School District to Blame! Was Commissioners do as they please. Again. UPDATED 3 TIMES

On March 8, 2016, the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners approved Resolution No. R-6-16, the transfer of a liquor license to GUTBUBS, LLC. GUTBUBS, LLC, has a lease for property located at 292 Beverly Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15216 and was seeking to transfer a liquor license to a restaurant they plan on opening at this location.  The resolution shows that it was approved February 22, 2016, but it was actually voted on and approved on March 8, 2016. See Agenda Item #5 as introduced by John Bendel.

But that is minor. There's a bigger problem with this liquor license. It is within 300 feet of Lincoln Elementary, a violation of Policy MB OPPOSITION TO APPLICATION FOR MALT BEVERAGE AND LIQUOR LICENSES WITHIN 300 FEET OF SCHOOLS.

According to Dr. Steinhauer in his email to a Mt. Lebanon Parent:

Dear [Mt. Lebanon Parent]

The School District objected in writing to this transfer of a malt beverage and/or liquor license in accordance with District Policy MB on February 17, 2016. The location was within 300 ft. of Lincoln Elementary School.

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Mt. Lebanon School District

412-344-2076

What did you do today to improve the life of a child?

The question that has gone unanswered is:

Was a protest filed by the District with the PA LCB as per the attached petition and guide?

Are Timmy and the School Board objecting with the same intensity as they did with the shooting along safe walking routes thirty minutes after elementary school children were dismissed? 

Our commissioners don't answer to anyone, while our superintendent questions what we did today to improve the life of a child.

Update March 15, 2016 7:30 PM The unanswered question has been answered.

Dear [Mt. Lebanon Parent],

No, for many years the District has only objected to the Municipality and not with the PLCB.

Tim Steinhauer

Update March 15, 2016 9:36 PM Shaking my head...

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Date: Tue, Mar 15, 2016 at 9:17 PM
Subject: Re: liquor license
To: E.T. Gillen egillen476@aol.com, Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>, Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>

Good evening Elaine,

The resolution that was posted on the website had a typographical error regarding the date that was corrected before the resolution was signed.

As to the proximity to Lincoln school, in accordance with the school district policy the school district did submit a letter opposing this transfer as they did with the license that was transferred to Iovino's and Sushi 3. Prior to the meeting I spoke to the Superintendent who indicated that while the school district by policy would not be supporting the transfer of this license they did not have any specific concerns related to the transfer.

As several Commissioners indicated during the meeting, the restaurant owner is a Mt. Lebanon resident with a proven track record in the restaurant business and the liquor license is secondary to the primary focus of the business, which is a restaurant and deli.  

Keith

On Tue, Mar 15, 2016 at 8:34 PM, Kelly Fraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Can you address this about the ordinance?

Sent from Kelly's iPhone, please excuse typos or auto-corrections.  

Begin forwarded message:

From: "'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission" <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Date: March 15, 2016 at 7:47:44 PM EDT
To: commission@mtlebanon.org
Cc: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net, schoolboard@mtlsd.net
Subject: liquor license
Reply-To: "egillen476@aol.com" <egillen476@aol.com>

Commissioners,

On March 8, 2016, you approved Resolution No. R-6-16, the transfer of a liquor license to GUTBUBS, LLC. The resolution shows that it was approved February 22, 2016, but it was actually voted on and approved on March 8, 2016. See Agenda Item #5 as introduced by John Bendel.

But that is minor. There's a bigger problem with this liquor license. It is within 300 feet of Lincoln Elementary, a violation of Policy MB OPPOSITION TO APPLICATION FOR MALT BEVERAGE AND LIQUOR LICENSES WITHIN 300 FEET OF SCHOOLS. 

The School District wrote in opposition to this resolution, yet you still approved it. Please explain your reasons for approving it.

Elaine Gillen

Update March 16, 2016 10:42 AM I am so glad my grandkids are not if the Mt. Lebanon School District.

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
To: 'egillen476@aol.com' <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: School Board Email list <SchoolBoardEmaillist@mtlsd.net>; 'Keith Mcgill' <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Wed, Mar 16, 2016 10:26 am
Subject: RE: liquor license

Dear Ms. Gillen,

School District Policy MB is still applicable and relevant. As noted in the policy, the School District submits an objection in writing to the agency that has ultimate regulatory authority.

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Mt. Lebanon School District

412-344-2076

What did you do today to improve the life of a child?

