OMG; we forgot again!

Side’s bad judgment

We’re getting really good at being bad about remembering every last item we intended to include in our room-inations on life here in Cape Brunswick.

For example, we forgot to mention the recent advertisement we saw for “Non-judgmental Dentistry” now available here in town.

We don’t mean to demean the dentist and his team, who are undoubtedly sincere about creating an ‘open and affirming’ climate in their dental practice.

But by-dam it, at some point, this bizarre inclination to embrace and trade on politically correct, fashionable pop psycho-babble has to stop.  Should we expect the Big Top Deli to start offering ‘non-partisan’ Reuben's? 

Or Frosty’s to start promoting twists that ‘reach across the aisle?’

Would you take your vehicle into a shop that brags about their ‘tolerant’ repair services?

What the hell does such mumbo-jumbo even mean?  That is, other than that those who apply it have taken due note of irrational modern day discourse, and are doing their level best to avoid ‘offending’ anyone for any reason.

We say offend away.  We’d much rather have a dentist tell us that we’ve really screwed up on our personal dental habits.  At least then we might be motivated to improve them. 

VAV boxes, the McClellan Building, and you

How could we possibly have forgotten to include this aspect of town government transition into the sub-standard, poorly maintained McClellan building?

We’ll tell you how.  Because even we have our limits on disbelief.  We read some things and say: ‘Shirley, this can’t be true; it must be our cynicism run amok.’

You might not understand if you’ve never run amok.  You really should give it a try.  Nothing can boost your self-esteem like running a good mok.

But for now, we give you this:

During a presentation prior to the McLellan discussion, Alex Anesko, chairman of the town’s Recycling and Sustainability Committee, recommended both an energy audit be performed on the McLellan building and that numerous old and inefficient systems be replaced with newer, more energy-stingy appliances.

He described the building’s VAV boxes, which heat air with electric coils and circulate it through the boxshaped building using convection. He described them as “little toasters,” and said they are “a terribly inefficient way to heat air and push it around that way.”

Among Anesko’s recommendations are a heating system that heats water with a boiler and uses radiational warming to disperse heat, motion sensors to control the overhead lights, and swapping exterior incandescents for light-emitting diode, or LED, bulbs.

Ka-ching, ka-ching, as the saying goes.  You need to be afraid, very afraid, anytime a town official uses the words “sustainability, energy audit, terribly, inefficient, energy-stingy, and replaced.”

You need to be even more afraid when the same official uses the words “VAV boxes, boxshaped, little toasters, and inefficient.”  Not to mention “radiational, motion sensors, and LED bulbs.”

Why?  Because as we’ve told you, Jane and the House of Sartoris are more than likely to cite these as rationale to ‘invest’ at least $1 million more to help us save money on town offices.  They’ll point out, among other things, that the McClellan is ‘more than ten years old!’

Remember, the more you spend, the more the town can save.

And best of all, you asked for it.  Which makes us think that if your abode is more than ten years old, it may be time to change out your VAV boxes.  And switch to LED bulbs all around.

We have an idea; if it’s up to us who are not part of government to pay for these improvements to town facilities, wouldn’t it be fair and just for government to pay for the same improvements to our personal facilities?

Talk about saving money!  Can you imagine?  It could even lead to a local mok shortage.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,McClellan Building,non-judgmental

Ups and downs ‘round town…

Wow…we really screwed up the other day when we titled a post ’round about town, when we clearly should have called it “Up and down ‘round town,” given the primary subject matter.  So let us make amends.  But before we do, an election update. 

Election Update

Despite a shamefully anemic turnout, the results of the election are exactly as we predicted.  Voters decided that the town should spend a lot more in the future, on both sides of the budget.  We can now look forward to Sally Sellit and the House of Sartoris playing active roles in the continuing saga of spending our way into excellence.

And on the school side, “Numbers” Ellis will be there to rationalize spending more to save more.  All for the children, of course.

Maine Street Conditions Update

We realized after the fact that we could have enhanced Cape Brunswick’s image as a Winter destination by describing recent Maine Street ‘improvements’ as a way to bring the thrills of extreme skiing to traversing downtown.  Adding the ‘raised cross-walks’ to the inevitable potholes, snowdrifts, drifting pedestrians, and snow-piles creates a world-class Maine Street mogul course. 

We were thinking about suggesting the addition of some challenging slalom gates along the thoroughfare, when we remembered the curbed esses adjacent to First Parish Church at the top of Maine Street.  They are the superb equivalent of an elevated starting gate, complete with difficult turns right out of the chute. 

For those who catch the central downtown signal, this should provide enough momentum to make it through the most challenging parts of the course.  For those who don’t, a push might be required to make it to the billiard table, or even further away, the bridge.  But be careful, because the push might come from an oil truck, a texting resident, or a public works vehicle that couldn’t stop in time.

