High Energy Costs For School District

Recent Bill for Lauers Park $27,391.28 (was the meter read the last 6 months)

Another High Natural Gas Bill $11,937.61 (was for North East middle School)

Recent Bill for Southern Middle School ($10,211.76)

I'm concerned about the last one I'm listing because its in our maintenance Bldg (717)

$1090.29 These workers are suppose to be in our buidings working (Heat could be turned down to 55F

Vehicles For City Employees

I have a QUESTION ?????, How many vehicles does the city provide their employees?
What position must you have to drive a car on the taxpayers dollars?

I will be asking the same question of our superintendent, Dr.Chapman. I only heard of one for the school district. I really think this is a tragedy, because most employees, whether they work for the city or school district, can afford their own payments.

Please give me your comments on anything (you do not need to tell me who you are).

Must City Workers Live In The City Commentary

Recently I read a commentary by two City Employees (Linda Kelleher, City Clerk)and (Leon Churchill, Managing Director) I have to agree with Ms. Kelleher that residency retains middle-income workers. Residency also promotes mutual respect and trust among the residents.

Dear Mr Churchill: If you do not believe in a Charter form of government, then you should resign. There are many people who would love to have some of those lucrative city jobs and not even hesitate moving into the city.

I know there are plenty of beautiful homes for these employees to live in. I have sold, and will continue to sell them.

Tap Water Good Enough

Recent letter to the Editor:June 9th,2006
I thought I read everything about taxes until I read the taxpayers in the Conrad Weiser School District have been helping to buy bottled water for the school staff.

Dear Erma, These are the types of things that school boards normally overlook. When I became a member of the Reading School Board in 2003, I found a similar situation. In our school district the administrators were abusing the taxpayers!!! These are the types of things that can help raise taxes on the elderly.

Editors note: The Conrad Weiser School Board voted to eliminate $5,000 dollars for the bottled water from its budjet.

Phone Lines At The Museum

Upon a recent investigation we found 13 phone lines going to the Reading Public Museum. These lines have long distance availablity.

Currently there are (610) phone lines that have this availability in the Reading School District. Why does anyone need long ditance at home. Upon my recent investigation of three months of phone bills I found a pattern.

We now have more calls to Puerto Rico and The city of New York then i can count. I found that Brooklyn is a popular place with someone in the district.

The question is who can use these phones to call? The answer is anyone from a student, teacher, boardmember, custodian, maintenance worker, or administrator. When will this abuse end!!!

The Taxpayers of Reading must unite to stop this abuse.Please contact any Reading School Director whom you might know and ask them about these long distance lines.

Recent Fees For The Bond Swap /$408,000 DOLLARS

Recently Keith Stamm voted "no" to a Bond Swap arrangement approved by the rest of the school board. Our Bond Counsel (Mike Setley) told us it was a role of the dice for us. Personally I feel better being a little more cautious.

The fees listed below were given to us after the swap was approved. I'm curious if the board would have been against me if they would have seen these fees before the vote......
Legal Fee to Stevens and Lee as bond counsel $50,000
A fee to Investment Management Advisory Group $150,000
Also a fee to CONCORD PUBLIC FINANCIAL ADVISORS $150,000
More Legal fees to John Bradley ESQ. $25,000
John Stott ESQ. $10,000
For Swap Monitoring Services to DerivActiv $15,000
And an upfront fee to the Reading School District of $8,000 for a Grand Total of $408,000 DOLLARS

Keith Stamm: The Peoples Choice

The recent popularity of my blog has touched my heart. It is nice to know that people are really concerned about the students of the Reading School District.

Please continue to visit this site and i always enjoy hearing everyones comments, even if there to the left or the right

Keith Stamm has a Dream

I recently thought how wonderful it would be to bring Dr.Condoleeza Rice to Reading,PA.

I'm hopeful that someone who has been checking this blog site from Washington DC, will contact me. This visit would be good for the children and students of the Reading School District.

Stamm Questions Business Manager

June 6th,2006
I questioned Dennis Kelley today, about a bathroom repair bill at 16th and Hawk.

The bill was for $9880 dollars and it appeared to be a bill from Spotts, Stevens and Mccoy. Dennis told me this was for asbestos removal.

The question now is why was Spotts Stevens paid and not the contractor who did the work?

No Child Left Behind Lawsuit

Recent Attorneys bill concerning No Child Left Behind was $1,378.

Currently the Reading School District has spent a grand total of $42,418.
This bill was primarily written by Senator Ted Kennedy (90%) of it. Amazing what we spent on this, considering most of this law was written by a Liberal.

Almost 3 years ago today Keith voted no and has been right ever since this vote. 8 for to 1 against

Public Outcry For Keith Stamm

Recently a young son age 9 asked his father, What office is Keith going to run for next? On another visit to the Temple restaurant I was asked would I ever run for the State Senate? I was asked the other day by my superintendent of schools what office im running for?

Please let me know by e-mail which office you would like to see me run for. Future races coming up are for the State Senate, State Representative, County Commissioner,Mayor,and last but not least Reading School Director. My e-mail address is stamk@aol.com

SAVING MONEY AND RAISING NEW MONIES

I enacted a suggestion system to raise ideas, not only for saving but also for bringing in additional monies.

One idea I had was for a billboard at George Field. The monies would have been kept in a special account for the perpetual care of George Field. Certain liberals fought me on this idea.

RESPONSE TO MY BLOG

The response to my site has been overwhelming. I'm excited that the number of people reviewing my site continues to grow.

This site primarily has only been advertised by word of mouth. Please continue to post your comments.

WEB LINKS ON LEFT SIDE COLUMN

Are you interested in reading other conservative views? Then click on one of the web links on the left hand side of my blog page. They have attached their sites to my page.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

In todays Reading Eagle on b-1 Holly Herman writes about Ricardo Pena being a financial supporter of former Mayor Joe Eppihimer.

The bigger fish to look at is the current Mayor Tom McMahon. Mr. McMahon received $5,000 dollars from the now famous Kevin Timochenko. Remember when it came to city code inspections of properties (OVER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF UNITS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE CITY INSPECTION WHEN SELLING.)

ENERGY WASTE AT READING HIGH SCHOOL

June 6,2006

Today i experienced a very cold situation at the high school. Most of the cafeteria employees were wearing winter jackets because of the cold conditions at the cafeteria. Hopefully our marvelous hvac mechanics will correct this situation soon!!!!

GORDON HOODAK STADIUM

saturday, June 3,2006

Keith Stamm attended the dedication of the baseball stadium. I was disappointed that i was the only shool director in attendance.

The bigger disappointment was that our superintendent Dr. Thomas Chapman did not attend this function

LYME DISEASE ( WARNING)

Im very concerned about the high grass still located in hampden park. This has the potential of giving lyme disease to anyone because of tick bites.

Please call the administration if you are seeing the same condition as me. ( 610)371-5611)

GPS TRACKING SYSTEMS

I recently asked our business manager to look at gps tracking systems. I told Dennis Kelley that i recently followed an employee off of school property. This employee actually went home on the taxpayers money.

Taxpayers not only pay for the gasoline in these vehicles but also pay the wages of the employee. I have been given reports of Reading school district vehicles even on route #10 towards morgantown.

Please if you see something of this situation please e- mail me,at stamk@aol.com

Keith Stamm Questions Human Resources

I questioned our human resource director and our business manager about our hiring practices. I wanted to know if the school district had any illegal immigrants working for the district..

The reason i asked, was that if Congress passes a new law the school district could be fined. These fines could reach $20,000 dollars.

FBI arrests Fumo aides over E-MAIL

Thursday,June 01,2006
by Maryclaire Dale
of The Associated Press

Philadelphia-As the FBI stepped up it's corruption probe of a powerful state senator,his aides destroyed years worth of their boss's e-mails from office computers.
The FBI swept in early yesterday and arrested two aides who handle computer tasks for state Senator Vincent J. Fumo, a Philadelphia Democrat.

Leonard P.Luchko and Mark Eister, who were charged with obstruction of justice, deleted all trace of the e-mail from computers at Fumo's Senate offices,his New Jersey shore home and at a nonprofit group with deep ties to him,the FBI charged in a 65-page affidavit.

