| Author |
Message |
    
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2352
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 8:20 am: | 
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That is not what I was trying to argue at all. The key difference in our opinions is you think the school system is declining. I think our schools are headed in the right direction. I believe the people I'm supporting will continue doing the things that have shown improvements and will choose better new leadership and work better with that chosen leadership than most of the challengers. |
Pdg
Citizen
Username: Pdg
Post Number: 859
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 9:12 am: |
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JTA, why not ask your mom to CALL CALABRESE and ask him why she was sent the letter and who else was, etc. I would think she has a right to know why she is on his mailing list and shouldn't have a problem getting answers.
And, btw, what difference does it make how many students the two towns have registered in the public school system? Have you also considered the number of school-aged children who are NOT registered in the system that go to private schools instead? |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4687
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 4:06 pm: |
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Wendy-
I think my mom was puzzled because the Snooze Wreckered endorsed Calabrese in the BOT elections, but wasn't endorsing his choices for BOE. My mom has no clue about the politics in town. My sister and brother in law even less. If I didn't read MOL we wouldn't know about 1/4 of the stuff that goes on.
I think it will end up we vote for a combination of people. We just aren't too sure yet. We got a mailing from Brownlee the other day and were impressed with what he had to say. Don't recall what town he said he was from though, not that it would matter.
One thing that has turned me off of the Eastmann team is the way my question about his website not having a simple way to contact him with questions was handled. You would think since a number of residents of South Orange have complained about not being able to communicated with the BOT members through email. (Which to the best of my knowledge, the BOT is trying to correct), the comment would have been a welcomed one. I was pretty much blown off.
The second thing that bothers me is one of the three canidates had a Middle Schooler putting fliers on the windshields of cars parked by the Middle School a couple of weeks ago. Not cool.
Pdg-
I suggested my mom call, she declined. She did ask me if anyone else from MOL mentioned getting this letter. Told her "No!"
I didn't say anything about the number of students the towns have in the schools. I always thought Maplewood had more studnets because it's bigger then South ORange, but like you said there are plenty of school age children in private schools. My nephews are two of them. They don't even go to school in Essex County. |
Barbara
Citizen
Username: Blh
Post Number: 642
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 4:14 pm: |
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JTA
If your sister and BIL own a home in this community, they should care about the election. It matters whether or not one currently has children in the system. Encourage them to read up on the candidates, and VOTE! |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 163
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 5:24 pm: |
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Is anyone sure these letters are even coming from the VP? The address reads 5 Hoskier DRIVE...... the only Hoskier I know of in SO is Hoskier ROAD.... I am sure the man would know his own address...
Just a thought... |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3370
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 6:19 pm: |
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Maplewood has more students because it has a larger population. I don't have the figures, but I believe that the private school percentages are pretty similar between the two towns (and very similar to state-wide figures ... i.e. not a cause for concern or political attention.) If I'm wrong about any of those statistics, no doubt someone will correct the information, but I've never seen any discussion to suggest a significant difference between Maplewood and South Orange on this point. |
sac
Supporter
Username: Sac
Post Number: 3371
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 6:29 pm: |
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Fred Profeta sent a similar letter to Maplewood residents ... at least I received one. I don't recall if it endorsed all three or just two of the three mentioned ... I didn't keep the letter. I guess Fred isn't concerned about representation from the township.
Taxes on South Orange residents are higher on a per-SO-student basis because taxes are not calculated on a per-student basis and overall SO has fewer students and higher property values than Maplewood. The taxes are calculated on an adjusted property value basis. (The adjustment is for the differences in timing of revals in order to put all municipalities on equal footing. The same thing is done for county taxes across all municipalities in the county.) It is done so that each property owner pays the same school taxes they would pay if the two towns were in fact one town. It has nothing to do with the number of students in the town (or in the neighborhood or in the household.) |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4690
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 6:59 pm: |
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Barbara-
They don't own a home. They live with me! Moved in for 'a few months' back in 2001 and they are STILL here!!!  I don't mind the nephews, they're kewl, but sometimes my sister and brother in law driveme nuts. I tried to explain the reasons they needed to vote in tha last school election. <sigh>
Soparents
I'm pretty sure the letter is from Bill because it's in the same color ink and font as the one that was sent out for the BOT elections. To be sure, I left a message at his home asking if the letter was from him or not.
Perhaps someone who knows any of the three canidates he endorsed personally could ask one of them if they were aware of this. I'd ask Wayne, but I'm on my way out and I dread ending up in an hour conversation. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 1053
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:30 pm: |
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Dave?
joel?
TomR |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4691
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 1:21 am: |
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TomR ?Huh? BTW No return call from Bill -yet. I have a feeling he might be away for the holiday. If I see Wayne out and about in the morning, maybe I'll ask if he knows anything about the letter. |
jayjay
Citizen
Username: Jayjayp
Post Number: 588
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 7:29 am: |
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SOParents- Good catch on the Hoskier Rd vs Hoskier Dr. Who would have stationery that was incorrect? I wonder what this is all about? |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9226
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 9:30 am: |
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"Hoskier Dr." was an address used before online
http://www.southorangevillage.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?tpc=129&post=381306#POST38130 6
[edited: removed google link to wrong address]
But "road" appears to be official name. |
Soparents
Citizen
Username: Soparents
Post Number: 167
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:59 am: |
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Hoskier Drive was indeed used for his 2005 BOT election letter. I am left wondering..