BDC?  We don’t need no stinkin’ BDC!

Thanks to a reader, who we’ve called “Ms Mall” in the past, we pass along this item.  (We called her that because she posted her comment as ‘msmall,’ which was ambiguous.  We’re pretty sure it’s Michelle Small, former school board member.)

She referred us to this material on the blog belonging to town councilor Benet Pols:

3) New Road at Cook’s Corner. We’ll be getting an update from the manager’s office regarding a road the town proposes to build at Cooks Corner to benefit properties owned by Jim Howard of Priority Group, LLC and George Schott, owner of the property where the Holiday Inn used to stand along with the former navy housing.

It may well have been a Holiday Inn, but we’ll always remember it as The Atrium, complete with a water based Avian feature when you walked in the door.  George Schott, of course, is owner of far more than that property, and the same can be said for Jim Howard.

Regardless, it’s good to know that neither George nor Jim have to suffer their way through the grueling process of submitting copious paperwork to the BDC for financial help in an otherwise hostile economic environment.  Especially since both are just beginning their careers as developers. 

We can’t afford to discourage such nascent entrepreneurism.  As they say, ‘we’re from the government, and we’re here to help.’  

Perhaps the good councilor will want to revise how he characterized this item, but hind-sight doesn’t neutralize side-sight.

Related to this subject, Pols added this:

5) It’s not on the agenda but citizens who’ve contacted me are certainly interested in a loan, which will be converted to a grant, made by the BDC to Brunswick Taxi. Brunswick Taxi is owned by Dale King, the husband of former Council Chair and BDC Chair, Joanne King. Among conventional news outlets the Forecaster was first out of the gate with a story dated August 30, 2013. The Bangor Daily News posted the same story, crediting the Forecaster, and the Times Record followed up the afternoon of the 30th with an online story promising more in this week’s print edition, but the story was broken August 19th Pem Schaeffer’s blog, the Other Side of Town. The Times Record provided links to the blog in their online story.

We’re grateful for his comment that the story was ‘broken’ on our apparently unconventional news outlet.  We only wish our subscription revenues had grown as a result.

School Board SNAFU

It turns out we have ‘Ms Mall’ to thank on this subject as well.  If you’ve been reading the papers, you know that our trusty School Board, chaired by four donkey award winner Jim Grant, is mucking around in the Charter School arena.  And in so doing, they’ve managed to run afoul of the law, not that this normally matters when it comes to governing.  But M. Small has managed to stir up the powers that be at the state level in this case.

Seems the School Board, and our Superintendent, have suddenly decided they’re interested in pursuing a local Charter School operation.  This would be the same folks that not that long ago had their knickers on fire and their hair in knots about the operation of a Charter School in Harpswell that was going to decimate the financial underpinnings of our impoverished school operation.

And if you haven’t read the papers to get up on the story, we’ll look to M. Small to comment on this post with the appropriate links to stories and the letter she wrote to the editors of The Ostrich.

McClellan Building

Now that you mention SNAFU’s, we can’t leave without mentioning the McClellan building transition, about which we’ve waxed eloquent numerous times in the past.  The earliest estimates for turning this into our new Town Hall were in the range of $300,000, but that figure quickly escalated to $800,000, though the Town Manager was playing coy on the subject.

Benet said the following on his blog:

2) McClellan Building update. We should be getting an update form the McClellan Building Committee and the manager regarding the costs and timing of a move into the McClellan Building.

Reports from the town council meeting this week have the budget at more like $1 million, of which $88,000 or so is for architects fees for ‘the next phase’ of the project.  Excuuuuse us?

The next phase?  Progressive disclosure anyone?  Apparently Pols asked “Mr. Manager” to please, pretty please, give us more information.

   

Inquiring minds might ask if the $1 million includes dealing with the “deferred exterior maintenance” that includes shamefully rotting wood trim and siding all around the building.  Community pride certainly can’t abide such conditions, can it?

But not to worry.  Now that Jane has stopped running and has to show up and sit down, we can look to her to address the concerns she expressed in columns earlier this year.

And to do what it takes, ‘when it really counts.’  When she does, we’ll look appropriately ashamed for not having done so ourselves.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,governing,diversions,school board,council

‘Round About Town

Well, here it is election day….another watershed moment in Cape Brunswick history, where voters will decide whether the town spends a lot more in the future, or spends a lot more in the future.

While we wait for the results, we thought we’d try to distract you with other irrelevancies.  For example, the lovely view seen when one comes upon our town ‘gateway,’ where the new Police HQ is the welcoming sight, and symbolizes community self-esteem.

