First one of 2012. Whatcha got? Something good - I hope.
39 comments:
Wanda
said...
Thank you for the new Potluck!
there will be a regular Monthly Superintendent meeting tonight at the High School 7pm in the LGI room at the end of the main hallway if anyone wants to come out and get updates in a casual environment from Bill Ferrara, ask questions, etc. Hoping to see more parents come out and participate in these monthly meetings, they are so very informative.
I heard it was a sax, which I believe belonged to the school, and an electric guitar and trombone, which I believe belonged to students. Again, I could be wrong.
When my son went to pick up his instrument from the band room at the end of the day, it was locked. Not sure if that is due to this incident or if Dr Scott just had somewhere to be and locked up early.
Also true: It can get even that rock bottom bad (e.g. Chester-Upland) and the state still doesn't swoop in and save you. So anyone still harboring state takeover dreams in Morrisville needs to throw them in a dumpster where they belong. It ain't in the cards.
A state takeover is the worst outcome. If that happens, the state appointed board would simply make decisions by fiat, with little or no concern for the wishes of the boro residents. Programs would be cut and taxes raised. Did anyone ever really think a takeover was a good idea?
Meanwhile, I'm glad I'm not in Neshaminy, where I see little or no chance of resolution as both sides are firmly dug-in. Pennsbury is about to go the same way, with the election of the new board members, expect a fight there.
Finally, perhaps Trinity does have a chance to survive, but I feel like the diocese appeals are nothing more than a dog-and-pony show, and they will ultimately just follow the recommendations of the commission.
Curious, if Trinity does close, how many vacant or repurposed school buildings will exist in the Ville?
Broke. Saddled with debt from a prior state takeover. Fresh cuts from Corbett Admin.
Manor Park. M.R.Reiter. Magic Cottage. Others??? HT would make at least 4.
CHESTER, Pa. - January 12, 2012 (WPVI) -- A vigil was held Thursday evening by those who want to save the Chester-Upland School District.
The district is broke. Officials say it is saddled with debt from a prior state takeover and fresh cuts from the Corbett Administration.
The folks are petitioning the governor to step up and stabilize the situation.
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More: See more Action News slideshows "We need him to keep his campaign promise. He promised every child regardless of zip code will have access to quality education," vigil organizer Danyel Jennings said.
The district has only $100,000 in the bank; it won't be able to make its million dollar payroll next week.
The district and Harrisburg have been trying to find common ground for months.
"They have said they would like to help, but they find no way in which they can do it; they say they do not have the money," Acting Deputy Superintendent Thom Persing said.
The teachers and others who work here have vowed to work for nothing at least for now.
Some including union officials think this grim situation did not occur by accident, that the governor who wants school vouchers and is a backer of charter schools is sending a signal.
"This is sending a signal and harming the students at the school district, unfortunately. [This signal is] that he is not a fan of public education and he is for privatizing public education so it is no longer public," Lind Cook of the Pennsylvania State Education Association said.
A Department of Education spokesperson says this is not a case of school choice or school voucher issues. The spokesperson says that what happened is local to Chester-Upland, adding the state has sent extra money to the district before; the school board has not been the tough decisions it needs to make.
Also true based on this: even when the state swoops in to save you it can do more harm than good. We need to solve our own problems! Not thumbing our noses or rejecting outside funding or assistance, but we cannot count on a knight in shining armor to save us.
Jon, for linking to what may be one of the worst Rolling Stones' songs ever, I hereby sentence you to watching the oft voted worst song ever video... repeatedly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGGckAc1rs
Why couldn't somebody have stolen their instruments before they recorded this assault on our musical sensibilities?
Meanwhile, the Blue Ribbon Commission welcomes your comments about the school closings.
"We welcome your comments and we want to assist you in every way possible during this time of transition. If you have any questions or would like to share your comments, please email us at info@faithinthefuture.com."
Loved the airplane and Jefferson Starship too! The Jefferson Starship managed a few great albums: Freedom at Point Zero, Modern Times and the all-time classic, Red Octopus. Once they jumped the shark to just Starship, there was nothing left in that tank.
The Morrisville School District will register incoming kindergarten students for the 2012-2013 school year at Grandview Elementary School, 80 Grandview Ave., on the following dates:
•Wednesday, March 7 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. •Thursday, March 8 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. •Friday, March 9 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
All kindergarten-age children who plan on entering the Morrisville school program for the 2012-2013 school year must be present and screened on the day of registration – March 7, 8, or 9 between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Children must be five years of age on or prior to Sept. 1, 2012. They also will need a medical or dental examination and a series of childhood immunizations. The only exceptions to the school immunization law are medical reasons or religious beliefs.
The child must accompany parents or guardians who also are required to bring to the registration, the child’s birth certificate, social security number, official immunization records and have a copy of the parent or guardian’s photo I.D., plus four proofs of residency, including a current lease with the child’s name. Other identification material may include driver’s license, utility or tax bill, auto insurance or registration, and bank statement.
Please share this information with friends or neighbors who are planning to enroll a new student in the Morrisville School District. More district information can be found on the website: www.mv.org
DeLorenzo's closing Sunday; another slice of Burg life dies
Friday, January 13, 2012 By Trentonian Staff
TRENTON — The sadness didn’t just come with the slate-gray sky and the winter rain Thursday in the East Ward.
It came with what many already knew, that this weekend would be the last that Gary and Eileen Amico would fire up the oven and make their thin, crisp, legendary tomato pie at 530 Hudson St. Come Sunday night, that DeLorenzo’s Pizza Shop will close forever.
And it settled in deeper with word that violence had struck again near DeLorenzo’s on Thursday, when at 12:15 a.m. another shooting victim was taken down “around the corner” -- shot 10 times, a source said.
