The Stelle Architect team, coached by Ted Schiavoni, John “Woody” Kneeland and Faith Diskin, took the 2009 majors softball title on Monday, outscoring JCP Landscaping, 13-3. The win concluded an undefeated 11-0 campaign for Stelle, the brilliant pitching of Sam Duchemin allowing the team to flourish in the field.

That confidence also carried into the team’s at-bats, as was evident Monday when a seven-run sixth inning broke open a close 6-3 game. Coach Schiavoni was thrilled with his team afterwards, saying, “We had a lot of outstanding plays by a lot of different girls, Sam Duchemin, Sabrina Baum, Meg Schiavoni, Bridget Canavan, Zoe Diskin and Claire Kunzeman.”

Praising the team as a whole, he added, “The bottom of the line-up proved to be as productive as the top. Sometimes you have the talent but things don’t come together. This one was a good season; this team just gelled.”

JCP was the championship runner-up for the second consecutive year, manager Jeff Peters once again bringing together young talent for a strong playoff run. The JCP team finished the season at 5-9.

For the second spring in a row, the Sag Harbor girls played against each other and against their Southampton counterparts, the two Little League chapters working together to give their players a more varied experience. The two chapter’s majors’ baseball programs also came together for “inter-league play” this spring, the 9-and-10-year-old and 11-and-12-year-old divisions each scheduling regular-season games.

Baseball Notes

The post-season baseball playoffs are still underway, the majors’ final seeing the Sag Harbor PBA take on the Sag Harbor Fire Department and the AAA final having Sag Harbor’s Ace Hardware against a yet-to-be-determined Southampton team.

Local Little League tournament play for the 11-and-12 year old baseball division “all-stars” is due to start at the end of the month, with the full roster of that team being announced next week. That is the only tournament team the Sag Harbor-Bridgehampton Little League will field this year, the softball majors and baseball minors divisions being short on available players.

LL Graduates

The chapter’s 13-to-15-year-old senior league baseball program opens play this week, the Sag Harbor team hosting Southampton in Mashashimuet Park Monday and traveling there Wednesday. Both games are due to start at 5:30 p.m.

Five senior league “graduates” are playing travel baseball this summer. One of them, Kyle McGowin, an all-county honoree at Pierson, pitched a no-hitter Sunday, leading the Long Island Tigers (from Flushing) to a doubleheader sweep of Eastport South Manor in a 17-and-under league.

The nationally competitive Tigers are due to play in tournaments in Louisiana and Virginia in July, with the hopes of matching the success of last year’s 17-and-under squad which won the 2008 National Amateur Baseball Federation’s 17-and-under World Series.

Closer to home, all-league Pierson seniors Joe Mascali and Ryan Miller are suiting up for the 17-and-under East Hampton Sharks while Pierson juniors Brandon Kruel and T.J. Arreguin are playing for a Shoreham team in the Brookhaven Police Athletic League.

Last Thursday, Kruel threw six-innings of two-hit ball, striking out eight as Shoreham beat the Long Island Bandits (of East Northport), 5-3. Arreguin threw a runner out at the plate from right field to preserve his new team’s narrow lead late in the game.

The pair’s roles were reversed Monday when Arreguin pitched six innings of one-hit shutout ball in a 1-0 win over the Center Moriches-based Long Island Ducks while Kruel played an errorless right field and contributed a hit.

Popularity: 4% [?]

By Andrew Rudansky

Aries Cooks, a student at Bridgehampton middle school, leans over to her grandfather, William Richard, and places a penny on his numbered bingo sheet. They are but two of the 70-plus in attendance at the 6th annual Senior Citizens Luncheon in the Bridgehampton High School this past Friday, June 5.

The occasion, hosted by the Bridgehampton middle school, invited members of the Bridgehampton Senior Center to a free afternoon of food and entertainment. Mary Johnsen, teacher and director of the luncheon, says that this annual luncheon is just one more way to give back to the senior citizens, “It’s about saying thank you.”