You have to admit the graffiti on the utility box adds a certain je ne sais qua to the ‘heart’ of Cape B, reminding one and all that watchful law enforcement is a top priority here.  And it sets the stage for the “Dance of Two Cultures” mural just a few blocks down the road.  Our little piece of the creative economy deserves nothing less, though we are at a loss to identify the artist responsible.  Perhaps a Bowdoin student?  Or a friend of the rail based artist?

On this hand, maybe we’ve mis-interpreted what we thought to be a horribly situated utility box.  Perchance it’s really a rectilinear outdoor sculpture “piece” titled ‘blank canvas.’  If so, we could well see a plunger atop it, holding a few flowers, before long.

If, by some chance we’ve guessed wrong, couldn’t SOMEBODY responsible please have the graffiti removed?  Or at least put funds to do so in the next CIP?  Or tape some ‘huge garage sale’ signs over it?

Next we’d like to tell you about the latest ‘traffic-calming’ and safety improvement in our down-town, brought to you, we believe, by the very same folks who gave us the short-lived ‘back-in parking’ at Maine Street Station.  Shirley remembers it, and so should you.

We confess that when we first heard the term ‘raised cross-walks’ we actually thought of cross-walks.  Oh how wrong we were.  We had fallen into the trap of thinking that this is what a cross-walk is:

You know, a place where you ‘walk’ to ‘cross’ the street. 

But remember Crocodile Dundee in that scene where he says ‘that’s not a knife; THIS is a knife!  We wish we could have him here in town to say ‘that’s not a cross-walk; THIS is a cross-walk!’

Complete with fewer parking spots, and thousands and thousands of new bricks to crumble and heave as the weather and salt have their way with them.  Now if we could just convert to back in parking in the center of town…….  Or perhaps a circle at the junction of Maine and Pleasant…..  Or a bridge over troubled storm waters…..

If nothing else, we suppose we can think of these improvements as ‘year-round frost heaves.’  You do love frost heaves, don’t you?  Some places have reversing falls; we now have traversing happy heaves.

But we digress.  Better to focus on how many law suits will be filed against the town when drivers navigating the new obstacle course end up with piping hot coffee in their laps or faces.  I can even think of a newly minted local attorney who has the disposition for just such actions.

Not to mention logs falling off trucks, boats falling off trailers, plows doing the dance of many blades, and other assorted mishaps.  We might even have some nicely shaken beer or soft drinks shower the street with a new form of carbonized rain.

TTFN, and make sure you use your Polident before heading into town.  We’re thinking the Big Top and other local purveyors might start selling those mouth-guards like athletes use to protect their teeth.

We should have known you could personalize them for fundraising purposes.  But what we really want to know is whether you can eat a Reuben or a Twist without taking them out of your mouth.  Or maybe they should come with a tether to tie them to your steering wheel so you leave them in your ride.

Gotta keep those pearly whites safe.  If only for biting satire.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,around town,civic improvements

NNEPRA: ‘we don’t need no stinkin’ permits or zoning approvals for the MLF’

You may remember an earlier post on the NNEPRA Amtrak MLF proposal in which we cited DGiles. local Zoning Board of Appeals luminary, and the approval of a variance for the proposed facility.  This action took place in April, 2011, and you can find the approval document at http://www.scribd.com/doc/172258142/Zoning-Board-of-Appeals-Decision-of-April-2011

At that point in time, the proposed facility was approx. 39,000 square feet.  Since then, it has grown to 50,000 square feet plus.  It is the length (or width) of the Brunswick Super WalMart shown in the aerial photo below, and about half the depth of that building (from front to back in the photo).  It is 37 feet tall, or we would guess, about 12-15 feet taller than the average two story house.

Ronald Reagan once said something to the effect that the most terrifying words in the English Language are ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’  And so it is that Amtrak, their supporters, and NNEPRA come to impose their ‘help,’ wanted or not.

The folks opposing the location of the MLF adjacent to their in-town neighborhood obtained a NNEPRA letter dated May 25, 2011, that relates to this variance issue.  They received it in May of this year, and you can read it here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/180861994/Letter-to-Anna-Breinich-5-25-11-pdf

The key passages are these:

One question that has arisen recently is whether NNEPRA is required to obtain local zoning and other land use approvals for the construction and operation of the proposed layover facility. NNEPRA has concluded that it is not required to obtain any such approvals. First, because the proposed layover facility is an "improvement undertaken . . . for the benefit of Amtrak, " no local zoning or land use ordinances apply. 49 U.S.C. § 24902U). Second, the United States Surface Transportation Board's exclusive jurisdiction over transportation by rail carriers preempts local authority over the construction and operation of the proposed layover facility.