And you recall that just nine weeks ago on Nov. 4, Glenn Johnson, 49, was walking to catch a bus to work in the morning, and was shot to death nearby at Midwood Alley. Violence has crept closer and closer through the neighborhood over the last few years.
And beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, the first 50 or so pizza lovers began crowding the front of Gary and Eileen’s to get in at 4 p.m., to pay their last respects, to celebrate the last rites on the last four days of business through Sunday night.
Once inside, they settled back to enjoy the pleasant peace of old DeLorenzo’s, to uncork their bottles of wine, or to — as Sal Scarlata and his grandson Gabe, 11, of Lawrenceville, did with friend Jack Murphy — take out a set of cards and play some UNO.
“Once a week we come in every Thursday night, for five years,” said Sal. “We know Gary from the old neighborhood in North Trenton by Junior 1, Princeton Avenue. Yes, that has changed, too; everything has changed.”
But not this beautiful old pizza shop that was once Eileen Amico’s girlhood home. She and Gary have been making pies here for the past 41 years.
“For some reason, it became known as the tomato pie,” he said. “You put cheese on first, then the toppings, then the tomatoes on last, whole Red Pack tomatoes from California, and good oil. We add a couple of other (secret) things we’re not at liberty to say.”
He grinned. After all, their son Sam operates a DeLorenzo’s store in Robbinsville, which Gary plans to help with for the first year off, until they consider opening another store in Newtown, Pa. They insist the approaching violence didn’t scare them out of Hudson Street.
“No,” Eileen said, “we have a cop outside” — on duty every night.
“He’ll walk you in, walk you out to your car, everything’s fine,” said Gary. “People in the neighborhood are the victims, the Guatemalans. They’re easy pickings for other people, thugs, to attack. But for somebody driving in, walking in, they’re not victims, they’re not targets.”
The sadness pervades. Old Trentonians, like the folks who are coming back here now for one last terrific tomato pie, never spoke of this in the past.
“I’m going to miss everyone; I met a lot of nice people over the years,” said Eileen Amico.
They piled in Thursday night, and longtime fans John and Eileen Dreisback of Morrisville were among them, sitting at a table with the empty plates waiting expectantly in front of them.
“I will miss this place,” Eileen said. “This is the only place we could get a decent thin pie.”
She watched them playing cards across the aisle, opening the wine.
“And Kern’s red cream soda!” Eileen said. “I always got Kern’s here. Made in Trenton, too!”
"They piled in Thursday night, and longtime fans John and Eileen Dreisback of Morrisville were among them, sitting at a table with the empty plates waiting expectantly in front of them.
“I will miss this place,” Eileen said. “This is the only place we could get a decent thin pie.”
I certainly hope I am reading this wrong. First Ward Councilwoman, Eileen Dreisback is saying that she cannot get a decent thin pie in Morrisville Borough? LaVilla's is amazing. I hope I'm reading it wrong. Terrible way to support your community.
I have watched council meetings on the tv. This doesn't at all surprise me. Eileen is a lose cannon who seems to like to hear herself yell. She is on council to be an obstacle and is a no vote on a regular basis. Doesn't matter what it is or how it will beneifit the community its a "no vote". She even voted against the 2012 budget that for the first time since she's been on council had no tax increase and actually gave money back to the residents. She doesn't seem to know what's going on much of the time and is intent on yelling at someone at least once during every meeting. From the questions she asks at the meetings and the way she acts like she is in the dark, it seems like she never reads her materials & has no problem going to the meetings unprepared. She came the organization meeting in sweatpants! I never see her anywhere in town that isn't supporting the 1st ward only. Really sad for Morrisville that voters keep electing people like this. It wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that she doesn't support local businesses because she doesn't support anything positive in Morrisville.
Sadly, Sandford & Smith follow her vote. Santford has followed lock-step with whatever Eileen votes for since he's been on council. There has only been one meeting with Smith but at that meeting she also followed her votes lock-step with Eileen. LOL Eileen at the helm. If it wasn't sad it would be funny. It really is a shame for Morrisville that Jane picked up another puppet seat during the last election. The people who are actually trying to get stuff done in Morrisville have to be getting tired of banging their heads against the wall for the community.
Join the community as we show our vets they are thought of and appreciated by putting valentines of all shapes and sizes, store bought or homemade, into the collection boxes located at: - Morrisville Borough Hall - Morrisville Free Library - Burn's Pharmacy - Cunningham's Hardware - Anthony's Pizza - Squirrel's Nest Cafe
Please do not add your full name, address, phone number or photos in or attached to valentines.
I don't like the way Dreisback conducts herself on boro council or her lack of preparation. I do not live in Ward 1 so I don't get to vote for someone else.Ward 1 is going to have to dump her if they don't like her representation. I wish they would. Replace her with somebody better, not worse.I don't begrudge her enjoying DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies though. They were great and its a shame they closed. End of an era.
I understand liking the place. Although we usually only dine in Morrisville, there are those times when we do not. It would have been nice if she would have chosen her words better and thought about what she was saying.
