I wrote the following note to members of the Concord School Board Charter Commission last night. This is the corrected version. I would encourage you all to contact them as well:
Since I will probably not be able to attend Tuesday’s meeting, I just wanted to send a short email supporting Mike Donovan’s proposal for a new process for electing Concord School Board members.
As some of you may already know, I had mixed feelings about state. Rep. Steve Shurtleff’s proposal in 2008 to move completely to Ward elections for school board members. I felt it had negative and positive aspects. And I also believe that the current way of electing school board members is inherently flawed. However, having read Donovan’s proposal, I feel this is an excellent alternative to the previous proposal by Shurtleff and the current structure we use to elect members.
First, the proposal allows for a mix of opportunities for candidates, ones who have city-wide support and local Ward support. Lowering the threshold of election by running in three wards instead of at-large should encourage greater participation and will be more inclusive than the current process. Since the election would be more manageable, more people will probably run. The process works very well in electing our state representatives and city councilors (although there is always room for more competition, in my mind).
Second, having the elections held on odd numbered years eliminates what I have termed “the lemming effect,” essentially, thousands of people voting because of the presidential or congressional election cycle, randomly casting votes for school board candidates based on nothing more than names they recognize or the color of a person’s shirt at the polls. This proposal will equalize the process. Also, in the past, there have been huge discrepancies in the number of votes it takes to get elected. For example, in 2007, a municipal election, the three winners of board seats won with between 1,901 and 2,814 votes. A year later, a presidential election, the winners received between 6,480 and 7,086. In 2009, all the incumbents won against a ghost candidate, with between 1,297 and 1,953 votes. Again in 2010, three incumbents were elected with between 8,545 and 9,384 votes, with no challengers. The difference in votes is based on turnout but it is staggering because, essentially, thousands more people determined the outcome of who won in one year over the previous year. Granted, if voters don't bother to vote, then they cost themselves representation. But still, the fact that one year it only takes 1,300 votes to win and then another year it takes more than 6,000 is a serious problem which will be fixed with this proposal.
Third, running both on the district level and at-large ensures that every neighborhood of the city is represented on the school board. This has been a problem in the past. In 2009, for example, a quick analysis of the school board membership revealed that a third of the nine, came from Ward 4. Wards 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10, each had one member each. This meant that five members - or more than half – at the time, lived in the Kimball/Walker School District. There was no representation from Ward 2 or 8, meaning the Beaver Meadow and Dame elementary schools had no one from their districts or neighborhoods representing them on the board [No one represented Ward 1 either but most people who live in Ward 1 send their kids to the Merrimack Valley School District]. Today, Wards 1 and 2 are still not represented and there are three members from Ward 5. This proposal would open up opportunities for broadening neighborhood representation.
This is an excellent proposal with an acceptable timeline to implement the plan over a number of years. I encourage you to support this proposal.
Charter commission member emails:
wfa@rathlaw.com
KCon469326@aol.com
ctcogs@yahoo.com
mdvn9@aol.com
chuck@nhlawoffice.com
bob.gile@wedbush.com
betty.hoadley@comcast.net
mhonigberg@sulloway.com
rjosborne@comcast.net
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
More information on School Board election proposal
On Thursday I wrote about a new proposal by former Concord Mayor Mike Donovan on how to improve the electoral process for Concord School Board members: [Charter Commission to consider changing the way school board members are elected"].
I only had a bit of background but he forwarded the complete proposal to me earlier today.
Donovan proposes keeping a nine-member school board but changing the way the board members are elected from at-large seats to a mix of at-large and ward seats.
The proposal would establish three at-large positions and six ward positions, two each from districts identical to the voting districts used to elect Charter Commission members.
Donovan also proposes electing board members in odd municipal election years and not every year. In his proposal, he wrote that this would eliminate the influence of much larger voter turnouts during state and national elections, where some board members are elected by 3,500 voters and others by 10,000 or more.
