Allegheny County voter turnout just under 21 percent

Allegheny County voter turnout just under 21 percent: "The region's highest-profile race, in which Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl fended off Councilman Patrick Dowd and attorney Carmen Robinson, didn't turn out to be a big draw. In unofficial results, 45,356 votes were cast, compared to 58,843 in 2005, 67,657 in 2003, and 66,730 in 1997."

I don't know how 5.5 percent of the people who were not Ds and not Rs got in to vote. Did they wear masks of Nixon and Clinton?

In the city, that percentage would be equal to zero.

Getting 30,000 votes would have been the formula for a win. Still would be a good goal for the fall of 2009. I think 30,000 makes the candidate mayor.

At $1 per vote, which is close to my average, I could win the mayor's race with $30,000.

How much did Luke spend in the end?

How many voters did he get?

What are those cost per votes?

Steelers Nation

A nice warm up on an idle sports day -- in that the next Pens game is not tonight, but on Thursday!

Steeler Nation

I would like an open water swim in this mix.

Hey Bill. Let's put in an open water swim in this mix.

http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/2009/05/20/pedal-paddle-peduto/

The time and place is not such a big deal. But, that fact that we are swimming in the rivres is.

I think that the pro swim course should be from Sandcastle to Station Square. Hold it on Labor Day at 10 am.

Bashing the guy on day 2

Yesterday, on election day, Kevin Acklin, I, went to the Allegheny County Election Department. He passed the papers necessary to get onto the ballot for the mayor's race in November 2009 as an Independent.

Today, the bashing has begun.

Folks, we don't need perfect.

Folks. Don't put him in a box either.

This song, "Don't Put Me In a Box" -- by Johnsmith, recorded at our house concert, fits for Kevin too.

If I'm -- and I'm not -- Kevin Acklin, Indie for Mayor, I'm saying:

We need t-shirts, posters, window signs and tweets with the message:

Done deals are done.

Pittsburgh says, "Think again."

The second half occurs November 3, 2009.

Tickets still available.

Meet some of these shooting stars. "Hello everyone."

From my camera, to blog, to you.



Campaign Kick-off speech from Natalia Rudiak.

Population decline and Pure Reform about Schools

PURE Reform - Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform: "the number of children enrolled in noncharter Pittsburgh public schools is projected to drop much more sharply- from about 38,500 in 2000 to about 25,000 in 2014. So, while the number of children will have dropped by only 5%, enrollment will have suffered a 35% drop from the year 2000 to the year 2014.

The numbers in the projections don't add up.

I like this thinking. Ask families: What would it take to convince you to choose a Pgh Public School for your kids?

That is a big deal question. I've got plenty of thoughts on the expected results. But, I don't think that the PPS Administration nor Board has the courage to ask the right question and start the honest conversations that could unravel.

This is ironic. The most popular school in the disttict with Pgh Public Schools are put in tiny settings. So, people want to go to these schools. Yet the schools are shrunk.

CAPA High School is a the best performing school in terms of academics. It has a 'waiting list.' So, the PPS Administrators and Board voted to cram additional grades, grades 6, 7 and 8, in to the building for high schoolers. Hence, the total number of high school kids is reduced. Wrong way!

CAPA is not a clown car!

CAPA should have expanded, not contracted. CAPA is getting an expansion -- and it should have expanded so as to allow more high school students into that successful setting.

In similar ways, consider the new Sci Tech School. It is popular. It has a waiting list. It is going into a building that was not built to be a high school. The school is going to have 400 students and it could have been put into a building that would have allowed more than 1,000 students into a popular program in a school that has the necessary space.

Other good questions worthy of reposting here:

A large portion of ARRA funds will be spent on middle years summer programs. When will the details of the summer literacy camp be available? How will the district ensure that the students most in need of this program actually attend?

• When will there be an update on how the district is doing w/ excellence for all goals i.e. # of students taking AP exams, # of AA students taking AP exams, # of students scoring 3-5 on AP exams, # of students graduating?

• In the true spirit of transparency, committees that are formed by the administration to address various reform issues should include people with all perspectives and opinions. We request that the formation of these committees be announced in advance and that all stakeholders have an opportunity to participate and that these meetings be open for the public to observe.

• When will a high school facilities plan complete with names and locations of buildings rather than general descriptions such as 3 comprehensive or 5 comprehensive schools be provided for public review and comment? In addition, it seems like some buildings may be ruled out for future use based on replacement cost compared to a general "build new" amount per square foot that does not consider the location or quality of the new building. Calculations and underlying assumptions of this cost comparison should be provided.

