Falmouth Fire & Rescue

Falmouth Fire was called out to the offices of the Sandwich Enterprise this morning to rescue somebody who apparently became disabled while writing an editorial.

Welcome to Paradise?

No further information was available.

Who's the Lucky Winner ???

The CCT is reporting this morning that the new Superintendent will be receiving $161,000 annually (including $5,000 for an annuity and $3,000 for travel), plus an additional $5,000 for moving expenses.  I think its darn nice that the Committee agreed to transport Dr. C from Connecticut to his (almost) retirement home here on the Cape.  

I am really curious about the reaction from those folks who were outraged at the prior Committee paying Dr. J $152,000 annually.  (Yes, Kangas -- that would be you!)

The Committee has accomplished absolutely nothing this year -- except paying a consultant to find a new Supt, paying lawyers to fight with the (almost) former Supt., and importing somebody who has never been a Superintendent and will be facing retirement before I turn in my current vehicle -- AND given him a $9,000 raise.

(With all due respect to Dr. Canfield -- I'm sure he was a fine choice, and he negotiated the best contract he could -- as we all would!  I'm just pointing out the obvious hypocrisy of the Gang of Four.)

Pure Nonsense

Did anybody count the number of times Linnehands said "pure" last night?

Ivory Soap's claim to fame was always that it was 99.44% pure.  I think there a couple of School Committee members who could best be described as 100% clueless.

Last night's meeting was like a collection of ugly little train wrecks.

The meeting was probably best summed up by Steve "Drain The Dam" Susko at the second Public Forum when he quoted the Great Prophet Li'l Abner when he said, "There's a time for Thinkin' and a time for Doin'!"

Obviously last night wasn't one of those Thinkin' times!

Where to start?

1)  The Pool -- We were treated to the usual seemingly endless line of seniors demanding their pool access be restored.  As usual, many of them weren't even from Sandwich (ie. They didn't pay to build the Pool, and they don't pay to maintain it).  I believe the point was made -- particularly since many of them had been up before and said the same damn thing.  Can all sides stipulate that, yes, the seniors want/need to use the pool and yes, they are being inconvenienced.  Can we also stipulate that the the School needs to control access to its facilities and that, with all due respect, there is an obligation to safeguard students from strangers -- no matter how old they are, how bad their knees hurt, or what was said in 1972.

There's no "there" there!

The Library of Congress Reading Room
(I used to do my homework there many years ago ...)

I am a big library fan.  I think Stu Parsons, Kathy Johnson and the rest of the Library team should have a building named after them (although preferably not a $15 Million building!).  They do great things with few few resources and very little space.  They are a great asset to the entire Town.

A while back, the local rag noted that Library supporters had put up their own blog to provide public outreach and more detailed information to justify the $15 Million they want to spend on a new "branch" library.  With Town Meeting approaching fast, I was hoping to read up and see if I have been missing anything.  I did eventually find their website.

But ... there was almost nothing there.

There was the artists rendering of the building, but no plans and no proposed project budget.  There was a post reminding people about Town Meeting and saying:

The South Sandwich Library Project is ARTICLE 15 on the warrant. Voters will be asked to approve the design and accept the grant if awarded in July. A YES vote on ARTICLE 15 will cost the town ZERO DOLLARS.

There was a link to the regular Sandwich Public Library website -- but the set of plans was far too small to read with the naked eye (or even with my glasses on and the big screen zoomed-in!).

I agree with the idea that a "YES" on Article 15 won't cost anything.  But, a "NO" won't cost anything either.  The other advantage to a "NO" is that it doesn't give anyone the impression that there is public support to fund  (even 50% of) a $15 million library.

The third advantage of a "NO" vote is that encourages folks to go back to the drawing board and hopefully come up with a more affordable, scaled down version.

I find the pro-library signs saying "50% Off!" ridiculous and almost insulting.  If we can't afford a $7.5 million library -- what makes anyone think we can afford 50% of a $15 million library?