Pension costs a big worry for Pa. public schools January 14, 2012 HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A spike in pension obligations could hardly come at a worse time for Pennsylvania's public schools. Gov. Tom Corbett, who has pledged to oppose any tax increase, will be proposing his second state budget on Feb. 7, and public school officials are worried about getting more bad news after working through the most difficult budget year in just about anyone's memory.The Corbett administration is projecting that its school employee pension obligations will rise by $320 million next year — or more than 50 percent — after more than doubling in this fiscal year. Meanwhile, public schools are suffering through cuts of more than 10 percent to state aid. The cuts, approved by the Legislature and Corbett, fell most heavily on Pennsylvania's poorest school districts, which officials argued get the most state aid. It seems that no one in the public school community expects Corbett to propose more money for public schools next year, and he may even seek another round of cuts in light of his administration's projection of a year-end deficit and rising costs in other parts of the budget, such as Medicaid and debt service. Thomas Gentzel, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said Corbett administration officials have told him that they didn't plan to cut public school aid again. "But the question is, what are they counting?" he said. If Corbett counts pension dollars as part of the state aid that helps keep the lights on and teachers in classrooms, then "there could be some significant cuts in major funding areas, although the overall funding may not be going down," Gentzel said. Corbett's top budget adviser, Charles Zogby, declined to comment. Rising pension obligations are being driven, in part, by lackluster investment performance on the money being paid into the system and a 2001 law under then-Gov. Tom Ridge that guaranteed 50 percent pension increases for most legislators and 25 percent increases for more than 300,000 state workers and teachers. There's not a whole lot that can be done about it. The state constitution bars curtailing pension benefits for current or retired state employees and teachers. Meanwhile, a 14-month-old state law signed by then-Gov. Ed Rendell is designed to blunt the severity of the pension cost spike by deferring some payments past 2030. That means that pension obligations shared by the state and school districts will jump to 12.4 percent next year, rather than 29.7 percent — a difference of about $2 billion, according to the Public School Employees' Retirement System. This year it is 8.7 percent, which still comes as something of a shock to school budgets after paying under 5 percent for much of the last decade and as little as 1.2 percent one year. School employees pay above 7 percent of salary, and have done so for much of the past decade. This year, school districts are absorbing the rising cost of pensions while weathering sluggish tax collections and the loss of about $850 million in state aid for instruction and operations. To balance budgets, districts are laying off staff, freezing wages, closing buildings, renegotiating contracts, tapping reserves and using textbooks and computers longer. In the Brookville Area School District in northwestern Pennsylvania, district officials are projecting a $400,000 increase in pension costs next year — or almost 2 percent of this year's anticipated revenue from tax collections and government aid — to split between the district and the state. That will be compounded by increases in costs for employee salaries and health insurance premiums, out-of-district placements and cyberschool tuition, business manager Jason Barnett said. This won't be the last time school districts must wrestle with pension costs: The school employees' retirement system estimates that the cost to the state and school districts will triple in four years and then stay at that level until 2035.
If there's a silver lining, it's that some school boards began saving for a spike in pension costs that they thought would be higher and come sooner. But because of the Legislature's efforts to blunt the spike, some districts may have a little surplus cash to help absorb more losses in state aid next year. "The good thing is they have that cash to weather this storm a little bit," said Jim Buckheit, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. "At least, many have it."
I am a senior citizen and I pay $99.90 a month for Medicare, $36.60 a month for a prescription drug plan, and $149 a month for supplemental coverage. That's $285.50 a month, and I am not working. Everyone, including teachers, should contribute toward health insurance.
Dear Bill. I work 60 hours a week to support you while you sit home or BS with other non working seniors at the seniors center. Everyone, including seniors, should get to work.
The problem lies with not knowing how simplistic your argument are, and supporting people and policies that are diametrically opposed to things that would actually benefit you.
"I am a senior citizen and I pay $99.90 a month for Medicare, $36.60 a month for a prescription drug plan, and $149 a month for supplemental coverage. That's $285.50 a month, and I am not working. Everyone, including teachers, should contribute toward health insurance."
Oh come on now. Mr. Minder has been working for years. He's been working with Burger, Ledger & Hellman to continue to crap up Morrisville. Its hard work whispering to anyone who will listen, having secret meetings to figure out the next negative plan & coming to public meetings just to do their bidding. I cannot say you haven't been working Mr. Minder, just not for anything that benefits anyone but the old puppet masters.
Let's give the benefit of the doubt for a moment. The Neshaminy teachers do need to back down from some of their unreasonable demands. The Tea Party school board needs to do the same. Four years of this educational Cold War is way too much.
A tough but fair contract and no strike for Morrisville would be nice, and is possible if everyone acts like reasonable adults. Please settle the contract before the current one expires. No working years without a contract like Neshaminy. Pennsbury too, right?
Police seeking woman who stole cigarettes at knife point
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012 4:24 pm | Updated: 8:05 pm, Mon Jan 16, 2012. By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments MORRISVILLE — Morrisville police are looking for a woman who allegedly stole three cartons of cigarettes at knife point. The incident happened at 12:40 a.m. Jan. 10 at a store on the 100 block of West Bridge Street. The woman allegedly threatened a salesperson with a Smith & Wesson folding knife. She left the store with the cigarettes, which are valued at $185, police said.
Vo-tech education a valuable but threatened resource
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 11:35 am, Mon Jan 16, 2012. 0 comments The myth surrounding vocational-technical schools should be put to rest once and for all. It’s a myth that says vo-tech students are second tier, that they can’t cut it in a traditional college-preparatory environment and may even be a little “slow.” That myth can be described in one word: baloney. The truth is, vo-tech schools may be one of the best-kept secrets in education. And one of the most underappreciated. Not only do the schools turn out students ready to hit the ground running in any one of many skilled careers, they prepare young men and women interested in moving on to college. These days, when a four-year degree and even post-graduate study hold no guarantee of employment, vo-tech grads in certain high-demand fields remain eminently employable, either right out of school or with a year or two of additional education/training.