• When will the results of the March community dialogue held a month and a half ago be posted- at the meeting we were told they would be on the Building Excellence website.

We wait. We listen. We wonder.

Parents of Pittsburgh won't put their children into the schools until deeper levels of trust are established. FUD spreads all the time. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt = FUD. With FUD, people choose to vote with their feet.

If Pittsburgh Public School administration turned to a policy of being open and honest -- then the district would turn the corner and begin to thrive. These are major changes and new types of thinking and communications. But that is the bedrock of what parents want for their kids. We want to be in safe, open, clear, fair, and just schools where kids are given all sorts of challenges and have a great chances of success.

Bar battle on South Side

Bar battle on South Side: "Already target of a lawsuit, the city's bar density ordinance faces a new challenge

Pool passes available for Allegheny County parks

Pool passes available for Allegheny County parks: "The Allegheny County Parks Department this afternoon announced that family, individual and senior pool passes are now available for purchase at the Boyce, North, Settler's Cabin and South park administration offices.

Running Mates starts a new blog: My 4 Hour Marathon

My 4 Hour Marathon: "So, I just completed the Pittsburgh Marathon...and was very disappointed with my result!

Go, Mike, Go!

Run Forrest Run!

Obama and Education

In particular, the Obama administration wants to fix middle schools and high schools, focusing on "dropout factories" where two in five kids don't make it to graduation.

This is not the priority for Pittsburgh Public Schools.

The Rightsized Plan had a focus on elementary schools, with one exception, Schenley High School. Schenley was spared the axe then, by the way.

The 'drop out factories' in Pittsburgh have not been getting any attention.

Schenley High School closed, but it was not a drop out factory. Kids from Schenley classes were going to Stanford, for instance.

What is to happen with Oliver, Westhinghouse, Peabody and Langley? The silence has lasted for years.

South Vo Tech closed, but kids were in school at South -- finishing.

Election night parties!

Where are the political parties? Please post in comments. I'll try to confirm and put them in this posting. FWIW, a party mention does not mean an endorsement.

For example:

Luke Ravenstahl, and supporters gather for his election Night Party at the Hofbrauhaus in the South Side Works from 9:00 PM - 11:30 PM.

Pointers welcome in comments............ please. I don't get out much and it is a Tuesday night!

---

Friends and supporters of Sharene Shealey, PPS board member candidate, are invited to join Sharene and the campaign staff at the Evergreen Cafe, 7330 Penn Avenue, for an election night gathering as the polls close at 8 PM on Tuesday, May 19.

Turning corner in life as a two-time "L" now

I'm a "Libertarian." That's known as "L" number 1.

And, I'm, "L," in Roman Numerals.

PITTSBURGH, PA -- May 16, 2009 -- Mark Rauterkus, L, age L, embraces the "L" words: Loving, lucky, lean, and lively.

How frustration builds with a school district

There has been a bit of buzz about the recent fight at Oliver High School. Some footage made it to the web, I guess. So, I dust off my concerns and re-ask on some pressing points.

Oliver is a school without a plan, sadly. Here is one chunk of plans for discussion. The suggestions have been made before. My cooling off period on this matter is passed. Nancy is one of the top administrators for the district of Pgh Public Schools. She helps to launch the new initiatives.

Kodman, Nancy R to Mark

Mark,

There are many good ideas and recommendations from people in the PPS Community that come to central office. Written proposals may be submitted to the District for review through the Superintendent's Office. You may wish to do that with your 13th year option idea and other recommendations that you proposed in your email.

There is a chair and an administrative designee for every Board Committee. The chair and the designee work collaboratively to finalize the agenda. Topics for consideration arise through input from Board members as well as input from staff. Agenda items align with the Board goals and the academic focus and priorities of the District.

I checked into your question about the "new policy where the speakers get a post-card of thanks and a hint of a message as to the topic" following speaking at PPS Public Hearings as you mentioned that you spoke on the topic of 13th grade as an optional choice for students/families in Pittsburgh. I contacted the Public Hearing Office and was informed that a postcard was sent out to you at a 108 S. 12th Street address on February 17, 2009.

Nancy

Okay, sounds good -- but -- the answers she give don't match the questions given. I don't want a form letter reply. I went to the school board meeting and gave public testimony. I didn't get the curtosy reply post card, by the way. I didn't get the questions any attention.

