ANTI-BULLYING BILL MAY FAIL AGAIN

One of the many casualties of the turmoil in Albany is the repeated failure of the "Dignity For All Students Act". The legislation would prohibit harassment and discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think a contingent of supporters from the Community Centre on Wall St had gone up to Albany on a past lobby day regarding this issue. The Kingston chapter of GLSEN and a number of community organizations, including the Teacher's Unions, have made their desires known and have worked a long time for it's passing.

The problem of bullying is very real. It happens in every school in the country. So Kingston wouldn't be any exception to the rule. Studies show that in middle and high school, the kid who is being regularly harassed and is terrified cannot succeed academically.

A number of New England states have already enacted such legislation with measurable results. With the closed campus starting next fall, I would expect that in close quarters, there may be more occasions of harassment. If the Senate gets there act together and gets this on the schedule before the close of session, we may have a tool to help keep the peace next year.

The anti-harassment bill is numbered: S 1987-A.

MONTESSORI AT WASHINGTON

About 80 adults and their 30 kids attended the Montessori dedication at Washington Elementary Friday morning. We all witnessed an auditorium stage with the Kingston School Board and key operators of the program sitting in a row, basking in their accolades, as the Mayor gave praise to the persistent organizers.

School board President David Fletcher spoke of the individual uniqueness of each student and how the Montessori program provides the flexible learning model for each student. Each student learns at their own pace.

The teachers at Washington had to chose between teaching methods as this program was introduced this summer. Many teachers who desired to stick with the traditional teaching method had transferred to other elementary schools while some transferred from others to Washington to participate in the program.

Eligibility was also an issue. Students who’s parents thought the program was unsuited for their child were offered bussing to other elementary schools, while those families outside the Washington district are prohibited from bussing in. [That confuses me]

Believe it or not, They wrestled Sen. Larkin out of retirement to receive his KUDOs for the State Grant that helped propel this program to fruition. His action in the Senate was at the urging of his daughter, asking her father “ how much clout in the Senate have you got left, Dad?” The crowd chuckled.

Quoted in the Freeman: Washington Principal Valerie Hannum said “Even though the rest of the school still employs a traditional educational approach, you'll notice a touch of Montessori in most of the classrooms."

AnnMarie DiBella was the only other Alderman to join me at the dedication.

LIGHTNING STRIKES K H S

Last Sunday, the City of Kingston was hit by that ferocious thunderstorm. It was the main conversation for days.

The Latino Festival down on the strand was washed out and so was the Broadway underpass, as usual. What most people don’t know is that the Kingston High School was struck by lightning.

About 1:10 pm, the neighborhood around the school heard and saw the flash and clap of lightning at the same time. Never a good thing.

Sure enough, the school had been hit. One of the neighbors called 911 immediately, and in less than 2 minutes our Fire Dept had three trucks at the scene. They had to be waiting by their trucks for this storm, as you’d expect.

The chimney for the boiler room was damaged. The strike sent chunks of cement and brick everywhere, but no-one got hurt. What raised my fear level is the chimney, right there on Andrew St, is inches from the Gas Main that supplies the school. That could have been a disaster.

But, with no reported damage on the interior, I made a dash back to my truck through the downpour hoping that lightning truly doesn’t strike the same place twice.

KAGE: KINGSTON AREA GOV & EDUCATION

In the last meeting of the Cable Committee, the Aldermen created a new management commission to guide the operations of Channel 20.

Channel 20 as you know, has been blue-screen forever. It has been reserved for the use of government and schools for information dispersal other than public opinion.
Public opinion programs are broadcast on the Public Access channel 23.

The new commission, Kingston Area Government & Education (KAGE) will be 5 members of the community, two from Kingston Consolidated, two citizens from the City of Kingston and one member of the Rondout School District. Superintendent Gerard Gretzinger is expected to be the first appointee.

The Kingston school curriculum already incorporates broadcast journalism as an elective and has an equipped studio that produces closed circuit programs on campus. This will open the programs to the subscribers of TWC in the 7 town district. This will also provide an opportunity for the towns and the city to air their municipal meetings.

The placement of members to the commission will be the responsibility of the Mayor and members must live in the viewing district. Quorum for doing business is three members and financial support will be through public funding.

Meanwhile Kingston Area Public Access (KAPA) struggles on without municipal support, strictly for political reasons of course. Commissioners, producers and supporters are searching the area for a new home.

It will happen! Channel 23 live programs will be back and the public service will resume. I just wish my colleagues on the council were as supportive as I am.

THE CARNEGIE RENAISSANCE

The Carnegie Library is getting plenty of renewed attention these days. It seems to come in cycles. It was only four years ago that Assemblyman Cahill acquired funding to refurbish the former library into a tech/learning facility. Which went nowhere since there was little cooperation between the City and the school board...But not this time.