The Library did a very detailed expansion study in which a consultant detailed what perceived deficiencies existed and what would need to be added to improve the facilities.   But, I don't recall seeing many cost figures.  And, cost is not a small issue.

We don't need more meeting rooms.  We already have 4 schools with plenty of space at night -- and we just spent $3 million to build a meeting room at the New Old Town Hall.   Oakcrest Cove is almost empty, the BOS has moved out of the Human Services Building -- even the Housing Authority has a Community Room available for meetings.  We don't need a huge book warehouse in this day of rapidly increasing Nooks, Kindles, I-Pads, etc.  Like it or not, people are moving away from paper.  (See "E-Book Demand Explodes at Libraries in The Cape Cod Times).

2009 Community School Audit STILL not finished!

Countless inches of computer screen have been wasted here (and even in the CCT) talking about the fact the School Committee has still not finalized the 2009 audit of the Sandwich Community School.  This document seems to be following prior Management Letters from the Town's public accounting firm down the path to oblivion.

We are talking about real dollars in an environment of extremely tight budgets.  And, given the fact that any change in policy related to the current pool access procedures will likely have a material impact on the Pool's operating revenue, it is time for an independent outside party to finally resolve the issue.  

What does the pool cost to operate, and who is going to pay for it?

Forget the hysteria about the ability of strange naked adults to mix with the kids.  Forget the arguments by angry Seniors from other Towns demanding their rights to swim in a pool built and operated with Sandwich tax dollars.  Even forget the small-minded, vindictive, petty political bullshit that seems to swirl around every school-related issue.

What does the pool cost to operate and who is going to pay for it? 

Hopefully, the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General will be willing to review this situation.  And, hopefully, the next School Committee will take its obligation to represent ALL of the Sandwich taxpayers  seriously.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 March 8 , 2011


Mr. Gregory W. Sullivan, Inspector General
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
John W. McCormack State Office Building
One Ashburton Place, Room 1311
Boston, MA 02108


Email: MA_OIG@maoig.net


Re: Sandwich Community School

Dear Mr. Sullivan:

We are former members of the Sandwich School Committee , but we are submitting this inquiry only as individuals and as concerned taxpayers of the Town of Sandwich . 

Attached please find a draft copy of the most recent audit report of the Sandwich Community School which was completed by the accounting firm of Sullivan, Rogers and Company LLC for the year ended June 30, 2009. This audit was requested by the prior School Committee in February of 2010. 

Going out of Business Sale?

The April 27 School Committee agenda looks like a political yard sale -- an attempt to dispose of an entire year's worth of business in a single night.

On the important side of the spectrum is approval of the new Superintendent's contract,  "discussion" of the pool use policy, the School's contribution to the Town's Long Range Plan, the Wing School renovation, and the Community School audit.  Many of these issues have been festering for months -- with nary a word of adult conversation.  All are serious issues with long-term implications -- both financial and operational.  Other than signing the new Supt's contract, I don't see a single one being legitimately resolved this week.

On the stupid side of the agenda -- a continuation of the discussion on whether to support the construction of sidewalks on Quaker Meetinghouse (that would be the street that three of the four schools are on).  Why did it take weeks to support the construction of a sidewalk?  Is there a downside to supporting state aid for sidewalks?  Randy Hunt has been on top of this issue for months -- why has it taken the Committee so long to get involved?

Further down on the list of Stupid Agenda Items is a discussion of Mr. Nancy Crossman's idea that electronic devices at the Committee Table pervert HIS sense of democracy by allowing "anonymous" people to have input on matters before their elected representatives.  Overlooking the fact that most people use  "electronic devices" for more than playing "Angry Birds" and reading emails,  I am far more interested in which anonymous people told his wife to replace the Superintendent of Schools, than I am about who may have emailed one of our selectmen to complain about the School Committee.

I have to think if Mr. Susko, Mrs. Cahill, or Mr. Killion had this brainstorm, that the School Committee would do what the Selectmen seem to have done -- referred it to The Committee on Stupid Ideas for further study.

Never Mind ...

As Gilda Radnor's character used to say on Saturday Night Live, "Never mind ...". 

