Tuesday, August 31, 2010

It's time to get Green in Morrisville



With a little forward thinking, and the will to actually make a positive difference, this could be done for our district.

Cash-Strapped School Districts Look to Solar for Low Cost Energy
from cleantechnica.com
Written by Tina Casey
Published on July 4th, 2010

As school districts across the country struggle with budget cuts, the solar energy industry is offering a solution in the form of financing for low cost solar energy installations. It’s a perfect match: many schools have large expanses of flat, unshaded roofs and the buildings are in use mainly during daylight hours, alleviating the need to provide for storage. Federal stimulus grants for solar installations are also playing a role in driving the growing trend toward solar installations at schools, as are efforts by utility companies to add more renewable energy to their portfolios through distributed solar installations.


The installations provide a double benefit for schools because they cut energy costs while also providing educators with a hands on, close-to-home opportunity to teach students about solar energy. As for the politics of it all, what’s so wrong with saving money for taxpayers while expanding the science curriculum?

Sol Ventus Partners LLC is one of a number of companies that offer “turnkey” solar installations that provide school districts with access to solar energy in the form of Power Purchase Agreements. There are no out-of-pocket costs. The company constructs, operates, and maintains the system over an agreed-upon number of years. In one recent project, a new agreement between Sol Ventus and a school district in Ohio will result in a locked in savings of 15-18% over a 20-year period. The solar array also includes a real-time online display that can be accessed by the school district and the community, and Sol Ventus has used it as the basis for a proprietary curriculum that incorporates mathematics, economics and science.

The Disappearing Politics of Solar Energy

As recently as just last year, business journalists (at least one, anyways), were ascribing the “big motivation behind installing solar power” to the “famous liberal bias of schools…” If that was true then, the bottom line is on top of the totem pole now. Just one recent example is the town of Madison, Connecticut, which expects that a new school solar array will save about $10,000 a year. That’s a pretty decent payback, considering that the installation will cost the town $132,000. The total cost is $299,000 with the balance coming from a state grant.

Solar Energy and Taxpayer Subsidies

The state grant certainly played a key role in the Madison installation, but subsidizing energy through grants, tax breaks and other incentives is nothing new. As outlined in detail by today’s New York Times, oil is one of the most heavily subsidized industries in the U.S. Considering the big bucks behind the current energy policy, it’s no mystery why the U.S. remains powered by fossil fuels even as the risks of fossil fuel harvesting rise and communities continue to be devastated by the impacts of oil spills, coal mining, and natural gas drilling. Until we get a new national energy policy that transfers those subsidies into low-risk, alternative energy, it looks like we’re stuck with the status quo. With mid-term elections coming up, now would be the perfect time to let your representatives in Congress know what’s on your mind.

Image: Solar panels on school by mjmonty on flickr.com.

What makes a good Board member? Candidates anyone?

Yes this is from a different state, but you get the idea. We posted something similar awhile back.

From isba.org

What Makes a Good Board Member?
Becoming an effective school board member takes time. Many of the qualities that make great board members are acquired through experience and training.

Yet, as you consider running for the school board, think about your ability to meet these characteristics:
The conviction that public education is important
A commitment to public involvement
The ability to make decisions
Belief in the democratic process
Willingness to devote time and energy to your new position
Ability to accept the will of the majority
Courage of your convictions
Respect for district employees
Ability to communicate well with others

Board members are ineffective when they:
Become involved in school administration
Allow personal feelings toward others to affect their judgment
Allow personal interests to transcend the best interests of the district
Neglect board duties
Can’t make decisions and are unable to take firm stands
Represent the interests of a special group or geographic area (zone) rather than the interests of the entire district
Adopt an arrogant or paternalistic attitude toward district employees or the public

Monday, August 30, 2010

PhillyBurbs.com:  Schools, towns doing their part going green

PhillyBurbs.com: Schools, towns doing their part going green

ATTN: Morrisville School Board...It's time you enact some "green initiatives", or at least share with the public anything you have done to be more "green"!! 40 yr old lightbulb fixtures and rusty a/c units are not very green, that alone is costing taxpayers at least "up to 25k" per year.

By: RICH PIETRAS
Bucks County Courier Times
Turn off your lights. Recycle your plastic.

These are baby steps on the road to Greenville that become huge hurdles when you're a municipality or a school district, with thousands of lights to monitor and tons of trash and recyclables building up.

But a positive trend is picking up steam + as well as recyclables, area officials say.

Faced with a sagging economy and a change in energy bills, administrators have found that saving the planet can also save serious cash.