Donovan suggests create four-year terms for the board; five elected in one election and four in another.
"Having 4 year terms elected on two year cycles promotes stability," he wrote in the proposal.
A transitional provision would be implemented to allow the changes to be implemented over a number of years.
As I said in the previous post, this is a much better proposal than moving to all ward representation or leaving it the way it is for a number of reasons.
I urge everyone to contact the Charter Commission members and let them know what you think. Send an email to betty.hoadley@comcast.net.
I only had a bit of background but he forwarded the complete proposal to me earlier today.
Donovan proposes keeping a nine-member school board but changing the way the board members are elected from at-large seats to a mix of at-large and ward seats.
The proposal would establish three at-large positions and six ward positions, two each from districts identical to the voting districts used to elect Charter Commission members.
Donovan also proposes electing board members in odd municipal election years and not every year. In his proposal, he wrote that this would eliminate the influence of much larger voter turnouts during state and national elections, where some board members are elected by 3,500 voters and others by 10,000 or more.
Donovan suggests create four-year terms for the board; five elected in one election and four in another.
"Having 4 year terms elected on two year cycles promotes stability," he wrote in the proposal.
A transitional provision would be implemented to allow the changes to be implemented over a number of years.
As I said in the previous post, this is a much better proposal than moving to all ward representation or leaving it the way it is for a number of reasons.
I urge everyone to contact the Charter Commission members and let them know what you think. Send an email to betty.hoadley@comcast.net.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Charter Commission to consider changing the way school board members are elected
I received word today that the Charter Commission will be considering a proposal to change the way Concord School Board members are elected.
The next meet will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Dewey School.
The proposal, forwarded by former Concord Mayor Mike Donovan, would have board members elected in a similar fashion that the charter commission was elected. Instead of having all nine members elected at-large, three of the nine members would be elected at-large. Another six members would be elected from wards (two members from Ward 1,2,3,4; two from Ward 4,5,6; and two from Ward 8,9,10).
This proposal is much different than one forwarded by state Rep. Steve Shurtleff, written about here: ["Rep. Shurtleff's School Board plan"] and here:["The case for ward representation on the school board?"].
And, frankly, this proposal is much more acceptable than Shurtleff's. Having a combination of at-large and ward seats should widen the quality of the candidates who run for school board. The system would mirror the kind of representation that both the Concord City Council and the State House have. Both are much better than the school board. The accessibility of some of the seats would also be easier for candidates without a lot of money or powerful connections. Concord is a much bigger city than it was 50 years ago. While there have been fluke wins on the school board in the past, it is not the norm. Changing this process would be a big improvement.
If you are interested in being heard on this issue, show up to the hearing or email Betty Hoadley at betty.hoadley@comcast.net.
The next meet will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, at Dewey School.
The proposal, forwarded by former Concord Mayor Mike Donovan, would have board members elected in a similar fashion that the charter commission was elected. Instead of having all nine members elected at-large, three of the nine members would be elected at-large. Another six members would be elected from wards (two members from Ward 1,2,3,4; two from Ward 4,5,6; and two from Ward 8,9,10).
This proposal is much different than one forwarded by state Rep. Steve Shurtleff, written about here: ["Rep. Shurtleff's School Board plan"] and here:["The case for ward representation on the school board?"].
And, frankly, this proposal is much more acceptable than Shurtleff's. Having a combination of at-large and ward seats should widen the quality of the candidates who run for school board. The system would mirror the kind of representation that both the Concord City Council and the State House have. Both are much better than the school board. The accessibility of some of the seats would also be easier for candidates without a lot of money or powerful connections. Concord is a much bigger city than it was 50 years ago. While there have been fluke wins on the school board in the past, it is not the norm. Changing this process would be a big improvement.