Or, as the CCT said this morning, "Almost as hastily as it was posted by Chairwoman Sherry Marshall, a meeting to talk about pool use at Sandwich High School was canceled."

At last week's meeting, the Chair announced that the discussion on whether to allow adults off the street to roam around the locker rooms during the school day would be tabled for a second time to "gather  more data".  I'm curious what "data" may have been gathered by the time that last-minute posting was delivered to the Clerk's office for a "special" Thursday Night meeting just moments before the 48 hour Open Meeting deadline.

If the promised "data" had been accumulated, why was the meeting cancelled?

I'm not even sure what data was being sought -- the pool lost $130,000 in 2009, I have to assume restricting use will only make it worse --- The real question should be, "Why aren't swimmers paying the full cost of the pool?"  A related question would be, "Why are other Community School customers paying extra to support the swimmers?"

Please don't tell me that in 1972 the voters agreed to indefinitely screw the Pre-School Parents, Adult Ed customers, the kids paying for Drivers Ed, and the Sandwich taxpayers so that the nice folks from Cotuit could have a cheap swim.

But, wait -- it's a safety issue -- not a financial one!

Committee Schedules last Minute Pool Discussion

The CCT is reporting this morning that the School Committee has scheduled an unusual meeting at 7 PM tomorrow (Thursday).   According to the agenda posted with the Town Clerk, the only topic on the agenda is "Pool Use".

The meeting is open to the public with Public Forums scheduled at the beginning and end of the meeting.

Since the meeting will be occurring at the same time as the Board of Selectmen, it is probably unlikely that it will be televised.

Survey says? (By Bob Guerin)

Its interesting (and perhaps alarming) to witness the number of parents and students who now choose to attend schools other than Sandwich High School.

The number of students who decide not to go to Sandwich High has been steadily increasing each year and I am pretty sure that this year will set a new record. 

While candidates for School Committee have all commented on this trend; one even suggesting that it was a marketing and branding problem; no one seems prepared or willing to acknowledge that just maybe potential students (and parents) believe our High School product is inferior and that maybe (just maybe) they’re right. 

Branding and marketing changes are usually little more than cosmetic. Does anyone really think the High School’s challenges are cosmetic? Would a new name and logo fix things? I doubt it.

The School Committee and the School Administration should create and execute a thorough, candid and wide-ranging survey of students and parents who have left the district. It might even be worthwhile to hire a professional research firm to do the work and review the findings. 

Until someone captures and evaluates the data and reasons why students are fleeing the High School no one will know and no one will be able to fix whatever is wrong. 

And, we really don’t need a survey (just the enrollment figures) to know that clearly something is wrong. 

"We can't take any chances with that stuff" .

Several people raised this issue in comments at the bottom of a previous post -- but I think its worth repeating here at the top of the page!

The Emptyprize ran a story about the alleged child molester who had been working at at Camp Good News for more than 20 years.  It's no surprise they ran the story since our U.S. Senator claimed he was molested by somebody else at that same camp almost 40 years ago, and the story had already appeared all over the country this week.  Given the number of satelite broadcast trucks in Forestdale this week, you would think that there was another OJ trial going on down on Route 130.

BUT... The CCT, the Boston papers, and the Boston TV stations also all reported that the alleged perpetrator had previously been investigated for pornography and, although he wasn't prosecuted, he was  terminated from his job AT THE SANDWICH COMMUNITY SCHOOL POOL.

Because, as a former Community School Administrator said, "We can't take any chances with that stuff" .

That little piece of information wasn't newsworthy?

Are you kidding me?

What a Train Wreck!

"If I only had a brain ..."

The first hour of tonight's School Committee meeting resembled a Kindergarten play.  It opened with Sherry Marshall thanking Nancy Crossman for checking with the Town Clerk to see if out-of-town people could speak at forum.  

Huh? Why? 