Meanwhile, a new public process with hand-picked participants is brewing about Peabody High School's long term fate. This is in the wake of the prior committee's work that was done while sworn to secrecy in the fall of 08.

I was very happyt to get a voice mail message from Nancy to confirm that I was NOT invited to the hand-picked group to ponder the fate of Peabody.

Some of the lingering elements where I would like feedback from district administration:

What about the 13th grade option?

Let's have a meeting so I can deliver to you this concept and you can then schedule me for a presentation to the board's education sub-committee.

Next, I'd like some feedback from you as to these points in a blog post from April 3, 2009.

http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2009/04/pittsburgh-peabody.html

To save you the click:

PURE Reform: Proposed options for future uses of Peabody HS: "Proposed options for future uses of Peabody HS"

#1 I think PPS wants 150 IB kids per class, for a total of 600 students (grades 6-12).

#2 I think that we can fit in 50 extra seats for a 13th Grade Option as well. So, round that to 650.

#3 The traditional Frick school (grades 6, 7 and 8) would need to stay at Rise&Shine Middle School. This should be part of the counter plans. What about middle school for IB track? Missing element must be proposed.

#4 Idea: Put 600 at IB Jr. High (Reiz), 200 in each grade (6, 7 and 8). Figure at the leap to HS, 20 kids go each to CAPA & Dice and some to other HSs and even CTE.

#5 By all means, the IB Middle School is NECESSARY to making the IB High -- work. Would 600 in that building be okay with the economics?

#6 Furthermore, the CTE students in certain grades would be able to have half-days at school and half-days at other sites / jobs, etc. The student load with half days could be greater on the CTE side? I know that the kids at South Vo Tech often were out of the building but still in 'school time' as they were on the job.

#7 I don't like the CISCO option for Peabody into the future. It is a dead / close source technology. It is too much like that offered at computers at Brashear and the Sci Tech too.

#8 All our efforts in networks and tech should be with an open-source approach. Perhaps a computer programming / languages model -- to rely upon the thrust of writing and languages (foreign, PERL, JAVA, etc.) would fit.

I reserve judgment if the idea of a mixed IB / CTE school at Peabody makes the most sense. It is a worthy investigation, for sure.

The boutique option of only IB is something that Mark Roosevelt wanted, I dare guess. That isn't a priority of mine.

#9 How about an IB Jr. Sr High School with one or two CTE options -- such as Robotics and Open Source Programming. Don't get all overboard on new programs that would fill the CTE menu and eat up a lot of space.

#10 I think we should still demand a FULL CTE school to be built. State of the art, etc. Wonderful for the trades. That would be, I dare say, in a new site.

#11 I would like to see single gender, city-wide magnets for public high schools put onto the table. These could also include smaller single gender middle schools too. Perhaps there is a push for 6-12 schools. It might be present as an option.

#12 Put a boys high school at Westinghouse and a girls high school at Reizenstein. Or, do it the other way around. Or, flip the gender at the schools every three or four or five years. The other option would be to use OLIVER HS for one gender and Westinghouse for the other. Put 75 kids in each grade, 6, 7, an 8. Put 100 or more in grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.

+ The single gender option would be cheap to implement.

+ The single gender option would sink or soar on its own merits. If they get a good program and good teachers, more will want to go there.

+ The single gender public option could and should compete for students with Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic.

Smile

Michael did well in the meet today.

I posted this to my Facebook page earlier today. Might as well re-post here too.

Mark Rauterkus You fumbled. And the fumble was costly and horrid. But, what to do next -- give a pep talk?
What about scholastic swimming? What about club swimming? What about summer swimming? What about age group swimming? What about recreational swimming leagues? The NCAA poved to be without spines. Now, show some courage and get into the grassroots swim movement as all is not lost -- yet.

We don't need body suits anywhere else.

Go into the ivory tower -- and lick the wounds. Or, get out into the rest of the sport and show more courage and conviction there. And, don't give up the college sport either. Amend. Re-tool. Re-work the rules. What should they be? What specific things should have been done differently?Editorial: The Year of the Suits
Source: http://collegeswimming.com/news/2009/may/15/editorial-year-suits/

Feeling smart?

Then watch this and be cured.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html

Yoni Gottesman -- a wake up call for summer!

Perhaps the worst video you'll ever see.