In Montgomery County, the Hatboro-Horsham School District has allowed its students to help it get greener.

By using recycling bins provided by Allied Waste last year, students and faculty can discard all their recyclables together. With Allied Waste separating items like newspapers, junk mail, cardboard, aluminum cans, brown paper bags, glass plastic and paper, officials say the district is saving money while doing the right thing.

Allied Waste says the district generates about 1,000 tons of trash per year, which costs about $70 per ton to haul away. However, processing recyclable materials costs $45 per ton. Do the math, and the district is saving about $25,000 per year under the new program.

Many communities also have environmental advisory councils to help them pave the way to Greenville. An EAC is typically comprised of three to seven residents appointed by the municipal governing body. EACs advise planning commissions, park and recreation boards and elected officials on conservation, management, promotion and use of natural resources.

Lower Makefield and Warminster have relied on their EACs to become local leaders in the movement to lower the municipality's carbon footprint as they look to also make money.

Makefield Elementary - the Pennsbury School District's oldest operating school - has become a model for green building as it undergoes $12.7 million in green improvements. The modifications will earn the school a silver LEED rating, the second of four certification levels.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a designation developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that encourages companies, governments and schools to adopt sustainable green building and development practices.

In addition to a green roof that will use plantings to absorb rainwater to help reduce runoff, the school will have water-saving bathroom fixtures, energy-efficient kitchen appliances, updated mechanical systems and energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. A new 20-kilowatt photovoltaic solar panels system will also use the sun's energy to help lower the school's electricity bill.

Lower Makefield Environmental Advisory Council member Lisa Grayson Zygmunt was involved in the school's projects and she said the township has been just as aggressive about municipal buildings.

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By doing energy audits on several township buildings, Lower Makefield has set up a program where the town will use the energy savings to pay for green upgrades for the buildings, which will help save money for years.

Jim Bray, also a Lower Makefield EAC member, credited EAC Chairman Rick Ewing for helping the township reach the "first step" (municipal energy efficiency) in a three-step process, with commercial and residential entities the other two steps.

Bray said as far as commercial properties go, the township has joined others with incentive-based building codes that lower fees and project time limits for companies that utilize green building practices. Zygmunt said the township also stresses "low impact development" to builders.

Plus, Lower Makefield has been named a "Cool City" by the Sierra Club after it became the fist township in the region to sign on to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. The initiative, launched by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, is a commitment to reduce emissions below 1990 levels by 2012.

Residences are the biggest remaining areas of concern for Lower Makefield, Zygmunt said, so the EAC's next step will be to help the township's 35,000 residents work on ways to make homes more energy efficient.

"People are surprised that the residential sector is such a contributor to carbon output; they tend to think about more about vehicles," Zygmunt said. "But it is buildings that produce way more emissions."

In Warminster , Gail Johnson - the ultra-environmentally conscious chairman of the board of supervisors - has been working with EAC member Larry Menkes on a "guaranteed energy savings contract" made possible through the Guaranteed Energy Act.

The act helps public institutions complete energy conservation projects by using money saved on energy costs. Similar to what Makefield did, this program "guarantees" that if a project doesn't reach the amount of savings projected by the energy service company within 15 years, that company - commonly called an ESCO - pays the difference.

"This is a matter of fiscal responsibility," Menkes said. "I, quite honestly, try to stay away from 'tree-hugger' argument. Very frankly, I got involved not only because of the environment, but because I knew there were ways to save a lot of money for myself and other taxpayers."

Both Bray and Menkes have also reached out to other communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.

"This is a regional issue," Bray said. "There are 2,700 communities in the state, so it is crucial to get others onboard."

August 30, 2010 02:10 AM

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Potpourri for 8/28-9/4

Hello Morrisville. Well the first day of school is just around the corner.Don't forget today 8/29 is the Morrisville Jazz Fest. This FREE event will take place from 3-8 at Williamson Park.

