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Oil Tank Runs Dry While Haldane School Officials Seek Lower Prices for Heating Fuel
Board seeks to solve student parking issues
by Allison Dunne
While school officials from the Haldane Central School District were looking to seal a deal for lower heating oil prices, they received a trick, rather than a treat, on Halloween, when the oil ran out. During the November 1 Haldane Board of Education meeting, Haldane Central School District Superintendent Dr. John Di Natale questioned why the district canceled delivery from Pidala Oil Company without having another oil supplier on tap. And Board of Education Vice President Michael Junjulas asked, “Why are we playing a numbers game with oil so close to the winter season?”
Junjulas said Pidala was put off from delivering oil because Haldane officials were out seeking bids for lower prices. At the Haldane board meeting October 18, 2005, school district officials said they did not move to lock in oil prices earlier this year because they were waiting to see what would come of working with Putnam County, anticipating that teaming up with the county would result in more leverage to obtain lower prices. At the November 1 meeting, School Business Official Meryl Rubinstein said the thinking was that if the district were part of a larger county bid, the district could secure a better rate. She pointed out that the district is required to bid out oil. However, on the eve prior to the November 2 deadline for bids, Rubenstein said Pidala Oil was the only company that had picked up a bid packet, and that she had heard nothing from county officials.
Di Natale said it comes down to either going for the lowest price, or sticking with a local, reliable vendor. “I agree with going for a local vendor, but we open ourselves to criticism at a time when [oil] prices are skyrocketing.” He added that the upshot is the county did not come through with a bid, and Haldane ran out of oil.
Board of Education Trustee David Merandy expressed disbelief and outrage regarding the situation, and said, “We don’t even have a plan…Who’s in charge?”
When asked who gave direction, and when, to go with the lowest, responsible bidder, Trustee Richard Wallin responded that the process began with a March memo from Director of Operations Mark Brigham to Superintendent Di Natale. Brigham did not attend the November 1 Board of Education meeting because of a medical emergency, and thus was unable to address the oil matter.
The Board had a more welcome matter at hand with a presentation by Haldane’s Historical Review and Restoration Committee Chairman Gary Gunther. Gunther said the committee, since it formation by the Board of Education in September 2004, has come across several findings during the course of its research, and plans to present these findings to the public in a forum to be held around mid-December. He said one of the committee’s important finds is that a Haldane school crest existed in various forms, as early as in 1938. Gunther says he would like to see the crest brought back, and Board of Education members agreed.
Gunther said the committee has a few goals in mind, including developing design concepts for the graduation knoll, also known as the bell and rock. He says the committee wants this area to become a focal point of the Haldane campus, possibly by putting in paving, lighting, and some benches, for example. Another goal, said Gunther, is to continue to build a monument database, in part, to help the Board make appropriate decisions by taking into account the historical significance of a building, or its contents.
Gunther said his committee has a few suggestions, including that the school district maintain a permanent display of its history, and that there be a repair and maintenance program to ensure that historical structures and artifacts do not deteriorate.
Board members praised Gunther’s PowerPoint presentation, “The Present Catching Up With The Past”, with Board President Joseph Curto asking Gunther to e-mail him the presentation so that it may appear on the school district’s Web site, a new Web site set to debut within a few weeks. “I’d love to see it go to another level,” said Curto of the committee’s work. Curto said he’d like to see high school students gain hands-on experience in historical research, and for them to become involved as part of their history lessons. Curto also said it’s time for the committee to raise awareness, as well as funds, and suggested that writing grants, and press releases, would be starts in this direction.
And, speaking of starts in new directions, Curto opened the November 1 meeting with a one-page handout entitled, “Welcome to the Haldane Central School District Board of Education Meeting,” citing the need to expedite board meetings. The information sheet, he says, came about as a result of the Board’s notoriously long meetings, with the previous one having lasted until nearly 1 am. The information sheet, which he says most area school districts have, contains “guidelines for the proper and conducive conduct of this meeting.” These guidelines essentially underscore the time limit for public dialogue with the Board. Curto said he would take the heat for previous meetings having run so long, and would see that the info sheet is posted on the school district’s Web site.
In addition, board members began to apply the brakes to another situation student parking. “I think parking is a major problem,” said Superintendent Di Natale. An elementary school staff member said students are parking in staff spaces, and will continue to do so until they face consequences. Board Vice President Junjulas agreed, saying, “The first step is to set an example.” That example, board members discussed, could include tickets, and, depending on what school officials can legally enforce, towing. Board President Curto suggested that school officials draw up a parking regulation policy. Board members said students are also parking illegally on Cedar Street, practically opening their car doors onto “No Parking” signs.
Other board business included a discussion about the need for a commercial snow blower. Di Natale said, with a truck to aid in snow removal already purchased, the question remains whether to purchase a commercial snow blower, which he says would cost between $10,000 and $12,000; lease one for five months; or hire a service at $1,000 per removal.
In other business, all board members voted in favor of approving a change in the district’s bus driver assignment from part-time (five hours per day), to full-time (6 ˝ hours per day). The change for bus driver Barbara White is retroactive to September 1, 2005, and results from additional stops along the routes.
All board members also approved the acceptance of a $1,030 donation from the Haldane School Foundation to purchase books for the high school library; as well as a $750 donation from the Haldane Elementary School Student Council to purchase fans for the school cafeteria.
Board of Education members unanimously approved a resolution that authorizes the Board’s president to release Pantel Electric and Mountain Valley Indemnity, Preserver Group, with respect to their payment for damages to Haldane’s gymnasium. Di Natale noted the $17,000 is a small portion of the recovery amount for the gymnasium. Di Natale also credited Rubinstein, the school district’s business official, with procuring a greater amount than was originally planned.
The next Haldane Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8, at 7 pm.
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