Yoni Gottesman: "In the summer of 2005, Yoni Gottesman's parents took him to a summer camp. It was supposed to be a fun and exciting experience. It was promised to be a safe experience. Instead, on his first day at camp, little Yoni drowned. In the summer of 2005, Yoni Gottesman's parents took him to a summer camp. It was supposed to be a fun and exciting experience. It was promised to be a safe experience. Instead, on his first day at camp, little Yoni drowned. In the summer of 2005, Yoni Gottesman's parents took him to a summer camp. It was supposed to be a fun and exciting experience. It was promised to be a safe experience. Instead, on his first day at camp, little Yoni drowned.

Don't let this happen!

Mike Lamb's reply

I saw on the web that Michael Lamb made an endorsement or two. Because I don't always have full faith in everything I read on the web, I asked him what's up and if he was making personal endorsements.

Mike's reply to me via his personal email:

I'm not sure what you're looking for but in this election cycle I am serving as Co-Chair of the Committee to Elect Mike Marmo Judge. In my area I am supporting Georgia Blotzer for Council. Also, my friend Anthony Coghill is running in District 4 and I am for him.

Thanks for your interest.

Michael Lamb

Frankly, I'm very glad to see the city controller getting into the fray of politics.

I was so sad in the past when former city controller, now judge, Tom Flaherty, did NOTHING to help oust Tom Murphy from the mayor's office.

It sounds as if Mr. Lamb isn't making any endorsement for the mayor's race. Oh well. It is great to know he is putting some skin in the game in other matters.

Routine Maintenance does not need to take 3 every year. Oliver Bath House request is denied.

A few weeks ago, Mayor candidate, Patrick Dowd, was on 11th and East Carson, just one block from my home in the Historic South Side. He was putting the price tag on the garbage can and talking about waste. Okay. Whatever. I wasn't that excited.

Waste to me also means, "lost opportunities." That's classic Pittsburgh waste. That's what I've come to hate as much as anything.

Doing nothing is wasteful.

The bible parable says it is a sin to put a candle under a basket. If you have a talent, and bury it in the backyard, you've done wrong. You all know the story and get this message.

Not calling 9-1-1 when you see a crime is not as bad as doing the crime, but it is wrong as well.

When Patrick Dowd was in the South Side to talk about waste, I wanted him to talk about what can't be seen as well. He did say that the high costs and self-promotion implied with the price tag on the garbage can is just the 'tip of the iceberg.' I'm hungry for a mayor and a city that gets to the deeper stuff right now.

From hockey hell

The South Side, in this hockey crazy time, has a closed indoor ice rink. This has been a long-standing talking point of mine as it represents so much of the folly that we face on many different fronts. The South Side ice rink (Neville Rink) was once a home ice for practices to the Pittsburgh Penguins. And, the NHL All-Stars once came to town and held a practice skate there.

From playground - usa

The rink was run to the ground in its last years of operation without the due oversight from the city. I complained about that when Gene was our councilman and the chair of the Citiparks Committee. The terms of the contract were constantly broken and without enforcement from the city. Enforcement is another big concept typically.

The rink has been a dark hole in the center of the neighborhood.

We pushed for community partnerships at meetings. We pushed for a RFP by the city. And, we even got the city planning folks to let a Request for Proposals. Pat Ford kicked me out of a meeting at 200 Ross Street to talk about the community process there.

From hockey hell

The Hockey Hell story took another turn as the RFPs were all rejected. The facility would have been re-opened at no cost to the city, with private money. And the city couldn't deal.

From hockey hell

When I ran for city council, we talked about the closed indoor ice rink, the only indoor ice rink in the city other than Mellon Arena about 50 times in community forums and meetings. It was always a point of discussion. One of the other candidates wanted to turn it into a Public Works garage. Another candidate wanted it to be the home for the Zone 3 Police Station.

From Mark Rauterkus & Running Mates ponder current events

Today, the ice rink is a great example of city waste. It is in a park with a padlock. The rink is closed, and so too is the entire PARK. The whole lower park is locked.

From hockey hell

Next up, the Oliver Bath House.

The only indoor swim pool operated by Citiparks is also on the South Side, just one block from where Patrick Dowd talked about the $1,010 garbage cans. The city had 31 outdoor pools, but only one that it owns and operates that is indoors, hence with year-round capabilities.

But, the Oliver Bath House is closed once the outdoor pools open. It is closed for most of June, all of July and all of August. It won't open until after Labor Day in September.