That was part one of the message carried to state lawmakers last week during a meeting at the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warwick. Among those addressing members of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee were students, teachers and, most importantly, industry employers. They let the lawmakers know loud and clear that men and women with the kinds of skills taught at vo-tech schools will always be needed, unlike many jobs that have been and will continue to be outsourced overseas. Part two of the message was a warning about what might happen to vo-tech education without adequate funding. The schools get most of their financial support from the school districts they serve. The Central Bucks, Centennial, Council Rock and New Hope-Solebury school districts send students to MBIT; Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown are served by the Upper Bucks Vo-Tech School in Bedminster. The Lower Bucks Technical High School, which is a comprehensive school, receives students from Bristol Borogh, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Neshaminy, Pennsbury and Morrisville. With every school district having to make difficult budget decisions, and federal and state funding being drastically reduced or in danger of being cut, vo-tech schools face a serious crisis. The excellent training and preparation they offer can only continue as long as there are talented instructors and well-equipped classrooms, labs and shops. The plea to lawmakers was not to mark vo-tech education as an easy target for spending cutbacks. We understand as well as anyone the need for government at all levels to rein in spending. But crippling such a valuable resource as the vo-tech schools is clearly a foolish strategy. As those who spoke to the Education Committee noted, not everyone is college material. One of the great failings of our educational system is the population of colleges and universities by young people who have no business being there. Vo-tech schools offer another avenue to career success. If the stigma that continues to hang over vo-tech education were replaced by encouragement for those whose future lies in that direction, and if funding for the schools is kept at adequate levels, we can hope to see fewer college graduates with nowhere to go and more men and women well-trained and well-prepared to succeed.
Catholic schools wait for Feb. 15 Story Comments (2) ShareShare Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size
Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 8:40 am, Wed Jan 18, 2012.
Catholic schools wait for Feb. 15 By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer Calkins Media, Inc. | 2 comments
Officials from Holy Trinity and St. Mark Catholic schools met with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s review committee Tuesday. But they didn’t get a ruling on whether their schools will stay open.
“We feel we made a very factual-based appeal. It was well received and heard,” Elaine McDowell, principal of Holy Trinity, said Tuesday afternoon. “Now we have to wait.”
Archbishop Charles Chaput has the final say. Schools will be notified of their future in the archdiocese on Feb. 15.
Earlier this month, an archdiocesan blue ribbon commission named 48 schools it recommended to close and merge because of declining enrollment and financial difficulties. Among those schools, 11 are in Bucks County — nine in the lower end.
Under the recommendation, Holy Trinity in Morrisville and St. John the Evangelist in Lower Makefield would close, merge and start up an entire new school at the Lower Makefield campus. As for St. Mark in Bristol, it would merge into St. Ephrem in Bensalem.
McDowell said the one-hour meeting was “amiable” and it went “as good as we could have hoped for.” Holy Trinity shared the hour with St. John officials to argue the reasons their perspective schools should remain open, such as sustainability, accessibility and affordability.
While they wait for Feb. 15, the Holy Trinity and St. John the Evangelist implementation committee — which consists of parents, administrators and the pastors of each parish — will meet for the first time Wednesday night in a private meeting, as a way to be proactive in the event of a merger.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching St. Mark officials Tuesday. Bristol school parents are hopeful that their historic school will stay open. St. Mark was established 124 years ago, making it the first Catholic school in Bucks County.
Parent Michael Myers has two children at St. Mark and strongly believes the school is top notch with a well-maintained school building, updated technology and well-rounded curriculum.
“I wouldn’t send my children there if I didn’t think it was adequate for them,” said Myers, who is a member of Men of St. Mark, a men’s group that helps with the maintenance of the building such as repairs and painting.
Also in jeopardy is St. Michael the Archangel School in Tullytown, which has appealed. If the appeal isn’t successful, it would combine into Our Lady of Grace School at the campus in Penndel. Their meeting date is Thursday.
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, which is the only Catholic secondary school in Lower Bucks, is also going through the appeal process. Officials will meet later this week. The day was unknown Tuesday.
Mark Your Calendars... The Bucks County Tech School will be holding their annual Cinderellas closet dress sale...info reposted below from Parent Boosters President......
Just wanted to let you know that the Boosters will be holding their annual Cinderella's Closet Gown Sale on February 1st, 2nd, and 3rd from 6:00 to 7:30 PM each night at the Tech School. Our Cinderella's Closet has 100's of new and used gowns and dresses that would be perfect for the upcoming formal dance and prom season.
Each gown is $20.00!!!
If anyone has any clean gowns that they'd like to donate, please drop them off at the Main Office at the school or bring them on the sale nights.
Spread the word-there are really beautiful gowns available for rock bottom prices!
There is a new $5,000 scholarship, exclusively for US students pursuing a degree that will help combat nursing home abuse (full scholarship details at: http://www.nursinghomeabuse.net/). The scholarship will cover non-tuition related expenses such as rent, childcare, textbooks, utilities and groceries for the 2012-2013 academic year. The application window is January 15th through February 15th.
Interested students can apply at: www.NursingHomeAbuse.net
If you have any questions contact Shannon S. Outreach Coordinator NursingHomeAbuse.net - 'Dedicated To Preventing The Causes And Repairing The Consequences Of Nursing Home Abuse.' Shannon@NursingHomeAbuse.net
39 comments:
Thank you for the new Potluck!
there will be a regular Monthly Superintendent meeting tonight at the High School 7pm in the LGI room at the end of the main hallway if anyone wants to come out and get updates in a casual environment from Bill Ferrara, ask questions, etc. Hoping to see more parents come out and participate in these monthly meetings, they are so very informative.
Any discussion at the super meeting about stolen instruments and how to prevent further theft?
Peter...What stolen instruments? Sorry if I seem uninformed (I am), as I mostly only get my information from the BCCT.
Peter, it wasn't discussed last night. I wasn't aware of it, and it didn't seem like anyone else was either.
I heard it was a sax, which I believe belonged to the school, and an electric guitar and trombone, which I believe belonged to students. Again, I could be wrong.
When my son went to pick up his instrument from the band room at the end of the day, it was locked. Not sure if that is due to this incident or if Dr Scott just had somewhere to be and locked up early.
There but for the grace of God goes Morrisville?
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=8503041
True. It could be much much worse.
