Southern York County Life

Got this in the mail today. Not sure if they ever bought one or not, or still planning on it, just saw this and figured I’d post it here as word seems to get around. Not trying to open a can of worms.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/89GTAWS6/UDELMusic.jpg

Got this in the mail today. Not sure if they ever bought one or not, or still planning on it, just saw this and figured I’d post it here as word seems to get around. Not trying to open a can of worms.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/89GTAWS6/UDELMusic.jpg

Great idea 89GTA! I hope the head of the music department reads this and looks into it. IMHO it would be worth the drive to Newark! Perhaps someone needs to contact the school superintendent and bring this to their attention who will forward the info on to the proper person(s).

Got this in the mail today. Not sure if they ever bought one or not, or still planning on it, just saw this and figured I’d post it here as word seems to get around. Not trying to open a can of worms.

http://i968.photobucket.com/albums/ae167/89GTAWS6/UDELMusic.jpg

I don’t know if you had the chance to contact Mr. Barr or not but I did telephone him and mentioned to him your post and read him your post. He was very interested in reading your post himself. He did mention that most of these events there is a bidding process. He was going to look into it. 

I’m surprised to hear people in SESD continue to gripe about the purchase of an expensive piano by Steinway.

I anticipate receiving criticism for presenting the facts and contributing my objective point of view.

In the past teachers were requested to submit a budget which included items they needed in order to teach. The majority of teachers included items in their budget whether they needed them or not. If the teachers didn’t, they would receive the tools needed to teach their students.

Previous school board president Richard Wilson took a good look at all the teacher’s budgets and noticed there was a lot of tax dollars wasted by using the old budget submissions method. Instead of teachers including items in their budget whether needed or not, he recommended that every year one department would be focused on and the head teacher of that department would submit a budget which included necessary tools for all the students enrolled. The school superintendent, principals, vice principals and teachers came together and agreed this would be the perfect solution.

The first year the sports department was selected and sports equipment, etc. were all updated to provide students who participate in sports everything they needed. As expected, public outcry surfaced and endless complaints were made that the school board was spending too much of taxpayer dollars on sports. Had the complainers attended school board meetings they would have known why so much money was allocated so SESD’s sports programs that year.

Once the sports program was taken care of the next department scheduled for updating was the music department. Once again public outcry surfaced over the proposed purchase of a Steinway piano. Anger was directed at school board members. Where was the anger the year before when the sports program was updated?

Last year the KD music band participated in Eureka Volunteer Fire Company’s Parade. For the first time in the 30 years I’ve lived here (FWIT—we resided in MD for a decade before moving here) and watched the parade, KD’s music band was outstanding! I was so used to hearing KD’s music band always having a few band members hit the wrong note frequently. I can’t say that about KD’s band performance last year. I was so proud of KD’s band! Those students poured their hearts into performing to the best of their ability and it showed not only in their band attire but the quality of music!

Many SESD residents are unaware that KD’s band was selected to play at Walt Disney World. The band members are still talking about that experience!

It’s a shame SESD residents don’t place the same amount of importance on music as they do on sports.

When I was growing up, all the children in my family-- brothers, sisters, cousins, etc. got together and played music every other Sunday at my one Aunt and Uncle’s home. The females always played the piano and the men would play stringed instruments. Our parents also participated. A cousin of mine mastered the art of playing the violin. After graduating from high school, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Julliard where he met his wife. Both have been first violinists for the New York Philharmonic Symphony for decades.

In Japan, the only “technology” young students are permitted to have hands on experience is the piano. It isn’t up until students reach the 6th grade they are taught how to use a computer. Up until 6th grade, the four “R’s” are drilled into students-- reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic, and most important of all “rote.” Then Americans wonder why students in Japan best students in America in basic subjects! Students in America are addicted to the computer and calculators. I don’t think American students need to have these items taken away totally. However, I do believe that at least one time, an instructor needs to walk through the classroom and unplug students computers and confiscate students calculators and give the students math problems to solve on their own manually. Measure their knowledge! Don’t teach students the test so they know how to pass a test. Teach them substance! Share your knowledge on subjects taught to students. Give them a gift they will have for the rest of their life-- “true knowledge.” I have always said that the greatest gift a parent can give a child is a good education. SESD provides the tools to educate today’s youth. It is up to parents to make the time to become more involved with their children’s studies and not be consumed with what sports their children play.

