In the last few years of my father's life, I became his designated driver. We had to take his keys away, it peeved him greatly, so the one who held the keys was the person who drove him to the market, to the barber, and, of course, to the doctor.
I also was his companion at funerals. One by one, his brother passed, then his best friends and old acquaintances and people who he knew from his many years of business. At first, he would joke a bit, saying "At least, I'm here to say goodbye and we can go eat afterwards." Later, his refrain changed, became darker as he began to wish out loud for his own demise. Despite a loving family, his children were always busy and he hated to bother us.
I have come to an age where the funerals have become more frequent. Since September of this year, the Middletown community has said farewell to such fine people as Matilda "Tillye" Itkin (long-time owner of the home decor store that bears the family name, educator and reading advocate Susan Rubel, the joyful voice and spirit of Shirley Stern, William "Bill" Simpson (who did so many things to help young people) and, just this week, the long-time Latin teacher at Middletown High School, Ruth Montgomery.
Mrs. Montgomery, wife of librarian and composer Chris Montgomery, loved to teach, loved languages, really appreciated students who took the time to study classical languages, the building blocks of modern grammar and speech. When our younger daughter Rachel attended MHS, Mrs. Montgomery helped her in many ways. Rachel has a natural aptitude for languages, loves Latin and, in her junior and senior years, created independent study courses in the language supervised by her teacher. Mrs. Montgomery kept her on task, allowed great breadth in her subject matter and was thrilled by the results.
Besides our personal relationship, Ruth Montgomery helped to create the Elizabeth Swaim Memorial Strings Program in the Middletown Public Schools. Many fine young violinists and cellists have developed under the watchful and caring eyes of this program. Ruth and Chris attended many concerts and plays in and out of town - she was generous in her praise and overjoyed when her former students excelled.
I did not know her well so her obituary (which you can read here) was very revealing, especially the early years. She will be remembered for her activism in support of language arts, for her love of teaching and the positive effect she had on so many young lives. Ruth Montgomery may not produced hundreds of Latin scholars but she very successfully passed on her curiosity for learning, for going beyond the printed page and for making an ancient language relevant to younger minds.
As we gather for Thanksgiving, the table seems a bit emptier with the loss of such fine people.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Governor's Budget Cuts Will Impact City
As reported Tuesday afternoon on CT News Junkie, Governor Jodi Rell has released a Deficit Mitigation Package that cuts $337 million from the $37.6 billion passed by the legislature three months ago. Some of these cuts must be approved by the legislature.
Among the cuts are $84 million in municipal aid.
"It's kind of a 'I told you so' moment," said Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, referring to the pleas of several Connecticut mayors during the budget process to spare the cities. "They didn't solve the problems at the state level. They just kicked them down the road. If they had addressed the issues at the state level, we wouldn't be faced with this now."
The budget cuts were the subject of a conference call among Connecticut mayor's this morning.
"The general consensus, among the mayors is that we hope that the state doesn't attempt to solve their problems on our backs," Giuliano said.
If promised funding is not available in some areas, the city will have to turn to the General Fund to meet shortfalls.
"We're already in the hole by half a million dollars," Giuliano explained. "Our budget was based on funding that the legislature and the governor cut after our budget was passed. Now that budget is going to get hit again, and for more than we planned.
"At the city level the projections made in our budget are already being adjusted, and we don't normally see that kind of adjustment until late Winter, early Spring," Giuliano explained, citing and adjustment in projected energy costs, for which the city has to dip into the General Fund to cover.
"We are going to have to have each city director take a good hard look at their budgets, in conjunction with the city's Finance Director," said Democratic Common Council member Vinnie Loffredo. "It would be my suggestion to the mayor and my fellow councilors that we consider budget not expended, and positions that have been financed but not yet filled. We need to look for places where we can afford to make savings.
"It's going to be a tough year," Loffredo admitted. "And it's going to be a tougher budgeting year next year. Tougher than the one we just faced."
In addition, Giuliano noted that some of the other cuts to services in health, senior services, mental health services and other areas, while not directly affecting the city budget will have an indirect effect.
"If people can't get services that they normally get from the state, who are they going to turn to?" asked Guiliano. "They're going to turn to us."
Among the cuts are $84 million in municipal aid.
