Financial matters on our minds

Confused about financial terms in the news? Eager to have reliable background information on the stock market, hedge funds, investment banks, commercial banks or the Federal Reserve? Visit the library and consult Gale's 2008 Everyday Finance. It is on display, together with several other up-to-date reference books on money matters.

The library subscribes to the print editions of the Value Line Investment Report, the Value Line Small and Mid-Cap Report and The Morningstar Report. As a subscriber to The Morningstar Report, the library provides in-house access to Morningstar Mutual Funds Online at each of the seven internet stations in the Adult Department. Users should consult the folder on the desktop labeled Morningstar Online to obtain username and password. Morningstar Mutual Funds Online is a PDF report service and all reports may be saved to a disk. Each month, updated full page reports appear on the website two weeks before the print issue arrives. Special reports are issued each quarter. Topics covered recently include Model Portfolios for Retirees and the Best Funds for Income.

In these uncertain economic times, these valuable resources, supported by tax dollars, are available to all

Important Voter Info on Question #1

The LCTV talkshow "Put Up Your Duqs" will have an in depth interview with a representative of the Committee for Small Government, which is pushing for the repeal of the state income tax in Massachusetts.

The one hour interview IS NOW ONLNE at www.JeroldDuquette.organd will air on LCTV Channel 12 starting Monday, October 13th at 6pm.

Leonard Cooperman, representing the Committee on Small Government, provided a thoughtful, if debatable, rational for the ballot measure.

An interview with opponents of the income tax repeal measure will be appearing on the show in the next couple of weeks. More information will be distributed on that interview as soon as it is "in the can," so to speak.

Become informed about the LHS Building Project

The Longmeadow School Building Committee is committed to providing the residents of our town with the information about LHS to make an informed decision. All residents are cordially invited to attend a tour and or public forum about the high school. Please read below:

This your opportunity to LISTEN, LEARN and ASK QUESTIONS! So please join the School Building Committee at one or more of these events! Now is the time to get involved!

The School Building Committee is committed to educating our Longmeadow Residents about the High School Building Project. In order to be an informed voter at the Town Meeting and on Election Day, the School Building Committee is asking for residents to attend one (if not both) of the following activities:

Tour the High School; See first hand the learning environment our children experience everyday.

When: October 18th
Two tours are scheduled/11:30am and 3:00pm

Where: Tours will begin at the front entrance of the school

How Long: Tours will last about 1 hour followed by a 30 minute gathering to answer questions.

Attend a Public Forum; Listen to members of the Building Committee discuss the project and ask them questions.

When: October 14th at 9:00am OR October 22nd at 7:00pm

Where: The October 14th Public Forum will take place in the High School Auditorium
The October 22nd Public Forum will be held in the Business/Technology Center (BTC) at the High School. (Directions to the BTC will be posted inside the school)

How Long: Each forum will consist of a 20 minute presentation followed by a 40 minute public discussion

Why is the School Building Committee scheduling these activities:

Fall town meeting will be held on October 28th at 7:00pm in the High School Auditorium.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT meeting for all residents who are concerned about the condition and future of the High School. There will be a warrant article to appropriate the funds needed to begin the study of a long term solution for the high school building.

If the warrant article passes at Town Meeting then we must turn our attention to November 4th. On the ballot there will be a debt exclusion question to raise the funds needed for the high school study. So please note that if the warrant passes at Town Meeting that does not mean we have the funds, it only means that we may use the funds if they are approved on November 4th.

If the warrant article fails at Town Meeting then the November ballot question is null and void and we do not have the choice to raise funds on that date. The Select Board will need to decide if they wish to hold a special town meeting and special election to raise the high school funding option to the town again. This second go around is not guaranteed and costs the tax payers money.

We simply cannot let this unique opportunity pass us by. If so, we will be giving up potentially millions of dollars in state reimbursement. Now is the time to get involved!

Something to Consider

As Longmeadow moves forward on the path toward the construction of a new high school, the newly formed Longmeadow School Building Committee should consider our new high school project being included in the Massachusetts School Building Authority's Model Schools Program.

This program considers use of existing designs in order to reduce the overall cost. According to a recent article in the Boston Globe the town of Norwood, MA which is ahead of Longmeadow with the new HS building process is considering this option. With this new program the state also provides financial incentives for towns involved to reduce the financial impact.