IMHO, Music is “chicken soup” for the soul. 

“Music is an attempt to express emotions that are beyond speech.”

“Music is one of the greatest gifts of all. It asks nothing in return but that we listen.”

“Music is a verbal art like poetry is reflective; it stops to think. Music is immediate; it goes on to become.” – W.H. Auden

“Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.” – John Erksine

“If cities were built by the sound of music, then some edifices would appear to be constructed by grave, solemn tones, others by light, fantastic airs.” Nathanial Hawthorne

“Music: The only cheap and unpunished rapture upon earth.” Sydney Smith

“I have no pleasure in any man who despises music. It is no invention of ours: It is a gift of God.” Martin Luther

Few SESD residents are aware of the fact that School Superintendent Tracy Shank frequently participates with the KD band at their music practices.

I sit here and scratch my head asking myself—how can SESD residents say that Superintendent Shank doesn’t care about the students? Superintendent Shank could just go leave at 5:00 p.m. or earlier and go home like many SESD employees do. Instead she chooses to give up her personal time, (time that she could be spending with her family) to interact with the students.

TO BE CONTINUED....

PART II

Superintendent Shank is a very hands on the job person always placing the best interests of the students first!

SESD residents need to feel honored and blessed that they have an excellent school superintendent who bests her predecessors

89GTA - 26 January 2010 06:57 PM

Not trying to open a can of worms.

JH, did you seriously just ressurect this to start an argument with yourself? lol

JH - 07 February 2010 12:37 AM

IMHO, Music is “chicken soup” for the soul.  ...

Your post was well thought out and has all of the best intentions I am sure, but I just laughed when I read this line.  If they keep taxing us like this (be it a piano or a stadium or any other non-essential spending) I will not be able to buy chicken soup. :0

.....and to top it off those chowderheads in Harrisburg want to tax anyone in a municipality that does not have a municipal police force $158 a head in tax to “help” pay for State Police coverage for their areas.  I thought we already paid that tax, but I am digressing from the original thread.

The issue for me was never that we needed a new piano.  Music is very important, the issue was that we needed a Steinway piano.  To me it’s wasteful for a public school to even try to justify a purchase like that.

Well,here we go again. This is just a philosophical view from a part-time musician of some 45 years. Of all the arguments of this Steinway piano I never heard anyone ask what does it take for a child to become a real musician other than the cost or the name of a brand name instrument. The answer is drive, does the student really want it or do the parents, granted a parent can influence a direction but not the decision, it will more than not fail in the long term. Will the student spend countless hour in practice and give up some social time and never complain? “yes” Will they care if they’re using a Steinway or a Koler&Campbell;? “no” Will the parent or parents pushing for a Steinway also supply them with one at home to practice? “I doubt it”
The point of all this is any competent musician will tell you most all of them had to do what’s called “paying your dues”
meaning you’ve EARNED and WORKED for the privilege of upgrading your choice of instrument. Most of this happens after they leave high school. They will learn no faster by using a Steinway then they will on a Koler&Campbell;. Desire feeds the drive, the drive is on a long road.

Fender - 14 February 2010 09:35 AM

Well,here we go again. This is just a philosophical view from a part-time musician of some 45 years. Of all the arguments of this Steinway piano I never heard anyone ask what does it take for a child to become a real musician other than the cost or the name of a brand name instrument. The answer is drive, does the student really want it or do the parents, granted a parent can influence a direction but not the decision, it will more than not fail in the long term. Will the student spend countless hour in practice and give up some social time and never complain? “yes” Will they care if they’re using a Steinway or a Koler&Campbell;? “no” Will the parent or parents pushing for a Steinway also supply them with one at home to practice? “I doubt it”
The point of all this is any competent musician will tell you most all of them had to do what’s called “paying your dues”
meaning you’ve EARNED and WORKED for the privilege of upgrading your choice of instrument. Most of this happens after they leave high school. They will learn no faster by using a Steinway then they will on a Koler&Campbell;. Desire feeds the drive, the drive is on a long road.

There’s a song in there somewhere I think.

IMHO, Music is “chicken soup” for the soul.  ...

Your post was well thought out and has all of the best intentions I am sure, but I just laughed when I read this line.

Thank you Mark! 

