Park Hill School Board Spar: 'Lies, Partisan Politics, and Class Warfare'

Current school board candidate, Fred Sanchez, who is seeking re-election for the Park Hill School Board, was outraged over statements made by some of his opponents for what he described as, “Lies, half truths, and class warfare.”

Sanchez said he takes issue with comments by candidates David Cox, Chris Seufert, and Timothy Thompson. All three have stated concerns about recent decisions by the board to approve certain expenditures outlined in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification of the proposed newest elementary school.

Funds for the school and its environmental technologies will be available only if a bond initiative is passed on the April 5 ballot. Sanchez, a democrat, maintains that the three republican candidates are using partisan politics to leverage a successful election.

The trio of candidates questioned an allocation of $503,220 for “Optimized Energy Performance” which included an expense for a geothermal heat pump. The pump, which provides energy efficient heating and cooling, uses a system to bring more consistent inner earth temperatures to the surface, providing a cost savings on utility bills over time.

The payback period for this line-item was originally estimated to be 25 years, indicated in a spreadsheet presented to school district board members in early February, who voted to approve the measure. Sanchez stated that number has been reduced by more than half and is expected to be closer to a 10-12 year investment.

Chris Seufert said he is concerned by the initial miscalculation. “I want to know why the architects numbers were so off,” he stated.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Technology, Dr. Paul Kelly, told The Luminary that the 25 year return was calculated during the beginning phase of the design when construction specifics were not yet available.

Therefore, Kelly said that they based the approximation on a comparison to the traditional heating and cooling units used in the school district. That current system, he says, requires mechanical replacements of two thirds compared to just one third of the unit with the new geothermal system.

Seufert questioned whether the recent drop in pay-back estimates stemmed from political pressure. “That causes me concern about how accurate either of those numbers are,” he said. He also called decision making by the board “blind-faced” due to the approval process for the LEED proposal which he said focused too much on obtaining a higher level of green certification.

Timothy Thompson concurred, stating that he observed a lack in line item analysis. “I hope they [the board] had more interaction, more questions, and more privy than they let on in the board meeting.” he told The Luminary. “They just watched a Power Point Presentation.”

“Absolutely absurd,” was the response from Sanchez to allegations that the board neglected to perform a cost benefit analysis. “They are giving the impression that the board did not appropriately look into the up front costs and the eventual pay off.”

The building of the tenth elementary school and incorporation of the green LEED technology will depend on voter approval of a bond issue in the general municipal election on Tuesday, April 5. In addition, the proposal will fund maintenance, security, and additional classroom space.

A School Board Candidate Forum will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at 6 p.m. in room 110 at the Park Hill district office, 7703 NW Barry Road. The Park Hill District Council of PTAs sponsors the event.

Eight candidates are running for three open seats with three-year terms, and four candidates are running for one open seat with a one-year term. The election is Tuesday, April 5.

Volume 9, Episode 31

Top Stories
Park Hill School Board Candidates Spar
Alderman Race: Ferguson v. Welch
Weis Left Chiefs Due to Parkville?
Sly Stones Burke, Northland Likes Mike
The Nuclear Option
Supermarket Squeeze: Food Prices on Rise
Graves: No Easy Gas Fix

Plus
MO House Limits Abortion
Unemployment Checks Hang in Balance
Rolling on the River: MO Water Shipping

...and
When Mark Vasto says 'Eggs!' You say 'Cake!'

All that plus Wondermark, Super Crossword, Weekly Sudoku, Useless Knowledge, The Twitter Ticker, and foreign correspondent, Steve Youngblood is back in Uganda-reporting action (no, really)!

Steve Youngblood: Volunteers Serve Hope at Orphanage

BEWYA, UGANDA—The 40 minute drive from downtown Kampala south to this small village is dusty and slow, thanks to a washboard road. Mostly, the drive is a journey from the relative modernity of the capital city to a place that, even though it serves youth, is miles away from the cutting edge.

At the Mercy Home for Children, an orphanage housing 50 children 5-18 years old, being on the edge has an entirely different meaning. Though it may sound like hyperbole, the fact is that Mercy Home’s youngsters constantly live on the edge as they wonder if they’ll eat or go to school or be able to see a doctor if they get sick.

Located on a plain overlooking pretty Lake Victoria, the orphanage is run down. The kitchen, if you can call it that, is an out-building with dirt floors and a crumbling brick stove. The toilets are awful, and the walls have accumulated the dust that proliferates here. The dormitories where the kids live are habitable, though dingy.

For the Record: Catherine Bleish (Part 4)

First Amendment Protected Right to Freedom of Speech
by Catherine Bleish

In the first three articles of this five-part series, I described several government abuses that led me to question whether or not speech is truly free in these United States. Wrongful arrests, political profiling, and censorship are all examples of the ways in which my personal freedom of speech has been negatively impacted by the violent forces of government. Despite those experiences, I find it important to mention that there is a positive side to this dialogue about our supposed “First Amendment Protected Right to Freedom of Speech.” I would be doing the reader a terrible disservice to only mention these negative examples.

