Citizen Driven -- my *ss!

Last week I got tossed out of a Grant Street meeting, of sorts. I'm still pissed.

Just don't tell me that a project is going to be "citizen driven" when it has taken five years, and the next stages in the process include work with the legal department, operations from the Planning Department, a RFP, then a community engagement meeting at the tail end of the efforts.

That's not something I'm going to buy into, in the slightest.

If something is 'citizen driven' -- then the citizen meetings happen at the outset.

Furthermore, don't expect me to think for a moment that the South Side Local Development Committee, (SSLDC), speaks for us -- the citizens.

I don't speak for citizens. But I do know what citizen driven looks and feels like. And, that those on Grant Street can't hoodwink me without an objection.

We have a dark spot in our South Side Community -- behind the South Side Hospital. Another year comes and kids throughout the city are getting into vans on school nights to play hockey at a facility near the airport. We only have one indoor ice rink in the city -- and it is the Civic Arena. It is a little hard to get ice time there. And, they want to tear it down too.

This year I talked about the closed indoor ice rink about 30 times at community meetings as I campaigned. Dozens of ideas have been floated. But, the city has been putting everything on ice -- go figure.

I get calls every other month from developers of sports facilities that would like to use the area for coaching, for kids, for community, for everyone's benefit. But nothing happens.

The former operator of that facility failed. But the biggest failure then was the lack of oversight. That is how leases are to work. When the lease holder fails to hold up his end of the deal -- you come in and change the locks.

This isn't a mayor's issue yet. But it will be in 2007. It was in 2006. And I'm still frustrated by those on Grant Street.

Fairy Tail

A young person asks, "Do all fairy tails begin with, 'Once upon a time, ...?'

An elder answers, "Another series begins with the words, "When I'm elected..."

Look out.

kdka.com - Murphy Staffer Who Appeared On KDKA Told To Leave

Another segment on another day.

kdka.com - Murphy Staffer Who Appeared On KDKA Told To Leave Murphy Staffer Who Appeared On KDKA Told To Leave

Andy Sheehan Reporting

(KDKA) PITTSBURGH There are new developments in the story KDKA Investigator Andy Sheehan broke Thursday night about Congressman Tim Murphy.

Evidence obtained by KDKA reportedly shows members of his staff are working his reelection campaign which is a direct violation of congressional ethics rules.

Now, Sheehan has learned a Murphy staffer who appeared in his story showed up for work Friday morning but was told to leave.

Jayne O'Shaughnessy doesn't call herself a whistle blower but she says she felt compelled to speak about goings on inside the Murphy office.

And she believes that may have cost her the job.

'The taxpayer are picking up the tab and don't know about it or didn't know about,' said O'Shaughnessy.

O'Shaughnessy is on vacation today.

Ethics board lies dormant despite charges - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Ethics board lies dormant despite charges - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Ethics board lies dormant despite charges

By Jeremy Boren

Members of Pittsburgh's 3-month-old Ethics Hearing Board still haven't met despite several charges against city employees of ethical wrongdoing.

Duhh... Come on folks.

The trend is to make excuses for doing nothing or little. These excuses won't fly smoothly in the future.

Action! We want action!

Bill Ogden on Property Tax

Mini profile on TV.

My space.com page for Emmas Revolution fans

www.myspace.com/emmasrevolutionfans: "EMMA'S REVOLUTION Folk / Folk Rock 'truth, hope and a dash of irreverance'

Why can't they count our votes! Good song.

Now has 78 plays. Send it higher.


Here are the gals playing in a Pittsburgh House Concert.

You Tube has video story of KDKA's TV story that hits hard against Congressman Tim Murphy

Folks, you can't use the state or federal office to help in a campaign. Duhh!

This is a great investigative report from KDKA TV. Getting the staffer on camera my prove to be fatal for Murphy's hope to finish his next term, or get elected.

Sadly, I don't think that the Dem has the juice to get out the message in a weird district that spans three counties. I don't want to make excuses, but it would make for a great topping for a hard waged campaign.

Next questions: Where is the DA, Attorney Gerneral, FBI corruption folks and others from the the same party as Murphy? This story should have legs.
Hat-tip and more at 2 Political Juniies blog.

Freedom to fascism . com

New movie, not yet in Pittsburgh.

