text:
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text:
Phillies will not be arbitrating with their four free agents.
Phillies decline to make offers to four
Arbitration not extended to Moyer, Burrell, Gordon or Seanez
By Ken Mandel / MLB.com
Say what?? Not even with Moyer? Are the penny pinching idiots at it again????
PHILADELPHIA — Perhaps mindful of the raises Pat Burrell or Jamie Moyer might earn through salary arbitration, the Phillies opted not to offer arbitration to any of their four eligible free agents, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The decision, a procedural move, allows the Phillies to negotiate with the players on their own terms, rather than potentially guaranteeing a raise based on last season's salary. Because they didn't offer arbitration to Burrell, Moyer, Tom Gordon and Rudy Seanez, the Phillies forfeited Draft-pick compensation if those players sign with another team.
This doesn't prohibit the defending World Series champions from bringing back any of the affected players, and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has said that the Phillies would like to bring back Moyer, at least. By offering six-year free agents arbitration by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, clubs would guarantee two Draft picks for any Type A free agent it lost, such as Moyer and Burrell.
A club cannot receive compensation for any free agent it loses if it does not offer arbitration. Because the Phillies can still negotiate with Moyer and Burrell — unlike in previous years, prior to a Basic Agreement change — Monday's deadline was more about compensation and salary, not a lack of interest in either player.
The Phillies are faced with 10 potential arbitration cases — including World Series MVP Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Chad Durbin and Jayson Werth — and didn't want to run the risk of seeing the payroll jump even further.
While protecting Draft picks is incentive for teams to offer arbitration, the danger of a player accepting can make it not worth the risk. In recent years, the Phillies have been burned in this manner by Kevin Millwood and Placido Polanco.
Burrell is coming off a season in which he earned $14 million, while hitting 33 homers and driving in 86 runs. Given the state of the economy, Burrell might not have received anything close to that annual salary and may have accepted the offer, essentially making him a signed player and guaranteeing himself a raise.
Ditto for Moyer, who earned $8.5 million after incentives, and went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 33 starts for Philadelphia. While the organization has made no secret of its desire to keep the 46-year-old — especially with a one-year deal — perhaps the team just wanted to continue talks on its own terms.
Discussions with Moyer have grown cold in recent weeks, even as the sides appeared close and the Phillies have prioritized bringing back the lefty. Moyer is believed to be seeking a multiyear deal, but his earning potential for 2009 likely prompted Philadelphia's decision.
Though the Phillies could likely budget for the players, the uncertainty was likely a factor as it could influence the team's pursuit of other free agents. It may now affect the chase for pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe and outfielder Raul Ibanez, because all three were offered arbitration by their respective teams.
Because the Phillies won't receive compensation if they lose one of their own free agents, they may be reluctant to sign a player who would cost them their own first-round Draft pick. Rocco Baldelli and Juan Rivera are two potential fits who can be signed without losing a Draft pick. (H/T Phillies.com)
Okay, I can understand why they are not going to make arbitration offers to either Gordon (Injury) and Seanez, and also why they are skipping it with Pat the Bat, but I can not understand for the life of me why they aren't making such an offer to Moyer, especially with them constantly saying that re-signing Moyer is a top priority. (Sure it is. Prove it to me. Sign HIM!!!) I wonder if the penny pinching morons who call themselves owners are behind this move? If so, shame on you. Stop being so penny wise and pound foolish, you dorks. Spend some money. If you want Moyer back, be willing to pay him what he wants, if it is within reason. Stop being so worried about money. You want to repeat in '09? Spend the money to do it now. GGGRRRR!!!!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Divorce is a good thing: when a couple can no longer find happiness with each other, there's no point in clinging to a damaging relationship. Move on. Especially when one of the partners in the relationship is a deranged fabulist with a long history of abusiveness, separation is the only reasonable choice.
So I'm happy to see that the secular Norwegian government has moved to sever its long historical ties to that psycho, Lutheranism.
All parties stand united when the Norwegian constitution is changed, so that the state will no longer be a part of the Norwegian church. The amendment is to be presented Tuesday.
The amendment which will be passed later in May, historically changes the state's relationship with the church. Parliament will no longer appoint deans and bishops, and Norway will no longer have one offical state religion.


text:
Eight of Cups, Eight of Hearts
Tarot Minor Arcana
Notes by Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
Index to Internet Resources,
Books, and Articles
Correspondences, Symbolism, History, Meanings, Associations, Magick, Lore
Emphasis on the Visconti, Marseille, Waite, Thoth, and Voyager Tarot Decks
Major Arcana
Minor Arcana
Tarot Keywords Index
Eight of Cups
A Note about the Tarot Card Images on this Webpage
Alternative Names: Eight of Cups, Eight of Hearts
All Tarot decks call this suit "Cups."
The Thoth Tarot titles the Eight of Cups as "Indolence."
The Voyager Tarot titles the Eight of Cups as "Stagnation."
In a deck of regular playing cards this suit is called "Hearts"
The first draft of this webpage will be completed by November 2011.
Eights, Minor Arcana, Tarot - Google
Eight of Cups - Tarot - Google
Eight of Cups Images from Bing
The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards. By Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marianne Costa. Translated by John E. Graham. Interpretation of the Marseille Deck. Rochester, New York, Destiny Books, 2009. 536 pages. ISBN: 9781594772634. Discussion and interpretation of the Marseille Tarot, Eight of Cups, pp. 271-279. VSCL.
The Voyager Tarot: Way of the Great Oracle Book. By James Wanless, 1989. Book and Deck. Discussion and interpretation of the Voyager Tarot, Eight of Cups, Stagnation, pp. 162-164. VSCL.
Eightty-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot. By Rachel Pollack. Revised with a New PrefEight. San Francisco, California, Weiser Books, 1980, 2007. Index, bibliogrpahy, 354 pages. ISBN: 1578634083. This book uses the Waite-Smith-Rider 1909 Deck for analysis and interpretation. Discussion and interpretation of the Waite-Smith-Rider Tarot, Eight of Cups, pp. 258-259. VSCL.
The Crowley Tarot. The Handbook to the Cards by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris. By Akron (C. F. Frey) and Hajo Banzhaf. Translated from the German by Christine M. Grimm. Stamford, CT, U.S. Games Systems, Inc., 1995. 222 pages. ISBN: 0880797150. I have found this book to be an extremely useful reference tool when doing an analysis of a card. This is my favorite book on the Thoth Tarot. Discussion and interpretation of the Crowley-Harris-Thoth Tarot, Eight of Cups, Indolence, p. 160. VSCL.
Keywords for the Crowley Tarot. by Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler, 2001.
The Book of Thoth (Egyptian Tarot). Aleister Crowley, 1944, 1977.
The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols. By Angeles Arrien, 1987, 1997.
The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals. By Mary K. Greer, 2002.
Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings. By Rachel Pollack, 2008.
Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot. By Lon Milo Duquette, 2003.
Learning Ritual Magic. By John Michael Greer, Earl King, Jr., and Clare Vaughn, 2004.
Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. By Sallie Nichols. Introduction by Laurens van der Post. York Beach, Maine, Samuel weiser, Inc., 1980. References, 392 pages. ISBN: 0877285152. VSCL.
Portable Magic: Tarot is the Only Tool You Need. By Donald Tyson. Woodbury, Minnesota, Llewellyn Publications, 2006. Index, bibliography, 230 pages. ISBN: 0738709808. VSCL.
Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners By Joan Bunning. Weiser Books, 1998. 320 pages.
Return to the Main Index of this Website
Tarot Studies, Practices and Research
By Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.
Major Arcana Minor Arcana Court Cards Eights Bibliography Links Magick
Notes Resources Ceremonial Magick Visconti Tarot Marseille Tarot
Waite-Smith-Rider Tarot Thoth Tarot Voyager Tarot Introduction
Tarot Keywords Index Quotes Blog Home
One Old Druid's Journey: Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove
Green Way Research
Tao Oracle I Ching (Chinese Book of Changes) Divination
Magick: Eight of Wands
Who is Mike Garofalo
Last Updated by Mike Garofalo on June 18, 2011
Eight of Wands
By Michael P. Garofalo
Eight of Wands Magick Homepage
One Old Druid's Journey: The Notebooks of the Librarian of Gushen Grove
Opening the Four Gates
Our Paths in the Valley Blog
Eight Sacred Times of the Year
The Green Man
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The Spirit of Gardening
Months and Seasons
Nature Spirits
Cloud Hands: Mind-Body Movement Arts
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Eightfold Model
Email Mike


text:
|Find the best surf spots
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Strandstreet up(northwards) ... on your left side
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Easy to find?Easy to find
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Wave qualityRegional Classic
ExperienceExperienced surfers
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PowerFast, Powerful
Normal lengthShort (< 50m)
Good day lengthNormal (50 to 150m)
Good swell directionWest, SouthWest
Good wind directionEast, NorthEast
Swell sizeStarts working at 1.0m-1.5m / 3ft-5ft and holds up to 2m+ / 6ft+
Best tide positionMid and high tide
Best tide movementRising tide
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Quick take-off and scary lip.
pretty nice for comps !
