Tel. 914-721-8200 --Greenburgh Library
The Library Board of Trustees will hold their first meeting for 2009 on Thursday evening,January 15th at the Greenburgh Library. Welcome--Frank Musantry, Diane Creston & Tomas Saez. They are the new members of the Library Board. Among issues to be resolved in 2009 are---
1) What should the library do with the cybermobile...Should the town sell or keep the cybermobile?
2) Sunday hours vs. later weekday hours. What about modifying schedule of the library --having Saturday evening hours? This could be done at no additional expense. The library only has to change their schedules. The Library should coordinate Sunday hours with neighboring communities - if budget cuts have to be made different libraries should be open different weeks.
3) Fundraising--naming of rooms, the library for big donors. How can we attract substantial donors to the library?
4) Should the Library be independent of the town government - a separate elected Library Board would present a proposed budget to the voters each year. Would take the politics out of library funding.
5)Maintaining book drop on E Hartsdale Ave
2009 Library Board of Trustees
You can contact the Library Board members via email. board@greenburghlibrary.org
Trustee
Diane T. Creston
Trustee
George Hayward
Trustee
Mindy Leiterman
Trustee
Thomas McCarthy
Trustee
Frank Musantry
Trustee
Tomas Saez
Trustee
Calvin Thomas
Liaison to the Board
Diana Juettner, Town Board
45 comments:
Liaison to the Board
Diana Juettner, Town Board
this is so wrong! juettner is a disaster and her handling of the library project requires her to be fired- juettner is a village resident who doesnt pay any taxes for the the gpl. we need her to be replaced by samis.
Second Woodlands High ex-staffer sues Greenburgh officials claiming anti-white bias
BY ERNIE GARCIA
THE JOURNAL NEWS • JANUARY 14, 2009
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Another Woodlands High School employee has filed a race-discrimination lawsuit against Greenburgh school administrators, claiming she was fired for being white.
Marilyn Schwab, 66, of Hartsdale was a part-time youth employment services coordinator for the Greenburgh Central 7 School District until Sept. 9, when she was informed of her termination by Woodlands Principal Robert Chakar.
Schwab's federal lawsuit, filed Jan. 7 in U.S. District Court in White Plains, alleges that Chakar, Superintendent Ron Smalls and Greenburgh Town Board member Sonja Brown conspired to force her into an involuntary retirement because of her race and Jewish faith.
The lawsuit alleges that Smalls and Chakar asked Schwab on June 12 to prepare a year-end report of her work, a request that had never been made of Schwab since she assumed the position in 1997. The youth employment services coordinator is responsible for organizing an annual job fair for district students and placing students in public- and private-sector jobs.
According to court filings, Schwab attempted to provide school officials with the requested information, even though she had never been asked to keep detailed records of her job placements. School officials rejected Schwab's reports and called them incomplete, the lawsuit claims.
Schwab also accuses Brown of repeatedly seeking to "insinuate herself into and/or take over (Schwab's) responsibilities on the pretense of collaborating with her as youth employment services coordinator."
Neither Schwab nor her attorney, Jonathan Lovett, responded to calls about the lawsuit.
Smalls was out of the district on Monday and unavailable for comment. Brown said Monday that she was unaware of the lawsuit, but after receiving a copy, she denied the allegations, calling them lies.
"I've never talked to Dr. Chakar or the superintendent regarding her program. I've never really sat down with the superintendent since he's arrived," Brown said of Smalls, who arrived in the district in January 2008.
Brown is not a school district employee, but she ran a county-funded youth program in the high school. She said most of her interaction with Schwab was as an elected official discussing flooding issues at Schwab's home.
Schwab is asking the court for unspecified punitive and compensatory damages, plus attorney fees and costs.
Schwab is the second former Woodlands High School employee in the past month to file a federal race-discrimination lawsuit against the district. Former English teacher Edward Donnelly filed his lawsuit Dec. 12 claiming he was denied tenure because he was "too white."
