I haven't been able to make my daily walks through Davis or Lyle parks here in Bridgeport for about 2 months, much to my dog's disapproval. We finally made it this morning and it was a nice morning. There were no mosquitoes and no trash!!
Not sure who to give the credit to for the lack of mosquitoes, but great job there. The amount of dog poop throughout Lyle Park was becoming a problem even though they do provide small bags for the dog walkers to carry and pick up the waste. It seemed few people were using those bags.. The bags are in small park area entrance in front of the Historic Bridge. Today though I saw no dog poop and no trash. I believe the credit for this belongs to Bridgeport resident Sue Schluckebier and her friend that walk through the park. They have been picking up the trash and the dog waste left behind by the park users. Great Job!! I used to pick up the trash on my walks but never picked up the dog waste, I have my limits!!
There is another bench in Lyle Park to sit on and a table, another trash can. The park is looking good! Some may think the weeds along the edges are getting too high but that is a issue that is debatable. It looks nice when all the weeds are trimmed down and you can view the river but those weeds are not really just weeds. There are many different types of wildflowers and milkweed plants. Even some of the plants that are considered weeds have flowers that are beneficial to the pollinators. The pollinators are in trouble worldwide and so are the Monarch Butterflies that depend on the milkweed plants. So when the weeds go, so do the beneficial plants. So what do you do? I enjoy the many flowering plants along the river, part of the pleasure of the walk.
So Bridgeport residents, get out and enjoy our lovely little parks, just please clean up after yourself!
On the agenda: Public Comment begins at 1:51 Under New Business - - Little Free Library begins at 4:50 - Saginaw Future begins at 11:40 Under Old Business - - Beautification Committee Report begins at 15:48 - Great Lakes Discovery Center begins at 25:00 - Bavarian Comfort Care begins at 26:52 DDA Coordinator's Report begins at 31:23 DDA Member Comments begin at 38:08
During the public comment period Mike Szukhent and Jerry Preston of the Birch Run-Bridgeport CVB talked about the advertising and marketing campaign they have going right now for Bridgeport.
The Little Free Library will be located by the front of the Historic Bridge area. I am looking forward to that. I will be making good use of it and hope other Bridgeport residents will also.
There was a update from the Beautification Committee. Things are looking good here in Bridgeport, I really love the flower pots this year!
On the agenda:
- Student and Staff Recognition begins at 0:45
- Citizen Participation begins at 8:15
- Committee Reports (Building & Grounds/Finance) and also discussion on the status of current Acting Superintendent and Superintendent Search begins at 21:13
- Professional Learning Update begins at 1:02:57
There was supposed to be a presentation by Mr. Barlow on the College and Career-Scholarship Update but Mr. Barlow could not attend. I had to change batteries in this discussion so you will see a break in the video.
- MHSAA Membership Discussion/Resolution begins at 1:14:00
- Payment of Bills, Approval of Minutes begins at 1:15:09
- School Resource Officer Contract for 2015-16 begins at 1:16:25
- Board and Superintendent Comments begin at 1:17:07
Congratulations to the students and staff for their
recognition awards!!
I have to apologize for the poor audio quality.The school board only has 4 microphones for
the whole group and one small speaker.It is hard for my small video camera to pick up all the audio in the
large auditorium.I try to do the best I
can with what I have to work with.
Some very important subjects were discussed at the
meeting.I will start with the citizen
participation segment.
John Rhines spoke and shared some disturbing information
about board member Marti Sageman.After
watching the video of the June 1st Personnel Committee Meeting, Mr.
Rhines sent Mrs. Sageman an email about what he viewed as her ridiculous
behavior in that meeting.The following
day Mrs. Sageman filed a police report with the Bridgeport Police Department claiming
she felt threatened by Mr. Rhines; that she feels scared by Mr. Rhines when he
stares at her at the meetings, that he requests that she resign her seat on the
school board!! He will be filing a
complaint against her under the statewide schools anti-bullying policy.I think it is about time that someone finally
does.
On the Michigan Department of Education website
they have the Model Anti-Bullying Policy.It applies also to school employees not just students. I believe this is what Mr. Rhines is referring to. This is part of that policy:
"The (fill in district name) board of education prohibits any person from falsely accusing another as a means of bullying or harassment. The consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person found to have falsely accused another as a means of bullying or harassment may range from positive behavioral interventions up to and including suspension or expulsion. Consequences and appropriate remedial action for a school employee found to have falsely accused another as a means of bullying or harassment shall be in accordance with district policies, procedures, and agreements."