The students have much to thank the seniors for; the two groups have been involved in what Johnsen calls an “intergenerational exchange.”

Johnsen explains how this relationship between the middle school and the senior center has expanded. Originally the seniors approached the school offering to read and share stories with the Preschoolers. Eventually this small link blossomed into a strong bond. Current projects include students doing landscaping work at the senior center, and seniors coming to class to share stories with the students. On the growing bond Principal Jack Pryor said, “On a purely service basis we need to reach out to the community…we need to get a more direct relationship with the people.”

All the money used for the Senior Citizens Luncheon was raised by the students in a highly successful car wash. 

For the first five luncheons only the seventh and eight graders were involved, but because of the success of the program and the increased size of the program the school decided to incorporate fifth and sixth graders as well.

Johnsen is a ball of energy at the luncheon, overseeing every detail from food preparation to organizing the entertainment. But Johnsen takes little credit for the event, “these young kids are working their butts off to make this a special day.”

The students at the event did everything from cook the food, decorate the room, set the tables, act as waiters, provide entertainment and when it started to rain they even went to greet the senior citizens in the parking lot with umbrellas. Johnsen said that the entire day was orchestrated and directed by the students.           

Pryor emphasized the educational component of the relationship. He points out that when the seniors come to the school they share their “oral history, histories from this older generation.”

Johnsen agrees with Pryor, pointing out how the senior citizens have come to classes in the middle school and shared stories of World War II and local history. “There is a curriculum link as well,” said Johnsen.

Johnsen is exited about the luncheon next year, which is already on the calendar. She says that because of the success of the luncheon that next year’s event will take place in a larger venue, such as the high school gymnasium. 

The event, said Johnsen, allows the student to learn from the past, and “that’s what we should be doing.”

 

Popularity: 3% [?]

By Marianna Levine

The focus of the last Bridgehampton School Board meeting of the academic year was appropriately enough on summer school. After looking into sharing transportation to the closest high school summer school in Riverhead with the Sag Harbor School District, Bridgehampton superintendent Dr. Dianne Youngblood reported students would be, “transported with the McCoy Bus Company — and we have been advised by legal consul that we cannot contract with one company and then share it with another school district.”

Apparently the practice of sharing a transportation contract is illegal according to the New York State Education Department. Bridgehampton’s lawyer, Tom Volz who was present at the meeting explained, “the education department has a directive on sharing services, and this would be described as piggy backing which is described as illegal.”

Board member Joe Berhalter stated, “It seems illogical that we can’t share costs. Can’t both districts negotiate together?”

“Districts can do cooperative bidding but that is a different thing from what’s happening here,” offered interim business manager George Chesterton.

Volz did say, “I can clearly see the economic value of doing it that way but sometimes the answers don’t make sense. But I will try to get deeper into it and if there’s a way I’ll find it.”

Dr. Youngblood also mentioned the Bridgehampton School’s summer enrichment program would be slightly different this year. The program is primarily for the elementary school; however she and school principal Jack Pryor were hoping to open up the music program to students in middle and high school.

Dr. Youngblood also was proposing a summer prep class to prepare students for the PSATs in October. She was planning to open the class up to any students in the community even if they were not attending the Bridgehampton School.

When asked for more specifics about the program by board member Nicky Hemby, Jack Pryor answered, “We haven’t found the facilitators yet, but it makes sense to do it after working hours, and as it’s a six week course we should start it in the middle of August.”

Dr. Youngblood explained, “This is the first time we’re doing this and especially since we’re opening it up to students outside of our school we want to make sure we have good teachers in place for the program.”

Other agenda items included a presentation by Dr. Youngblood of certificates of appreciation to out-going board members Rick Delano, Sue Hiscock, and Jim Walker, a power point presentation by teacher Mary Johnsen about the eighth grade’s recent trip to Washington D.C., a rescinding of the ban on poll watchers, a discussion on the school’s out of district tuition policy, and the organization of a committee to review the superintendent/business officer applications the school had already started to receive.