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By namibia crew , 11-07-2007
thanks eric - God on you eric for put a picturre on internet then say hi to our crew . Thankyou very much now people will come here . we all want crwded waves dont we .
By email@example.com , 05-08-2002
Thicklip - My favourite wave,always has a section for those big airs,Pity those other bodyboarders only came in when it was small.Have to surf it,it's comparable to any other world class lefts when its perfect.Eric says ahoy to the namibia crew!
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text: Above class open to undergraduates and EDUC MA's only Above class meets with HPSC-X 223 This course explores the multifaceted ways the Bloomington campus in Indiana University – as a physical, social, and cultural space – has continually shaped the learning environment at the university. Since 1883, when Indiana University purchased 20 acres of woodland from Moses Dunn and moved the campus from its original site, the campus has been a growing, dynamic locus of learning. After nearly 125 years, the territory of IUB's campus covers 2,000 acres of land – close to 3.5 square miles of Bloomington. The campus embodies the university in its structures and symbols, containing limestone buildings, carvings, and inscriptions, along with woods, fields, and other green-spaces, and the pathways and roads connecting them. Its beauty serves more than as a source of esthetic enjoyment. The very physicality of the campus provides a "cultural glue" to attract and fix the loyalties of its academic community and a social setting where university norms, rituals, and customs are enacted. Through generations, the campus has been "culturally instructive, introducing the individual to the rich set of information, values, principles, and experiences which art, landscape architecture, and architecture are capable of embodying." Countless encounters with knowledge and its transmission and transformation have taken place here on this campus, leaving behind fertile sediments of texts, stories, and images to explore and interpret. Understanding how and why natural and cultural processes produced today's campus is the overall goal of this course. Students will develop their ability to see the campus as a special place where change happens, to learn to think like an historian, and to act as a concerned citizen of both Indiana University and the planet.


text:
Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Care Reform
Kaiser Family Foundation: Health Care Reform
July 2013
Kaiser Family Foundation
Comprehensive health care reform resources covering the status of implementation, data, calculator tools, and more.
Highilghts include:
- State Health Facts.
- Mapping the Effects of the ACA's Health Insurance Coverage Expansions allows users to determine, by zip code, the number of uninsured and number buying insurance on their own.
- State implementation updates. Select a state for a descriptive update and a link to the state's ACA work or click on the map to see the status of implementation.


text:
Town Square
Don Horsley Breaks Campaign promise to Double Dip into the County Coffers
Original post made by Susan Smith, Woodside: other, on Dec 27, 2012
Comments (17)
a resident of Woodside: Skywood/Skylonda
on Dec 27, 2012 at 7:03 am
Our "broke his election promise" Supervisor is now double dipping, pulling salary, accruing benefits, and pulling frompension funds at the same time. I live in his district...and have a little free time on my hands...not a good sign on the horizon for Supervisor-the county is my bankroll- Donald-Horsley .....Shame on him....oh...and he is also one of the Supervisors who unanimously voted to up the salary and benefits of a double dipping and formerly retired and potentiallydouble dipping San Mateo County Manager. by 11% of the potentially Shameless. Let's hope newly elected Warren Slocum does no follow suit. Otherwise, District 3 shoud look for sincere representation.
a resident of another community
on Dec 27, 2012 at 7:35 am
That didn't take very long. I remember when a reporter called me to see if i would match Don Horsley's pledge to not accept any of the Supervisor salary and benefits for as long as he held that seat. My response was f No. He asked me what I thought about it , I said "you have a man who is investing $458,000 plus a promise to not accept salary and benefits it sounds like low self esteem."
Don't forget Don and Adrienne just brought you a Jail, and $600,000,000 in new taxes with measure A , they starred in the commercial, Don told us we will be safer.
a resident of another community
on Dec 27, 2012 at 11:52 am
You can't expect Don to be the only retired cop in SMC not double dipping. Why single him out? Just cause he promised not to?
a resident of Menlo Park: Fair Oaks
on Dec 28, 2012 at 8:35 am
Can I go back on my vote?
I can't post the words to describe people like him that take advantage of us. We may as well be rape victims that have no power.
a resident of another community
on Dec 28, 2012 at 9:54 am
Well said John,
What Don Horsley knows is there is Nothing you and I can do about it. Don knew all the time once he was elected he could do this. He was the only candidate who made this promise, none of the rest of us running would match it or even discuss it.
a resident of another community
on Dec 28, 2012 at 10:16 am
"i never said forever" Don Horsley Web Link
a resident of Woodside: other
on Dec 28, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I am glad I didn't vote for Don [portion removed; be respectful] Horsley. Unbelievable that he gets a $200k pension. Even more so that we pay the Supervisors $150k plus benefits. No wonder we have to raise taxes.
a resident of Woodside: Emerald Hills
on Dec 28, 2012 at 2:37 pm
If you like low accountability and spending other people's money, then government is your place.
a resident of Menlo Park: Downtown
on Dec 28, 2012 at 9:23 pm
Well put, Joseph Davis!
a resident of another community
on Dec 30, 2012 at 12:07 pm
By Shaun Bishop 01/20/10
San Mateo County supervisor candidate to forgo salary if elected
The former sheriff of San Mateo County said he will forgo a salary if elected to the Board of Supervisors.
Former Sheriff Don Horsley announced this week that he would pass on the $115,000 annual salary paid to supervisors, as well as health and retirement benefits, if he wins a five-way race to replace termed-out Supervisor Rich Gordon.
Horsley said supervisors will have to make tough decisions to erase a projected $100 million budget deficit and in the process may have to lay off employees or ask them to take pay cuts.
"You really have to lead by example, and I think that's the example I want to set, the tone I want to set for this election," said Horsley, who receives a taxpayer-funded pension of more than $200,000 per year.
a resident of Menlo Park: other
on Dec 30, 2012 at 4:02 pm
"Horsley said supervisors will have to make tough decisions to erase a projected $100 million budget deficit and in the process may have to lay off employees or ask them to take pay cuts."
Just goes to show you how full of it Horsley is. Right after he gets elected he votes in a 3% pay INCREASE for deputies. The latest "cut" was an 11% pay increase for the county manager. Oh and we need to build a new jail we don't really need also. Layoffs? Haven't heard of any. This guy is beyond full of it.
a resident of another community
on Dec 30, 2012 at 7:31 pm
I would like to thank Susan Smith of Woodside for starting this thread I just noticed that the Almanac has not done a story on this subject. I would also like to thank Bonnie Eslinger for bringing us this important story.
Web Link
Bonnie writes for 3 papers the San Mateo County Times with around 80,000 copies chose not to publish her story. Another free paper described what Don Horsley did was simply change his mind no mention of the broken election promise at all. The Half Moon Bay Review nothing printed. So in fact very few people are even aware of this so far.
a resident of another community
on Dec 31, 2012 at 8:10 am
Here is the only other article sort of on this subject, it is pretty misleading. There is no mention that Don Horsley was the only candidate out of 5 promising if elected not to accept the salary and benefits that the Supervisor positions pays.
Web Link
So we have two articles the most powerful one by Bonnie went out only in the free paper with the least amount of views. The other article was so off topic nobody would know or care what happened.
a resident of Woodside: other
on Dec 31, 2012 at 9:11 am
Thank you for your nice words, Michael. I understand Supervisor Warren Slocum does not double dip. It is a shame about Supervisor Horsely, because, while a nice person, basing his choice to double dip on his lack of personal fiscal management crosses over to demonstrating weakness in the area County business management...at a time when the County most needs it. I understand his wife also is employed, and pulls salary from the County. I hope the fact the Supervisors now are pinned to representing their own districts, the behaviour at the supervisorial level will improve. Perhaps they could start by setting the hour of their meetings so working people can actually attend. In the meantime, trying to slip this news story under the rug by the Almanac is starting to seem less an event, and more a pattern
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jan 5, 2013 at 7:40 am
Michael, here is the link from the story in the SMDailyJournal.com. John Mays and his group are oustanding in covering local issues which affect us all. ((hint, hint, Almanac)
a resident of Woodside: other
on Jan 5, 2013 at 7:40 am
a resident of another community
on Jan 5, 2013 at 9:36 am
Here is my letter to SMDJ in response to their coverage of Don Horsley Breaking an Election Promise. I do thank them for at least printing some story about it .
Web Link
So far only 4 News sources in San Mateo County have and 2 of them say Broken Promise and Reneges on Pledge, the other 2 say he now accepts his salary....very clever
Burger chain Shake Shack to open in Palo Alto
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The Cost of Service
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Couples: When Wrong Admit It; When Right; Shut Up
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 720 views
One-on-one time
By Cheryl Bac | 0 comments | 552 views


text:
The Pink Rose Arts and Civics Federated Club will host its 12th annual "Bridging the Gap" program at the Fellowship Hall of the New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church at 9 a.m. Then the River Valley Progressive Men's Club will host its 24th annual King celebration at the Hughes Community Center from 11 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Organizers said both events have a similar goal — to inform the younger generation of the social conditions King strove to improve.
"We know they don't know (how things were) and we're trying to instill those ideas in their mind," Andy Hatley, chairman of the program for the Progressive Men's Club said. "... They came into the world and everything was already set for them. They don't know the struggle people had to go through for them to be able to go to school with any race or to go to any bathroom. A lot of our kids just don't understand, and they can't believe it was ever like that. So we have to keep training and keep educating them and in time they're going to open people's minds who are younger than them."