If they keep taxing us like this (be it a piano or a stadium or any other non-essential spending) I will not be able to buy chicken soup. :0

Our school district has been going through “growing pains” for the last three decades. “Growing pains” meaning increase of population. With an increase of population in a community along comes increase in crime, increase in services provided by local volunteer fire and ambulance companies, increase of pupils in a school district and a general overall increase in numerous things.

When I first moved here the taxing of private residences was “unfair.” Residents who lived in their homes for decades were only assessed at 80% I think it was, of the original cost of their home. Ex: When the assessment was applied back then, if a person was required to pay $100/year in school taxes, that is what they continued to pay up until a couple of decades ago when that method was changed to the current method we have today.

Those who own and reside in trailers pay less than those who own homes. By own, I don’t mean own their home out right. By “own” I include residents who are paying mortgages on their homes. Those who own trailers pay less school taxes, because trailers depreciate in value while homes don’t.

When we first moved here our school tax was $500 on a single residence newly built home. The following year our school tax increased to $600. I won’t dare disclose what our school taxes are today. Let’s just say we bypassed $500 over more than two decades ago. We had escrowed our school taxes like most homeowners do, so that we didn’t have to bother with paying a large bill once a year. Every year our mo. mortgage payment increased, resulting in a shortage in our tax escrow account. We were offered the choice to either pay the shortage, or the shortage would be averaged out and included in our mo. mortgage payment which increased our mo. mortgage payment. It’s surprising how many homeowners don’t even pay attention to their mo. mortgage payment. They simply write a check and pay the bill.

Our home is very basic no frills like many other residences in the community. We simply wanted a simple basic home as we aren’t the type that has to keep up with the Joneses. We had the foresight to realize that someday we would become elderly and might not be able to walk flights of stairs. So we decided to build a simple one story residence. The past 8 years I have had health problems, including surgery and our home has served both our needs very well. Often when people become elderly and begin to have health problems, they are forced to sell their large home and down size to a one story single family home.

Over the years school taxes increased to the point that many of the elderly in our community who were born and raised here could no longer afford to remain in their home. They had to sell their home and move in with one of their children or another family member or friend. Today, they don’t have that fear to deal with thanks to previous school board director Richard Wilson. He came up with the idea to lessen the burden on our elderly. That method isn’t as great as the one Maryland has for the elderly, but it’s something. When people are on a limited income, every little bit helps.

When I began noticing the outrageous tax increases I began to speak up and faithfully attended school board meetings. I was referred to as a “gadfly” by a newspaper reporter who wrote an article covering one of our school board meetings. The reporter never met me and wasn’t even present at that meeting. All he did was merely call the school board secretary and requested info on the school board meeting the night before. He then took the information and composed a story and submitted to the newspaper editor and was paid a comfortable sum of money for “his” story. At first I was upset with the reporter for labeling me a “gadfly” until I read Webster’s definition. Webster’s defines “gadfly” as any of various flies such as horsefly, botfly, or warble fly that bite or annoy livestock. A “gadfly” is also a person who annoys or stirs up from lethargy. Only 3 people in this county have been referred to in newspaper articles as being a “gadfly,” and I’m one of them. The other two over the years have become close acquaintances of mine. I take great pride in being a “gadfly.” Not only does our school district need more “gadflies,” our nation as a whole needs more “gadflies.”

People in our community would approach me in public, many who lived here all their lives and would tell me it does no good to complain, the school board is going to do whatever it wants to do. They wouldn’t even register to vote as they felt it did no good. Many still feel that way to this day! They felt their one vote would mean nothing. I won’t go into the “The One Vote Makes A Difference” historical poem at this time. I refused to accept that. I was told “it’s okay for you to live here, but you are to keep your mouth shut and just pay your taxes.” What a mighty fine “Welcome to Stewartstown” mat that was, tossed on my front door stoop. I was also told “If you don’t like here go back to Maryland where you came from.” I would also hear that phrase from one of our municipal supervisors. We were not born and raised in Maryland; we were both born and raised in Pennsylvania, not in this area, but from the great city of Pittsburgh! We resided in Maryland for approximately 10 years but were still referred to as Marylanders and “flat footers!”

TO BE CONTINUED.....