I would have assumed that anybody chairing a Committee (or who was an elected  member of a committee for two decades) would know that the Chair controls a meeting --- not the Town Clerk!  AND, the policies and procedures for Public Forum are detailed in the School Committee's Policy Manual (aka The Big Blue Book).  These two should be embarrassed that they are so unfamiliar with either State Law -- or their own Procedures Manual!

So, of course the Committee can allow anybody they want to speak -- although if the policy manual does specify Town residents (I don't remember!) I would have expected a vote to suspend the policy.

From a practical perspective, why?  non-residents don't pay taxes here.  They don't pay salaries, they didn't pay for the building.  In fact, in the case of non-resident pool users, not only did they not pay to build the pool, they don't even cover the costs of operating it.  In 2009, according to an independent audit, the cost of operating the pool exceeded revenue by almost $130,000.   This shortfall was funded with transfers from the revenue generated by other "profitable" Community School programs.  Why delay the  Committee's official business?  Are non-resident opinions more important than those of the Sandwich residents who elected the board --- AND pay the bills?

As expected, numerous pool supporters from area towns flocked to the microphone to insist that their swimming not be disrupted.  One person suggested that the Committee consider changing the High School block schedule to better accomodate the swimming schedule.  Maybe they could send a big yellow bus out to pick her up also?

All of the safety arguments have been made. The only issue is whether or not the Committee is willing to make a decision one way or the other.  Given the number of satellite news trucks parked around town today --- I am sure there are more than a few people curious about the outcome.

The decision?  No decision -- tabled for future meeting.  Does anybody think its strange that it takes less time to hire a new Superintendent than it does to determine if it is a good idea to allow naked strangers into the kids' locker room?

A few other "amusing" moments:

Lenihands tried to play "Gotcha!" with the Superintendent over the timing of the documentation for the school roof project.  Unfortunately, Jess forgot that the project wasn't approved by the State until December and the local BOS & Fincom until later in the Winter.

Lenihands also tried to take a second shot when she began second-guessing the second draft of the Superintendent's proposed school calender for next year.  Jess, in her infinite wisdom, thought that there were an insufficient number of snow days planned ... and that perhap school should start around August 31.   Unfortunately, she apparently never read the SEA contract which prohibits the District from  starting the School year before Labor Day.

The best exchange, however, happened at the end of the meeting (when most folks had clicked off, or fallen asleep!).   Andrea Killion raised the issue of the work that hasn't been done -- including the 2009 Community School audit which has been waiting for the Committee's response since last August.  Sherry turned to the Supt and (with a straight face) said "have you signed off on that yet?" followed by several comments about waiting for input from the Community School, or the Audit Firm, (or somebody ... anybody !).  She did agree to put it on a future agenda.  That was probably the same comment that was made last August when she received a draft from the auditors who requested a response from the Committee which would be incorporated into the Final Audit Report.  To date, the Committee has still not responded so the report has not been issued.

If the audit report said the Community School had been run correctly -- you could be damn sure it would have been finalized and released last August!

On the Bright Side, there's probably only one more meeting until the election!  (And then we will immediately re-start the countdown clock for the NEXT election!)

Alleged Camp Good News Molester Worked at Community School Pool

You can not make this stuff up.

Click here to see today's CCT story

Here's the scary part:

But the allegations cost the employee another job at the Sandwich Community School aquatics program, where the camp employee worked part-time from 1997 to 2002.


A former Sandwich Community School official, who asked to remain anonymous because he was discussing a personnel matter, said the police brought allegations about the camp employee to the school's attention.

"We can't take any chances with that stuff," he said. "We had to let (the person) go."

Note -- they are talking about "allegations" not convictions.  Even a CORI check would not have helped in this case because there was no convictions. 


This should make tonight's discusion of the new pool security regulations interesting.



UPDATE:  the CCT is reporting that the long-time Camp employee and former Community School Pool employee who was being investigated committed suicide on the grounds of Camp Good News this morning.

Never let facts ruin a good story!