The most contentious item was the first reading of a non-specific revised non-resident tuition policy, which Berhalter wanted to discuss during the open meeting. Berhalter asked if item C, which allows non-residents to pay tuition monthly, was taken out of the policy. It seems it was not taken out.

“This makes us into a collection agency. We should charge people for either the whole year or for a half year,” Berhalter complained and added, “it’s not fair to the people who are paying on time.”

“I’m not for eliminating item C, since it is hard for people to come up with a lump sum just like that,” said school board vice-president Elizabeth Kotz. “I want people to be able to pay month by month,” Kotz explained.

Berhalter went on to express frustration that the board hadn’t worked on the non-resident tuition policy since it was brought up in April. However, Kotz explained that there were other more pressing issues such as the 2009-2010 school budget and school board elections that the board had to contend with prior to working on this issue. She added that they were working on this now.

Also, out-going board president Jim Walker asked that a motion to rescind the ban on poll watchers be tabled for further discussion in executive session, and later in the meeting half-jokingly asked, “if you’re so concerned about signatures why don’t you ask your wives, Joe Conti and Berhalter, to sit at the actual desks for $15 an hour because they had a hard time getting people to do that job.”

To which Joe Conti replied, “I’ll do it. I could use the money!”

Walker ended the meeting prior to going into executive session by asking to form a review committee for the applications the school was receiving for the position of superintendent/business administrator. Walker was keen to start the committee process and volunteered to be on the committee as a community member as did out-going board member Rick Delano. Both Kotz and Hemby wanted to think through the creation of the committee more.

“I think we should add some other people, and ask our administrators to be involved,” Kotz added.

Dr. Youngblood offered “I will share some suggestions with you during executive session.”

 

Popularity: 3% [?]

By Marianna Levine

Following a Bridgehampton School Board work session last Wednesday evening, School Superintendent Dianne Youngblood confirmed that she will be retiring in August of 2010, after five years as superintendent and two years as Bridgehampton’s principal.

“Its good news because I’m retiring,” she added. Her history with the school runs deeper, as she had also been the school’s guidance counselor for six years starting in 1985.

Although the Bridgehampton superintendent’s position has been posted on official educational websites, Dr. Youngblood has said she isn’t officially announcing her retirement until this August.

Applications for the position have already been accepted, and are currently being reviewed by Dr. Youngblood. Kotz added that, although nothing has been officially organized as yet, “we hope to make up some sort of new committee which will include board members, community members, and maybe students” to review the applications as well. She did stress nothing was worked out as yet and that more information about this may be discussed at the next school board meeting on June 8. Kotz also mentioned “what we want really here is a business official/superintendent.”

The recent election that has resulted in three new members joining the school board in July, also prompted a contentious discussion Wednesday night on who gets to observe voters on election day.

Board Member Joe Berhalter’s request to iron out the rules concerning poll watching during school voting was answered with a board resolution banning poll watchers at school board elections. All board members except for Berhalter voted for this resolution, citing that poll watching during school board elections wasn’t common practice on the East End.

The poll watching issue came up prior to this month’s election when candidates Joe Conti, Laurie Gordon, and Nathan Ludlow requested poll watchers on Election Day. Initially the board had approved the poll watchers but had excluded the candidates’ spouses. That decision was reversed when it was discovered they could not limit who could be a poll watcher as long as they were registered to vote in the State of New York.

Prior to the vote, out-going school board president Jim Walker voiced his anger and frustration at what he perceived to be Berhalter’s continuing mistrust of the school district. Berhalter apparently had asked to see the absentee ballots in the name of “openness and transparency.” However, Walker and board vice-president Elizabeth Kotz wondered what exactly he wanted to accomplish by looking over the ballots.

