Opinion: All that glitters is not Goldsack

To the editor:

I am supporting Jack Fisher, Bill Greenlaw, Pam Lutfy, Chuck Pike and Sue Schor in the May 19 primary election for Directors of the Delaware Valley School District. These candidates, while varied in their experiences and priorities, will bring vision and transparency to a Board I’m embarrassed to sit on in this my 14th year of volunteer service.

Bob Goldsack says he and I have a “Love-Hate relationship." I told Bob that I don’t hate anyone, but I dislike many things that he does.

⇒ KEEP READING

I dislike that Bob removed me from the Negotiations Committee on the teachers' contract and then inadvertently increased starting teachers' pay by $15,000, matching what a teacher with five years of experience would earn. The Board as a whole didn’t learn of this until after the teachers' union voted to approve the proposed contract.

I dislike that Bob asked the Board to hire four school security officers at a cost of $250,000 per year, expecting that there would be Safe Schools money to offset the cost. We hired the staff – didn’t get the money.

I dislike that Bob ran for and won an election and held a position on the Pike County Republican Committee while holding the elected office of School Director, which violates the Pennsylvania School Code.

I dislike that Bob filed a petition to remove Pam Lutfy and Sue Schor from the 2009 primary ballot and then had his lawyer withdraw the petition. Noticeably Bob’s petitions had the same uncrossed T’s and un-dotted I’s as his opponents petitions.

I dislike that Bob said in a public meeting that, “It would be the happiest day of my life,” if I would resign from the Board. Imagine that, happier than the day he was married or the birth of his children.

I dislike that Bob repeatedly held meetings in violation of the Sunshine Law by either not announcing committee meetings or allowing Board business to be discussed with five or more Board members present.

I dislike that Bob told parents of students at DVES that he would not support moving the new elementary school off the campus, but would continue work on building a new school on the existing site. Then, Bob announced that Long Range Planning would not work on a plan to rebuild the school at all, due to the economy. To further offend these parents, Bob allowed the money borrowed to build the school to be spent on capital construction projects and the new water delivery system at the Dingman-Delaware campus.

I dislike that Bob boasts of the new $900,000 water delivery system as providing cleaner water at Dingmans. The water is no cleaner after the system went on-line than before. In fact, the pristine water that was delivered to the primary school now has chemicals added to it. How do the parents at the primary school like that change?

I dislike that Bob likes to take credit for bringing the NO-Bullying program to the District when the way he treats people, in my opinion, makes him the biggest bully in the county, to which Bob replied publicly, “If I have to be a bully to get what I think is right, then I guess I’ll be the bully.”

I dislike that Bob defended an outside contractor over the concerns of district employees and when the facts came into light, failed to tell the public himself the outcome.

Bob and I don’t always have to agree. It’s fine to agree to disagree. I have a right to hear what other Board members are hearing and I have a right to be heard.

I agree with Diane French’s letter to the editor, “It’s All About Character.” Bob Goldsack is a character alright. Not a character that should be re-elected.

I’d appreciate your support on May 19 for Fisher, Greenlaw, Lutfy, Pike and Schor.


Thank you,
Sue Casey
DV School Board director

Krise agrees to pay almost $10 thousand, DV to improve tracking of fuel

Krise Bus and the Delaware Valley School District have agreed on a payment for back years of fuel use and on procedures for the future to improve the tracking and accounting of fuel purchases, according to a document available at Thursday's school board meeting.

The agreement says Krise Bus will pay DVSD $9,927.75 for fuel use since 2005 in accordance with contract. It also agrees to implement new tracking techniques for the future, including computized pump tracking software and improved driver logging.

According to a member of the public at Thursday's school board meeting, transportation committee chairperson Diane French said there was nothing to report during her committee's report. The public was made aware of the agreement after board member Sue Casey brought it up, meeting attendees said in an email.

View the agreement (.PDF)

Ballot challenge against Goldsack, Wright continues

Challenges against ballot filings by Bob Goldsack and Patricia Wright will continue through the beginning of next week. Board member Sue Casey expects a decision will be made by Wednesday after Goldsack and Wright are given the chance to rebut on Tuesday, according to a forwarded email.

Goldsack, who called the challenges made against him "a petty attempt to disenfranchise Democrats," made challenges of his own against candidates Pam Lutfy and Sue Schor for improperly filling out their own paperwork, according to the email and the Pike County Courier Web site. Goldsack withdrew his challenges against Lutfy and Schor today, according to the email.

Mystery surrounds transportation meeting

Some board members are unsure of the agenda and the scheduling of a transportation committee meeting planned for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at the administrative offices.

According to an e-mail from a board member, board president Bob Goldsack had originally planned a private meeting with Tim Krise, Krise's attorneys and board solicitor Mike Weinstein for Tuesday afternoon to go over a detailed written report created by Krise Bus. Goldsack notified a few of the board members by e-mail of this non-public meeting, according to an e-mail from board member Sue Casey.