1) If he personally did these letters WHY get your own address wrong..
2) If someone else did the letters on his behalf, WHY did he not proof read them? If this is the case, what else is he not proof reading?????
3) Someone else is sending these out without the approval of VP C. I can only assume this is the case, as VP C. being an intelligent man, would certainly never get his own address wrong, and would certainly proof/check anything being done on his behalf....
So, are the endorsements his, or someone elses? If he doesn't check the letters/didn't do them himself, how do we know that they are the TRUE endorsements???
Like everything else - MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND - use your own judgement, you know what you want in the BOE or BOT, vote with your own mind and heart, not the way someone else wants you to vote (Whoever that "someone" is...)
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joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 359
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 11:50 am: |
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He got redevelopment wrong.
jd |
Phil Legree
Citizen
Username: Fil
Post Number: 20
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 12:21 pm: |
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Agrackle says in a post on Thursday that he or she heard alot of disturbing stuff at a campaign coffee for Eastman and Payne-Parrish a couple nights ago. All I can say to that is don't believe everything you hear. I hope that all that misinformation wasn't being spread by the candidates themselves.
Most of that has been debunked already either in the new moderated Education section or in the old one. I hope Dave brings back the archives of the old Education section soon.
Read some of the overwhelming amount of budget info on the district web site. Especially the Budget-101 stuff. It's pretty clear the budget is about as tight as it can get. There are legit arguments over what things should get budget priorities, but 10 years of NJ-imposed budget caps haven't left any room for waste. If it were there, we wouldn't be having turf wars between World Language instruction and the Alternative School at Montrose, or outsourcing vs in-house custodial services, or any of that other stuff.
Students aren't going without books. Some teachers may be choosing not to use books for part, or all, of their teaching, but it's not because the district doesn't have them.
According to stuff already on MOL, Columbia High School isn't "close to losing its accreditation." The schedule was delayed but the accreditation runs to the end of 2007. Middle States - the group that accredits schools, will come to evaluate CHS in April or May of next year.
Non-resident students aren't "sapping" our limited resources. Yeah, we do have some students every year who attend our schools illegally. Every year, the district finds and removes 50 to 100 of them. The (sub)urban legend that there are many hundreds of illegal students comes up over and over - including from Eastman. He wrote that his analysis proves we've got 300-400 illegal students here - but his statistics don't hold up. And at the CCR's candidates debate he basically said that he exaggerated the data for effect! Anyway, there's gonna be a re-registration next year for every student in the district. That should make sure that they're legally allowed to attend school here.
The five-year strategic plan is "ridiculous?" You know what they say - If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Just about anybody connected with school or civic stuff (homewowners, parents, PTA, CBAC, CCR, business owners, realtors) in the two towns was invited to participate. Mr. Gleason was involved but decided he disagreed with the conclusions. Eastman and Payne-Parrish didn't take part in the process at all. If they're putting it down now, it just sounds like sour grapes. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 361
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 1:12 pm: |
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Please post in the ed thread.
Or, give us your opinion of South Orange and current government's achievements and failures.
jd |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 1504
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 2:59 pm: |
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Joel, this thread was about school board election recommendations. Don't get annoyed if it evolves to discussion of candidates. If Dave doesn't want us discussing this here, he can say so. |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2360
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 3:20 pm: |
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susan, good points. joel while the initial post could have morphed further into Calabrese's failings it was just as logical for it to veer into a debate about the candidates. I'm suprised you didn't say what you said at 1:12 today on Thursday (give or take a few hours for working  )after Agrackle's and others' posts. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4693
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 3:54 pm: |
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Dave-
The florist address is '15' I wonder if it's a real address? Does anyone remember if Bill said publicly he sent the letter that went out endorsing the BOOT candidates? If he didn't send that letter out, why wasn't anything said back then? Enough people got it and posted about it on MOL.
soparents-
I agree with you. We shouldn't let the letter sway our vote. Though at first, I must admit I almost did let the letter sway my votes. I still can't find anyone else who even got the letter.
Since I started this thread; unless Dave says otherwise, I have no problem with the discussions taking place. I find what Phil posted interesting; especially since in last week's Snooze Wreckered had an article that quoted Wayne as saying what's in that blog he has fro two years ago he no longer believes in. Well, if that's the case, why is it still up there? And what's to say he won't change his mind two years from now on how he believes the school system should be run? At least the schools will required every family in the district to reregister. That should confirm or disprove the illegal student debate. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9227
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 3:56 pm: |
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Oops! Thanks for the correction. |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 362
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 5:47 pm: |
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Overload.
