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Their view: The ongoing tragedy of Sept. 11

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Carnival fun fills early Founders Day celebration

Wilkes-Barre Area requires complete auditCheers for our governor, the Honorable Thomas Wolf.He wants a quality education for all, via a reform plan.But just for charter schools?The Wilkes-Barre Area School District&#8217;s first plan was a state of the art school for two thirds of the high school students, segregating the district&#8217;s highest percentages of disadvantaged and minorities students. Plan &#8220;B&#8221; was to spend a quarter of a billion dollars to build a high school on a toxic coal ash dump for a third of the students leaving 4,600 students in aged facilities that do not meet state standards.The governor is concerned about under achieving schools. Wilkes-Barre Area is ranked 443rd out of 501 school districts and dead last in countywide SAT scores.He is concerned over charging the taxpayers? Bear Creek Charter school paid $3,000 an acre for pristine land. Wilkes-Barre Area paid $55,000 an acre for a coal ash dump &#8211; four times the lowest appraisal.WBA paid $3.2 million for mineral rights without getting appraisals. The board has also paid $6 million for failed projects. Have we excelled in over charging the taxpayers?He demands transparency. WBA has none.He is concerned about paying for administrative costs. WBA administrative costs are near $60,000 a month, for a first-time superintendent, a first-time school district business manager, a construction manager firm and a solicitor. How&#8217;s that working?Does the governor have a &#8220;Public School Reform Plan&#8221;?Citizens of WBASD have been requesting one for the last four years.Perhaps the governor needs to hold the WBASD to the same standards now achieved by the Bear Creek Charter School.The Bear Creek School has over 400 on a waiting list. WBASD has 600 that fled the district, the highest in the state enrolled in cyber and charter schools. No doubt some on the waiting list.The Auditor General will be conducting an investigation into the building project, procedures and expenditures. In light of many factors related to student&#8217;s scores, finances/expenditures in a poverty-ridden district, WBASD needs a complete audit.Richard A. HolodickWilkes-BarreThanks to candidates from taxpayers forumWe sent out our appeal through the local news media, let&#8217;s &#8220;take back our city.&#8221; The Nanticoke voters responded. On May 21 at the city municipal election, voters elected three of four endorsed candidates, two councilmen and the big one, strong mayor.After five years of the most incompetent administration in Nanticoke history, we said enough is enough. You showed the &#8220;power of the people.&#8221; Our opponents had campaign contributions of over $9,000 and the endorsement of the Nanticoke Democratic Organization. We had only our own money, but your support. Together, we pulled off the biggest upset in Nanticoke&#8217;s political history, proving the &#8220;power of the people.&#8221;Thank you from the candidates, Mike Marcella, John Telencho, Kevin Coughlin.Hank MarksPresident, Nanticoke Area Taxpayers ForumHappy Birthday, Wilkes-BarreCongratulations to Wilkes-Barre for its 250th birthday.I am a proud lifelong resident.It is the place to be.Alex S. PartikaWilkes-Barre<style>
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