"It's kind of a 'I told you so' moment," said Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, referring to the pleas of several Connecticut mayors during the budget process to spare the cities. "They didn't solve the problems at the state level. They just kicked them down the road. If they had addressed the issues at the state level, we wouldn't be faced with this now."
The budget cuts were the subject of a conference call among Connecticut mayor's this morning.
"The general consensus, among the mayors is that we hope that the state doesn't attempt to solve their problems on our backs," Giuliano said.
If promised funding is not available in some areas, the city will have to turn to the General Fund to meet shortfalls.
"We're already in the hole by half a million dollars," Giuliano explained. "Our budget was based on funding that the legislature and the governor cut after our budget was passed. Now that budget is going to get hit again, and for more than we planned.
"At the city level the projections made in our budget are already being adjusted, and we don't normally see that kind of adjustment until late Winter, early Spring," Giuliano explained, citing and adjustment in projected energy costs, for which the city has to dip into the General Fund to cover.
"We are going to have to have each city director take a good hard look at their budgets, in conjunction with the city's Finance Director," said Democratic Common Council member Vinnie Loffredo. "It would be my suggestion to the mayor and my fellow councilors that we consider budget not expended, and positions that have been financed but not yet filled. We need to look for places where we can afford to make savings.
"It's going to be a tough year," Loffredo admitted. "And it's going to be a tougher budgeting year next year. Tougher than the one we just faced."
In addition, Giuliano noted that some of the other cuts to services in health, senior services, mental health services and other areas, while not directly affecting the city budget will have an indirect effect.
"If people can't get services that they normally get from the state, who are they going to turn to?" asked Guiliano. "They're going to turn to us."
Rave at Laser Tag Business Ends in Arrests
Based on a tip from State Police, Middletown Police raided a Sunday-night rave being held at A New World Laser Tag, on Main Street, and arrested three individuals with possession of a hallucinogenic drug, sale of those drugs, or intent to sell.
The rave was not sponsored by New World Laser Tag. The space was leased to independent producers who hired DJ's, and managed the event as an independent event.
The rave, a kind of dance event which typically draws participants by invitation only - often over the web, drew hundreds to Main Street on Sunday night.
At 11:00 PM, detectives who were conducting surveillance at the event, observed that there "were numereous narcotics being used and sold at the party."
Three individuals were arrested. According to a press release from the Middletown Police Department they are:
Kevin Boyd, age 24, of #105 Spring Trail Drive in Coventry CT, was arrested and charged with Possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of a hallucinogenic drug with intent to sell, and interfering with an officer.
The rave was not sponsored by New World Laser Tag. The space was leased to independent producers who hired DJ's, and managed the event as an independent event.
The rave, a kind of dance event which typically draws participants by invitation only - often over the web, drew hundreds to Main Street on Sunday night.
At 11:00 PM, detectives who were conducting surveillance at the event, observed that there "were numereous narcotics being used and sold at the party."
Three individuals were arrested. According to a press release from the Middletown Police Department they are:
Kevin Boyd, age 24, of #105 Spring Trail Drive in Coventry CT, was arrested and charged with Possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of a hallucinogenic drug with intent to sell, and interfering with an officer.
Alexander Schroeder, age 19, of #415 Mohegan Avenue in Quaker Hill CT, was arrested and charged with Possession of a hallucinogenic drug, and sale of a hallucinogenic drug.
Michael McDonough Jr., age 30, of #1 Harned Road in Somerdale NJ, was arrested and charged with Possession of a hallucinogenic drug, and possession of a hallucinogenic drug with intent to sell.All individuals were released on $5000 dollar bonds and issued court dates of 12/4/09.
In total Street Crime Detectives seized 23.1 grams of hallucinogenic mushrooms, 3 dosage units of Ecstasy (MDMA), and 0.3 grams of Ketamine; all 3 narcotics are powerful hallucinogenic substances.Russo Clarifies Sewer Rate Increase
"The proposed rate increases have nothing to do with our current delinquencies," Water and Sewer Commissioner Guy Russo said in an interview yesterday. Russo indicated that the department is planning to take care of that problem with budget cuts, a revolving loan from the Water Fund Balance.