I became involved attending school board meetings because of a resident in our school district that was going door to door with a nominating paper to obtain signatures of registered voters to have their name placed on the voting ballot to run for school board director. They were running because a photo of their daughter who was a national honor society student was intentionally kept out of the young lady’s high school year book. Why? The father was vocal at school board meetings. We gladly signed the father’s nominating paper. Their name was placed on the voting ballot, but unfortunately they didn’t win. Over the years this person in my opinion is probably the most knowledgeable person on the Pennsylvania School Code. This person knows that code inside out, front wards, backwards, upside down and sideways, you name it, they know it! That person encouraged me to attend school board meetings to witness first hand what was going on. I was shocked to see what was happening and how this person was rudely treated by school board directors and the school superintendent back then. I couldn’t believe my eyes or ears! I then became interested in the Pennsylvania School Code and what an education that has been for me over the years! As time went by I became as upset and often times more than that person did witnessing what I saw take place at school board meetings. School board directors would go out of their way to try to intimidate, humiliate, embarrass and harass that person publicly at school board meetings. IMHO, that was uncalled for!  Witnessing what I did I became outraged!

I took it upon myself to oust as many school board directors as I could. I was a one man band. I march to the beat of a different drummer. I always have and always will. That year I circulated a flyer listing the names of candidates who were running for school board that I never met and didn’t know anything about! I thought anything was better than what was on the board at the time. I single handedly ousted 4 out of 5 incumbents that election!

Little did I realize that the ousting of those 4 incumbents was going to create a new dynasty of incumbents that made little improvement to the school district.

Our school district had an outstanding in house candidate for school superintendent several years ago but the school board would not appoint them to that position when the position came open. One school board director happened to have met a “candidate” at a college years ago insisted that this outside candidate be hired. There were several applicants but this school board director pushed all the other applications aside at a school board meeting and pushed their “choice” who was hired. The person who was hired had problems with school board directors at the school district they were transferring from. The school board voted 6 to 3 to not renew their contract as school superintendent. When they were hired to be school superintendent in our school district, that is when the school district began having serious problems and school taxes went soaring through the roof. That school superintendent controlled every school board director, especially the female school board directors. That superintendent ruled the school district like Hitler ruled decades ago. When a resident was granted, yes granted permission to speak at a school board meeting, they would be given two minutes and that superintendent would interrupt the resident announcing loudly how many seconds the resident had remaining to speak. If the resident had a question, the question remained unanswered. It wasn’t like research needed to be done before providing an answer to the resident. After residents would speak during public comment period the superintendent would inform the school board president to move on to the next item on the agenda.

At a school board meeting a Vietnam Veteran requested to speak during public comment period and was denied that right by that school superintendent and the person who was school board solicitor at the time. I too requested to speak during public comment period and was denied that right. It seems several decades ago the people’s right to speak at public meetings was taken away. I was outraged by the rudeness and inappropriate behavior by both the school superintendent and school board solicitor not just towards myself but towards a Vietnam Veteran! I set out to change the law by notifying a state legislator who changed the law. The state legislator who was a WWII Veteran themselves was outraged that a Veteran would be denied the right to speak. A Veteran who risked their life like so many other Veterans to defend and protect not only our nation but our beloved U.S. Constitution and the rights granted within. That state legislator was the late State Representative Joe Petracca from Westmoreland County. Rep. Petracca introduced House Bill 65 which restored the people’s right to speak at public meetings. It passed unanimously! The bill was written intentionally to be weak just to see how elected officials who represent the public on a local, municipality and county level would abide by it. There were no monetary penalties stated in the bill at that time. The bill was later amended to include a monetary penalty.

TO BE CONTINUED…

At a school board meeting I questioned the school board directors about the “proposed budget” that was presented to the public. There were too many “professional services” listed in the budget. I asked what are those “professional services.” One school board director who represented my Region 2 of our school district responded with “I’ve sat on the school board for a long time (he did over a decade, I might add) and I still can’t figure out the budget.” Well that’s a fine response isn’t it? Here’s a school board director who is supposed to be reviewing the school board budget and they don’t understand it. So how is it they can vote on something they don’t understand that increases school taxes?

At a school board meeting I raised the issue that it is a violation of the Pennsylvania School Code and Pennsylvania Statutes and is perceived as a conflict of interest for a school board director to vote on an increase of school taxes when their spouse is a teacher in our school district and they themselves are a school teach at an out of state school district. I raised the same conflict of issue about another school board director whose spouse was elected to the position of tax collector who complained at a school board meeting that they had purchased an investment property and had been trying to get the investment property on the tax rolls. Doh?