The picture above shows Whitman-Hanson High School in Whitman, MA built in 2005 which currently accommodates 1,250 students in grades 9 through 12 and is projected to meet the district’s needs for 50 years. The 232,000-square-foot school cost $49.2 million.

According to an article in the Patriot Ledger.... "the school is also a pilot project for the Massachusetts Green Initiative, a partnership between the School Building Authority and Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Natural light reduces consumption of electricity. The building is well insulated and has a 51-kilowatt solar electric array on the roof. A 20,000-gallon underground tank collects storm runoff from the roof; the water is used to flush the school’s toilets."

Perhaps, we might not end up with a "unique" building structure but the financial impact on our town might be significantly reduced.

Longmeadow High School Project

For all those interested in the future of our high school, please read the following, mark your calendar and forward to your fellow residents:

Historically fall Town Meetings are attended by less than 100 residents. These 100 or so residents vote on warrant articles that impact the entire town--all 15,000 of us.

This fall town meeting will be held on October 28th at 7:00pm in the High School Auditorium.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT meeting for all residents who are concerned about the condition and future of the High School. There will be a warrant article to appropriate the funds needed to begin the study of a long term solution for the high school building.

If the warrant article passes at Town Meeting then we must turn our attention to November 4th. On the ballot there will be a debt exclusion question to raise the funds needed for the high school study. So please note that if the warrant passes at Town Meeting that does not mean we have the funds, it only means that we may use the funds if they are approved on November 4th.

If the warrant article fails at Town Meeting then the November ballot question is null and void and we do not have the choice to raise funds on that date. The Select Board will need to decide if they wish to hold a special town meeting and special election to raise the high school funding option to the town again. This second go around is not guaranteed and costs the tax payers money.

We simply cannot let this unique opportunity pass us by. If so, we will be giving up potentially millions of dollars in state reimbursement. Let's not allow less than 100folks determine the fate of our high school. Now is the time to get involved!

So, lets vote YES on the warrant article for the High School Building Project at town meeting October 28th and YES on the Debt Exclusion ballot question on November 4th.

Longmeadow- One of the Top 10 Healthy Places to Retire

Longmeadow was selected this week as one of the "Top 10 Healthiest Places to Retire" by the online version of the US News and World Report.

Selection criteria was as follows:

"These are places way ahead of the healthy living curve—they provide numerous places to exercise, promote strong social support, and encourage healthy lifestyle habits. And each has a little something extra, too."

Read the full story on Longmeadow and don't miss the photo gallery .... you will see some familiar faces and names.

Some personal reflections...

My wife and I have lived in Longmeadow for 28 years- the last 5½ years after my retirement from Monsanto/ Solutia. In contrast to a number of our friends and my work colleagues who have moved elsewhere for warmer weather and other reasons, we consider Longmeadow our retirement home and are very happy with the lifestyle that we enjoy here.

If you have some comments about this US News and World Report, please take some time to share them on the LongmeadowBuzz blog.

Longmeadow's Primary, 16 September 2008

Tuesday, 16 September 2008
Democratic Primary:

US Senate Precinct A Prct B Prct C Prct D Prct E Total Total Voters %

Voters      467 408   298    350   333 1856 11563  16%

Kerry      237 261 165 203 219 1085 1856 58%
O’Reilly      226 144 131 143 111 755   1856 41%

Blanks       4     3      2     4     3   16    1856 01%

State Rep. Precinct A Prct B Prct C Prct D Prct E Total Total Voters %

Voters 467 408 298 350 333 1856 11563 16%

Ashe 248 233 174 208 220 1083 1856 58%
Walsh 202 168 114 130 104 718 1856 39%

Blanks/Other 17 7 10 12 9 55 1856 03%

Commentary:

Kerry carried every precinct. Kerry was strongest in E. O’Reilly was strongest in A.
Kerry’s biggest vote was in B. O’Reilly’s biggest vote was in A.
Ashe carried every precinct. Ashe was strongest in E. Walsh was strongest in A.
Ashe and Walsh got their biggest vote in A. More people blanked the State Rep. race than the US Senate race.
Ashe goes against Scibelli with 58% of the Democratic vote. Scibelli got 239/274 = 87% of the Republican vote. 274 people took a Republican ballot. There were 35 (blank/other) votes cast in the GOP primary for State Rep. 13% of GOP voters did not vote for Scibelli.
2132 people voted on Tuesday, 16 September 2008 in Longmeadow. 18.4% turnout.
Jeffrey K. Beatty unopposed in the GOP primary for US Senate got 195 votes. 79 (blank/other). 195/274= 71% of the GOP vote.