Weinstein and superintendent Candis Finan were unaware of Goldsack's originally planned meeting, according to Casey's e-mail. An e-mail was then sent to the entire board letting them know the meeting Tuesday afternoon would be public, according to Casey's e-mail.

The meeting was announced Thursday, just three business days before it is scheduled to happen. The district e-mailed the press and posted details of the meeting on the administrative office door Thursday, and did not post the date on the district Web site until sometime in the past 20 hours.

E-mails asking for details about the meeting, sent to the district and to transportation committee chair Diane French, have not yet been returned.

Sue Casey to Tim Krise: "I don't trust you"

PoconoNews.net has a story summarizing Wednesday's transportation meeting. Click here to read more.

Krise Bus unlawfully mixed DV dyed fuel with clear fuel, district to conduct audit

Krise Bus mixed regular fuel for chartered bus runs with untaxed Delaware Valley fuel, which has a red dye to identify it can only be used to transport students, according to owner Tim Krise (at right) and school officials at tonight's transportation meeting.

Krise was unaware of the red-dye fuel until Dec. 4, 2008, he said. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue contacted Krise Bus regarding an incident in which Krise-owned DV buses were seen at the Crossings Premium Shopping Outlets in Tannersville, Pa. on Black Friday.

Revenue enforcement agent Neil Hochreiter told Krise Bus that by law not even a trace of red dye could be in the tanks of buses being used for any purpose other than transporting students between home and school or on student activity trips, Krise and school officials said.

School board member Sue Casey said she no longer trusts Krise because he did not know about the red dye, which has been in use by the district for over a decade. Superintendent Candis Finan said she has known about the dye since 1997 or 1998, when the district's contract was first developed with Krise Bus.

Krise Bus stopped using DV buses for charter trips effective Dec. 4, after the notification.

Allegations at public DV meetings about improper fuel use were first made by DV Support Professionals president Fran Rosario at a transportation committee meeting in December. Krise conceded that while his company had used DV buses, containing the red dye fuel, for non-DV runs, they filled the tanks with non-DV fuel or reimbursed the district.

The board will discuss conducting an audit, on behalf of the school district, to ensure Krise Bus is in compliance with the law.

There is "no intent to take anything from this school district or the taxpayers," Krise said.

The Department of Revenue is conducting tests on fuel from Krise-owned DV buses to determine if red dye and clear fuel were mixed, according to transportation committee chair Diane French. Hochreiter met with Krise, his lawyer, French, Finan, Rosario and a few other DV support professionals at 10 a.m. today to inform them of the situation, French said.

Morning meeting "kept quiet"

The rest of the board didn't appear to be too happy about the meeting that occurred this morning.

The meeting was scheduled by board president Bob Goldsack, who is in the hospital and did not inform the rest of the board that the morning meeting was taking place, French said.

Board member Ed Silverstone asked French to fill the rest of the board in about what happened this morning. French reiterated what Hochreiter had told Krise Bus.

Board member Sue Schor said she wondered why it was "kept quiet."

When French said it was not kept quiet, Casey said she had to disagree. Casey said at a recent executive session the board had agreed to be more open about meetings. French offered a sarcastic "I'm sorry," saying, despite her position as transportation committee chair, she was not responsible for contacting the rest of the board.

Superintendent Finan said she also was unaware of this morning's meeting until shortly before it happened today.

Passing notes

Leading the meeting, French also refused to take questions from members of the public. She told the public that any questions needed to be submitted to her in writing and they would be addressed as seen fit. She said she didn't want the meeting to "turn into a circus."

As members of the public wrote questions in to French during the meeting, she snipped at a student in attendance who was passing the slips of paper to her.

Silverstone raised issue over how French was conducting the meeting, saying the board should field questions from the public to ensure compliance with open meeting laws. Solicitor Mike Weinstein agreed with him.


Diane French, Mike Weinstein and Ed Silverstone discuss French's announcement that she would not accept questions from the public.

When's the meeting?

Schor also said she was unaware of tonight's meeting still taking place. Meetings typically are cancelled when school is closed, Finan said, but because Krise and others had traveled to the area, the meeting still took place.

Schor said she received news of the meeting less than an hour before it began, and had to drive at least a half hour back to Milford to make it.

Board members John Wroblewski and Casey were also unsure if the meeting was going to take place tonight, according to e-mails earlier today.

The only place confirming tonight's meeting was here on RB for DV, after a DV employee who attended this morning's meeting e-mailed in a tip. Confirmation that the meeting would still take place was not posted on the district's Web site nor announced on the school closing phone hotline.

Absent from the meeting were hospitalized board president Goldsack, vice president Deb DuCharme and board member John Kupillas.

Tomorrow's committee meetings at Shohola Elementary School starting at 6 p.m., will most likely be cancelled if school is closed, Finan said.