If you are interested in being heard on this issue, show up to the hearing or email Betty Hoadley at betty.hoadley@comcast.net.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Amateur Radio Station Dedication
From the inbox:
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in conjunction with the Contoocook Valley Radio Club (CVRC) and the New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest) has completed production of an amateur radio station with full operational capabilities. This station, KA1SKY, will be formally dedicated on February 14 at 11 AM, part of School Club Round-up Week, to 2009’s station project manager Ken Rust, KB1PRV, who recently became a Silent Key. The station will now be called the Mumley-Rust Memorial Station.
The new fully functional HF/VHF/UHF/Satellite amateur station will enable visitors at the Discovery Center to understand and use a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radio will allow voice transmission and Morse code on thousands of frequencies of various wavelengths. With the guidance of volunteer amateur radio operators, visitors will be able to talk to other “Hams” around the world as well as contact the International Space Station when it is in a favorable position. Communication with satellites in space will also be possible in order to receive and make transmissions to other parts of the world. Use of the station will also demonstrate how energy and information is transmitted on electromagnetic waves in the radio end of the electromagnetic spectrum, making it an essential tool for enhancing Discovery Center educational programs.
A brief history of the project will be given by project manager Wayne Santos, N1CKM, followed by the dedication with station manager Peter Stohrer, K1PJS. Future plans for the station will also be presented by Santos and David McDonald, education director at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The station will officially be open at 11:30 for student and public use.
Donors who made this project possible include Phil Parton; Lee Scott, AA1YN; Gordon West, W5YI; Kenwood USA, Inc.; NEAR-Fest; Port City Radio Club; CVRC; Ham Radio Outlet; West Mountain Radio; and the American Radio Relay League.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science, technology, engineering and math programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups, and lifelong learners. For more information, visit www.starhop.com.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in conjunction with the Contoocook Valley Radio Club (CVRC) and the New England Amateur Radio Festival (NEAR-Fest) has completed production of an amateur radio station with full operational capabilities. This station, KA1SKY, will be formally dedicated on February 14 at 11 AM, part of School Club Round-up Week, to 2009’s station project manager Ken Rust, KB1PRV, who recently became a Silent Key. The station will now be called the Mumley-Rust Memorial Station.
The new fully functional HF/VHF/UHF/Satellite amateur station will enable visitors at the Discovery Center to understand and use a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radio will allow voice transmission and Morse code on thousands of frequencies of various wavelengths. With the guidance of volunteer amateur radio operators, visitors will be able to talk to other “Hams” around the world as well as contact the International Space Station when it is in a favorable position. Communication with satellites in space will also be possible in order to receive and make transmissions to other parts of the world. Use of the station will also demonstrate how energy and information is transmitted on electromagnetic waves in the radio end of the electromagnetic spectrum, making it an essential tool for enhancing Discovery Center educational programs.
A brief history of the project will be given by project manager Wayne Santos, N1CKM, followed by the dedication with station manager Peter Stohrer, K1PJS. Future plans for the station will also be presented by Santos and David McDonald, education director at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The station will officially be open at 11:30 for student and public use.
Donors who made this project possible include Phil Parton; Lee Scott, AA1YN; Gordon West, W5YI; Kenwood USA, Inc.; NEAR-Fest; Port City Radio Club; CVRC; Ham Radio Outlet; West Mountain Radio; and the American Radio Relay League.
The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center features 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science, technology, engineering and math programs. The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups, and lifelong learners. For more information, visit www.starhop.com.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
So what's this new "television network in Concord" all about?
Earlier this month, someone posted two jobs openings on the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters jobs board for a president/CEO and a sales manager for "a new television network in Concord, NH ..."
Here are the posts:
http://www.nhab.org/job_bank/jobdetails.cfm?ID=593
http://www.nhab.org/job_bank/jobdetails.cfm?ID=594
I keep a pretty close eye on media stuff going on around the state especially in Concord, although I'm not up on things as much as I used to. But I haven't heard word one about a new television network in Concord. No one else has either. There's nothing on the message boards. There are no new television licenses available, that I know of. This makes me wonder a bit.
Anyone know anything about this?