"We've already cut $550,000 out of this year's budget," Russo said. "And in preparing next year's budget, increases in spending will only be nominal. It will essentially be a flat budget."
The $30,000 loan from the Water Fund Balance to handle expected foreclosures is expected to be fully repaid through the foreclosure process.
The proposed 3% mid-term increase in sewer rates is required to cover an expected drop in usage going forward, according to Russo.
A public hearing on the proposed rate increase will be held Monday, November 30, 5:15 PM at the Water and Sewer Department.
"We've already cut $550,000 out of this year's budget," Russo said. "And in preparing next year's budget, increases in spending will only be nominal. It will essentially be a flat budget."
The $30,000 loan from the Water Fund Balance to handle expected foreclosures is expected to be fully repaid through the foreclosure process.
The proposed 3% mid-term increase in sewer rates is required to cover an expected drop in usage going forward, according to Russo.
A public hearing on the proposed rate increase will be held Monday, November 30, 5:15 PM at the Water and Sewer Department.
Substance Abuse Action Council Hosts Youth Seminar
From the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce
The Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council (MCSAAC) held its tenth annual Youth Conference on November 18, 2009 at Middlesex Community College in Middletown. A crowd of 150 student leaders and their advisors from across the county attended leadership workshops that focused on preventing substance abuse and risky behaviors. High school students learned about heroin and prescription drug abuse, internet safety, getting involved with MADD, and media literacy and advocacy. Adult advisors participated in a special session on mental illness and drug abuse.
The Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council (MCSAAC) held its tenth annual Youth Conference on November 18, 2009 at Middlesex Community College in Middletown. A crowd of 150 student leaders and their advisors from across the county attended leadership workshops that focused on preventing substance abuse and risky behaviors. High school students learned about heroin and prescription drug abuse, internet safety, getting involved with MADD, and media literacy and advocacy. Adult advisors participated in a special session on mental illness and drug abuse.
Presenters included Detective Brian Hubbs from the Middletown Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Sergeant James Smith from the Connecticut State Police Forensic Laboratory, Catherine LeVasseur from the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, Lauren Iannucci from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Dr. Stephen Wyatt from Middlesex Hospital Behavioral Health. Presenters donated their services and the Middlesex County Community College donated facilities.
Participants enjoyed a special performance by the improbable PLAYERS, a professional acting troupe based in Boston, which consists solely of actors in recovery. The young, former drug abusers and alcoholics delivered riveting and authentic stories and answered audience questions immediately after the performance.
Anyone interested in becoming involved with MCSAAC is welcome to contact the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council at (860) 347-5959 or to visit info@mcsaac.org.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Kiwanis and Salvation Army Distribute Thanksgiving Baskets
"It says a lot to me about love and the people of Middletown," Pat Britton said in a muted Southern drawl, as she accepted a turkey and basket at the Salvation Army Monday morning. "I just lot my husband. He was an MP in the service."
Members of the the local Kiwanis, assembled and delivered turkeys and food baskets to the
Salvation Army on Main Street Monday morning where 33 families gathered to accept the holiday food.Kiwanis members, and other individuals and organizations delivered the baskets and they were distributed immediately to families who had signed up.
Mike Dipiro and Christopher Conley of the accounting firm Gilmartin, Dipiro and Sokowloski carried in a large basket from their offices a few doors away from Salvation Army headquarters, and immediately helped a woman who said that she'd be feeding a family of six on Thanksgiving day.It's a busy season for the Salvation Army, according to Salvation Army Rick Starkey who manages the bell-ringer holiday collections outside of area grocery and department stores, and is gearing up for the annual holiday toy drive for families in need.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Hangin' Around the Observatory
On this weekend before Thanksgiving, Middletown was particularly inviting. Another unseasonable warm weekend inspired a neighbor and me, simultaneously to take our kids on a hike. She suggested Wadsworth Falls. I told her I had the "Leatherman cave" in Maromas in mind.
We settled on the cave, and drove out to the twin reservoirs East of Connecticut Valley Hospital, and walked out the state road into the rocky hills dotted with oak, mountain laurel, and large outcroppings sparkling with quartz, mica and feldspar.