Some things to consider/ponder:
1 Will the renovations Grandview be finished in time?
2. Why is Paul DeAngelo awfully(no pun intended) vocal all of a sudden. At the last board meeting, we heard he was unusually "chatty". Any truth to this.?
3. Who is Marlys next victim? She has permanently had the children in her sights for many years now whether from the photo lens, or by a yes vote on some sort of cutting of a program at the schools. She single handily led the way to slash Color Guard coach Donna Wilson's stipend by 75%. As Marlys continues her crusade against all things good and right, what is her next move . Hopefully her behavior is going to catch up with her soon. Do your boro a favor Marlys....resign now. We can continue without out your "leadreship" on the board. here is a quote staight out of the SOT handbook that Marlys should try sometime, "Just Cooperate". If Marlys would just cooperate things would be so much better in our schools. Instead she is intent on burning bridges, breaking rules, and trying to run Morrisville like it's her own private fiefdom. She uses her dais on the school board to take out 25+ years of anger against just about everyone and everything. Just like the voters in the 3rd ward had had enough of Jane Burger and her ways, The entire district, we feel, has had enough of your community dividing ways.
4. What is the over/under on getting some sort of a playground at the IS/HS. We are going to set it at 6 months.
5. It was nice to see in the letter home that there will be some sort of control over the traffic flow at the IS/HS. This is something that is needed in the name of safety. But unless it is enforced in the parking lot, expect the same chaos as years past. We will remain cautiously optimistic and give it a few weeks for them to work it out.
6. If you are not happy with lunch prices going up, simply have a silent protest and don't buy the lunches.
7. Lastly, if there are any students out there reading this blog. Please share with us any thoughts you may have on your experience at school this year whether its good bad or indifferent.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Lunch prices going up.

PhillyBurbs.com:  Parents upset over hike in school lunch costs


Parents upset over hike in school lunch costs

By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
morrisville schools

Attention parents: Lunch prices are going up by 20 percent when the school year in Morrisville begins on Sept. 7. That's 50 cents higher than the past three years.

The increase, approved unanimously by the school board Wednesday night, has some parents upset about being denied input into the decision. A few tried to speak up against the increase in cost, but their request was rejected abruptly by board President Bill Hellmann.

"No," he said firmly, making a stop sign out of his hand as he faced the parents.

They continued to whisper and mumble, some complaining they don't qualify for the federal free or reduced-price lunch program, which is based on family income.

Parent and former board member Johanny Manning said she has three children in the district who she packs lunch for.

Once every two weeks, she treats them to a paid school lunch.

"That's $9 in one day," she said. "It's a lot of money."

Faculty lunch prices will also increase in Morrisville, from $3.75 to $4.25. The breakfast price will remain the same, $1.35 for students and employees.


The overall food service budget for the coming school year is about $400,000, according to Paul W. DeAngelo, the district's business administrator. About $205,000 will come from sales, $25,000 from local taxpayers, and the remainder of $170,000 from state and federal subsidies.

The Bristol Borough School District also increased lunch prices by 50 cents a meal recently.

The prices will go from $2.50 to $3 at Bristol Borough JR/SR High School; students at Warren Snyder-John Girotti Elementary School will pay $2.50 instead of $2.

The district also serves breakfast, but prices will remain unchanged there, at $1 at Snyder-Girotti and $1.50 at the high school.

The increase was necessary to keep the school lunch program self-supporting, Joseph Roe, Bristol Borough School District's business manager, has said.

August 27, 2010 02:10 AM

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Update from the school board meeting

Any interesting outcomes? Anything about Dr. Yonson?
Please share any thoughts and/or observations.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Dr. Yonson - here or gone?

It has come to our attention that the possibility of Dr. Yonson having left the district is real.

Will the truth come out at the monthly school board meeting tonight?

The ABC's of your schools: Grandview students to enjoy upgrades

The ABCs of your schools: Grandview students to enjoy upgrades

Bucks County Courier Times

MORRISVILLE SCHOOLS

The $2.5 million in renovations will greet students when they return to class on Sept. 7.

For the first time in decades, Grandview Elementary is getting a much needed facelift.

The students and teachers will enjoy the comfort of a new heating and air-conditioning system and new tile flooring in eight classrooms at the school on Grandview Avenue.

Most of the school's building features date to 1968. In the last 10 years, classrooms used individual air-conditioning units, said Paul W. DeAngelo, the district's business administrator.

He described the upgrades as necessary for efficiency at the school, which has about 20 classrooms and 341 students.

The $2.5-million upgrades started in February with the installation of new windows, he said. But most of the work began during the summer break and is expected to be done by Friday, with the exception of the installation of two boilers, which will be done in October.

The summer improvements also included the installation of new smoke detectors, a new electric system, a new generator and the conversion to natural gas heat after the removal of oil tanks.