Donnelly also claimed the district violated his medical-leave rights because absences from a gall bladder surgery were used against him in his job performance evaluations.
In January, another Woodlands High School teacher, Paul Latty, filed a discrimination complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing school officials of violating his medical-leave rights and failing to stop discriminatory behavior by other teachers against him. In its response to the EEOC, the district's attorney said Latty, 38, took 128 sick days in the 2007-08 school year and provided documentation for only 11 days.
Latty is scheduled for disciplinary hearings with the district Feb. 12 and March 4-5.
i hope schwab made tapes of her meetings with brown.
why the town of greenburgh is disintegrating part 1
diana juettner
sonja brown
UT OH!
Reduced to school monitor 1/08:
BE IT RESOLVED that as recommended by the Superintendent of Schools, the Board of Education approves the probationary appointment of Marilyn Schwab as Hourly School Monitor at a salary of $13.58 (CSEA, Step 4) effective January 9, 2008, ending June 30, 2008 subject to fingerprint clearance.
DON'T BLAME SONYA BLAME OUR DEAR SUPERVISOR.
dear sonja fan - did you read the story in the journal news or let me guess - you attended cnetral 7 and cannot read.
dear ms juettner:
you are a sphinx. you should be in giza, not greenburgh.
arrangements can be made for your one way trip to egypt. please pack your bags.
Sonja Brown =GC=Fairview=TDYCC=
Looking out for who?
Not my kids best interests.
Hey !!!
Calm down.
Becuase Ms. Schwab is asked to provide a report of her performance and or duties, and refuses to create one that is acceptable, all this fuss!
Get the report done, ask for guidance about what is expected and perform the requestd duty.
Simple.
No, let's sue for discrimination.
The article does not show any willingness from Ms. Schawb to perform her duties.
The Courts will discover and we will find out of her allegations.
Stop your horses, or become a horse's....
Keep it to the facts.
Hey!
Where there is smoke, these is fire.
"Hey!
Where there is smoke, these is fire."
Call the fire department!!!
more evidence that hartsdale continues to sink into the muck
11:47 aka Gary, Juttner stalker, Ardsley weirdo,
Did you forget to take your meds again?
All I know is that these 2 lawsuits are going to cost us dearly either way, legal fees or settlement.
Well done GC 7. Now the cost to educate a child can go up to 30,000 per year
My apologies to bloggers for this posting appearing on the Library.
I do recognize that the Feiner Blog is inconsistent about providing the topic: THE WEEK OF so that comments can be made about other issues. This omission generally occurs in advance of scheduled Town Board meetings.
The Library (whether due to the vote of the old Library Board, the independent action of the Library Director Contrata or something that will be supported by the new Board meeting for the first time) has started its "cost cutting" so as to free up operating money to move to purchase capital goods to come to the aid of the incomplete expansion project. The first shot was the cutback at the circulation desk, aided and abetted by the new policy to only accept returns through a slot at the entrance. The second shot was the elimination of the book drop in Hartsdale. Following is my email to concerned parties on the new return policy. Later I shall post my email regarding the Hartsdale Book Drop.
And when the Library fires the next shot, I shall be there also.
Email sent to Town Board and Library Board members.
"Since the Library now longer accepts return items at the grant funded circulation desk -- indeed representing to Patrons that the software at the desk does not allow them to do so -- and that patrons can only make returns through the slot at the entrance or at the drop boxes when the Library is closed, WHAT ARE THE WRITTEN POLICIES in place to handle return disputes?
Such disputes may arise legitimately, for example, over tardiness, number of discs in a multi-disc package, the actual item being returned to the shelves but not checked in. These can and do happen; employees are only human and make mistakes.
In the past, patrons either had the comfort of viewing the return being processed in real time and/or could receive a receipt upon the completion of the return process.
Under the new system, patrons receive no such acknowledgement and may have no reason to be aware of a problem.