In other words, think eminent domain on steroids; no rationale is required.  As to the earlier ZBAP granting of a variance, and DGiles role in same, the letter includes this footnote:

¹ NNEPRA applied for, and, on April 21, 2011, was granted, a

dimensional variance in connection with the proposed layover facility. NNEPRA filed this application before NNEPRA was aware of the full extent to which federal law precludes any requirement that NNEPRA obtain local zoning or other land use approvals for the construction and operation of the proposed layover facility. Since it is now clear that the variance is not required, NNEPRA does not intend to record the certificate of variance approval that was issued to NNEPRA.

Which inspires us to add to the earlier Reagan thought, ‘we are the government, and therefore we can.’

           

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Amtrak,NNEPRA,MLF,preemption

Lessons from a puppy (and kindergarten)

Our daughter and her family have been ‘fostering’ a seeing eye trainee puppy since she was about 8 weeks old.  This is a generous act of service, yet fraught with challenges and heart-break, especially if you love dogs, as our family does.   The time is fast approaching when they will have to give her up, assuming she passes all the preliminary tests for service. 

Besides the parents, two young children have become very attached to Ester, shown below.  And we’ll even go so far as to say that the family cats enjoy the distraction from time to time.

Some of you may have seen Ester around town this summer when the family was visiting.  She was exceptionally well behaved on her training visits to a number of our favorite places, including the Big Top Deli.

At this point, our daughter is reflecting back on their experience with their ‘foster’ Black Lab.  And she’s come up with these thoughts, which as you can probably tell, provide a glimpse into how much the separation is going to hurt.  They went into this believing it would be a good lesson, if a very tough one to accept.

Lessons from a puppy

 

1) Always be excited when people come to your door- it makes them feel welcomed.

2) Never miss a meal; it keeps your blood sugar stable.

3) Sleep a lot, then sleep some more.  One can never sleep too much.

4) Play with kids.  They know how to enjoy life, and they don't take themselves too seriously.

5) Find one good toy; it will keep you occupied and prevent you from finding trouble.

6) Run through the sprinklers on a hot day.  Because who doesn't love the feel of cool water?

7) Take long walks to enjoy nature and your surroundings.  The birds, the wind through the trees, seeing your neighbors, it's all good!

8) Have a good relationship with your doctor.  In fact, be excited to see him/her EVERY time, as treats will follow.

9) Be on your best behavior when in a restaurant.  It will impress people.

10) Show unconditional love and expect nothing in return.

11) Linger by a roaring fire, and if led, nap there too.

12) Follow the trustworthy, but lead the blind.

13) Show those puppy dog eyes whenever it will prove beneficial.  A little can go a long way here, folks.

We get all verklempt just reading them.  And in a way, they remind us of this related wisdom:

"All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten"

                     by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.

Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

It’s ironic, we suppose, that where we grew up, they didn’t have kindergarten.

TTFN.

Technorati Tags: puppies,kindergarten,life

Maine Teachers Union “surprised” by roosting chickens

Word has reached us that the Maine Education Association, otherwise known as the Maine Teachers Union, is having some heartburn with the “Affordable Care Act.”  The linked article begins with this:

In a recent letter to members of the Maine Education Association, MEA Benefits Trust Executive Director Christine Burke said many aspects of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, “may not make [teachers] happy.” These include “aspects” that will cause many active members and retirees to lose their current coverage.

Somehow this made us think of chickens.

       

Chickens, for the most part, are cuddly, trouble-free critters, as shown above.  Occasionally, however, they’re known to lay square eggs, and having this variety come home to roost can lead to a lot of unpleasant squawking. 

As you can see in this item:

which makes the point that union officials are

working with our Senate delegation and with the National Education Association to see if we can either change the law or get an exemption from this part of the ACA.

Well isn’t this just special.  Obviously the NEA and their subordinates in the MEA consider themselves part of an elite, connected class that deserves to be excused from laws the little people are compelled to obey.  Just like Federal employees, members of Congress and their staffs, and the major labor unions who are largely responsible for seeing that the head chicken breeder got elected, not once, but twice. 

We suspect the same folks were outraged that some in Washington were recently working hard to ‘change the law,’ but those doing so weren’t wearing the right colored uniforms when they did.  And besides, it’s ‘settled law,’ right?

So we hope you’ll excuse us if we turn our other beak towards the cackles and clucking going on.  And suggest that members of the Teachers Unions put on their big boy pants and big girl knickers and realize that not everything their union czars support and fund is destined to ‘make teachers happy.’

      

We hope they appreciate this ‘experiential learning’ exercise.  And come to understand just how much the rest of us enjoy being compelled to abide by central government’s edicts. 

Though we don’t see any hints of a ‘lesson learned’ in the MEABT article.  Which makes us worry that teachers may be slow learners.