From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 9:41 PM
To: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer; School Board Email list
Subject: Fwd: liquor license

School Board Directors,

Why not abolish Policy MB? It is meaningless.

Elaine Gillen

It's in the news

Matt Santoni is reporting Mt. Lebanon residents reportedly plan private deer hunt. The question of the day is...well, I won't go there. Kristen Linfante is on record saying that it is happening and she is encouraging more of it.

I tried to inform the school district today about the hunt. In an email sent to the school board, superintendent, commission and municipal manager:

Since the Commission's School Board Liaison Kristen Linfante is going on a leave of absence, I wanted to bring this to your attention. This is a walking community, and the district has identified safe walking routes. Every street in Mt. Lebanon is listed. Here are the recommended safe walking routes. "For students in elementary school, locate your school map and find your address. You may then follow the blue arrows to the school." Following the blue arrows takes on a whole new meaning now, doesn't it?

Elaine Gillen

I only heard back from Kristen Linfante.

Dear Ms Gillen, 

I am not sure where you heard that I am on a leave of absence. You are mistaken. I am not. Please check the commission meeting video of January 5 where a clear explanation of my circumstances is available. I am facing a serious medical issue which *may* cause me to have to miss some meetings. For the sake of transparency, I wanted to make this known in the event that I do, in fact, miss any meetings. That is all.

As always, thanks for your good wishes, especially during this very challenging time. 

Best regards, 

Kristen Linfante
Commissioner, Ward 3

Of course I would hear from Kristen. Where is everyone else? Why isn't anyone calling her on this? Is there a freaking hunt or isn't there? Instead of condoning Kristen's efforts to terrorize parents with a secret cull, why didn't any commissioners put her on the spot during the discussion session? Was/Is there a hunt in reality or just in Kristen's mind? Why didn't Kristen say that, as school board liaison, she had it covered with the school district? No, I am mistaken. How did I ever get the idea that Kristen was taking a leave of absence? Why are our leaders putting up with this behavior?

Steve Feller was quoted in the Trib as saying, "There is no requirement for property owners to notify or consult with municipal officials about hunting.” Should property owners notify the school district, in order to update safe walking routes? Obviously, it isn't exciting school board president Larry Lebowitz and it is nothing for Timmy to tweet about. Mt. Lebanon is totally insane. Welcome to Mt. Looneytown.

Commissioners and School Board Members: PLEASE Unvote

Dear Mt. Lebanon Commissioners and School Board members,

Please "unvote" the ill-fated Wildcat Field artificial turf project. Today, I received the following press release, CONSUMER GROUP WARNS SCHOOLS AND TOWNS OF NEW QUESTIONS SURROUNDING ARTIFICIAL TURF SAFETY University of Washington assistant soccer coach, Amy Griffin reported that 13 Washington soccer players on her recruiting list have been diagnosed with rare cancers and 11 of those are goal keepers. That is horrible news!

The Artificial Turf Project, or as you like to call it, "Field Enhancement Project" has been a problem since Day 1. Lack of transparency concerning funds, the secret Turf Project Task Force meetings, intimidation tactics used at the Not For The General Public public meeting, the official statements from the Parks Advisory Board and the Environmental Sustainability Board who are in opposition to the project, an "unbiased" presentation at Mellon Middle School with Dr. McNitt - who has his private consulting business and partnership with FieldTurf, the deficiencies identified by the PA Department of Environmental Protection and Allegheny County Conservation District, the fabrication that personal donations are at risk while knowing that contracts clearly state that the donations are nonrefundable and will be used for future field improvements, the Commission President's "misrepresentation" of the ESB's position, the Commission's tunnel vision in regard to the health, safety, and environmental issues as presented by residents, and the use of municipal staff for raising non-municipal funds.

PLEASE take the time to read the 09.15.14 Press Release linked in the first paragraph. PLEASE consider the new questions surrounding the safety of artificial turf. PLEASE unvote the Wildcat and Middle Artificial Turf Project.

Elaine Gillen

Newcomers, School Board Meeting on Tuesday

Normally, the Mt. Lebanon School Board would be meeting on Monday, but due to the Holiday, it has been moved to Tuesday, April 15, 2014. The agenda has been posted here.

On the agenda,

2014-2015 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves a Proposed Final Budget in the amount of $87,924,509, at a millage rate of 23.15 mills, a .54 mill increase from 2013-14, utilizing $750,000 of the fund balance in the form presented.
Furthermore, the Board intends to vote on a Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting.

