Power of Ten Update
In this Issue:
- 50th Anniversary REALIZE THE DREAM! Event
- NAACP and JAMCCAR Host Candidate’s Forum
- Rockland, State Must Rescue the Kids of East Ramapo
- Videos from East Ramapo Underground
- Governor Cuomo Disappoints East Ramapo AGAIN!
1) 50th Anniversary REALIZE THE DREAM! Event:
Join us in this FREE Community Event to Celebrate the Advances while Empowering Ourselves to Help Rockland County. There will be: live music, and messages from community and religious leaders commemorating the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made his historic “I Have a Dream” speech.
When: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 7:30PM
Where: Grace Point Gospel Fellowship 384 New Hempstead Road. New City, NY
For more information call (845) 379-0810
Sponsored by: Grace Point Gospel Fellowship, The Monel Show & Wake Up Rockland
2) NAACP and JAMCCAR Host Candidate’s Forum
Come and hear from Candidates running in the Sept 10 Democratic Primary Election for: County Executive and Village of Spring Valley Mayor & Trustee
When: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Where: Louis Kurtz Civic Center, 9 North Main Street in Spring Valley
3) Rockland, state must rescue the kids of East Ramapo
Community View in The Journal News by Ed Day
The writer, a New City resident and Rockland County legislator, is the Preserve Rockland candidate for Rockland County Executive.
4) Videos from East Ramapo Underground:
East Ramapo complains about the Lottery Spin-up money that they requested.
East Ramapo can’t get it straight as they try to elect a President for the Board.
East Ramapo School Board tries to nominate a Vice President for the Board
Treasurer Bier: budget policy not enforced
D’Agostino good enough for the school district but not Aron Wieder?
The next school board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3rd.
– East Ramapo Underground
5) Governor Cuomo Disappoints East Ramapo AGAIN!
The following letter is written from Peggy Hatton to Commissioner King because Governor Cuomo has not signed the bill to advance payment of lottery money to East Ramapo. The East Ramapo school board doesn’t want the Lottery Spin-up money because the bill also has oversight of how the money will be spent!
The result is that the board cut another $3.5 million from the programs for the kids. If you would like to tell Governor Cuomo how you feel about what is essentially a veto of help for the kids and oversight of our notorious school board, call him at: (518) 474-8390.
The letter also mentions that Peggy is moving to Florida. We wish her well in her new home. She has done a lot for our kids, and will be missed. Messages of thanks and good luck can be sent to eastramapounderground@hotmail.com
Dear Commissioner King,
I am writing this email to inform you that earlier this week, the BOE in East Ramapo cut 3.5 million dollars from the budget at the same time that they set the tax rate.
The reason they cut the 3.5 million dollars is because the Governor has not requested the Lottery Spin Up bill for his signature. School starts in less than three weeks. The Board is not happy about the oversight and accountability provisions of this bill. At the BOE meeting, they said that the bill had been ‘high jacked’ by the Assembly. In an normal school district, the BOE and Administration would embrace community input….but not East Ramapo.
These funds were supposed to be used this school year to bring back Art and Music Teachers, Nurses, extracurriculars, sports, etc. When I asked Dr. Klein what his plan was to teach regular Ed teachers how to teach Art and Music, he said there will be inservice sessions. None of the teachers I know were aware of any such training. Also, there is no plan that we are aware of to deal with the prep periods that the staff used during the Music and Art classes.
We are asking ourselves if your office was aware of these cuts since you were involved with the budgeting process, providing oversight from the deficits the BOE caused over the past few years? How could your office let this happen?
I believe that our students are going to suffer as a result of the politics that are being played out between East Ramapo and Albany. I am begging you to get involved and call the Governor to ask him to sign the bill today and free up the money that was promised to us so that our kids will have at least some kind of a normal school year and that our teachers and staff can be recalled for the first day on school. Our kids are already so disadvantaged, they cannot be ignored.
Due to a change in my husband’s employment, I will be moving to Florida in just a few days. I will keep involved in the East Ramapo issues as best I can. But I will be relying on others to be my eyes on the ground. It is even more important than ever that you take an active role in the East Ramapo. Our kids need your voice more than ever.
Regards,
Peggy Hatton