I had called former Common Council member Earle Roberts to pinpoint the location of the cave, and he called back as we were within quarter of a mile of the cave. He came over to direct us, and feted us with tales of his battles with the mining company who were leasing the feldspar quarry, and how he eventually prevented them from encroaching on the outcropping which forms the "cave," but not before blowing a significant chunk of it down in a blast that was apparently set for spite.
The cave is not a cave, but a rock shelter like many in the hills of Connecticut, caused by erosion and tumbling boulders and slabs. For decades, perhaps centuries, it was likely used as a shelter by the native Americans who lived by the river. In the mid-nineteenth century it became a
well-known shelter for the locally infamous wanderer known as the Leatherman.Indeed, the shelter has been re-shaped by the blast. I filmed there in 1984 when I was helping produce a short documentary about the Leatherman, and the blast dropped boulders on either end of what was once a spacious rock room, and is now less so.
Roberts directed us to a trail which lead to an outlook above the cave from which we could look Northeast over the old quarry, and West, over the trees of Maromas. Another ridge side trail took us back to the state gravel road and the reservoirs.In the evening, a pot luck with neighbors who live near Wesleyan was capped by a walk to the Van Vleck Observatory which was open and celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo's telescopic study of the sky. We waited in lines to view Jupiter and its two moons, which hung between branches in the Western skies, and to see a blur of stars in a cluster that is millions of light years away.
Today, I walked to the theaters downtown to take in Planet 51 with my kids, and while there I spotted Councilman Phil Pessina.
Joking, I asked him if he was there to see the new vampire movie.
I was surprised when he said he was.
Turns out that Pessina is a big fan of the Twilight series of novels about teen vampires, and is equally appreciative of the movie versions.
"It's another side of me," Pessina confided.
From 1974: Main Street Project Wins Council Favor
The following article is from 35 years ago today, published in the Hartford Courant on November 22, 1974.
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A narrower Main Street between Washington and Union streets, to be beautified with trees and shrubs, has won tentative approval from a majority of city councilmen.
The beautification plan would cover the entire length of the street, including the section north from Washington Street owned by the state.
The city now has one of the widest main streets in the country, but, under the new plan, it would be narrowed to two lanes, with parking restricted to coves set in the narrowed sides. Chamber of Commerce officials want to make certain the proposed loop roads of Broad Street and DeKoven Drive would carry the added traffic that probably would be eliminated from Main Street. The new proposal was seen as a compromise of other plans which had included closing the portion of Main Street and also for creating half moon curves to slow the traffic in another plan.
The plan is seen as improving the streets appearance, officials said, and creating greater pedestrian areas.
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According to articles in the Courant, the idea of reducing automobile traffic on Main Street (including some proposals to make it a pedestrian only mall) was quite vigorously debated for many years. In a September, 1976 article about the new president of the Chamber of Commerce ("CofC Leader Has Eye on Main Street"), the Courant reported that the narrowing of Main Street was still under consideration, but it had "met with substantial opposition..." Interestingly, the new president in 1976 was Robert G. Comstock, who had been executive vice president of the Greater Keene (NH) Chamber of Commerce. Keene had been the one town with a wider Main Street than Middletown, and Comstock told the Courant that one of his accomplishments in Keene was to narrow Main Street to form a semi-mall situation. He was apparently unable to accomplish the same thing in our city.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Two-wheel Turkey Delivery
Hundreds of motorcycles and their riders crowded Broad Street as turkeys were unloaded for the annual turkey run for the Red Cross sponsored by the Renegade Pigs motorcycle club Saturday around noon.
Ways to Serve the Community - Vacancies on Town Committees and Commissions
Mayor Sebastian Giuliano has said more than once in public, if you want to get involved in helping make the city a better place, volunteer to serve on a municipal committee or commission. There are several vacancies now open, some with party restrictions, and anyone interested in serving is advised to call the mayor's office, 80-344-3400. The following vacancies and potential reappointments are pending:
Exipiration of term - reappointment possible
Board of Ethics: Shaw and Stein (a 3 year appointment and a 5 year appointment available)
Board of Health: Raven Fenmore (appointment expired 7/09)
Cable Advisory Committee: J. Pulino, D. Russo, J Schilke, A Sicuso, B. Wilson (expired 7/09). This committee of six has party restrictions, with a maximum of four seats for one party.
