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The Town of Tonawanda resident headedthe 17-membere board for seven years before steppin down in March. Yet he didn’t retire. He continues to serve as WesternNew York’s and he remains as outspokenm as ever about educational issues. One of his pet topics is the sheer number of localschoolo systems. There are too many of them, he and their enrollments are generallyttoo small. “Why do you need 28 schooll districts inErie County?” he asks. “I’xd like to see something like five districtes in the county insteadof 28. I’d even like to starft talking about a countywide school like they have in North Carolina and a fewother states.
” Bennett’s stane is buttressed by a report released last December by the Statde Commission on Property Tax Relief. “New York Statr has too many school districts,” the reportt says flatly. It suggests that districtsx with fewerthan 1,000 students should be required to merge with adjacent systems, and districts with enrollments between 1,000 and 2,000 shouldx be encouraged to follosw suit.
Such proposals hit home in Western New where 66 ofthe region’s 98 school districts have enrollments below including 38 with fewer than 1,000 studentds from kindergarten through 12th The heart of this issue is a mattee of benefits and costs -- pitting the perceived advantagesx of combining two or more districts against the potential loss of local control and self-identity. Advocates maintain that mergers allow consolidatedf districts to be more construct better schools and offer a widet range ofchallenging courses.
“It’sz not only a financial To me, it’s a matter of equity,” says “If you had a regional high maybe serving seven or eight ofthe (current) it would give kids the opportunity to work with each other -- and to have the best of the best.” But opponentzs contend that mergers bring more longer bus rides for students and diminution of local “In this community, the world revolvesd around this school,” says Thomas superintendent of the 478-pupil Sherman Centralk School District in Chautauqua County. “If the schooll went away, Sherman, N.Y.
, would lose a great deal of its School consolidation has beena volatile, emotiona l issue for a century. The state was crosshatchex by 10,565 districts in 1910, many of them centered on one-roomn schoolhouses. A push for greater efficiencyg reduced that numberto 6,400p by the outbreak of World War II, then swiftly down to 1,30p by 1960. New York now has 698 Statewide enrollment works outto 2,540 pupilws per district, which falls 25 percent belosw the national average of 3,400, according to the State Commission on Property Tax Relief. The gap is even largedr in WesternNew York, whicy had 104 districts when Business First began ratin schools in 1992.
Mergers have since reduceed that number to 98schoop systems. They educate an average of 2,268 students, 33 percent beloww the U.S. norm. A comprehensive effortf to push regional enrollment up to the nationao average would require the eliminatio of 33 Western NewYork districts. That processd would be complicated, messy, rancorous -- and extremely There is no shortage of candidates for tobe sure. Business First easilg came up with 13hypothetical mergers, most of them based on standardzs proposed in last December’s report. Thes unions would involve districts from all eight for a summary of these 13potentia consolidations. It should be stressed that this list is not reality.
State officials lack the powerr to force districts to Initiative must be take n at thelocal level, which happense infrequently. Only one prospective merger in Western New York has currently reached an advanced stageof negotiations. Brocton and Fredonis began consolidation talkslast year, eventually commissioning a feasibility study at the beginning of If they decide later this year that a merger makese sense, voters in both districts would be given their say in a “If it occurs, the two districts would be equap partners,” says Brocton’s superintendent, John Skahill. “Both boardsd of education wouldgo away, and a new board woulxd be elected to replace it.
A new district woulcd be created.” A second pair of Chautauquq County districts, Ripley and Westfield, conducted an advisory referendukmin February. Ripley voters supported a but those in Westfielxddid not, throwing negotiations into limbo. A thirrd set of talks was triggeredby Gov. Davifd Paterson’s proposed state budget last “It would have raised our taxes 22 saysMichael McArdle, superintendent of the Scio Centralp School District. “It drove us to look at our budget and the issues wewere facing.
” The budgetarg news from Albany subsequently took a turn for the but officials from Scio and nearby Wellsvillw continue to explore their options -- perhapsx a merger, more likely a collaboratioj on a smaller scale. “Everything is says McArdle. “We’re trying to find the best wayto go, the way to get the best educationakl opportunities for our students and to keep our tax rate The Wyoming Central School District facexd a similar problem in 1991. Enrollment was declining, especiall at the high school level. Elective coursees were sparsely attended. Only three students signed up for physicxsone year. Voters rejected mergersw with Pavilionor Warsaw.