He is a successful businessman, and he is certainly an entertaining speaker, in fact, he may even be the best orator in Barnstable County, but Michelle "Mike" Merolla showed last night that he still has no understanding of the local budget.  Again, he suggested that the School Committee should turn all of their school buildings over to the Selectmen to manage because the School Committee has a "poor track record" of capital maintenance.  In the past he has talked of the School Committee's legal authority to shift funds within the various lines of the School Budget as the cause of this poor maintenance -- presumably the Schools were wasting roofing money on silliness like teachers and books?

The reality is that the School Committee has never had anything to do with Capital Maintenance!  It has always been funded by Town Meeting outside of the School's Operating Budget based on the recommendations of the Town's Capital Planning Committee.  Roof money has never been used to buy books or fund raises -- the School Committee doesn't control those funds. (Also, as Sue Sundermeyer quickly poined out -- the Selctmen's track record of capital maintenance isn't much better!)

He's been told that before -- but like every good storyteller, he doesn't let a few facts ruin a good story!

This is not Mike's first foray into School Maintenance.  After his last School Committee loss, he was briefly an appointed member of the Historical Commission.  His major accomplishment during this period was declaring that the proposed replacement of two large leaky triangular skylights on the 1960 era addition on the back of the Wing School was not "historically appropriate".  After  delaying the project for several months, and disrupting classrooms by forcing the work to be done during the School year (rather than in the summer when the rooms were empty)  he suceeded only in delaying and greatly inflating the cost of the project --- and in forcing the School Department to change the planned color of the asphalt shingle!

Thank God we have such concerned folk watching out for us!  Can you imagine the embarrasment to the Town if we had replaced the 1960's era leaky, moldy, defective windows overlooking the back parking lot with DARK shingles!  Everybody KNOWS that  the Pilgrims preferred the lighter colored asphalt shingles on their cabins in 1620!  Mike was not re-elected to the Historic Commission.  He was beaten by the host of Sandwich Cable's "Trivia Tonight!" by a score of 8-2.

To Fix our Town’s Deficit, Look to Labor Costs (By Bob Guerin)

While the Selectmen and School Committees regularly wrangle over how much can be cut from a sliver of their respective budgets — the percent that makes up non payroll spending — responsible politicians (and town department heads and managers) know that the real issue is payroll. 

Solving the Town’s budget problems would not only reduce the so-called structural deficit, but also improve the future job security of all town employees. 

Restoring balance to the Town’s budget would also make taxpayers feel more sanguine about their ever increasing property tax burden. The sad truth is that without any changes, payroll will soon consume 100 percent of the school’s operating budget (today it’s nearly 82%) — explaining why anxiety about the school’s immediate financial future is real and growing. The Town’s ever increasing payroll obligations are significant too. Eliminating the sizeable shortfall between payroll growth and tax revenue collections or regularly proposing and approving proposition 2 1/2 overrides are the only viable alternative solutions. 

The key question is: are our politicians and our labor unions ready to deal with our current fiscal reality? The Town’s payroll financing gap can only be closed by cutting benefits, slowing the rate of payroll growth, or raising taxes. Some of both will be needed for sure, but gone are the days of only relying on tax increases to solve spending problems. 

Simply put, more and more taxpayers just don’t have the ability to support tax increases. The National and local economy is a wreck and most households are struggling to maintain their homes and pay their bills. 

Solving the Town’s structural deficit is conceptually easy and it’s relatively manageable. Here are four major changes required: index payroll increases to the actual rate of tax revenue growth; gradually increase employee premiums for group health insurance; gradually increase employee health insurance co-pays; and, implement real retirement plan reform. 

A balanced plan of benefit and payroll reforms and tax increases can more than solve the Town’s structural deficit problem. While this plan is far from perfected — it can serve as a starting point. Restoring balance to our Town’s finances would make taxpayers and town employees feel more secure, increase confidence in our town finances and set a precedent for future sustainable budget growth. This is not a political game. Someone has to go first, put a real, actionable proposal on the table and implement real reform. This election cycle please be sure to vote only for candidates who understand both the problem and the solution.

Random thoughts on changing times ...

