Saturday, June 09, 2007

NBC's Alison Stewart hates East Providence

Just was watching NBC's Today Show when news reader Alison Stewart mentioned a kitten being stuck in a sewer storm drain in East Providence, RI.

She commented that she has been stuck in East Providence before and that she would not like to be stuck there (or to that effect)!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Steve Stycos: FARMERS' MARKET OPENS MAY 5

FARMERS' MARKET OPENS MAY 5

Saturday May 5, the Pawtuxet Village Farmers' Market will begin its fifth
season with a new emphasis on careful use of our natural resources. The
market will start small with greenhouse grown hanging plants and flats of
vegetable and flower seedlings. Among those at the market will be Ger and
Chang Xiong, who will have spinach, lettuce mix, eggs and a variety of
vegetable plants.

We will also be collecting used berry boxes (only about one month to
locally grown strawberries). The project encourages customers to return
plastic clamshell and fiberboard berry boxes to the market. We will then
attach a farmers' market recycling label and give them to farmers for
reuse.

The program will be coordinated by Annemarie Bruun, but will only work if
customers return boxes. We accept boxes purchased at the market or
elsewhere. So far, more than 500 have been collected. Clean quart
boxes.for June strawberries, pint boxes for July blueberries and half pint
boxes for September raspberries, may be returned to a table at the market.

We are also considering having a used book sale at the market. If you are
interested in helping, please hit your reply button and let us know you
are interested.

See you Saturday at the market from 9 to 12 in the upper parking lot of
Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, on Rhodes Place, just off Broad Street on the
Cranston side of Pawtuxet Village.

To receive the market email newsletter, contact ch1650@pol.net.


GREEN PARTY

Micki Whelan and Jeff Kamminga of Baby Greens are inviting all Pawtuxet
Village Farmers' Market customers to a customer appreciation brunch,
Sunday May 6 from noon to 3 at their home, 46 South Fair Street on the
Warwick side of Pawtuxet Village. Everyone is welcome for conversation,
food and a sale of jewelry and soaps made by Micki. Please RSVP to
461-7999 or babygreensri@cox.net.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Obama Moves to Top of Poll

From Rasmussen Reports...

Obama is up, Giuliani slips to second, Edwards gains ground, and the other candidates remain in pretty much where they were a month ago. Those are the April results from a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey asking if citizens would definitely vote for or against the 2008 contenders.

Thirty-three percent (33%) of Likely Voters say they’d definitely vote for Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D). That’s the highest total received by any of ten leading Presidential hopefuls included in the poll. Thirty-three percent (33%) also say they’d definitely vote against Obama giving him a net differential of zero (33% definitely for minus 33% definitely against equals net differential of 0). All other candidates have a net differential in negative territory meaning more people are set to definitely vote against them rather than for them. Other polling during the past month found Obama’s favorability ratings have increased to the highest level of any 2008 candidate (see summary of all Democratic and Republican candidates)

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Cranston Schools

From Kmareka...

I went to the meeting of the Cranston City Council on Tuesday...


A must read for all Cranstonites...

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Thursday, April 05, 2007

The Rude Pundit

From The Rude Pundit...

4/5/2007
Why Ann Coulter Is a C***, Part 3741 (Darfur Edition):
Because in her latest "column" (if by "column," you mean, "the s*** swirls and coloring book scribbles of a deranged, spasmodic demi-infant"), she actually says that Darfur is "a country from which no one anticipates terrorism anytime in the next millennium." It is the kind of statement, published in hundreds of newspapers and websites, gleefully repeated by troglodytes with no actual opinion to call their own, that ought to have a person permanently banned from all writing and speaking gigs unless they involve a wooden box and a street corner. While we shouldn't give a f*** about the context of such a blatantly bats*** nutzoid statement, Coulter was saying that Democrats would rather invade Darfur to stop the genocide than invade Iraq. Did that make a difference? Not really.

Let's do this quickly, shall we? Darfur - not a "country." It's part of Sudan. Sudan gave al-Qaeda the support - in allowing terrorist training camps there, among other things - to carry out the attack on the USS Cole in 2000. Osama bin Laden once had headquarters in Khartoum. There is no doubt that Sudan is deeply enmeshed in terrorist financing and other activities.

Leaving out that any editor worth a happy monkey f*** should have caught the error in Darfur being called a "country" in a nationally-syndicated column, it truly boggles the f****** mind, as it always does, as to why this ridiculous clown of a c*** beast is allowed to f*** her babblings into the air.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Thai King p-o'ed at this?

From USA Today...

The Thai government blocked access to the popular YouTube video website Wednesday saying a short film it features insults the country's beloved monarch.

Blocking access to YouTube was part of the military-installed government's move to shut down any websites deemed insulting to the king, and authorities will crack down on more, said Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, the minister of information and technology.


Saturday, March 31, 2007

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Why We Fight

I have returned from being out of town for a week. I caught this and wanted to come back to it because of its importance.

From Kmareka...

This documentary, Why We Fight, is over an hour and a half long, and worth every minute. If you ask yourself this question daily, which many Americans do, you owe it to yourself to consider the arguments made in this video and what they mean to our long-term survival as a nation.



Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions

The American Documentary Grand Jury Prize was given to WHY WE FIGHT, written and directed by Eugene Jarecki. http://festival.sundance.org/2005/docs/05Awards.pdf

What are the forces that shape and propel American militarism? This award-winning film provides an inside look at the anatomy of the American war machine.

He may have been the ultimate icon of 1950s conformity and postwar complacency, but Dwight D. Eisenhower was an iconoclast, visionary, and the Cassandra of the New World Order. Upon departing his presidency, Eisenhower issued a stern, cogent warning about the burgeoning "military industrial complex," foretelling with ominous clarity the state of the world in 2004 with its incestuous entanglement of political, corporate, and Defense Department interests.