Given that returns may not be processeed while the patron is still on premises and the patron may check out new items, leave the Library and be unaware of any problem AND depending upon when the patron next uses his Library card, be unaware of any "problem". This knowledge need not be immediate but could be come to light on the next use -- even a month later or beyond. Meanwhile, whatever memory the patron has of his return has become stale.
And how are Patrons to be aware of fines accruing, either for lateness or missing items other than implementing a drain upon resources to bring this about.
By denying Patrons all rights to have a return processed at the time of return, even manually, the Library will have to defer to the representation of the Patron -- a procedure which can be costly in terms of missing items or the collection of late fees.
Furthermore, many of the items returned do not belong to the Greenburgh Library but to the Westchester Library System members, either checked out at member libraries or at the Greenburgh Library. The potential for "disputes" and the manner in which they are resolved would apply to those items owned by WLS members.
I am sure that the Library Director has anticipated all of this before such a return policy was put into effect but still I would like to be assured by seeing it in writing."
Second email
"Supervisor Feiner may remember that when he attended the Library Board of Trustees meeting last year to renew what was presumed to be of mutual interest -- the creation of an independent library district -- that the Trustees all voiced their support for such an undertaking but they would have to look into what was entailed in the process and its aftermath.
A number of operating responsibilities and other "freebies" that are currently performed by the Town would have to taken on by an independent district or continued by special arrangement with Town. For example, the Town performs payroll and employee benefit adminsitration to the Library at no charge.
Since the Library Director has decided to fire the first and second shots by new policies concerning returns made at the Library and now by the elimination of the Hartsdale Book Drop, I feel duty bound to bring to the attention of the Town Board that in addition to the $50,000 escrow, that they consider righting an existing "wrong" and to consider all the services that the Town entire provides to the unincorporated Library for no consideration.
Starting with payroll and employee benefit administration.
If the Library continues to seek out reasons not to spend its budget on long-standing operating policies which were in effect and with the knowledge that this encourages the speculation that the purpose behind this is to create a sludge fund intended for capital expenses (such as was done in 2008), then they are bringing on a "war" that they will lose in the court of popular opinion, if not by the reasoning of Village officials."
Village residents might also add
Purchasing, Accounts Payable, MIS,
Managing Library Fund Balances.
"Mr. Hayward does not accept mail from me. Trustees are free to forward.
FULL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: The writer is an "authority" on the Library; actively avails himself of the Westchester Library System (WLS) inventory of materials and has, as a result, been a patron of significance in circulation growth; has been a frequent user of both the cybermobile and the book drop due to not owning a car and would be personally inconvenienced were the book drop to be eliminated.
Given that the current, popular understanding is that the Library (through its appointed Board of Trustees) governs itself free of Town Board intervention -- despite being wholly funded by the unincorporated section of the Town of Greenburgh which in turn is governen by an elected Town Board which allocates the amount of the Library's budget for operations. That is, until a recent vote by the Town Board has expanded the allocation of these dollars intended originally to fund only operations but now to include capital expenditures -- as it did in the last quarter of 2008 by using a portion of a nearly $200,000 operating s
urplus for this purpose.
Given that the Hartsdale Book drop is heavily used as is verified by the Library Director's tales of overflowing quantities and the superhuman effort required in removing the returned items. Throwing just two books in the trunk, even if double-parked, does not raise much sympathy.