Also true: It can get even that rock bottom bad (e.g. Chester-Upland) and the state still doesn't swoop in and save you. So anyone still harboring state takeover dreams in Morrisville needs to throw them in a dumpster where they belong. It ain't in the cards.
A state takeover is the worst outcome. If that happens, the state appointed board would simply make decisions by fiat, with little or no concern for the wishes of the boro residents. Programs would be cut and taxes raised. Did anyone ever really think a takeover was a good idea?
Meanwhile, I'm glad I'm not in Neshaminy, where I see little or no chance of resolution as both sides are firmly dug-in. Pennsbury is about to go the same way, with the election of the new board members, expect a fight there.
Finally, perhaps Trinity does have a chance to survive, but I feel like the diocese appeals are nothing more than a dog-and-pony show, and they will ultimately just follow the recommendations of the commission.
Curious, if Trinity does close, how many vacant or repurposed school buildings will exist in the Ville?
Broke. Saddled with debt from a prior state takeover. Fresh cuts from Corbett Admin.
Manor Park. M.R.Reiter. Magic Cottage. Others??? HT would make at least 4.
CHESTER, Pa. - January 12, 2012 (WPVI) -- A vigil was held Thursday evening by those who want to save the Chester-Upland School District.
The district is broke. Officials say it is saddled with debt from a prior state takeover and fresh cuts from the Corbett Administration.
The folks are petitioning the governor to step up and stabilize the situation.
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"We need him to keep his campaign promise. He promised every child regardless of zip code will have access to quality education," vigil organizer Danyel Jennings said.
The district has only $100,000 in the bank; it won't be able to make its million dollar payroll next week.
The district and Harrisburg have been trying to find common ground for months.
"They have said they would like to help, but they find no way in which they can do it; they say they do not have the money," Acting Deputy Superintendent Thom Persing said.
The teachers and others who work here have vowed to work for nothing at least for now.
Some including union officials think this grim situation did not occur by accident, that the governor who wants school vouchers and is a backer of charter schools is sending a signal.
"This is sending a signal and harming the students at the school district, unfortunately. [This signal is] that he is not a fan of public education and he is for privatizing public education so it is no longer public," Lind Cook of the Pennsylvania State Education Association said.
A Department of Education spokesperson says this is not a case of school choice or school voucher issues. The spokesperson says that what happened is local to Chester-Upland, adding the state has sent extra money to the district before; the school board has not been the tough decisions it needs to make.
Also true based on this: even when the state swoops in to save you it can do more harm than good. We need to solve our own problems! Not thumbing our noses or rejecting outside funding or assistance, but we cannot count on a knight in shining armor to save us.
Can we at least count on a knight in shining armor to come to our emotional rescue?
Happy Friday the 13th everybody!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCG7v1tHm-Q&feature=related
Jon, for linking to what may be one of the worst Rolling Stones' songs ever, I hereby sentence you to watching the oft voted worst song ever video... repeatedly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGGckAc1rs
Why couldn't somebody have stolen their instruments before they recorded this assault on our musical sensibilities?
Meanwhile, the Blue Ribbon Commission welcomes your comments about the school closings.
"We welcome your comments and we want to assist you in every way possible during this time of transition. If you have any questions or would like to share your comments, please email us at info@faithinthefuture.com."
I like Emotional Rescue! I know it's Disco-y, but it's still the Stones and I like it. Oh well.
There's nothing good to be said about We Built This City. How can you go from an Airplane to a Starship and sink so low?
Loved the airplane and Jefferson Starship too! The Jefferson Starship managed a few great albums: Freedom at Point Zero, Modern Times and the all-time classic, Red Octopus. Once they jumped the shark to just Starship, there was nothing left in that tank.
Reposted from mv.org. Congratulations to our kids, lets see a larger # next marking period!
You can view the photo on the front of Mv.org
Straight A students
Straight A students for the first marking period of the 2011-12 school year.
Front Row Katie Woolf, Clifford Allen, Emily Meyer, Jesssica Worrell
Back Row: Wanda Badilla, Deidra Lewis, and Joe Gilleo
Missing from the photo: Adwoa Bamfo, Matthew Rosenwasser, and Emilie Nazario
Reposted from MV.org
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION SCHEDULED
The Morrisville School District will register incoming kindergarten students for the 2012-2013 school year at Grandview Elementary School, 80 Grandview Ave., on the following dates:
•Wednesday, March 7 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
•Thursday, March 8 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
•Friday, March 9 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
All kindergarten-age children who plan on entering the Morrisville school program for the 2012-2013 school year must be present and screened on the day of registration – March 7, 8, or 9 between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Children must be five years of age on or prior to Sept. 1, 2012. They also will need a medical or dental examination and a series of childhood immunizations. The only exceptions to the school immunization law are medical reasons or religious beliefs.
The child must accompany parents or guardians who also are required to bring to the registration, the child’s birth certificate, social security number, official immunization records and have a copy of the parent or guardian’s photo I.D., plus four proofs of residency, including a current lease with the child’s name. Other identification material may include driver’s license, utility or tax bill, auto insurance or registration, and bank statement.
Please share this information with friends or neighbors who are planning to enroll a new student in the Morrisville School District. More district information can be found on the website: www.mv.org
DeLorenzo's closing Sunday; another slice of Burg life dies
Friday, January 13, 2012
By Trentonian Staff
TRENTON — The sadness didn’t just come with the slate-gray sky and the winter rain Thursday in the East Ward.
It came with what many already knew, that this weekend would be the last that Gary and Eileen Amico would fire up the oven and make their thin, crisp, legendary tomato pie at 530 Hudson St. Come Sunday night, that DeLorenzo’s Pizza Shop will close forever.
