Friday, December 21, 2018
Vol. 95, No.13
FOUNDED 1923
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LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED
Christmas services PAGES 18-19 n Rotary Party PAGES 36-37
Amid water worries, attorneys, engineers to assist School District
ANGELS HEARD ON HIGH
BY RIKKI N. MASSAND
Lovely little angels were on hand at the Garden City Community Church's Nursery School this week. See page 54
Parents petition for lower class sizes BY RIKKI N. MASSAND At the December 11 Garden City School district meeting at the middle school, a handful of parents spoke during public comment and urged the board of education members and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kusum Sinha to pave a new path to lowering class sizes among the district’s younger grades. In November Hemlock School parent Victoria Bucci initiated
a Change.org petition addressed to the “Garden City Board of Education and Administration” as she and several other moms followed up and relayed their concerns last Tuesday night on class sizes of over 25 students. The online petition states “we are parents and community members concerned about increasing class sizes at our primary and elementary schools (Hemlock, Homestead, Locust,
Stewart, and Stratford). For the 2018-2019 school year, children in grades 1 through 5 across the district are in classes with up to 26 students. Reducing class size will promote the student-teacher relationship and increase each teacher’s ability to effectively meet each student’s academic, emotional, and behavioral needs. We believe that when students benefit from more student-teachSee page 35
Concerns over the presence of contaminants in Garden City’s water, including the human carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane have prompted the hire of two specialist firms to assist the public school district, evaluate reports from the Environmental Protection Agency and advise on any potential precautions and next steps. Contractual agreements were approved at the two recent Board of Education meetings, one just prior to Thanksgiving on Tuesday, November 20 and then last week, on December 11. Last Tuesday the Garden City Board of Education approved a $15,975 contract for environmental consultant services with the firm AKRF, Inc. (Allee King Rosen & Fleming), an environmental engineering, regulatory affairs and planning specialist based in Manhattan. At its November 20 meeting, the board of education approved an environmental legal firm -- Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelly, Dubin and Quartararo LLP - for special counsel services, not to exceed 20 hours total. A total cost or rates for service were not included with the meeting agenda or disclosed during the superintendent’s report that evening. The Environmental Consultant Services contract with AKRF, Inc. and the estimated total cost of $15,975 was broken down as part of the board of education agenda packet on December 11. Hourly rates of the firm’s team is $245 for principal, $220 for the project director, $180 apiece for the senior project manager, environmental engineer and hydrogeologist, plus $145 per hour for CADD operation and figure generation. The law firm’s retainer agreement approved in November was commented on by Superintendent of Schools Kusum Sinha at both the November 20 and December 11 meetings. She noted the firm is special counsel, assisting the district with a concern over the water quality in GCUFSD buildings, grounds and facilities. On November 20 Sinha stopped short of calling the issue “contamination”and referred to the water supply presenting “an environmental concern.” “This (retainer) is to get some additional information and to help us in looking at the issue. We are also in the process of an RFP to get some additional assistance from an environmental engineer,” she said on November 20. Eventually it parlayed into the contract with AKRF, approved last week. See page 39
What does the inside of St. Paul's look like? PAGE 38 Children's Medical Fund Boutique and Brunch PAGE 51