Hatley said the impact King had on our culture is much more evident for older generations.
"It's kind of complicated if you never lived in that era but I'm 62 years old so I can relate," he said. "I was in high school when he was killed. I know where I was then and I know where we are now. If it hadn't been for people like Dr. King and Rosa Parks that had to suffer and go through hard times to open people's mind to show people it doesn't matter what color your skin is, we deserve the same rights. ... As long as you're a human being, you should be able to sit where you want to sit. It gives me the power, the self-esteem to say, 'I deserve exactly what you have. I just have to work for it. I have to do what I have to do to get there.' In the past we didn't have that opportunity. Now, it's still difficult, but it's not difficult as when I came through high school."
Lillian Green of the Pink Rose Club, who said youth participation was up for her group's event last year, stressed the events are open to the entire community.
"A unity of the community is our main goal," Green said. "Our community seems to think it's just a black thing, and it's not. So we want a unity — a rainbow of people. We want every race, creed, color, sex — no matter."
The Bridging the Gap program begins with coffee, hot cocoa and donuts at 9 a.m. and continues with messages from featured speakers Michael Gailey and Rev. Stephen P. Davis.
Green said her group's program is designed to remind people of King's spiritual side.
"I want people to understand he wasn't just Dr. King. He was Reverend Martin Luther King," Green said. "It's coming from the pulpit aspect of Dr. King and what he was about and the many different roles he took when he was out there trying to make a difference in the world. He had many roles. ... Most people tend to focus on the nonviolent contributions and awards that he got, but he was also a minister. He was the word of God. I try to make sure my kids and grandkids remember that and I just want to share that with the community."
The program at New Prospect culminates with a march to the Hughes Community Center, segueing into the Progressive Men's Club' s event. Hatley said the march has helped spread the word about his group's event.
"It opened up some more awareness of the event," Hatley said. "People understand the march, but don't necessarily know where they're marching to. Then they get to the Hughes Center and we have this nice program where we set up and feed everybody for free. It doesn't cost anyone a penny, and they also gain some knowledge."
The Progressive Men's Club event begins at 11 a.m. with opening remarks from Progressive Men's Club member Willie Braxton. Hatley's brother, Col. Marcus Hatley of the Arkansas National Guard, will present information on drug prevention and the Guard's drug reduction program at 11:20 a.m.
At noon special guest Genius Unlimited's Ekpe and Company will present a performance entitled "The Spirit of African Music."
According to Ekpe's website, the program "involves the audience in motivational songs, stories and rhythms as they learn how music celebrates life in Africa" and includes instruments such as African drums, flutes, bells, shakere (gourd rattles) and kalimba (thumb piano).
A meal, which includes a choice of pork ribs, beef brisket or chicken, hot dogs for children, and coleslaw, baked beans and dessert, will be served at 1 p.m. Coca-Cola will provide drinks. Hatley said the festivities will wrap up about 3:15 p.m.


text:
© 2009 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Rangers set tone early in Game 1
Feliz's relief helps home team cruise after starters duel
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers took Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Blue Jays with a 5-2 victory on Tuesday afternoon at the Ballpark in Arlington. Both starters were solid for six innings, but the difference-maker was Rangers reliever Neftali Feliz, who took over in the seventh and retired six straight hitters. Four were by strikeout. He has now struck out 26 batters in 19 2/3 innings since being called up on Aug. 1. Blue Jays starter Marc Rzepcynski turned in his fourth straight quality start, but has just one win in that stretch. He allowed three runs on eight hits and two walks with a career-high nine strikeouts. Rangers starter Dustin Nippert held the Blue Jays to two runs in six innings and is now 5-2 with a 3.91 ERA. Ian Kinsler gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with a leadoff home run in the first, the seventh time he has done that this season and 12th time in his career. Both are Rangers records. The Blue Jays scratched out an unearned run in the fourth, but the Rangers regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on a walk to Nelson Cruz, a double by Ivan Rodriguez and a two-run single by Chris Davis. Adam Lind hit his 28th home run of the season for the Blue Jays in the sixth, but Cruz delivered a two-run single for the Rangers in the seventh.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
BBA clobbers Colonels
BRATTLEBORO -- On the second day of Hanukkah, the olive oil in the lamps of the menorahs wasn't the only thing on fire.
Weston Muench made four shots from downtown and finished with a game-high 30 points as the Burr and Burton boys basketball team topped Brattleboro, 64-43, in Monday night's season opener.
The Colonels, who graduated all five starters from last season's state semifinal team, fell behind 18-8 in the first eight minutes. Brattleboro's pumped-up student section was only able to go wild once in the opening quarter: on a pretty give and go between Tyler Higley and Chris McAuliffe.
The rest of the time, they were silenced by Jake Stalcup's rejections and a couple of steals from Tieshawn Gadson, along with trifectas from David Shehadi and Muench.
Trailing 3-2 early on, the visitors used a 12-2 surge to take control. They went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe during that run, while all three of their baskets were the result of open looks from the perimeter.
Muench went off for 11 points in the first quarter and scored seven more in the second to help the Bulldogs keep a comfortable lead. The team from Manchester sank six trifectas in the first 16 minutes.
Jackson Batchelder excited the BUHS student section early in the second quarter, as he put on a dribbling clinic on the left wing, exploded to the hole and had a chance at completing a three-point play. A 6-0 rally that included a couple of buckets by Sam Siegel also brought the noise.
But Stalcup would burn Brattleboro's 1-3-1 zone with a make from the left baseline and Shehadi delivered from long range before the Bulldogs took a 40-24 advantage to the break.
Muench would drain a couple of shots from beyond the arc early in the third quarter, which had to make the BUHS fans consider heading home to watch a little Monday Night Football instead.
But they would have missed McAuliffe swatting a shot by Gadson and Isaac Roach's 3 from the right corner. The Colonels managed three hoops in the final quarter, highlighted by a Connor Elliott-Knaggs layup that was set up by McAuliffe's pretty pass.
And the Bulldogs kept attacking. Shehadi turned some heads with a magical reverse layup, and the visitors finished the third quarter with a 6-0 run -- Drew Herbert, Tanner Carleton and Muench all had a layup in that time -- to go ahead 57-34.
Burr and Burton made nine 3-pointers on the night. Muench was their top gun with 30 points and Shehadi followed with 15.
Roach and McAuliffe each scored eight points to pace the 0-1 Colonels, who will play at Mount Mansfield on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Shane Covey can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or by calling 802-254-2311, ext. 163.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text: I need to geta better pic to post, but I am really happy with the results of adding a Ztechnik tinted screen on the bike and SW-Motech engine guards. Tankbag on bike is Wolfman Explorer - which is a fine bag and I think comliments the lines of the bike. Once I get a new battery for the real camera I'll add some nice pix.


text:
At 8 a.m. on Oct. 15, the PSAT will be given to interested juniors and sophomores at Russellville High School. The PSAT is a practice test for the SAT and can qualify juniors to become National Merit Scholarship finalists. Taking the PSAT will benefit both sophomores and juniors in practicing the skills necessary to perform well on both the SAT and the ACT. The fee to take the PSAT is $15 and the deadline to sign up is Friday, Oct. 4. Checks should be made to RHS. Students can sign up and pay in the Student Services Office at RHS.
NKR adoption event
NKR (No Kill Russellville) will conduct an adoption event from 9-3 p.m. Saturday at Simmons First Bank (3079 E. Main, in front of the mall). Please come out and show your support for local efforts to transform the Russellville Animal Shelter into a no-kill facility.
Retired teachers to meet Tuesday
Yell County Retired Teachers will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Mather Lodge in Pettit Jean. The program will be given by Matt Hughes on the teacher insurance update. For more information call Phyllis Rankin at (479) 229-4172.
Barlett reunion
The Barlett reunion will take place at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church fellowship hall on Oct. 5. The reunion will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A potluck lunch will be at noon. Friends and relatives are invited.
Yell County 4-H Fall Mum Fundraiser
Yell County 4-H will conduct a Fall Mum Sale Fundraiser starting at 8 a.m. Oct. 5 on the Dardanelle Courthouse parking lot starting. The sale will stay open until they sell out or it gets dark. The Chrysanthemum Pot is 12 inches with three plants and averages 22 inches tall by 24 inches wide. They will be $15 each. Colors that will be available include: Bronze, Purple, Red, Yellow and White. Funds raised will go to support educational workshops and activities for Yell County 4-H members. For more information about the fundraiser or how to become involved in Yell County 4-H, contact Casey at the Yell County Extension Office at (479) 229-4441.
Pope County Fall Cleanup
The Pope County Fall Cleanup will begin at 7 a.m. at the Pope County Road Department at No. 5 County Road Complex off Weir Road. Dumpsters will be filled until noon.
Items that will be accepted include trash (must be in bags), metals, tires, appliances, batteries, oil base paints only, household hazardous materials, etc.
Any unused latex paint should be mixed with sand or kitty litter and allowed to dry, Place it in a plastic bag, tie the bag and dispose of in normal trash.