And it settled in deeper with word that violence had struck again near DeLorenzo’s on Thursday, when at 12:15 a.m. another shooting victim was taken down “around the corner” -- shot 10 times, a source said.
And you recall that just nine weeks ago on Nov. 4, Glenn Johnson, 49, was walking to catch a bus to work in the morning, and was shot to death nearby at Midwood Alley. Violence has crept closer and closer through the neighborhood over the last few years.
And beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday, the first 50 or so pizza lovers began crowding the front of Gary and Eileen’s to get in at 4 p.m., to pay their last respects, to celebrate the last rites on the last four days of business through Sunday night.
Once inside, they settled back to enjoy the pleasant peace of old DeLorenzo’s, to uncork their bottles of wine, or to — as Sal Scarlata and his grandson Gabe, 11, of Lawrenceville, did with friend Jack Murphy — take out a set of cards and play some UNO.
“Once a week we come in every Thursday night, for five years,” said Sal. “We know Gary from the old neighborhood in North Trenton by Junior 1, Princeton Avenue. Yes, that has changed, too; everything has changed.”
But not this beautiful old pizza shop that was once Eileen Amico’s girlhood home. She and Gary have been making pies here for the past 41 years.
“For some reason, it became known as the tomato pie,” he said. “You put cheese on first, then the toppings, then the tomatoes on last, whole Red Pack tomatoes from California, and good oil. We add a couple of other (secret) things we’re not at liberty to say.”
He grinned. After all, their son Sam operates a DeLorenzo’s store in Robbinsville, which Gary plans to help with for the first year off, until they consider opening another store in Newtown, Pa. They insist the approaching violence didn’t scare them out of Hudson Street.
“No,” Eileen said, “we have a cop outside” — on duty every night.
“He’ll walk you in, walk you out to your car, everything’s fine,” said Gary. “People in the neighborhood are the victims, the Guatemalans. They’re easy pickings for other people, thugs, to attack. But for somebody driving in, walking in, they’re not victims, they’re not targets.”
The sadness pervades. Old Trentonians, like the folks who are coming back here now for one last terrific tomato pie, never spoke of this in the past.
“I’m going to miss everyone; I met a lot of nice people over the years,” said Eileen Amico.
They piled in Thursday night, and longtime fans John and Eileen Dreisback of Morrisville were among them, sitting at a table with the empty plates waiting expectantly in front of them.
“I will miss this place,” Eileen said. “This is the only place we could get a decent thin pie.”
She watched them playing cards across the aisle, opening the wine.
“And Kern’s red cream soda!” Eileen said. “I always got Kern’s here. Made in Trenton, too!”
"They piled in Thursday night, and longtime fans John and Eileen Dreisback of Morrisville were among them, sitting at a table with the empty plates waiting expectantly in front of them.
“I will miss this place,” Eileen said. “This is the only place we could get a decent thin pie.”
I certainly hope I am reading this wrong. First Ward Councilwoman, Eileen Dreisback is saying that she cannot get a decent thin pie in Morrisville Borough? LaVilla's is amazing. I hope I'm reading it wrong. Terrible way to support your community.
I have watched council meetings on the tv. This doesn't at all surprise me. Eileen is a lose cannon who seems to like to hear herself yell. She is on council to be an obstacle and is a no vote on a regular basis. Doesn't matter what it is or how it will beneifit the community its a "no vote". She even voted against the 2012 budget that for the first time since she's been on council had no tax increase and actually gave money back to the residents. She doesn't seem to know what's going on much of the time and is intent on yelling at someone at least once during every meeting. From the questions she asks at the meetings and the way she acts like she is in the dark, it seems like she never reads her materials & has no problem going to the meetings unprepared. She came the organization meeting in sweatpants! I never see her anywhere in town that isn't supporting the 1st ward only. Really sad for Morrisville that voters keep electing people like this. It wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that she doesn't support local businesses because she doesn't support anything positive in Morrisville.
Sadly, Sandford & Smith follow her vote. Santford has followed lock-step with whatever Eileen votes for since he's been on council. There has only been one meeting with Smith but at that meeting she also followed her votes lock-step with Eileen. LOL Eileen at the helm. If it wasn't sad it would be funny. It really is a shame for Morrisville that Jane picked up another puppet seat during the last election. The people who are actually trying to get stuff done in Morrisville have to be getting tired of banging their heads against the wall for the community.
VALENTINES FOR VETERANS
From now until the first weekend of February.
Join the community as we show our vets they are thought of and appreciated by putting valentines of all shapes and sizes, store bought or homemade, into the collection boxes located at:
- Morrisville Borough Hall
- Morrisville Free Library
- Burn's Pharmacy
- Cunningham's Hardware
- Anthony's Pizza
- Squirrel's Nest Cafe
Please do not add your full name, address, phone number or photos in or attached to valentines.
I don't like the way Dreisback conducts herself on boro council or her lack of preparation. I do not live in Ward 1 so I don't get to vote for someone else.Ward 1 is going to have to dump her if they don't like her representation. I wish they would. Replace her with somebody better, not worse.I don't begrudge her enjoying DeLorenzo's Tomato Pies though. They were great and its a shame they closed. End of an era.
I understand liking the place. Although we usually only dine in Morrisville, there are those times when we do not. It would have been nice if she would have chosen her words better and thought about what she was saying.
Pension costs a big worry for Pa. public schools
January 14, 2012
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A spike in pension obligations could hardly come at a worse time for Pennsylvania's public schools.
Gov. Tom Corbett, who has pledged to oppose any tax increase, will be proposing his second state budget on Feb. 7, and public school officials are worried about getting more bad news after working through the most difficult budget year in just about anyone's memory.The Corbett administration is projecting that its school employee pension obligations will rise by $320 million next year — or more than 50 percent — after more than doubling in this fiscal year.