For those new to the system, residents are permitted to speak for four minutes at the beginning of the meeting, only on action items on the agenda. I see that Bill Matthews has requested to speak. My guess it is concerning the Proposed Final Budget. I hope President Cappucci actually listens to him this time instead of watching the time clock. Last year, she was very rude to him.

Last year, the school board was a smidgeon more transparent than they are this year. Last year, a list of suggested cost reductions was published and discussed at a separate Budget Forum. This year, we will learn more about the "Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting."

Another very important topic, which started prior to the newcomers' arrival is the high school renovation. The Almanac reports in the article Retirements, tuition payments will help close Lebo budget gap (Saved in Google Docs) concerning the $91,713 change order on the agenda:

the installation of additional sprinklers in the catwalk area above the auditorium. Project plans had not flagged this as occupied space. 

Architect Tom Celli said this was a miss by the design team. “When you have a project of this size and complexity, with materials and controls coming from all over the country, these things are going to happen. We have gotten nothing but great feedback, whether from people in the community or those who have competed in the gym or the swimming pool.”

I am glad that Dan Remely didn't throw Fire Chief Sohyda under the bus, as he had done in the past. I question Celli's comment about the great feedback about the swimming pool. I understand that the railing reported in the Fall is still taped off with caution tape.

The Almanac article continues with

contractors have billed 72 percent of construction costs, and have used 71 percent of the project’s contingency funds. 

Both Celli and project manager Tom Berkebile expressed confidence that the project would finish within the established contingency. 

“It’s going to be close,” Berkebile said, “but I still feel confident we’re going to get there.”

What that means is that the project should have gone to Referendum, but it would never have passed. If they go over, then voters get to decide to leave a school partially completed, or approve the project after the fact. We were told that the high school renovation would bring people to the community, similar to the rhetoric we are hearing about the artificial turf on Cedar Blvd. Aren't you glad you moved here?

If newcomers (and any other residents) wish to speak about items unrelated to the agenda, you must wait until the end of the meeting, where you are given five minutes to speak. Warning, the school board will be watching the clock instead of listening to what you have to say. These are the same people who have been working with Diversified Municipal Services for years. Enough said.

Well, well, well

Thanks to the School District website, I see that January is School Board Recognition Month.

             

School Board Directors sans Scott

January is School Board Recognition month, giving us an opportunity to thank our Board members Elaine Cappucci-President, Lawrence Lebowitz- Vice-President, Mary Birks, William Cooper, Scott Goldman, Edward Kubit, William Moorhead, Daniel Remely, and Michael Riemer, who volunteer so much of their time to provide strong public schools for our community. For more than 175 years, communities in Pennsylvania have had a voice in the operation of their schools through a locally elected board of school directors consisting of individuals from their community. These people are our neighbors, friends, community leaders, and parents– all with one common goal – making sure students are properly educated in preparation for life. 

Our School Board enables us to have local control of our public schools, meaning that decisions on school programs are made by local, elected representatives who understand the community’s unique challenges, values, culture and circumstances. With the advice and counsel of the educational professionals they hire, our school board has a bearing on virtually every aspect of our schools. It’s a huge responsibility and we are thankful to our board members for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to providing the best education possible for our students and a strong school system that benefits our community.

Yep, there they are, all except Scott Goldman. Not even a cardboard cutout of the lone wolf, or is it coyote? Scott Goldman is the only one who says what he feels and votes according to his conscience. For that, he doesn't make the photo, I guess.

This is the group that will be approving a $74,000 trophy case tonight, a number that is listed as the low responsible bid. What it really represents is the ONLY responsible bid. I missed a golden opportunity. I should have subcontracted a cabinet maker and submitted a bid for $70,000 and make a tidy profit.  Boy, did I screw up.

We are thankful for this group of dedicated volunteers who brought us TERC Investigations, Go Zones, $2.6+ million in change orders, student parking fees, activity fees, lucrative salary deals for administrators, and for hitting a new low in rudeness to stakeholders and parents.

Yes, we are thankful. Happy School Board Recognition Month!

Sports Advisory Board Redux

It appears that adding two words to a sentence in an ordinance requires a super vote; four votes are required. Those two words in the Sports Advisory Board Ordinance are "up to."