Lunch with Senator Mike O'Pake

Today I had the privledge of having lunch with Senator Mike O'Pake.We talked about several issues that ranged from the recent elections to several school issues.
Mike asked me about our new superintendent.He congratulated me on my hard work and told me i had the pulse of the people behind me.

I realized then that Mike in so many ways is a great politician. He was able to reach out to me even though im a Ronald Reagan type republican. We chatted about this blog site,and he was very interested in it.

Im glad Mike was able to have lunch with me.Hopefully this common ground can be kept since we both like to help the fine people of Reading.

ON the LEFT or ON THE RIGHT

I want to to say it's not whether the idea is from the left or right. The idea is not whether it's right or wrong. I always ask myself if the idea is the best thing for the students and the community.

SPEND AND SPEND AND SPEND

During the remaining months of 2005 the READING SCHOOL BOARD approved Life Time medical benefits for seven administrators.

This was at the superintendents recommendation . (Dr. Thomas Chapman ) I suggested to the board to compensate these administrators another way. They did not heed my advice. This is the type of thing that will eventually raise taxes. ( SINK THE SHIP )
This benefit also included their spouses.

The Grass in Hampden Park

Currently the grass is being cut in Hampden Park. I'm happy to report that my blog site seems to be effective. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Did You Know KEITH STAMM at one time was a Democrat

Keith Stamm became a Republican when Ronald Reagan ran for president. Mr. Reagan ran against President Carter

POLITICS AND WHAT MOTIVATES

I want to encourage any student to help at the polls on election day. The first time i worked the polls was when Ross Perot was a candidate. The first time i became interested in politics was when Ronald Reagan was a candidate for President of the United States.

Please contact me if you have any interest at all in politics, or would like to know what is involved in working at the polls

GRASS AT HAMPDEN PARK

Keith Stamm reported a bad situation today at Hampden Park. The grass is approximately 2 feet long. This land was donated by the city and given to the school district. I'm concerned about the image this gives the school district.

Stamm Questions Bid

Why did we only receive one bid for electric and air conditioning work at Riverside Elementary School? This work was for over $1,000,000! I will question everyone until they tell me why!!!

Stamm Asks Why???

Keith asked why the administration requested bids when we have (5) HVAC personnel. With a recent vote on May 24, 5-4 administration asked for bids to hire an outside company to tell us what type of air conditioning equipment we have. Stamm, Cinfici, Storch and McCree voted no against doing this.

THE POWER OF A CAMERA

Stamm recently achieved something he tried to accomplish in a period of over two years.

I took pictures of several cracks in pavement on the north side of high school. Then I e-mailed them to our superintendent.

The other place that I took pictures was on the exterior of 13th & Green. Brown and green English ivy was running from ground level to the roof. I'm now proud to say the problem has been corrected.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

I want the residents of READING, PA to know that i will continue to print articles.

These articles might not always be popular with liberals. They are in no way intended to hurt or defame anyone. I just want both sides of the story given to the public. Thankyou for reading my blog. I enjoy seeing that even though some liberals are bothered by me they continue to look at this site.

THE BIG PICTURE

Why do liberals always think its ok to spend when the money comes from grants or the federal government? Who may i ask is the federal government? This article is in response to an attack on my BLOG. An unhinged liberal I guess!!!

The Goggle Works

The Reading School District continues to support the Goggle Works. $47,000 has been waived in school taxes and now an additional $10,305 has been paid out for art classes. I feel these classes should have been given for free considering we waived payment of school taxes.

When You Think It's Bad in Reading, Read The Article Below

Detroit Schools May Get Ex-cops

A $600,000 proposal would hire 25-48 laid-off city police part time to fight district violence.

It's the latest in a string of efforts aimed at tackling violence in the district. On Wednesday, an elementary teacher was robbed in her building after she arrived in the morning, and last week a school janitor was shot in the leg and robbed during a morning smoke break.

We are treating this as a state of emergency, said Superintendent William Coleman III. This is something we need to do right now.

The gang violence is just out of control. Coleman also said he is taking other steps at tightening security, such as suspending students or firing emloyees who illegally let a person into a school and making sure all metal detectors are working.

Illegal Aliens Political Correctness Are Known As Undocumented Workers

The hidden costs of illegal immigrations (ID theft)

Do a Yahoo or Google search for THE RED TAPE CHRONICLES and read all about it. You will be surprised at what is pushing ID theft throughout the country.

Press Release

Gregory A. White, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a two-count information was filed charging former Toledo City Council Member-at-Large Robert A. McCloskey, age 60, of 2137 Valentine Street, Toledo, Ohio with bribery in violation of the Hobbs Act.

Count 1 of the information alleges that on March 22, 2006, McCloskey accepted a $3,000 bribe from an unnamed Toledo businessman who was cooperating with the FBI. Count 2 of the Information alleges that he accepted a second $2,000 bribe from the same businessman on April 12, 2006.

If convicted, the defendant's sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant's prior criminal record, if any, the defendant's role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann C. Rowland following investigation initiated by the Toledo Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2005.

An information is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Letter in Response to Will Cinfici on Haring

Dear Will:
The Executive Committee on May 9 concurred that we have an obligation to protect children from obscene images. The Catalogue that was displayed on the second floor Haring exhibit has been removed and all books sold in the gift shop carry a message that alerts people that they may be objectionable. I hope this action is satisfactory and thank you for your concern.

Mike Ehlerman

False Fire Alarms Cost School District

We have been charged $4,275 so far this year for students creating false alarms.

The fire company responded 7 times to the high school, 6 times to Northwest Middle School, 4 times to Southwest Middle School, 2 times to Northeast Middle School, and 4 times to the Tyson Shoener Elementary School.

Chicago Vacation Expenses Continue

Board President, Pierre V. Cooper - $199.19 for cab fare and miscellaneous expenses at School Board Convention.

Feeding at the Trough

Box lunches ordered by the curriculum office for coaching initiative meeting cost $454.40.

Currently we spend $83 per school board meeting including committee meetings for school board members who wish to eat. We normally have at least 5 meetings per month.

This comes to $415 per month and $4980 per year.

Sometimes school district attorneys and other employees also eat on the taxpayers money.

PLEASE CHECK ARCHIVES

Scroll screen while looking on left side.Just click on the month and year.

There is plenty to read and comment on.

March on Penn Street Affects School Attendance 5/1/06

ATTENDANCE PERCENTAGES BY BUILDING

10th & Green-down 7.88%
13th & Green-down 9.42%
12th & Marion-down 12.84%
13th & Union-down 6.93%
Riverside-down 7.26%
Glenside-down 3.69%
Northwest Elem.-down 11.19%
Lauers Park-down 5.86%
Thomas Ford-down 3.37%
Tyson Schoener-up 1.28%
Amanda Stout-down 9.75%
16th & Haak-down .07%
Millmont-down 1.86%
10th & Penn-down 9.25%
Southern Middle-down 7%
Northwest Middle-down 10.56%
Northeast Middle-down 14.5%
Southwest Middle-down 14.12%
Reading High-down 8.82%

For Your Information

Department of Justice

Flooring Contractor Admits Bribing Paterson School Official

NEWARK - The owner of Newark-based commercial flooring business which performed flooring and construction services for the Paterson Public School District pleaded guilty today to making concealed payments to a school district official in exchange for facilitating the receipt of contracting work and the renewal of contracts, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Richard Costabile, 45, of Bedminster, president of the Ironbound Floor Covering Company, Inc., admitted providing more than $5,000 in flooring materials and installation services to a school district official, in the form of work to a home the school official was building in Sussex County, according to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard E. Constable III and Jeffrey S. Chiesa.

The district-wide flooring contract Ironbound had with Paterson School District was valued at more than $200,000 annually. Costabile provided the more than $5000 in materials and labor to the school official after receiving an annually renewable contract to perform flooring work for the school district.

Costabile pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares to a one-count information charging him with making corrupt payments (bribery), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Judge Linares scheduled Costabile's sentencing for June 28. Costabile is free on a $100,000 unsecured bond pending sentencing.

Costabile admitted that he installed flooring at the district official's home. Further, Costabile admitted that he performed the work, free of charge, in exchange for ensuring receipt of future work and for prompt payment of invoices submitted by Ironbound.

The school official who received the bribe was not specifically identified in court nor in court documents, but was described by Costabile as the Director of Facilities for the school district.