District Vote:  Ashe = 2,860 Walsh = 1,535 (Source: The Republican)

Compiled by John J. Fitzgerald, 19 September 2008, Town Clerk data.

Superintendent's Welcome Back to Staff

Longmeadow Public Schools
Opening Day
August 26, 2008

WELCOME AND WELCOME BACK!

E. Jahn Hart, Superintendent of Schools
Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Good Morning and welcome back to school! I hope you had a chance to enjoy the breakfast pastries and coffee. It’s always a joy to arrive on Opening Day and reunite with friends as well as to meet new colleagues.

I would like to once again acknowledge and thank people who support the work of educating Longmeadow’s children.

I would like to thank the School Committee for volunteering their time to improve and advocate for our schools and to acknowledge the current members of the Longmeadow School Committee: Christine Swanson, Chair; Rob Aseltine, Vice-Chair; Gwen Bruns, Clerk; Mary Vogel; Geoff Weigand; John Fitzgerald; and Armand Wray. Thank you for all that you do on behalf of our students.

Thanks to all of the other volunteers who give of their time and resources to enrich the learning experiences of our students and staff. Special appreciation goes to LEEF, to the various PACs, PTOs, booster clubs, and other groups who do so much to enhance our educational environment.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the presence of Chris Halista, President of LEEF who has asked me to give you a few reminders:
In the past seven years, LEEF has raised over $1,000,000.00 and awarded over $562,000 for 144 teacher grant requests. Chris has asked me to urge you to start planning your LEEF grant requests NOW! She has provided flyers with information about LEEF, as well as her home phone number and the LEEF web site. Thank you, Chris, for all that you and LEEF do to support our schools.

I would like to extend thanks to the Town departments, boards, and community organizations who partner with us to provide essential services to the schools of Longmeadow.

Thank you to all of you who are here today: the educators, support staff, and all the many specialists and special people who work in our schools.

I want to extend my appreciation to the folks who worked all summer to clean and prepare our schools for today’s official opening. As was done last year, I convened a meeting in June with all of our building custodians and principals to invite them to set reasonable expectations for summer cleaning and to give feedback about areas for improvement. They identified three key cleaning priorities: (1) clean all carpets and rugs, (2) clean all floors, and (3) clean bathrooms thoroughly. Again, those priorities were met and exceeded! As you walk through your buildings, take a moment to admire the results of their hard work and be sure to thank them. Our maintenance workers were involved in multiple Capital Improvement projects throughout the schools, and the grounds crews are working hard this week to spruce up the landscaping. Kudos to the entire custodial and maintenance staff!

We should recognize our wonderful school secretaries who ordered materials, greeted families, answered phones, and met the many and assorted needs of students and parents during the summer. Thanks to my assistant, Dianne Georgantas, who took on the responsibility of centralizing student registration in our office – to increase consistency and efficiency and to reduce the burden on school secretaries. Dianne NEVER has a quiet moment and somehow manages to retain her patience, grace, and humor. We are truly blessed to have Central Office staff who continually look for ways to make improvements.

Kudos to the many teachers and other staff who worked on curriculum, procedural updates, and New Teacher Orientation this summer. You will reap the rewards of their curriculum improvement efforts over the next few days. . . . thanks especially to Maureen Wilson, Karla Zukowski, Joanne Paar, Karen Palazzi, Dale Skowera, and retiree Gail Meehan who continues to help with our New Teacher preparations.

I am thrilled to welcome all of the new staff this year, including Kim Stillwell and Chris Collins, our two new principals, who have been working hard all summer to meet and hire staff and to become immersed in the Longmeadow School cultureJ

I want to speak to you this morning about continuous improvement in Longmeadow: continuous improvement in (I) the operations and physical environment, (II) in teaching and learning, and (III) towards ensuring a safe, secure, and caring learning environment.

All of you, whether veterans or new employees, know that Longmeadow is committed to continuous improvement. Last year we made some substantial improvements to our operations and physical environment. We instituted the AESOP web-based/phone system for attendance reporting and substitute calling; the ConnectED communication system; new security measures and systems in every school and central office; and new phone systems. We also made substantial technology and budget improvements.