Given that the Hartsdale Book drop was not merely (stated by the Library Director) the adjunct to the outreach of the cybermobile service but the continuation of a long existing "book" return policy (pick-up too?) which was formerly provided by another of the Jacobs family businesses, the office of the Hartsdale Parking District. This may have been discontinued during construction of the new HPD office if it preceded the cybermobile -- I don't remember. Downtown Hartsdale consists of one of the most densely populated areas of the Library's service area; in addition downtown Hartsdale, in the apartment strip along East Hartsdale area, is also home to a disproportionate number of unincorporated's Senior Citizens who have spent most of their lives in these apartments but no longer own cars (parking remains a problem) or are able or willing to drive (weather a factor). Bus service is, or was, even provided by the Town to transport them to Central Avenue shopping. Nevertheless, they are still loyal and active patrons of the Library. The Book Drop for returns eliminates an obligatory trip to the Library w
ithin the time limitation of the due date. The visit to the Library to check-out new materials may be conditioned upon the sought after materials being present or held at the Library whereas the return date of materials in circulation may not by in synch with the need to make returns on a date certain. Furthermore, the Book Drop in and around the train station is also used by commuters (like myself who are as close to the Book Drop as the Library but are nearest the Book Drop five days a week) who can return items enroute to work. But, another practical benefit to the Library and to all members Libraries of the WLS, is that continuing the Book Drop may result in the return to circulation of borrowed items, sooner than later. It should be mentioned that the ownership of items returned through the Book Drop is an issue dead on arrival and that it has been mentioned at all is only the manufactured product of persons who, at heart, have no business being involved with Libraries anywhere. Libraries brag of their circulation figures; not of the ownership of the items that is the basis of their circulation. Furthermore, membership in the WLS assumes that participating Libraries will use their best efforts to return all items promptly so that they can be used by other patrons. Does the Greenburgh Library want to put forth the proposition that non-owned materials are second citizens and that the owning Libraries ca
n wait their turn while Greenburgh-owned items get special treatment? I suspect that the WLS assumes that the operative practice for members is "no book left behind".
Given that another area of similar high density population and with an older population, the High Point apartment complex off Central Avenue, is also beyond "walking distance" from the Library while is subject to similar circumstances: an understanding service-oriented Library Board should not only consider the continuation of the Hartsdale Book drop but also consider expanding such service to include High Point once the "problems" of (both) locations are resolved.
The POLITICS: As anticipated, the Library has begun its war with the Town Board as a result of perceived difficulties arising from the Library's award of a lower operating budget than sought. Although this Book Drop matter takes on the appearance of a minor skirmish, it portends greater battles once the Board of Trustees (with new members) begins its work in earnest. Although I cannot say with absolute certainty, I expect that to discontinue the Book Drop is an action that requires the vote of the Trustees, perhaps a reason why their monthly meeting for January was moved up a week to January 15, a date to allow the shutting down of the Book Drop on January 16 as detrmined by Director Contrata. At this writing, the draft minutes of the December 18 meeting are not on the20Library website so I cannot determine whether this action was voted upon last year nor can I determine whether officers for the Board were appointed nor can I determine whether any management salary increases were voted upon. I would hope that the new Board of Trustees will take a more positive stance in regard to providing timely postings of even draft minutes as the meetings are held but once a month.
What the Town Board needs to consider is how vigorous the Trustees may be in launching retaliatory actions against the Town Board and the public, the taxpayers and its own patrons. There is nothing to stop the Trustees from shutting down mornings, evenings, entire days or reducing the extent of operations or services during remaining operating hours. For all intents and purposes, other than the upstairs children's area, the bulk of the Library's circulation occurs from these items: bestsellers, dvds, cds and the pick-up of reserve items (including those provided by the WLS) located on the ground floor in approximately 2,000 feet of the new building's 46,000. This area can be maintained by a Library staff of two at the circulation desk, one to reshelve returns and a security person. This can be the Greenburgh Library of the Future should the Trustees so will it.