Deploying the general's farewell address as his strategic ground zero, Eugene Jarecki launches a full-frontal autopsy of how the will of a people has become an accessory to the Pentagon. Surveying the scorched landscape of a half-century's military misadventures and misguided missions, Jarecki asks how--and tells why--a nation ostensibly of, by, and for the people has become the savings-and-loan of a system whose survival depends on a state of constant war.

Jarecki, whose previous film, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, took such an unblinking look at our ex-secretary of state, might have delivered his film in time for the last presidential election, but its timing is also its point: It does not matter who is in charge as long as the system remains immune from the checks and balances of a peace-seeking electorate. Brisk, intelligent, and often very, very human, Why We Fight is one of the more powerful films in this year's Festival, and certainly among the most shattering.— Diane Weyermann

http://www.whywefightmovie.com/

Friday, March 16, 2007

Weekend Iraq anniversary events

> MARCH 18 RALLY IN PROVIDENCE:
>
> The RI Community Coalition for Peace is sponsoring an anti-war march
> and rally in Providence on Sunday, March 18, the fourth anniversary of
> the invasion of Iraq. The march will start at 1:30 PM at Central High
> School on Broad Street. We will march downtown to the Federal
> Building at Kennedy Plaza, then up Westminster Street to the
> Beneficent church on Weybosset Street for a rally from 3:00 to
> 5:30 PM. The program for the rally includes:
> • The Raging Grannies singing anti-war songs
> • Rev. Jon Almond from the Mathewson Street United Methodist Church
> • Jacque Amoureux from the RI chapter of Military Families Speak Out
> • Elliott Colla, Director of Middle East Studies at Brown University
> • Steve Kelly from the Kelly Peace group and RI MFSO
> • Chris Murphy from the International Socialist Organization
> • Jeff Toste from the Green Party of Rhode Island
>
> ROUNDUP OF MARCH ANNIVERSARY EVENTS:
>
> This roundup of upcoming March events is provided as a service to the
> local peace community. These events have not necessarily been
> endorsed by RICCP unless otherwise stated.
> • Barrington, March 18: The East Bay Citizens for Democracy is
> planning a forum on Iraq from 2:30 – 6:00 PM at the Barrington
> Congregational Church. For more information, please contact: Pat
> Smith at sampa@cox.net.
> • Newport, March 18: The RI Progressive League is planning a peace
> rally in Newport starting at noon at Washington Square. For more
> information, please contact Gracious Audette at
> graciousaudette@aiconnect.com .
> • Providence, March 18: The local Declaration of Peace group is
> sponsoring a Gathering and Planning for Nonviolent Action from
> 5:30-7:00 PM, Beneficent Church, following the peace rally at the
> Church. For more information, please contact the AFSC office at
> 401-521-3584.
> • Providence, March 19: During the week of March 19, Declaration
> of Peace and other groups are planning nonviolent actions in the local
> area. For more information, please contact the AFSC office at
> 401-521-3584.
> • Providence, March 19: Brown Students for a Democratic Society and
> other groups will be staging a street-theater die-in at the Textron
> Tower in downtown Providence on Monday. They are planning to meet at
> Kennedy Plaza at 1:30 and walk the short distance to their
> headquarters. For more information, please contact Jonathan Rogers at
> Jonathan_Rogers@brown.edu .
> • Providence, March 19: For Move On.org, Christine Lindin is
> hosting a vigil at the Providence State House on Monday at 7:30 PM.
> For more information, please contact: Pat Smith at sampa@cox.net.
> • Providence, March 20: The RI chapter of the ACLU is sponsoring a
> film screening on Tuesday at 7 PM at the Columbus Theatre on Broadway
> in Providence. They are showing "Road To Guantanamo", and will be
> having a panel discussion with Nick Schmader and Carl Kreuger. For
> more information, please contact Megan Young at MYoung@riaclu.org .
> • Providence, March 20: Col. Ann Wright, who resigned from the
> diplomatic service in 2003 in protest of the war with Iraq, will be
> speaking on "The Coming War with Iran" at 7:00 PM in Smith-Buonanno
> 106 at Brown University, located at 100 Brown Street at Cushing
> Street. For more information, please contact Randall Rose at
> Randall_Rose@brown.edu .
>

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Concrete Plant Fight

PLEASE ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT MEETING IN SUPPORT OF OUR CAUSE
[If you have a sign, bring it!]

Thursday 3/15 7:00 PM

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL, CRANSTON

We the people have been silenced!

The Mayor and the City Council have failed to follow through and remove the permit for the concrete batching plant in our neighborhood.

We deserve a Zoning Board hearing.

We have paid $500 for the right to be heard.

We have been canceled twice and cannot be heard until the number of members on the Zoning Board is expanded.

We have not been allowed to present our case to the Zoning Board.

We need to expose the facts to the light of day.

The Mayor and the courts have been unwilling or unable to do so.

We must Expose the dangers to the health and safety of Cranston citizens.

We must Expose the defects in the permit and potential illegalities.

We must Expose the pending damage to the ecosystem, streams, rivers and the Narragansett Bay.

We applaud the Ordinance Committee for addressing this issue by seeking to expand the number of alternates that currently serve on the Board from two to four.

ITEM 2-07-1 http://www.cranstonri.com/pdf/calendar_meetings/Mar15,2007_7488.pdf

Come and support their efforts so we can take this to the next step!

Only then can we, the citizens, be heard.

If you have not already done so, please write to the Mayor, City Council and DEM.

Background Information:

There is a wonderfully written article by GEOFF SHOOS in the Cranston Herald

This is a must read!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

SAVE THIS DATE:

Thursday 3/22 6:30

CCRZ&D Meeting @ the Cranston Public Library

Sockanossett Crossroad

~ More information to follow ~

--

Cranston Citizens for Responsible Zoning & Development
P.O. Box 20442
Cranston, Rhode Island 02920
(401) 467-6791
e-mail: stopcranstonconcrete@gmail.com
Web Site: http://www.stopcranstonconcrete.org

Friday, March 09, 2007

Monday, March 05, 2007

Barts Fox News Dream

Had enough?