Here are the posts:
http://www.nhab.org/job_bank/jobdetails.cfm?ID=593
http://www.nhab.org/job_bank/jobdetails.cfm?ID=594
I keep a pretty close eye on media stuff going on around the state especially in Concord, although I'm not up on things as much as I used to. But I haven't heard word one about a new television network in Concord. No one else has either. There's nothing on the message boards. There are no new television licenses available, that I know of. This makes me wonder a bit.
Anyone know anything about this?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
No, no ... really ... I'm not running for anything ... really
A quick note to everyone that, no, really, truly, I will not be a candidate for anything at all this municipal cycle or probably any other political cycle for a very long time if ever (I'll never say never but, it's pretty close to never at this point).
Twice in the last few weeks, someone has asked me if I was planning on running for mayor or school board this year (2011 is a municipal election). I told both of these people that, no, I was not planning on being a candidate and would not be running.
There have been some rumors out there that Mayor Jim Bouley may not seek another term this year. I haven't spoken to him about it recently but probably should. I, frankly, think he has done a pretty good job during his time there although, admittedly, we don't agree on everything. The real power, unfortunately, is in the city manager's position, not the mayor's position (or the councilors for that matter). I'd love to be the city manager, hah (I've been wondering lately if I should go back to school and get into public administration. I mean, spending 15 years analyzing municipal budgets ought to be worth more than I'm getting now, right?)
I also can't afford to take the pay cut and wouldn't be able to work in journalism if I was the mayor ... the mayor makes nothing ... and I really love journalism so much more than politics.
As far as the school board goes, it's a lost cause and has been for a while (as Laura Bonk, a class act, found out the hard way). There are problems in our school system, none of which have anything to do with our beautiful, historic buildings being torn down. It isn't easy running suburban metropolitan school system. But it is clear that we really need some new leadership and new blood managing our education system because the people that are doing it now are doing a lousy job.
That said, if I did run for school board and won, I'd be one of nine. I'd be able to get little to nothing done although I wouldn't sit there like a lump on a log like some of them do.
I do, however, believe in public service and I hope, someday, to be in a position where I can offer my knowledge, ideas, and energy, in a public service position. But, for now, everyone will just have to live with me being the guy who enlightens everyone with a bit of insight, facts, and thoughts you won't read anywhere else.
Twice in the last few weeks, someone has asked me if I was planning on running for mayor or school board this year (2011 is a municipal election). I told both of these people that, no, I was not planning on being a candidate and would not be running.
There have been some rumors out there that Mayor Jim Bouley may not seek another term this year. I haven't spoken to him about it recently but probably should. I, frankly, think he has done a pretty good job during his time there although, admittedly, we don't agree on everything. The real power, unfortunately, is in the city manager's position, not the mayor's position (or the councilors for that matter). I'd love to be the city manager, hah (I've been wondering lately if I should go back to school and get into public administration. I mean, spending 15 years analyzing municipal budgets ought to be worth more than I'm getting now, right?)
I also can't afford to take the pay cut and wouldn't be able to work in journalism if I was the mayor ... the mayor makes nothing ... and I really love journalism so much more than politics.
As far as the school board goes, it's a lost cause and has been for a while (as Laura Bonk, a class act, found out the hard way). There are problems in our school system, none of which have anything to do with our beautiful, historic buildings being torn down. It isn't easy running suburban metropolitan school system. But it is clear that we really need some new leadership and new blood managing our education system because the people that are doing it now are doing a lousy job.
That said, if I did run for school board and won, I'd be one of nine. I'd be able to get little to nothing done although I wouldn't sit there like a lump on a log like some of them do.
I do, however, believe in public service and I hope, someday, to be in a position where I can offer my knowledge, ideas, and energy, in a public service position. But, for now, everyone will just have to live with me being the guy who enlightens everyone with a bit of insight, facts, and thoughts you won't read anywhere else.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A little (or a long) vacation ...
