PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
A new contract puts Union Township's police department in the crossfire of two warring politicians.
Outgoing supervisor Steve Galizia calls the six-year pact a fair agreement.
"Those wage increases are consistent with the last three contracts," Galizia said at Nov. 15's supervisors meeting.
Incoming supervisor Clair Damon sees the move as a vendetta.
"There is case law that this is illegal," Damon responded. "I have a problem being locked in for six years."
During a special meeting Nov. 14 morning, the supervisors extended the police department's contract through 2011. Galizia and Supervisor Pat Angiolelli voted yes; Supervisor Kevin Guinaugh, no.
"We can't even negotiate and change," Guinaugh said. "We're here to defend the citizens and their money."
Damon is threatening to file a lawsuit against the township over the vote. He argued that when the new board -- he, Angiolelli and Guinaugh -- is installed, it will be bound by a last-minute contract. That action goes against public policy, he said.
"Obviously you didn't talk to your solicitor before voting."
Damon and audience members pelted Galizia with questions ranging from the contract's origin to the amount of the raises.
Galizia said he had received the police union's contract offer on Oct. 14. He then forwarded the proposal to Angiolelli and Guinaugh.
"It was a pretty cut-and-dried request," Galizia said.
Chief Joseph Lombardo's pay increases also came under scrutiny. Lombardo is the department's lone full-time employee. There are four part-time officers.
Lombardo, whose 2005 salary is $36,000, will see consecutive increases of $2,000 a year or 96 cents an hour through 2011. In the last year of the contract, he will earn $48,000. Overall, the contract increases Lombardo's earnings by approximately 33 percent.
When contacted Nov. 15, Lombardo declined comment.
On Nov. 14, Galizia and Angiolelli said raises over the life of the contract will average 50 cents per hour each year. All other terms, they added, remain the same.
Guinaugh argued the new board should have reviewed and approved the contract extension. He expressed frustration over the matter.
"I don't understand how it came about," he said. "I think it's ridiculous."
Ultimately, the contract dispute highlights the contentious issue involving the handling of Union finances.
"He's going to have this township broke," an audience member said of Galizia. "I'm not stupid."
Galizia countered that the supervisors have acted fiscally responsibly.
"I'm not going to sit there and listen to (Damon) tell me that I don't know how to manage a township," he said after the meeting.
Saying the 2006 budget will be passed with no tax increase, he explained, "There's money budgeted for everything we've done and everything that we will do 'til the end of the year.
"If (the budget is) properly managed, it will do fine."
Copyright (c) 2005, New Castle News
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Shenango reworking Web site
WHERE'S MY SCHOOL?
On the Web
Ellwood City - https://www.edline.net/pages/Ellwood_CASD
Laurel - http://www.laurel.k12.pa.us/
Midwest Intermediate Unit IV - http://www.miu4.k12.pa.us/
Mohawk - http://www.mohawk.k12.pa.us/
Neshannock - http://www.neshannock.k12.pa.us/
New Castle - http://ncasd.com/
Union - http://www.union.k12.pa.us/
Vo-tech - http://www.lcvt.tec.pa.us/lcvt/site/default.asp
Wilmington - http://www.wilmington.k12.pa.us/
TECHNOLOGY The "under construction" sign will soon be coming down from the Shenango Area School District's Web site.
PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Shenango High seniors Brittany Flynn and Stevie Crisci regularly navigate the Internet to complete homework assignments.
But ask them to find their school district's Web site.
"I didn't know we had a Web page," Brittany said.
They do, sort of.
"I think I heard about it before, but it's not a big thing," Stevie added.
It's not. Visit www.shenango.k12.pa.us, and you'll discover the site is under construction.
While Lawrence County's seven other school districts have a presence on the Internet, Shenango exited the Information Superhighway earlier this year.
"The old one was so bad," Superintendent Dr. Lawrence Connelly said after last night's school board meeting. "We felt it was better not to have one. It was so outdated."
The district's original Web site was created approximately six years ago, according to ninth-grade computer applications teacher Vicky Rozanski.
"When we originally started it, it was student-produced," Rozanski said. "We learned the basic codes.