Walker declared, “you are insinuating that signatures were forged and are questioning the trust we put in people like Joyce Manigo (the district clerk) and others who are sitting next to us at this table. I find this appalling to me as an individual.”

Kotz continued “I want to refer you to a letter we received from our attorneys who told us it was up to us how we do this anyway, because it isn’t usually done. Poll watchers are usually there to make sure people aren’t turned away in elections, and what you’re doing is suspecting people who have signed to vote.”

At the end of the workshop, the issue of transparency came up once more, and Walker asked if Berhalter would be willing to rescind his request under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to see the absentee ballots. Berhalter declined to do this stating, “I want to compare signatures and ballots.” To which District Clerk Manigo replied, “the majority of absentee ballots do not require signature cards. The majority are new voters anyway.”

After the workshop Berhalter explained, he did not use FOIL officially but had asked along with another board member to compare the signatures on the absentee ballots, the envelopes, and voter registration lists. It is something anyone can ask to do because of FOIL.

 

 

Although the workshop was short, a few other items were discussed. During the Superintendent’s report Dr. Youngblood gave an update on the Middle States Accreditation process stating that Bridgehampton’s application was received. She also updated the board on the hiring process for a secondary school English teaching post noting that over 60 applications were received and that she hoped the BOE would be presented with a candidate for approval by July.

Interim business administrator George Chesterton also updated the board on the school’s food bidding process. The school’s bid had been returned by the state since they had changed the bidding process this year and needed a lot more detailed and specific information concerning food safety and specific food specification.

In the end Chesterton said, “I don’t think we’ll be able to do it in time and these requirements may make the bids more costly, and as a result I would like to recommend we continue the lunch program we have now.”

Board member Nicky Hemby also requested that the board approve the presenting and opening of board member packets for the newly elected board members prior to their July starting date so that they can get a head start on learning board procedure. This and a resolution to let the new members sit in on executive sessions which had been suggested by out-going board member Susan Hiscock was unanimously approved.

 

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Bridgehampton student and NAACP dramatics award winner on making a monologue her own, preparing for an emotional role and hoping to make it to Hollywood.

 

So what was the competition like?

It was pretty stiff. I had to go into a room with three judges who are teachers and professional judges and had to do my monologue. I chose Hell and High Water from the Katrina Project [written by Michael Marks and Mackenzie Westmoreland]. Another girl had done the exact same monologue before me; but when she did it, it was like she was reading out of a book.

 

How did you make your performance stand out?

I added lines to the monologue about how my own family was left alone in their homes [in New Orleans] for three days with no food and no water. I think adding lines helped me embrace the character. When I just read it normally people liked it, but it wasn’t as personal. When you read lines it just feels like you are reciting something; but when you get into your character it actually touches people.

 

What was the monologue about and why did you choose it?

It was about Katrina and how Bush didn’t do anything. It’s about how people were dying in the Superdome. I chose it because I did have family down there. I did have a great aunt who died. I was tearing up when I did the monologue. I think they saw how into it I was and how furious I was about what had happened.

 

How did you prepare for the piece?

I worked every day with my coach Jacqui Leder. She would come to the school and help me for two periods every day. The when I got home I would practice for another two hours. I had my friends help me rehearse and my mom would read me lines. I only had a week to learn the monologue but I think the shorter amount of time was actually better for me. Some of the kids at the competition had been doing the same monologue for two years. I did the monologue the way I felt it, instead of changing things about it. I did it free handed. During the audition I kicked off my shoes, but I didn’t think ‘oh now I am going to do this and then I am going to transition into this.’ I also did a lot of research. I asked people their perspective on what happened. I was born in the South, so when I was acting my down South voice came out.

 

How do you approach acting?

I don’t want to be stiff. I don’t want to seem over dramatic. My judges gave me a critique sheet and said that I move my body and paused in between my sentences perfectly. This is my first year in the competition, but I think I brought it.