Thus, concerned parties must first consider whether the shutting down of the Hartsdale Book drop is indeed sanctioned by the Board of20
Trustees (assuming it is not Ms. Contrata's sole call) and then whether there is a satisfactory means to maintain it should the Library desire to continue this service to patrons. I assume that an appropriate and "free" borrowed vehicle for twice a week transportation can be found somewhere in the unincorporated budget. I further assume that the Book Drop itself can be moved to a "safer" location, perhaps around the perimeter of the train station itself where no parking is allowed but drop-off and pick-up is tolerated. Starbuck's might conclude that Library patrons are Starbuck's patrons. Even more so if the pick-up "mission" were not undertaken during transporation rush hours or in the earlier AM (itself resulting in fewer items collected on a Monday as it is done BEFORE commuters arrive for their train with the weekend's dvds in hand) but in the intervening daytime. Whereas the mental and physical resources required to carry out this task are considerable as detailed by Ms. Contrata, I suspect that it is not beyond the abilities of anyone employed by the Town, in an unincorporated function, to handle the assignment, union rules permitting. Or, as Mr. Kolesar has suggested, the annual expenditure to retain the services of a third party would run in the area of $4,000 a year, a like amount expended as the annual fee of the Hartsdale Sculpture Curator earned for perhaps ten hours of work a year. Since her "new" con
tract expired December 31 and she was already in violation of its stated intention to display the work of local artists (the current work which should be removed as of the contract's 12/31 expiration or rent charged the Curator for its continued display) but she has instead chosen to display the work of a NYC artist. Since I am certain that the Town Board only voted for a six month contract in this year's financial emergency and has no intentions to renew same, then the continued drain of this exhibit which makes little difference in the lives of Hartsdale residents could be replaced by the Book Drop that provides some direct benefit. That is, if a suitable cost-free solution cannot be found elsewhere or absorbed with the Library's $3.4 million, assuming that this reduction of service is the stated position of the new Board of Trustees. However, given that neither the remedy for resolution of this matter need be elusive or inelastic or that, at worst, the dollar cost is impractical, the need for this running start need not be initiated during the worst of road conditions, winter. But really, the Library cannot find $4,000 of uncommitted money?
FINALLY AND TO THE NEW TRUSTEES and especially to those members who have attended meetings as civilians: myself, Mr. Reninger and yourselves have been victims to a Board of Trustees that acts in fear of discovery. You have witnessed being treated as third class20citizens by a Board that delights in speaking in tongues and refuses to share discussed materials with visitors -- like a Town Board that votes on Resolutions that were not shared with the public -- although that is seldom the case to be fair. However, the Trustees do not provide the public with copies of any documents that are discussed by the Trustees, i.e. the Library Administration report. These documents are FOILABLE but only after the meeting. You have been witness to their mention of page 3 item f but not a clue as to what is being discussed. Isn't it time for the Library Board of Trustees meeting to be public/patron friendly and not just conduct meetings open to the public? You new Trustees have the ability to allow this, even were the public to find quarrel with what results. The only thing that matters is that the Trustees have the power of the vote; how they get there should not be such a closely held secret."
The $64,000 question is whether the $50,000 escrow of funds held back by the Town Board is enough or whether the Town Board will not buckle to pressure and keep the $50,000 because the Library has not maintained service levels.
And this is only the second week of the new budget year.
thx hal
juettner is the town board liaison to the gpl - unfortunately juettner doesnt read her emails (or never responds) and doesnt return phone calls either. at least feiner does - she votes like feiner but provides no services like feiner. as another blogger said - a sphinx like her belongs in giza not greenburgh.
hope you get to ask juettner and company at the next town board meeting why the villages are providing these services free of charge to the gpl.
What......can't hear ya!!
of course she can't
she's blind deaf and .....
Hal:
I very much admire you and thank you for bringing these issues to our attention and explaining them. However, could you be more concise in your writing? I'm sure many, like me, only have limited time to devote to your always welcome opinions.
samis cannot be edited
thats why he belongs on the town board - he tells it like it is
no secrets
we need samis
convene his own library board.
Mr. Samis
You write ""Since the Library now longer accepts return items at the grant funded circulation desk -- indeed representing to Patrons that the software at the desk does not allow them to do so -- and that patrons can only make returns through the slot at the entrance or at the drop boxes when the Library is closed, WHAT ARE THE WRITTEN POLICIES in place to handle return disputes?"
Can you explain, what is the difference between your vision chaos and the old book drop, it was set up under the table at the library? No one picked up the books from your hand.
Man, you can rant!!!!
samis already does the job of the town council - now he is ready to take over the library.
from feinerstan to samisville - make it happpen greenburgh.
