full force and effect.     SECTION      6.      Repealer.   Any Resolution or Ordinance or part thereof conflicting with the provisions of this Ordinance is hereby repealed so far as the same affects this Resolution.     PRIMARY SPONSOR:  COUNCIL MEMBER DROZD Enacted in Council, this ___________ day of ________________________, 2013 Council Agenda No. ________________.         CONTACT:  Matt Drozd can be reached at his home office (412-364-1600), or Council office line (412-350-6525).   News Coference:   This afternoon at 3:00 PM, Sunday, in the Court House          Court Yard Legislative session:  Tuesday evening August 27th, Court House Gold                                                                                      # # # #               To

 

Erik and then myself, Mark, at PPS School Board public comment with back to school message

Speaker # 20, Erik Rauterkus.



Speaker # 21, Mark Rauterkus.

Thanks for Summer Dreamers advertisement

Those were the days. Water polo action with our kids vs other legit teams.

Click image for a better view.

Back in 2010 we had access to some swim pool time in PPS pools and had a training group so that we could play water polo against some other high school teams. Here is Frane Poeting, Burke's big brother, a swimmer at Wooster now, pushing some good defense. His teammate is Tait Williams, a PIAA 50 Free Competitor. Frane was a home school kid and Tait transferred out of Frick/Schenley to City High.

We are playing this game at IUP and it is against a prep school from New Jersey, The Lawrenceville School.

http://www.lawrenceville.org/index.aspx

This summer we had nearly 200 kids playing water polo in the city with PPS Summer Dreamers. The aim is to develop a passion for sports and activities that can go further than the five weeks of Summer Dreamers and extend throughout their lives.

Sorta hard to do that when we don't have any pool time in August as per PPS Policy to stop all permits on August 1. And, we don't have any letter at the PIAA offices saying any of our PPS schools are sponsoring a water polo team. Back then we were a 'non-league team' and we could schedule a few games a year as "Schenley."

Not so much now, despite our wishes.

Anyone that wants to play water polo, boy or girl, high school ages and above, in deep water, come out to North Park at 8 am to 11 am on Saturday, August 24, 2013. After the play, there is a pot luck. Bring something to share. we'll be there to noon, I expect.

Online Schools dot Org

http://www.OnlineSchools.org

OnlineSchools.org is a higher education site with guides to using online learning to obtain degrees, jobs, or general education.

The database there is a comprehensive collection of every accredited online school in the United States, and is the most extensive searchable database available online. The site also features and online learning ebook as well as student interviews to help prepare everyone for online education.

Foundation to assess city schools' Summer Dreamers Academy

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/foundation-to-assess-city-schools-summer-academy-699228/

Foundation to assess city schools' Summer Dreamers AcademyAugust 14, 2013 12:08 am
Niederberger / Pittsburgh Post-GazetteAs part of a $50 million investment in summer K-12 programs including one in Pittsburgh, the Wallace Foundation is taking a close look at whether those programs work.
Wallace has been one of the funders for Summer Dreamers Academy operated by Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The academy drew 2,200 students this summer. The foundation has spent a total of $2.8 million in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in Pittsburgh. It also has contributed to programs in Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Duval County in Florida and Rochester. In addition to the district investments, Wallace also awarded grants to four nonprofit organizations that support summer learning.
Wallace has hired the Rand Corp. to study whether the summer programs improve student learning and what the best practices are in such programs.In a report released Monday, the researchers made recommendations on how to launch summer learning programs, including planning early for summer programs, hiring teachers by February so the best teachers are available and using commercially available curriculum rather than district-created curriculum.
It also recommends spending three to four hours a day for academics.To be cost conscious, the report recommends avoiding assigning small numbers of students to many sites, using enrichment providers to fill out the program, hiring staff based on projected attendance rather than enrollment and operating a full-day program for five to six weeks.
The studies focus on summers of 2011 and 2012. Some 5,000 students are being tracked in the studies.
One goal is to document what efforts can narrow the achievement gap between low-income and higher-income students.
Ann Stone, senior research and evaluation officer at the Wallace Foundation, said many students forget a portion of their school year learning over the summer.
However, she said, research shows the losses are greatest for low-income children, who already enter school academically behind their higher-income peers.
"We think summer learning could be one of the best ways to reduce that achievement gap," Ms. Stone said.

Here is my $.02 for this overall mission.

We need more parent engagement. The parents need to know that the schools are going to try hard, but without some boosters and support at home, then the efforts won't really work in the long run. 

I enjoyed meeting the parents when this was possible. But, it isn't woven into the programs as it is now. The kids get on the bus. The kids get off the bus. There are few, if any, times when the kids, their parent(s) / grandmothers / guardians, and their peers and the teachers as well as the activity providers get to interact. 

The "night out" was a flop.

The "open house" was a flop. too. 

Our swim party and group swim lesson had potential, but it wasn't organized in advance and didn't occur. 

Our post camp trips / days were great, but too many were not invested and tied into the program.

I loved seeing some of the parents play SKWIM. That's more of what we need. Then, sky is the limit for the kids and the district.