From DKos...


Have you finally had enough? From liberals being terrorists, to whether Bill Clinton should have been impeached or assassinated, to Al Gore being a "total fag," to publicly endorsing the poisoning of Supreme Court justices, to advocating the murder of members of the US House of Representatives, to whether the women whose husbands had died at the World Trade Center were happy because it made them rich and famous -- well, on Friday Ann Coulter did it again.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference, she was introducing Mitt Romney, Republican Presidential candidate, and invoked the word "faggot" again to describe John Edwards, Democratic Presidential candidate. Want to hear for yourself?

http://youtube.com/...

I can't stand the idea that these people are going to try to "swiftboat" more Democratic candidates. I have always wanted to do something about Coulter -- each of her attacks is egregious, some more than others. All are hateful. Whether you think it is better to ignore her, or to implore her Republican colleagues to castigate her, or to urge every Democrat you know to attack back, I think it's always a good idea to let advertisers know exactly how you feel about their sponsorship of hate.

Following is a link to an article in Daily Kos wherein the diarist has collected information on contacting Coulter's advertisers. Please click on it, read it, and let her advertisers know exactly how you feel. I plan to spend some time tomorrow doing just that, and I hope you will too.

http://www.dailykos.com/...

You are undoubtedly a consumer of the goods or services provided by one or more of these businesses:

Google
Verizon Communications
YAHOO
Washington Mutual
YellowPages.com

There are others listed in the article as well, all with contact information. Spend a couple of minutes letting them know how you feel.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Domestic Abuse

The Battle of Forest Hills...

Parking disputes, congested roadways and safety concerns will apparently be continuing indefinitely in the neighborhoods surrounding Reservoir Avenue’s Domestic Bank. At Monday night’s meeting the council voted 5-4 to table an ordinance that would have placed a two-hour maximum on parking on the streets surrounding the bank.


From the Cranston Herald...

Everyone who attended the council meeting Monday night (with the possible exception of the Domestic Bank representatives) left feeling flabbergasted, dismayed and probably more than a little put out. There was a lot of grandstanding, excessive volume and surprisingly little accomplished.


More from the Herald...

Only in the “Kingdom of Council President Garabedian” could you enjoy such an entertaining City Council meeting as this past Monday’s, the results of which were the beheading of a neighborhood and the knighting of Domestic Bank – a company with a demonstrated lack of corporate governance. Only in the “Kingdom of Council President Garabedian” do you see a company rewarded for violating city codes, cease and desist orders and parking bans during snow emergencies.


More...

If you have never attended a City Council meeting, now is the time. In just two short months, the current council, under the leadership of Aram Garabedian, has managed to fashion itself into something resembling a sideshow carnival act.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Draft Gore

He's eloquent, passionate, relentless, undaunted. The first political figure to oppose the Iraq war, Al Gore is also the lead champion in the fight against global warming, a passionate defender of our Constitution, and an unyielding voice against the Bush Administration's abuse of power.

Given his unmatched experience and leadership on issues of moral imperative, Gore is increasingly seen as Democrats' best bet to win back the White House.


Saturday, February 24, 2007

Americans underestimate Iraqi death toll

From the AP...

Americans are keenly aware of how many U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. But they woefully underestimate the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed.


Full story...

Cheney gets what was comin to him

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Saturday, February 10, 2007

BUDGET UP THIS WEEK (and other news) by Steve Stycos

SCHOOL UPDATE FROM STEVE STYCOS, FEBRUARY 10, 2007


The Cranston School Committee will start to cut and trim the superintendent's budget this week at meetings Monday, February 12 and Thursday, February 15. Both meetings will allow public speaking at 7 PM at Western Hills Middle School.

Superintendent Richard Scherza's budget has a $2.5 million "budget gap," plus $1.8 million in personnel cuts, assuming that the City Council gives us the maximum budget increase allowed by state law. Several of us on the committee are looking ways to eliminate the gap, and then reverse some of the personnel cuts. This is not as impossible as it may seem.

Governor Donald Carcieri's budget proposed a $1.1 million increase for Cranston schools. Assuming the legislature will at least provide that much, the gap is reduced to $1.4 million. Assuming the council will pay for new textbooks out of a separate capital fund, as they did last year, the gap is further reduced by $438,450.

Our digging has revealed other adjustments that should narrow the gap without affecting the classroom. First, the distict's energy conservation program is budgeted as a $281,250 cost, although the consultant's contract states his fees are paid from energy savings and in no case will the district lose money. We also have $54,641 in surplus funds from last year that have not been budgeted this year and therefore can be carried forward into next year. I also discovered that retiree health care costs wereoverstated in the budget by $63,110. Finally, our property insurance estimate, according to business manager Joe Balducci, is $30,000 too high. Together, those "cuts," if approved Monday or Thursday, would reduce the gap to about $550,000.

Other ideas or alternate cuts could reduce the gap to zero. It is unclear whether they will win the four votes needed to pass, however. If the gap is eliminated, we can then try to reverse personnel cuts like the cutting of six teachers at Cranston East and the elimination of the library secretaries.

Parents need to keep attending meetings and speaking for those budget items that are important to them. So far we have had good participation from the public. The more people who stand up and say they are upset about class size, the more attention all of us will pay to the issue.

VOLUNTER COACHES

Monday night, the school committee will consider a new policy on volunteer coaches. The proposed policy, which will also apply to active band parents, requires that the school committee approve appointment of volunteer coaches, allows the superintendent to dismiss volunteer coaches at any time and prohibits volunteers from running practices or transporting students.

It all sounds reasonable to me. To read the proposed policy, go to www.cpsed.net, then select "school committee agenda", then go to the end of the agenda and look at the second to last attachment to the agenda. Policies must be approved by the school committee twice, so the proposal will be voted upon again in March.

RENTALS

A new policy setting fees for use of school buildings for sports, PTO meetings or afterschool programs is also on Monday night's agenda and can be found on the school department's web site.