That’s not a very comforting thought, is it?

Technorati Tags: Obamacare,teachers union,affordable care act

Something to think about…part II.

On Friday, we posted this item.  Surely you’ve had enough time to think about it, and so has Shirley.

One of our readers commented that she was a bona fide member of the 99%, as are 99% of us, if you accept the tautological premise of the concept.

But it’s not a matter of income that creates the ideological divide; it’s the fact that the so-called ‘Occupiers’ believe that the 1% should pay for all the government provided goodies that the 99% take advantage of.  You know; social justice, economic justice, fairness, equity, etc.

Never-mind that about half of the population pays essentially for ALL the benefits and entitlements that the entire population enjoys via the federal income tax revenue base.  That’s only fair, right?

Well, now that you’ve had enough time to think about our question, we have this follow-up query for you.

Does the $247,000 grant to Brunswick Taxi amount to ‘corporate welfare,’ ‘crony capitalism,’ ‘targeted tax loopholes,’ and last but not least, ‘special treatment for favored interests?’  Does the similarly benevolent treatment of Gelato Fiasco, Cool As A Moose, Frosty’s Donuts, the BDA (and the recipients of their generosity), the MRRA, and the Brunswick Farmers Market equate to specially targeted ‘corporate welfare’ and/or special treatment for favored interests?

If not, why not?  But if so, what are the zealots who oppose such preferential treatment going to do about it?

Or is this as we’ve observed before?  You know; all elected officials are SOB’s, except for OUR local elected SOB, who is a devoted public servant. 

And all recipients of corporate welfare, paid for by unfairly penalized taxpayers, are an example of government corruption.  Except for those recipients who benefit from local economic development ‘investments.’  Which amounts to a ‘tempest in a teapot,’ according to our council chair.

Oh what fun it is to have your cake and eat it too.  Come to think of it, that’s a great business model to merit BDC funding. 

We’ll start working on a concept, and you can two.

Technorati Tags: BDC,corporate welfare,special interests

Does anyone smell sausage cooking?

Brunswick sausage, that is.

             

We’re sitting here all mopey, enjoying the afterglow of two hours in the dentist’s chair this morning to have a couple of implants put in.  It was quite a thrill; watching the use of a clicking ratchet under our hood, as it were, as if we were an engine having new spark plugs installed. 

Lord knows the old ones had lots of miles on them, and were fouled pretty badly.  So our editorial voice was not firing on all cylinders.  Fully synchronized internal combustion is still some months off.

Chance presented us with a day old edition of The Ostrich while we were there.  (We can’t help but wonder whether Chance and Shirley are acquainted!)

In it, we found two items that inspire continued confidence in the citizenry and governance of our perfect little town.

One was an update on the status of the move to our new “town hall,” the Bowdoin McClellan Building, and the continued slow-rolling of those involved in finally telling us what the final bill will be.  Town Manager Gary Brown is at the head of that list, and reportedly would not disclose the estimated figure, as councilors Benet Pols and John Perreault had requested. 

But Brown went so far as to say “preliminary numbers ARE NOT WAY OUT OF LINE with what was presented in the CIP,” which is about $800,000, according to the report.

We certainly feel better about things given that confidence builder; how about you?  Maybe it’s time for Pols and Perreault to remember that Brown works for the council, rather than the other way around.  Perhaps they should have directed Brown to provide the estimate, since he’s clearly seen information, instead of requesting it.

But hey; nobody likes making waves, right?

The other item was a letter supporting the candidacy for the town council of a local real estate saleslady .  You can see our thoughts on her candidacy here and here.

We understand that editors of The Ostrich are generally not conversant in the gritty realities of town operation, nor are they likely to challenge offerings that support town status quo, or status quo plus, if you get our drift.  They reserve their umbrage for those of us who challenge the status quo, which is why this ‘media outlet’ was born.

And we also understand that candidates frequently draft their own endorsement letters, and then ask others to submit them as their own.  In this case, the distinction doesn’t matter, because when the assertions in the endorsing submission are clearly and blatantly false, both parties get to share in the blame and the shame.

For example, when the author says as follows:

I might get to a handful of Town Council meetings each year, but Jane is almost always there, and prepared with insightful notes, comments and questions.

And follows up with this:

She’s never afraid to challenge the council with tough questions about the projects the town is engaged in — even if it means ruffling feathers.

In view of such words, you know for a fact that the writer, and the editor who approved the submission, are both totally clueless to the conduct of Town Council meetings, and how the public gets to participate in them.

We’ve testified at our share of such meetings, almost always ‘prepared with insightful notes, comments and questions.’  Anyone else who has done so knows full well that you don’t get to say your piece at any time on any subject, and you are especially wasting your time if you ask a question. 

