Thursday, May 17, 2012
"It's still not entirely clear exactly what the [school] board relied on" when voting to remove its own member Allen Dyer, said judge, after hearing five days of testimony.
An administrative judge will consider dropping the Howard County Board of Education's request to remove board member Allen Dyer from his seat because the charges were unclear, the Howard County Times reported. At Tuesday's hearing, the fifth day of testimony, Administrative Law Judge Douglas Koteen said he would consider a second appeal by Dyer to have the charges dismissed. Koteen had denied a previous request to dismiss the charge. The Board of Education in June asked the State Board of Education to remove Dyer from his position, accusing him of breaching confidentiality provisions, undermining the board and using his position to "further his personal litigation against the Board of Education,” among other allegations. In his May 15 …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Governor calls budget package "good for all Marylanders." Republicans say burden to local governments may force county governments to increase taxes.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of three bills that increases taxes on some state residents, shifts part of teacher pensions to local governments and undoes the so-called "doomsday budget." The votes Wednesday afternoon capped the three-day special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in order to override more than $500 million in cuts made in a budget passed in early April. The Senate approved the same three bills Tuesday. As part of the package, legislators approved by a vote of 86-51 what amounts to a 50-50 split of teacher pension costs with local governments. The split will be phased in over the next four years beginning July 1 with the new budget year. That bill also includes a doubling of…
Principal apologizes for inconveniences, reminds parents to put things in perspective.
Sometimes a prank leads to a high school senior facing nearly a decade in jail. Sometimes it makes the national news or the local news. But sometimes, a prank is just a prank. Howard High School Principal Gina Massella seems to understand that. She sent a letter to Howard High parents about a senior "prank/celebration" Wednesday in the school's parking lot. In the letter, Massella apologizes to anyone who was squirted with a water gun or had to deal with a traffic jam in the lot. The letter goes on to say: In the world of possibilities and the negative things that you hear about teens I ask that you put this in perspective. While no one wants any kind of prank at a high school, I was relieved that my Howard Lions handled things …
Howard County Board of Education Member Brian Meshkin joins Patch to discuss education issues.
Howard County School Board Member Brian Meshkin answered a wide range of questions about the board and county schools during a live blog with Patch on Wednesday afternoon. He emphasized the need to use new technology to reduce costs, employing six-sigma management techniques to improve operations and lauded the addition of new superintendent Renee Foose to Howard County Public Schools. He briefly addressed Allen Dyer’s ongoing administrative hearings. “I voted against the impeachment of Mr. Dyer,” wrote Meshkin, “because I believe it is wrong for the Board of Education to overrule the votes of the public. I am not an extremist. It is extreme to sue the Board of Education that you serve on and it is equally as extreme to impeach a sitting …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Join Patch on Wedneday afternoon for a Liveblog with Howard County School Board Member Brian Meshkin.
Patch will be hosting a liveblog with Howard County Board of Education member Brian Meshkin on Wednesday afternoon. The blog will start at 2 p.m. and Patch users are invited to join in with questions or comments during the liveblog. The liveblog will be the first in a planned series of public blogs with local officials on issues throughout Howard County. Meshkin has served on the Board since 2010. He currently lives in Fulton and is the CEO of Proove Biosciences, which is based in Los Angeles. Meshkin often travels to California as part of his work with Proove, a company that provides information to help improve the selection, dosing and evaluation of pain medications, according to its website. Meshkin previously served as executive …
During National Police Week, one day is set aside for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Flags across the country flew at half staff Tuesday in honor of law enforcement officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. May 15 is National Peace Officers' Day. It is one of the days during National Police Week. John F. Kennedy proclaimed the holiday in 1962. To memorialize fallen officers, police from around the country meet at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C. This week, police officers from Howard County are participating in the Police Unity Tour, a bike ride from Howard County to the Memorial. They arrived in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. The officers and support personnel wear bracelets with the inscriptions of the officers they are memorializing. Seven law enforcement …
A senior "prank" at River Hill High School that went too far will not lead to the cancelation of prom.
A senior "prank" at River Hill High School that was decribed by school officials as vandalism will not lead to the cancellation of the school's prom, according to Patti Caplan, a spokesperson for Howard County Schools. At least 30 students were involved in the vandalism, according to Caplan. River Hill Principal Nicholas Novak sent a message to parents on Monday afternoon saying students had spray painted inappropriate messages and pictures around the high school, flipped over the 'prom promise car,' toilet papered trees and moved trash cans into the street. In the message, Novak said consequences could include exclusion from senior activities such as prom and graduation. Caplan said the school has determined the individuals who were …
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Monday, May 14, 2012
Taking a look at the development of Town Center through a recent walking tour put on by the Columbia Archives.
On Saturday, I took a walking tour around Town Center led by Jane Dembner, the Columbia Association's Director of Community Planning. As you may know, I'm fairly new to Columbia. I took over the responsibilities of editing Columbia Patch in early March and have been quickly learning the ropes of a new, yet historical city. Currently, one of the most talked-about issues in Columbia is the development of Town Center into a more urban, walkable downtown. I went on the tour as an opportunity to explore today's Town Center. On a beautiful Saturday May morning, the first thing I noticed was the lack of people at the lakefront. I wondered why, in a city of 100,000 people, there weren't more people enjoying the lake—fishing, sailing, walking or …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Lisa Young serves as a resource teacher for both fellow educators and students.
Some days during afternoon school announcements in Alaska where Lisa Young taught for six years, students were reminded about proper moose safety. “Stay two house-lengths away, never get between a mama and a calf and always remember your alternate route home,” Young said the school's announcer would remind students as they were leaving for the day. Sound advice as it may be, Young doesn't have much use for the moose safety tips in her current job at Atholton Elementary School but she does credit her experience in Alaska with instilling in her a creative attitude toward teaching. Young's approach apparently has been of substantial benefit to both her teaching colleagues and students as she recently was named Howard County Teacher of Year. …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Plan to fix "Doomsday Budget" includes $247 million in tax increases and elimination of exemptions for single filers earning $100,000 or more and joint filers earning $150,000 or more.
UPDATE (5:59 p.m.)—Some Maryland residents will pay more taxes in the coming year under a plan worked out between Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders. O'Malley, accompanied by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, announced the nearly $35.8 billion plan during a Wednesday morning news conference in Annapolis to discuss the upcoming special session. "To leave this budget incomplete, to leave this budget as it stands right now, would damage the very forward motion that all of us, together, have worked so hard to achieve for our state," O'Malley said. What do you think about the special session? Tell us in the comments. "Progress is a choice," O'Malley said. "Job creation is a choice. Building …
Brook
9:14 am on Monday, May 21, 2012
D) ~Universal~ healthcare has been championed by many presidents, including both Roosevelts, and is not ~socialized medicine~. The only reason people equate the two is because opponents knew they could influence the ignorant masses by suggesting that universal healthcare is socialism and therefore communism (even though the two are not the same). Well, congratulations... obviously one more … more ›