Just a quick "thank you" to all of you who still visit Politizine and OurConcord even though I haven't been posting much. Family and work have been taking a lot of my life of late. The former is fine; I won't get into the latter except to say that I have had a disappointing few weeks but I think 2011 will be an interesting year.
Politizine, specifically, enters its ninth year of existence this week. It's hard to believe that but it's true. Readership has fluctuated from the hundreds to the thousands and back down again, depending on what I have written about or how many other people linked to my site. OurConcord was created and grew out of a frustration with local media outlets not really getting at the heart of many stories. I have been very happy with some of that work. But it can be a daunting, exhaustive task.
Despite all that I have done at this point in my life, I'm facing 45 and I'm really beginning to wonder about things. It isn't just the economy or a moment in time or anything like that. It's just become very clear that I have not been setting priorities. I thought I was, but I wasn't (once again). I have to look no further than the piles of paper in different places in my home, the list of things I have been wanting to get done, both personally and professionally, etc., to see that I have not been focused. Things are not where they should be.
Thankfully, we're not hoarders, not like those folks on television, which is frightening to see. We don't have a lot even though we have much more than some. But even though I'm considered one who takes actions, I do put things off ... and then put them off and put them off again. I always have. It's time though to stop putting things off. And, I need to take some time off.
I'm going on a little or a long vacation. I'm not sure which yet. I'll let you all know in January, when I get back. I don't know what role Politizine or OurConcord play in my future.
I'm wondering about a lot of things lately. But know and understand that I have appreciated your readership, time, and comments about what I have been doing with these sites.
Have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas. And talk to you all again soon.
Best,
Tony
Politizine, specifically, enters its ninth year of existence this week. It's hard to believe that but it's true. Readership has fluctuated from the hundreds to the thousands and back down again, depending on what I have written about or how many other people linked to my site. OurConcord was created and grew out of a frustration with local media outlets not really getting at the heart of many stories. I have been very happy with some of that work. But it can be a daunting, exhaustive task.
Despite all that I have done at this point in my life, I'm facing 45 and I'm really beginning to wonder about things. It isn't just the economy or a moment in time or anything like that. It's just become very clear that I have not been setting priorities. I thought I was, but I wasn't (once again). I have to look no further than the piles of paper in different places in my home, the list of things I have been wanting to get done, both personally and professionally, etc., to see that I have not been focused. Things are not where they should be.
Thankfully, we're not hoarders, not like those folks on television, which is frightening to see. We don't have a lot even though we have much more than some. But even though I'm considered one who takes actions, I do put things off ... and then put them off and put them off again. I always have. It's time though to stop putting things off. And, I need to take some time off.
I'm going on a little or a long vacation. I'm not sure which yet. I'll let you all know in January, when I get back. I don't know what role Politizine or OurConcord play in my future.
I'm wondering about a lot of things lately. But know and understand that I have appreciated your readership, time, and comments about what I have been doing with these sites.
Have a great holiday season. Merry Christmas. And talk to you all again soon.
Best,
Tony
Saturday, December 18, 2010
What happened to selling the buildings?
First, it's a community center at the Dame Elementary School, now this: ["Ex-school as police station? Not so fast"]. A simple question: What happened to selling the buildings? What happened to offsetting the debt with the millions that could be brought in from selling these school buildings? This is all just very crazy.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Writer warns, don't go to PC Wizard
Guest perspective by Andy Sylvia
I don’t have a huge selection of Xbox games, but the one or two games I played most of the time worked fine until about a month or two ago. I was getting messages that my discs were unreadable at random times. I went down to a local GameStop and found out the problem was my Xbox, as they also got the same message with one of their new games.
So, after unsuccessfully trying to fix the problem with a disc cleaner that Best Buy suggested, I looked all around New England for someplace that could fix my Xbox. I figured Microsoft wouldn’t help since this was a replacement for an Xbox that had the red rings of death last year, and even if they did, I’ve heard horror stories about them.
A friend suggested I check out PC Wizard in on Loudon Road in Concord, so I gave it to them.