I am taking a day off, expecting to see downtown progress by Tuesday.
jd |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2361
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 6:15 pm: |
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Well if you allow an alien to sit with you, I'll keep you company while we wait for your town's downtown progress, discuss and argue. Sort of a modern Waiting for Godot. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9228
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 9:56 pm: |
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Waiting for Beifus
Didi: He's building it, you know.
Gogo: I heard.
D: Any day now.
G: Can't be long.
D: Shall we vote today?
G: Yes, let's vote.
they sit there and do nothing |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2364
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:04 pm: |
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An IT guy who knows Samuel Beckett. Your wife should know, I hope, what a catch she has.  |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9229
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:09 pm: |
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what's IT? |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2365
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:16 pm: |
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Sorry, techno apple geek. Better? |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 9230
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:20 pm: |
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I'm forwarding it to Sbenois, who will put it through his advanced humor-understanding holigraph (HUH). |
Wendy
Supporter
Username: Wendy
Post Number: 2367
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:23 pm: |
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It wasn't meant to be humorous. It was meant to be sincere. I doubt either one of you have the capacity to measure/judge sincerity. You first have to try it. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4714
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:34 pm: |
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joel-
Don't let us chase you away! Do you really expect to see downtown progress by Tuesday? I wouldn't count on it. Then again, you didn't say which Tuesday or of what year! |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4715
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 10:40 pm: |
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Wendy-
Isn't 'IT' Internet Technology? Dave I can't believe you didn't know that!  ) |
joel dranove
Citizen
Username: Jdranove
Post Number: 363
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 9:29 am: |
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Tuesday, in Belgium.
jd |
Tom Reingold
Supporter
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 13702
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 12:52 pm: |
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IT stands for information technology.
As a Maplewood resident, I also received da letta from Profeta, endorsing those two candidates.
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mjh
Supporter
Username: Mjh
Post Number: 460
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, April 17, 2006 - 1:08 pm: |
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Fred and Bill prefer candidates they can control, IMHO. After all, most of the tax revenue for our towns is in the school budget, so it would be natural to want to be a part of the action.
A letter from Calabrese supporting BOE candidates would be my #1 reason for voting against those candidates. Cynical, yes, but I don't believe this support is an altruistic effort to help the little children.
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MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3912
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 10:33 pm: |
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Wow...looks like the 3 challengers soundly defeated the incumbents for the BOE.
Thoughts? |
vermontgolfer
Supporter
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 414
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:20 pm: |
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The correct three people won this election.
Now let's make sure the correct people win the next election!
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Lucy
Supporter
Username: Lucy
Post Number: 3481
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:22 pm: |
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Amen |
vermontgolfer
Supporter
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 416
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:34 pm: |
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MHD,
Want to put that lawn sign back up? Sorry, couldn't resist that one.  |
Sheena Collum SHU
Citizen
Username: Sheena_collum
Post Number: 671
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:39 pm: |
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I second that Amen! |
MHD
Citizen
Username: Mayhewdrive
Post Number: 3913
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:41 pm: |
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VG,
LOL. I am actually glad that the challengers won the election. I think it is worth noting that yesterday, Mark Gleason stopped by my house to find out why his lawn sign was taken down. Unfortunately, I was not home to speak with him. However, I was quite impressed that he found time - the day before the election - to personally address a concern that he heard about.
I am pretty convinced that based on the "buzz" I had heard around town, Gleason, Payne-Parrish & Eastman were destined to win anyway. It appears that Calabrese simply jumped on the winning bandwagon, but did not influence the results.
Congratulations to the winning candidates (and to Jeff DuBowy for running a great campaign!) |
susan1014
Supporter
Username: Susan1014
Post Number: 1509
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 11:54 pm: |
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I hope that the winning candidates are worth the confidence that the voters have put in them. I was not that impressed by them in my reading and in the viewing of interview and debate tapes.
I'm concerned that we are removing knowledgable incumbents from the BOE at an excessive rate, given the complexity of the issues in front of them.
Here is hoping that they can get up to speed on complex issues quickly, and turn their passion for the schools into the solutions that they believe are there for the finding. Now that they've won, I'll do my best approach their tenure with an open mind, putting aside any opinions developed during the campaign.
Let me also thank our departing BOE members for hard work on very tough issues. Hopefully some of the work that they've done gives our new members a platform to build upon. |
Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4744
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 6:46 am: |
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Susan
I'd be interested in knowing what the breakdown of the votes were. I did see a lot of the new BOE members signs in both South Orange AND Maplewood. I think people were tired of the same old same old. Let's hope the same can be done with the BOT elections. |
vermontgolfer
Supporter
Username: Vermontgolfer
Post Number: 417
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 - 7:05 am: |
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MHD,
First, I'm glad to hear Mark stopped by to inquire. I think he will have a positive influence on the BOE.
Secondly, I was only kidding about the lawn sign, but I think you already know that.
The candidates do have a difficult task in front of them, but one that I feel they are up for.
Congratulations to all the candidates for their efforts. |
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