Today was Costabile's first appearance in court in connection with the corruption investigation, which is continuing, Christie said.

Christie credited Special Agents of the FBI's Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Leslie Wiser, Jr., with developing the case against Costabile.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard E. Constable, III and Jeffrey S. Chisa of the U.S. Attorney's Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

Cinfici's Response to the Ron Roth Letter

Mr. P. Michael Ehlerman
Chairman, Foundation for the Reading Public Museum

Dear Mike:

On April 28, I received a copy of Reading Public Museum Director and Chief Executive Officer Ronald C. Roth's April 13, 2006 letter to you. I write to respond to the numerous mischaracterizations and inaccuracies contained therein.

Mr. Roth writes that he refuses to "comply with (my) demands". I note that I never made any demands; I merely asked the Museum to address my concerns. Indeed, I did so only after you offered to me in a telephone conversation prior to my April 11 e-mail to you to address these concerns. You made the offer in return for accepting my offer to intercede on the Museum's behalf with State Senator David "Chip" Brightbill in order to secure a grant for the proper storage of the Museum's holdings, a project of obvious worthiness.

Mr. Roth claims that I am demanding "further" censorship. There has been no censorship. Therefore, the use of the word "further" is inaccurate.

Mr. Roth questions the origin of my "authority...to impose (my) personal views on what is appropriate to be sold in our Museum Shop, or displayed in our galleries". He goes on to write, "In my opinion, (emphasis added) this is censorship pure and simple, and threatens the intellectual freedom and scholorship that is at the core of our Museum's integrity". In other words, Mr. Roth displays the typical liberal double standard in objecting to the advancement of the beliefs of someone with whom he disagrees, while demanding the acceptance by all others of the advancement of his own personal beliefs.

I respect Mr. Roth's jealous guarding of the Museum's prerogatives, but he ought to demonstrate some respect for my fulfillment of my duty as an elected School Director to safeguard our schoolchildren from obscenity. Mr. Roth's concerns about the Museum's prerogatives are such a personal priority of his - even over the welfare of children - that he appears to be refusing to comply with my requests simply because he was asked to do so. Indeed, his rebuke of me for exercising my freedom of speech to ask for appropriate safeguards for our schoolchildren, according to his own reasoning, is itself a form of censorship.

Mr. Roth doubts that my views represent a majority of the Reading School Board. I note that there has yet to be one single vote taken by the Board directly on the Keith Haring issue. Four of the nine members of the Board have publicly expressed support for protecting our schoolchildren from such indecency. In addition, our Board Vice President publicly agreed that younger children, at least, should not see the images in the books in the Museum gift shop. He has repeatedly encouraged me to ask the Museum to address his concern. Therefore, Mr. Roth's calculation of the majority of the School Board is itself dubious.

Mr. Roth writes that the "finds" it hard to believe (Sen. Brightbill's) support is contingent on Mr. Cinfici's approval". Mr. Roth is correct; Sen. Brightbill's support is contingent upon his own opinion, not mine. It happens to be the case that I agree with Sen. Brightbill, but his opinion is what matters in regard to the grant. As you know, I have never implied otherwise.

I suspect that Mr. Roth is upset because Sen. Brightbill is proving the criticism of Mr. Roth's decision in regard to the Haring books to be valid. I regret to inform you that I am aware that numerous people have indicated to me that they are not patronizing the Museum, renewing their membership or attending the gala because of it. I challenge Mr. Roth, if he has not already done so, to report to the Museum Foundation at one of its stated meetings of the remarks of all the individuals who have written the Museum to cancel their membership because of the Haring matter.

Finally, it is necessary to examine the issue of censorship. It is obvious that Mr. Roth and his liberal comrades, with all due respect to them, have continued to cry "censorship" as a knee-jerk reaction without ever having looked up the word in the dictionary, let alone a law dictionary.

Censorship would have occurred if a law had forbidden the exhibition of art on private property that is not obscene. But the Museum is publicly owned and supported, at least in part, with public funds, including from the Reading School District. Furthermore, the Museum is seeking Sen. Brightbill's support for a grant from the state for more public money, a request I note is inconsistent with the expectation of maintaining the independence of the Museum.

Moreover, obscenity, as defined by community standards, is not a protected form of expression, according to numerous rulings of both the United States and Pennsylvania Supreme Courts. It is a matter of settled law that minors may particularly be protected from exposure to obscenity. It is important to note that community standards are defined by reasonable people, and not necessarily by artists, art experts or even art aficionados like myself. There are exemptions under Pennsylvania's Obscenity Act for certain museums, but the current sale of the Museum's Haring Catalogue at Borders, for example, could violate this act. Nevertheless, the Museum is obligated to follow the Smithsonian ethical guidelines, which forbid obscenity.

The definition of obscenity under the law is less subjective than it's supporters often attempt to portray it. It not necessary for me to render my opinion as to whether the images in the Haring books available in the Museum Gift Shop meet the definition. It is sufficient to quote from the books themselves. Dr. M. Rachel Arauz, Co-Curator of the Haring Exhibit, refers on Page 11 of the Museum Catalogue to the "graphic sexual imagery" of Haring's art on that appears therein (See enclosures. Warning: graphic images). Jonathan Weinberg, referring to Mickey Mouse, observes on Page 25 of the Catalogue that he "lewdly masturbates" in another one of the images in that book (See enclosures. Warning: graphic images), and on Page 29, Weinberg refer to the "sometimes-obscene antics" of the figures in Haring's artwork. Even the book entitled Haring, by Alexandra Kolossa, co-published by the Haring estate, acknowledges the inappropriateness for children of Haring's depiction of Pinocchio masturbating: "Keith Haring's version of the Pinocchio figure comes across as anything but child-friendly" (See enclosures. Warning: graphic images).

Keith Haring himself recognized the need to prevent children from viewing these images. Jonathan Weinberg writes on Page 29 of the Museum Catalogue, "He effectively censored himself when he carefully omitted explicitly sexual material from his subway drawings and outdoor murals, thus rendering much of his work "kid friendly". Ironically, I daresay that I am being more true to Keith Haring's wishes than Mr. Roth is.

I remain eager to try to address this issue in order to produce a favorable result for both our school children and the Museum. I look forward to continuing to work with you toward that end.

Very truly yours,


William Cinfici

CORRUPTION IN READING

I feel like I'm on the tip of an iceberg. Pieces of the corrupt puzzle are coming to me. Please do not be afraid to contact me at stamk @aol.com. All information I recieve will be held in confidence.

CHICAGO COSTS CONTINUE

Charges for cab fair $184.24

RESPONSE TO RON ROTH / BY WILL CINFICI

Response to Ron Roth will appear here by May 9th, 2006

Haring Debate Continues/Please Read Below

April 13, 2006

Mr. P. Michael Ehlerman

Dear Mike:
I have read with great concern the e-mail sent to you by Mr. Cinfici on April 11. With respect, I do not plan to comply with Mr. Cinfici's demands for further censorship of books and information at the Reading Public Museum in return for Senator Brightbill's presumed support for the Museum.

I think it is a fair question to ask by what authority has Mr. Cinfici been empowered to impose his personal views on that is appropriate to be sold in our Museum Shop, or displayed in our galleries? As far as I know, his views do not represent those of the Board of the Museum foundation, nor am I aware they represent the majority view of the Board of the Reading Public Schools.

In my opinion, this is censorship pure and simple, and threatens the intellectual freedom and scholorship that is at the core of our Museum's integrity.

I also wonder if Senator Brightbill is aware of this arrangement as Mr. Cinfici characterizes it, that one these "safeguards" are implemented "the entire issue will be resolved and the Majority Leader and everyone else will be happy", to quote his e-mail to you. I have great respect for Senator Brightbill, and find it hard to believe his support for the Museum is contingent on Mr. Cinfici's approval.

I am sure the Senator is aware of the hundreds of school children, teachers and parents in his district that have been inspired and delighted by our exhibition on Keith Haring, and the nearly 400 high school students in Berks County who collaborated on our Keith Haring subway mural and whose names are proudly listed in the galleries. He may also be interested in knowing that over 14,000 visitors have viewd the Keith Haring Exhibition since it's opening, none of whom to my knowledge have registered any objections to the exhibition catalogue in the gallery or the Haring books we have on sale.