Commonwealth of PA - Campaign Finance Reporting

Commonwealth of PA - Campaign Finance Reporting: "Campaign Finance Reporting Home"

For K-5, K-8 and ALAs about reading

Letter about reading.

The changes to the grading in the reading programs have been a bit of a hurdle for some of the students and families, yet alone teachers, in the district. A letter is headed to all. Here it is, cut and pasted below.

Superintendent of Schools

SUBJECT: NEW READING PROGRAM FOR K-5 STUDENTS

Dear Parents/Guardians:

The Pittsburgh Public Schools Excellence for All reform agenda recognizes literacy as the primary building block for all learning. One of the objectives of Excellence for All is to increase the percentage of students proficient in reading on the PSSA by the end of 3rd grade from 49% (2004-2005) to 80% by the end of the 2008-2009 school year.

Providing a rigorous curriculum aligned to state standards is critical to achieving the goal of improved academic performance for children at all levels. Among the steps the District has taken toward meeting that goal is the adoption of Treasures, a new reading/language arts program published by Macmillan McGraw/Hill. Treasures is currently being implemented in Kindergarten through Grade 5.

As the District moves from the previous reading program to Treasures, you may notice an initial change in your child’s grades for two specific reasons:

The difference in the way students are tested in the new Treasures Reading Series

The new standardized district-wide grading guidelines

CHANGES IN TESTING:

In the previous program, students read and discussed one selection per week. The weekly tests were then based on comprehension of that story as well as the skills taught. This year, students read three selections a week focusing on the same vocabulary and skills. Then on the weekly test, they read a different text that focuses on the same vocabulary and skills. This is known as a “cold read”.

The advantage of a “cold read” is that the test better measures how well children have learned the skills that were taught as well as strategies they apply as they encounter other “cold reads” such as books, newspapers, magazines, etc.

CHANGES IN GRADING PROCEDURES:

A standardized procedure for grading has been established and implemented throughout the District. This means student achievement in reading will be measured in the same way in each classroom across the District in grades 1-5. The grades are based on weekly assessments, unit assessments and classroom assignments. To measure what your child has learned, a nine-week grade will be based primarily on work that was graded according to these procedures.

Treasures reflects the most recent reading research and represents the first new reading program developed since the release of the National Reading Panel’s findings. Treasures supports Pennsylvania State Standards and the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Further information on Treasures can be provided by speaking to the Principal or Curriculum Coach at your child’s school or by calling the Parent Hot Line at 412-622-7920.

Sincerely,

Dr. Barbara Rudiak

Project Manager, Macmillan

This got coverage in the P-G, after it was blogged about yesterday.

Tougher reading program means low city grades Tougher reading program means low city grades

Friday, November 03, 2006
By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Parents of some Pittsburgh elementary school students will find an unwelcome surprise -- unusually low marks in reading -- when their children bring home report cards Nov. 17.

Newspaper stops giving endorsement and publishes full text of candidate interviews instead

� Grand Forks Herald � The election is nine days away - and the Herald's editorial columns should be filled up with endorsements.

Not this year, however.

Earlier in the year, Editorial Page Editor Tom Dennis convinced me and other members of the editorial board that we should try something different. Instead of endorsements, the board would offer interviews of candidates. These would be posted on the Herald's Web site, www.GrandForksHerald.com for anyone interested to read.

Interviews of most candidates have been posted. A few are yet to be transcribed. They should be on the Web site by the end of the week.

This is a great idea.

I would be all in favor of the editorial board endorsement coming along with the full text of the interviews of those meetings. Better still, release the full text of the meetings along with a podcast of each of the meetings as well.

By the way, a full text of the interviews I've been a part of at the Pgh Tribune Review, including audio and video, have been posted to a blog in Never-never Land dot com because I've NEVER been invited to an interview with that newspaper.

So, while the rest of the country is moving these endorsement interviews into the modern age, it is impossible to get candidate interviews with some newspapers in this town.

It is no wonder why there are hundreds of newspapers throughout the nation that are in deep financial troubles. The industry is dying because of a lack of motivation and creativity.