Website: www.mv.org

WHO'S WHO IN THE SCHOOLS

Superintendent: Elizabeth Hammond Yonson, 215-736-2681, ext. 5931

Special education coordinator: Tony Gesualdi, ext. 5926

Business administrator: Paul DeAngelo, ext. 5926

Director of facilities: Tim Lastichen, ext. 5924

Advertisement Psychologist: Alison Bechberger, ext. 5926

IT director: Joe Myat, jmyat@mv.orgCommunications:

Pat Wandling, ext. 4003

Principals:

Morrisville Intermediate School/Morrisville High School (grades 6-12): William Ferrara, 215-736-2681

Grandview Elementary School/Morrisville Intermediate School (grades Pre-K-5): Laurie Ruffing, 215-736-5280

School Board:

President William Hellmann, Vice President Alfred A. Radosti, John Buckman, Gloria Heater, Marlys Mihok, John DeWilde, Ronald Stout, Brenda Worob, Robin M. Reithmeyer.

The board meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third and fourth Wednesdays of the month, except in July. Public work sessions and public board meetings are held in the LGI room of Morrisville High School. To reach the school board, visit www.mv.org and follow the links.

2010-11 School Calendar:

Sept. 7: First day for students

Sept. 9: Rosh Hashana, no school

Nov. 2: Election Day, staff in-service day, no school

Nov. 10: End of marking period

Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school

Nov. 12: Staff in-service day, no school

Nov. 25- 26: Thanksgiving recess

Dec. 23: School dismissed at noon

Dec. 24-Jan. 2: Winter recess

Jan. 17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school

Jan. 28: End of marking period

Jan. 31: Staff in-service, no school

Feb. 18: Staff in-service day, no school

Feb. 21: Presidents Day, no school

April 6: End of marking period, early dismissal

April 15: Conferences, early dismissal for elementary students only

April 21-22, 25: Spring recess

April 12: Early dismissal

May 17: Election Day, staff in-service day, no school

May 30: Memorial Day, no school

June 13-15: Early dismissal

June 15: Last day of school, graduation (tentative)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Potpourri for 8/22-8/28

PhillyBurbs.com:  The ABCs of your schools: Internet makes cheating easier

PhillyBurbs.com:  The ABCs of your schools: Internet makes cheating easier

By: RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
A Duke University study found that 75 percent of high school students admit to cheating.

A stunned and baffled look is spreading across the faces of many students across the country along with a question: That's cheating?

In this digital age, today's pupils are growing up online where a plethora of information on the Internet can appear to be anonymous and, therefore, up for grabs. Many students don't understand that copying and pasting a paragraph from a website still counts as plagiarism.

In fact, smart phones and how-to videos on YouTube make plagiarizing easier.

For educators, that means not only finding new tools to catch cheaters, but also techniques to educate them.

"I see plenty of it," said Michael Hennessey, associate professor in Bucks County Community College's language and literature department. "It's just easier. In some ways, it's often comically obvious because the writing style suddenly changes. They're not being educated earlier in their academic life about the issue and they're not doing enough writing. They get away with stuff that then becomes habit."

Some students, like Jenna Spadaccino of Bristol, agree that plagiarism - plain and simple - is stealing someone else's ideas. But, she said, it's not always intentional.

"Some topics may be hard to find, which therefore sends me to Google, where it can become tricky figuring out if a website is a reliable source to cite in an academic essay," said Spadaccino, a sophomore at Holy Family University. "For some, I really think that plagiarism is done accidentally a lot of times because students honestly do not understand how to correctly cite a source."

Nationally, though, cheating is on the rise. A Duke University study found that 75 percent of high school students admit to cheating.

In a survey, researcher Don McCabe and the Center for Academic Integrity learned that 70 percent of college students cheated. That's compared to about 20 percent in the 1940s, officials said.

But only 29 percent of pupils thought copying from the Web was serious versus 34 percent earlier this decade. Perhaps that's because most believe cheaters aren't caught, or appropriately disciplined, according to a poll by U.S. News and World Reports.

And it's no longer just students having trouble with a certain subject who are doing the copying. Some straight-A pupils see others cheating and are willing to do whatever it takes to stay ahead, administrators said.

"It's all kinds of students, not just someone having difficulty," said Ruth Fields, library curriculum leader for Bensalem School District and a librarian at Robert K. Shafer Middle School. "These kids are top notch, but there's pressure, especially in high schools to keep up their grades and get into the best colleges. Maybe it's laziness or waiting until the last minute, but they don't understand it's not ethical."

Fields hosts workshops for teachers on preventing and avoiding plagiarism by requiring students to do creative and original work, like writing in a journal. Pupils are also educated from picture books on copying in third grade to learning how to cite sources in middle school, said Fields.