 

What kind of reaction did you get being a sixteen-year-old girl who took on such an emotional role?

After I performed it for the judges, I went outside and a parent in the hallway asked me how old I was. When I said I was sixteen, they were like ‘are you serious? I have never seen someone go into character like you did.’ When I did it for the judges, their mouths were open by the end. One woman told me that she couldn’t believe that had come from me.

 

Which award did you end up winning?

I got the bronze in dramatics. I get to go to nationals, though I can’t compete, on July 8 and get to see how it is and take some workshops. I am taking one workshop called “Better Yourself” and it’s kind of like a meditation. They make you stop and think about your characters and how you will pursue them and what is the impact on you.

 

Are you going to compete next year?

Yeah I think I am going to do more categories. I am going to do a contemporary piece on my saxophone and do a little poetry. I write my own poetry.

 

Who has been helping you along the way?

The Bridgehampton Day Care center, especially Bonnie Cannon. She drove me up to the competition. The First Church of God in Bridgehampton and even people at Bridgehampton High School.

 

Could you recite a little bit from your favorite part of the monologue?

“How can my family be left alone with no food, no water, no help” and the last part “I bet if Bin Laden had attacked us then Dubbya would have showed up.”

 

It seems you have been bitten by the acting bug. Any plans to be an actress?

Yeah I think that is what I am going to do. My mom always said ‘You are going to take me to Hollywood.’ 

 

Popularity: 3% [?]

The photos pinned to the wall of the Southampton Town Board meeting room on Tuesday evening showed pleasing and inviting scenes of the Southampton Village streetscape. Each of the five pictures highlighted a different village restaurant’s bustling outdoor dining area, where patrons noshed on meals while basking in the sun as pedestrians walked by.

These photographs weren’t snapped by a professional photographer hired by the restaurants, but were in fact taken by town councilwoman Nancy Graboski who, along with councilman Christ Nuzzi, has spearheaded a campaign to allow outdoor dining throughout the town. Graboski presented the photos, which she took over Memorial Day Weekend, at a Southampton Town Board meeting to show the board the acclimating quality of outdoor seating.

Employing the help of deputy town attorney Kathleen Murray, Nuzzi and Graboski drafted legislation to allow outdoor sidewalk dining. The draft law was modeled after similar legislation found in Southampton Village.

“This is a law to create a license so that restaurants can put a few tables on the sidewalk,” explained Graboski. “It is consistent with the resort nature of our town. This will help keep our hamlets viable in this difficult economy. One major goal of the 1999 comprehensive plan was to be sensitive to the viability of our hamlet centers and this will help us do that.”

According to Graboski, the new law will apply to the Southampton Town hamlet’s of Bridgehampton, Hampton Bays, Water Mill and East Quogue and will help promote economic sustainability for food establishments. Graboski said a local restaurateur told her that having seating areas situated outside his restaurant in the winter months increased his business by 10 percent.

The outdoor dining legislation comes with a few standards, which Murray enumerated at the meeting. Firstly, the law only applies to restaurants with a primary enclosed business, and excludes take-out operations, drive-thrus and drive-ins, bars and nightclubs. The outdoor seating must be located in front of the restaurant’s indoor operation. There must be at least 10 feet of space between the restaurant’s exterior wall and the curb of the sidewalk. The restaurant will leave six feet clear to accommodate pedestrian traffic and safety. For example, if there is 12 feet of space between a restaurant and the sidewalk curb, the dining establishment may use six feet of sidewalk width for outdoor dining. Restaurants are allowed to install retractable awnings over the outdoor seating, but umbrellas are expressly forbidden.