This morning at breakfast, my 11-year old was telling us about this "new" song he and his friends had downloaded on their Ipods, by some group called the Beatles (Paul McCartney's old band!) called "Maxwell Silver Hammer" about some guy with a silver hammer who went through life hammering people to death.  I laughed because I distinctly remember singing that in class when I was 5th grade --almost 40 years ago!  Part of the reason that it was probably memorable was because Mr. Fredette, my 5th grade teacher was "cool" -- he raced power boats and had us singing Beatles songs in class -- I bet members of the other 5th grade class can't remember what THEY sang 40 years ago!

The amusing thing (other than the fact I remembered any of that trivia) is the simple idea that we were sitting in a 5th grade classroom singing songs about hammering people to death!   I bet they don't sing that song in class anymore!  (We also used to sing Christmas songs at Christmas -- but I digress!)

My, how times have changed since 1973!

Then, I read a story in this morning's Boston Globe about a growing investigation of possible sexual abuse at a local camp that began after Scott Brown wrote about his memory of being molested in Sandwich .... almost 40 years ago.  There was a quote from the Camp Director talking about how much more careful they need to be now than they were ... 40 years ago!

Again, my how times have changed since 1973!

Last night, I listened to Mike Merolla, a candidate for School Committee talk about the fact that the High School was the "People's Building" and was "sold" to voters almost 40 years ago based upon some sort of  presumed right to access the pool in perpetuity.  Then, I read a story in the CCT about somebody from ANOTHER TOWN (who never paid to build the pool and only pays a portion of the operating costs) complaining because Sandwich parents and taxpayers objected to naked strangers being near their children said naked stranger exercises their "right" to use the pool (which they didn't pay to build and don't pay enough to maintain).

OK, maybe not everybody thinks things have changed since 1973!!

Half-Assed Idea of the Week (Continued!)

Are the Selectmen playing "Angry Bird"
 on their phones and laptops?

When a resident got up at the Selectmen's meeting two weeks ago to request a ban on phones, computers and other electronic devices it appeared to be just one of those flaky things that occaisionally happens when you make a microphone available to people with too much time on their hands!

But now both the CCT and the Empyprize have decided to sacrifice the life of a few defenseless trees to print this litle slice of silliness. 

The headline in the CCT was particularly amusing: "Sandwich criticized for technology at meetings," I just assumed the Historical Commission had stepped in to claim that only quill pens could be used in the newly-renovated Town Hall.  (Who would want to tell Doug Lapp his job description now included sharpening everyone's quills before the meeting?)

Let's be clear == we aren't talking about RINGING phones -- we're just talking about the possibility that Committee Members would receive messages during a meeting .  The messages don't fall into Open Meeting/Deliberation issues because presumably the messages would not be from their colleagues on he Board (who would be sitting beside them).  These message would be from constituents!

The speaker, Darryl Crossman, husband of School Committee Member Nancy Crossman, is quoted in the CCT as saying,

"In today's environment for text and instant messages, the ability for someone not to be identified and have input into the discussion goes against what open meetings are all about."

Excellent point, Darryl!   So let's chat about all of that anonymous input Mrs. Crossman spoke of when explaining why she wouldn't explain her decision to "unrenew" the Superintendent of Schools.

You just can't make this stuff up!

Click for Part I and related comments
Click for CCT Story

Elections 2011

I worked very closely with both John Kennan and Frank Pannorfi for the past several years while they were Selectmen and I was a School Committee member.  While we may not have always agreed on every issue, we did all agree that communication and cooperation between the Boards was essential for good government.  

Whether the communication was informal or through formal meetings of "The Covenant Committee" and later the "Conference Committee", it was continuous and it was helpful to all involved.

Unfortunately, the current School Committee chose not to continue that practice.   I am, however, confident that with the election of Catalini, Sundermeyer, Kennan, and Pannorfi, that communication and cooperation can be restored for the benefit of everyone.

Please remember to vote on May 5!

Susan Sundermeyer For School Committee

I moved these comments up to the top because I wanted to make sure they didn't get lost in the minutiae of one of the earlier posts. For more information on Susan, her website is at www.susansundermeyer.com.