No one on the council is going to respond to any question, unless they decide to demonize the testifier for even asking it.  Which has happened to us on more than one occasion.

So we unequivocally dismiss the letter supporting Jane as a contrived, misinformed, and horribly unsubstantiated endorsement.  And a shameful indicator of The Ostrich’s current day editorial integrity and reportorial rigor.

And we ask again, with no expectation of a meaningful response, ‘where’s Jane when it really counts?’

             

Jane may be running, but it looks to us like she’s running away from, rather than towards, a better Brunswick for all of us.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,Ostrich,town council candidates,elections,town manager

Something to think about….for the interested reader

Cape Brunswick is rife with those who pushed to overturn the Citizens United decision.  While we haven’t seen them in some weeks, we also have had local advocates who visibly side with the “Occupy Movement” and claim to be members of ‘the 99%.’

These souls, devoted to ‘social and economic justice,’ deplore corporate welfare, targeted tax loopholes, crony capitalism, and other forms of special treatment for those favored interests who have friends in the right places.  At least as they see it.

In respect of these inclinations, we ask you, our readers, where you stand on such matters, and where you think the Cape Brunswick population at large stands as well.

We hope you’ll mull this over and get back to us with your views.

Technorati Tags: Questions,admin,readers

School Board Incumbent/Candidate Rich Ellis checks in

And then there were three…..

Rich Ellis, the incumbent District 1 School Board member, who is also running for re-election in a contest against Byron Watson, has submitted his answers.  So he gets an

      

And we thank him for his interest and the effort he put in to his response.

Rich sent us a seven page document, which even by our loose standards, is a bit long for posting here on the ‘front page.’  So we’re going to post his document on scribd, while tempting you with his answer to question 1 and 2 here.

The Other Side of Town Candidate Forum: Rich Ellis
1. Do you think the Brunswick School Department exercises responsible stewardship of our physical building assets?

Since joining the School Board in January 2011, I have had frequent opportunity to interact with the Director of Facilities, Paul Caron. During this time, his abilities have been well demonstrated in our work with contractors on the Harriet Beecher Stowe project, with architectural and engineering firms on the Facilities Master Plan Study, within our budget workshops and in the day to day work related to various items such as the implementation of security systems and energy efficiency throughout our system.

The primary gap that we have with our facilities is one that has been created by a historical tendency for Brunswick not to invest, or adequately plan for, large and required periodic maintenance projects related to our facilities. One quick example that comes to mind is the boiler system at Jordan Acres.

This system was installed at Jordan Acres the year the facility opened in 1972 and was still in operation some 40 years later up until the school was closed in 2012. The problem is not that the School Department stretched its lifespan well beyond a reasonable expectation; it is that in the 40 years that that boiler was in a Brunswick School, there was no firm commitment to a planned replacement cycle for any of our boilers at our schools.

The same can be said for other systems within the School System, such as roofs and sprinkler systems. This experience is common to almost every school district in the State and, as funding sources have tightened, the competition between short-term operations needs and long term structural investments has increased.

The current funding gap for Brunswick, on an annual funding basis, is between $500k per year to $3MM per year depending upon how quickly you address the backlog of projects that have been deferred over the years. In the end, the result of delaying these investments over the last four to decades, is a backlog of projects and an environment, as described by Mr. Caron in a 2012 Budget meeting, that has us, “so busy chasing repairs” that we never to do proactive maintenance projects.

Speaking to specific facilities, we are obviously in a good place with the newest of our schools, Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary. The same can largely be said for our now 20-year old Brunswick High School, although it is facing some of those pending periodic maintenance projects, including work with the boiler system, flooring and some needed security upgrades. If you have not been in this facility, I would recommend doing a walkthrough as it is in very solid shape.

The situation with the Brunswick Junior High School is a bit more difficult. Beyond the physical age of the facility, now a 54-year old building, there are problems related to engineering (roofing and sinking floors), meeting modern code requirements and deferred maintenance. Also, while there is generally adequate space for our core junior high classrooms, there is a need for improved space for other programs such as music, art and special services.

While the Brunswick Junior High School’s needs are extensive, it is not the district’s most urgent need. That distinction belongs to our PK-2 facilities, where we find ourselves now overcrowded at both Coffin and Harriet Beecher Stowe due to the unexpected closure of Jordan Acres.

When I first joined the Board in 2011, the plan was to provide for our PK-2 servicing by renovating both the 58 year old Coffin and the 40 year old Jordan Acres. In early 2011, however, there was a beam that cracked at Jordan Acres as the result of heavy snow on the roof. This incident, and the subsequent closure of the building, led to a thorough evaluation of the roofing system.