MILK

Whole milk will no longer be served in the school lunch or breakfast programs after a parent complained that a new state law prohibits serving it. This is not a huge issue to me (I wish kids would drink more milk of any kind.), but it is the law. Food service director Mike Marrocco made the decision, sold the remaining whole milk and in the future will offer 2 percent milk, skim and flavored low fat milks.

the end.

AL GORE COMES TO EDGEWOOD!!!

The evening of Thursday February 22 Friends of the Pawtuxet will show the movie "Inconvenient Truth," at the William Hall Library on Broad Street in Cranston.

My wife and I hesitated to see this movie, not wanting to be lectured or depressed by Al Gore. Nevertheless we went and found it entertaining, intelligent and a compelling call to action to save the planet. A few sappy moments about Gore's life sneak in, but they are a minor part of the film. It is a must-see depiction of what will become the leading issue of our time. Save the date. More details will follow.

STOP THE CONCRETE PLANT!!!!

The group fighting the half-built concrete on the Pawtuxet River sent along the below request. They would like people to attend a Cranston Zoning Board hearing February 28 and to write Mayor Michael Napolitano and DEM in opposition to the plant. The details are below.

SUBJECT: Letter writing campaign against Cranston Concrete Plant is needed NOW!

Here is an update on the current situation.

Superior Court:

2/12/07 - Cullion will present and defend a motion in Superior Court. This motion seeks to bypass the Cranston Zoning Board of review on the grounds that the Zoning Board is too biased to make a judgment in Cullion's case. More importantly Cullion & Co. will be moving to have the
automatic stay (which prevents further construction of the concrete plant) lifted if the Court decides to override the Cranston Zoning Board - in other words Construction could resume until Superior Court decides the building permit appeal [which could in fact take years while the concrete plant is completed and possibly allowed to operate.]

We also still need individuals to join our pending motion to intervene in the Superior Court lawsuit - so far Cullion has been effectively in slowing down all challenges and Knocking the City Council back on its heels - our lead Attorney Richard Crowell would be glad to talk to anyone
inclined to help our cause on this very important front with respect to understanding the legal ramifications of joining the suit.

Cranston Zoning Board:

2/28/07 - Cranston Zoning Board will meet to review CCRZD's appeal of the Cullion permit. CCRZD has paid $500 to present this appeal. Through our lawyer, we are preparing to present our appeal to the Zoning Board with testimony and "expert witnesses."

~~~ We need you at this meeting in support ~~~

D.E.M.
Cullion Concrete Corporation has applied again for a permit from DEM (the Application No. is 06-0557 under "Karleetor , LLC." Their extension of the original permit was not granted. If their modified 2nd permit application is granted, our case will be set back substantially - however the DEM process is a lengthy 2-step Application which will allow input -
you are all encouraged at this stage to write the DEM director [ Dr. W. Michael Sullivan, RI DEM, 236 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908 - Fax No. (401) 222-6802, email Michael.sullivan@dem.ri.gov ] and strongly voice opposition to this application. You should also request that the current 50% completed structure be issued a permanent cease and desist order and DEM require Karleetor/Cullion to return the construction site to its former state given the fact that all Such construction occurred without any DEM approval to alter wetlands at all. It goes without saying that the Governor and local state reps and senators should hear your voices on this issue as loudly as possible!


Mayor Michael Napolitano: While campaigning, Mr. Napolitano stated he was against the concrete plant. Why is this battle still going on? Why hasn't he instructed the building inspector to revoke the permit?


AN AGGRESSIVE LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN TO THE MAYOR AND D.E.M. IS NEEDED NOW.

We hope that a majority of you will contact the Mayor and DEM. In addition, a letter to the editor of the Cranston Herald and/or The Providence Journal would be effective.

The sooner you write the better. Letters should be in the mail by Thursday February 15th. We are up against the deadline dates above.

Below are some guidelines as well as contact information.

If you would like some individual guidance or to answer some questions, please don't hesitate to contact us directly using our e-mail or phone number listed at the bottom. Someone will contact you for any assistance you may need. We will also be happy to provide stationary, stamps or other materials.


CRANSTON CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBLE ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT

Writing to your Mayor, Department of Environmental Management, Local Politicians And Newspapers

Best options for writing to the above:

. Letters are always more effective if the letter and envelope is handwritten.
. Use the talking points included below, change the order, and handwrite or type your own letter. This is the most effective option.
. A FAX is the next most effective means of communicating.
. An e-mail is less effective.
. Clearly include as much contact information as you are comfortable with: at least your name and address. [phone, e-mail also helpful]
. Make 2 copies: Please send us a copy of your letter(s) so that we may reference the number of complaints &, keep one for your records.

Talking Points

Mayor & Local Politicians Ask to revoke the building permit granted to Karleetor/Cullion Concrete Corporation.

Rationale: Such a plant would place your family's health and safety at risk, lower property values, create more traffic congestion on Pontiac Ave. and abutting streets, reduce air quality, significantly increase noise pollution and jeopardize a wetlands area and two rivers leading to
the bay. The permit was rushed through just days before new plants were banned citywide.

Department of Environmental Management [D.E.M.] Note the flooding, construction debris in surface water, the proximity to the Pocasset River, Pawtuxet River and eventual discharge into
Narragansett Bay. Assert knowledge of the harm and damage a concrete plant can cause: emission of crystalline silica, concrete truck and plant cleaning runoff, etc.

Ask to issue a cease and desist order, require Karleetor/Cullion to tear down the structures, ask to reject any permit modification or new permit application requests and ask for a hearing.

Newspapers
Express how this plant personally impacts you and your family. Use items from above where appropriate.

CONTACT LIST

Mayor

Michael Napolitano
Cranston City Hall
869 Park Avenue
Cranston, Rhode Island 02910 780-3113 (Fax)


D.E.M.

RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
235 Promenade Street
Providence, RI 02908-5767

Mr. W. Michael Sullivan, PHD (401) 222-6802 (Fax)
Director

Mr. Dean Albro, Chief (401) 222-3811 (Fax)
Office of Compliance and Inspection
Mr. Charles A. Horbert, 401) 222-6177 (Fax)
Permitting Supervisor Office of Water Resources

Newspapers

Cranston Herald
c/o Beacon Communications
1944 Warwick Avenue
Warwick, RI 02889 (401)732-3110 (Fax)

The Providence Journal
75 Fountain St.
Providence, RI 02902 Editorials 401-277-7439 (Fax)



Cranston Citizens for Responsible Zoning & Development
P.O. Box 20442
Cranston, Rhode Island 02920
(401) 467-6791
e-mail: stopcranstonconcrete@gmail.com
Web Site: http://www.stopcranstonconcrete.org

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Concrete Plant Fight Continues!

From Kmereka...

Mayor Napolitano’s promise to the people of Ward 2 was that if he was elected, he would pull the permit. People are hoping the Mayor will speak up with news of this any day.


Monday, February 05, 2007

Budget Presentation




Cranston Public Schools


2007 – 2008



January 22, 2007

Friday, February 02, 2007

BUDGET UPDATE FROM STEVE STYCOS

FEBRUARY 1 BUDGET UPDATE FROM STEVE STYCOS

Cranston Superintendent Richard Scherza's proposed school budget includes $1.8 million in personnel cuts. The list of positions includes six full-time teachers at Cranston East, two teachers at each of the three middle schools, plus five custodians, seven elementary school secretaries, seven other secretaries, all the school library secretaries and thirteen teacher aides.

I am most concerned with cuts in the high schools where class size is already much too large. Last year the school committee cut about 7 positions from the two high schools. Superintendent Catherine Ciarlo promised the cuts would have little impact, but in fact they damaged every Cranston high school student's education. This year, East had 51 classes with 30 or more students and West had 81 classes. With the high school student population projected to decline by only 38 students next year, the proposed budget will drastically increase class size at East while doing nothing to improve it at West.

Wednesday night comments from high school parents and students dominated the school committee's first budget hearing. They objected to high school subjects which have Advanced Placement and college preparatory levels but no honors level and decried large class sizes. Parents and their children also objected to the idea of eliminating tracking on the high school level.

My top priority in this budget will be to reverse at least some of the high school cuts. I will be working with other committee members to find cuts that will be less damaging to our children's education. I am confident some of the positions can be restored, but do not yet have a specific proposal.

Parents and students need to attend the Monday February 5 school budget hearing at 7 PM at Western Hills Middle School. The school committee is scheduled to vote on the budget Monday February 12 at 7 PM at Western Hills. Both meetings will allow public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Public comments, letters and phone calls have a large impact. Next September when your child is in a Calculus class of 33 children (as my son is at East), it will be too late to complain.

In a memo provided to the school committee Wednesday night, Scherza lists the following positions to be eliminated at East; family and consumer science (8/10 teacher). technology (2 & 7/10 teacher), business (6/10), art (2/10), literacy (7/10) and special education (2). An English as a Second Language teacher would be added for a net reduction of six positions. While your child may not take many of these subjects, the students displaced from those classes are certain to land in at least one of your child's classes, increasing class size.

No positions would be cut at West, although Scherza wants to cut full-time business and science teachers and replace them with full time English and math teachers.

At Western Hills, technology (8/10), family and consumer science (4/10), world language (6/10) and special education teachers (1) would be cut. At Bain technology (8/10), family and consumer science (6/10), world language (6/10) and art (1/10) teachers would be cut and at Park View technology (6/10), family and consumer science (6/10) and world language (1) teachers would be cut. In addition, a full-time Park View music teacher would be replaced with a full time English as a Second Language teacher.