Recycle bins will be available for paper, cardboard, aluminum, plastics and drugs.
Volunteers who want to pick up trash on a county road can pick up trash bags at judge's office inside the Pope County Courthouse.
All yard waste and brush will be taken to the Russellville Yard Waste Facility at 3315 S. Mobile.
Call the judge's office at 968-7487 for details. Online: www.ArkansasStateParks.com or www.AdventureStateParks.com.


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, May 16, 2013, 8:35 AM
Town Square
Another civil-rights complaint filed against Palo Alto district
Original post made on May 16, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Thursday, May 16, 2013, 8:35 AM
Comments (77)
a resident of Gunn High School
on May 16, 2013 at 9:07 am
There is something going very wrong in our school district. It's time for the school board to come out of hiding and start to deal with directly and transparently.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 9:25 am
Wow, this is educational. Thanks to the PA Weekly for detailing all this stuff we would otherwise not know anything about. I, at least, never had any contact/knowledge about special ed & related concern before these recent revelations, and I take an interest in the district for the sake of local schoolchildren and our city's reputation. Now I really see it is important to have caring professionals managing and fulfilling these services. I thought parents came to this district for such services, but this all makes me wonder. It isn't glamorous like such topics as National Merit finalists and Intel Science competition entrants, which carry such weight in this district, but we need to ensure all children in PAUSD receive fair attention, treatment, and education, with any bullying corrected promptly by adults in charge. IMO it starts at the top, and our top school officials are well-compensated and claim to be experts, so we need to see them perform better in these vital functions.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 9:34 am
Until the school board takes up its responsibility in a serious way the only path left to parents is to file complaints with oversight agencies, or to file lawsuits. The school board is leaving the district open to massive legal fees and potential liability by its inaction. No one on the board seems particularly bothered by that. Are you?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 10:24 am
I have lost confidence in PAUSD and my kids are attending private schools next year. This was a very hard decision for our family, but the environment at PAUSD is toxic.
I know many, many families applied to move their children to private schools this year. In our elementary school I personally know more than 25 families who applied to leave... about 15 were successful. Like ours, the vast majority of the families had no intention of moving their kids up until this last year. Wake up PAUSD.... people with means are leaving....and lots of young families are going private from the beginning or moving to Menlo Park. PAUSD's reputation is in tatters.
Time to Ditch Skelly and the Board
a resident of Barron Park
on May 16, 2013 at 10:53 am
They love it when people go private. They still get your tax money and don't need to educate your child. This viewpoint was revealed to me by a teacher/administrator who is long retired. And it makes perfect fiscal sense. Too bad though - not kid or community friendly.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 10:59 am
Asked Palo Alto High School TWICE, in two different years, to test my child for ADD, they said no, "he's a boy, he's just lazy, there are some tests he does very well on". First semester in college it was evident to all concerned that he needed to be tested - was provided testing through their health center and low and behold - he has ADD. The guilt I feel for not ignoring their assessment and doing my own testing is still present - my anger at the PAUSD for their abysmal treatment of my child is made fresh by this report.
I'm a fan for starting over - so sad that Palo Alto is not the MODEL for education, despite their claims to just that. As it has been known to all for a LONG time - the school caterers to the elite, super bright, need to be challenged, gifted children - everyone else is an after thought. (Unless of course they break a rule - then they are front center)
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 16, 2013 at 11:12 am
Re: "pull the plug"
1. I'm not sure that I believe your statistics - they seem totally inconsistent with the demand for Palo Alto housing and other indicators. Can you provide evidence?
2. There are always families moving back and forth from private schools, as budgets, parents' wishes, student needs change. Evidence of anything more than baseline activity?
3. "toxic" atmosphere. Please detail.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 11:16 am
Both my children received an excellent education from PAUSD. When health or educational issues arose the teachers and administration responded quickly and appropriately. Thank you PAUSD.
a resident of Midtown
on May 16, 2013 at 11:35 am
I have heard from some people knowledgeable about special education in Palo Alto that in recent years the district has moved to more of a "push in" approach, whereas formerly the "pull out" approach was more used more frequently. I would be interested to hear from families whose children receive special ed. assistance in the district if they believe that this "push in" style of help has been more problematic for their children, and if it is possible that this has led to more bullying of these kids?
a resident of South of Midtown
on May 16, 2013 at 11:46 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on May 16, 2013 at 11:54 am
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of College Terrace
on May 16, 2013 at 11:54 am
I may be in the previously non-vocal majority, so I thought I'd chime in. I am very happy with the services my child has received through his PAUSD elementary school for the last 2 years. I don't think he would get the same services in a private school at all. (We've looked. We've applied. Many private schools don't want to offer services...it is very costly.) I will say that through the previous principal, my child was bullied and nothing was done. He was even chastised by the principal first for not reporting, then (when he did report) for making it up and complaining just to get the other kid in trouble. We have had a new principal for 2 years, and I have seen a complete difference in culture. My son has an IEP and receives support for bullying and for social/emotional. We also have private therapy and medical outside of school, but my son has not felt unsafe at school at all this year. I wish the best to those children and families still struggling. It is incredibly hard to be a parent sometimes.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 12:55 pm
I just wanted to post to reach out to the parents and children who had to resort to filing with the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. I applaud you for your courage to take this step when you felt the district no longer had your child's best interest at heart. We know how that feels as our child was severely affected as a result of bullying while they were a student within the PAUSD system. We met with the same roadblocks that I've just read in this article and we are so disheartened to hear it has not changed in all this time, even given that it is a different administration. Thank you for having the courage to step forward and say all is not perfect in PAUSD.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on May 16, 2013 at 1:07 pm
The PAUSD has done a fine job over the years, and continues to do a fine job, and I have seen nothing in this latest [portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff] that affects the facts of the achievements of the district teachers, administrators, and students.
What HAS changed is the perception of this fine district by folks who listen to the noise without discerning the reality underneath. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
The result of these attacks have already been to weaken this outstanding district, and the chaos these actions have caused is likely to continue many years into the future.
The last time I predicted chaos in the future, the Weekly censor whacked that comment right out of my post. I expect the same treatment this time. Nevertheless, my prediction is likely to come true.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 1:15 pm
We have been extremely happy with the education our children have received in PAUSD, and we are a young family of 'means'. I know of only one family in 5 years that has gone private and several that have gone from private to public. I don't know of anyone who has moved to Menlo Park for the 'superior' education there - no district is perfect, and if you want an example look on the MP Almanac website at the overcrowding and other problems in that district.
The grass is always greener.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on May 16, 2013 at 1:44 pm
I am sad and ashamed at the retaliation against the special education families who have bravely filed complaints that are posted on this forum. [Portion removed due to responding to a previously removed comment.]
a resident of Fairmeadow
on May 16, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Every child should feel safe and welcomed at school.
I used to be a public school teacher and I am a parent of a boy who was bullied. My best friend also just sued another school district for her daughter's neglected education needs. There are so many dimensions to these situations. I want to urge us to look at all sides on these cases and realize that there are few easy answers and lots of grey areas. We should also not be afraid to question whether certain (idealistic?) policies like mainstreaming work in practice?
At a PAUSD elementary school, my son was bullied and called "gay/girly" for his preference for friendships with girls. The teacher and principal handled it without one bit of my involvement. The boys were told firmly but kindly that if they were to taunt/bully my son for being gay or appearing gay in middle/high school they could have been suspended. They were told to talk with their parents about why they were summoned to the principal's office and have them sign a paper that said they had discussed the issue. If no signature came back, the principal told them that he would call the parents himself to have the talk. There was a clear process and follow-through. With the once exception of one of the bullies calling him a tattletale later that week, it stopped the taunting. My son felt that adults at his school had his back. It made me cry to see this work so beautifully. I asked the teacher and principal about how they came to develop this process and they said that's just the way things are done in PAUSD. That is why I am so surprised and saddened that the families who are filing these complaints did not have the same experience. This was in elementary school, so the environment is more tightly supervised.
My best friend's daughter also suffered when her daughter's learning needs were ignored/neglected at a low-income school district. She has Asperger's and so was ostracized by her peers when she was not in classrooms with a teacher. Teachers did not create the differentiated curriculum and the learning plan needed for my friend's daughter to do well in a mainstream classroom. My friend eventually filed a suit and also put her daughter in a smaller private school. She's thriving in that smaller environment. My friend did not file suit on a whim. She was just tired of the whole run around and lack of progress to get her child's needs met and finally felt she had to file a suit. My son had a really speedy response at his smaller school. I imagine that it is harder to respond quickly at larger settings like middle school. How can we make this feedback loop to the bullies happen faster?
Having been a public school teacher, I know it takes skill to do differentiated teaching well. As a young teacher, my mind was often more focused on crowd control rather than teaching to different student needs. Mainstreaming (pull-in) for special education students sounds good in theory and as a society it is a wonderful vision and goal. The truth is that it is very difficult in practice for those teachers who are not trained. As a result the special needs child is seen as an attention hog or disruption by other students and sometimes by the teachers too. Is it harassment or bullying to have your classmates annoyed at you? What can a teacher really do to stop classmates from being annoyed? Bullying is more clear cut but being annoyed and making someone feel un-welcomed as a result - how do you write that up in a disciplinary action. There could be more done to teach student's compassion, but you can't mandate compassion. Also, we need to look at whether mainstreaming is a good choice when teachers are not trained/equipped and given the proper resources.