§133.2 Membership and Term. The Sports Advisory Board shall consist of such members as are appointed by the Commission from time to time, each appointed for a three (3) year term. The term of the initial members shall be set by the Commission so as to be staggered in order to expire evenly. There shall be up to thirteen (13) voting members of the Board that will consist of: (i) eleven (11) members chosen from any sports organization recognized by the Commission and/or the Parks Board; and (ii) two (2) at large positions. The Municipality and School District will also be able to provide a liaison and staff members, all of whom shall be nonvoting members. Any Parks Board representative shall be nonvoting.

Recommended Action: Move to adopt Ordinance (Bill No. 5-13) by special procedure (roll call taken with four votes required).

In addition, there will be a new appointment to the Sports Advisory Board, replacing the Upper St. Clair resident.

On February 12, 2013, the Commission appointed 13 members to the recently created Sports Advisory Board. The appointee from the Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association cannot serve because he resides in another community. Section 125 of the Administrative Code requires that "members of any board or authority shall be residents of the Municipality." Tonight’s action will appoint the alternate nominee of the Hockey Association to replace the initial appointee.

Recommended Action: Move to appoint Dave Klasnick of 1021 Martin Avenue to fill an unexpired term ending March 31, 2014.

Thank you Readers and Commissioners, for working together to make things right. Take note, School Board Directors.

Joint Maintenance Agreement - The Next Generation

Previously on "The Joint Maintenance Agreement," our commissioners cautiously extended the JMA.  The extension was not executed. Enter Starfleet Command. No executions or violations occurred. Dr. Tim "Bones" Steinhauer, and Youth Sports standby Stacey Franklin finally executed the document. The JMA expired on December 31, 2012.

Stardate 90682.78 (January 28, 2013 for all the non trekkies) Captain Kluck (no disrespect, Matt - just going with the theme) announced that the Klingons, a.k.a. School Board would not accept any of the terms as presented.

Bottom line is that there is no Joint Maintenance Agreement for 2013.

P.S. School Board, beware the "Wrath of Khan."

Posti too busy for Commission

At last week's Commission discussion meeting, Joint Discussion Meetings was an agenda item. Evidently, the Commission has been trying to set up another meeting between the School Board and the Commission to discuss, among other things, the Joint Maintenance Agreement. Remember that fateful night when Josephine Posti said that I have hate in my heart, so she was praying for me? Apology to Josephine Posti That meeting included Dave Brumfield, Kristen Linfante, Steve Feller, Elaine Cappucci, and Josephine Posti.  There has not been another meeting since February 28.

In Citizens' Comments, I expressed my feelings and thanked Dave and Kristen for all the abuse they were getting from Josephine Posti. It was revealed during the Discussion Session that Josephine wanted to see an agenda before she would commit to another meeting. I had said that if the Commission felt that they should have another meeting, then they should have a meeting. This time, the Commission wanted to have a public meeting with as many Commissioners and School Board Directors present, as possible.

In so many words, Josephine blew off the Commission. So I filed a Right To Know on September 13, 2012, asking for all communication between the Commission and School Board Directors concerning joint meetings between Municipal and School Board representatives. 

Here it is. Not only is she much too busy for any meetings, but Josephine also encouraged the Commissioners to attend the School Board coffees along with the rest of us.
Joint Discussion Communication

What exactly happened at the school board meeting?

I have had a couple of emails asking about David Huston's comment at last night's school board meeting. Here is part of one email exchange.

Could you (or if you'd prefer, feel free to forward this to Mr. Huston) explain, in simple terms, the Sunshine Act and how it applied to the meeting last night from your perspective? Thank you so much!

 My response:

Thank you for contacting me through the blog. I have copied David Huston on this email. Do you know that the podcast is available here? http://www.lebocitizens.com/Lebo_Citizens/Podcasts/Entries/2012/7/16_School_Board_Discussion_Business_Meeting.html

For information on the Sunshine Act, I have this link on the website as well. http://www.elc-pa.org/pubs/downloads%202009/GettingInformationAboutYourSchool6-09.pdf under http://www.lebocitizens.com/Lebo_Citizens/Right_to_Know.html 

I found this website too that might be helpful. http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/Pennsylvania_Sunshine_Act 

Here is what I see as the issue about having the meetings combined. The first meeting in the month is when there is discussion about an agenda item. The school board is very tight lipped about their agenda items. These issues were introduced (briefly) and then voted upon all in one motion. David is absolutely correct in what he said.

