Eagle's View A View Around Town By: Klaus Gaebel Saugerties Post Star , May 8, 2008
According to the 5-year contract Saugerties School Superintendent Richard Rhau signed in early 2004, the Board of Education has to “notify the Superintendent, on or before June 30, 2008, whether it intends to extend his employment for an additional year commencing on July 1, 2009, or whether the Superintendent's term will expire on June 30, 2009.” There had been talk last year that some on the board were considering extending Rhau’s contract for a year. Whether that was the case or not may no longer be of any consequence, since during a recent meeting, Rhau told those in attendance “there’s no secret that at the end of next year I’m retiring as the superintendent.”
3 Year Wait SESA (Saugerties Educational Support Association) employees saw their contract approved by the Board of Education after their membership ratified the contract a week earlier. SESA represents support staff including teaching assistants, teacher aides, clerical, and food service personnel in the Saugerties Central School system. A major downside to not having had a contract since June of 2005 is that employees haven’t had a pay raise since then. But, that will be rectified since they’ll soon be getting a check for the back pay owed.
Campaigning Beyond District Lines This probably happens more often than candidates are willing to admit. When campaigning door-to-door, how many have unknowingly campaigned in the wrong town, especially when on an unfamiliar road. It happened once to Bill Poythress when he ran for the County Legislature years back. After opening up his door and being handed brochure, a homeowner told Poythress he couldn’t vote for him. Poythress had crossed the boundary line and was campaigning in Greene County - not Saugerties. Tom Ham, making his second run for the board after just missing out on a seat by 25 votes last year, must have an overzealous fan on East Chester Street in Kingston. They’ve got one of his lawn signs. Some Saugerties residents driving by the sign probably recognize Ham as a Saugerties candidate, but it’s got to be confusing to some Kingston residents. Then again, with 10 candidates running in Kingston for 3 seats, seeing Ham’s name probably isn’t getting too many second “who’s that” glances, except from the most ardent school board observers. Along with Ham, seeking seats in Saugerties on May 20th are William J. Creen II, Walter Frey Jr., Steve Haun, Charles Schirmer, and Lanny Walter. |