“That left the districgt struggling to come up witha solution,” says the currenft superintendent, Sandra Duckworth. “So we started to look at Wyoming students now attend their locapl school througheighth grade, then shift to high school in any of four adjacenf districts: Alexander, Attica, Pavilion or Warsaw. Wyoming pays tuition for each a standard rate that is negotiatec with its neighbors everyfive years. Wyoming also belongs to a consortiun of six districts seeking ways to cut costss by sharing services suchas transportation, building maintenance, specia education and curriculum development.
Similar arrangements can be founcd elsewhere in WesternNew York, sometimezs involving several districts, sometimes a one-on-one setup such as Scio and Wellsvillee are discussing. These measures offeer the prospect of reducing expenses while retaininvglocal control. It’s a combination that appeals to superintendentsa who are well awarse that the mere suggestion of a mergetr can triggerintense “What the people of Sherman are tellinfg us is that they like the education their children are receiving,” says Schmidt.
“They’re ‘Please keep it the way it
الأحد، 30 سبتمبر 2012
الجمعة، 28 سبتمبر 2012
North Shore theater likely to liquidate - Triangle Business Journal:
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Theater executives announced Tuesdah that the financially distressed theater has failex to raisethe $2 million it needecd to put on 2009 productions, although more than $500,00p in pledges have been made since the theater announced a turn-around strategy in mid April. “Th e thing we know is that we’rwe not putting on a 2009 I think the very likely consequence of that is that we will very quicklyu go outof business,” said David chairman of the North Shore Music Theatre “Whether it’s Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 — it’sw completely up in the air at the Without a production season this year, the theater is unable to addresxs the substantial debts of its creditors and restor the theater’s economic said Fellows.
The theater is approximatelu $10 million in debt, including large mortgagew on its property and buildings and debts to vendors, the State of and subscribers who paid in advance for the 2009 Fellows said most of the theater’s 4,40p subscribers are unlikely to get their money Subscriptions cost upwards of $350 per Theater executives are in discussions with seniodr creditors and are reviewingv a liquidation to maximize the valu of the theater’s assets for its stakeholders as well as identifyg potential “friendly” buyers of the propertyu who might consider a leasee back of the theater, Fellows said.
Theater executives announced Tuesdah that the financially distressed theater has failex to raisethe $2 million it needecd to put on 2009 productions, although more than $500,00p in pledges have been made since the theater announced a turn-around strategy in mid April. “Th e thing we know is that we’rwe not putting on a 2009 I think the very likely consequence of that is that we will very quicklyu go outof business,” said David chairman of the North Shore Music Theatre “Whether it’s Chapter 11 or Chapter 7 — it’sw completely up in the air at the Without a production season this year, the theater is unable to addresxs the substantial debts of its creditors and restor the theater’s economic said Fellows.
The theater is approximatelu $10 million in debt, including large mortgagew on its property and buildings and debts to vendors, the State of and subscribers who paid in advance for the 2009 Fellows said most of the theater’s 4,40p subscribers are unlikely to get their money Subscriptions cost upwards of $350 per Theater executives are in discussions with seniodr creditors and are reviewingv a liquidation to maximize the valu of the theater’s assets for its stakeholders as well as identifyg potential “friendly” buyers of the propertyu who might consider a leasee back of the theater, Fellows said.
الخميس، 27 سبتمبر 2012
King Soopers, workers heading back to bargaining table - Wichita Business Journal:
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The contract at hand involved an increase inpreventativde health-care programs and a wage as well as a decrease in pensionm benefits, King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said. However, workers had protestee the pensionbenefit cuts, with the United Food and Commercial Workersx Union Local No. 7 warning that some coul lose $100,000 over the life of the and said the wage increases werenot “We are ready, willing and able to get back to the bargaininvg table if the corporation is willingf to meet us King Soopers worker Julie Gonzalez said in a news releaser put out by the union. “All we’rs asking for is a fair deal.
And we reallyt hope they don’t lock us out for askingt for livable wages and a pensionj plan that recognizes our contributiobn tocompany profits.” About 17,000 union workers from the area’sz three largest grocery chains — Albertsons, King Sooperas and — have been in negotiations with the grocerx since April 9 on new five-yearf contracts. Safeway workers have voted to extend their contract untilJune 26, whichh Albertsons and King Soopers employees currently are working without contracts. The rejection of the latest King Soopers contracyt proposal came quickly after votinggbegan Monday.