I don't have all the answers, but I think we need to have compassion and look at re-examine ideals for all sides to design sustainable solutions.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 3:12 pm
I am the original former Paly parent, just to clarify I see someone else is now using that moniker and s/he is not me.
I expressed we had no experience w/special ed, nor particularly with bullying - only a little of that, however we are sensitive to the plight of all students. I always think board policies, board actions should take into consideration all students, not powerful parents.
My thought is that the expectations and tone are set AT THE TOP. Where are the top administrators on all this? - they need to lead, make it clear how teachers/aides/students or whatever are supposed to behave. I don't go along with spending months writing by committee some overblown elaborate "policy" on bullying - that's bureaucratic nonsense. Every day decent behavior and visibility and supervision of top adult administrators and leaders should go a long way in curbing problems in our schools.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on May 16, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Enough said with my name only. Dr. Skelly has irreparably damaged this district and we cannot withstand any more of his missteps (that is putting it nicely). When is our Board who we elected to support and protect our children going to come out of hiding and make a statement about all of the revelations that have surfaced recently? [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
I will be at the meeting tonight taking notes for my friends and neighbors who stated that they wanted to attend but have other commitments. I know that there will be news reporters there but being there in person will be very informative. If you are sitting on the fence about whether to attend, I urge you to come learn the facts and prepare yourself to help either your own child or someone elses child who cannot help themselves. Let's take care of our kids. They deserve much better than we are delivering. If the Board and Administration won't show us that they are about protecting our kids we will have to rise up and do it ourselves.
Thanks to the parent groups who stepped up the plate to get this presentation together and also to Ken Dauber and WCDBPA and the Weekly for continuing to advocate for transparency. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 3:50 pm
Both my children went to Palo Alto Schools. My daughter transferred when she was in second grade as we moved to Palo Alto. I told her teacher that my daughter was tested and is a gifted child. Her teacher responded "all children in Palo Alto are gifted". Really? Our son needed help but did not get it in grammar school or middle school. The test results were inconclusive - the teachers knew there was something wrong, but did not want to deal with it. Finally in high school he got the help he needed after my begging all his team teachers. I spoke with his counselor and she couldn't be bothered. It is so easy for teachers to turn there backs on those in need. They get great pay and great benefits. It is really a sad situation. I am sorry for the parents struggling now. Keep fighting for what you child.
a resident of Ventura
on May 16, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Overall PAUSD has been pretty good for my 2 kids.
I have one child who does very well in school and hasn't had any issues.
However, my other child has an IEP and I am frustrated with some Gunn teachers not respecting the IEP accomodations. One teacher even said he didn't believe in depression and thought my child wasn't doing the work due to laziness. He refused to follow the IEP in letting my child turn in late homework. It can be very disheartening when the teachers aren't supportive.
I hope these complaints force PAUSD to require ALL teachers to support the students in special education. If not, more lawsuits are going to be brought.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 16, 2013 at 7:17 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 7:54 pm
Much of this comes down to resources. Mainstreaming special needs kids is great in theory. As mentioned previously, many kids with special needs are annoying to their peers, almost all are need more "teacher time" than a regular student. It is part of their disability and they should not be penalized for it. But, neither should the other 20+ kids in the class.
Until schools are given the financial support to properly teach special needs kids in a mainstream classroom, bullying will happen.
Until high school teachers (they seem to be the worst) are REQUIRED to adhere to IEP and 504 accommodations (at least at Paly, the student needs to approach the teacher to ask for their accommodations, it does not come as a request from Guidance). A lot of disablities experience by HS kids absolutely mirror the behavior of lazy kids. But it is not.
As a District, I know we have many more lawsuits because our parents have the resources (or are attorneys themselves). Hence more lawsuits.
Most importantly, we NEED TO STOP SITE BASED DECISION MAKING FOR THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES. Barb Klausner did not run for another term on the BOE because of this issue. We are being sued because of this issue. There are many things that are better decided as the school site. And many that should not be.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 16, 2013 at 10:41 pm
PAUSD also does a particularly bad job with gifted children. Ask for challenge or advanced curriculum, and you get a line about how advanced the PAUSD curriculum already is -- never mind that your kid is bored to tears. Very gifted kids have some of the same administrative challenges that learning-disabled students do. Namely, that recognizing and engaging student differences is not something the district generally prioritizes. It's easier to deny the validity of the mismatch between the kid and the education and refuse to pay for the testing. To be fair, it's very difficult to differentiate material in the full-inclusion classroom.
They do a decent job with bright-average kids, but anyone above, below, next to, or through that box does not get an appropriate education (if any at all!).
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 17, 2013 at 12:00 am
Sympathy for those who claim their children are so gifted they are "bored to tears"? Not from me. The parents who have exceptionally gifted children find ways for them to engage, either by enrolling them in a higher grade level or higher grade level classes or college classes. Highly doubtful there are any "bored" students who are taking all AP classes.
I have a child with a learning disability and have nothing but praise for the Paly staff and administration who have been highly professional in our encounters. The counselors are exceptional at Paly and the school psychologist is excellent. The principal is caring and competent. The staff are highly professional (overall) and I find it difficult to believe any teacher would call a student "lazy". Perhaps it's the parent's wording. Hello, parents, if you have a child who might be perceived as "lazy", speak to his/her teachers at the beginning of the year so they understand the situation.
I find it humorous that one poster claims families are moving away from PAUSD in droves.
a resident of Community Center
on May 17, 2013 at 8:35 am
No doubt Weekly is looking for another award for reporting the civil-rights issues. This topic will last for another 100 years even after the Obama's dynasty.. By that time, every student in the country would be slow enough for catching up each other. But for the world......
This top seems over-run..
a resident of Jordan Middle School
on May 17, 2013 at 8:46 am
I am not surprised by this report, just surprised it has not happened sooner, a lot sooner. Jordan, in particular, has had a "culture of abuse" that dates to the early nineties, that I am aware of. By that I mean teachers AND students who bully, and administrators who ignore. And including a popular teacher, who turned out to be a pedophile and got away with it for many years ( the man was recently released from prison, and has been spotted around town), DESPITE years of complaints.
PAUSD is FINALLY reaping what it has sown, that's all.
a resident of Crescent Park
on May 17, 2013 at 9:50 am
Love pausd! Thanks teachers! Keep up the good work. I am grateful for the good and bad experiences my children have had. Don't let the "vocal minority" get under your skin.
a resident of Walter Hays School
on May 17, 2013 at 1:01 pm
The failings identified by OCR are largely those of senior administrators. Teachers have the job of teaching, which they generally do quite well. Administrators have the job of creating and managing procedures to ensure equity and legal compliance. It's fair to say they have done an inadequate job at that.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 17, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Left of Boom is a registered user.
How many OCR complaints is it going to take before there's a culture change from senior administrators, principals and the board of PAUSD? How much is this negligence going to cost the school district?
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 17, 2013 at 3:40 pm
All this shameful mess is entirely the Superintendent 's fault. The school board has completely abdicated its responsibility by disappearing from the scene. They are terrified of dismissing Dr. Skelly, which should have been done a long time ago and generally they are frozen with fear and ineptitude. It's pretty much guaranteed that all these OCR complaints will end up with incredibly costly and incredibly embarrassing civil law suits.
This school district is in shambles and resembles a rudderless ship drifting toward the rocks.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 17, 2013 at 4:52 pm
How long is it going to be before parents start taking responsibility for their children and teach them respect and tolerance so that bullying doesn't occur, therefore, no need for OCR?
a resident of Barron Park
on May 17, 2013 at 5:49 pm
Thank you PAUSD. My kids are getting wonderful academic and social experience. Greatful to all 3 schools, from elementary to high, that they are attending.
Echoing other parents - it's parents responsibilities to supplement (gifted children), to properly raise and punish (bullies), and be available and support.
Yes, schools should be safe for all kids and my heart goes to every child who don't feel that. But stop blaming just an administration. Get involved. After all, who knows your child better than you. Don't be afraid to volunteer and get involved.
a resident of Nixon School
on May 17, 2013 at 6:15 pm
I wonder how many of us take full credit for our children's successes but are quick to blame others for their failures. We have had their entire lives to shape their character. PAUSD has not. When my children behave badly I question my own parenting. Why can't parents of bullies (and all children) take some personal responsibility and stop bullying before it even starts?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 17, 2013 at 9:56 pm
Holly Wade, Director of Special Ed, Charles Young, Associate Superintendent and Compliance Officer, and Kevin Skelly, Superintendent, these are the folks in charge of the OCR mess and these are the administrators that Palo Alto deserves.