 

The findings concluded that the original architectural underpinnings of the roofing system had been flawed since the building was opened. To address this engineering issue, the replacement of many major and original systems and the remediation of external mold issues would have meant many millions of dollars spent before you even got to revitalize the facility. As such, putting more money into this facility was deemed to be a poor choice as a long term investment.

From there, the Board moved to plan to renovate just Coffin school and to expand it from 350 to 660 students, so it could handle the full PK-2 capacity. While we spent much time evaluating this option, the requirement to move the bus garage, to replace space being provided by 40 year old “temporary” mobile units along new space, and to remediate other needed code renovations, resulted in a price tag that made it a less favorable option in the long term compared to a new building, which would have a longer expected life span than the renovation project.

So we are now studying a new PK-2 facility, to be sited at the Jordan Acres property, with the expectation of bringing these plans forward for public review in the coming months.

Additionally, in recognition that the total cost to remediate the PK-2 situation and to renovate the BJH is too much for the town to manage at once, we have voted to focus on this one project and to continue general maintenance on the BJH until such time as the funding situation improves.

So, now that I have provided you with a long answer to your original question, as well as the answer to a few other questions you didn’t ask, but were possibly interested in, let me reward you with the short answer.

Yes, I think our current facilities and administrative team has demonstrated responsible stewardship of our physical building assets, but they need more financial support, each and every year, for the routine maintenance of our buildings. As an side, you can find more information about the facilities master plan study here: http://www.brunswick.k12.me.us/facilities-study/

2. Do you think the School Department should institute a merit based pay system for the teaching corps, or retain the current automatic increase, one size fits all pay scale system?

I do not believe in the traditional merit-based pay model, as it has historically relied on flawed single point in time test results. I do see value, however, in a differentiated pay system that is based on a comprehensive evaluation of the teacher, including their methodologies employed, demonstrated leadership and skills and their extent of effort. I could support it, so long as the differentiation is not based solely on single point in time test results, is developed in collaboration with teachers and staff, includes resourcing for remediation, peer assistance
and review.

I fundamentally believe that we should be rewarding our best teachers and providing financial incentives to drive improvements when they are failing to meet the performance expectations of their administrators. The devil however is in the details.

Technorati Tags: candidate forum,school board,Brunswick

School Board Candidate Byron Watson checks in

And then there were two…..

Byron Watson, challenger for the District 1 School Board position now held by Rich Ellis, who is running for re-election, has submitted his answers to our questions, and we are posting them here for your edification.  For each item, we repeat our question from the earlier posts, and then show Byron’s answers indented and in red text.

Enjoy.  And thanks, Byron, for taking the time to let voters know where you line up on the points we raised.

Questions for School Board Candidates:

1.  Do you think the Brunswick School Department exercises responsible stewardship of our physical building assets?

No. Somebody is responsible for not shoveling off the roof of Jordan Acres when that beam collapsed a couple years back and there has been no desire to hold anyone accountable.

2.  Do you think the School Department should institute a merit based pay system for the teaching corps, or retain the current automatic increase, one size fits all pay scale system?

We should absolutely be looking into instituting a merit based system. However, I am against a merit system that is solely based on test scores. We should form a focus group consisting of Taxpayers, Board Members, Administrators, and Teachers to collaborate together for a merit based system that will be a great fit for Brunswick. We’ll need to incorporate different aspects of the individual position in order to determine what kind of increase if any is deserved. I believe the right merit based system can bring out the best in our teachers making our students the top priority.

3.  How should the School Department evaluate its performance?

One of the ways the School Department can check in on their performance is through the Adequate Yearly Progress shown in the State Department of Education figures. The last round of statistics viewed from the State Department of Education revealed that both our Jr. High & High School are failing to meet A.Y.P.

4.  How should the School Department plan for and implement continuously improving student achievement?

When teaching is the focus our children will fare the best. Unfortunately it feels like our powers that be have forgotten that we are supposed to be here for the children and not the adults. Teachers need time to develop curriculum, stay up to date with the latest useful technology, and also to collaborate with other teachers for the best overall experience of the student. The Freshman Academy we developed for our most At-Risk students back in 2009 has been a resounding success at Brunswick and may just be the template for future achievement.

5.  Should the tax rate for School finances be capped to an upper limit, or allowed to increase continually? And how much per year is a reasonable increase?

The School Budget should be capped by the School Board Members themselves and the public should start to hold them accountable to be responsible stewards of the taxpayers money. We have had our property taxes increased over 15% in the last three years and that is irresponsible. The citizens I have spoken to are shocked to hear that the municipal side of the budget actually went down 2% last year and are outraged at the huge unsustainable tax increases being laid upon them by the School Budget.