"So much of the software nowadays does everything for them, plugging in the information. The students will pick it up in a minute."
School districts such as Union and Mohawk offer extensive information, ranging from lunch menus to a calendar of events, on their sites. Shenango wasn't able to match that quality.
"It's disappointing at this point, but we feel we're heading in the right direction," Connelly said.
That's not to suggest that students are at a disadvantage when it involves the Internet.
The Web site, edline.com, provides a place where Shenango teachers, students and parents can interact. The educational Web-hosting service allows students to see their grades, permits teachers to list weekly plans and notes, and gives parents the opportunity to see what their children are doing at school.
Shenango's Web site will return online soon. A committee made up of parents, teachers and a tech person are working on the project. Beth Barber, the district's tech coordinator, will manage the Web pages.
"At this point, we're in the design phase," Connelly said. "We're very anxious to get it up."
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bell said it will be approximately four weeks before the "under construction" home page comes down.
"It's going to be in stages," he said. "We're going to put the framework up first and then add on the links for the different buildings."
The importance of the revamped site extends beyond the district, Connelly said. The community - locally and worldwide - can see what's taking place.
"It's nice to be communicating to people where Shenango is, what Shenango's like," he said. "That's the missing link."
Copyright (c) 2005, New Castle News
On the Web
Ellwood City - https://www.edline.net/pages/Ellwood_CASD
Laurel - http://www.laurel.k12.pa.us/
Midwest Intermediate Unit IV - http://www.miu4.k12.pa.us/
Mohawk - http://www.mohawk.k12.pa.us/
Neshannock - http://www.neshannock.k12.pa.us/
New Castle - http://ncasd.com/
Union - http://www.union.k12.pa.us/
Vo-tech - http://www.lcvt.tec.pa.us/lcvt/site/default.asp
Wilmington - http://www.wilmington.k12.pa.us/
TECHNOLOGY The "under construction" sign will soon be coming down from the Shenango Area School District's Web site.
PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com
Shenango High seniors Brittany Flynn and Stevie Crisci regularly navigate the Internet to complete homework assignments.
But ask them to find their school district's Web site.
"I didn't know we had a Web page," Brittany said.
They do, sort of.
"I think I heard about it before, but it's not a big thing," Stevie added.
It's not. Visit www.shenango.k12.pa.us, and you'll discover the site is under construction.
While Lawrence County's seven other school districts have a presence on the Internet, Shenango exited the Information Superhighway earlier this year.
"The old one was so bad," Superintendent Dr. Lawrence Connelly said after last night's school board meeting. "We felt it was better not to have one. It was so outdated."
The district's original Web site was created approximately six years ago, according to ninth-grade computer applications teacher Vicky Rozanski.
"When we originally started it, it was student-produced," Rozanski said. "We learned the basic codes.
"So much of the software nowadays does everything for them, plugging in the information. The students will pick it up in a minute."
School districts such as Union and Mohawk offer extensive information, ranging from lunch menus to a calendar of events, on their sites. Shenango wasn't able to match that quality.
"It's disappointing at this point, but we feel we're heading in the right direction," Connelly said.
That's not to suggest that students are at a disadvantage when it involves the Internet.
The Web site, edline.com, provides a place where Shenango teachers, students and parents can interact. The educational Web-hosting service allows students to see their grades, permits teachers to list weekly plans and notes, and gives parents the opportunity to see what their children are doing at school.
Shenango's Web site will return online soon. A committee made up of parents, teachers and a tech person are working on the project. Beth Barber, the district's tech coordinator, will manage the Web pages.
"At this point, we're in the design phase," Connelly said. "We're very anxious to get it up."
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bell said it will be approximately four weeks before the "under construction" home page comes down.
"It's going to be in stages," he said. "We're going to put the framework up first and then add on the links for the different buildings."
The importance of the revamped site extends beyond the district, Connelly said. The community - locally and worldwide - can see what's taking place.
"It's nice to be communicating to people where Shenango is, what Shenango's like," he said. "That's the missing link."
Copyright (c) 2005, New Castle News
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