Workers in Colorado Springs, Longmont and Boulded are voting today, while Pueblo workers are scheduledx to castballots Wednesday. King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said that the rejection of the deal will not have any tangibles effect onstore operations. King Soopers workers have not cast ballotdsto strike. “We’re disappointed in the but we look forward to getting back to Mulligansaid Tuesday.
King Soopers is a unit of Cincinnati-basedd
The contract at hand involved an increase inpreventativde health-care programs and a wage as well as a decrease in pensionm benefits, King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said. However, workers had protestee the pensionbenefit cuts, with the United Food and Commercial Workersx Union Local No. 7 warning that some coul lose $100,000 over the life of the and said the wage increases werenot “We are ready, willing and able to get back to the bargaininvg table if the corporation is willingf to meet us King Soopers worker Julie Gonzalez said in a news releaser put out by the union. “All we’rs asking for is a fair deal.
And we reallyt hope they don’t lock us out for askingt for livable wages and a pensionj plan that recognizes our contributiobn tocompany profits.” About 17,000 union workers from the area’sz three largest grocery chains — Albertsons, King Sooperas and — have been in negotiations with the grocerx since April 9 on new five-yearf contracts. Safeway workers have voted to extend their contract untilJune 26, whichh Albertsons and King Soopers employees currently are working without contracts. The rejection of the latest King Soopers contracyt proposal came quickly after votinggbegan Monday.
Workers in Colorado Springs, Longmont and Boulded are voting today, while Pueblo workers are scheduledx to castballots Wednesday. King Soopers spokeswoman Diane Mulligan said that the rejection of the deal will not have any tangibles effect onstore operations. King Soopers workers have not cast ballotdsto strike. “We’re disappointed in the but we look forward to getting back to Mulligansaid Tuesday.
King Soopers is a unit of Cincinnati-basedd
الأربعاء، 26 سبتمبر 2012
Bad eating habits can be corrected by using the right workarounds - Washington Post
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Bad eating habits can be corrected by using the right workarounds Washington Post We all have those moments when a fresh-baked cookie seems like a much tastier option than a fresh green pear. Or when potato chips on sale â€" and in bulk! â€" seem like a more fiscally sensible choice than pricey vegetables that might not last long in ... |
الاثنين، 24 سبتمبر 2012
Ultra-Frozen Pre-Biotic Space Goo - Wired (blog)
adamovaichive.blogspot.com
Ultra-Frozen Pre-Biotic Space Goo Wired (blog) Ultra-Frozen Pre-Biotic Space Goo. By Bruce Sterling · Email Author; September 19, 2012 |; 6:32 pm |; Categories: Uncategorized; | Edit. *Something disquietingly Lovecraftian about this. News feature: 2012-293 Sept. 18, 2012. Researchers Brew Up ... |
الأحد، 23 سبتمبر 2012
UH creates nanoengineering minor - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:
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With financial support from the , the departmenft will provide two-year scholarships worth $3,000 this fall to 15 juniores who choose the minor to complement thedegreesx they’re already pursuing in electrical and computer chemical and biomolecular engineering and mechanical “At this point, the fielcd of nanotechnology has matured so much that this kind of courseworj is needed at earlier stage of education,” Dmitri a professor who is heading up the said in a statement. “Ourt minor has a special emphasis on commercializatio and will give undergraduates knowledge and traininy usually reserved forgraduate students.
” The four courses in the nanoengineering minot will be taught by Cullen College of Engineering faculty Litvinov said, and students will get hands-on experience with nanotecb instrumentation and fabrication techniques.
With financial support from the , the departmenft will provide two-year scholarships worth $3,000 this fall to 15 juniores who choose the minor to complement thedegreesx they’re already pursuing in electrical and computer chemical and biomolecular engineering and mechanical “At this point, the fielcd of nanotechnology has matured so much that this kind of courseworj is needed at earlier stage of education,” Dmitri a professor who is heading up the said in a statement. “Ourt minor has a special emphasis on commercializatio and will give undergraduates knowledge and traininy usually reserved forgraduate students.
” The four courses in the nanoengineering minot will be taught by Cullen College of Engineering faculty Litvinov said, and students will get hands-on experience with nanotecb instrumentation and fabrication techniques.
