The following article,
written by Klaus Gaebel, is reprinted from The
Saugerties Post Star, 03-27-08 Eagle's View A View Around Town Saugerties Post Star , March 27,
2008 Water on Washington Avenue School
Parking Lot Tom Thornton, of Washington Avenue in the village, showed
the board pictures of water collecting on the school owned
parking lot and grass area across from the Cahill Elementary
School. Thornton said the "lake" adds to water problems
many homeowners have on their property and cellars,
necessitating pumping. Rainwater collects in the summer, causing mosquito and
insect breeding grounds, according to Thornton. Thornton
also said that the problem is duplicated in the winter when
piles of plowed snow melt causing flood conditions. Thornton claimed a simple and inexpensive drain could be
installed and tapped into an existing drain line, which
would remove many gallons of water and relieve the
problem. Esopus Creek Road Transportation
A resolution to continue transportation for some children
on Espous Creek Road was tabled in order to provide time to
research the details surrounding the request. Karl Lazette, owner and operator of Lazette Express
Incorportated which provides transportation services to
students in Saugerties, objected to waiving "the district's
current ½ mile walk to the bus stop policy in order to
accommodate the request of a family on Esopus Creek Road."
Reading from a letter prepared for board members, Lazette
said that "I'd like to advise the board that any
consideration of a resolution of this type jeopardizes the
foundation of the transportation system, and would
potentially subject the Saugerties Central School District
to an epidemic of similar requests, of potentially hundreds
of thousands of unnecessary transportation costs." Lazette said that his company, along with other
transporters in Saugerties, have worked with the district's
transportation office to uphold the district policies
concerning location of bus stops. Lazette said hundreds of
requests have been made in the last 15 years for exceptions
to the policies, and "the families in each case learned to
accept and live with the policy and the district's decision
to enforce it." Board member George Heidcamp responded during the board
comment period that a decision by the Commissioner of
Education in a 2004 case stated that boards of educations
can designate pick up and drop off points for special
circumstances. Heidcamp also said a petition signed by 25
people was submitted to the board for a variance. No Show Claims Due To
Snow Board member Terry Parisian stated "He [George
Heidcamp in a February 14th Freeman online comment]
along with an Eagle's View guy [referring to Klaus
Gaebel's Eagle's View column in the Post Star 02/24/08]
seemed to bash three board members for not making a meeting
during the last snowstorm. Every school in every school
district in the county cancelled their board meeting that
night. For some reason this board meeting was held, last
February." Parisian continued by saying: "But I just wanted to
comment since I was bashed in the Freeman article online
comments [by George Heidcamp] and in the Eagle's
View, local paper, that I did not attend this meeting, I
just wanted to make it perfectly clear that I did send an
email to the president [Don Tucker] explaining that
I just had major hip surgery, left hip surgery replaced. I
was in the hospital for three days, and I was not up to
[transporting myself] in the snow on that night, so
I did not make that meeting. I am also president of the
Ulster County School Board meeting, and I did not make that
Thursday night either, just because I wasn't feeling
well." Board President Don Tucker responded that he did not know
Parisian was having surgery, and if an email was sent, he
didn't receive it. Tucker acknowledged he may be having
email problems on his computer. Board member Michael Brennan was also not at the meeting,
and said he had mentioned to Tucker's wife the night before
that if it snowed the day of the board meeting, maybe they
should cancel the February 12th meeting. Brennan also said
he had "heard on the radio that all after school activities
would be cancelled, and I didn't check my emails until about
9:30 at night and then I saw an email that this meeting was
possibly going to continue." The special board meeting was arranged to make a decision
on the weight room and technology department space. Some
board members considered making a decision urgent in order
to allow proper time to change the architectural plans for
the proposed space.