Sonja Brown is known for her hard-work on behalf of Greenburgh families. A life-long Greenburgh resident, she has served on many important Town and Westchester County Boards. She is on the Lois Bronz Children Center Board of Directors. She has served as Director of Patient and Family Services for the American Cancer Society Of Westchester and as Homeless Coordinator of the Urban League of Westchester.
She is currently Education Director of FIRST (Family Information and Referral Service Team of Westchester). She has served our schools in a number of ways and at present serves as PTA President of Highview School and PTA Council Vice President (GC7).
In her work for Greenburgh Central 7 School District she serves as family outreach, information coordinator and District Homeless Liaison. Sonja will apply the same energy, education and outreach and advocacy skills to Town’s business to move beyond political posturing to problem solving.
Sonja has a Master of Science in School Administration and Leadership from Mercy College. She is the mother of two daughters Tayleur and SoMauri, ages 8 and 16 who attend Highview School and Woodlands High School.
bull s--t
did ms brown have a job before mr feiner plucked her from obscurity?
Dear 2:57.
Because I'll always have those golden memories of returning items at the DESK to the left of the outgoing circulation desk where a Librarian processed returns-while-u-wait.
Not for Samis but for anyone. And they had the reserve items right on hand for pick-up. I could argue that less is more but I won't.
Jury is instructed to ignore the last comment because 2:57, like the blind men and the elephant, can only deal with one body part per post.
Vision chaos? Log on to the future as the Library of the future takes many large steps backward for mankind (species: unincorporated).
And the underlying premise is the same one learned from the Town Board channeling the Hollies:
"King Midas in Reverse".
Town Board version: steal from Fund Balances to cover operating expenses. That somehow makes a 7.8% tax increase look like the Town Board really took a hard look at expenses and cut out all the fat. Fat chance!
Library Board version: steal from Library Operating Fund Balances to cover capital expenses so that residents won't be the wiser that all the Library's men and all the Library's women can't find the money to complete the expansion.
So, they are cutting operations and staffing expenses to save money to divert it to building needs to hide that the depleted "on-budget budget" has run out of gas.
Again, let's look at the videotape.
2008: Library has no money for the cybermobile or Sunday hours. By year end, $200,000 surplus (more than enough) and $100,000 of it used to buy items needed for the expansion proejct.
new product idea from Research in Motion (RIM): portable device that resembles popular blackberry but distorts the truth. Let's call it the Lieberry.
Ok Ok what has Sonja done since she has been in office?.
Yes she is very Street smart and can be a bullie at times .
Could someone tell me whats has she done for the community she serves.
The center is a mess.
According to todays paper i see she is being sued for her behavior
Sonja Brown only ran for the town board after she tried to get the town to run a free summer SAT camp at westchester community college. She was going to get paid for this. She wanted this job becaause her other BS job at G7 was dropped. The town board denied her request, she was upset so Paul took her on his team . now she makes 28,000 and benifits from the town for giving away free stuff at TDYCC. She does not care about any other neighborhood. Just ask Fulton Park
that may all be true but was eddie may barnes anything?
she was a nice person but one who the world had passed by.
lets face it - brown could only get elected in a place like greenburgh where the citizens have abandoned ship. you get the government you deserve.
at least sonya ran. yes she used paul's money and she was like palin but she learned fast.
if no one from hartsdale or the rest of the town wants to run then you get what we have.
What's all the stink about?
Just had it confirmed that the new Greenburgh Library of the Future has public restrooms WITHOUT SOAP dispensers. Or is that pubic restrooms?
Mens' rooms do NOT HAVE URINALS.
And the employees RESTROOM doesn't have a SINK. EMPLOYEES RESTROOM DOESN'T HAVE A SINK. Think about it enroute........................to the circulation desk.
That inspires confidence. Visit the new Library and let's read your impression. And while you're there, don't forget to PICK up a book to read.
Or, perhaps not.
ATTN: Board members who haven't attended meetings and can't bring in a doctor's note. For a limited time, a valid Greenburgh Library card will be accepted as proof of illness.
hal - see the first post about juettner - she failed to show up at the first meeting of the new library.
the ecc and the greenburgh council of civil associations should be calling for her to resign as liaison from the board to the gpl.
juettner is and remains a disaster.