Thank you, Bob! I'm delighted to have your endorsement.

It pleases me to have the support of people with strong and even opposed views on various topics. People know they can trust me to examine issues thoughtfully and well. I take that seriously, and I intend to live up to it. 

And greetings, NotThePTA readers! I hope you will visit my website for more information about me and about the campaign. I’m running to help repair and rebuild public trust in our School Committee, to strengthen the relationships between the School Committee and other municipal boards, to foster better communication between the School Committee and the public, and to be a strong advocate for our schools.

I have no secret agenda to ram through, and I’m not in this for my ego. Au contraire -- my ego suffers mightily with each television appearance! I know this is a tough crowd. I’m a longtime NTPTA reader myself and expect no punches pulled here. I will just say, explicitly: Yes, I am a relative newcomer . Yes, I have much to learn. I’m not asking for your vote on the basis of my broad knowledge of educational theory, and wouldn't try to fake it! Rather, I offer my candidacy as a smart, thoughtful, objective person who learns quickly, loves our town, and has a vested interest in the quality of our school district, time and energy for the work ahead, and professional and interpersonal skills that will serve the School Committee well.

Thank you for your consideration.

Susan

Bob Catalini For School Committee

From Bob's website at www.catalini4sc.com:

Please consider supporting my candidacy for the Sandwich School Committee. Serving over 3,400 students and the community at large is a tremendous responsibility - one that I don't take lightly. I have been actively engaged in the field of education for over 30 years, as a classroom teacher and as a high school administrator.

Working with the other members of the committee, here's what I can bring to the table:

• professional experience
• objective and balanced leadership
• perspective of a long-time property owner in Sandwich (30 years)
• no ties to special interest groups (totally self-funded campaign)
• parent of a Wing School student
• belief in long-term, strategic approaches
• thorough understanding of school budgets

Together, I believe we can make the brand "Sandwich Public Schools" synonymous with "Excellence." There is fierce competition in education today. I have worked in two school districts, Groton-Dunstable and Old Rochester, which have prestigious prep schools - Groton School, Lawrence Academy, and Tabor Academy in their respective towns. Those schools and other nearby parochial schools and public schools which offered "school choice" required us to be competitive. We are now facing similar challenges here in Sandwich - one that I think we should meet head on.

We can market our schools more effectively. We have many fantastic educators as well as wonderful programs and opportunities for all students in grades K-12. With state funding decreasing yearly and high local property taxes we should be aggressive in offering school choice options to families in nearby towns. We should also explore new revenue streams and establish an endowment fund, supported by private philanthropy. 

I believe I have the professional experience and personal qualities to provide the objective and balanced leadership necessary to help lead a cooperative effort to provide the best education for the children of Sandwich. I greatly appreciate your consideration of my candidacy.

And please join my email list for updates from the campaign trail.

Sincerely,

Bob Catalini

http://www.catalini4sc.com/

John Kennan for Selectman

For more information, please see: http://www.kennancares.com/

My name is John Kennan and I am running for re-election as your Selectman on May 5, 2011.

We all chose to live in Sandwich for some of the many wonderful resources we have here: schools, beaches, sense of community, accessibility, culture. I have enjoyed raising my family here and continue to enjoy a commitment to the town and want to continue to work with you to promote a financially healthy community that can support families, seniors, and businesses.

In addition to being a local attorney, I have also been a Selectman for the past three years, and President of the Sandwich Economic Initiative Corporation (SEIC), working to add private development to our tax rolls. I am also one of the founders of the Sandwich Chamber of Commerce, Selectman liaison to the Sandwich Economic Development Committee, Board member of Open Cape, Inc., Board of Trustee to the Thornton W. Burgess Society, Board Member of the Benjamin Nye Homestead and Museum and Past Vice-Chair of the Sandwich Alliance of Financial and Legal Professionals.