Similar to policies in other districts, including Pennsbury, Bensalem students who cheat or plagiarize are first given the opportunity to re-write the assignment. But they'll receive a failing grade on their record for a second offense, Fields said.

At Bucks, it's up to a professor to require the student to either redo or fail the assignment on the first offense, withdraw or fail the course for a second offense and dismiss the pupil from the college for a third offense, said Hennessey.

He's on the same page when it comes to educating to avoid plagiarism. At BCCC, only a handful of plagiarism charges were made per year more than 10 years ago. Now, between 40 and 50 are made each semester, said Hennessey.

"In my class, there's no excuse for students not to know because I require them to do online tutorials on plagiarism," he said. "It's OK for students to use other people's work in research papers. In many cases, it's expected. But there's also the expectation to document where it comes from."

What students seem to forget is that it's just as easy for teachers to Google whatever topic they're researching, too, said Hennessey.

Bucks professors also use SafeAssignment, a software package within their course management system called Blackboard. The educators can copy and paste a student's work into the program and it will find whatever website it came from - even if it's cited properly, he said.

Hennessey encourages students to use the software as well. After all, Fields said, it's not just what colleges expect, but there are real world consequences like lawsuits and fines.

As Hennessey likes to point out to his students: "Would you want your car inspected or repaired by a mechanic who cheated? Professionals can lose their jobs because of (cheating)."

Rachel Canelli can be reached at 215-949-4191 or rcanelli@phillyBurbs.com

PhillyBurbs.com:  The ABCs of your schools: Act 1 law making contract talks difficult

PhillyBurbs.com:  The ABCs of your schools: Act 1 law making contract talks difficult

School boards "are using Act 1 to limit salary increases," a state teachers union spokesman said.

The state's property tax relief law, enacted four years ago, is playing an increasing role in contract negotiations between area teachers unions and their respective school boards, officials said.

The law, commonly known as Act 1, is a major reason why nine schools and districts in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery counties are approaching the new school year without labor agreements in place, they said.

Salaries and benefits are the main tie-ups in negotiations in the Centennial, Central Bucks, Hatboro-Horsham, Neshaminy, New Hope-Solebury, Pennridge and Pennsbury school districts, and Bucks County Technical and Upper Bucks Vocational high schools, officials said.

Act 1 limits how much school districts can raise taxes without residents' approval to help pay for the salaries and benefits. Tax percentage increases were about 4 percent when the law went into effect. Since then, the amount a district can raise taxes, known as the index rate, has been decreasing.

The index rate for 2011-12 is expected to be about 1.2 percent, said Dave Davare, director of research services for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. It is not expected to go back up in the near future, he said.

That, coupled with the fragile economy and the increased contributions that districts will pay to the Public School Employees' Retirement System fund in the next few years, are the main reasons why school boards are calling for little or no salary increases in their contract proposals for teachers unions.

"Districts need to pay attention to what they are spending, not only in terms of the present year outlay but also future year expenses," Davare said.

Not everyone sees it that way. State teachers union leaders say the property tax relief law has become a tool of sorts for school boards.

"Boards are using Act 1 to try to limit salary increases and get local associations to pay more for their health insurance premiums," said Rob Broderick, a spokesman with the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

The state law does not prevent school boards from spending money on collective bargaining agreements, Broderick said. He suggests if school boards want to stay competitive with attracting and retaining quality teachers they "have to make choices" about program and extra-curricular offerings and capital improvements.

School boards also can file for more exceptions from the state to raise taxes above their districts' index rate to cover special education, pension payments and other costs. That would free up existing revenue to help cover salary increases for teachers union members, he said.

"The rate of settlements is coming down," Broderick acknowledged, because of the environment created by Act 1, the economy and the impending pension rate increases. Unions are weighing their options, he said.

"They have to decide what's better, whether it's a new contract or staying with what they have where they are not getting raises but they also are not paying more for health care," Broderick said.

Davare, the research services director at PSBA, a trade group, said he doesn't see the labor stalemates ending any time soon given the increasingly dire circumstances surrounding the contract talks.

School board members are hearing from their constituents across the state, many of them hit hard by the tough economic times, he said. They encourage board members to not give in to the union demands for greater salaries without significant increases to their health care contributions, he said.

"Negotiations are going to be difficult and protracted," Davare said.