To maintain the same occupancy limits for the restaurant, the town stipulates that indoor seating must be reduced to correspond with the additional outdoor seating, and the outdoor seating may not exceed 20 percent of the total indoor seating capacity. Licenses issued to restaurants by the town would only be valid for the season — May 1 through November 1, and allow dining from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

“This is a good business initiative,” said Nuzzi of the legislation, which was unanimously passed by the town board. “It will assist the business community and hopefully expanding dining opportunities will additionally flow out into the retail establishments.

Popularity: 5% [?]

On Saturday, May 23, John McClusky, 69, of Amagansett was arrested in the early afternoon by Southampton Town Police on charges of harassment in the second degree, a violation. Apparently, McCluskey, a documentary filmmaker, repeatedly approached and threatened former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, while he was walking down Main Street. Giuliani told police that he wished to have Mclusky arrested, but was advised by police to agree to a civilian arrest procedure. McCluskey was transported to Southampton Town Police Headquarters, and was eventually released on bail. Giuliani told police he would respond with a signed formal agreement.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Supporters of keeping the Bridgehampton School exactly as it is won a resounding victory tonight with Lillian Tyree-Johnson, Doug DeGroot, and Ron White taking the three available seats. Incumbent board president Jim Walker lost by a mere 13 votes to White.

Joe Conti, Laurie Gordon, and Nathan Ludlow who ran on the premise that the school would be better served if the high school closed, all lost.

The budget, otherwise known as proposition 1 was passed easily with 325 yes votes to only 150 no.  Proposition 2, which asked voters for $125,000 to be given to the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center also passed with 338 votes yes and 125  voting no.

The school board results were Lillian Tyree-Johnson 300, Doug DeGroot 258, Ron White 240, Jim Walker 227, Joe Conti 176, Nathan Ludlow 170, and Laurie Gordon 169.

The election was largely seen as a referendum for either closing the upper grades and tuitioning the students to other neighboring high schools, or keeping the school open.

 

Above: Supporters celebrate the election of three school board candidates Tuesday night whose agenda includes keeping the Bridgehampton School upper grades open.

 

Popularity: 3% [?]

By Marianna Levine

Bridgehampton’s May Citizens Advisory Committee meeting was packed with candidates for and members of the Bridgehampton School Board. Over the weekend there had been a flurry of emails among CAC members debating the merits of having school board candidates discuss their positions on the eve of the election.

It had been decided by CAC Chair Fred Cammann via email to cancel the candidates’ presentation. However, as people continued to arrive on Monday night, including Southampton Town Councilwoman, Anna Thorne-Holst, it became clear that Bridgehampton School families were expecting something to happen.

And it did, but only after an hour long official CAC meeting during which CAC member Ian MacPherson reported on transportation concerns, and Cammann listed off the pending application status of a number of CAC concerns such as the Ocean Road solar farm, the Bull’s Head Project, and the Gunite plant.

The only agenda items that fostered conversation were the request from the Bridgehampton National Bank for a pedestrian walkway between the bank and the new Citarella on Montauk Highway, and a continuation of the discussion the CAC had last month with Town Supervisor Linda Kabot, about the operating rules for Southampton’s appointed boards and how the local CACs can be more efficiently involved in the process.

Thorne-Holst mentioned, “I have asked Land Management to make developers’ plans available to the CACs as soon as the applications come through. The town is having a meeting on this subject tomorrow. In the past we’ve had a problem with months going by before the community and neighbors hear about a plan, and its actually not that the developers don’t want to hear from the public, its just that they don’t want to change things later when it’s too late and too expensive to do so. It’s better to get the community input early on.”

Thorne-Holst also commended the CAC for taking on the revisioning of the hamlet study themselves.

“In the past we have paid consultants to come to these meetings and listen to what people want, but this is a way to save yourselves a lot of tax dollars, and do it yourselves.”

In terms of the walkway, opinions were mixed but tended to favor not having one put near Citarella’s. In the end, discussion was tabled for further study and consideration.

