July 22, 2005
“If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - - Michael Jordan
Greetings from Wayne Central. Below are a few items of interest.
Board Letter:
Board Letter: 1. Computer Theft:This week a Christa Construction employee stole some of our computers. Attached is a memo from Russ Harris outlining the events. Thankfully all but one of the computers has been recovered. A special thank you goes out to Warren Hurd, the sales manager from Rochester Computer Recycling whose quick call resulted in the arrest. We have gone ahead with pressing charges and are looking for an additional computer to be returned. The bad news is that the DA may need the computers for evidence and it is possible we won't have them back in time for school to open. If that occurs we will be asking Christa to provide us with replacement computers. Russ Harris has been subpoenaed to appear before the Grand Jury on Monday, July 25. We may know more about the status of our computers after that occurs.
2. Administrative Retreat: The administrative retreat was a great success. The team worked extremely hard and accomplished a great deal. I believe we are in a position to move forward into a productive school year with a clear set of goals in mind and a clear vision on how to achieve those goals. We will be bringing information and program updates to future Board meetings.
3. Public Information Specialist Position: I interviewed the two finalists recommended to me. Unfortunately I did not find either of them acceptable and so we are reopening the search. One candidate had all the technical skills and could have provided us with some great products. However her personality was such that she would not be able to build any bridges with the community, staff or even the District Office. The second candidate was a great person, but didn't have the technical skills to move our brochures, newsletters and others publications to the level we want. Either could do a satisfactory job. If I could have blended the two of them, we would have had the “dynamic” person we are looking for. I just kept hearing this Mark Wyse voice coming out of the sky and asking, "Michael, is this the best possible person we can get for Wayne Central?" Subsequently, ads will appear in the Sunday paper.
4. Amy Lechinger Issue: Mrs. Lechinger is the lady who has been requesting that her son be allowed to continue at Freewill although she is now in the OP busing area. Mrs. Lechinger sent an email to our Board President stating that we are already making an exception with one family (the Welch’s) and so we should make an exception for her family also. I researched the issue and have found the following; Nikki Welsh is a teacher at OE. Back in 2003, before the shifting of students had actually begun, Mrs. Welsh requested that her children be allowed to attend OP although she was in a freewill busing area. We were trying to reduce the number of Freewill children so having children move to OP/OE was helpful and the request was granted. Reducing the Freewill population was the whole purpose of redistricting. So, there was an exception, but it was the opposite of her request. It was to help move students out of Freewill to make space for Kindergarten. Her request is to move into Freewill. She is right in the respect that I have made an exception. We can find no other exception that has been made. John and I are looking for some input from the Board. Given this additional information, do you want to consider this issue again at the August meeting or do you want to leave it as it is?
5. Tax Issue: At the August meeting I will be recommending to the Board that we join the Town and County in the tax issue over the Gullace property (Orchard Grove). There is a considerable amount of tax money at stake in this issue.
6. Wayne County Administrator Article: Attached is an article from the Finger Lakes Times, dated 7/20 about our illustrious Wayne County Administrator, Kim Parks. It is interesting, and mentions the incident that occurred last winter while fighting the sales tax issue, when I received a phone call stating the meeting was cancelled due to bad weather, only to have it occur hours later. I will keep you posted if I see any new developments with this position. The county seems to have its hands full right now.
7. Upcoming Events:
7. Upcoming Events: 7/25 – 8/8 – Administrative Vacation Block Out Dates – No Meetings Scheduled
8/25 – Board of Education Meeting – Location TBD – 7:00 p.m.
8. Attachments:
8. Attachments: a. Russ Harris email/Subpoena
b. Finger Lakes Times Article
c. Wayne VanderByl Letter
Att. a
RUSS HARRIS EMAIL – COMPUTER THEFT
RUSS HARRIS EMAIL – COMPUTER THEFT
Monday evening Mike Powers and I noticed that some computers appeared to be moved in one of the HS rooms where we were storing computers. I waited until Tuesday morning to check with everyone to see if they were moved by someone else. By 9:00 a.m. I feared the worst.
I stopped in the District Office Conference room and mentioned that I was worried that we had some computers stolen and I needed to do an inventory to determine which ones.
At around 10:00 a.m. I got a call from Kim Muir that someone called the HS office to say that a peson was trying to sell computers in Rochester at their place of business. She got the number and I called the person back. Warren Hurd of Rochester Computer Recycling and Repair had a person at his counter who was trying to sell him two of our computers. Warren had determined they were ours (by serial number) and thought it would be a good Idea to check with us prior to completing the deal. He thought something was funny when the person only wanted $50.00 for these expensive, new computers.
I determined in a short conversation with Warren that they were our computers and the ones that I was concerned about. I called 911 and asked Monroe County 911 to report that we had some computers stolen and that the perpetrator was attempting to sell them. I gave the dispatcher the address and phone number of the place and told them I would be calling the state police in Wayne County to file the report.
Meanwhile the “Purp” left Rochester Computer Recycling to go to an appointment and stated he would be back.
Warren called to say the “purp” was back at about 11:20 and I called the Rochester Police Department to tell him that they he was at the address. Ten minutes later I got a call from a Rochester Police officer that she had the computers and the “purp” in custody.
The report was filed with the State Police and they have turned the case over to the Rochester Police who are actively pressing charges.
At this time the Rochester Police Department have three of our computers and I have determined by inventory that there is one more missing that was probably taken at the same time.
The “purp” turned out to be a Christa Construction Employee.
Letter to the Board