I am excited to think this may be the culmination of monies, people and the will to do something special in midtown. A renaissance if you will. The building couldn’t survive another winter without serious attention.

The library was constructed in 1904 to replace the original community library in City Hall across the street. It was among 1,600 public libraries built all over the US around the turn of the century, with money donated by Andrew Carnegie.

School Board member Jim Shaughnessy is the driving force behind the proposed renovation. He suggests tapping into school district CDBG funds to accomplish the task, but grant acceptance requires a learning component...Enter Evry Mann.

Evry Mann is the director of the Center for Creative Education in Stone Ridge and the large studio space on Thomas Street right here in Kingston where his organization's after-school programs serve more than 100 youths on a daily basis.

As noted in the Freeman: The center runs three arts education programs in Kingston, including the Percussion Orchestra of Kingston (POOK); the Energy Hip-Hop Dance Company; and after-school arts programs at Washington and Kennedy. The plan is to continue using the Thomas St studio for younger students and utilizing the renovated Carnegie Building for High School students.

The City of Kingston has included a $50K allotment from the annual CDBG funding toward the renovation of the building. There was plenty of support for the funding at the Public Hearing this past Wednesday when the funds distribution was announced.

Al Teetsel and I showed up during closing comments to witness a pleased crowd. Lowell Thing was one of the civilians from my district in attendance; from the smile on his face, he must have liked the proposal. Almost all of us Aldermen attended the numerous community development meetings this winter to hash out the final proposal. Thanks to Mike Murphy for guiding the group.

Between the state and federal sources, most of the funding will be secured, if not, there are other sources. Even with a zero tax impact, the renovation has to pass a public referendum in the fall.

I am definitely a YES vote.

TEACH CHILDREN TO SAVE DAY

Teach Children to Save Day is a national event developed by the American Bankers Association Education Foundation.

With the cooperation of Local and National Banks, bank representatives schedule a meeting with local school administrators to introduce the concept of saving to middle and high school students.

Last year, more than 200 bankers from sponsoring banks visited students in 400+ classrooms in New York State. The bankers conducted a 45-minute literacy-based lesson that focuses on the topic of saving and investing.

There is no charge for teachers or students to participate in Teach Children to Save Day; however, classroom visits may be limited. We will match classrooms on a first-come, first-serve basis. Maximum class size for a visit is 30 students. Teachers are required to remain in the classroom during the banker visit. The banker will bring the handouts and materials needed for the lesson.

I cannot confirm if KHS is participating in this program this year.

Ulster Savings Bank on Wall Street in Kingston will host a raffle to honor the American Bankers Association Education Foundation’s national “Teach Children to Save Day” on Tuesday, April 29th.The raffle prize winner will receive a $500 savings bond from Ulster Savings Bank in recognition of this special day. The drawing will be held on May 1. Entrants must be 18 or younger, and they must enter the raffle by visiting any of the Ulster Savings Bank branches.

Parents will also receive a guide for promoting child savings education. For more information, call 866-440-0391 or visit an Ulster Savings Bank branch.

MR GRETZINGER: BUILD THAT WALL

Could we really see the day when the Kingston High School campus is closed? Somebody pinch me! It’s like someone turned the light on in an otherwise dark and uninterested School Board meeting.

The residents in portions of Ward Nine and Five have suffered long enough with the full day of off-campus students wandering around our homes.

Speeding, Parking, Litter and verbal confrontation with local homeowners are common place. Parents of students whom live in Hurley, Zena and Esopus haven’t a clue what their children do off-campus and in our backyards.

Keeping the students on school property will require a bigger lunch facility. At present, juniors and seniors are allowed to eat lunch off campus because the school does not have the necessary cafeteria space to accommodate its student body of more than 2,000.

This nomadic tribe of hungry students, wander our neighborhoods every school day, bringing the property values down and increasing the driving hazards on our side streets. To the right is a picture of a car wreck on Andrew St from last Thursday around 11am. The young man, speeding, hit his girlfriend’s car and totaled his. The only injuries were to his father’s insurance rates. The main question? Why are they off-campus during the school day?

School Board member Jim Shaughnessy said he will ask the BOE to set aside $26,500 for a study of the school properties regarding space and usage administered by CS Arch, the Albany-based management consultant. Daniel Woodside, the company’s representative suggested an initial study of the school's cafeteria and kitchen, instead of the future Grand Plan for the district. Super Gretzinger, pictured at left, agrees as well.

I agree with all three of them. Get the cafeteria expansion issue out there, get it funded, and get it done. The residents, law enforcement, and us lawmakers will greatly appreciate it and with less opportunity to mix-it-up with the wrong element off-campus, students will learn more.

The Board meeting was Wednesday at 7pm at Zena Elementary.