Meanwhile, public schools are suffering through cuts of more than 10 percent to state aid. The cuts, approved by the Legislature and Corbett, fell most heavily on Pennsylvania's poorest school districts, which officials argued get the most state aid.
It seems that no one in the public school community expects Corbett to propose more money for public schools next year, and he may even seek another round of cuts in light of his administration's projection of a year-end deficit and rising costs in other parts of the budget, such as Medicaid and debt service.
Thomas Gentzel, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said Corbett administration officials have told him that they didn't plan to cut public school aid again.
"But the question is, what are they counting?" he said.
If Corbett counts pension dollars as part of the state aid that helps keep the lights on and teachers in classrooms, then "there could be some significant cuts in major funding areas, although the overall funding may not be going down," Gentzel said.
Corbett's top budget adviser, Charles Zogby, declined to comment.
Rising pension obligations are being driven, in part, by lackluster investment performance on the money being paid into the system and a 2001 law under then-Gov. Tom Ridge that guaranteed 50 percent pension increases for most legislators and 25 percent increases for more than 300,000 state workers and teachers.
There's not a whole lot that can be done about it.
The state constitution bars curtailing pension benefits for current or retired state employees and teachers. Meanwhile, a 14-month-old state law signed by then-Gov. Ed Rendell is designed to blunt the severity of the pension cost spike by deferring some payments past 2030.
That means that pension obligations shared by the state and school districts will jump to 12.4 percent next year, rather than 29.7 percent — a difference of about $2 billion, according to the Public School Employees' Retirement System.
This year it is 8.7 percent, which still comes as something of a shock to school budgets after paying under 5 percent for much of the last decade and as little as 1.2 percent one year. School employees pay above 7 percent of salary, and have done so for much of the past decade.
This year, school districts are absorbing the rising cost of pensions while weathering sluggish tax collections and the loss of about $850 million in state aid for instruction and operations. To balance budgets, districts are laying off staff, freezing wages, closing buildings, renegotiating contracts, tapping reserves and using textbooks and computers longer.
In the Brookville Area School District in northwestern Pennsylvania, district officials are projecting a $400,000 increase in pension costs next year — or almost 2 percent of this year's anticipated revenue from tax collections and government aid — to split between the district and the state. That will be compounded by increases in costs for employee salaries and health insurance premiums, out-of-district placements and cyberschool tuition, business manager Jason Barnett said.
This won't be the last time school districts must wrestle with pension costs: The school employees' retirement system estimates that the cost to the state and school districts will triple in four years and then stay at that level until 2035.
...the last part...
If there's a silver lining, it's that some school boards began saving for a spike in pension costs that they thought would be higher and come sooner. But because of the Legislature's efforts to blunt the spike, some districts may have a little surplus cash to help absorb more losses in state aid next year.
"The good thing is they have that cash to weather this storm a little bit," said Jim Buckheit, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. "At least, many have it."
The Vent
Posted: Sunday, January 15, 2012 6:00 am
I am a senior citizen and I pay $99.90 a month for Medicare, $36.60 a month for a prescription drug plan, and $149 a month for supplemental coverage. That's $285.50 a month, and I am not working. Everyone, including teachers, should contribute toward health insurance.
Bill Minder, Morrisville
Dear Bill. I work 60 hours a week to support you while you sit home or BS with other non working seniors at the seniors center. Everyone, including seniors, should get to work.
See how much fun simplistic arguments can be?
Mother Nature is probably mad at him for being so simplistic. That's why it snowed before Halloween and that Italian Cruise Ship overturned.
The problem lies with not knowing how simplistic your argument are, and supporting people and policies that are diametrically opposed to things that would actually benefit you.
"I am a senior citizen and I pay $99.90 a month for Medicare, $36.60 a month for a prescription drug plan, and $149 a month for supplemental coverage. That's $285.50 a month, and I am not working. Everyone, including teachers, should contribute toward health insurance."
Oh come on now. Mr. Minder has been working for years. He's been working with Burger, Ledger & Hellman to continue to crap up Morrisville. Its hard work whispering to anyone who will listen, having secret meetings to figure out the next negative plan & coming to public meetings just to do their bidding. I cannot say you haven't been working Mr. Minder, just not for anything that benefits anyone but the old puppet masters.
What a wealth-redistributing Socialist he is!
District Event
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Board Agenda Meeting in the LGI
Site: DIST
Start Time: 7:30 PM
End Time: 9:30 PM
Let's give the benefit of the doubt for a moment. The Neshaminy teachers do need to back down from some of their unreasonable demands. The Tea Party school board needs to do the same. Four years of this educational Cold War is way too much.
A tough but fair contract and no strike for Morrisville would be nice, and is possible if everyone acts like reasonable adults. Please settle the contract before the current one expires. No working years without a contract like Neshaminy. Pennsbury too, right?
Police seeking woman who stole cigarettes at knife point
Posted: Monday, January 16, 2012 4:24 pm | Updated: 8:05 pm, Mon Jan 16, 2012.
By Jo Ciavaglia Staff writer | 0 comments
MORRISVILLE — Morrisville police are looking for a woman who allegedly stole three cartons of cigarettes at knife point.
The incident happened at 12:40 a.m. Jan. 10 at a store on the 100 block of West Bridge Street. The woman allegedly threatened a salesperson with a Smith & Wesson folding knife. She left the store with the cigarettes, which are valued at $185, police said.
Police provided no description of the suspect.
Vo-tech education a valuable but threatened resource
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 6:00 am | Updated: 11:35 am, Mon Jan 16, 2012.
0 comments
The myth surrounding vocational-technical schools should be put to rest once and for all. It’s a myth that says vo-tech students are second tier, that they can’t cut it in a traditional college-preparatory environment and may even be a little “slow.” That myth can be described in one word: baloney.
