{ title: 'The freeman's journal. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) 1924-1996, April 30, 1995, Page 2, Image 2', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031249/1995-04-30/ed-1/seq-2/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031249/1995-04-30/ed-1/seq-2.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031249/1995-04-30/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn83031249/1995-04-30/ed-1/seq-2/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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a : a April 3 0 .1 9 9 5 □ SUNDAY EDITION Regional News mw tMi Eight vie for three seats on Oneonta School Board By BILL W OLCOTT Staff W riter - ONEONTA - And who said school board elections a re dull? ; When school district residents enter second term? A; “Over the last three years I have the polling booth Tuesday they will have through a field c f eight candi- ~ - ------ •*-— six chal- tN e e vacant experience and I just felt that the district has made a major investment in me. and 1 feel that I want to us this knowledge fin g m - jockeying for j sg/as on the board, the largess field of and experience,\ Sweet said. Sweet said she wants to continue the Sweet said. “So I would like to a sec a shift from property taxes towards another form of Slate revenue,” she said. Other revenue options could be the slate mcome tax, sales, alcohol and cig arette taxes and even state lottery C^ididates in recent history. John Ppntius Jr., a Hartwick College admin- b^ator and form e r board president, is riot seeking anotimr term. The voting booths will open at noon ttifd will remain open w a il 9 p m . \ The following candidate p r o les on M s poge were compiled by the Freeman's faum a l aver the past two weeks. Each candidfSe was asked the rela tively same set o f fota questisms that d if fered slightly between incumbents and ckallengo'S. work she begem on lobbying Albany for local property lax relief. ■niai’s b e m a major is three years.\ Sweet said, “So I would really like the oppcrtuniiy to be able to continue trying to see some changes made m that area.\ <}: What Issues are about affecting the sdiotd boardydistrict? A: Sweet said the primary concern of the board is the students. A: Besides her three years of exjxn- ence on the board. Sweet said she also spends a lot of time in the schools. “1 seem to get a good sense of what is going on in the schools, from the student pra-spective as well as the staffs y she said. And with the large amount o f coramu- mty service work. Sweet said she also gets of what residents warit for theu of educational reform.\ Sweet sc schools as well as their pocketbooks. Oneonta, as a d istrict is known through s as using a lot of the reform I ncumbents O cenpadon: Homemaker, registered nurse Number of term s o n school board: One tmm. three years, including current year long stint as president Q : W hat m idivated you to r u n for a out the stole as using a lot of the r areas and having success with them. And I svotild lite to see that continue.” Sweet also felt that the school board will have to fmd a way to deal with declining stale dollars and fmd aliema- “So that kind experience is brought a '■ she said I brings her experi- Albany for the dis tive ways to make up for those losses. “THcre are a lot o f mequii to correct (with the slate).\ she said. ence as a k trict to the “ At first it seem«l like a fiilile ven ture, but It's not,\ she said. “But I am now seeing changes, and some of what I have been talking about looks like it could become rcalit Sweet said the current formulas used by the stale Education Department Q: Why slURild residents vote for you? smg money ore unfair for Oneonta, which stands to lose nearly S600.000 m aid. The current formulas lend favor the wealthier dis tricts m the stale \I really Ixheve that the state aid formu las need u> he mure ^ ihtable,” she said And of course Sw-cet’s p property tax relief, which sh worked hardest on with Albany overall wealth.\ she said. “Obviously w( are n o longer m an agrarian society \ let said that voters should i cider her expcnence, irainmg and com mitmraii to the distnct and the board. \A school board is so v ^ y different ih«i any other type of hoarf,\ Svwset said \And ob\ lously wc arc the policy making nrganiralion \ Bui in Older to do that effecuvely, hoard members have to have a broad knowledge on school financing, stale and (oieral mandalcs. Sweet said. \Ii fiiM takc.s lime to learn and all that .U m ‘ v help m dec ision making process,\ chc JUDITH SWEET With declinmg money from the schcml distncts have been forced to rely V1ARILVN HELTERLINE Occupation: Professor of Womens’ i this regressive form of revenues. Jccupati Studies and Sociology at the State iiversity College at Oneonta. MATfRESS MADNESS STRIKES BERN FURNITURE *1 SpiBliPwfitiaseBsiitfiilfiBrefistl F r a m e s Sale^Mi up a foundation to seek private contribu tions for extra programs, Helterlinc said money, she said. Q: W h at do you b ring to the school “The problem with our p r ^ r ^ tra structure is that it is r e p ipessive,\ she said, muld allow people who care about education - and can “And a foundation woult afford it - to put more into education.' vould, of y teachen There would, o f course, be suings attached to the money raised by the M A R IL Y N H E L T E R L I N E foundation; day to day te be hired. However there are certain types of special propams - the ones often cut during tough times - that could Ito fmanced this way, Helterline said Number o f term s on school b o a rd: Q; W h at m otivated you to run for the school b oard? A: The some things that motivated Helterline in the first election still moti vate her for this election - class size, fund ing and its restraints on the classroom. \I am very concerned about