A roundup of the Hudson Valley's latest developments:
PatchCast: 'Shops at Nanuet' Coming Soon; Mamaroneck Schools Debate Switch to Public Transportation
A round-up of the region's major stories for Thursday, March 8.
Comments + Leave a Comment
Boards
All Boards »
Omar Sharif June 18, 2013 at 10:36 pm
Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. I do not recall this outcry for other legal fees the…Read More village actually incurred in previous years, and in this case the matter is still sub judice, so a calm attitude is best advised. If you are an outgoing official of the PTA, then one should mention that and not purport to speak on behalf of the Association, of which I am also a member. Rather then write as a concerned spouse.
David Venditti June 18, 2013 at 11:05 pm
Will the sour grapes never end? Ms. Fischer appropriately called for a truce and some civility,…Read More which was in order. Truth be told, anyone who believes that insppropriate actions have taken place has the right, and a moral obligation, to, in goid faith, bring those claims forward. In fact, that is even more true for someone seeking to hold a fiducuary position, or slready is in one. The days of hiding our heads in the sand are over. The excuse that it will cost mobey to defend is not a good one. if you've lived here long enough, you know that we went through those times and they were not pretty. The State found against us on major financial issues back then, so no one can reasonably say that one should sit by and say nothing if they think there is something amiss. Speaking up when it is easier to "go with the flow" takes courage and, apparently, more people saw it Mr. Wassetman's way than not. Now, let's get back to the task of running an efficient District that serves students and taxpayers alike. That's what this election dictated, and the ease at which the District found a tax cap compliant budget the second time around is a valuable lesson. If it had been done the first time, the election mat have come out differently. It's accountability that people look for. It is time to end the bickering and move forward.
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 02:43 pm
What are folks hearing about tomorrow's vote? Will there be a good turnout at the polls?
Briarcliff PTA Executive Board June 18, 2013 at 10:02 am
We are hoping for a great turnout today. Briarcliff school district residents, please urge your…Read More neighbors and friends to get out and vote!
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 03:04 pm
Thanks Kathleen - important information about a significant part of the pet population!
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 03:05 pm
Thanks Kathleen! Important information about a nice way to connect senior pets with senior humans!
W Obermeyer June 11, 2013 at 02:29 pm
I am afraid we may be experiencing the calm before another storm. Most likely the aftermath of the…Read More BOE budget hearing tonight will be more of a nightmare than a pleasant dream.
Lisa Jenner June 11, 2013 at 02:36 pm
I am afraid that when people become civilized, they become silent.
Lisa Buchman (Editor) June 12, 2013 at 11:42 am
Thanks for putting yourself out there, Lisa! I hope others can contribute meaningfully to any…Read More discussion of community issues brought forth by thoughtful readers like you.
Mae Isaac June 12, 2013 at 09:49 am
This would be wonderful - I dread trying to drive to any of the schools that way. What about a left…Read More turn lane on to Pleasantville Road from 100 for school days? It might help those of us who live so close and yet have to drive in the opposite directions to reach the schools!
Mickey Rivers June 11, 2013 at 09:52 am
Mr. O'Reilly is asking good questions in his post. I respect him for his approach. These are…Read More difficult questions and as school districts continue to be squeezed at both ends (spiraling cost of benefit and pension costs at one end and tax-cap compliance choking the revenue side at other end) they will all continue be faced with these difficult questions. If school districts wait too long to develop reasonable decision trees to solve these issues, then our meddling friends in Albany will feel compelled to swoop in and screw it up royally. It is in our collective best interests to begin work now to develop and apply a thought process and resolution matrix to this issue before Albany does it for us. That requires two things. First, communities must put aside their differences and work together in a "non-partisan" manner toward local solutions that work for their district. Next, districts must collaborate and share ideas in an effort to share their ideas and help each other. At the moment, no one has the answers to Mr. O'Reilly's questions. I respect him for asking these questions and not offering solutions or opinions in his post. I also respect him for not calling out any particular district as we all all know these are issues that all districts faced this year universally. This issue will begin to compound annually if we all don't find a way to pull together and work towards solutions.
Lisa Jenner June 11, 2013 at 10:26 am
As a retired school teacher who is collecting a pension (to which I contributed for many years) and…Read More is still using benefits (to which I contribute), let's remember that it is not only the teachers' pension and benefits that are squeezing the school budgets, but also, as the Briarcliff BOE pointed out, all those unfunded mandates. All of the BOEs have their hands tied regarding so many of their expenditures, that they will have to cut programs. Excellent questions, Mr. O'Reilly.
Mickey Rivers June 11, 2013 at 03:30 pm
Unfunded mandates are also a big issue for school districts. However, the teachers pensions and…Read More benefits are a huge issue that must be addressed and recalibrated. It is time for teacher's pensions and benefits to be remodeled to look like those in the private sector. In the private sector, pensions are all but extinct - replaced largely by 401(k) plans (and in the case of teachers 403(b) plans where contributions are made by the employee. In terms of health benefits, in the private sector most companies pay a maximum of 60% of an employee's health care (and other benefits) premiums - not the 80% that is paid by school districts for teachers. This is financially unsustainable and needs to be addressed before it bankrupts school districts.
robin June 11, 2013 at 10:52 am
Mr. Borrel-Sorry if I came across as confrontational, that was not my intention. You should handle…Read More your concerns as you think is best, however, I don't know what you will accomplish voicing your opinion in the Patch. It should also be noted, according to several high school teachers, that there are students who bring budget discussions into the classrooms.
Jay Borrel June 11, 2013 at 11:29 am
Thank you for your comments. I am sure that students do discuss, but the educator should address…Read More from a neutral stand point, just like an open discussion about religion or other politics.
Lisa Jenner June 11, 2013 at 12:25 pm
As a former high school teacher, I was constantly fending off attempts by students to divert me from…Read More teaching, and current events, local or otherwise, were a popular means to this end. Having said that, I, too, have heard of teachers "pontificating" about the budget, which, of course, is totally inappropriate. Let's hope the teachers in Briarcliff do know better and that the administration keeps a watchful eye. On a totally different topic, I have to laugh, Robin, at you looking in the directory for Mr. Borrel. The directory is my first resource for all people Briarcliff, forgetting they might not have children in the schools.
JanFisher June 8, 2013 at 10:05 pm
This is truly progress. Will both of you be taking down your negative comments now to really and…Read More meaningfully get the ball rolling and to move beyond mere words? It will be good work when it is backed by real actions. I have not posted anything negative this entire time so really nothing has been accomplished yet except promises to behave. But I am truly glad that both of you are now committed to a standard of decency in public exchanges. Have a great weekend!
Lisa Jenner June 8, 2013 at 11:41 pm
I have read and re-read Mr. O'Reilly's thoughts on the BOE meeting and I will try to be fair about…Read More this. I will admit that Mr. O'Reilly used some choice adjectives (strange, mysterious, nefarious) and asked a couple of somewhat inflammatory rhetorical questions (Will Mr. Wasserman serve his BOE time on the baseball diamond?), but I would suggest that if you disregard the rhetoric, he has presented a fairly factual presentation of what transpired at the meeting. Do you disagree?
JanFisher June 9, 2013 at 05:54 am
Lisa - my decision to write at all was out of excitement about the opportunity to help infuse…Read More decency into these public exchanges. I have had my say and it has been positive. Quite honestly, I think the community at-large and the Briarcliff community are really tired of all of the public infighting on the Patch. I am committed to our schools and children and I choose to use my very limited free time and energy to volunteer for the schools when I can. Again, I do have many opinions and would love to speak with you in person- maybe we can do some good together. My cell - 439-0203.