I am sending a copy of this letter to the Museum Foundation's Board of Directors. I want the Board to be clear on my position: I will not comply with Mr. Cinfici's requests unless the Board of the Museum Foundation votes in favor of his requests, and that the Board provides me with a written directive to comply. In deference to your privacy, in my mailing to the rest of the Board, I will not include a copy of the e-mail of April 11 you gave me that you received from Mr. Cinfici which discusses this arrangement. I hope you will make a copy of it available to members of our Board, so that they know what we know and can come to their own conclusions on the situation.

Mike, I think you know how much I respect you and your efforts on the Museum's behalf. I hope you understand how seriously I believe this situation is and the threat it represents to the Museum's future freedom of expression.

With all best regards,


Ronald C. Roth
Director and CEO

MARCH ON PENN ST.READING,PA

Vaughn Spencer, Current president of Readings city council spoke at the Illegal Alein parade.

STAMM GIVES SUPERINTENDENT A SENIOR PROJECT

Keith Stamm left a senior project idea for Dr. Thomas Chapman. I suggest a physics student figure out how many kilowatts are being used for the lights on his Christmas tree . The lights were on while no one was in his office.

STAMM GIVES FORMAL REQUEST FOR PHONE RECORDS

MAY 2nd, 2006 School Director KEITH STAMM made a formal request to see phone records.
Keith asked for long distance phone records at Reading High School and at Northeast Middle School.

ILLEGAL ALIENS MARCH ON PENN STREET

Yesterday over 1,000 Illegals marched on Penn St. in Reading , PA

School Director ( Yvonne Stroman) was reported as an advocate for the illegal children to miss school. Keep in mind that my colleagues opinion is her own. I think it is a tragedy that these children were not in school.

FORMAL REQUEST FOR PHONE RECORDS

Keith Stamm made a formal request today for long distance phone records.

I requested this public information from the Reading High School and
Northeast Middle school.

NEW SECURITY CHIEF HIRED

During the meeting of April 26th Reading Board of Directors hired a new security chief,
RAY ALBERT. One of Ray's initial duties is to perform a district wide security analysis. Ideas
are always welcomed.

FRUSTRATION OR JUBILATION

April 27th,2006 After having a frustrating school board week, on Thursday evening I smiled.

I toured a new green school in the TWIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT ) A defibrillator was attached to a wall in the gymnasium. I realized it was because of me, that our READING SCHOOL DISTRICT now has the same thing (defibrillators at all our schools including the administration building.)

ADDED COSTS FOR SCHOOL BOARD CONVENTION IN CHICAGO

AIRPORT EXP- CHICAGO ($56.00

MILLERS PUB ($25.00

MILLERS PUB ( $17.34

MILLERS PUB ($24.00

CHEESECAKE CHICAGO ($83.00

CARSONS RIBS CHICAGO ($97.00

MILLENNIUM KNICKERBOCHER ( $ 714.73

MILLENNIUM KNICKERBOCHER ($ 763.73

DO YOU KNOW THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME ?

Call Keith Stamm for a free no cost estimate of your home.


Please call anytime at 610) 921-3141 ext 204

FINANCE COMMITEE VOTE ON BOND SWAP

School Board voted for a 5 yr Libor bond swap / STAMM was the LONERANGER on This one.

Stamm was concerned with the risk , District taxpayers could lose millions

$ $ $ $ $ / WHEN WILL THE SPENDING STOP

Resolution # 2 in community relations / authorizes the Administration to schedule a school board policy governance presentation at a cost of $ 2,500 dollars This does not include food costs


VOTE WAS 7-2 FOR WITH STAMM and CINFICI voting against

COMMUNITY RELATIONS / APRIL 26TH BOARD MEETING

Amendment to Policy 121 / The Board and/ or Superintendent reserve the right to deny and to exercise judgment to cancel field trips that have received prior approval if they deem that the existing conditions could place students in serious physical,mental,emotional, or Moral jeopardy.


MORAL WAS THE WORD THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ADDED ( VOTE WAS 5-4 AGAINST

the change)

SANTORO, MCcREE, COOPER, STROMAN, GAIGE voted against the change


IM sorry to say that my fellow colleagues arent with us on morality!!!!

GOGGLE WORKS

I have several questions to ask ????


#1 What does it cost to heat the main bldg ?


#2 Who is paying for the energy costs of the goggle works ?


#3 What does it cost to cool the goggle works ?


#4 Have there been any crime issues in the vicinity of the works ?


Nobody seems to be able to answer these questions,or doesnt want to

( SMALL BILLS WILL SINK LARGE SHIPS )

This QUOTE IS FROM BEN FRANKLIN.


Whenever the current school administration and my colleagues tell me, that i should focus on the big picture.


I READ THIS QUOTE / I will share this with them in the near future



From your Finance Chairman of the Reading School District

MEDICAL BENEFITS / FISCAL WATCHDOG

I (KEITH STAMM voted no to seven administrators receiving Lifetime Medical benefits.


This also included their spouse if they had one. This vote took place toward the end of 2005.


I hope that my colleagues listen to me in the near future. We cannot continue giving away the store.


I continually ask for any ideas you might have to save our school district money.

LONG DISTANCE PHONE LINES

Calls have been made to places as far as TRINIDAD , DOMINION REPUBLIC, and PUERTO RICO.


Business Manager, Dennis Kelly is suppose to investigate and come up with a solution.


Hopefully something will be done to correct the abuse and save the Taxpayers of Reading


Any ideas are always welcomed, along with your comments / Ive been looking into


this for almost 3 years!!!!!

LONG DISTANCE PHONE LINES

Currently THE READING SCHOOL DISTRICT has 610 long distance phone lines


This is costing readings taxpayers $ 3.32 per line a month or roughly $ 24,000 dollars per year

VOTING ON ISSUES

I always try and vote with my convictions and a clear conscience. I usually sleep well after the way i cast my vote.

I tell new school directors ( Remember THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE )

Graduation at The Sovereign Center

Keith Stamm voted no to having graduation at the center city location. I did this because none of the current administration could show me, where we would raise the money to pay for this. COSTS FOR THIS LOCATION / $7000 +

Update on Costs For No Child Left Behind Lawsuit

An additional $6100 has been charged to the Reading School District in legal costs. Total amount for this lawsuit is now $41,100 paid for by the taxpayers of Reading.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND LAWSUIT

The current "No Child Left Behind lawsuit" is now in the state supreme court. I voted no everytime to the continued lawsuit because of the expense to the taxpayers of Reading,Pa.

Currently $35,000 dollars of taxpayers monies have been spent on this lawsuit.

Attack Against Keith Stamm

Reading School District Board of Directors
800 Washington St.
Reading, PA 19601-3616

Dear School Board Members, Dr. Chapman and staff:

Mr. Keith Stamm's obvious disdain for Keith Haring's depiction of a transsexual - or, as Mr. Stamm preferred to say at the February board meeting, the "he-she" - exemplifies the very attitudes and prejudice that should preclude him from being a board member.

After viewing Haring's work at the Reading Museum, I see that he was most concerned with the celebration of life, even under the most depressing of circumstances, and an obvious desire to bring unity and understanding to disparate groups of people.

Haring's image that Mr. Stamm finds so offensive perhaps depicts gender confusion felt by many adolescents or is perhaps a Jungian archtetype for the balance of the feminine and masculine; but it is certainly not, as Mr. Stamm so obviously believes, some sort of sexual perversion.

Mr. Stamm's obnoxious reaction, moreover, is certainly rooted in misconceptions about and prejudice against transsexuals and hermaphroditism.

Most transsexuals, or more appropriately those who opt for gender reassignment, do so for physical or physiological reasons; especially because of hormonal imbalance or because they were born as hermaphrodites. For many, the search to become comfortable with their bodies is also the search for peace of mind.

I am both appalled and saddened that Mr. Stamm does not, or chooses not to understand the complex issues that underlie Haring's art. His preference to censor Haring's art rather than understand it only reinforces prejudice, stifles creativity and discourages learning about the diversity and beauty of the world we live in and is yet to be discovered.

All of these traits are contrary to what our school district teaches and should not be exemplified by any member of the school board.

Sincerely,

Wayne Jonas Bealer

FOOD AT READING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS

Food has returned this year at all school board meetings. Recently the food was moved to a separate room . This is so the tv camera doesn"t show certain directors eating food. This food is being paid for with tax dollars. WHAT A SHAME!!!!!