One thing that I have heard about Marti Sageman over and
over again from members of our community is that she is a bully, has been a
bully for years, that if you go against her she will make you pay!I have never posted those remarks on my blog
because I did not personally know firsthand the details of any of the
incidents.What Mr. Rhines talks about
here definitely sounds like bullying to me, trying to silence any of her
critics.I stare at her during the
meetings usually in amazement at her behavior, I think many people stare at her
in amazement.I have called for her to
resign numerous times on my blog.Others
in tonight’s meeting called for her to resign.Will she file a police report against all of us? Against anyone that
criticizes her or holds her accountable for her behavior and actions?
Mr. Rhines also mentioned at the beginning of his comments
about the June 1st Personnel Committee Meeting, that there was no
notice published about it being held.Mrs. Sageman claims that teachers contacted her and complained that their
names were mentioned on YouTube.She
then contacted a lawyer at the Michigan Association of School Boards to get an
opinion on the meetings being videotaped or something along that line. I believe it was a result of Mrs. Sageman’s
interpretation of that legal opinion and her wishes that no notice was sent out about the
meeting being held.Mr. Rhines says he
contacted every teacher that was mentioned in that meeting and they all claimed
that they had not been in contact with Mrs. Sageman.Did she lie about the whole event just to find a way to keep my video
camera and possibly Mr. Rhines, her most out spoken critic, out of the
meetings?That is a serious question
that I am hoping to find an answer to.I found her
behavior disgusting in the two personnel meetings I have videotaped,
maybe she just wanted to try and keep the public from seeing these things?If she does not resign her position from the
board, then I believe she should at least be removed from her position as the
Chairman of the Personnel Committee.
Marti Sageman is an elected public official and should
always be held to a higher standard and should always be held accountable.If she cannot face the criticism or scrutiny
then she should not be on the school board or in any public office.Any school board member or public official that believes the public
does not have the right to demand they resign their position, is either so
ignorant, or so corrupt, or so egotistical, they do not belong in public
office.
The next speaker was Zachary Podojak, a 2006 Bridgeport
graduate.He spoke about the state of
affairs of the Bridgeport School District and the situation surrounding the
resignation of former Superintendent Desmon Daniel and Board Member Darrell
Thayer.You can read the article he
mentions here – Bridgeport School Board Member Steps Down In Protest - http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/02/bridgeport_spaulding_school_bo.html
The last speaker was Frank Morrison.He also spoke about the need for Marti
Sageman to either resign from the school board or be removed from the school
board.He said he has talked to former
school board members and they all agree the biggest problem on the school board
for many years has been Marti Sageman.How many school board members,
superintendents, staff members, have left because of Mrs. Sageman?How many more years will she be allowed to
continue causing discord within our school district?
During the Committee Reports segment they discussed the
status of Acting Superintendent Carol Selby and extending her contract.They did vote to extend her contract for one
year.I am not sure if she will remain
Acting Superintendent or be named Interim Supeintendent.The main problem I have with giving her only
a one year contract is that I suspect there is one, maybe two, board members
that don’t want her to be the Superintendent.When the one year contract comes
back up for renewal, will they still support it?It sounds like from the comments made by
Melissa Cabine and Pete Basile, that the MDE or other state organizations are
looking to see that there will be stability and continuity in the management of
the school district to get them through and out of the deficit period and priority
schools status.They are estimating that
it will take two years to get out of the deficit problems.Will the MDE view a one year contract as the
stability that is needed?
There were some good points made by Mrs. Morris about the
time required for a thorough Superintendent search.With a one year contract for Mrs. Selby, they
would need to start that search now.There was also discussion about how bringing in a new Superintendent
during the middle of these problems would not be in the best interest of the
school district.There was also
discussion about the ability to attract other qualified candidates for the
Superintendent position while the schools are going through these
problems.I stated in an earlier post on
my blog that with the history of problems, past and current, within the school
board and its members, within the district, it may be hard to attract qualified
candidates.Think about it…If you are a candidate and you did your
research, found on the internet the articles like the one mentioned above on
MLive about board members possibly being responsible for driving out
Superintendents and other board members, would you want to apply for a position
in that district?I wouldn’t!!