Citizens Advisory Committee: V. Amato, E. Jackson, A Watson
Committee Concerning People with Disabilities: S. Shapiro, alternate (expired 4/09). Cannot be a Democratic appointment.
Harbor Improvement Agency: W. Sheil (expires 1/10)
Human Relations: Boyce, DeFrance, Monarca, Joseph (expires 1/10)
Inland/Wetland and Water Courses Agency: J. Pieper, alternate (expired 10/09)
Long Hill Estate: R. Kennedy
Juvenile Review Board: Mike Foster (expired 9/08), C. Jacobucci, T. Termine, B. Viela (expired 9/2009)
Middletown Preservation and Design Review Board: B. Kronenberg, B. Shoemaker
Park and Recreation Commission: R. Romano (expired 11/09)
Retirement Board: Richard Simone (expired 5/09)
Sanitation District: Seb Santacroce (expired 10/09)
Standardization and Specification Committee: Phil Cacciola, Donna Imme, Geen Thazhampallath
Transit District: S. Shapiro (expired 7/09), R. Gatehouse (expired 11/09)
Urban Forestry: A. Marino (expires 12/09)
Youth Services: E. Nocera, L. Owens (expired 9/09)
Zoning Board of Appeals: E. Russo (expired 7/09), Annabel Resnisky (expires 11/09)
Vacancies
Citizens Advisory Committee (1 vacancy - banking insurance seat) A non-Democratic appointment must be appointed.
Conservation Commision: Alternate vacancy - non-Democratic.
Connecticut River Assembly: Vacancy.
Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency: 2 vacancies, 1 alternate vacancy.
Resource Recycling: 2 vacancies.
Exipiration of term - reappointment possible
Board of Ethics: Shaw and Stein (a 3 year appointment and a 5 year appointment available)
Board of Health: Raven Fenmore (appointment expired 7/09)
Cable Advisory Committee: J. Pulino, D. Russo, J Schilke, A Sicuso, B. Wilson (expired 7/09). This committee of six has party restrictions, with a maximum of four seats for one party.
Citizens Advisory Committee: V. Amato, E. Jackson, A Watson
Committee Concerning People with Disabilities: S. Shapiro, alternate (expired 4/09). Cannot be a Democratic appointment.
Harbor Improvement Agency: W. Sheil (expires 1/10)
Human Relations: Boyce, DeFrance, Monarca, Joseph (expires 1/10)
Inland/Wetland and Water Courses Agency: J. Pieper, alternate (expired 10/09)
Long Hill Estate: R. Kennedy
Juvenile Review Board: Mike Foster (expired 9/08), C. Jacobucci, T. Termine, B. Viela (expired 9/2009)
Middletown Preservation and Design Review Board: B. Kronenberg, B. Shoemaker
Park and Recreation Commission: R. Romano (expired 11/09)
Retirement Board: Richard Simone (expired 5/09)
Sanitation District: Seb Santacroce (expired 10/09)
Standardization and Specification Committee: Phil Cacciola, Donna Imme, Geen Thazhampallath
Transit District: S. Shapiro (expired 7/09), R. Gatehouse (expired 11/09)
Urban Forestry: A. Marino (expires 12/09)
Youth Services: E. Nocera, L. Owens (expired 9/09)
Zoning Board of Appeals: E. Russo (expired 7/09), Annabel Resnisky (expires 11/09)
Vacancies
Citizens Advisory Committee (1 vacancy - banking insurance seat) A non-Democratic appointment must be appointed.
Conservation Commision: Alternate vacancy - non-Democratic.
Connecticut River Assembly: Vacancy.
Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency: 2 vacancies, 1 alternate vacancy.
Resource Recycling: 2 vacancies.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Board of Ed Reduces Public Comment Time
At Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting, the Board voted on several policy changes, including a change to the Bylaws of the Board to reduce the amount of time individuals have to speak from 5 minutes to 3 minutes during the "public session" portion of the agenda.
The Board also updated its Directory Information Policy (5145.15) to say that "The District may disclose any of the items listed as "Directory Information" without prior written consent, unless notified to the contrary." Parents have 10 days after receiving the Student and Parent Handbook to notify the school principal that they do NOT want such information to be released.
