RVC Letters - 11-5

School bond is pulling the turf over our eyes

To the Editor:

The Rockville Centre school administration and the Board of Education have not fully disclosed or publicized what is really in the bond they would like passed on Dec. 17.

The Herald, Our Schools publication and the school’s Web site have not fully disclosed what is going to be in this bond. Yes, they have mentioned it at a BOE meeting, but if you don’t follow those meetings or attend them, you wouldn’t know that in addition to wanting to expand the high school for the “safety of our children,” they also want to install not one but two artificial-turf fields.

The administration and the school board said that the architects suggested these fields because the practice field would be the staging area for construction materials and equipment and the main field would be enduring a lot of wear and tear. This field is used the least out of all of the fields in Rockville Centre. This is just another attempt to finish a project that they tried to complete three years ago.

The district had voted to accept a “gift” of turf and lights from a community organization that promised to raise funds for the field, and has said that this “gift” won't cost taxpayers a cent. However, the group came up short. The community has spoken with its pocketbooks; if the community wanted the artificial turf, it would have donated to the project. Now the district wants to sneak it into this bond. Who is going to pay for the removal of the turf and the replacement in 10 years? Will there be another bond because the district won’t have an extra $1.5 million lying around?

Wasn’t the district threatening to close an elementary school just six months ago, saying they could no longer afford to maintain it? There was mention of laying off teachers and increasing class size.

The district is trying to pass a bond that has all the bells and whistles that could be included and will put us further in debt. Let’s just do what has to be done; let’s not get greedy. This board is not acting responsibly and not fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to the community. They are puppets for the school administrators, rubber-stamping everything school administrators want.

Howard R. Carr

Rockville Centre

Thanks from the Youth Council

The following is an open letter to William Kurrus, president of the Rockville Centre Lions Club.

Dear Mr. Kurrus:

Please excuse this long-overdue thank-you letter to you and the members of the Lions Club, especially Michael and Maureen Jordan. On behalf of the Rockville Centre Youth Council, I cannot thank you enough for all you have done to help the council get off the ground. Your organization’s strong support has definitely made an impact on us and we are forever grateful.

First, we would like to thank you for sending three representatives from the Lions Club to our bimonthly meetings. Their knowledge, input and belief in our cause has been truly inspirational.

Next, we would like to thank you for sponsoring our first Teen Night by subsidizing the band and refreshments, as well as providing adult supervision. This was our first attempt at providing a structured social event as an alternative to teens just walking the streets of Rockville Centre.

Lastly, how can we thank you enough for graciously donating $500 to support the Student Lifeline Card project? As you know, this endeavor provides safe rides home for young adults in our community who may be in harm’s way. That support has been fabulous, allowing us to provide the cards to many students in the district who might find themselves in such a situation and might not otherwise have access to the card.

I am happy to report that the Rockville Centre Youth Council has now been officially incorporated and has approved bylaws. We are in the process of working to become a true 501c-3 organization so we can receive tax-deductible donations and apply for grant funding. Again, we thank you and the rest of the Lions Club members for your active participation in our grass-roots efforts in launching the Youth Council. We look forward to your continued interest and participation as we continue to grow and serve the youth of our community.

Beth Hammerman

Chairman, Rockville Centre Youth Council