Catherine's quotes hit Woman's Day Magazine - Checkup: Hearing Loss

Woman's Day Magazine - Checkup: Hearing Loss “We live in a noisy world. But our ears don’t split open and start bleeding when we damage them. So you can have quite a bit of hearing loss before you know it.
Catherine Palmer, Ph.D., head of the Center for Audiology and Hearing Aid Services, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Catherine Palmer, Ph.D., is at UPMC's Eye and Ear, and with Pitt's School of Health & Rehab Sciences, -- and she's my sweetheart.

This is on news-stands now.

Inmates 'fish' for contraband with broomsticks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Inmates 'fish' for contraband with broomsticks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Inmates 'fish' for contraband with broomsticks

Don't build a fence around the jail.

For Mom & Dad and their 50th

Faith, hope, love.
These three I offer you this season.
Faith that living affirms.
Hope that caring illumines.
Love that more matters than anything.
(Richard S. Gilbert)

Growing up, our home was filled to the brim with faith, hope and love. We were blessed with great models, you two. The families and generations notice and renew. Feeling you spread faith, hope and love to our kids is wonderful. Fifty years of marriage is a testimony to faith, hope and love. You have offered these to us through all the seasons.

Mark, Catherine, Erik & Grant

Trick or Treat Stats --- Last night we had 80 visit our house

The rain came. So did 80 trick or treaters.

Grant and I made the rounds in the neighborhood for an hour or so. Erik and my wife worked the front door.

We bounced into a Steeler in our rounds as well. He said Big Ben will be fine -- thanks to my son's probing questions.

If I was mayor, or on city council, -- I'd be working hard to host Open Office.org's conference in 2007

Check out this call for proposals for holding an open source conference. This is for the OpenOffice.org community.

When I campaign, I give out CDs and those CDs include an installer for OpenOffice.Org. It is a free and open source software package that can take the place of Microsoft Office. It costs $0. And, it includes a database, drawing program, word processor, presentation program and more.

I'm going to three meetings in the next few weeks where I'll raise this question. The blogfest, the PodCamp and a meeting on Grant Street about the still closed, lone, indoor ice rink on the South Side.

If your interested in putting together a bid for this event, let me know. I'd be very willing to help and be a co-organizer.

Dear OpenOffice.org Community members,

The annual OpenOffice.org Conference continues to go from strength to strength, with this year's glittering event in Lyon, France attracting more than 600 registrations and enjoying a civic reception laid on by the Mayor of Lyon in the historic town hall.

Can your team do even better next year?

We are collecting applications from teams who are willing to organize OOoConf 2007. To give you an idea about what we are looking for, you can take a look at last year's proposals: http://marketing.openoffice.org/ooocon2006/proposal.html##PROPOSALLYON

Interested teams should send their applications to the mailing list mailto:conference@marketing.openoffice.org following the guidelines below.

Key Question

In 400 words or less, answer this question:

* Why is your location and the date you propose the best for OOoConf 2007?

Your proposal MUST include

* Location (country, city, conference center/university)
* Proposed Date(s)
* Team Lead (main contact person)
* Team Members (all members should be willing and able to commit at least 3 hours per day to planning the conference during the last two weeks before OOoConf 2007)
* Local events that are taking place in parallel (or right
before/after)
* Special visa or entry requirements, e.g. vaccinations

Your proposal COULD include

* Large local OpenOffice.org deployments (for user keynotes and success stories)
* Names of local OpenOffice.org developers (for developer sessions)
* Names of local OpenOffice.org vendors/partners (potential sponsors)
* Travel costs (e.g. flight costs from the following cities: London, Paris, Rome, Beijing, Sydney, New York, Hamburg, Dublin, San Francisco, Cape Town, Tokyo)
* Accomodation costs (youth hostel, hotel)

Supplementary Information

User feedback from previous conferences suggest that the ideal location will:

* have a strong local OpenOffice.org community
* attract strong sponsor support
* have a low-cost/free conference centre with conference venues close together
* have facilities where people can pass the time, socialise, and mingle with other conference delegates close to the conference building(s)
* have a range of low-cost accomodation with easy/cheap transport to the conference location
* attract the largest number of community contributers
* facilitate the attendance of a large number of Sun's OpenOffice.org developers (who are in Hamburg, Germany)
* be accessible by cheap flight and train tickets
* be aligned with a large IT event (e.g. CeBIT, Systems, Comdex)
* provide low-cost broadband Internet access (e.g. wireless LAN in the rooms)
* allow for video and audio streaming (e.g. via the support of a company)

Submitting a Proposal

Proposals should be sent to the mailing list
mailto:conference@marketing.openoffice.org.