August 22, 2010 03:31 AM

Friday, August 20, 2010

Actors net performing at the High School this weekend

This weekend the Actors NET of Bucks County are performing at the Morrisville Intermediate/High School auditorium. Below is the link to their website with all the info:


ActorsNET

Morrisville Fire Co. Labor Day 10k & Fun Run

We just got word of the Morrisville Fire Co's annual Labor Day 10k & Fun Run. Sounds like a great event to support a great organization. Below are the details:

The annual Morrisville Fire Company Labor Day 10k & Fun Run will take place on September 6, 2010. You can mail or drop off your registration to Morrisville Fire Company - 528 North Pennsylvania Ave. - Morrisville, Pa 19067. Entry fees are $25.00 until 9/5/2010 and $30.00 on race day between 7:00am - 8:45am. The one mile fun run registration is $20.00, and all checks can be made payable to Morrisville Fire Company. Number and shirt pick up will take place at the Morrisville Fire Company on September 4, 2010 from 9:00am - 4:00pm and September 5, 2010 from 9:00am - 4:00pm. The 10k course begins at Williamson Park on North Delmorr Ave. and course maps are also available at the Morrisville Fire Company. Registration forms can be obtained on the Morrisville Fire Company web site at www.morrisville98.com. The fire company is also still looking for sponsors for the race. If anyone is interested in sponsoring for the race please contact Matt Wiedenhaefer at the email adress matt@morrisville98.com or by phone at 267-278-5113.

File this one under.." Sorry Sharon"

For those that don't already know, Sharon Hughes also video tapes the school board meetings. It is also not known what she does with the tapes.

from the BCCT:
Plan to record meetings hits a snag

By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE - Morrisville is having some technical difficulties.

The borough purchased new video recording equipment including a new monitor for the system used to record council meetings. The new equipment was supposed to be hooked up for this week's meeting, but it didn't turn out that way. The new pieces weren't compatible to the 15-year-old recording setup.

Council President Nancy Sherlock said the borough will fix the problem in the next few weeks and hopes to be able to start recording again in September with the help of volunteers.

The issue came up after Councilwoman Eileen Dreisbach was concerned that future meetings weren't going to be recorded. Dreisbach's concern was raised because letters were sent to volunteers who monitor the recording system informing them that their services weren't needed this month. The letter didn't go into detail nor did it mention a date that recording would resume, leading Dreisbach to think recordings of meetings had been suspended permanently.

But Councilwoman Kathryn Panzitta said there wasn't any indication in the letters that meetings weren't going to be recorded anymore.

Volunteer Sharon Hughes, who records the council meetings from inside a booth, sat in the audience recording the meeting with a hand-held camera. It was unknown Thursday what Hughes is going to do with the recording.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Morrisville seeking casino funds

From the Bcct:
Borough seeks $200,000 in casino funds

By: GEMA MARIA DUARTE
Bucks County Courier Times
MORRISVILLE

Officials say Morrisville should get the funds because New Jersey commuters drive through the borough to get to Parx.

Morrisville officials hope to get a portion of this year's approximately $3.8 million in gaming revenue grants from Parx Casino.

They sent a letter to the Bucks County commissioners asking for $200,000 of that funding. If the commissioners agree, then Morrisville must submit an application to the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority, the agency in charge of distributing the funds.

The commissioners and authority set precedent in 2008 when they agreed to give Bristol $350,000 for police and fire building renovations even though the borough doesn't border Bensalem, the casino's host community, as required by state law. But in 2009, the authority denied Upper Southampton's request for $554,093 in casino gaming revenue to use for rebuilding Stump Road. That same year, the authority also denied a request from Penndel because its application was submitted 15 minutes late.

Morrisville would like to use the requested money in the following manner: $30,000 to purchase a police car, $70,000 for a street sweeper, $70,000 for the purchase and installation of 50 LED street lights along Bridge Street, Trenton Avenue and the south portion of Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition, $25,000 would be used for four preemptive devices on traffic signals on Trenton and Pennsylvania avenues that enable emergency vehicles to control them, and $5,000 for seven preemptive devices in police cars to operate the signals.

During discussion at the Morrisville meeting this week, Councilman David Rivella said the borough should be given a portion of gaming money from Parx in future years without the borough going through an application process even though the town isn't contiguous to the casino.

Why? Because New Jersey commuters drive through Morrisville to get to Parx, officials argue.

Last year's share of gaming money was $2.6 million in Bucks. The municipalities eligible to receive a portion of the county money each year are host Bensalem and the bordering towns of Lower Southampton, Middletown, Hulmeville and Bristol Township. Any other towns need the approval of the county commissioners. In addition, Bensalem automatically gets $10 million a year in gaming money as the host community.

Rivella said that New Jersey residents use three bridges to cross into Pennsylvania, all of which lead into the 1.5-square-mile borough.