Board goes back on word, now says there will be no new elementary school

According to an article on PoconoNews.net about Thursday night's school board meeting, the majority of the board has decided to pull plans for a new Delaware Valley Elementary School off the agenda, with no plans for "long range" planning for the next three to six months.

This contradicts a commitment by board president Bob Goldsack in January, at which time he publicly stated there would be a new elementary school built.

The decision is based on the poor state of the economy.

Courier roundup: New DVES, top students, thank you

• Elementary school debate continues
  
• Dingman Delaware Middle School (honor roll)
  
• October’s best at Delaware Valley Middle School
  
• On the recent seniors’ dinner at DVMS (letter to the editor about the DDMS senior citizens dinner; the title is misleading)
  

How to contact your board members

After a question came up at Thursday's board meeting about contacting board members, the board indicated a list of their addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses is available at the DV Administrative Offices.

RB for DV has obtained a copy of this list and scanned it in for your reference.

⇒ VIEW THE LIST

Download a printable .PDF

SUSAN CASEY (07-11)
P.O. BOX 665
MILFORD. PA 18337-0665
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-686-1239
WORK TELEPHONE: 845-556-5311.439
FAX: 845-856-7710
CELL 845-820-5155
EMAIL: scasey54@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7076

BOB GOLDSACK, PRESIDENT (05-09)
3237 SUNRISE LAKE
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-686-4177
WORK TELEPHONE: 800-987-4177
FAX: 570-688-3240
CELL PHONE: 973-903-1888
EMAIL: goldsack@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7120

ED SILVERSTONE (05-09)
P.O. BOX 116
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-296-8130
ALTERNATE TELEPHONE: 212-724-2619
CELL PHONE: 917-208-0596
EMAIL: slverstne@yahoo.com
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7114


SUPERINTENDENT
CANDIS M, FINAN, ED.D
235 ROUTE 6 & 209
MILFORD, PA 18337
TELEPHONE: 570-296-1804
FAX: 570-296-3172
EMAIL: cfinan@dvsd.org

DEB DUCHARME, VICE PRESIDENT (05-09)
157 INDIAN TRAILS
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-686-2822
WORK TELEPHONE: 570-409-9999 Ext. 112
HOME FAX: 5700-409-8888
WORK FAX: 570-686-2822
EMAIL: dducharm@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7061

JOHN KUPILLAS (07-11)
3573 SUNRISE LAKE
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-686-9211
EMAIL: janandellen@yahoo.com
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7285

SUSAN SCHOR (08-09)
156 CHOKEBERRY DRIVE
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-296-4295
CELL PHONE: 570-228-1466
EMAIL: sdschor@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7240

SCHOOL BOARD SOLICITOR
MICHAEL WEINSTEIN, ATTORNEY
104 WEST HIGH STREET
MILFORD, PA 18337
OFFICE: 570-296-6471
FAX: 570-296-2653
EMAIL: weinstein@wskllawfirm.com
GENERAL EMAIL: wskl@ptd.net

DIANE FRENCH (07-11)
3728 SUNRISE LAKE
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-686-2914
EMAIL: gogiants@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7091

PAM LUTFY (05-09)
476 ROUTE 6 & 209 ATTN: P. LUTFY
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-296-6329
SUNSHINE STATION: 570-296-7241
DINGMANS: 570-828-6168
FAX: 570-296-4169
EMAIL: longdog51@hotmail.com
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7356

JOHN WROBLEWSKI (07-11)
199 HAWTHORNE DRIVE
MILFORD, PA 18337
HOME TELEPHONE: 570-296-6298
WORK TELEPHONE: 570-296-7956
FAX: 570-296-5498
EMAIL: johnwrob@ptd.net
DVSD VOICE MAIL: 7107

SECRETARY, NON-MEMBER
WILLIAM HESSLING, SECRETARY
236 ROUTE 6 & 209
MILFORD, PA 18337-9454
WORK TELEPHONE: 570-296-1806
FAX: 570-296-3172
EMAIL: bhessling@dvsd.org

More coverage on Schor's appointment

PoconoNews.net has mention of the selection of Sue Schor to fill the vacancy on the school board.

We all owe Mrs. Schor a pat on the back for offering to fill the vacancy and serve our community. We also owe a thank you to Jack Fisher who went through all of the rigamarole to file the petition. These two individuals are excellent examples of seriously committed and caring people in our community. 

Join me in wishing Mrs. Schor well as she serves on the board. I spoke to her on the phone this afternoon, and she is very excited and honored to take the position. She also specifically mentioned she is hoping to work together with the Taxpayers United representatives for the greater good of our school district.

Said current board member Sue Casey in an e-mail today:

Seven applicants with admirable qualities and intentions applied for the open director position on the DV School Board, and I would have been fine with serving this next year with any one of them.

My whole-hearted support was for Sue Schor whose qualifications and intent was vetted by the voters in the November 2007 election. The appointment by Judge Chelak was the right choice.

This community, students and taxpayers alike will be better served with Sue Schor as our newest director.