They discussed using the same search firm that gave them
Thomas Hill as their last candidate.Mr.
Allen says that same company also sent another candidate that showed up to the
interview wearing boots covered in cow dung.And there are board members that still want to use that same search
firm?Mrs. Morris has done some good
research into firms that do the searches, talked with other districts.The firm that Bridgeport used may be cheaper,
but the MASB also does the superintendent searches, they cost more but get
better results.That is another of the
no-brainer decisions as to which firm to use, but Bridgeport can’t really
afford the better firm right now.One of
my favorite quotes is the definition ofinsanity -- “Insanity: doing the
same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
I have a problem with several things that Robert Lange said
during the meeting.He was discussing
the cost savings associated with keeping Mrs. Selby on as Superintendent with
Pete Basile.I thought Mr. Lange’s
behavior was rude and disrespectful towards Mr. Basile.Mr. Lange also mentioned that he wanted to
see some academic performance statistics.My impression is that he did not want to give Mrs. Selby a contract
until he sees those results and only if she is vetted against other candidates
in a superintendent search by the same firm they used before.Mrs. Selby stepped in and took over the Superintendent
role in December 2014 after the exit of Mr. Hill, and she was also performing
her position as Title 1 person.If the
student academic performance statistics are not at a acceptable level, is that
a true reflection on the job she has performed since December?Or is it more of a reflection on the staff
members and school board members that have been in place for years, some for
too many years?Mrs. Selby seems to be performing a good job,
but she is not a miracle worker, it will take her time to bring these schools
out of the mess that they have become over many years.Most members agree that she has brought the needed
stability to the district.My impression
is that her, Melissa Cabine and Pete Basile are doing a good job in getting the
schools through the financial and other problems at this time.
They also mentioned that this school board does not have a
strategic plan in place.I believe the school
boards role is to have the plan in place and then the superintendent’s role is
to put that plan into action.Mrs. Sageman
said in this meeting and also a personnel committee meeting, that they did have
a 5 year strategic plan in place.The
problem with that is the other board members have never seen it, it was
drafted 7 to 9 years ago so it is already outdated.It also was done before the schools fell into
the deficit problems so it is now irrelevant.So there may be a outdated irrelevant 5 year strategic plan that no one
has seen in years, but when you look at the state the school district has
fallen into, was the plan any good to begin with?Here we go again – Who’s On First?
Dempsey Allen made a comment in the closing board member comments that
I thought was excellent.Summary is that
he is serving at the leisure of the voters, members of this district, and that
if he is no longer productive, ceases to show commitment to the students and
staff of the district, that he hopes he would have the courage to step down before he
was asked to do so. I have confidence in Mr. Allen, I don’t doubt his commitment
to the students and the district.I commented in an earlier blog post here
titled “Impressions” that I felt that Marti Sageman would not step down from
the board if that is what was best for
the students and the school district.I
still don’t believe she would.She
claims that she does everything she can for the students and the district.I don’t feel that she does anything for the
benefit of the students and district. I feel she does it all for herself.It is all about Marti..I feel she does it for her own glory, for her
legacy.What will her legacy truly be
though, will it be as the most infamous school board member in the history of
the Bridgeport School Board?Has anyone
ever looked at the complete definition of Narcissism?
I left this meeting feeling unsettled, it left me with a ominous feeling that I still can't shake off. There was one thing though in the meeting that did make me laugh. School Board President Jay Bruns used the gavel to let a audience member know that they were speaking out of line, not during the public comment period. I often feel like shouting things out loud from the audience during the school board meetings but I always manage to hold my tongue. Someday he may have to use that gavel because of me! Remember the paddles that teachers used to keep on their desks? It was meant as a threat to us unruly and rebellious students, but it always made me laugh and I viewed it as a challenge. I am not laughing at Mr. Bruns for using the gavel, it for some reason just reminded me of my long ago school days, made me feel again like that rebellious student. You know you are in trouble if Mr. Bruns gets out the gavel!!
I was glad to see that they did vote to renew the contract
for the school resource officer.I have
meet Officer Brent Green and he seems like a very nice young man.They have also commented in other meetings that
he has been a great benefit to the schools.