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission oversees the three bridges - the Calhoun Street Bridge on Trenton Avenue, the Lower Trenton Toll-Supported Bridge on Bridge Street and the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge on Route 1.

Bob White, executive director of the authority, said Rivella's argument is a long stretch. Bridge Street and Route 1 are state roads, so Morrisville isn't responsible for their maintenance anyway, said White.

"Then we'll have Philadelphia asking us for money because people are using I-95 to get to the casino," he said.

Casino gaming money shared with communities must be used for projects such as road maintenance and public safety, according to state law.

White added that when state Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, R-6, was working on the law, he addressed the concerns of the abutting municipalities, and "no one else stepped to the plate to raise concerns."

The newspaper was unsuccessful in reaching Tomlinson for comment Thursday because he was on vacation.

However, state Rep. John Galloway, D-140, said the whole process of distributing the cash needs to be reviewed. Instead of the county commissioners deciding where the money goes "like Santa Claus," the process should be administered by the state in a "fair, open and competitive process."

For that to happen, state lawmakers would need to change the law that apportions gaming revenue sharing to county government and towns that border the casino's host community.

Friday, August 13, 2010

From our neighbors in Bristol

From the BCCT:

Students must re-register for school

By: RACHEL CANELLI
Bucks County Courier Times
BRISTOL SCHOOLS

Families are required to provide identification, such as a driver's license, and proof of residency, like a utility or tax bill.

Attention Bristol parents: You need to re-register your children for the 2010-11 school year at Bristol Borough Junior/Senior High School by Aug. 26 or they may not be admitted to school.

The guidance office will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12:01 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday over the next two weeks to help ease the process. The office is closed for lunch from 11 a.m. to noon.

Parents should have received notices in the spring, and the district is sending out automated phone calls as a reminder to parents, said business manager Joseph Roe.

"We did this district-wide 10 years ago, but not to this extent since," he said. "We just asked certain people (to prove borough residency) who had red flags, like a piece of mail came back undeliverable. We just thought it was time to redo it (district-wide) because otherwise, it's like we're starting to pick on certain people."

Families are required to provide identification, such as a driver's license, and proof of residency, like a utility or tax bill, Roe said.

Bristol school board President Ralph DiGiuseppe III said during a meeting Wednesday night that the district solicitor is working on finding out what happens if unregistered kids show up to school.

Roe said if parents aren't available when the guidance office is open, the district will offer special arrangements to make sure students are registered.

"We're bending over backwards to get this done," he said. "So there's no excuse for people not to comply."

How to re-register

Re-registration is being held at Bristol High School's guidance office, 1801 Wilson Ave., from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 17 through 19 and Aug. 24 through Aug. 26. The office is closed from 11 a.m. to noon.

August 13, 2010 02:08 AM

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Back to school tips

With the school year just around the corner, we will be posting some tips for students, parents, and teachers over the next few weeks.

Today's tip is from kidsource.com:

Back to school time often means changes for children and families: the first day of kindergarten or first grade; new preschools or child care settings; new classrooms and new teachers. Making smooth transitions between home, programs and schools can help children feel good about themselves and teach them to trust other adults and children. Helping children adapt to new situations can ease parents’ minds and give them a chance to become involved in their children's education.

Transitions are exciting opportunities for children to learn and grow. Parents and early childhood professionals share a role in making chil-dren feel safe and secure as they move to new educational settings. Of course, such milestones in children's lives can cause anxiety, too. Strengthening the ties between programs and families will help create smooth transitions for adults and children both.

How parents can help:

  1. Be enthusiastic about the upcoming change. If you are excited and confident, your child will be, too.

  2. Prepare yourself. Take note of how your child reacts to separation. If possible, visit the new setting with your child. Introduce your child to the new teacher or early childhood professional in advance.

  3. Arrange a playdate with another child from the program, preferably one-on-one, so that your child will see a familiar face when she walks in.

  4. Start daily routines that will add to continuity. Let your child become involved with packing lunch or laying out clothes. Also, begin an earlier bedtime several weeks before.

  5. Put aside extra time, particularly on the first day, for chatting and commuting together. But remember not to prolong the good-bye. If the child whines or clings, staying will only make it harder.

  6. Always say good-bye to your child. Be firm, but friendly about separating. Never ridicule a child for crying. Instead, make supportive statements like, "it's hard to say good-bye."

  7. At the end of the work day, put aside your concerns and focus on being a parent.

How teachers or early childhood professionals can help:

  1. Make sure activities are developmentally appropriate for children. Interesting and challenging, but doable, activities will help children feel comfortable in their new setting.

