A New Year Ahead!

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year from UIYTT!

BAck in January 2012 with New Posts!

KCSD, Budget Gaps, Business as Usual!

Why is it that like day follows night Kingston School Budget Gaps and Budget Crises follow the Superintendent's contract and pay raise.

SEE RELATED FREEMAN ARTICLE Kingston school district faces $12.5M budget gap

$12.5 million dollars is an awful lot of money for even the most ardent public servant to fill!

• Does anyone truly believe that the School Board had no idea of how big the budget gap would be?
• Does any taxpayer, especially one who lost his/her job in the 'economic downturn', really believe that it's too little taxes, and not enough spending that is the problem?

Not to mention the waste, fraud and abuse!

• Does anyone in his/her right mind believe that scaling back on administration and teachers and yes even the closing of a school or two is a reasonable solution especially as the student enrollment is decreasing?
• Does anyone still think that throwing more money at the problem is the solution?

It's time KCSD caught up with the times, bigger classrooms, longer hours and merit based pay raises are a better answer, especially since everything they have tried has failed.

It's time administration expenses and positions are reduced and everyone realizes that for every teacher, every secretary, every principal, every principal's assistant, and every assistant's assistant we are paying the pensions, (pretty big ones by the way), of 1 1/2 to 2 teachers etc., in retirement.

Maybe we need some 'charter schools' in the district. Maybe we need to elect a board that understands that money is not an endless resource and that every $1 spent needs to return 100% value, no waste.

It may not be exclusive to the Kingston School District, but it is a product of mismanagement by government at all levels.

It's time for taxpayers to turn off the spigot and for our Politicians, Board Members and School Administrators to act responsibly!

RIP Officer Travis Nissen, UPD

The Town of Ulster lost a fine young man last night when Officer Travis Nissen was killed in an automobile accident on Rte 28 in the Town of Olive.

Officer Nissen will surely be missed by family and friends but there is more to his story. As his official duty encompassed the security and safety of our children as the School Resource Officer at the M. Clifford Miller Middle School in Lake Katrine, Officer Nissen, as he was known at the school, was a mentor and friend to many of the students, past and present. Officer Nissen touched many young lives in our town, he always had a smile, a word of encouragement and all the time in the world for each and every student.

The halls of Miller Middle School will never seem the same without his presence. The Town of Ulster Police Department has lost one of it's finest.

Congratulations Joe Sinagra!

As per the Freeman's article in todays issue, former Town of Ulster Deputy Chief of Police, Joe Sinagra is moving on. He will become Deputy Chief of Police in Saugerties.

We would like to congratulate Joe and thank him for his many, many years of service to the Town of Ulster and wish him Good Luck & God Speed.

Saugerties will be a safer town with Joe watching over it!

Thanks Joe!