 

At about 8 p.m., Cammann adjourned the official CAC meeting and stated, “In past years the CAC has discussed wonderfully controversial issues here and we’ve done it this way: I will call a motion to adjourn and whoever wants to stay can and we’ll have an open school board discussion.”

After a few people, including Councilwoman Throne-Holst, left, Ron White, a school board candidate and current applicant for the CAC, started the discussion by introducing himself and talking about the misconceptions many people have about the Bridgehampton School.

He sat in the front of the room along side fellow candidates Laurie Gordon, Doug DeGroot, Lillian Tyree-Johnson, and Joe Conti. (White, DeGroot and Tyree-Johnson were elected to the board on Tuesday night. See related story on page 1.) The conversation quickly became a debate on whether the high school should close. There were several emotional pleas from school families to stop debating this issue because it was unnecessarily pressuring and hurting the children.

School board member Nicky Hemby, who has four children at Bridgehampton, was close to tears when she said; “this gets emotional because you are striking at our children. You are negating what my children have achieved.”

Joe Conti insisted, “We want to put more resources into the lower grades. We can argue back and forth about what the numbers say all day.”

CAC member Jenice Delano, who has an MBA in finance, replied, “You say we could argue numbers, but I believe there is actually nothing to argue about.”

Towards the end of the discussion school parent Katherine DeGroot asked Gordon and Conti, “If elected to the school board would you work on some sort of compromise; for example we could have some sort of exchange program with kids in Sag Harbor who might want to come here and vice versa.”

Conti suggested Bridgehampton’s school building just didn’t have the space, but Gordon said, “I would actually consider that because once you’re on the board you need to consider all options. But I do think spending $75,000 per student is still a lot of money to spend. No other district spends that much.”

To which Nicky Hemby replied, “You don’t have the right numbers!”

At approximately 9 p.m. Cammann said it was time to end the discussion and go home, and although some left swiftly, others lingered to continue the contentious conversation.

 

In photo above, school board candidate Joe Conti (right) makes a point while fellow candidates Laurie Gordon, Lillian Tyree-Johnson and Ron White look on.

 

Popularity: 7% [?]

We have supported the idea of a strong public school in Bridgehampton before and we see no reason to stop now, especially in view of the remarkable turnaround the school has made in the past ten years. We remember saying about 15 years ago, when the conversation about closing the school had come up once before, that in communities like ours, it is the school that frequently holds it together and serves as its center. Even as Bridgehampton — the community — changes and wrestles with outside pressure, we still find that to be very true. The loss of the public school — or even its upper grades — would only contribute to the erosion that has affected other parts of the community.

There is no mistaking where candidates stand this year, where the election itself is a referendum on whether to keep the high school open or not; the camps are well-defined. Joe Conti, Nathan Ludlow and Laurie Gordon are convinced that closing the upper grades and tuitioning the students to other districts is the best way to give the students a better education; and is also cost effective. Doug DeGroot, Lillian Tyree, Jim Walker and Ron White are equally convinced the school needs to stay as a whole — for much the same reasons.

But in the course of a one hour Q & A on Monday night, we found it troubling that Conti, Ludlow and Gordon offered little in the way of suggestions other than sending the students away — it frankly appeared as though they didn’t care so much about the school as in accomplishing their stated goal. It is difficult to support someone who is so single-minded.

Clear choices this year are: Jim Walker, who has demonstrated his commitment to the school and successfully shepherded the board, as its president, presiding with skill, keeping discussions on task and cordial — an often difficult challenge. And Lillian Tyree-Johnson, who has made herself intimately familiar with the board and school and brings with her a passion to see the school succeed.

Our third choice is more difficult. Doug DeGroot is articulate and has proven himself to be a good friend to the school. Ron White is youthful and would bring a new energy to the board. Ultimately we believe, however, that DeGroot’s experience in business will best serve the board.

We also support the budget — a no brainer this year — and urge voters to say aye to the spending plan with a miniscule increase.

Popularity: 7% [?]