BOE member Renee Johnson-Thornton objected to the new policy, stating that it was not OK for her 10-year-old's address and email address to be publicly released without her consent. She couldn't understand why this policy had to be changed to put the burden on parents to opt out instead of the school not releasing such information without specific exception. BOE member Sally Boske said it was "a paperwork nightmare" for administrators...keeping track of a small number of people who DON'T want such information released is easier than the large numbers of parents who don't protest. Johnson-Thornton asked about what kind of notice is sent home to parents to explain this policy, and she was told that "it's in the parent handbook...parents are supposed to read that."
The BOE also considered a new policy on transgender athletes. Taken from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) rules and regulations, the policy requires transgender student athletes to compete in the gender of their birth certificate unless they have undergone sex reassignment (either before puberty or at least two years after all surgical and anatomical changes have been completed).
Bylaws of the Board 9000 - Role of the Board and Member (Powers, Purposes, Duties) was amended to state: "Electronic mail, including personal, sent of received by Board Members may be considered public record subject to public disclosure or inspection.
During the public comment session, 2 parents asked about the replacement program for PROBE (and I was one of the two). You may not remember, but both PROBE teachers retired this last year, and the program for gifted and talented children (based on CMT scores) was canceled. During the budget struggles this past spring, Asst. Superintendent Barbara Senges told the BOE that the elementary school principals WANTED to cancel PROBE, and they WANTED to redesign the program to be more efficient, less costly, and better suited to reach more gifted and talented students based on their individual needs. This new program would be developed during the 2009-2010 school year based on collective efforts by the Elementary School Principals.
Said program has not yet started, but the Superintendent confirmed to me via email that a summary of the new program would be available soon - I'll share as soon as I get it. I've been unhappy about the rumors I've heard about the replacement program (or lack thereof), but I'll sit on it until I can get the full story.
Macdonough PTA President Jennifer Alexander (a frequent EYE contributer and Middletown super-star in so many ways) urged the BOE to exercise great caution in relying on JCJ's report. She pointed out several errors in the report (especially those pertaining to Macdonough) and asked the Board to think carefully about what conclusions it could draw from JCJ's data. North End Action Team (NEAT) President Izzie Greenberg echoed Alexander's comments, stating that the BOE needed the most current information to make a good decision, and that the public couldn't be left out. Yesterday's Hartford Courant ran a piece on this subject: check out the article here.
In other news, there will be a new Robotics Course offered at MHS, with the equipment needed for the course funded by a Perkins Grant. The class will be open to all interested students.
Finally, the Board voted to hold its regular monthly meetings in the City Council Chambers, and if that location wasn't available, to hold meetings in the MHS Media Center.
Commentary:
While the main focus of the meeting seemed to be on the JCJ Architecture presentation (covered in a separate EYE story), I struggled to understand why the BOE would shorten the amount of time it allows the public to comment on important issues. The public has repeatedly pressed the BOE for more transparency and better communication, but now has less time to provide feedback in return. At a time when JCJ's recommendations will undoubtedly shape what our school system looks like for a good long time, how does this make sense? How can the BOE make the best decision possible for our children on this or any other issue if it limits parental feedback options?
Here's my thought: what's so special about a magnet school that gets everyone excited to get in line to go there? Why don't we feel that way about ALL the schools in our district? Why don't we act like all our schools are magnet schools?
I guess what I'm after is that I'm worried that a "simple" little action like reducing public comment time will only make it harder to create the kind of community partnership between parents, Board of Education members and School Administrators that must exist for our school system to flourish. There must be open and transparent communication in both directions: we have eight elementary schools, all of which want to preserve that "community school" feeling that still exists. Yet the simple fact that we have eight elementary schools in the same town also means that we can trend toward a "cookie-cutter" mentality for simple administrative ease. It's just easier to decree from on high or to let "professionals" decide what to do.
We cannot fall into this trap. Middletown's greatest charm is its city amenities tempered with small-town feeling and community pride. I love the rural quality to my part of town, but I also adore Main Street bustle and the Wesleyan connection. We live in a city, but our schools have that small town feeling, and that's a great thing to have.