Just read the New Greenburgh Library is missing:
(1) A sink in the employees bathroom;
(2) A urinal in the men's room; and
(3)No soap dispensers.
How can our illustrious building department issue a
C Of O when there is an obvious health hazzard, unless the "O" stands for OH-fensive?
We spend more than $20,000,000 for a yet to be finished yet still open structure, and we don't even have a urinal to pith in.
The profigate use of expensive individual soap pump dispensers goes a long way toward explaining how a degrated materials $17,000,000 library can skyrocket to north of $20,000,000 and counting.
Who is left to blame? Triton took the money and ran. Unprofessionally leaving behind a nowhere to be found punchlist, countless aspects of the structure unfinished, and with all of this meritorious service, only hit us up for an additional 50% over their winning bid.
Then we can't blame the supersilious architect, who sheered us like the sheep we appear to be, by designing a stucture that is an A-One waste in design, energy conservation, and overkill of the greatest magnitude...Alegra where were you when we needed you?
Next we have our "owner's rep. Oh, my wrong, he's retired and an independent contractor. No harm, no foul.
Next we have the library board. dilettantes of "WE WANT," but, "LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT,"
from the raising of the money to the,(well let's call it) the overseeing of the project. But, tsk, tsk, Estelle the change-her-hat from library board member to hard hat is also no longer with us.
So let me see. Who's left? By golly, the indefatigable, renaissance men and women who change zoniing codes in 5 mintes or less with impunity; work their gray matter to the craniun discardingthe needed and acquiring the superflous, all in the name of "keeping the tax increase to a minimum," and on the way grab a healthy piece of the "NOT TO BE TOUCHED FOR OPERATING EXPENSES," fund balance.
Unfortunately, since all of the other "suspects" are out of reach, it's up to the Town Board members to remedy the situation, or close the health hazzard down until employees can wash their hands after using the restrooms.
In the interest of an even "give and take," we the members of the male persuation will acquiesce to use the commodes in lieu of absent urinals.
However, we the tax payers of unincorporated Geenburgh REFUSE to piss away more wasteful $$$ on store bought liquid pump soap. So, get on the ball and don't open unless and until you provide a sink to wash their hands for the staff AND an efficiently priced soap. It's not too much to ask for from such a fiscally "creative" group.
After all you wouldn't want to "shake hands" with someone coming out of the bathroom which you know doesn't have a sink to wash in. Nor would you like to compliment an employee who willfully is wasting tax dollars.
All in favor say AYE.
All those opposed have to attend a CLEANLINESS IS SECOND TO G-DLINESS class, for three saturdays from 9AM -4PM.
ed - i suggest you read the first post on this entry.
the second white elephant in the library fiasco is spelled j u e t t n e r.
frankly, your comments are increasingly obtuse and too long which is somewhat strange for an advertising professional.
you can help the town by suggesting a way out of the mess its in. but please do not lower yourself by talking about missing sinks and urinals.
if after a lifetime in politics you have no new ideas or constructive ways to change the fact that feiner and his "we are with paul" interchangeables will be holding court for the next 2 or 4 years, then i suggest you bow out gracefully.
Hey Ed, You missed the no sink in the Childrens'room bathroom and the doors that can't lock and the floors that have not been painted and the shelves with no books on them and the few light switches that control the whole building which Con Ed will love and and and and....
Paul. I hope you get Elmsford to give their money to you for Library services instead of Ardsley when their contract expires. I know you missed their million dollars over the past three years. What a fool the Library Board was to let them go.
So we paid so much money for the so called work of art library that we have to bring our own pottie along with the return of books.
Hey guys be careful you may be charged with lewed behavior since there is no urinal in the mens room.
Does the library provide some sort of chemical cloth to those that go into the latrine.
My advice is to stay away from the library because it may be dangerous to your health. You never know what one would catch.