As you read this, all across the country, brave souls are standing up in the face of these growing abuses and proving that no force of violence or threat thereof can silence one who has a message burning from within. These individuals should be exalted and celebrated across the nation as it is their fearless love for humanity that pushes the forces of evil back from the front lines of society. One such example can be found here in the Kansas City-area. Her name is Tracy Ward, and she is a candidate for Kansas City City Council, 6th District at Large.

Tracy is the living breathing embodiment of free speech. You might recognize her from her bright pink hair, a bold expression in and of itself. Perhaps you saw her on the local news protesting the Federal Reserve long before the Wall Street bailouts or maybe you saw her protesting Transportation Safety Administration body scanners six months before the national media picked-up on the story. Perhaps you may have been one of the hundreds of drivers whom she handed an educational pamphlet on red light cameras, fluoridated water or community gardens? Yes, that was Tracy you heard testify in Jefferson City in defense of your right to privacy. No matter the issue, Tracy knows how to use her freedom of speech to influence positive changes in our community.

Steve Youngblood: Ugandans Lay Foundation for Peace

KAMPALA, UGANDA—At the birth of my baby last week, I swelled with pride as I swatted the newborn on the tush and waited for that first, healthy cry.

We named the baby the African Peace and Reconciliation Society (APRES). The healthy cry took the form of passionate discussions that took place at the meeting where APRES came into this world. (Photo--Drafting goals, guidelines at the Peace Club Summit)

I’m not sure if you can really call me the father, since all I had was an idea to call together Ugandans to support and promote peace. APEC’s real fathers and mothers are those everyday citizens who decided to organize themselves into Peace Clubs. As part of our 10-month, USAID/US State Department sponsored Peace and Electoral Journalism project in Uganda, we convened community leaders in 20 locales and encouraged them to come together to support and encourage journalists to practice responsible reporting that promotes peace and reconciliation. In 14 towns, the Peace Clubs took root, and are working to make their communities more harmonious places.

Volume 9, Episode 30

Top Stories
Park Hill School Board Election Interviews
MO Anti-Union Debate
Bravest Ensure Cedar Doesn't Burn
Gov. Nixon's Travel Expenses Questioned
Spring Jam Announces Line-Up
Sewers Pumped at English Landing Park

Plus
'A Sports Column' by Westin Sisney
Chad Ochocinco's Futbol Tweets
Mark Vasto on Sam Graves NPR Defund Vote

All that plus Wondermark, Super Crossword, Weekly Sudoku, Useless Knowledge, The Twitter Ticker, and foreign correspondent, Steve Youngblood, tempts us with more Uganda reports next week!

Volume 9, Episode 29

Top Stories
17 Year Sentence in Drunk Driving Death
Park Hill Budget Trims $1.57 Million
Birther Bill Urges Obama to Prove Citizenship
Missouri House Targets Funeral Protests
Ambulance District Negotiates Response Times
Main Street Recycling Proposed
Businesses Partner for 'Shop With A Cop'

Plus
Ashley Anders Debuts 'Parkville, Within Earshot'
The 'Royals Reporter' Featuring Westin Sisney
Mark Vasto Channels Charlie Sheen

All that plus Wondermark, Super Crossword, Weekly Sudoku, Useless Knowledge, The Twitter Ticker, and a bag of chips. In racks all over the greater Parkville area!

Firefighters Respond Swiftly to Parkville Fire

An electrical malfunction in an adjacent site at Cafe Cedar (not part of restaurant operations) caused a fire on Saturday night. Southern Platte Fire Protection District arrived on the scene in just over a minute and a half and helped remove a faulty refrigerator.

Steve Youngblood: Rotary Clubs Unite to Feed Students in Arua

ARUA, UGANDA—In July 2009, a famine had students at Ociba Primary School clamped tightly in its jaws. On my visit there, the place seemed listless, and strangely empty, even though hundreds of kids milled about. Like the hot air in this dusty place, you could almost breathe in the famine, the suffering, and it would scar your insides.

I have walked through some of the world’s most awful slums, fought back tears while visiting with victims of war, and spent an overcast, drizzly day at a former Nazi concentration camp. Nothing left me as shaken and depressed as my 2009 visit to the Ociba Primary School.

Thus, it was with palpable reservations that I recently returned to Ociba. What I discovered was that today, thanks to two Rotary Club chapters half a world apart, life is very different for the school’s 1,019 students.

Volume 9, Episode 28

Steve Youngblood: March Madness Misses Most in Uganda

KAMPALA, UGANDA—As you stroll down Main Street here, you’re practically surrounded by Ugandans wearing the colors of their favorite universities. The office pools are ready to swing into action throughout East Africa. Meanwhile, Ugandan bars and restaurants are gearing up for a flood of college basketball-crazed fans. On radio, analysts are breaking down potential NCAA tournament pairings.

No, not really.

In fact, Uganda might as well be Jupiter when it comes to college basketball. I think the average Ugandan might be vaguely aware that American universities play basketball, but wouldn’t have the slightest notion about the difference between a Jayhawk (good) and, say, a Blue Devil or Tiger (evil).

Uganda, for all its charms, is NCAA tournament purgatory.