I asked the administration to detail their reasons for the cuts. Assistant Superintendent Peter Nero said a decline in special education students led to the reduction in those positions at East and Western Hills. The other positions have not been explained.

Please try to attend either Monday February 5 or Monday February 12.

-The end-

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The YearlyKos Convention

YearlyKos Convention - n. yier-lee-KOS k&n-'ven(t)-sh&n An annual convention gathering people from all walks of life who belong to the Netroots community, the US-based (but globally focused and inclusive) non-partisan grassroots political action community that uses the Internet and blogs as primary tools for: expressing viewpoints, building consensus, acting to change the status quo, mobilizing huge numbers of people and informing each other and the world about current events, grassroots actions, networks, meetings, policy and more. The YearlyKos Convention is a project of bloggerpower.org with the generous support of YearlyKos Inc.

The first YearlyKos convention occurred in June 2006, a time when a tremendous and growing number of citizens who gathered in the virtual world every day came together in person and raised their collective voice to try to proactively influence their government. That group is broadly called the Netroots, and according to Wikipedia, "focuses on political activism organized through blogs and other online media. The word is a portmanteau of Internet and grassroots, reflecting the technological innovations that set Netroots techniques apart from other forms of political participation." But we'd add to that summation the fact that the Netroots is made up of individuals—not corporations, not lobbyist groups, not any large money-infused machine that (currently) influences all that occurs inside the beltway. The most-visited blog of this movement is Daily Kos, founded in 2002 by MarKOS Moulitsas.

In June of 2006, "Kossacks" and bloggers from all over the world got together at the first annual YearlyKos Convention and actually met each other at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. Approximately 1200 conventioneers, speakers, panelists and members of the media attended this debut event from June 8-11, and discussed everything from balancing family life, political discourse and a career to education in the United States to the future of energy resources and energy policy, and so much more. Speakers included General Wesley Clark, Senators Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid, DNC Chair Dr. Howard Dean, Ambassador Joe Wilson and former VA Governor, Mark Warner. The convention was covered by high-profile media sources including C-Span, CNN, the major television networks, the The New York Times, national radio outlets and of course, the blogosphere. In keeping with its Netroots origins, the first YearlyKos Convention was self-funded via sponsorships, donors and support from the Netroots community and was organized by volunteers.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Mahdi

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - The leader of a messianic Muslim cult was killed with 200 or more followers during a day-long onslaught by U.S. and Iraqi forces on their camp near the holy city of Najaf, Iraqi officials said on Monday.

They accused him of making a claiming to be the Mahdi...


Cult leader and 200 others killed: Iraqi officials

Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will arise at some point before the day of judgement, institute a kingdom of justice, and will in the last days fight alongside the returned Islamic prophet Jesus against the Dajjal, or Antichrist.

"Before the appearance of the one who will rise, peace be upon him, the people will be reprimanded for their acts of disobedience by a fire that will appear in the sky and a redness that will cover the sky. It will swallow up Baghdad, and will swallow up Kufa. Their blood will be shed and houses destroyed. Death will occur amid their people and a fear will come over the people of Iraq from which they shall have no rest."


Shi'a Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq

A very dangerous turn for the worse in Iraq. Cultist hell bent on ending the world are flocking to Iraq from around the Islamic world.

This nutter is the first and he will not be the last.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Open letter to Richard Scherza, superintendent of schools

From the Cranston Herald Letters to the Editor...

I read with dismay some of the comments in the Cranston Herald article about the State of the Schools address that you delivered last week.

First of all, as a concerned and involved parent, I surely would have attended such an important event had I known about it. I am sure that the "scant audience" that evening was due to scant publicity about it. Perhaps notices should be sent to the schools prior to these meetings. I am a member of the Woodridge Elementary School PTO Board, and I send out frequent e-mails to approximately 80 percent of our parents. I would gladly send such information if it were provided to me. I'm sure that would help to increase attendance at these meetings.

Had I been at the meeting, I would have disputed your comments about the class sizes. The article stated, "Although there were 2,020 kindergarten students in 2006 – a significant jump from 2005 numbers – Scherza dismissed it as an “anomaly” tied to changes in minimum age requirements. This year, he pointed out, only 1,681 kindergarteners enrolled – a figure that reflects the overall downward trend."

I respectfully beg to differ. My daughter is currently enrolled in the morning kindergarten class at Woodridge – along with 25 other students. The afternoon class has 25 students. Let's face it, these classes are simply too large for kindergarten, especially.

Kindergarten students come to public school from all sorts of backgrounds – some have had a number of years of pre-school, others have had none. How is it possible for a teacher to challenge those students who are already reading and to meet the needs of those who still need help identifying their letters? It is impossible without leaving some of your students bored and disengaged.

And as large as those numbers are, they don't even tell the whole picture. In fact, I'm told that there are FIVE additional kindergarten students who have been clustered to other schools. And that's kindergarten! What's to happen next year, when those families who send their children to private school so that they can have a full-day kindergarten program (something which is long overdue in the public school sector) want to send their children to their local elementary school?

I'll tell you what will happen, as we know of at least one family in this situation. They will be shut out. They will be offered the option of having their child clustered to another school. And if that child happens to have a sibling already at Woodridge, the parents will be faced with a decision – to have their children at two different schools or to permit out their older child, who has friends and a comfort level at his home school. Not a decision I would want to make. Quite frankly, not a decision that any parent should have to make.

And the situation is no better in some of the other grades in our school. For instance, my son is in a third grade class with 27 students. And, I believe there are 27 in the other third grade class, with an additional eight students being clustered out. Again, way too many. I'm fortunate – thankful, in fact – that he is very involved in the EPIC program. Otherwise, I fear he may not be challenged enough.

I do know why this problem is so acute. It was the wrongful closing of Horton. I was at a number of the School Committee meetings prior to the "decision" to close Horton. And quite frankly, I supported it. But that was based on erroneous information that was given to us. We were led to believe that the classroom numbers would not be so outrageous (promised, in fact, that a third classroom would open in the third grade if the class size exceeded 25 – this obviously never panned out) and that Woodridge's future was in jeopardy if Horton remained open.

At this point, I am becoming very disenchanted with the school system in Cranston. I would appreciate a response.

Thank you.



Amy Blustein

Cranston

Saturday, January 20, 2007

BUDGET DEBATE TO START

UPDATE FROM STEVE STYCOS JANUARY 20, 2007

BUDGET DEBATE TO START