  2. Make an effort to get to know each individual child as quickly as possible. Parents can provide information about children's likes, dislikes, and special interests.

  3. Welcome suggestions from families, particularly those of children with special needs. Parents can offer specific suggestions they have found useful for their own child, and advise on classroom set-up and modifications.

  4. Hold an orientation for children and parents. Small groups will make it easier for children to get to know each other.

  5. Show children around the new school or program, introducing them to other adults who are there to help them become acclimated.

  6. Create partnerships between pre-schools and elementary schools in the community. Meetings may focus on the sharing of ideas and concerns.

  7. Set up an area for photos of parents and family members that children may "visit" throughout the day. Also include items that reflect the cultural experience of all children to help promote a sense of mutual respect and understanding. Children, just like adults, need time to adjust to new people and situations. Experience can make transition a bit easier, but even with experience, change can still be stressful. Patience and understanding on the part of parents and teachers or caregivers will help children learn how to approach new situations with confidence -- a skill that will help them make successful transitions all through life.

For a free copy of NAEYC'S brochure, So Many Good-Byes, send a SASE to NAEYC, 1509 16th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20036-1426. Specify box #573.


Credits

Copyright © 1996 by National Association for the Education of Young Children.

School Board minutes

Is there any explanation why the most updated minutes on the district website are from the 5/26 business meeting?

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Ponder this...

The actions and behavior of Marly Mihok. Below are some example of what she had done and or said over the past few years.

Oct 2008- Attended a PSBA conference with Dr. Yonson. Dr. Yonson's expenses were $199. Mihoks expenses were $315. She has never explained the $116 difference.

-June 2008- voted to cut Dr. Yonson's contract from 5 years to 3 years.

-July 2008-In an email to Board president Bill Hellmann, said she would "never never, ever be responsible for any child because she is a school board member.

December 2008- is quoted as saying “This problem goes back years and years,” said board member Marlys Mihok, blaming the previous board for not putting money into renovations.One must remember she was a member of a previous board.

March 2009-Voted in favor of putting grades 4-12 under one roof. If you remember she ran on a platform against this very thing.

June 2009- Marlys voted to hire a "communications director" for up to $25k per year, while someone volunterred to do the job for free.

August 2009- Marlys voted against hiring an additional teacher for Kindergarten when it was desperatly needed.

-June 2010 Spearheaded a vote to strip Color Guard coach Donna Wilson's stipend by 75%

2007-2010- Marlys has voted to reduce the number of para-professionals in the schools, which has had a negative effect on test scores.

Upon taking her seat on the board in 2007, Marlys knew that M.R. Reiter was unsafe, and did NOTHING about it.

Marlys has also served as judge of elections while serving on the school board, a big "no no"

Marlys is also wrapped up in the process to sell M.R. Reiter for open space money. Did we mention that she also serves on the board of Summerseat?In the words of the late Irv Homer: "It's a land grab!"

During the time Marlys has served on the board, student enrollment has gone down.

During the time Marlys has served on the board test scores have gone down.

During the time Marlys has served on the board, she has cast a vote to raid, notice we didn't say borrow, from the district savings account to balance the budget.

Since the M.R. Reiter explosion and public hearing, as a board member, Marlys has never answered the questions from the public that were submitted at the hearing. By law the board is requried to answer these questions.We are now at 553 days and counting.

In summary Marlys has used her position on the school board as a bully pulpit to pursue an agenda of all those who disagree with her and her cronies on the School board.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Share your re-registration experience here

Feel free to share your re-registration experience here, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Potpourri for 8/1-8/7

Too much info requested....

Re-registration require for school

By: STAFF REPORTS
Bucks County Courier Times
All students enrolled in the Morrisville School District must re-register in August to verify residency. Exempted are students who registered after July 1 and kindergarten children.

Students enrolled in grades one through 12 can re-register at the following times: 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., from Aug. 3 through Aug. 5 and from Aug. 10 through 12, in the LGI Room, Morrisville High School, on West Palmer St.

Parents or guardians must bring proof of identity and residency. ID proof can include: a Pennsylvania-issued I.D. card, Pennsylvania driver's license, passport or military I.D. Proof of residency can include: a home agreement of sale, moving permit, current cable or other utility bill, property tax bill, paid tax receipt, W-2, IRS statement or tax return or auto or homeowner's/tenant insurance statement.

For information and registration forms , visit www.mv.org. For questions, contact the main office at 215-736-2681.