We made advances in teaching and learning last year by purchasing much-needed reading and social studies textbooks as well as math Investigations materials; and by continuing and expanding our use of John Collins writing and Lesson Study. Two other administrators, 6 teachers, and I took a graduate course in gifted education and we will establish a district committee to look at ways we can improve challenges and enrichment for all students.

Longmeadow High School was removed from warning status by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC) and we received an invitation by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to conduct a feasibility study of the high school. Recently we were named as one of 8 schools in the state who appear to be a good match for the model schools project, which (if approved) would result in a new building (not a renovation), reduced building costs, increased reimbursement from MSBA, and a savings of about a year on the planning and construction timeline.

Goals this year include (I) the advancement of improvements in operations and the physical environment. Christine Swanson has already outlined the School Committee’s goals of Budget, Buildings, and Balance.

(II) Our teaching and learning goal this year is to advance our work in curriculum, instruction, and assessment to the persistent examination of these four critical questions:

1. What do we want each student to learn? (What are the essential learning outcomes?)
2. How will we know if or when each student has learned? (How and how often do we assess learning?)
3. How will we respond when students experience difficulty in learning? (What intervention strategies do we have in place?)
4. How will we respond when a student has mastered the learning? (How will we differentiate instruction and/or provide enrichment?)

Your administrators and I have been engaged in joint professional development this summer that will continue throughout the year as each principal advances building-level structures for collaboration in learning.

Our final goal of the year (III) is to ensure that we provide a safe, secure, and caring learning environment. Last year, I told you about some interesting research that concludes that superior learning takes place when classroom activities are enjoyable and relevant to students' lives, interests, and experiences. The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school. The world is changing and, as Arthur Clarke said, “We need to educate our children for their future, not our past.” I proposed that we assure that our students are engaged in joyful, relevant learning. I want to reiterate that proposal and add to it. One of your colleagues lent me a book a few months ago: Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes. I confess that I didn’t want to read it. But I did. It is a frightening and relevant novel. Bullying has expanded to “cyber-bullying” and has affected the lives of many of our most vulnerable students. Last year, our secondary students heard Ed Garrity speak about this issue and I know that Longmeadow middle schoolers have been reading The Revealers this summer. When I looked at the student work that was sent to me this June, I was fascinated by the responses to the prompt regarding “The greatest thing a teacher or staff member did for me this year.” It was clear how the actions of one caring adult can make a lasting difference in the life of a child. Thank you for what you do already for our children and please continue to keep your eyes and hearts open.

It is with pleasure that I am now going to share with you samples of the student work that came to me from our wonderful schools. I was pleased to see evidence of

• Essential student learning,
• Assessments FOR and OF student learning
• Teacher interventions and strategies to assist student learning
• Challenge and enrichment for students who excel, and
• A culture of caring by staff throughout the Longmeadow Schools!

Yesterday I filled two art display boards in the lobby with a small fraction of the many student feedback forms I had received. If you didn’t have a chance to look at them this morning, take a few moments to check them out. I will be posting this presentation on our web site (this file is quite large- 8.9 Mb so be patient if there are extended download times when viewing). Each of you – whether educational or support staff - has the opportunity to encourage and nurture children every day. Thank you for the many ways that you keep your “eyes on the child”! Have a great year!

E. Jahn Hart, Superintendent of the Longmeadow Public Schools

Exterior Painting at Storrs Library

On September 5, the Town began the project of painting the exterior of Storrs Library. It is estimated that workers will take approximately 5 or 6 weeks to complete the job which will consist of power washing, replacing rotten wood and painting the entire building. We expect to keep the library open throughout the process, and we anticipate that there may be only minor inconvenience in access to the building. Let us all look forward to our newly painted library building brilliantly white against the Fall foliage and bright blue autumn sky.

Fall Hours at Storrs Library

Starting on Saturday, September 6th, Storrs Library will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. September is a lovely month to stop by and enjoy the inviting sun-filled spaces of our elegant reading rooms, to peruse our extensive collection of magazines, to select a book for weekend reading or pick out a DVD for a movie evening at home.

Now that school has started, the staff invites students to visit the library for help with school assignments. The library has trained staff, an extensive print and digital reference collection, periodicals, primary source materials and computers with broad-band internet connection. Color printers are also available and printouts cost .15 per page. The library hours are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 10-8, Thursday and Friday, 10-5 and Saturday, 10-4.