The truth is, vo-tech schools may be one of the best-kept secrets in education. And one of the most underappreciated. Not only do the schools turn out students ready to hit the ground running in any one of many skilled careers, they prepare young men and women interested in moving on to college. These days, when a four-year degree and even post-graduate study hold no guarantee of employment, vo-tech grads in certain high-demand fields remain eminently employable, either right out of school or with a year or two of additional education/training.
That was part one of the message carried to state lawmakers last week during a meeting at the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology in Warwick. Among those addressing members of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee were students, teachers and, most importantly, industry employers. They let the lawmakers know loud and clear that men and women with the kinds of skills taught at vo-tech schools will always be needed, unlike many jobs that have been and will continue to be outsourced overseas.
Part two of the message was a warning about what might happen to vo-tech education without adequate funding. The schools get most of their financial support from the school districts they serve. The Central Bucks, Centennial, Council Rock and New Hope-Solebury school districts send students to MBIT; Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown are served by the Upper Bucks Vo-Tech School in Bedminster. The Lower Bucks Technical High School, which is a comprehensive school, receives students from Bristol Borogh, Bristol Township, Bensalem, Neshaminy, Pennsbury and Morrisville. With every school district having to make difficult budget decisions, and federal and state funding being drastically reduced or in danger of being cut, vo-tech schools face a serious crisis. The excellent training and preparation they offer can only continue as long as there are talented instructors and well-equipped classrooms, labs and shops.
The plea to lawmakers was not to mark vo-tech education as an easy target for spending cutbacks. We understand as well as anyone the need for government at all levels to rein in spending. But crippling such a valuable resource as the vo-tech schools is clearly a foolish strategy.
As those who spoke to the Education Committee noted, not everyone is college material. One of the great failings of our educational system is the population of colleges and universities by young people who have no business being there. Vo-tech schools offer another avenue to career success. If the stigma that continues to hang over vo-tech education were replaced by encouragement for those whose future lies in that direction, and if funding for the schools is kept at adequate levels, we can hope to see fewer college graduates with nowhere to go and more men and women well-trained and well-prepared to succeed.
Catholic schools wait for Feb. 15
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Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 5:00 am | Updated: 8:40 am, Wed Jan 18, 2012.
Catholic schools wait for Feb. 15 By GEMA MARIA DUARTE Staff writer Calkins Media, Inc. | 2 comments
Officials from Holy Trinity and St. Mark Catholic schools met with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s review committee Tuesday. But they didn’t get a ruling on whether their schools will stay open.
“We feel we made a very factual-based appeal. It was well received and heard,” Elaine McDowell, principal of Holy Trinity, said Tuesday afternoon. “Now we have to wait.”
Archbishop Charles Chaput has the final say. Schools will be notified of their future in the archdiocese on Feb. 15.
Earlier this month, an archdiocesan blue ribbon commission named 48 schools it recommended to close and merge because of declining enrollment and financial difficulties. Among those schools, 11 are in Bucks County — nine in the lower end.
Under the recommendation, Holy Trinity in Morrisville and St. John the Evangelist in Lower Makefield would close, merge and start up an entire new school at the Lower Makefield campus. As for St. Mark in Bristol, it would merge into St. Ephrem in Bensalem.
McDowell said the one-hour meeting was “amiable” and it went “as good as we could have hoped for.” Holy Trinity shared the hour with St. John officials to argue the reasons their perspective schools should remain open, such as sustainability, accessibility and affordability.
While they wait for Feb. 15, the Holy Trinity and St. John the Evangelist implementation committee — which consists of parents, administrators and the pastors of each parish — will meet for the first time Wednesday night in a private meeting, as a way to be proactive in the event of a merger.
The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching St. Mark officials Tuesday. Bristol school parents are hopeful that their historic school will stay open. St. Mark was established 124 years ago, making it the first Catholic school in Bucks County.
Parent Michael Myers has two children at St. Mark and strongly believes the school is top notch with a well-maintained school building, updated technology and well-rounded curriculum.
“I wouldn’t send my children there if I didn’t think it was adequate for them,” said Myers, who is a member of Men of St. Mark, a men’s group that helps with the maintenance of the building such as repairs and painting.
Also in jeopardy is St. Michael the Archangel School in Tullytown, which has appealed. If the appeal isn’t successful, it would combine into Our Lady of Grace School at the campus in Penndel. Their meeting date is Thursday.
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School, which is the only Catholic secondary school in Lower Bucks, is also going through the appeal process. Officials will meet later this week. The day was unknown Tuesday.
Mark Your Calendars...
The Bucks County Tech School will be holding their annual Cinderellas closet dress sale...info reposted below from Parent Boosters President......
Just wanted to let you know that the Boosters will be holding their annual Cinderella's Closet Gown Sale on February 1st, 2nd, and 3rd from 6:00 to 7:30 PM each night at the Tech School.
Our Cinderella's Closet has 100's of new and used gowns and dresses that would be perfect for the upcoming formal dance and prom season.
Each gown is $20.00!!!
If anyone has any clean gowns that they'd like to donate, please drop them off at the Main Office at the school or bring them on the sale nights.
Spread the word-there are really beautiful gowns available for rock bottom prices!
There is a new $5,000 scholarship, exclusively for US students pursuing a degree that will help combat nursing home abuse (full scholarship details at: http://www.nursinghomeabuse.net/). The scholarship will cover non-tuition related expenses such as rent, childcare, textbooks, utilities and groceries for the 2012-2013 academic year. The application window is January 15th through February 15th.
Interested students can apply at:
www.NursingHomeAbuse.net
If you have any questions contact Shannon S.
Outreach Coordinator
NursingHomeAbuse.net - 'Dedicated To Preventing The Causes And Repairing The Consequences Of Nursing Home Abuse.'
Shannon@NursingHomeAbuse.net
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