The commitment I have to this town is just one of the reasons why I am asking for your vote on May 5, 2011. As a resident of Sandwich, you know that there are many issues that a ffect our town such as the budget, public safety, and zoning. We will be challenged to keep our property tax aff ordable. We must work together to advocate for what is right for our town.

As your Selectman, I will remain committed to:

1. Safety in our community;

2. Encouraging economic development resulting in broadening our tax base and job creation;

3. Providing the best educational environment for our children;

4. Supporting the needs of our seniors;

5. Addressing the impacts of coastal erosion in our town and seeking immediate and long term solutions;

Please cast one of your two votes for me on May 5, and please consider volunteering to assist me with my campaign so that we can continue to meet these objectives!

Thank you!

John

http://www.kennancares.com/

John@KennanCares.com

(508) 833-1857

Frank Pannorfi for Selectman

Last January, we started badgering Frank about running for School Committee .  Frank's a tough guy --- apparently just not tough enough for School Committee !! (Ha !).

We wish Frank well and think that he and John Kennan will make good additions to the Board of Selectmen.

Frank Pannorfi, candidate for Sandwich Selectman, welcomes the opportunity to meet with individuals and/or groups, to discuss matters and issues pertinent to our community.

Frank can be reached at 508-888-8517, or by E-mail at: memoryfp@comcast.net  with any questions or concerns.

Candidates Forum

The League of Women Voters is sponsoring a Candidates Forum at 7 PM on Monday, April 4 at the Town Hall to give voters a chance to hear each of the candidates for School Committee and Selectmen  address questions from the audience.

Get the Train Back on the Tracks!!

Enough!

It's time for a change.  Can anybody think of a single school committee accomplishment over the past year?

Did they finish restructuring the Community School so that it was truly a self-supporting entity?  Nope.

Did they respond to the Community School audit report requested by the prior School Committee so that it could be finalized?  Nope.

Did they settle the teachers contract which has been in negotiation for 18 months and was forced into mediation by the prior Committee ?  Nope.  (Did they settle ANY contracts?)

Did they work with the Superintendent to implement any more new programs such as Project Excel or the Spinnaker Program which brought services in-house and reduced payments previously made to outside vendors?  Nope.

Did they follow up on the work which began the prior year to reduce transportation costs by studying the cost-benefits of acquiring additional buses or vans?  Nope.  

How about Facilities Use?  Did they work out a plan with the local sports leagues so that outside groups would pay the costs of maintaining the facilities they use -- to eliminate tax dollars from being diverted from the School Budget?  Nope.

The Pool -- did they make any effort to get a handle on exactly what the pool costs to operate AND ensure that pool revenue covers those costs -- again, to ensure that tax dollars are not being diverted from the School Budget?  Nope.   (Please, don't tell  me about 1972 again!!)

Did they continue to meet regularly with the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee in order to encourage that "improved communication" they like to babble about?    Nope -- the Superintendent (that they chose to "unrenew") generally attended BOS & FinCom meetings by herself.  A sharp contrast to the prior Committee where Chair and Vice Chair met regularly with their counterparts on the BOS and members were frequently at FinCom meetings - or at least in regular contact with FinCom members.

How about updating the 5 year Financial Projection that was started two years ago -- or coming up with a new one?  Nope.  (Although Kangas did question a $1500 travel budget line on the $30 million budget!)

What DID they DO?

Oh, I remember ... they talked about choosing copy machines... and they replaced the Superintendent.  The Superintendent would be the person who had been cutting costs and adding programs.  Unfortunately, she had the audacity to expect her teachers to be properly trained, licensed, and fit for duty.   She also expected the Community School and Pool to be self-supporting -- not relying on shrinking school budget dollars, or subsidies from more "profitable" Community School offerings.  

For the benefit of newcomers -- that could be considered the Trifecta --- pissing off the Teachers Union, the Community School Crowd, and the Pool People.

PLEASE help end the madness!!

Vote for Susan Sundermeyer and Bob Catalini for School Committee!!

They haven't asked for this endorsement -- Hell, they may not even want it!  But as a Sandwich taxpayer, and  the father of three kids in the District, they have my support!