7:14 AM 1/17
Thank you for the gentle way you tried to "retire" me from activism.There was no sign of sarcasm nor vitriol. I appreciate that.
However you directing me to read the first posting on this topic is really old hat to me, given my "in print" evaluation of Diana many times.
As to your admonition rearding "suggestions for "ways out of the mess," we're in,over the years, nay DECADES at Town board meetings, at Democratic executive board meetings, in the Journal News and the Reporter Dispatch before it, the Scarsdale Inquirer and EVEN the blog, I've made numerous suggestions. And to steal from Feiner, the FIRST to do so.
Among them:
(1) For 10 or more years,I've advocated, hire a Town Manager and make the supervisor's position a "policy making, figurehead."
(2) The very first to call for a professional"Owner's Representative," to oversee the library. This was published about 3 years ago in a 1,000 word piece in the Scarsdale Inquirer.
(3) Change the Town Ethics Board to review ethics questions for a different municipality's elected officials, using that municipapily's codes, and Greenburgh's ethic's questions would be reviewed by the other municipality, using our codes.
(4) In 1994, I suggested the Libray become a "Library Disrtict," and like a school district, have it's board and budget, voted on by the public. It has never been more germane.
(5) Initiate a passive refrendum petition to install TERM LIMITS.
(6) Change the Town bylaws to have the Comptroller ELECTED not APPOINTED. He/she would be independent of political pressure, especially from those who don't know their butt from first base and misuse the budget for "getting re-elected. For decades, the NYS Comptroller was from the opposite party of the Governor. It was a check and balance.
(7) Hold the Town Board to the letter of the law. When they act in an unlawful, extralegal, or close to legal-illegal,have a citizens committee of lawyers do what they do best.
That's seven, a lucky number to stop at. I don't know how much you've followed my activism, but my interests are the best interests of my community. I'm not ready to be DE-activated, thank you.
As to the length of my postings, I'll tell you what I told clients for many years.The best read book in history, is the longest in history. THE BIBLE.
I have no defense for your characterization of my writing as obtuse.But one man's best seller, is another man's garbage pail liner.
ed - frankly outside of term limits, the suggestions are political window dressing.
you have a dead polity - that has deactivated itself that barely reads the media you have posted your ideas in
if you ask 100 people in greenburgh to name all the town board members, could any one of the 100 do so?
hartsdale has abandoned its school district - fairview has a lock on the attention of the town board (same for westhab)
feiner and co. violate the law over and over with no political consequences
the library is a fiasco but it has apparently hired good press agents to cya
meetings of the tov's civic associations are sparsely attended
the town's democratic party is more interested in fundraisers for the the status quo then cultivating fresh faces with new approaches for old problems
the town needs major structural changes in its political architecture - district voting perhaps?
we need big ideas - im still waiting
feiner has simply been able to exploit the divisions that exist in the town which really no longer exists
what a waste of money when the library said they had 300,000 visitos a year why didn't anyone take them to task calculate that you would be standing in line to get in if that were true
6:57 I agree with much of what you write, but my suggestions are apolitical.
You point out the problems eloquently, but one important ingredient is missing.
Solutions.
The most difficult thing to do is to CREATE and ad. Anyone can rewrite or edit,
We need more analysts like you. Why are you ashamed of your work andhide behide anonymity?
Maybe you can be POLITY # ONE in the fight against the metastisizing cancer sitting smugly in the middle of the dais.
Don't desseminate,activate!
We need more thinkers like you.
Hal your sensitivity to seniors
and their lack of cars almost
makes you seem human. Too bad you
don't have the ability to be nice on a regular basis. Not that residents
would like you any more, they might
see you in a sane light.
Barbara Seinwitz
If Hal and Ed know so much why don't they take their negative campaign
to an election. You too waste far
too much time complaining and
commiserating on this blog. If you two could put your b.s. into real
work, things could happen. But
the truth is, the both of you
couldn't stay positive long enough
to sustain a real vote.
Barbara-
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