STAMMS ENERGY SAVING IDEAS FOR SCHOOLS

(1) Place all lighted marquees on timers.


(2) Turn thermostat to 68 f during winter months


(3) Have motion detector type lights in restrooms


(4) Add insulation when replacing old roofs

Stamm Commends School Directors

Keith R Stamm , praised school directors for not fighting at their meetings. Most meetings have open and civil debate.

Stamm did this at the stated meeting of March22nd, 2006

MEETING OF READING SCHOOL DIRECTORS March 22nd,2006

Chicago vacation was approved for three board members on a 7 to 2 vote.Directors Stamm and Cinfici voted no due to the costs of over $4,800 charged to the district for this trip.

( Vacation ) is actually national schoolboard convention.

Other business discussed and voted on was a 6-3 vote for Turner construction,Directors Stamm,Cinfici and Storch voted no.

Cinfici raised the issue of the ongoing investigation of citywide corruption. He hopes that school district directors and officials are aware of the penalties of recieving kickbacks.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:
Your editorial about the Keith Haring exhibit at the Reading Public Museum made my point that the Reading School District is not responsible for the decision of which works of art are exhibited there, even though the school district owns the museum.

The premise of your editorial seemed to be that because the district does not financially support the museum, it should not have a say in which artwork is exhibited. You mentioned some $10,000-$15,000 in district contributions to the museum, although you dismissed this amount as insignificant. However, it is significant that the museum, as a public facility, does not pay real estate taxes. Additionally, the taxpayers pay for the museum's water and sewer bills. It is reasonable, therefore, for the district at least to question the appropriateness of the exhibit, especially because the district sends it's schoolchildren there.

Indeed, all I did was to ask* whether, under it's contract with the museum, the district could distance itself from the exhibit. It would seem that in the spirit of opposing "censorship", you would not have criticized me for exercising my right as a school director to ask appropriate legal questions.

William Cinfici
Reading School Director
1238 Linden st.
Reading,Pa 19604

* In Amy Anuszewski's otherwise accurate article, she reported that I made a statement that the district should distance itself from the exhibit, but a review of the videotape would reveal that I put it in the form of a question to the district's solicitor.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

Jason Bruderick implied that County Commissioner Mark Scott was reading sexuality into Keith Haring's art.Bruderick then stated that any art depicting sexual activity, like many of Haring's works, would not be the first shown at the museum. Perhaps Bruderick is the one reading sexual acts into art, for no one is aware of any examples of obscene art having been exibited before.

I note that the Reading Eagle itself could not publish these works. Yet Bruderick criticized several Reading School Directors for trying to "censor" part of the Haring exibit. Government would be engaging in censorship if it banned the exibition of art on private property. Exercising discretion over what government exibits on its own property is not censorship.

Moreover , I was exercising my right and responsibility toward our school children to question what power the school district has in regard to exibits at the museum, which it owns. Apparently, Bruderick would silence school board members in the name of preserving free speech.

I am proud to stand with Mark Scott, several of my fellow school directors, and others around the country like Rudolph Giuliani , who have opposed the exibition of indecent art at taxpayer- supported facilities.

Sincerly ,

KEITH STAMM
1622 n 15th st
Reading, Pa. 19604

Reading School Director

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

The Keith Haring saga continues with articles in "Voice" that moved me to do a web search as Mark Scott suggested.

I think we are being blindsided by selective information. The Keith Haring foundation site is more honest. It tempers praise with honesty.

Timothy Leary was first in his gods. His motto "Just say know" was proudly posted on Haring's studio door. Drugs expanded his world. That may explain why he posed naked in Time Square, his body painted to emphasize body parts while cameras clicked.

Not all his works were happy, frenzied cartoons. Among others desribed, one depicts seated people whose backs are pierced by crucifixes. Enough said.

Be careful, lest your narrow portrayal of him forms a pied piper to our youth. He should elicit more pity than praise.

Berks County has many contemporary artists, Randy Rowe, Jack Coggins and others that would not warrant such controversy.

Rosemarie Eshbach
Alsace Township

KEITH HARING EXHIBIT

Please be advised that some of KEITH HARINGS art could have a adverse psychological effect on children. I would not allow any children under the age of 18 to review his books in the museum shop.

Keith Harings Art Exhibit Jan 26 th 2006

I am a concerned parent and schoolboard member and would like to ask parents a simple question? Would you allow your children to view paintings that were of the ten commandents? Please review Keith Harings so called art with a google search of Keith Haring! I think you will find some of his work obscene. Just think after your children are taken to the READING PUBLIC MUSEUM they can come home and Google Keith Haring / I honestly believe most of the elite in BERKS COUNTY havent seen all of his work . If they did they would make protests to the museum with letters and phone calls. Thank you for reading my blog site and any comments are always appreciated.

ELECTION RESULTS (NOVEMBER 8TH, 2005)

KEITH STAMM lost in his attempt to win a city council seat in District #4 . Unofficial results were Marmorou(869) Stamm(663). Mr. Stamm would like to thank the people and the voters who supported him. If you, the voters in Berks and the Reading Area think KEITH should run for another office, please let him know at stamk@aol.com I am sure he would appreciate your comments. Possible races would be for state representative, mayor, or county commisioner.

STAMM'S CAMPAIGN

Keith Stamm distributes bumper stickers to voters in his district (at least 1000 have been handed out to date) Stamm has been seen campaigning door to door. The candidate is seeking contributions and volunteers to help with the campaign . Please contact STAMM at stamk@aol.com or call 610 921-3141 ext. 204.

PLEASE CHECK MY ARCHIVE FILES / SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK ON LEFT SIDE / CLICK ON BLACK ARROW

ARCHIVES ON KEITH STAMM

PLEASE CHECK MY ARCHIVE FILES / SCROLL DOWN AND CHECK ON LEFT SIDE

THE STAMM PLAN

* No Tax increases


* Repeal the $300 fee to sell your home


* Save Lake Antietam


* Tough on Crime

On the Wilson School Board Superintendent Election Method and a Short Note on the New Superintendent.

I spoke with the President of the Wilson School Board, and he told me that the Wilson Board was heavily involved in the election process - each member saw all the resumes and interviewed all candidates, and all the administrative support staff interviewed the candidates as well.

Compare that to the Reading School Board, where a committee was chosen by Board President Christian. They received 19 resumes for approval from the candidates, and we only ever interviewed 2.



I feel I should clarify some of my comments about Chapman. Upon the interviews and job resumes I had to look at, I had to vote against the new Superintendent-elect due to his lack of sufficient experience - he has never held the office of Superintendent before, unlike Stellar.

On Act 72 and what it means.

I'm very concerned about Act 72 because of the perception it gives to the taxpayers of Reading and the state of Pennsylvania.

This Act 72 isn't true tax reform. It is a gambling bill, and I am not a proponent of gambling. It sends a very dangerous message to the children in the state of Pennsylvania; it tells them that the government thinks it's okay to gamble for education funds. I am very troubled by the implications of this bill and it will be one of the hardest votes I have ever had to make. My moral background does not make me a fan of gambling, and many religious leaders in the state will agree that Act 72 is an affront to our moral values.

It gives School Districts permission to raise school taxes with the rate of inflation and also takes power away from School Boards with a back end referendum. The personal income tax will rise, which will encourage more of the wealthier people in Reading to leave, and above all, it will take $1 billion gambled away to give any substantial relief to the homeowners in Reading.

If I vote yes, it's only because the majority of homeowners are in desparate need of tax relief. But if I vote no, it's because of my principles and convictions alone.


(The School Board voted tonight on Act 72 legislation. 7 Board members voted for opting into the legislation. Only 2 members (Stamm and Steffy) voted against it.)

Antietam Lake, On the Superintendent Hiring, and What Is To Come.

Since it's been in the news, I will share my opinion on Antietam Lake.

I feel Antietam lake should be preserved as open space. Monies received should not be put in the city's general budget.

I would put them in an interest bearing account in which the principal could not be touched for 20 years; the interest from the monies would be used to fund police activites - for example, alloting resources to allow the use of police dogs on the force again.