At a school board meeting under the control of a previous school superintendent a large group of residents attended hoping to stop the school board directors from implementing a double digit school tax increase. I happened to be seated next to a “teacher” from Maryland who got up and criticized homeowners for being upset over the double digit school tax increase claiming they didn’t know why everyone was so upset because they spend more money annually to feed their dog. I remained seated and mentioned to that person “I don’t know what kind of dog you have, but my dog doesn’t eat that much food annually and that person needs to get themselves a smaller dog.” I stated during public comment period that the best tax reform bill to come through was when previous State Representative Greg Snyder was in office. He came to every school district in his voting precinct and gave a very clear presentation of the bill and that bill would help homeowners. Did voters take the time to go to the polls on Election Day and vote “yes?” Nope! They stayed at home or didn’t bother to register to vote. The few that did come out to vote didn’t notice the ballot question/referendum at the very top of the voting machine. 

There have only been a couple of times when attendance at a school board meeting was large. A couple of times before the school board directors were to vote on the school district budget requiring a large increase in the tax mileage rate; and when SETA requested the school board directors establish a “pay to play” sports program. There have been other times attendance was great but that was only because of personal issues not relating to the best interests of the students. 

Their spouse is a tax collector and is charged with the responsibility of making sure every property in that region of the school district is on the tax rolls. “When generally used to suggest disqualification of a public official from performing their sworn duty, “conflict of interest” refers to a clash between public interest and the private pecuniary interest of the individual concerned.” (Black’s Law Dictionary) The school board solicitor at the time stated I was wrong and that he had a letter from the PSBA (Pennsylvania School Board Association, a political lobbying organization who employees retire off the same pensions teachers do.) stating that it is permissible for an individual to be a school board director and participate in voting on teacher’s contracts, tax increases, etc. Wrong!

The PSBA is the only lobbyist group that school boards have. A letter from the PSBA is not law! That would be like my sending a letter outlining what school board directors can and cannot do and requiring all school board directors to comply with what I state.

When the school board director ran for re-election a letter to a local newspaper was published listing several reasons for voters not to re-elect that person to the school board. That candidate lost re-election and threatened to sue the local newspaper and the individual who submitted the letter to the newspaper. That defeated incumbent did nothing because the law states that a public official cannot sue for libel and be compensated when true facts which fully and fairly justify the comment or opinion published. .

A long time resident of our school district, along with the father of that young lady whose photo was missing in the year book and me got together and decided to establish a taxpayers group. It was called SETA (South Eastern Taxpayers Association). SETA held their kick off meetings at Fawn Grove, Delta and Stewartstown. The first kick off meeting produced outstanding attendance by residents. Most of the folks who attended were truly interested in changing things for the better and providing students with the best possible education for the least amount of dollar. There were quite a few people who attended not to later become active but merely to “get the scoop” so to speak and report back to certain individuals who had clout and money in the school district what occurred at the meetings. These certain individuals controlled several of the school board directors.

TO BE CONTINUED…

A previous school board director once told me they were friends with a school board director in another school district who shared their opinion. They told our school board director that a school board director has no power or clout and their only function is to raise taxes. Why is that? For starters, there are way too many unfunded mandates passed by the state legislators. If school districts are to comply with mandates they vote upon, then the state legislators need to bring back our share of tax dollars rather than have the school board directors increase taxes on homeowners. If our state senator or state representative does not stand up to leadership at legislative sessions, our tax dollars go to other areas in Pennsylvania, i.e. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Interesting that mostly all of state legislative education mandates exclude Pittsburgh and Philadelphia from compliance. 

Previous school board director Richard Wilson was probably the best school director on the school board. Rarely do school board directors attend PSBA (Pennsylvania School Board Association) meetings. Richard Wilson attended a couple of PSBA meetings and numerous EPLC (Educational Pennsylvania Leadership Conference) meetings. Richard Wilson wanted a complete picture of the education system not a biased view as offered at PSBA meetings.

SETA continued to meet once a month in Fawn Grove which was a central meeting location. It didn’t take long for interest to wan. Those who attended the meetings would scratch their heads and ask themselves where are all the irate homeowners that complain to us when we see them at the supermarket or church? Stewartstown Station I was completed and all the new homes were sold. Where were all these irate homeowners?