So then, the balancing act that the School Administration and the BOE must do to maintain the "big-city-budget-with-small-town-feel" legitimately is hard. But our children are worth it, and JCJ's $138,000 study is sounding like that's what parents are saying. Why can't we then go a step further to use this moment in time as an opportunity to remold our district according to the same principals that we'd apply to the creation of a magnet school? If we have to re-district, and if the Administration has admitted that we need a more challenging curriculum, and if we do spend more than the state average per student on transportation, plant operation and instructional staff and services costs but less than the state average on everything else, why can't we just go for it and overhaul the whole system? Did you know that Middletown's elementary students have just 27 hours of PE in a week compared to the state average of 40 hours? We're not even giving our kids a chance at developing healthy habits, yet I heard the Asst. Superintendent tell the BOE that "we'd love to have a longer instructional day." What's holding us back?
This moment won't come again for a long time, and when it does, it will be harder, more costly and we'll have much further to go to get to where we'd like to be. We also run the risk of chasing young families away from Middletown because the school system "isn't what it used to be." Let's not be that kind of city...let's be the town that could...and did.
The Board also updated its Directory Information Policy (5145.15) to say that "The District may disclose any of the items listed as "Directory Information" without prior written consent, unless notified to the contrary." Parents have 10 days after receiving the Student and Parent Handbook to notify the school principal that they do NOT want such information to be released.
"Directory information" means one or more of the following items: student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, photograph, computer and/or video images, grade levels, electronic mail address, weight and height of a members of an athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and
awards received, including honor roll publication, and the most recent previous public or private school attended by the student, parent's name and/or email address."
BOE member Renee Johnson-Thornton objected to the new policy, stating that it was not OK for her 10-year-old's address and email address to be publicly released without her consent. She couldn't understand why this policy had to be changed to put the burden on parents to opt out instead of the school not releasing such information without specific exception. BOE member Sally Boske said it was "a paperwork nightmare" for administrators...keeping track of a small number of people who DON'T want such information released is easier than the large numbers of parents who don't protest. Johnson-Thornton asked about what kind of notice is sent home to parents to explain this policy, and she was told that "it's in the parent handbook...parents are supposed to read that."
The BOE also considered a new policy on transgender athletes. Taken from the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) rules and regulations, the policy requires transgender student athletes to compete in the gender of their birth certificate unless they have undergone sex reassignment (either before puberty or at least two years after all surgical and anatomical changes have been completed).
Bylaws of the Board 9000 - Role of the Board and Member (Powers, Purposes, Duties) was amended to state: "Electronic mail, including personal, sent of received by Board Members may be considered public record subject to public disclosure or inspection.
During the public comment session, 2 parents asked about the replacement program for PROBE (and I was one of the two). You may not remember, but both PROBE teachers retired this last year, and the program for gifted and talented children (based on CMT scores) was canceled. During the budget struggles this past spring, Asst. Superintendent Barbara Senges told the BOE that the elementary school principals WANTED to cancel PROBE, and they WANTED to redesign the program to be more efficient, less costly, and better suited to reach more gifted and talented students based on their individual needs. This new program would be developed during the 2009-2010 school year based on collective efforts by the Elementary School Principals.
Said program has not yet started, but the Superintendent confirmed to me via email that a summary of the new program would be available soon - I'll share as soon as I get it. I've been unhappy about the rumors I've heard about the replacement program (or lack thereof), but I'll sit on it until I can get the full story.
Macdonough PTA President Jennifer Alexander (a frequent EYE contributer and Middletown super-star in so many ways) urged the BOE to exercise great caution in relying on JCJ's report. She pointed out several errors in the report (especially those pertaining to Macdonough) and asked the Board to think carefully about what conclusions it could draw from JCJ's data. North End Action Team (NEAT) President Izzie Greenberg echoed Alexander's comments, stating that the BOE needed the most current information to make a good decision, and that the public couldn't be left out. Yesterday's Hartford Courant ran a piece on this subject: check out the article here.
In other news, there will be a new Robotics Course offered at MHS, with the equipment needed for the course funded by a Perkins Grant. The class will be open to all interested students.
Finally, the Board voted to hold its regular monthly meetings in the City Council Chambers, and if that location wasn't available, to hold meetings in the MHS Media Center.