They charged $29.99 for the repairs, saying it was an optical lens problem and they could clean it. It would be done in about three days, and I said I would be back in town in four days, so that was fine.
I picked up the Xbox, brought it home later that night, and it was worse off than when I brought it in; before the game at least worked some of the time, now they didn’t work at all on the system.
I came back in asking for a refund, the man there, some guy with a beard, was extremely rude and refused the refund and I said I would spread the word about this experience, which he welcomed. That’s why I’m here today.
I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau, but this whole ordeal has just proven too tiresome, and I didn’t expect to ever get justice from this guy, so I just sold the Xbox to that GameStop at a reduced price (the optical lens ruined the system overall, but the other parts worked apparently, I was able to get to the dashboard at least even after this guy ruined my system) and bought a used one to replace it.
Still, I hope my experience can help other consumers in the Concord area to stay away from being ripped off by this guy.
I don’t have a huge selection of Xbox games, but the one or two games I played most of the time worked fine until about a month or two ago. I was getting messages that my discs were unreadable at random times. I went down to a local GameStop and found out the problem was my Xbox, as they also got the same message with one of their new games.
So, after unsuccessfully trying to fix the problem with a disc cleaner that Best Buy suggested, I looked all around New England for someplace that could fix my Xbox. I figured Microsoft wouldn’t help since this was a replacement for an Xbox that had the red rings of death last year, and even if they did, I’ve heard horror stories about them.
A friend suggested I check out PC Wizard in on Loudon Road in Concord, so I gave it to them.
They charged $29.99 for the repairs, saying it was an optical lens problem and they could clean it. It would be done in about three days, and I said I would be back in town in four days, so that was fine.
I picked up the Xbox, brought it home later that night, and it was worse off than when I brought it in; before the game at least worked some of the time, now they didn’t work at all on the system.
I came back in asking for a refund, the man there, some guy with a beard, was extremely rude and refused the refund and I said I would spread the word about this experience, which he welcomed. That’s why I’m here today.
I filed a report with the Better Business Bureau, but this whole ordeal has just proven too tiresome, and I didn’t expect to ever get justice from this guy, so I just sold the Xbox to that GameStop at a reduced price (the optical lens ruined the system overall, but the other parts worked apparently, I was able to get to the dashboard at least even after this guy ruined my system) and bought a used one to replace it.
Still, I hope my experience can help other consumers in the Concord area to stay away from being ripped off by this guy.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
See, I told you!
Recently, the Concord Monitor reported that the Concord School District secured its funding for the elementary school consolidation projects at a very low interest rate, less than 4 percent.
With interest and state funding, the final cost of the entire project will be about $112 million, assuming no major (more than the 10-15 percent budgeted) cost overruns occur during the demolition and construction phase of the projects (I should note that this price does not include all the money already spent to get the district to this point, which would probably be another $1 million and change, when including interest).
In other words, as I have been saying for about four years now, the project will be in the $100 to $150 million range, albeit on the low side of that guess.
That said, no apologies necessary from all the naysayers who said I was lying or that my figures were too high or that I didn't know what I was talking about or anything else. No need. I, and many others, who know municipal budgets and finance, told you all how much the final costs would be and we were right all along, despite your protestations, ignorance, and personal attacks.
With interest and state funding, the final cost of the entire project will be about $112 million, assuming no major (more than the 10-15 percent budgeted) cost overruns occur during the demolition and construction phase of the projects (I should note that this price does not include all the money already spent to get the district to this point, which would probably be another $1 million and change, when including interest).
In other words, as I have been saying for about four years now, the project will be in the $100 to $150 million range, albeit on the low side of that guess.
That said, no apologies necessary from all the naysayers who said I was lying or that my figures were too high or that I didn't know what I was talking about or anything else. No need. I, and many others, who know municipal budgets and finance, told you all how much the final costs would be and we were right all along, despite your protestations, ignorance, and personal attacks.
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