David Huston explained it much better.  Here is what he wrote:

I wish more people tried to find out what is going on. I could sit here and type many hours all about the Sunshine Act, but for now I will attempt to clarify what I said last night.

Our lawmakers crafted the Sunshine Act specifically to allow folks to not only see government function but also to allow and encourage public participation. It's why we go to government meetings, and gets to the very reason America its allegiance with Great Britain. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the oldest civilized government on the North American continent, with the Pennsylvania State Constitution the first contract with its citizenry.

From the Sunshine Act, 65 Pa.C.S.A. Section 702:
The General Assembly finds that the right of the public to be present at all meetings of agencies and to witness the deliberation, policy formulation and decisionmaking of agencies is vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the democratic process and that secrecy in public affairs undermines the faith of the public in government and the public's effectiveness in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.

It is truly a shame the Sunshine Act is not adhered to or enforced the way its authors intended.

Much more information is available at:
http://www.pafoic.org/

Typically the School Board has two open meetings a month. One is the Discussion meeting, and the second one is the Business meeting. This month we had a "Combined" meeting. I do not think it is possible to have a combined meeting. You can only have one meeting, then another; but never two combined into one.
So, we either:
1) Skipped the Discussion meeting this month and only have a Business meeting
  -- This is what I think actually happened
or
2) Go along with what Posti and the agenda stated and have both meetings at the same time.
  --It is not possible for this to happen, but it is my premise for the Sunshine Act violation

Here is the part of the Sunshine Act our School District violated last night:
65 Pa.C.S.A. Section 708 (6)(b) Procedure. The executive session may be held during an open meeting, at the conclusion of an open meeting, or may be announced for a future time. The reason for holding the executive session must be announced at the open meeting occurring immediately prior or subsequent to the executive session.

The District, according to both the agenda and Posti, held both the Discussion meeting and the Business meeting at the same time. The open meeting occurring immediately subsequent to the executive session was the Discussion meeting. The District started the second open meeting, the Business meeting, without announcing the reason for the executive session during the Discussion meeting. The District did not announce the reason for holding the executive session at the open meeting occurring immediately subsequent to the executive session.

I am not a lawyer, but I know when the District is violating the Sunshine Act.

David Huston

I am aware that some school districts may eliminate some summer meetings, but to me, that is not an excuse. Historically, the summer is when things get slipped in here in Mt. Lebanon. If you listen to Josephine Posti, she was encouraging the media to request the list of liened properties for the 2011 tax year. I filed a RTK but I have mixed emotions about publishing it, if or when I get my RTK granted. This is not transparency in my mind.  How many of the liened properties are due to bankruptcy? Josephine seemed delighted to publish the list. How about sharing the salaries? How much did Timmy get? Or Jan?  What exactly was the technicality regarding Jan's salary? How about some transparency there, School Board? To sound excited over people's hardships sounds a little twisted to me. I know that I may be sounding hypocritical since I wanted to publish the scofflaws, but I think this is different.  

Seriously, why do we have Cissy?

Why do we have Cissy?  How much does she make?  It never stops.  The coffees are NOT being held at Coffee Tree on Washington Road.  There is no Coffee Tree on Washington Road.  The announcement is shown here (original version before correction found here) and here. Note: The coffee house locations will both be on Washington Road at Uptown Coffee and Orbis (formerly Aldo's Coffee.)
Why can't the District get with the program?  No budget posted along with the agenda tonight. It was posted that the special budget meeting was going to be held in the Jefferson Middle School Library, when in fact it had been moved to the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium.  The Superintendent and Board President Reports are not posted unless I mention them here.  They can't spell Markham for the Odyssey of the Mind teams. The board is voting on the OM trip which is in Philadelphia, but according to a parent here on the blog, it is in the Poconos.
Seriously, folks.  I do this FOR FREE!!!  And they want to eliminate the community service coordinator??

Three meetings...all on the same night

Mt. Lebanon needs to schedule more meetings for Monday evening.

1. In a Lebo Alert:

Free Seminar on the Allegheny Co. property tax assessment appeal process, 7 p.m. Monday, March 26, at Mt Lebanon Public Library.

2. The School Board will be holding a special budget meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium. Agenda is here.