6.  Do you think recruiting students from Asia and other distant lands is a legitimate function of the Brunswick public school system?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

Clearly it is not a legitimate function of the Brunswick School System, especially when the School Department has snubbed their nose at the tuition paying students from Harpswell, West Bath, and Durham. I will say that when they make an agreement (as they did in the China case) they must follow through on their word, but for them to think they have the authority to approve Chinese students over the Federal Government & State Government is absurd. We should first be looking to collaborate with our neighbors, keep in mind when the Durham students left due to the School Consolidation Law, they took with them over $1 Million in tuition fees as well.

7.  Do you think the virtual doubling in per student budgetary costs in recent years is justified?   Do you think $15,000 per year per student is not enough, just right, or too much?  If not enough, how much should that increase?

No. When a taxpayer can look at a solid Catholic School like St. John’s and realize tuition is under $5,000 annually, how is it possible to justify $15,000? We need what is best for our students and maybe a roughly $3 Million surplus every year is not the answer.

8.  Do you think children are the first priority of the Brunswick School Department?

No. There is no question that the children unequivocally need to be the first priority.

9.  Describe the primary responsibilities of a school board member.  Emphasize the relationship between the board and the department.

There is no question that the School Board as an entire 9-member unit is the Superintendent’s boss. For the past three years it sometimes has appeared to be the other way around, but our representative’s should understand that they direct the Superintendent. For example: State Law requires a Civics Class, yet no such class exists. If a School Board Member wanted to abide by the requirements they would not go to a faculty member, they would go to the Superintendent.

10.  Did we miss any questions you wish we had asked, or that we should have asked?

Why did the School Board hire a principal that was fired two months prior to them hiring him?

11.  This item is a place for you to make any statement you wish to town voters.

I’m running for the District #1 School Board seat. I will bring common sense, sustainable and achievable solutions to the Brunswick school system. My student-focused plan emphasizes the importance of our tight-knit community, saves our district millions of dollars and focuses on collaboration with our adjoining school districts. It’s time for Brunswick to spend tax dollars on what will benefit our children the most. Thank you for your support and I’m asking for your vote on November 5^th. Please visit my website for more information:

www.byron-watson.org

Extra Credit Questions For School Board Candidates/Incumbents:

1)  Do you think the school board should set a budget NTE figure for school department staff before budget preparation begins?  If not, why not?

The idea of zero based budgeting can work as well, but yes setting a figure at the beginning to go by for the staff would help in the budget preparation process.

2)  Would you support requiring school department staff to annually prepare and submit a five year budgetary plan that projects revenues and operational and capital expenditures, and consequent property tax demand?  If not, why not?

Yes. This is already required under Article IX, Section 909, of the Brunswick Town Charter.

“The school board shall prepare and submit to the council a 5-year school capital program at the same time that it submits its annual budget. The school capital program shall be prepared and revised in the same manner that is required of the manager under Article VI of this Charter.”

3)  Would you support requiring cognizant school department staff to annually prepare and submit a five year building maintenance and repair plan, complete with estimated costs?  If not, why not?

This is a solid model to go by, keeping in mind it would be a road map. Sometimes there are other routes to take then described in the original plan and sometimes we are forced to take other routes as well.

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In view of the foregoing submission, we hereby award Byron one

      

For those still hiding in the goose-egg contingent, we can only presume…..

     

What if the rest of us didn’t have the time or interest to pay the taxes you so enjoy spending to live out your good intentions?  You’ll send who after us, with what?

Technorati Tags: candidate forum,school board,Brunswick

Where are Dick and Jane and all the rest?

We had ever so much hoped that Jane Millett would be ‘bigger than us,’ and check in with our readers when public office is on the line, and it ‘really counts.’  But so far, we would be wrong.

  

Jane is supposedly running for Town Council, yet she seems to be running away from Side’s candidate forum questions.  Which makes us wonder whether Jane can ‘do the math,’ when it really counts.

          

She’s not alone in leaving us chasing the butterflies who hold or seek public office.  Benet Pols, a town council incumbent who is not up for re-election, provided a strong initial response, but since then, has not followed up, as he suggested he would.

Rich Ellis, who gets the role of Dick for purposes of this post, a school board incumbent running for re-election, said he’d be submitting his input, but is apparently having problems finding his place in our story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here we are, chasing Spot.

It’s frustrating when dogs are more attentive than those who happily wag their tails as they seek public office.

We’re happy to pat them on the head when they behave, but we’re sure as heck not going to pick up after them if they can’t ‘mind their manners.’

We think it behooves those who seek our approval to leave the path ahead clear.  We’ve got enough problems around here without worrying about where to take our next step.

Technorati Tags: Brunswick,elections,council,school board,candidate forum