The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2006. Shortly after that date we will publish the applications and call for votes from community members.

Information about previous OpenOffice.org Conferences can be found at:
http://marketing.openoffice.org/conference

Thank you and good luck with your proposals!

The OpenOffice.org Conference Team

Questions: Where are the biggest OpenOffice.org installs, other than with the CDs I've passed around town?

Too bad we also have a closed hostel too -- in Allentown.

Perhaps we can make the event the key for the re-opening of South Vo Tech High School -- and South Hills High School -- and Knoxville Middle School -- and Gladstone Middle School. We could make them all Hostels for this event. Then we'll hold the opening and closing ceremonies at the Neville Ice Rink!

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Delivers 40 New Police Officers to Pittsburgh Force: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

I had a conversation with the FOP's union boss today on Grant Street. He was before city council to complain because the crossing guards got new rain coats and now the police officers can't get their belts repaired.

No joke.

And, the guys in the mayor's office didn't know about it. The budget was dry and a transfer of funds was needed to keep the folks in their gear. Else, I guess, the fashion police would be called. Or, the police might be wearing their pants low, like some of the kids that they might need to chase on neighborhood streets.

Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Delivers 40 New Police Officers to Pittsburgh Force: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Delivers 40 New Police Officers to Pittsburgh Force

Second grant will reduce the backlog of drug samples at county lab

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell today joined Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Police Chief Nate Harper to announce two grants totaling $2.12 million. One enables the city to hire 40 new officers to battle the rising gun violence and the other will fund a high-tech microscope to reduce the backlog of drug cases at the county's forensic laboratory.

Meanwhile, the union boss for the police told me he is dead set against anyone doing police work, other than police. So, he doesn't like the fact that crossing guards can write a ticket. I don't think he knew that they had those powers already.

Furthermore, he was un-aware that the Safety Ambassadors hired by a tax impossed from the Downtown BID (Business Improvement District) are really beat cops, or try to take the place of beat cops. However, some of those PDP (Pgh Downtown Partnership) safety ambassadors were dealing drugs while on the job in the past.

That program is nuts.

Why should it be a priority to have CROSSING GUARDS like people help corporate types downtown when we don't have the real crossing guards employed by the right agency and with the right equipment, as in radios and cell phones.

The meter maids who write parking tickets have radios. The same should be provided for Crossing Guards.

The PDP should be hiring CROSSING GUARDS and not its own secuirity force for downtown.

Stay safe and smile -- and Happy Halloween to all

Stay safe out there with trick-or-treaters.

Smile.

China comes through

China's Foreign Ministry says North Korea has agreed to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, wire services report.

Energy drinks wire teens, worry me

I'm worried about these energy drink. This topic needs to be a new wellness issue talked about in schools and with coaches and teams.

Pittsburgh's market has had a long-standing energy drink for some years. It is called, "Ice Tea." Folks around here gulp the boxed iced tea by the half-gallon.

That stuff is strong in terms of its stimulant.

The State | 10/30/2006 | Energy drinks wire teens, worry others Energy drinks wire teens, worry others
By CARLA K. JOHNSON The Associated Press

CHICAGO — More than 500 new energy drinks launched worldwide this year, and coffee fans are probably too old to understand why.

Energy drinks aren’t merely popular with young people. They attract fan mail on their own MySpace pages. They spawn urban legends. They get reviewed by bloggers. And they taste like carbonated cough syrup.

Vying for the dollars of teenagers with promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs, the new products join top-sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar to make up a $3.4 billion-a-year industry that grew by 80 percent last year.

Thirty-one percent of U.S. teenagers say they drink energy drinks, according to Simmons Research. That represents 7.6 million teens, a jump of almost 3 million in three years.

Nutritionists warn that the drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook kids on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle. The caffeine comes from multiple sources, making it hard to tell how much the drinks contain. Some have B vitamins, which when taken in megadoses can cause rapid heartbeat, and numbness and tingling in the hands and feet.