Laurels & Lances On the “Watch List”: The Mt. Lebanon School Board. It's going to spend more than $41,000 on a study to predict the success of a prospective $30 million capital fundraising campaign. Good grief. We'll bet most residents of already tax-strapped Mt. Lebanon don't appreciate the implications of picking their pockets one way to see how amenable they might be to having their pockets picked another way. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_787814.html#ixzz1pxyn5gl0 

3. And finally, the regularly scheduled Mt. Lebanon Commission Discussion Session, 6:25 p.m., and the Mt. Lebanon Adjourned Commission Meeting, 8 p.m., will be held in the Commission Chambers in the Municipal Building.

Update March 23, 2012 7:00 p.m. From Center Court Blog

Time / Location Changes


There are a few location and time changes to some upcoming events. One is a recent change due to anticipated high attendance, one an error by the Post-Gazette and one an error on this blog.


Monday, March 26, 7PM: Due to anticipated attendance, we've moved Monday night's budget meeting to the Jefferson Middle School Auditorium.

Upcoming Community Coffees: The first one will be Saturday, March 31 from 9-11AM at Uptown Coffee on Washington Road. The second will be Wednesday, April 25 from 7-9AM at Orbis Caffe on Washington Road. [So those who were betting on Coffee Tree on Beverly Road lost. It is on Washington Road after all. Uptown Coffee.]

These are all opportunities to share your thoughts on the budget that we will take action on in May. We hope to see you there.

Letter to the Board

The following letter to the Mt. Lebanon School Board was sent by blog reader and write in school board candidate, Joe Wertheim.  It is being reprinted with his permission.

To: schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Wed, Mar 21, 2012 7:12 pm
Subject: SNAFU

"K-12 education foundations like MLFE are independent, nonprofit organizations..." (MLFE website)

"Regardless of whether or not we get a green light for a campaign we will gain a wealth of information," said board president Jo Posti. "This would be valuable for the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education's annual fundraising efforts." (front page, The Almanac 3-21-12)

So you are willing to roll the dice with $41,000 because "regardless of whether or not we get a green light for a campaign" (highly unlikely) "this would be valuable for the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education" which is an independent, nonprofit organization, says board president Jo Posti.

You were not elected to benefit independent organizations! You were elected to represent the taxpayers of Mt. Lebanon. Of course, you have completely abandonedthe latter, so why would anyone think that you would have second thoughts about the former?

Just when it appears that this board could not be any more out of touch with reality you again prove us wrong. While USC is considering cutting classes and activities, and asking teachers for concessions, you continue to spend money like you actually have it.

Joe Wertheim

http://alleghenyinstitute.org/component/content/article/916-school-district-seeks-answers-.html

What will it take to make you understand reality?

Want Ad: Construction Watchdogs

In a previous post, I shared this link, Citizen Oversight of Public School Construction Programs.

Cities throughout the country are establishing oversight committees to oversee funds dedicated to facilities improvements. The committee is typically commissioned by the school board to help them fulfill their monitoring and oversight roles. Committee members are usually volunteers who may or may not have professional experience related to construction management.

Well, that will never happen with our school board.  They are experts on everything and don't care to involve the community with their plans.  The article continues with:

The management advantage – free professional consultation – is perhaps the most obvious, but can be a valuable resource to school boards lacking in construction management experience. Even when an office is experienced, having professional advice and an “extra pair of eyes” is never harmful when monitoring a school construction program.

Now, this is way out of my league, but I believe that Mt. Lebanon needs such a committee.   Our community is loaded with talent.  The groundbreaking ceremony is January 26, 2012.  The project will be one of the largest construction projects in the area and will take up to 48 months to complete.  In two years, we could have four new school board directors who will have to hit the ground running when it comes to this construction project.  Mt. Lebanon needs a committee involved from Day One.  Any takers?  Email me at EGillen476@aol.com

Happy Holidays from the Mt. Lebanon School District

On behalf of the staff of Mt. Lebanon School District I want to wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year. We look forward to seeing your children in 2012.

I hope you enjoy the Mt. Lebanon School District 2011 Holiday card below.

Sincerely,

Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Superintendent

Attachment: http://multimedia.mtlsd.org/Play.asp?419241380665664!4

And from the School Board:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew8IJxulHE8&feature=youtu.be&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

My personal favorite Holiday flash mob video this year is http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/holiday11/

Maybe it can be done from Center Court (old or new) next year.

Happy Holidays

It's crunch time.

It is Sunday, December 18.  Tomorrow, the Board awards the bids and discusses the bid alternates.  Continuing with the anonymous comments policy temporarily lifted, the Board claims they want community input.  Now, we have an opportunity to tell the Board anonymously our thoughts.  What is important to you?

