Included on the agenda of the February School Board Meeting ( 2/6/08, 7 PM @ EFA) will be the presentation of the final report of the committee charged with the investigation of the procedures regarding the much maligned and discussed 2007 School Board elections.

Originally scheduled for the January SB meeting, presentation of the report was postponed until the February meeting, possibly because of the questions and general discontent surrounding the appointment by City Manager John Burin of former School District Attorney John Ryan to Elmira Corporate Counsel (announced 2/4/08).

The draft of the report, given to SB President Dan Hurley in December, is presented below and makes for interesting (albeit tedious) reading given the facts that the local SB operates on a million + budget and that included in the report is a recommendation that Attorney John Ryan’s conduct in this matter be reported to the State Bar.

Of course, how the…

More than likely than not, included in tonight’s meeting on the Elmira City budget is the salary for new but yet to be announced City Attorney, John J.Ryan, Jr.

John J.Ryan, a good friend of City Manager John Burin, was Elmira’s City Attorney during at least some of the ill advised Iraci/Hughes era that landed Elmira in its current financial mess. Some of the legal problems Elmira is now paying for were John Ryan decisions on labor as well as costly handshake deals that were never put to paper.

Appointed to be City Attorney on Friday, January 4, former Elmira School District Attorney Ryan had just resigned without fanfare from his position with the school system on Wednesday, Jan 2 following a very stormy relationship which has created a number of problems for the local school district.

The school district is currently being sued over property that they just took title to…

Once again the Chemung County Historical Society is offering a free lecture series. The last series of lectures (which had to do with Chemung County’s involvement in WWII) were as interesting as they were informative and included pictures, posters and many times artifacts. Those giving the lectures were experts in their fields and delighted in answering audience questions.This series, titled “Into History,” promises to be just as good.

November’s series of lectures was well attended and were appropriate for all ages. All lectures are held at the Historical Society, 415 E. Water Street, Elmira. Lectures are informal, approximately 1 hour in length, and are free to the public. Due to space constraints, reservations are recommended but not required. Please call 734-4167.

THURSDAY, MARCH 6 @ 7:00 PM–Women in Aviation
Learn about WWII female aviators from Wings Of Eagles’ curator, Ed Flesch, as he discusses WASPs (Women’s Airforce…

Usual stuff @ council last night. Over $27,000 paid to EPD for October overtime. EFD overtime will probably come up for a ‘yes’ vote next meeting.

During the 2nd public portion, Atty Gerhard (the person who has the ‘why Elmira fails’ blog) of West Elmira stood to address the demise of Elmira’s historic buildings, in particular the imminent bulldozing of the Armory which he feels is due to poor maintenance by the City. He presented pictures and other handouts about the building which also included pictures of the stained glass windows of a church.

If this report sounds somewhat convoluted, it is because at that point the presentation became convoluted and (for me, at least) became difficult to follow. Gerhard (I might be misspelling that name) pointed out that maintenance work had been recommended to the Iraci/Hughes reign which has gone undone. In particular, he mentioned the…

New York State Republicans Threaten to Stall Governors Plan
Republicans in the New York State Senate are threatening to use budget negotiations to stall Governor Eliot Spitzer’s controversial driver’s license plan.

Of course, I am am pretty sure, if Spitzer offered each of these politicians, some bone, a little more road money, a post office named after them, something like that, they will cave like butter on a hot frying pan. I gather wehave to get through the stage that deals with threats, then we get to the buy off stage. But until then, damn, there good!

(read from the bottom to the top, please)

7:10 pm Tim Blanford. Thanks all around. (John Corsi left about now). Conclusion. Lots of hand shakes all around. Everybody was waiting for their chance to get on the camera.

7:05pm. Question and comment. Questioner thinks that government is the largest employers. Doesn’t like it. Who are the people in the drug culture? Look at the school district. How many minority teachers are there?

Tim Blanford. Answer, not enough.

Questioner wants to pin it down. How many minority teachers at Southside highschool? EFA? We have jobs available, but who are getting the jobs?

Sue Skidmore. Who is applying for the jobs?

Questioner. Minorities are not being hired. Wants to see budgets, and we need to know where the jobs are.

No one wanted to answer the question.

7:00pm Question. To John…

Spitzer Pushing Ahead with License Plan

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer says he can start his controversial plan to give illegal immigrants drivers licenses in December.

He better get it done and early, because this kind of stabbing the citizen in the back maneuver is going to be remembered for quite a while.  Better to get it out of the way early.  The average voters memory is measured in hours, and not years.   He just doesn’t get it, He was not coroneted King, he was elected to represent us, the citizens.  Not the Mexicans.  Hello, Elliot, anybody home?  You earned the DemocratsSuck tag today Mr. Governor.

Council weighs rental property woes

The city of Elmira is looking at ways to crack down on landlords — and tenants — who don’t take care of rental properties.

I was at the City Council meeting last night, and was very impressed with Mark Chapmans plea, I was underwhelmed by the councils reaction.  One Councilmember Carol  Mechalke who’s district Mark lived in, explained that she called Code Enforcement before they were open and left a scathing voice mail message about this.  I guess it was effective as the house was condemned later that very day.  She went on to explain to all of us how if the building had exploded, it could have even affected City Hall, at that, people looked around, realizing just how lucky we were to have government on the job, protecting us from exploding buildings and such!  It only…

Near Westside residents urged to get involved

Last month, more than 100 people turned out for a public meeting to discuss problems and possible solutions in Elmira’s historic Near Westside Neighborhood.

Every night, they need to be out, 1 person can be intimidated by the thugs, 100 people is an army.  Get out, take back your neighborhoods form these low life scum, run them out, show them no mercy.  Call the police, constantly if you have to, make yourself the biggest pain in their rears.  Take pictures (Post them here!), give them no quarter.

The responsibility for a decent neighborhood always will rest on your shoulders.  Stop trying to shirk the responsibility on to someone else, or worse yet, on the government (Do you really want the likes of the DMV to be in charge of your safety?)

Elmiran gets year in jail for throwing meat at girl

The Elmira man who admitted injuring a girl when he threw a piece of frozen meat was sentenced Monday to one year in the Chemung County Jail.

It all depends on what kind of cut of meat it was.  Seriously though, he does his anger management classes (If he even had no anger issues to start with), sees the court appointed shrink, life goes on.  Why stick him in Jail?  Sure he hit a kid with a chunk of frozen meat, but hey, everyone has a bad hair day, his was sort of on par with a Phyliss Diller hair day, and he got caught at it.  Jail won’t help him.  What say you?