Commentary:
While the main focus of the meeting seemed to be on the JCJ Architecture presentation (covered in a separate EYE story), I struggled to understand why the BOE would shorten the amount of time it allows the public to comment on important issues. The public has repeatedly pressed the BOE for more transparency and better communication, but now has less time to provide feedback in return. At a time when JCJ's recommendations will undoubtedly shape what our school system looks like for a good long time, how does this make sense? How can the BOE make the best decision possible for our children on this or any other issue if it limits parental feedback options?
Granted, there will be two public forums in the beginning of December to enable parents to interact with the BOE directly, but I'm thinking long term consequences, not just the immediate subject of the District Utilization Study.
For example: JCJ's study points out that we can solve our over/under capacity issues by redistricting, but only if we're OK with totally messing up the district's racial balance. But, Middletown is already on notice from the State because Macdonough Elementary is out of compliance with Scheff v. O'Neill. That case mandates that any one school in a district cannot have more than a 25% difference in its minority population from the District's average minority population. The Nov. 11 memo reported Macdonough to have a 68% minority population to the District average of 41%. Then again, Macdonough only has 211 students, so it would really take just a few individuals to swing the population back into compliance.
On the flip side, the JCJ report also noted that Farm Hill has a minority population of about 36%, which is the lowest in the District. The proposed re-districting would give Moody the lowest minority population (28%) but bump Macdonough's average minority population to about 75%.
One possible solution to both problems is to close Macdonough. That would just be unfair and mean-spirited to all those in the North End who have poured their hearts and souls into turning their community around (while winning all kinds of awards for their efforts too). Parents who face losing a community school while their children suffer long bus rides across town to "balance" other school populations aren't likely to invest much in the education process either.
There is another option: to convert Macdonough into a magnet school. On November 11, 2009, Superintendent Michael Frechette sent a memo to the Board of Ed, outlining "a study to explore a magnet school option at Macdonough Elementary", the purpose of which would be:
- To create an exceptional learning environment at Macdonough Elementary that preserves the integrity of the school, builds on progress and recognizes the gains that have been made by the current leadership.
- To build a strong partnership between Macdonough Elementary, Wesleyan University and Capital Preparatory Magnet School that builds on each organization's assets.
Here's my thought: what's so special about a magnet school that gets everyone excited to get in line to go there? Why don't we feel that way about ALL the schools in our district? Why don't we act like all our schools are magnet schools?
I guess what I'm after is that I'm worried that a "simple" little action like reducing public comment time will only make it harder to create the kind of community partnership between parents, Board of Education members and School Administrators that must exist for our school system to flourish. There must be open and transparent communication in both directions: we have eight elementary schools, all of which want to preserve that "community school" feeling that still exists. Yet the simple fact that we have eight elementary schools in the same town also means that we can trend toward a "cookie-cutter" mentality for simple administrative ease. It's just easier to decree from on high or to let "professionals" decide what to do.
We cannot fall into this trap. Middletown's greatest charm is its city amenities tempered with small-town feeling and community pride. I love the rural quality to my part of town, but I also adore Main Street bustle and the Wesleyan connection. We live in a city, but our schools have that small town feeling, and that's a great thing to have.
So then, the balancing act that the School Administration and the BOE must do to maintain the "big-city-budget-with-small-town-feel" legitimately is hard. But our children are worth it, and JCJ's $138,000 study is sounding like that's what parents are saying. Why can't we then go a step further to use this moment in time as an opportunity to remold our district according to the same principals that we'd apply to the creation of a magnet school? If we have to re-district, and if the Administration has admitted that we need a more challenging curriculum, and if we do spend more than the state average per student on transportation, plant operation and instructional staff and services costs but less than the state average on everything else, why can't we just go for it and overhaul the whole system? Did you know that Middletown's elementary students have just 27 hours of PE in a week compared to the state average of 40 hours? We're not even giving our kids a chance at developing healthy habits, yet I heard the Asst. Superintendent tell the BOE that "we'd love to have a longer instructional day." What's holding us back?
This moment won't come again for a long time, and when it does, it will be harder, more costly and we'll have much further to go to get to where we'd like to be. We also run the risk of chasing young families away from Middletown because the school system "isn't what it used to be." Let's not be that kind of city...let's be the town that could...and did.
Holiday Craft Show @ Wadsworth Mansion 12/5
Vendors listed below - click on vendors to see their work
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