Dennis Barlow was supposed to give a presentation on the
college readiness program but was unable to attend the meeting.I have a print out of what the presentation was
going to be and it looks good.I am
hoping that he will be able to make the presentation at another meeting.
I arrived several minutes late but I don't think I missed too much. They were discussing the check register I believe when I first got there.
At 3:17 they discuss transitioning to the ISD Skyward online system in the future.
At 7:34 they discuss State Aid changes.
At 11:51 they discuss changes in Transparency Reporting.
At 13:41 they discuss Brunkow School.
At 20:54 they discuss Activity Money raised by each class.
At 31:00 they discuss the Athletic programs.
At 38:20 they discuss some various miscellaneous items.
At 42:10 they discuss Industrial Arts/ Wood Shop equipment and interest in classes.
At 44:45 they discuss vacation schedules and work week schedules.
At 49:50 they discuss the contract for Bridgeport Police Officer Green and some security changes.
At 53:19 they discuss a budget workshop and the next board meeting, budget approval.
This was the first Finance/Building & Grounds Committee that I have attended. When you just attend the regular board meetings, you don't have the whole picture of the Who, How, When, Where & Why of the decision making process. Seeing the committee meetings helps to understand that process.
Attending the meeting did make me feel a little old and reminiscent, took me back to my school days here in Bridgeport. They are discussing selling off the equipment for the industrial arts and wood shop classes because the kids today are just not interested in those classes. Back in the old days when I attended Junior High here the shop classes were very popular and usually full. Shop class was for the boys and Home Economics or whatever they called that miserable class was for the girls. I was a tomboy though so I loved the shop class. I just stayed alone in the back corner and did my projects and ignored those ignorant little boys who laughed at me being in there, morons.... The home economics class was pure misery, I did try but I barely passed it. I think they passed me out of pity, maybe they had never had a girl fail that class before. I hate to see the industrial arts classes go but if the kids nowadays aren't interested I guess there is no point in keeping the equipment.
They have discussed the Brunkow School before in the board meetings and they discussed it in this committee meeting. I understand any decision they may have to make on the future of the Brunkow School, even if they decide to demolish it. I am just hoping that some kind of plan can be found to save the school. There is more to the building than just the cost analysis, there is a history to it and all the children who have attended it over the years surely have fond memories of it.
I will share a little history of the man the school is named after, Charles F. Brunkow. Charles was born in Saginaw in 1892, the son of German immigrants August Brunkow and Anna Wehner. Charles was a industrious young man that cared about his community of Buena Vista, the children and especially education. He was involved in real estate and the building trade in Buena Vista Township. Charles passed away in 1980 in Buena Vista. He and his wife Edith had no children, the Brunkow School is the legacy he left behind for the community he loved. I am hoping that legacy can be saved and still serve the community and the children.
I would like to say Welcome to the readers of my little blog here and those of you who watch the videos I post on YouTube!!
I believe most of you are local residents interested in the events of our township government, school board and community events. I do get some regular readers from around the world, though I have no idea why they are interested in the events in our small town. To the world readers let me say Bonjour! Добро пожаловать! Willkommen!
People want to know who Carla Citizen is, it is obvious that is not my real name. Carla Citizen is everyone and anyone. The focus should not be on who Carla is, not the person behind the camera but what you see in front of the camera. My goal is to share what is going on in our community and get more people involved in our community. There are so many great events going on in Bridgeport but I sadly just have not had the time to keep up with sharing them here. BridgeFest is coming and there are many great things going on with the Parks and Recreation program here. I will try to get more information shared here in the future.
I notice that many people read my blog but few leave comments. I have deleted a few comments lately but only because they were spam. I will always delete the spammers especially when they post links to unknown sites. One was actually a link to a S&M porn site!
I am a firm believer in free speech! So I will not delete any comments unless you really cross the line of common decency.
There are two ways to leave comments on a post here. If you come to the home page of the blog you will see all the posts in order of posting. Towards the bottom of each article you will see a line that shows - Posted by Carla Citizen at 2:38 AM No comments:
If you click on the "No Comments", or it may show something like "2 comments", it will bring you up the box to leave a comment. You can choose to use your real name, post as anonymous or even Mickey Mouse if you would like. If you click on a direct link to any post on here, you will automatically see the comment box at the bottom of the post.