An FYI:

I was contacted by the York City Times on Friday by a reporter asking me if a Carlos lopez was a candidate for School Superintendent. I explained I wasn't shown the resumes. I also confirmed the hiring of Tom Chapman. She was amused by how discreetly the process was handled.

My advice to other school boards looking to hire a new superintendent is to follow the process that the Wilson School Board used. In my opinion, it is probably the best method for determining the quality of your candidates.

And as I am interested in reporting all the truth and leaving no facts unspoken, I will when I return have the Wilson School Board hiring process online for you to see.

Also, when I return:

For a Better Reading: THE STAMM PLAN.

If you want to donate money to my City Council race. . .

Send your check or cash contributions to

c/o Friends to Elect Keith Stamm
1622 N. 15th St.
Reading, PA 19604

Victory!

The Reading High School Band won first place at the Apple Blossom parade on Saturday. The students in the band are wonderful students, dedicated to performing their best. I'm very proud of what they have accomplished and what they will continue to accomplish.

I'm very proud of my daughter.

So if you see a member of the Reading High School band this week or next weekend, congratulate them on their victory.

I would just like to call your attention to this.

At the February 23 Reading School Board meeting, the Finance Committee passed Resolution 5, ordering 22 external defibrillators for the district.

I was the one who initially suggested the resolution, and if you'll allow me a moment to explain, I'll tell you why I wanted to purchase these defibrillators. This won't be coming out of the budget - the money for the machines will be raised wholly from fundraising efforts.

I originally came up with the idea after speaking to Captain Jimenez, the head of the JROTC program at Reading High School. I asked him if he had any students who ever passed out in school, and what he felt should be done about it, if he would feel better if there were defibrillators on school property; he said yes. I spoke to the Superintendent and several others on the School Board about these defibrillators, and they all agreed that it was a good idea to pursue.

Our students need the care and protection they deserve, and I believe we must give as much of that protection to them as possible. Defibrillators are just one of the ways for us to do so.

On the upcoming Reading School Board elections

I would like to announce that I support William Cinfici and Phil Coles for School Director positions on the Reading School Board.

Both of these candidates are fiscally responsible and will be a great asset to the District. I urge any Reading residents who read my blog to vote for both these candidates, and please contact me with any questions.

My choice for Superintendent of the Reading School District

I would choose Arthur Stellar for his past experience. He would be good for the taxpayers of Reading due to his stated goals for reducing cost and improving education throughout the district.

For further information, I urge anyone interested in knowing more about Dr. Stellar to run a Google search on his name. What you'll find will be very interesting.

PRESS RELEASE - STAMM ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR CITY COUNCIL

(Note: Since the normal channels for such announcements have failed to include this among their list of press releases, this will be posted here.)

READING - Keith Stamm, the fiscal watchdog of the Reading School Board, today announced that he is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Reading City Council in the Fourth Council District.

Keith Stamm was elected in 2003 as Reading School Director. During his service on the School board, he has demonstrated fiscal responsibility by opposing tens of thousands of dollars of wastefulspending and helping to prevent any tax increases (see also his weblog at http://keithstamm.blogspot.com). "I want to do for the City of Reading what I have done for the Reading School District," said Stamm. He is running on the platform of fiscal responsibility and preventing of any tax increases.

Another major Plank in Stamm's platform is opposing the $300 fee imposed in 2004 by the City of Reading for all city homeowners who sell their homes.The Fourth Reading City Council District includes the 17th and 13th Wards. The district is currently represented by Michael Schorn. Schorn is not seeking reelection.

Important votes (in separate voting) from Wednesday, Feb. 23th, 2005

Finance Resolution 9: Votes on whether or not to table the issue of purchasing copy paper from Savin Corp. for further investigation (taken due to presentation of article published morning of Feb. 23 about Rendell administration and warehousing of supplies, reprinted below, you may have to scroll down until you see the article):
5 For/4 (Cooper, McCree, McDowell, Marmarou) Against

Finance Resolution 16: Votes on whether or not to authorize the appeal of Feb. 8th ruling in Reading School District No Child Left Behind lawsuit to PA Supreme Court:
8 For/1 (Stamm) Against

More articles from the paper

Feb. 21, 2004: Ads in school buses pitched

A firm would share revenues with districts. The Reading superintendent would consider the idea.

©2004 Reading Eagle Company By Adam Wilson Reading Eagle

Berks County school districts may be asked whether they’re willing to bombard students with advertisements inside school buses in order to pick up some extra money.

That’s if an idea by a startup Allegheny County company takes hold.

InSight Media’s plan is a simple one: Place ads inside school buses and give the school district between 20 percent and 40 percent of the gross revenue.

"We’ll saturate Allegheny first, and then look to other counties and states," said Brian D. Unger, company president.

Issues regarding advertising on public school property often open philosophical debates for school boards.

"That kind of decision is one that school boards always struggle with," said Dr. M. Melissa Jamula, Reading School District superintendent. "We have Channel One in our secondary schools and a Pepsi scoreboard as part of a previous agreement. Those decisions did not come lightly."

Channel One is a network that provides districts with free TV equipment in classrooms in return for airing a 12-minute daily news program that contains advertising.

Unger said the ads in school buses would be education-driven, such as college-recruitment ads. The ads would be inside the buses where they would be viewed only by riders.

Under Pennsylvania law, advertising is illegal on the outside of school buses.

"We are going after clean, wholesome advertisers," Unger said. "We are not going to have McDonald’s Big Mac ads in school buses."

Unger estimated that a school district that owns and operates 60 buses could net an additional $120,000 in annual revenue.

The money could be a great incentive for many districts to sign up, said Dr. Lee T. Fredericks, Wilson School District superintendent.

But Fredericks said it’s not an avenue that Wilson, which owns 41 buses, would explore.

"I’m fortunate enough to be in a school district with the wherewithal to do without putting ads on buses," Fredericks said.

"But I understand the plight of other districts," he said. "In light of No Child Left Behind, I can see why they are looking under every nook and cranny for extra dollars."

The federal No Child Left Behind Act has been criticized for requiring schools to meet standards without providing funding.

As long as the ad campaign was tasteful and strictly confined to the inside of the buses, Fredericks said, there shouldn’t be too many concerns.

"There’s advertising on Channel One. There’s advertising in athletic stadiums. There’s advertising in (athletic) programs," he said. "If it was inside the buses, how could you argue it is any different?"

Unger, however, said the ads on buses would be different because they would be screened by the participating school district.

Districts would be required to establish an advisory council consisting of two school board members and a member of the parent-teacher organization to review ads before they were placed, Unger said.

"They will have complete veto power over what their children are allowed to see," he said. "It’s completely different from having Coke machines in schools, for example."

Jamula said that Reading would consider such a proposal.

"Certainly we would be very willing to see what a company had to say about the process," she said. "It is absolutely something we would consider, but we would enter it with an open mind."

The Berks County Intermediate Unit operates buses for four Berks school districts, but any decision about advertisements on those buses would be made by the individual districts, said Stanley J. Kita Jr., BCIU assistant executive director.

Kita said that money might not be the only factor influencing a school district’s decision.

"There’s the philosophical issue that has to play in there," he said. "They could say, ‘Yes we could do with the revenue, but philosophically we don’t agree with exposing our students to advertising.’ "

Fredericks said a plan by Gov. Ed Rendell to put a ceiling on how much a school district could raise property taxes without a public referendum could create an avalanche of entrepreneurial ways to generate revenue.

"We wouldn’t be limited to putting ads on our buses," he said. "We would look at every which way to raise additional moneys to fund our programs.

"I think we’d look at every possible scenario. I think that every district would be in the same straits."

Contact reporter Adam Wilson at 610-371-5042 or awilson@readingeagle.com



Oct. 21, 2004:Improved vo-tech school coming

After 10 years of talks, the committee that operates the facility attended by Reading and Muhlenberg students hires renovation contractors.

©2004 Reading Eagle Company By Mike Trask Reading Eagle

The operating committee of the Reading-Muhlenberg Vocational Technical School took the final step Monday night toward the school’s $23 million expansion and renovation — a project that has been under discussion for 10 years.

The committee voted 5-0 to award contracts for the project, which is scheduled to begin next month. Completion is expected by September 2006.

Reading will pay 55 percent of the cost, and Muhlenberg, 45 percent. The split is based on the assessed market value of properties in each district.

The school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students from Reading and Muhlenberg school districts.