Sorry to those of you who want them and the board out of PAUSD, they are not going anywhere. I just read Skelly's Weekly Communication to the board for today, which included three emails praising him. The Internet doesn't lie: he's doing a great job and there are many board meetings planned to showcase more praise.
a resident of Los Altos Hills
on May 17, 2013 at 10:23 pm
I am completely baffled why the folks in Palo Alto did not vote for Ken Dauber to join the school board. Now people are complaining that the school is not doing anything but you voted for a school board supported by the Superintendent who would not question his actions. And that is what you have. If you want change and a responsive Superintendent you need to vote for someone who will hold the administrators accountable.
a resident of Midtown
on May 18, 2013 at 11:21 am
While I have no doubt that there are problems in the district, including the leadership, I wanted share an anecdote from a few weeks ago. I received tirade of an email (that was cc'ed to everyone and God...) from a parent about how I violated his/her kids' civil rights by not signing an assignment book -- that the kid didn't even bring to class. I work very hard with the children's best interests first and foremost in my heart and soul. Yes, I had been signing the kid's assignment book for weeks but this was the first time I hadn't signed it. I can't follow the kid around school reminding (parenting?) him/her to bring everything to class. But, really? Violating the kid's civil rights? Is this now the bandwagon everyone will be jumping on when they don't get what they want? There are very real issues affecting students, but this sure isn't one.
Also, I cringe when I read about how mainstreaming students will lead to bullying students if the teachers aren't properly trained. Of course teachers need to be trained (and open-minded and '-hearted) to include and teach *all* children. Isn't teaching children to be kind to everyone also a parenting issue?? Finally, PAUSD needs to join the 21st century and stop treating 'special ed' kids as if they are second class citizens by keeping them separate and like a dirty secret that PA has students who aren't taking PSAT's or gearing up for AP's when they're children.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 11:35 am
I really relate to what the mom in the letter was saying - she's tired of advocating, while her child doesn't have access to the same education. A good administration would spend time re-evaluating how it works with (or against, as is more the case) parents and uses resources. I just saw that legal costs shot up something like four-fold under Skelly from the first year. I'm sure some of it was in our case, where both my family and the district have spent thousands of dollars each all because of the adversarial way the district deals with special needs families. We would have otherwise spent the money on the school. (This is the first year we didn't donate to PiE or the school.)
We nearly filed an OCR complaint last month, but held off because of so many other complaints. However, there are time limits, and it will take time to see whether the district is suddenly honoring its new promises.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 11:59 am
@paly parent,
I don't know about the previous poster, but for us, the "toxic" environment began the minute we needed any kind of special needs accommodations. Actually, that's not quite right, we were accommodated from day one, and this worked quite well for years. The problems began when we asked for the accommodations to be put into an IEP or 504, which is really necessary as kids get older.
"Toxic" is things like not telling us about our rights (as the law requires) and even denying there was a written process, making us spend a lot of time jumping through hoops that had nothing to do with the process (which we didn't know about), holding important meetings without notifying us properly, lying to us, making false and ad hominem accusations when we've persisted, retaliating when we've complained, not even following the accommodations offered, etc. And for our child, not having full access to the same educational resources as everyone else, being viewed as different and being teased because of it when proper accommodations would have eliminated that, and generally creating an unhealthy, hostile and adversarial relationship which has negatively affected normal interaction over educational and school issues. This has been our hardest year as parents because of this toxic relationship.
I'm sure the district would disagree with my assessment above, which only scratches the surface. Which is why it's necessary to complain to someone like the OCR, because at least then it's possible to lay out the facts and the evidence, and someone above will do something. From our perspective, because district admin people take such an adversarial tack, even though this is not a court case where someone from above will ultimately judge the truth, district people just create whatever narrative serves their "winning", completely disconnected from the parents' input. Dysfunctional at least, and like the above poster said, toxic. Absolutely not appropriate in an educational environment, with the goal of working together and doing what's best for the kids.
a resident of East Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 12:45 pm
parent: A parent noted long time ago that "It is a plantation mentality and it is clearly split down racial lines, you simply need to know your place... ". Plantation comment was prior to the OCR news. I responded noting the all kids breath the plantation air many hours a day. I noted in various threads that the plantation comment seemed to me to be a good description, and that kids breath the plantation air many hours a day. First mentioned in:
Web Link
"Toxic" - well suiting adjective for plantation air. So sadly, only the OCR was able to convince, maybe, that the plantation air is not healthy for anyone.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 3:23 pm
Re: Parent
A couple of points. As you are not the person I was addressing - at least it was a different id- your situation is not hers/his. In any event, I am sure you are trying to do the best for your child. And it sounds like you have had some positive, and some negative results. However, I don't think "toxic" is a synonym for either annoying, frustrating, or even improper.
Now, with regards to the OCR. A metaphor if you will allow me. To me it seems a bit like having a stop sign in the neighborhood that cars keep blasting through and don't stop properly. Very dangerous to everyone, especially kids. But is the proper response to call the FBI? Really? Are they even able to appropriately understand the traffic, the locals, the needs?
Just a thought.
More harshly, with regard to "classified." You don't get to win arguments just by being the first one to throw out a racially charged term. Calling this a "plantation" demeans those who really suffered on plantations.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 3:48 pm
If this was just about race, specifically underrepresented and disadvantaged minorities, there would be little uproar. It would simply go away. There are those of us who have complained directly to Kevin Skelly about this, but it is a non-issue to him. Latinos and African American schoolchildren do not have the political or financial power in this town, so there is little voice. I think he, Charles Young, Holly Wade, and the board misplayed the importance of the threat of the initial OCR case, but I can't explain it here because it would be deleted.
Deletions are part of posting to the forum, but I have noticed that the latest Curious forum about Skelly's board communication, in which Skelly chose to include three emails praising him, has been locked down. The latest East Palo Alto shooting has been locked down as well. Before, I was noticing that 100 postings were the norm to many PAUSD stories before lockdown occurred. Part of me thinks that the Skelly-board strategy of waiting this out will get him at least one more year of up to $300K of PA public money, but I'm also seeing that so much trust and confidence has been eroded by Skelly and the others that the board will have no choice but to get them out of there and stop the bleeding. Mrs. Ezran can praise Skelly all she wants in a public email, but PAUSD will be cleaning up this mess for years. It has not been a good five years and 11 months, and the last 13 months have cemented PAUSD as one of the most troubled districts in the Bay Area.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Re Responsibility: Town Square /= Reality.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 3:59 pm
So then you are saying that your posts do not equality reality. Thank you for your input.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Post truly do not equal reality.
But, more to the point, your comment about "troubled district" compared to the area verges on the silly - certainly the unsubstantiated. The list is quite long on accomplishments of the district. We are, however, "blessed" with highly vocal groups. (Thus the allusion to Town Square)
a resident of Terman Middle School
on May 18, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Paly Parent apparently doesn't have the experience of growing up or living in a neighborhood in which the federal authorities had to be called in when the local agencies would not or could not act. In my neighborhood in SoCal, we had to organize to get the attention of the Feds to combat a decades-old gang. City police were not trusted and a long series of empowering community meetings and citizen complaints followed. Sound familiar?
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:07 pm
So, now its not a plantation, but the Crypts against the Bloods?
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Re I spy: To the point, what exactly are you complaining about that equates to a gang war? Evidence preferred.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 4:15 pm
Suicides are not silly to me, maybe to you. Disproportionality is not silly to me, and especially not to those of us who have Latino and African American sons in PAUSD. Brown Act violations that had to be explained away by a lawyer at a hastily convened board meeting are not indicative of an accomplished district. Civil Rights violations (and lets be fair, there is only one, right?), which are continuing to be filed, and a board that is scheduling and canceling meetings, indicating disarray demonstrate a troubled district. These are weak links (a long list!) that define our district and these are events of only the past four years. If the above is not a troubled district, then please do educate me what they represent.
a resident of Midtown
on May 18, 2013 at 4:20 pm
@Paly Parent
Re: your metaphor of the stop sign.
I think the "proper thing" to do if people blast through your local stop sign is to call the police. This would be analogous to a parent contacting the school authorities when the believed their child was being discriminated against or harassed for reasons of race, gender, or disability. The question for the neighborhood is what do you do when the police don't enforce the law regarding stopping at a stop sign. Do you ignore the stop sign? Do you sue the Police? All you want is for the cars to stop at the sign - what to do? Work to get the Police fired for not enforcing the law? You love the community and you don't want to cause problems, but you know your tax dollars pay for the police.
In this scenario might you be tempted to talk to the City Council - a group that has some responsibility for the police? I think that the Office for Civil Rights is that next place to go - when your school principal and then district leaders do not enforce the law. They are a part of the Federal Department of Education and they are a higher authority, like the City Council in my analogy, that a family of a child in a school district that receives federal funding is legally entitled to use if they believe they have a complaint regarding discrimination against their child. I would be interested in knowing where you think a family in any school district should turn to for help if their child is in distress and that distress is not being ameliorated by their school district. My overall impression is that families are going to the OCR as a last resort. If you are aware of a better place to turn, as a last resort, I hope you will share it with this forum.