Monday night, a tough budget season will start for the Cranston schools. Assuming Superintendent Richard Scherza does not propose harmful cuts (an optimistic assumption) my top priority will be trying to add additional teachers at the high schools to lower class size.

Scherza will present his proposed school budget Monday January 22, 2007 at 7 PM at Western Hills Middle School. That meeting will be followed by budget hearings January 31 and if necessary, February 5. Then February 12, the school committee will vote on budget amendments and pass a final budget. All the meetings will begin at 7PM at Western Hills. The public will be invited to speak at the beginning of the January 31, February 5 and 12 meetings. According to school committee rules, public speakers are limited to three minutes, but may request an additional two minutes. Public speakers do not have to sign up in advance. After the public speaks, the school committee will ask questions about the budget.

Last year the school committee decided to close Horton Elementary School during this portion of the budget process. It also decided to add $10,000 for the high school bands and $20,000 for a girls hockey team.

Following school committee adoption February 12, the budget will be sent to the mayor who typically cuts the bottom line and sends his budget to the city council by April 1. The council then holds public hearings and passes a city budget, including a final bottom line for the schools, by May 15.

Perhaps the least scrutinized, and most important, portion of the budget process follows in late June. At that time, the school committee cuts line items to make its bottom line match the bottom line passed by the city council. Last year, during this final phase, the school committee voted (over my objections) to cut 7.5 positions from the two high schools to help balance the budget. Despite Superintendent Catherine Ciarlo's assurances to the contrary, that vote forced a surge in class size at both high schools. At the start of the school year 132 high school classes at East and West had 30 or more children.

There is plenty of blame for a poor school funding. This year should be even worse, however, because last year the state legislature, passed a law limiting this year's school budgets to a 5.25 percent increase. The current budget was 6.6 percent more than the previous year. Meanwhile, the federal government, pours billions into war and arms manufacturing, cuts taxes for rich people and provides anemic funding for education.

Neither the school committee, nor the voters who elected it, however, are blameless. The top spending priority of past school committees has been large pay increases to our employees. While we have a great staff, the committee has not balanced the need for raises with the need for a quality education in the class room. During the last the two years, we closed an elementary school, increased class sizes at both the elementary and high schools and agreed to an average of 16 percent pay increases over three years, in exchange for employees paying three to five percent of their health care premiums.

On the optimistic side, this school committee appears to be the best of the four I have served on. Nevertheless, parents need to attend budget meetings and speak for those things which are important to them. If you can only attend one meeting, I would recommend coming to the January 31 or February 5 meetings to express your opinions. If you can attend a second meeting I recommend coming to the February 12 meeting to watch how the school committee responds to parental concerns.

NEXT EAST PARENT MEETING

Friday morning's parent meeting at Cranston East was dominated by concerns about the possible merger of the comprehensive and college preparatory tracks. School Committee member Deb Greifer and I urged the some 20 parents in attendance to take their concerns to the school committee who will decide whether to approve this proposal.

Principal Sean Kelly also announced that the double lab period for honors science classes will be eliminated next year to make scheduling easier.

The next East parent meeting is Friday March 2 at 8:30 AM. Two parents have written me saying they cannot attend morning meetings due to work. I know that is a problem and it should be taken up with Principal Sean Kelly, but the morning meetings have consistently drawn more people than the discontinued night meetings.

Friday, January 12, 2007

The Power of a Single Blogger!

From Wikipedia...

Beginning in 2005, the blogger Spocko began a letter-writing campaign[2] to advertisers on KSFO, alerting them to examples of so-called "hate speech" on the station, and urging them to withdraw their sponsorship. Some advertisers, including Netflix, MasterCard, Bank of America, and Visa, did.[3]

On December 22, 2006, Spocko received a cease and desist letter from ABC lawyers, insisting that he remove audio clips of KSFO radio hosts claiming that he had violated copyright law.[4] Spocko refused, claiming he was within the legal definitions of the fair use doctrine.[5]

On January 2, 2007 his Internet service provider, 1&1 Internet, took down his website. This could potentially evolve into a legal precedent as the Electronic Frontier Foundation has agreed to defend Spocko against threats of a DMCA SLAPP suit. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a successful history in defending against legal assaults on fair use and the first amendment, as exemplified by the Barney case.

Spocko's statement on the controversy:

"Advertisers should be able to decide if they want to keep supporting this show based on complete information. We already know that management at ABC and Disney support these hosts, which means that the ABC/Disney Radio brand now apparently includes support for violent hate speech toward Muslims, democrats and liberals."

Mike Stark brought this to the attention of the mainstream via citizen internet journalism through postings such as this one at Daily Kos and the use of the Spotlight Project.

On January 12, 2007, KSFO openly responded to the criticism by dedicating three hours to discussing this controversy. [1]

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Communities Opposed to Escalation in the War

Dear Friend,

President Bush is about to unveil a plan to escalate the war in Iraq -- and he is flat out wrong. Instead of listening to the advice of his top military advisors and most importantly you, me and the overwhelming majority of Americans, our President is about to make his biggest mistake even bigger.

But we can stop him and we need to stop him.

We can pass resolutions against troop escalation in our local communities, city councils and state governments. With thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars spent, we simply cannot wait for change to come from Washington, DC.

It is up to us to send the message.

http://www.tomvilsack08.com/resolution

We can show President Bush and the United States House and Senate that we do not support a troop escalation in Iraq. And we can start in our own local governments by passing the “Communities Opposed to Escalation in the War” Resolution.

Will you join me in this effort? Read the Resolution and find a way to get involved in your local community.

http://www.tomvilsack08.com/resolution


Thank You

Parent Meeting

I talked with principal Sean Kelly today and he is calling a Cranston East parents meeting for Friday January 19 at 8:30 AM. The meetings are open to everyone. --Steve Stycos


Dear Parents:

There will be a parent group meeting on Friday, January, 19, 2007 at 8:30 am in my office. All are welcome to attend. I look forward to seeing you then.

Sincerely,

Sean Kelly

Principal

Cranston High School East

Monday, January 08, 2007

Tell President Bush: Stop the Surge

I urge you to join Wes Clark's effort to stop President Bush's plan for a troop surge in Iraq. Instead, we need a completely new strategy.

What the surge would do is put more American troops in harm's way, further undercut the morale of U.S. forces and risk further alienating elements of the Iraqi populace. American casualties would probably rise, at least temporarily, as more troops appear on the streets -- as happened in the summer when a brigade from Alaska was extended and sent into Baghdad. And even if the increased troop presence initially frustrated the militias, it wouldn't be long before they found ways to work around the neighborhood searches and other obstacles -- if they chose to continue the conflict.

The truth is that the underlying problems in Iraq are political, not military.

That is why I urge you to join me in signing Wes Clark's petition urging President Bush to stop the surge!

Link

Sunday, January 07, 2007

Bush's 'surge' will backfire