In my professional opinion, and I'm a Certified Pool Operator, a Certified Aquatic Manager and a swim coach and pool manager from 1976 -- there is not need to have the pool closed for so long for routine maintenance.

This is the way things have been for the past 10 years or so. The pool always closes. It is the way they do things.

In the summer of 2009, the area elementary school, Pittsburgh Phillips K-5, is making plans for summer school. Phillips will be a regional site, so kids from other schools (Whittier and Knoxville) will also blend in to get academic help for 19 days in the summer. The summer enrichment program ends July 17.

It would be great to get a group of students in summer school to have a good experiences with fitness, swimming and aquatic sports as part of their summer school afternoons. This becomes a public health concern as well.

The following letter was delivered.

---

April 24, 2009
Pittsburgh Phillips K-5

Dear Mayor Ravenstahl,

As the principal of Pittsburgh Phillips, K-5, I want to express our desire to inquire about the possibilities of utilizing the pool at the Oliver Bath House for
our Summer School students. Our school enjoys an extensive partnership with Citiparks and its recreational leaders that has lasted many years. We have talked about the possibility of adding a swimming component to this year's summer school schedule. Since the daily time frame is short, the only option that would be logistically possible for us is the Oliver Bath House. We could walk from Phillips to the Oliver Bath House each day, saving money and time on buses.

We have met and discussed this option with the folks from Citiparks but our effort to secure permission to use the pool has been unsuccessful. I am wondering if there is a possibility that you could assist our efforts to secure this enrichment experience for our children.

Summer school lasts from June 22, 2009 -- July 17, 2009. We would like to have access to the pool from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM during that time.

Mark Rauterkus, a Phillips parent, certified lifeguard and swim coach with Phillips Elementary, is helping on this project. We will also supply whatever additional lifeguard(s) are necessary to comply with regulations.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Rodney Necciai, Principal

---

From hockey hell

Mayor Ravenstahl's policy boss, Gabe M, had a full briefing on this matter. Luke had plenty of time to look like a hero at career day in the school. Furthermore, I talked in a casual way with a few members of Pittsburgh City Council on this matter, including Patrick Dowd. His office now gets to see this blog posting.

We need city and school cooperation. That is something Patrick Dowd could deliver as he was on the School Board and he was the chair of the Urban Youth and Recreation Committee as a member of city council.

We need to deploy our facilities so we can do good works. I was there when the Dem Party Leader, Mayor Tom Murphy, closed the Rec Centers and all of the swim pools.

The routine maintenance for the Oliver Bath House can happen after July 17, 2009.

Finally, this request isn't for my kids. My youngest is about to finish at Phillips. They are in older grades. And, this request is for kids invited to summer school by being in an academic realm of 'below basic.'

---

Update: Within an hour, on May 14, I got this message from the Dowd campaign:

Unfortunately, Patrick's schedule is jam-packed through election day so
we're not going to be able to do an event for this. I would recommend contacting
Councilman Kraus if you can.

Best,

Eric Parrie

Bruce Kraus and his staff are very aware of the swim pool's closing to the school children and denied request to the principal. But, this is a MAYOR"s decision.

This statement, one that I love, is printed within the Dowd for Mayor campiagn literature that arrived at our house yesterday in the mail. It sounds great.

3) Expand opportunities for children. On the School board I led the charge to cut waste and put resources into classrooms. And it's working. As Mayor, I'll continue cutting waste to free up resources for education and after-school programs that get kids off the streets and into constructive activities.

Deeds, on the other hand, give me an empty feeling.

PURE Reform - Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform

The bottom line in a complicated matter:

PURE Reform - Parents United for Responsible Educational Reform: "As a result this question will reveal little about whether there are other options respondents would prefer, given complete information and a wider range of choices.

Yes, the survey results are sure to reveal little.

The survey is a facade. The questions were loaded. The best answers can't come from that cloud of options.

The people of Pittsburgh are sure to prefer the choice that includes sensible, coolaborative leaderships.

Pittsburgh needs an educational vision. It must be articulated. It must be debated openly. It must be tweaked and those adjustments need to be clearly understood and visible.

Mark Roosevelt has failed in unfurling an educational vision. His "for all" part is a joke, as in 'Excellence for All.' Sure, there are spots of vision with the opening of a botique school or two. But, even there, the vision is delivered without the collaboration, debate, and adjustments.

The consultants are here and hard at work so as to put another barrier between administration and the parents / taxpayers. The consultants are here to conduct a fishing outing in a quest for the missing elements of leadership and vision.