Thank you.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:21 pm
Your comment doesn't deserve a response - for obvious reasons.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 4:22 pm
Oh goodness! Crypts! It's Crips, and no, it wasn't the Crips. It was another gang and requests were made to the state and federal, which resulted in an injunction against the gang. That resulted in even more lawsuits the other way against the injunctions. It reminds me of our leadership school district in which many parents feel the need to obtain lawyers and federal help. Crypts! That was priceless.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:23 pm
(Previous comment addressed to "Responsibility" not "Eileen 1")
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:24 pm
I stand convicted of not knowing the spelling of SoCal gangs - my bad.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Re Eileen 1:
While any resident can petition any level of government they want, I think it is good public policy to solve problems as close to the level they occur on. I assume you are talking about bullying of a child, so that would seem to be teacher, principal, superintendent, board, county state, feds in roughly that order.
a resident of Midtown
on May 18, 2013 at 4:56 pm
@Paly Parent
I agree with you completely regarding solving "problems as close to the level they occur on," so I took your advice and looked at the Santa Clara County Board of Education website. If you search "discrimination" you find what to do if you are an employee, if you search "complaint" you are referred back to your school district and told to use the Uniform Complaint Procedure. Currently, the Palo Alto School District has been found to have not followed the Uniform Complaint Procedure in the case of the family that the OCR came back with a finding against the district. I was not able to find any other advice for families experiencing a problem with their school district on the County Board of Education website. I don't have the time to look at the state department of education right now, but perhaps you could take a look and tell me if you can find something that a family could do prior to going to federal officials. I think you would really be helping the community if you could do this.
Thank you.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Re Eileen 1: Good ideas, will do.
It would be helpful to have more facts about what in particular you are trying to locate. What I mean, what is the perfect solution you hope for? Are you trying to find this for yourself or others?
a resident of Community Center
on May 18, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Peggy Duncan is a registered user.
@Paly Parent
I am old enough to remember the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. A persistent theme in the South in that era was "states' rights" and the importance of local control vs. external control from people who "don't know how things work around here."
Local control in a country of laws works only when local officials follow the law. Otherwise there is a choice between letting laws go unenforced or exerting federal power and authority. In that choice, I will choose federal power.
In all of these cases in PAUSD, there seems to have been a long process of parents trying to work with the district, and being rebuffed. Now, parents sometimes want things they are not entitled to for their children. At least in the two cases that have been resolved, it seems that they wanted things (both process and services) they were entitled to. Local officials (Mr. Skelly and his lieutenants) failed to provide them. In such an instance, it is entirely appropriate for parents to complain to higher and more distant authorities. The cost and disruption of that should be laid at the feet of local officials.
I believe that our federal system rests on both local control *and* a willingness of local officials to follow all of the laws, local and national. If most officials didn't subscribe to that idea, we would need a much larger federal enforcement workforce than we have. At some point, our local school officials will learn to conform their behavior to federal law without being forced to. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 6:21 pm
Re Peggy: I hear what you are saying about the South, but we are hardly talking about segregation and Jim Crow laws. That is more than a little guilt by association...
Let me suggest the stop sign analogy one more time. Yes, the local cops may not be paying attention. One solution is another - hopefully local - political unit to do something. Speed bumps, cameras, whatever. All have costs, not all work, some fit better in some situations.
But the FBI? Really? Doesn't the FBI have higher value things to be doing with their limited personnel?
a resident of Charleston Gardens
on May 18, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Parents are supposed to file a UPC complaint if they have experienced discrimination
n but Palo Alto doesn't follow the UCP. I was at the daytime board meeting where Professor Dauber tried to tell the board to follow the UCP and Kevin Skelly, Dana Tom and Camille Townsend literally laughed at her and clearly did not listen or take her seriously. As was said on another thread by Eileen it was very dismissive. They did the same thing to Professor Boaler a famous maths education professor also of Stanford. Skelly wrote incredibly mean things about her and said he was going to complain about her to the dean because she had the temerity to say that the Paly math letter was bad. Sad that we don't listen to experts when they try to help us and then we get sued and such. It would be cheaper to listen to the experts who come forward and try to help. And how about calling Professor Dauber "professor." They make a big show of calling each other "doctor" and even "future doctor". (?). Both Daubers have PhDs. Respect is a 2 way street people.
Thanks again to Professor Dauber and Dr. Dauber for caring about our kids.
a resident of Midtown
on May 18, 2013 at 7:56 pm
@Paly Parent
You have asked me what the solution is that I hope for...
I am engaging with you because I have seen that some people in our community, such as yourself, believe that the families who have gone to the OCR have gone to, in your words, the "FBI." That complaining to the OCR is an over reaction to their situation that should be handled locally first. As I said, I agree with you that starting locally is always the first place to start. However, it is not clear to me where these families should go instead of the OCR. Indeed, on Thursday night at the OCR presentation the OCR representatives themselves did not recommend any other agency the families could go to if they did not get what they needed from their school district.
I think it is very easy to tell people what they should NOT do. But what I think would be more helpful is to assist people is getting their problems solved. I understand what you are saying with your "Stop Sign" story, but the thing is many of these families have gone to their school. In the case of the family that initially brought the OCR to our district they had gone to a public school board meeting and pleaded for help from the Board. They did not receive enough assistance from the school district and ultimately appealed to the OCR for help. What I would like to know from you is where should a family go after they exhausted everything they can do at our school district level? As I said in an earlier post, I took your advice and looked on the County School District site for Santa Clara County and could not find anything that would assist these families. If, as you are recommending, the next step would be at the State level I would like to know where we could all advise these distressed families to get help rather than going to, as you put it, the FBI (meaning OCR).
I think it is worthwhile to engage like this with each other in the community as I know that we all want to support the children who are facing these problems. Any help, support or advice we can put together for these families is a good thing. Please do look into the California State resources and let us, on this thread, know what support is available for children who may be being discriminated against for reasons of race, gender, or disability.
Thank you so much for your interest in our community's children.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 18, 2013 at 8:52 pm
Road to Nowhere,
Just because someone teaches at Stanford does not make her beyond reproach.
Take Education Professor Boaler for example. It turns out that Boaler's views about math education are quite controversial.
"Boaler gets skewered in peer review" is the title of a piece written by her peers, including a Stanford mathematics professor who analyzed Boaler's work at the behest of the U.S. Department of Education.
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of another community
on May 18, 2013 at 9:35 pm
village fool is a registered user.
@Eileen 1 - Thank you for your thoughtful postings, and for looking into these issues. Best practices were mentioned many times, or rather the need of using those. Quite possibly those who could afford to buy private legal advice did that in the past. The OCR is free, and accessible. As far as I know the OCR it is the direct instance to file any grievance about 504, or any other civil rights concern. That seems to be the reason for having several such offices, customer service department. The hope that $ will not hold anyone for pursuing info as the civil rights.
@Really? Clearly, the school's officials and the district officials did not think that that math letter was of any interest to the public. Quite a few of the officials have higher academic degrees. Luckily, it was brought to the public attention - I am very grateful.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on May 18, 2013 at 9:44 pm
[Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
Also thank you really for helpfully illustrating how toxic it is for experts who try to help PAUSD and how their professional reputations are damaged and threatened when they try to help.
Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Community Center
on May 18, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Peggy Duncan is a registered user.
To Paly Parent,
It seems that we disagree on the seriousness of the issues at stake. You analogize violating the civil rights of disabled and minority children to running a stop sign, and suggest that federal officials have better things to do with their time than to defend them. I think otherwise. I am afraid, however, that there are many in Palo Alto who agree with you. Some of them are in a position to act (or more accurately not act) on the basis of those beliefs, which is even more unfortunate.
I am happy that the analogy with the South makes you uncomfortable. It was intended to.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on May 18, 2013 at 10:19 pm
Re: Peggy
It doesn't make me uncomfortable, I just consider it inappropriate.
a resident of Midtown
on May 18, 2013 at 10:53 pm
@Paly Parent
I hope that at some point in the near future you are able to look into the options for seeking redress that these families have open to them other than the Office for Civil Rights. You are clearly interested in this issue, and I very much hope that you will take a moment to look into and report back on where our local families can go for help when the school authorities and the superintendent of schools do not follow the uniform complaint procedure that is required by law.
These families just want their children to be able to be educated at our public schools without experiencing harassment or a hostile environment at school based on their race, gender, or disabilities. I am sure that families having this problem would be happy to go anywhere to get help for their children - they just don't know where else to go. I think it's worth mentioning that filing a complaint with the OCR does not cost money, so it is considerably more affordable than hiring a private lawyer.
I really hope to hear back from you. I believe this is an issue that deserves the attention of our entire community.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on May 19, 2013 at 1:43 am
@Paly Parent,
Let me get this straight. You are equating what parents are doing by complaining to the OCR when their child's civil rights are violated, to the point of physical and emotional injury, with calling the FBI? You are calling children being injured, denied their education, while their parents are lied to, treated antagonistically, and made powerless just "annoying"?
The OCR is not a criminal or even punitive agency. Yes, they can fine us, but that's not their purpose. Their whole purpose is to get districts to comply with the law. They try to negotiate, and if that doesn't work (as in PAUSD's case), they take more steps. It's almost unheard of that they would come on site, but that was not because of the parents here, it was because of how badly PAUSD was violating the law.
a resident of College Terrace
on May 19, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Parents are responsible for teaching their kids to be respectful of others, especially those who are different or have "problems". However, when kids are in school, the parents are not present to do their job, and that job is handed over to the school staff That school staff has not been doing the job that was handed over to them, temporarily each day. That is the problem in a nutshell!