educarion and 1 wanted to have voice in setting the priorities if money is tight,\ she said. Q: W h at w ould you Uhe t o change about the school b o a rd an d w h at issues trill affect the school board/dls* trict In the f u ture? Q; W h a t will you bring to the school bimrd? A: Helterline said she lu inp the i»int of view to the school board that the pri- tnaiy function o f the schools is academic. “That has to be given priority,\ she Helterline also believes that the schools are community schools and the district needs as much input as possible from residents. “Tve been very active in trying to facilitate increased input from the com munity,” she said Heltmlifie also said she b r inp a back ground o f 20 years of teaching at the crollcge-level to the board HAREY SCIINELL “I became involved in t l » p r o t ^ at le interested being on the time and tecam e interested being on the school boaud,” he said. Sdm ell decided to hold o ff his candi dacy for a year to leam more about the been a ttmumg since the tall, “So ihatoncel did run ftu it I be to bee a betteretter contribu o n tribuun\hetn. said. to b a b c What would you like U> A: Not surprisingly, Helterline said, like three years ago, the district faces Q; Why should residents vote for ywi? A: Heltcriine said that residmus should Q : W h at w o uld you ■boot th e scbtw l b o a rd and wbal Issues will a n b c l die school tM»rd/dls- trict In the fbtore? A: Schnell said the disorict needs a difficult finaiteia) limes in terms o f cut backs in state aid. “I don't thmk we can simply pass those oq to taxpayers who c an't afford It,\ she said. “So I want to make sure that It is the academic propam s that are given prionty.\ 1 said the classTOonjs have to record for onswera as vote for her. three yeare on the board. school board that is more pro active. a sdtool board o a ^ that is p to why they shoul In her three yean Helteriinc said she has been a voice for gel pnority when momey is tight over buildings and extra-curricular activities. moderate spending, hiring eddittonal teach ers to imiuce d ass siiiK and tried to make school board nuxe opoi to the public. “And I am cxjterienccd.\ she said “I thmk It’s useful to have some people with experience on the board.\ “We n o d a sdio o l b that is p e - senting the issues rathcar than just respoitding to those thingi (hat a te pre sented.\ he said. At the some time, the school Ixiard shotdd trying to push for more coronrn- nity ii^ u i into high quabiy o f educauon, HcltBrlinc said she has heard leard the district is not kcqring up with other distncts on p a n t writing. “Many things that come out o f our b u d g ^ such as staff development. i C h a l l e n g e r s the decision-making process, he said. fai regoids to the c onent dilemma over the adminisuative offices at 290 Chesmut S l . Sduicll said it» district should purchase the building o n l hind it H A R R Y “ BUDDY” SCHNELL Occupation: Manufacturing manager at in Sidiiey. “I dunk that it should b e done so that the people who are using it arc paying might be able to fund through p a n t ■fund,\ she said. rather thiui the general fund,\ I h e distria could give teachers release I rime » write die grants or hire a ^ - t i m e I or consultant grant nailer. sl» suggesreo. The district should also explore setting ccupat Keith Clark m Sidn Q: W hat motivated you to r u n for the »;booI board? A: Schnell said last year's furor over the $13.9 million middle school/high school naiovation jmsjcci is what moti vated him to run for the school Imard. - ..... - .... - .............. ii R o p l ^ € a i e Rledt4k)!i J Si. ssif JSi. ®449 i Si. Hm r« S. UcttkhaDt Robcrl Booktirat C o © p a r s to w n Iftsuraxice ■ A g ency 133 Chestnut St., Cooperstown Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.ro. (607) 547-2575 A n t e * if o i i i e • i l i i s l i i e s s * L i f e « I f c a l f h • F i i i a t i d a i H w v icifh W h i^ would also allow d te r^tdents to have a vokc m the process. iKcause it would require the district to hold a pub lic vote on the measure, he said. One of the biggest issues facing dm school d tsinct IS how u measures {terfm mance. Schnell said. “1 think in an age whmi b usiness and industry is movoig toward eten e r and more well-defined measurements, to have our kids move in the opjxuiie direction will probably a o i properly pre pare our students tor the funne busiimss world.\ he said. Schnell said the business wtarld ts 1 exfteciations that are easily measuring its wmkers with clearer ei measurable, such as the o n r c n t move toward student portfolios in c theaikm. “If we're going to move to w e d port folios and feeling good about aim ing out of school.\ Schnell said, 'they going to walk into i tiusiness world where n u m lm are im pm tim and mea- ■»y*rclrey'n not suiemmits are clear, and l going to te p tep m d for it.” Sdmell siud the district shotiM |ne- Se« ELECTION oo Page 7 MCAUIOIf © i i j r H . W i i c © s 5 , H . © . D ^ ^ a s C ^ i S F O , R . P J l . Brink. Roues •P .O .B o x ^ West Winfield* NY I349I ( 3 1 5 ) ^ 2 4 3 4 8 IM 8 it«t |#7)--'4^3«14S4 iW ll^6OM alnStt60r|5«.l8t0 Tlair, 8-.3D4S3. , « o « s : § E = p i A HELPING HAND Coppa^ • B rass • A lumihum • B atteries R adiators • S tainless S teei . • D theb fetefAus P l u s , o f o m m s s , C m m m i T f i i m s , 33®80 .. .... M o n d a y F f id ^ 8 » m . g «.m . I ONEON o f f a e d a i t i NiswYork Labor. Fouling t in essantinl o f jo b CHC tn tx d o r i o (aithusiasti Identifying stien g ih s a in knowing N c tw o ^ ti» j o b s t h n e v ^ t a p l ing to find h o je d f o r . i{KUiisaie focused m in a c o m p th isw o d is andcovtff designed I ^ t e n t i a l c thew a n tci Iniervic <^an^ to In titis wo often review ed, in e tiM ^ f view, bod offom ICF fisKiblee ^UH i M s ! i O fU b O T '