Retired General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Commander of NATO, is a senior fellow at UCLA's Burkle Center for International Relations wrote in the British publication The Independent...

The odds are that President George Bush will announce a "surge" of up to 20,000 additional US troops in Iraq. But why? Will this deliver a "win"? The answers: a combination of misunderstanding and desperation; and, probably not.

link

Friday, January 05, 2007

Rightwing Bloggers, defined.

From Editor and Publisher...

Brian Whitaker, Middle East editor at The Guardian of London since 2000, concludes his summary of the latest twist today this way: "Because of the number of reporters quoting Jamil Hussein, the bloggers were in effect alleging a generalised conspiracy by AP's Baghdad staff to deceive the news-reading public - an idea so unlikely as to be almost incredible.

"Interestingly, something similar happened with the hoax allegations relating to the Lebanese ambulances. As the bloggers pursued their claims, the only way they could support their claims was by implicating more and more Red Cross workers in a conspiracy to deceive - a conspiracy that, in the end, existed only in their imaginations.

Link...

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Traficante elected school board chairman

Traficante was nominated by newly elected at-large member Frank Lombardi and the motion received a second from Ward 2 member Deborah Greiffer.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Cranston Educational Advisory Board

Cranston Educational Advisory Board

December 4, 2006

7:00 PM Cranston East Room 301

REPRESENTED:

Arlington, Cranston West, Dutemple, Eden Park, Edgewood Highland, Garden City, Glen Hills, Rhodes, Stone Hill, Orchard Farms, Woodridge, NEL/CPS, Park View, Peters, SEPAB, Central Administration, School Committee

AGENDA:

The CEAB was called to order by Laura Gabiger at 7:05 PM.

Minutes:

Several changes were recommended to November’s minutes. For the Treasurer’s report….minutes should reflect the names of schools that have given money (Barrows for November). For Old Business, the discussion of the PTO University should reflect interest in having one in the spring; however that is not locked in at this point.

The minutes were approved as amended.

Treasurer’s Report:

Ken McDaniel gave the Treasurer’s report (attached).

Beginning Balance (Nov): $77.87

No expenses since last report

Income: $100 school assessments from Edgewood, Highlands, Dutemple, Hope Highlands, Park View.

Closing Balance: $177.87

Old Business:

Discussion focused on the models delegates will be bringing to the January meeting to show best practices for encouraging parent participation. It was encouraged that delegates include information to the extent available on publicity, level of participation, returns and how much is profit, level of parent participation. National model for parent involvement was discussed; delegate from Administration will collaborate with the delegate from Edgewood Highland to prepare a presentation on this model for the January meeting. From the schools, each delegate will have up to 3 minutes to present best practices.

Guest: Dr. Richard Scherza, Superintendent

Literacy: Primary concern (includes numeracy)
Problems: We are slipping backwards. Received notice that Cranston West has slipped to “In Need of Improvement” and Cranston East to “Not Improving.” Positions are being cut while expectations are increasing. Literacy in math statewide is not what it should be. Cranston is not making the investment that it needs in math. We know which areas we are weak in but practices are not changing. Need to put more resources into math and maintain literacy investment. Concerned that we are at the beginning of a slide. There has been concern about math Investigations program. We haven’t given it time to work (in 3rd year). Very seldom has this district stayed with anything long enough to really see those results. Massachusetts has made the greatest gains in math nationally, using largely math Investigations.

Math & Science important focus.
Vision for District: Address some of the emerging issues regarding student performance/achievement. Feels strongly that we should serve Cranston students in Cranston. We have the resources to serve special needs students. Starting this year to serve some of the special needs students that are currently being bussed out of the community. Believes strongly in full inclusion of special needs students. Edgewood Highlands piloted ESL full inclusion program last year. As a result ESL students out-performed non-ESL students. Purpose of ESL & Special Education program is to make students as independent as possible. Would like to focus on early intervention. Have embarked on public pre-school for special needs students. Supports all-day kindergarten, possibly starting with pilot at schools with a high number of ESL or special needs students. Have seen results from this approach in other schools.

Best case scenario is level funding this year. May be a year away from legislature establishing a funding formula for the state for school funding. Last session the legislature also placed a declining cap on the omnibus tax which supports school funding.

Questions:

Honors Classes, why do we have such a low representation of boys and ESL students?

One reason, emphasis has not been placed on it on the academic end. We are moving toward de-tracking. Under No Child Left Behind cannot have multiple levels…rigor should be there for all students.

Cranston graduates in college are reporting back that they feel very prepared for college but don’t have as many of the AP classes as other college students have. How can we encourage students to take AP classes?

There has not been demand for AP courses. Disagrees that colleges use number of AP courses to gauge high schools. Look at what is sacred…may need to cut out some electives to focus on academic courses.

Could you offer your views on proposals to encourage parent participation?

What do we mean by parent involvement? Need to get parents meaningfully involved. Need to create culture that values education across the board. Children need to be well fed and well dressed. Have more training programs for parents so they can understand what their children are learning. Let elected officials know what your priorities are so they will be reflected in the budget.

$1.2 million deficit….what kind of shape are we in?

Open session workshop, this week agenda item is looking at current budget gap. Looks like we’ve gotten that deficit down. Math coaches have been put on hold, reducing substitute costs. Health care costs through the first 4 months of the year have been down over what was budgeted. Made changes in all health care plans to realize cost savings. Utility costs for heat and snow removal costs have been down due to weather.

Math Investigations. A tool should be sent home to parents about how kids are being taught math.
There have been workshops on math Investigations for parents in the schools. Family newsletter should be going out at the beginning of each math Investigations unit explaining how it works.

How much longer before we do an assessment of math Investigations to determine if we should keep it?
At Western Hills, kids who entered 8th grade had highest grades ever—first group of kids that got math Investigations. Early results only are beginning to come in.

How does our per student funding compare to other schools?

Cranston Dept of Education website, go to Insight link. Warwick spends $1,400 more per student per year. Generally we stack up well to schools that invest more in students.

What is Cranston going to do about the large class sizes?

Ten more teachers cost roughly $1 million. Students do better in smaller classes, but particularly in younger grades. Students that are not in lower socio-economic groups, class size is less important. Dilemma at East this year…doesn’t have the space to house additional classrooms. Only about 9 elementary classes are operating above recommended cap, don’t believe that any are more than 2 students over the cap. Most important for K, 1, 2 level.

What is happening with regard to security?

Meeting regularly with state and federal emergency and security organizations. Don’t publicize protocol for things like bomb scares – don’t want to educate those who would perpetrate these crimes how to get around safeguards. The school district opens the school on weekends to test run protocols. When we have an incident, debrief immediately with security and emergency response agencies. People focus on what is least likely to happen. Biggest problem is actually students bringing in weapons.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:40 PM