Kevin Skelly's missteps in solving this problem have brought the Feds down on him. yet, in the middle of this brouhaha, he continues to do and say all the wrong things, bringing sharp criticism on him from the OCR.
Isn't it time of Kevin Skelly to be given his pink slip? This mess just doesn't look like it will get any better until he has been replaced with someone more suitable for the requirements of the superintendent of schools
a resident of another community
on May 19, 2013 at 7:44 pm
@Not Surprised
Should look at the culture of the school. Kid don't feel safe because Adults don't either. Bullying is going on all over the place.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on May 19, 2013 at 11:53 pm
spectator at large is a registered user.
Not Surprised:
This whole brouhaha is about protecting CHILDREN. It is not about protecting the people that were elected or hired in part to protect our children. Our Board members have an implied duty to do whatever it takes to comply with the law and to give ALL of our students every chance to achieve their highest potential. If what you are saying is that adults are afraid to come out and report wrongs inflicted on their child and fear retaliation for asking for a redress of a grievance I agree. If you are saying that we should feel sorry for the adults (some say that Kevin Skelly has been bullied which I totally don't agree with) I am not with you there. Kevin is a big boy and should be able to handle the fallout from his actions which it is hard to deny have not been totally stellar.
a resident of Monroe Park
on May 20, 2013 at 11:41 am
The best article I've seen so far on the OCR issue. Leave it to a student to describe it best (page 9)
Web Link
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on May 20, 2013 at 1:20 pm
Completely agree with Paly Parent: "Mainstreaming special needs kids is great in theory. As mentioned previously, many kids with special needs are annoying to their peers, almost all are need more 'teacher time' than a regular student.It is part of their disability and they should not be penalized for it. But, neither should the other 20+ kids in the class."
The parents should look to improve the behavior of their children before they point fingers at the schools. We had issues with bullying but our children are not likely targets, so perhaps that's why it was easy for the schools to immediately stop the bullying. [Portion removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of South of Midtown
on May 20, 2013 at 2:01 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Crescent Park
on May 20, 2013 at 3:30 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on May 20, 2013 at 5:59 pm
Paly Mom is advocating blaming the victim.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on May 21, 2013 at 12:05 am
spectator at large is a registered user.
@ DuvMom: Thanks for the bit of humor!
@Paly Parent: Compassion is a virtue that you should look into cultivating at least a little bit of.
Thanks again to the parents who aren't just rolling over and playing dead around these issues (unlike some of the elected officials who I will not name). You know who you are!
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text:
Kevin J. Dougherty; Rebecca Spiro Natow; Rachel Julia Hare Bork; Blanca Elizabeth Vega
- Title:
- The Political Origins of Higher Education Performance Funding in Six States
- Author(s):
- Dougherty, Kevin J.
Natow, Rebecca Spiro
Bork, Rachel Julia Hare
Vega, Blanca Elizabeth
- Date:
- 2010
- Type:
- Reports
- Department(s):
- Community College Research Center
- Persistent URL:
- https://doi.org/10.7916/D8251S99
- Series:
- CCRC Brief
- Part Number:
- 47
- Notes:
- http://ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/
- Publisher:
- Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University
- Publisher Location:
- New York
- Abstract:
- Performance funding is a method of funding public institutions based not on inputs, such as enrollments, but on outcomes, such as retention, degree completion, and job placement. The principal rationale for performance funding has been that performance funding will prod institutions to be more effective and efficient, particularly in a time of increasing demands on higher education and increasingly straitened state finances. Critics of performance funding have warned that it could potentially provide state officials with an excuse to cut back on the regular state funding of higher education and at the same time provide college officials with an incentive to raise their retention and graduation rates by becoming more selective in their admissions. This report examines in detail the origins of state performance funding in six states: Florida, Illinois, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. These states were chosen for analysis because they have considerably different state performance funding systems and histories as well as higher education governance arrangements, political systems, political cultures, and social characteristics—all of which enables the authors to look at the formation of state performance funding systems from a wide variety of angles. Interestingly, analysis reveals that there are striking similarities among these six states, particularly in terms of who were the main supporters and opponents, what beliefs animated them, and what political openings allowed policy entrepreneurs to put performance funding on the decision making agendas of state governments. This analysis yields some important lessons for policymakers, which are discussed at the conclusion of this paper.
- Subject(s):
- Community colleges
Education and state
- Item views
- 250
- Metadata:
- text | xml
- Suggested Citation:
- Kevin J. Dougherty, Rebecca Spiro Natow, Rachel Julia Hare Bork, Blanca Elizabeth Vega, 2010, The Political Origins of Higher Education Performance Funding in Six States, Columbia University Academic Commons, https://doi.org/10.7916/D8251S99.


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Hm, I always thought her Patronus was an otter because they were clever and JKR's favourite animal is an otter...but I suppose the Ron thing makes sense too.
I like the idea of a dolphin a lot, actually, and it's a water animal, like an otter.
What about some sort of cat, maybe not like an Umbridge cat, but like a wild cat, like a cougar, or maybe a lioness.


text:
Dylan Botelho
www.dylanbotelho.comUniversity of San Diego
Faculty Sponsors: Allison Wiese
Artist StatementUsing a surface to define a form inevitably creates separation. This separationabove and below, inside and outsidegives a new language to the form: that which is seen, and that which is hidden. This place of division is where I like to focus my work. The sculptures are not an attempt to reveal secrets, but a means to investigate the process and motivations behind the creation of boundaries.
Website Design & Development by Cybermill Interactive


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text:
The Athena honors women who demonstrate excellence and creativity in business, who contribute to quality of life in their communities and who help other women realize their leadership potential.
Nelson meets all of those criteria. The senior vice president of wealth management at Technology Credit Union, Nelson has for 25 years held high positions in financial services at companies within and outside Palo Alto including Union Bank's Private Bank, Addison Avenue Credit Union, Greater Bay Bancorp and Great Western Bank.
Nelson credits her mother as an early influence on her belief that women could create their own destinies. Her mother started a business when women just didn't. Her Carlisle School taught well-educated U.C. Berkeley and Stanford University female graduates shorthand because secretarial jobs were all they could obtain.
Now Nelson is part of the first generation to succeed in breaking the glass ceiling.
Likewise, the influence of her father, an executive for American Can Company in San Francisco, helped shape her dedication to community service, philanthropy and helping women, she said.
"My father was a wonderful role model. He instilled the intrinsic value of work. As he walked through the house, he hummed, 'Make a contribution. Make a contribution.' As a child, I remembered that," she said.
Entering adulthood, Nelson became involved in nonprofit organizations. Pitching in for something she believed in made that cause more tangible, more valuable, she said.
Nelson has loved working with organizations dedicated to medicine, education and children, she said. She has been committed to the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, Palo Alto Art Center Foundation, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Ronald McDonald House at Stanford, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health and the El Camino Hospital Foundation, among others.
Nelson has a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and has completed post-graduate executive programs at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In April, the San Jose Business Journal named her one of the top 100 "Women of Influence."
She said she has always worked for companies that were dedicated to community involvement.
"I've been drawn to them; they're in my DNA," she said.
She was attracted to credit unions because the organizations seek to have a social impact and interest in policymaking, she said.
Growing up in Palo Alto "where roots are strong," Nelson was the youngest of three children with several years between her and her older brother and sister, she said.
Near her childhood home on Martin Avenue, Nelson recalled idyllic days of playing in fields and catching butterflies. That environment helped foster childhood creativity, she said. She reported for and sold subscriptions to the Martin Messenger, a neighborhood newspaper launched by a child on her block.
Her interests could have taken her in any number of directions, including journalism or even medicine, for which she still has a passion. Intensely focused with a strong business bent, now she considers herself a financial physician, she said.
Palo Alto isn't small-town quiet anymore; the innovation of Silicon Valley has taken hold in the city, she said. But Nelson doesn't find the changes in her hometown unsettling; she embraces them. Without change, a place, and a person, become stagnant, she said.
But success and harmony come from listening.
"It's important to listen to all voices and be wedded to one outcome (together). You can learn so much from everyone," she said. It is also her management style.
She recalled that as a child she had such a high level of independence from an early age that her parents wondered if she listened to anything they said.
But listen she did — to her parents' greatest teachings about what makes for a quality life and the power of the individual to create meaningful change — and to her mentors. Those most-influential persons include her husband, John; Bay Area business leader Duncan Matteson (no relation) of the Matteson Companies; Susan Black, CEO of Pinnacle Bank; Marilyn Winkleby, professor of medicine at Stanford Prevention Research Center; and others.
If there's one thing that has propelled Nelson forward, it is her lifelong habit of being a student forever and being open to learning all of the time, she said.
Despite all of the challenges and changes in the economy and society, Nelson said it's still a fascinating time to be alive.
"Those in my age category are reinventing our later years. I feel like a kid again. The Baby Boomers haven't done anything according to plan," she said, smiling.
As this year's Athena awardee, Nelson said she plans to learn from the Athena's past "goddesses" by pooling their ideas and knowledge.
"If we have that force, what can we do to have an impact? We can encourage ourselves to take on something great," she said.
The Athena Award luncheon will be held Nov. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at the Garden Court Hotel in Palo Alto.
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