The project — the first of its kind at the school — is intended to boost enrollment by about 400 students a year.

Tourism and hospitality are among programs likely to be added, officials said.

Both districts have discussed the project for 10 years. Officials said Monday that they are thrilled it’s coming to fruition.

"I got on this board nine years ago and the discussions were already under way," said Donald B. Raifsnider Jr., a member of both the Muhlenberg school board and the technical school operating committee.

Dr. M. Melissa Jamula, Reading superintendent, called the day historic.

She said the expansion will allow the school to offer additional programs and improve existing classes.

"It’s going to give our students a first-class facility that they deserve," Jamula said.

Original bids earlier this year for the project came in at $5 million more than anticipated, so staff in both districts worked to get the cost down and had the contracts re-bid.

Committee members said the wait was worth it.

Keith R. Stamm, chairman, said the work will give students a better opportunity to learn.

"I feel this will give students more encouragement to stay in school," he said.

Contact reporter Mike Trask at 610-371-5037 or mtrask@reading eagle.com



Feb. 20, 2005: Suits cost Reading schools thousands

District officials say the total so far is about $25,000 for battling the No Child Left Behind law. Some question if it’s worth the effort.

©2005 Reading Eagle Company By Kori Walter Reading Eagle

Being the first school district in the country to go to court over the federal No Child Left Behind law has cost the Reading School District about $25,000 in legal fees so far, school board members said. The district has filed three lawsuits trying to get relief from sanctions the state has imposed on city schools under the 2001 law. So far, the district has little to show for the $25,000 investment — which is roughly $6,000 less than the minimum starting salary for a teacher. The state Commonwealth Court has ruled against the district in two of the suits. Both of those decisions have been appealed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. A third suit is pending before Commonwealth Court.

Board President John P. Santoro Jr. said paying lawyers a few thousand dollars is worthwhile, considering the stakes.

The district has estimated it would take about $26 million to hire faculty and expand academic programs so that schools could meet the math and reading standards required by No Child Left Behind.

"When you think about what it’s going to cost us eventually if we just drop it (the legal action), the taxpayers of Reading can’t afford it and the taxpayers of Pennsylvania can’t afford it," Santoro said.

The cornerstone of President Bush’s education policy, No Child Left Behind requires public schools to improve reading and math test scores each year.

All districts in the nation will be required to have 100 percent of students, including those in special education, proficient in reading and math by 2014. Keith R. Stamm has been the only Reading board member arguing that the district, which has a $132 million budget, cannot afford the rising legal tab. "I just don’t see them winning," Stamm said. "If they would win, I would dance on Penn Street." Stamm also said he is concerned that no other districts in the state have been willing to join the legal fight. "You can’t tell me that if it were such a great idea that you wouldn’t have some other school districts doing it," Stamm said, referring to suing the state. Although contempt for the No Child Left Behind is widespread, Reading is the only district in the state to wage a legal battle. Stuart L. Knade, chief counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, said few districts consider going to court to be practical.

"The federal statute itself has a number of flaws and problems, but the extent to which a legal action could solve those flaws would be limited or prohibitively expensive," Knade said.

Proving the state or federal government is not providing enough money to meet the law’s academic standards also is difficult, Knade said.

"That’s again one of those issues ... how much money is enough?" Knade asked. "You can spend a lot of money litigating that."

Knade added that a lot of districts are waiting to see how well the law works and exactly how the state is implementing the law before rushing to court.

If funding is not increased to meet the standards, which steadily increase the percentage of students who must be proficient in reading and math each year, Knade said there could be more districts heading to court.

"I think the issues are just beginning to become ripe for litigation," Knade said.

Contact reporter Kori Walter at 610-371-5022 or kwalter@readingeagle.com



Feb. 23, 2005: State will save $4 million a year by changing office-supply process

Gov. Ed Rendell says a new contract will eliminate the need for a warehousing network that officials term cumbersome.

The Associated Press

HARRISBURG — Changes in how the state buys office supplies will allow it to shed or reuse 13 warehouses and save $4 million annually, Gov. Ed Rendell said Tuesday.

Under a contract awarded last year, office supplies are now purchased when needed, not stored in bulk, and are delivered directly to state offices by the supplier, officials said.

That wipes out the need for a warehousing network that state officials say is cumbersome and lagging behind a private sector that over the past decade has consolidated its shipping to save money.

Rendell noted that the $4 million savings is small next to the state’s $23 billion budget, but the money will be wellused. For instance, $4 million can pay for 11,000 children to receive after-school tutoring, he said.

"These savings have a direct benefit in human terms," Rendell said.

The cuts will be added to a growing list that Rendell has said he hopes will reach $1 billion in annual savings on government operations by the end of his four-year term next year. The total annual savings so far is about $350 million and could reach $500 million by the end of the year if the administration can force pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices they charge the state, Rendell said.

The shuttered warehouses are all in the Harrisburg area, said Don Cunningham, the state secretary for general services. The 40 warehouse workers will be transferred to different state jobs, officials said.

About two-thirds of the warehouses were leased, while the rest are owned by the state. The owned spaces can be sold or reused, Cunningham said.

Formerly, office supplies were delivered to one of the Harrisburg-area warehouses, each of which served a particular state agency. The supplies were then shipped to a countybased warehouse before being shipped again to a state office.

Supplies were purchased in advance, and sometimes pens sat for so long that the ink dried out before they arrived at an office, Rendell said. At other times, state workers would get so frustrated waiting for supplies to arrive that they would buy the items from a retail outlet, Cunningham said.

Under the new system, many of the county-based warehouses are no longer needed, officials said. The state has hired a consultant to advise it on how to use its properties in a more efficient way.

That means looking at 9,000 owned buildings and 1,400 leased properties, state officials said.

All articles reproduced herein © 2004 Reading Eagle Company

Quick quiz

Does anyone know why I ran for office of school director?

I was asked to run by a current board member (Rodney Steffy). That's how my passion for the school board started.

Some more articles of interest

Mar. 23, 2004: City district receives budget-balancing plan

By Shaun Lockhart Reading Eagle

The Reading School Board is considering a plan that would invest about $76 million from the district’s construction fund and use a portion of the interest to offset a projected budget deficit.

Robert A. Schoch, district business manager, presented the plan to the board Monday night.

The plan would call for dividing the money in half and investing in two types of accounts, with the district getting half of the interest from one of the accounts up front and the rest paid out over several years.

Schoch said this tactic could provide a budget-balancing strategy that could help make up the savings found last year through refinancing and additional borrowing.

The district would still have money — more than $10 million — to do various projects.

The district is in the midst of a $100 million renovation and expansion of its facilities, although so far only a handful of the districts schools have been rehabilitated since the effort began about five years ago.

The board could vote on the measure Wednesday.

In other business, Dr. M. Melissa Jamula, superintendent, presented a plan to the board to cut the number of cell phones in the district to 73 from 111.

Jamula said 73 phones were needed so key staff could be reached in the event of an emergency. The plan calls for the 30 of the phones, to be utilized by the facilities department, with the rest distributed to key personnel throughout the district.

The plan would could save the district $22,324 a year, according to Jamula.
Board member Keith Stamm, who has championed the issue since before he joined the board, said 53 would seem like a more reasonable number. The board will likely vote on the measure Wednesday night.

Contact reporter Shaun Lockhart at 610-371-5032 or slockhart@readingeagle.com


Mar. 29, 2004: City schools reject raises for coaches

The board votes against $43,828 in pay hikes for the 36 employees despite the superintendent’s reminder that they have gone 10 years without an increase.

By Shaun Lockhart Reading Eagle

There will be no raises — at least for now — for the 36 members of the Reading High School coaching staff.

The school board, by a 5-4 vote, rejected $43,828 in raises for 36 coaches at the high school. The district has $102,913 earmarked for coaching salaries this year.

Board members Frederick H. Gaige, Ronald A. McDowell, Stratton Marmarou and Kenneth Christian voted for the raises. Board members Keith Stamm, Karen McCree, Pierre Cooper, John Santoro and Rodney E. Steffy opposed the raises.

Before the vote Marmarou pleaded with board members to consider the coaches before casting their votes.

Dr. M. Melissa Jamula, superintendent, said coaches have gone 10 years without a raise.