Every dime the School Board doesn't take from us...

Every dime the School Board doesn't take from us, the new County administration will take.  Allegheny County tax hike pondered  Funny, they waited for the election to pass to announce that.

An FYI, the Commission introduced an ordinance last night (Bill No. 24-11) to raise the millage by .71 mills to a total of  5.47 mills. The uncertainty of the reassessment process will require future modifications to this rate.

After the December 7 opening of the bids for the high school project, I am counting on money experts out there to analyze what they mean in terms of tax increases. 

Bottom line, my Dress 4 Work service project next year may be intended for Mt. Lebanon residents. Something has to give.

This post is for those who voted for Cannon and write-in candidates.

Even though I was not part of the committee, I do want to thank you for trying to make a difference. People aren't interested in cleaning house.  It is obvious by the poor response to my Dress 4 Work plea; we are living in a community filled with have's, not have nots, and are clueless as to how bad it is for some folks.  The Voice signs have finally come down. Now, we are just waiting for the bids to be opened on Pearl Harbor Day. How ironic.

Real estate agents are standing by, waiting to plant "For Sale" signs.  A real estate agent told me that this morning.  When I was canvassing Ward 3 during the Primary, there were many Republicans on my list who moved, were moving, or were thinking about moving. 

I was hoping the Election would have turned out differently. Maintaining a blog and website is time consuming and costly, but my work would have been done after the Election. I guess not.  I will continue to hold our elected officials' feet to the fire.  I hope you do the same.  Thanks again.

Elaine

About that write-in campaign...

We have five seats open for school board and six candidates running for those seats. Sounds like a game of musical chairs, doesn't it? To make it a more interesting election, I thought it might be fun to ask for suggestions and set up another poll with those names to see who would win. So far, I have heard Giffen Good, Mickey Mouse, and even James Fraasch.  Maybe we can make a difference and get a message out to the board after all.  I will take anonymous comments on this thread, but only if they are reasonable.

Survey says...

 I am taking down the latest poll, but have recapped the results below.

Do you think the School Board Directors will answer our questions concerning the renovation?

Yes. They have been open and honest throughout the process.  We will get nine responses. 5 (10%)

Yes. We will get one generic response "For the Board."  5 (10%)

No.  40 (80%)

Total votes: 50

Eighty percent of you were correct.  I had no response from ANY of the school board directors.  I don’t believe they were addressed at the Architect’s Update.  To refresh everyone’s memory, here are the questions. 

We have questions.  We were ignored. We had a petition. We were ignored. Now, we expect it. Eighty percent got it right.  How sad.

When Dan Rothschild started his blog, the school board was thrilled to get input. Dr. Steinhauer formed his Key Communicator group, again for input. Now he has a student key communicator group. The Key Communicators started out with these members listed in alphabetical order by first name:

Al Frioni

Andy Rhodes

Betsy Dillon

Bill Cooper

Blaise Larotonda

Corey Polena

Dan Goff

Dave Reese

Deb Smit

Diane Wainwright

Elaine LaBalme

Elizabeth Glantz

Frank Baker

Frank Hines

Gail Sieg

Hugh Beal

Joe Polk

John Schrott

Kim Ressler

Kristen Linfante

Larry Lebowitz

Mary Ellen Schmidt

Rob Gardner

Rob Papke

Ruth Foltz

Sheldon Campbell

Sue Fretterd

Sue Simmons

Tom Moertel

That is quite a list. We have two bloggers, athletic supporters, two running for school board, one running for commissioner along with her campaign manager and her sidekick, one running the courtroom, writers for the Mt. Lebanon Magazine, and only two signed the petition to cap the renovation to $75 million.  He sure has his bases covered, doesn’t he?

The school board wants input, but they ignore our emails if we don’t agree with them. If we don’t go with the program, there is retribution. That is not very nice.

Architect Update October 10

According to the school district website, there will be an Architect Update on Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library. Wouldn't it have been nice to get a response from a board member acknowledging receipt of our questions and a note saying that they will pass on our questions to the architect at Monday's meeting?  Am I really asking too much?

This is the text from Apple's first commercial.  It is also on Josephine Posti's latest blog post over at Center Court.

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Apple Inc.

“About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.”  School Board, please think about that statement.

Correction: Apple's first Mac commercial aired in 1984.  "Think Different" was part of an advertising campaign created for Apple in 1997.