الجمعة، 21 سبتمبر 2012
Woodruff Arts Center hopes to reach fund goal - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
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Atlanta's largest local arts organization has nearluy reached its 2007corporate fund-raising campaignb goal, raising 75 percent of its $8.5 milliojn target. But a July 31 deadlinde looms to raise theremaining $2 Beauchamp Carr, Woodruff Arts Center executive vice president, said he'sa confident the organization can raise the remaininy money, despite the loss of majoe donor The telecommunications giant was bought by San Antonio-based earlier this and so far the combined companty is not a major donor to the arts Carr said he had nothing to announcee about an AT&T donation, and said the arts cented has a 9 percent turnover rate among corporate donors annually.
This year'sd campaign is on pace with last year's, when the arts centere had raised roughly the same percentageof 2006's $8.26 million goal by this time. That fund-raising drive met the July 31 The campaign alsoincludes $1.2 milliohn in challenge grants -- money that will be donated by corporations only if the arts center receives new outsidd donations, or increased giving from existinf donors. The Community Foundation for Greatert Atlanta and The haveissued $190,00o and $100,000 challenge grants, respectively.
The is the arts center'x largest donor so far this giving $400,000 and issuing a $100,000 challenge The arts center is named for legendary formetr Coke CEORobert Woodruff. He was a primary force behind thearts center's The arts center funds the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphonh Orchestra, the High Museum of Art and the Younfg Audiences program. The annualo corporate donation drive supplies 10 percent of the fundsx for each of the four The has not paid part of its 2007 officew condoassociation fees, a May 16 lawsuiyt by the building's condo association To date, the states the museum has failedx to pay $12,000 in membership dues and The dispute, according to the initial began last fall when the condo association discoveree it was incorrectly calculating membership fees for the sole commercialk occupant of the Centennial Olympic Park Drivr building.
A new fee calculation method drasticallyincreased Children'es monthly fees, up 62 percent from $3,074 per month in 2006 to $5,0000 -- a compromise between the museuk and the condo association -- in 2007. But the museum has paid 2006' s monthly amount this year, rather than the new $5,0000 requirement, as both sides continue to resolve thefee Children's Museum Executive Director Jane Turnet said the complaint isn't affecting operations.
Atlanta's largest local arts organization has nearluy reached its 2007corporate fund-raising campaignb goal, raising 75 percent of its $8.5 milliojn target. But a July 31 deadlinde looms to raise theremaining $2 Beauchamp Carr, Woodruff Arts Center executive vice president, said he'sa confident the organization can raise the remaininy money, despite the loss of majoe donor The telecommunications giant was bought by San Antonio-based earlier this and so far the combined companty is not a major donor to the arts Carr said he had nothing to announcee about an AT&T donation, and said the arts cented has a 9 percent turnover rate among corporate donors annually.
This year'sd campaign is on pace with last year's, when the arts centere had raised roughly the same percentageof 2006's $8.26 million goal by this time. That fund-raising drive met the July 31 The campaign alsoincludes $1.2 milliohn in challenge grants -- money that will be donated by corporations only if the arts center receives new outsidd donations, or increased giving from existinf donors. The Community Foundation for Greatert Atlanta and The haveissued $190,00o and $100,000 challenge grants, respectively.
The is the arts center'x largest donor so far this giving $400,000 and issuing a $100,000 challenge The arts center is named for legendary formetr Coke CEORobert Woodruff. He was a primary force behind thearts center's The arts center funds the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphonh Orchestra, the High Museum of Art and the Younfg Audiences program. The annualo corporate donation drive supplies 10 percent of the fundsx for each of the four The has not paid part of its 2007 officew condoassociation fees, a May 16 lawsuiyt by the building's condo association To date, the states the museum has failedx to pay $12,000 in membership dues and The dispute, according to the initial began last fall when the condo association discoveree it was incorrectly calculating membership fees for the sole commercialk occupant of the Centennial Olympic Park Drivr building.
A new fee calculation method drasticallyincreased Children'es monthly fees, up 62 percent from $3,074 per month in 2006 to $5,0000 -- a compromise between the museuk and the condo association -- in 2007. But the museum has paid 2006' s monthly amount this year, rather than the new $5,0000 requirement, as both sides continue to resolve thefee Children's Museum Executive Director Jane Turnet said the complaint isn't affecting operations.
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