SETA ran a slate of candidates one year. Where were all these irate homeowners on Election Day? They were home. Why? They assumed the position of apathy! They didn’t take the time to register to vote even though I personally kept and still continue to keep a supply of voter registration forms at the Stewartstown Post Office and replenish them when the post master requests more.

Newcomers to the area would complain that no one would tell them where to register to vote or how to obtain a voter registration application. They visited the post office. Why didn’t they ask the postal clerk or post master who would have gladly given them an application or shown them where the voter registration applications were? Newcomers complained no one tells them when Election Day is. Again, they visit the post office; don’t they read the notices posted on the bulletin board in the lobby? I always post a sign listing information giving the deadline to register to vote if a person wants to participate in the upcoming election, when voting day is, voter registration applications available at the post office, absentee ballot applications available at the post office and the deadline for submitting and mailing back absentee ballots in case someone is ill or is away on business. Exceptions: I did not post a sign at the post office for the 2008 general election because I was in a drug induced coma for 5 weeks. I did not post a sign for the 2009 primary or general election because I was recovering from my near fatal illness.

“I can lead a horse to water but I can’t force them to drink.”

JH,

That was quite a dissertation and it was informative! There was a lot of information to try to get my arms around, but I just picked out a couple of things to chat about.

1. You mentioned that, ”Our school district has been going through “growing pains” for the last three decades. “Growing pains” meaning increase of population. With an increase of population in a community along comes increase in crime, increase in services provided by local volunteer fire and ambulance companies, increase of pupils in a school district and a general overall increase in numerous things. “ The area has shown growth, but over the last 11 years the school population has remained stagnant (right around 3,000 students) while the budget has gone from $17 million to I am not sure this year, but my guess would be near $48 million. Why?

2. I personally have voted in every election since I have lived here. Voting in a new Representative for Saylor or a new Senator for Waugh would be the equivilent of emptying the ocean with a thimble. They both have lobbied for changes in the school funding formula and submitted legislation to change the way we are taxed for schools. They are only 2 people in the big ole’ state legislature. I can’t vote anyone else from other districts out.

3. I have said this many times on this forum, but what we need is a change in the way our school district is administered. We need a corporate structure with an accountable paid CEO and CFO with an elected board that can handle a $50 million dollar budget. God bless our board, but I think that once they get into office they probably say why in the hell did I do this! They have a hard enough time maintaining the status quo much less implementing fiscal change. I also believe that Dr. Shank should not be concerned with budgets, she should be concerned with curriculum, personnel and student activities. She seems like a good superintendent, but I am sure that she is overwhelmed too.

4. Lastly, and probably least importantly I am not sure about your assessment of Mr. Wilson. My 2 encounters with him have been anything but positive, and he was the President of the board on both occasions. I found him to be condescending and arrogant. My opinion of him was that he only wanted to hold his position to maintain his ego.

I really think that you have valid points in many areas.  I am just not sure there is anything that the collective “we” can do to change the way that business is done.  I have had conversations with at least 3 of my neighbors and we all believe that at the current rate of tax increases and the big ones that are coming to fix the pension mess, we have about 5 to 7 years at the most before we will have to make a decision about selling because the tax burden will be too overwhelming.  For those that don’t like it when I or others b!tch about a piano, sports field or raises for teachers it is not because I don’t want the best for your kids (I have no kids), but I do believe that there is a point when my duty as a citizen to pay reaches a limit and something has to give.  It might be a bunch of us selling our houses, but until that time I will continue to make my feelings known.

A question for all of my SESD forum friends to ponder.  What will your reaction be when our school taxes go up by 25%-30% next year to cover the shortfall in the state pension fund?  Rendell is also talking about raising the state income tax “temporarily” to cover the budget shortfall.  He is out this year, so he doesn’t care about raising taxes.  To be honest, I am scared.

Not trying to open a can of worms.

JH, did you seriously just ressurect this to start an argument with yourself? lol

No, I’m just tired of people in the community walking up to me and complaining about previous school board director Richard Wilson and the Steinway Piano purchase.

The reason I posted the response was that I hoped people would remove their blinders and take the time to read the real facts and how the request for a Steinway Piano came to be.

So no 89GTA, I did not ressurrect this topic to start an argument with myself. Ha, ha, ha, I’m really amused by your rudeness and ignorance.