She said many coaches go above and beyond the call of duty and deserve compensation that would make them competitive with other districts.
Coaching salaries aren’t included in the teachers collective bargaining agreement and must be negotiated separately, officials said.

Santoro said he recognized the raises were deserved, but the district couldn’t afford the additional expense for extracurricular activities while making cuts in other areas.

McCree agreed and said she would support the raises if the administration could find a way to fund them beyond the current school year.

Jamula said she hopes the board will reconsider.

"These coaches do so much," she said.

Reading High tennis coach Mike Mavreles said Friday that he understands the district’s financial situation and wasn’t expecting a raise.

"Whatever they did is fine with me," said Mavreles, who is paid $1,600 a year and is in his second year a tennis coach. "I am satisfied with what I was receiving."

Reading wrestling coach Joseph Ferrari said he is disappointed by the board’s actions. Ferrari, who also teaches at Southwest Middle School, claims Reading coaches’ salaries are among the lowest in the region.

"If they are going to reconsider I’ll wait and see what happens," said Ferrari, who is paid $4,050 to coach. "I’m not going to work the rest of my life for $4,000.

Contact reporter Shaun Lockhart at 610-371-5032 or at slockhart@readingeagle.com


May 4, 2004:Reading board OKs changes to high school’s dress code

From our news staff

The Reading School Board voted 5-3 Monday night to approve revisions to Reading High School’s dress code that will allow students to wear jeans and sweat pants. Board members Pierre V. Cooper, Frederick H. Gaige, Karen H. McCree, Ronald A. McDowell and John Santoro Jr. voted for the change. Board members Kenneth J. Christian and Stratton P. Marmarou, both of whom were opposed, questioned if the revised code could be enforced. Keith R. Stamm, who also voted no, said he was concerned the change will result in abuses and allow teachers to dress more casually. Board member Rodney E. Steffy was absent. McCree, who is chairwoman of the committee in charge of the dress code, said board members should have raised their concerns in committee meetings instead of waiting until Monday night. Under the revised policy, high school students still will have to dress neatly and will be prohibited from wearing clothes that are intentionally ripped or display inappropriate messages. The dress code will remain unchanged at other district schools. The policy also gives administrators leeway to determine if clothing is inappropriate. The change was prompted by a districtwide survey in which many teachers said they devoted too much time to enforcing the more restrictive dress code.


Aug. 11, 2004: Panel: City school tax should rise

A 7.5 percent increase and spending cuts would strengthen the case for more state aid, a district financialrecovery team says.

©2004 Reading Eagle Company By Kori Walter Reading Eagle

City taxpayers should pay an extra 7.5 percent in property taxes to show the state that the cash-strapped Reading School District is serious about shoring up its finances, a district financial-recovery team recommended Tuesday.

Property taxes would increase by one-half of a mill each year during the 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years, according to the recommendations released by the panel during a hearing at Reading Area Community College.

The tax rate would rise to 21.25 mills from 19.75 mills during those years. That would mean a $75 tax hike on a property assessed at $50,000.
Paul R. Roedel, chairman of the 11-member panel, said the tax hike could be used as leverage in talks with Harrisburg about increasing state aid.

"We believe there must be some level of local support or we won’t have a chance at more state support," said Roedel, a former Carpenter Technology Corp. executive.

But none of the panel’s recommendations, which also include cutting costs by $6.8 million and spending $11 million on new education programs, can be implemented without approval from the school board.

Board member Keith R. Stamm said after Tuesday’s hearing that he doubts raising taxes will get much support.

"Rather than recommending a tax increase, I would have liked to see more cost reductions as a sign to the state of our good-faith efforts," Stamm said.

The panel’s blueprint for restoring financial stability relies heavily on hefty contributions from the state.

While property owners would be asked to chip in an extra $1.7 million in taxes, the panel projected the state will need to come through with a total of $23.1 million during the next three years.

Without the revenue, the panel projected the district’s budget deficit will hit $11.26 million by 2007-08.

"We cannot generate (property) tax funds to provide for the education of the challenging kids we have," Roedel said.

County Commissioner Mark C. Scott, who served on the panel, said the team could have been more aggressive with its cost-cutting forecasts.

A state Department of Education analysis found that the district could save a total of $4 million. More than half of that money — $2.6 million — could be saved by laying off 54 maintenance workers, custodians, guidance counselors and teachers, the state concluded.

Roedel’s panel set a goal of trimming costs by just $2 million using some of the state’s costcutting suggestions.

"I’m not sure the city of Reading needs to step up and chip in extra real-estate taxes as a gesture of good faith in a city that’s already taxed out to the max," Scott said.

Contact reporter Kori Walter at 610-371-5022 or kwalter@readingeagle.com


Aug. 26, 2004: City school board to appeal lawsuit ruling

The 7-1 decision also appeals any state sanctions against the district for not complying with a federal education law.

By Shaun Lockhart Reading Eagle

The Reading School Board voted 7-1 Wednesday night to appeal a state court decision that threw out its lawsuit against President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act.

The district’s appeal, which was approved in two separate votes that had identical outcomes, also includes language that appeals any Pennsylvania Department of Education sanctions the district experienced as a result of not complying with the law.

Board member Keith R. Stamm cast the sole vote against the appeals. Board member Dr. Frederick H. Gaige was absent.

Before the votes, board president Kenneth J. Christian urged the board to support the appeal, which will be filed with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Christian said the money the district was putting into the lawsuit was small when compared to what the district would save if the suit were a success.
"The ultimate payoff could be very big for us," he said.

The district has calculated that it would take $26.1 million to improve test scores in the five schools the state cited last year for not meeting academic standards set forth in the Act, officials said.

So far the district has spent $18,400 on its lawsuit.

Stamm said he voted against the appeals because of the mounting legal costs.
Stamm said he asked Richard L. Guida, the district’s solicitor, if he would waive his fees for the case if the district lost. Guida declined.

In a ruling issued earlier this month, the three-judge Commonwealth Court panel said the district failed to prove that it had not received enough money to comply with the law, and that it was not practical for the state to offer statewide standardized tests in languages other than English.

In other business, the district awarded two $500 prizes as part of its Reading SAVES program, which seeks to recognize good ideas for saving money. The prizes were awarded to one teacher and one student.

The winners are:

Karen Quinn, a Reading High School teacher, who proposed teachers list materials they don’t need on the school Web site and make them available for teachers who need them.

Jessica Sedoti, a ninthgrader at Reading High, who proposed getting companies to sponsor individual schools financially or with services for a year.

Contact reporter Shaun Lockhart at 610-371-5032 or slockhart@readingeagle.com

Oct. 12, 2004: Improved vo-tech school coming

After 10 years of talks, the committee that operates the facility attended by Reading and Muhlenberg students hires renovation contractors.

©2004 Reading Eagle Company By Mike Trask Reading Eagle

The operating committee of the Reading-Muhlenberg Vocational Technical School took the final step Monday night toward the school’s $23 million expansion and renovation — a project that has been under discussion for 10 years.

The committee voted 5-0 to award contracts for the project, which is scheduled to begin next month. Completion is expected by September 2006.
Reading will pay 55 percent of the cost, and Muhlenberg, 45 percent. The split is based on the assessed market value of properties in each district.

The school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students from Reading and Muhlenberg school districts.

The project — the first of its kind at the school — is intended to boost enrollment by about 400 students a year.

Tourism and hospitality are among programs likely to be added, officials said.

Both districts have discussed the project for 10 years. Officials said Monday that they are thrilled it’s coming to fruition.

"I got on this board nine years ago and the discussions were already under way," said Donald B. Raifsnider Jr., a member of both the Muhlenberg school board and the technical school operating committee.

Dr. M. Melissa Jamula, Reading superintendent, called the day historic. She said the expansion will allow the school to offer additional programs and improve existing classes.

"It’s going to give our students a first-class facility that they deserve," Jamula said.

Original bids earlier this year for the project came in at $5 million more than anticipated, so staff in both districts worked to get the cost down and had the contracts re-bid.

Committee members said the wait was worth it.

Keith R. Stamm, chairman, said the work will give students a better opportunity to learn.

"I feel this will give students more encouragement to stay in school," he said.

Contact reporter Mike Trask at 610-371-5037 or mtrask@readingeagle.com


All articles reproduced herein © 2004 Reading Eagle Company