The -Selling of BC's Bond Issue Parent Turnout Key to Voting
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February 8, 1988 Vol. XXXIII, No. 8 • The weekly newspaper serving the towns of •G Bethlehem and New Scotland The -selling of BC's bond issue Parent turnout key to voting Sal Prividera Jr. BC elementary additions After months and months of re search, planning and debate, a final decision on Bethlehem Central's $11.6 million facilities bond issue is just a week away. \'low it is a question of selling it t6 the voters. Leading up to the Feb. 15 vote, Bethlehem Central PTAs will step up-their efforts to encourage par ents to vote for the spending plan, while district administrators will continue to provide information to residents. School officials say that Glenmont:. parental support may make the • 11 Classroom addition • Cafeteria addition difference. • Gym station addition • Expanded library It is easier for parents to con vince other. parents to vo.te for a ·school facilities bond issue, accord ing to one parent-teacher associa tion president - a good thing in the eyes of school boards and administrators since by law school districts are not allowed to ask residents to cast a positive vote for any budget or bond issue. Districts can, however, educate residents on the absolute need for the expenditure and encourage them to vote, and BC administra Hamagrael: tors are doing a lot of educating. • 10 Classroom addition • Gym station addition There was rio organized oppo • Expanded library sition to the recently defeated !~vena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District facilities bond is sue, nor is there any to the BC bond issue. But school officials are aware that opposition exists. The RCS vote can be partially at tributed to those residents who were alarmed that their taxes would increase an average of $60 next year. A bond issue is the only opportunity a taxpayer has to veto a tax increase; other taxes levied by state, federal and local govern Slingerlands: ment are beyond that sort of con trol. • 7 Classroom addition • Two-station gym addition RCS Board President Mark • New cafeteria converted from old gym Sengenberger said the defeat was • Old cafeteria converted to classroom space • Expanded library (Tunz to Page 3) Delmar oil leak: where is it from? By Linda Anne Burtis up won't be finished overnight. ground taoks located behind Ste Customers who drove to Ste "You're talking about a large wart's and to dig out the soil sur amount of oil," said Joseph rounding the tanks because it was wart's Bread 'n ·Butter Shop on now contaminated with oil. Domer Delaware Ave. in Delmar for a McDonald, spill investigator for quart of milklastweekfound them the state Department of Environ muth filled 100 trailer trucks with selves driving around trailer trucks mental Conservation (DEC). The soil from the unused Main Care state agency is insisting that Main site and brought them to-a Catskill hauling away hundreds of tons of • contaminated soil from an under Care install recovery wells to landfill. • remove any off-site contamination. • ground oil spill. Five years ago Main Care relo The spill occurred at Main Care Main Care learned from DEC onJan.13 thattherewasalarge oil cated its Delmar offices, located Heating Company's former fuel oil on the other side of Delaware Ave. storage site at the rear of the Ste spill in Bethlehem Memorial Park adjacent to its property. DEC also at what is now Main Square shop wart's building next to the railroad ping plaza, to Latham. At that time tracks, and Main Care had author informed the co111pany that it is potentially to blame for the prob the company drained the fuel oil ized the clean-up. But the com from the storage tanks. pany is not so sure that it's their oil lem. "We found a one quarter-inch that's being removed. "There is a hole in one of Main Care's taoks. That's all it takes," McDonald said. "We never assumed there would strong possibility that there may be a problem," Von Ronne said. ADepartmentofEnvironmental be other sources for the oil, • said So the fuel oil company hired "They are heavy-gauge, one quar- Conservation test well at Beth the company's vice president of Clarksville-based Domermuth ter-inch steel tanks." · lehem's Memorial Park moni marketing, Ronnie Von Ronne. Petroleum Maintenance Corpora tors oil that has leaked from a One thing is certain. The clean- tion to remove their five under- (Tunz to Page 8) nearby s!orage sit~. Spotlight TRI·VILLAGE AREA DIRECTORY Ad Deadline FRIDAY, Feb. 10, 1989 • 5 PM SHA.RP • 439-4949 I I i A VERY UNUSUAL SALE I 10 DAYS ONLY SAT., FEB. 11th through MON., FEB. 20th We must sell thousands of dollars of merchandise at sharply reduced prices. These showroom i4!ms are not "seconds". They are in perfect condition and have been "best sellers" over the years. Hun- -dreds of people have purchased these same pieces at FULL PRICE and been willing to wait 3, 4, even 5 MONTHS for delivery. Now, you· have the unique opportunity to get these display pieces IMMEDI ATELY at GREATI..Y REDUCED PRICES. • Mter registering at our front desk, all buyers may begin shopping at 10 Partial Listing of SALE Items: . AM, Feb. 11th. Registration desk opens at 9:30AM. Complete solid cherry Queen Anne dining set (oval extension table, 6 chairs, large · • All items will be marked with \>.Qj:h original prices and our lowest price. china/buffet & server). Many entertainment No need to haggl~ the absolute lowest price will be posted. centers (oak & cherry), bookcases, Danish dining set (octagonal oak • All purchases will require a 25% deposit. No extension of sale price table & 4 chairs, in natural finish), beyond 7 PM, Feb. 20th without deposit will be permitted. occasional tables & rockers, a good selection of top-quality oak 865Rt.146A, Clifton Park 877... 8330 roll-top desks & filing cabinets, Ex. 9 N'way- 2 1/2 mi. West on 146 then 21/2 mi. Non 146A country-style oak bedroom . pieces (a great line with over 30 different pieces!); contem- . Open Mon.- Thurs. 10- 7 (Fri. 'ti18) Sat. 10- 5, Sun. 12- 5 porary bedroom pieces & F u R N·1 T.·: .u R. E Major Credit Cards ACcepted much more! ;-r~ .•. DELMAR VILLAGE IS.BACK! (232 apartments and 56 single family homes proposed on 92 acres between · Delaware Ave. and Orchard St. at Fisher Blvd.) e WHAT IS THE FISCAL IMPACT ON OUR TOWN? • WHAT ARE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON SCHOOLS, ROADS, TOWN SERVICES, LIBRARY, PARK? 0 . · · . ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEARING ON DELMAR VILLAGE Paid for by FEB. 15TH AND 16TH·7:30PM·TOWN HALL Bethlehem Citizens for Responsible Hanning PAGE 2- Februa. F989-The Spotlight D Selling the bond What's in BC bond issue (From Page lJ apathyfromparentsaswellasfrom Residents of the Bethlehem due to a "backlash" from the AI- community members without a Central School District will go to bany County civic center, fee in- direct interest in the schools. the polls next Wednesday, Feb. 15, BC Bond Issue Tax Rates creases and the new Ravena fire Parents often assume the bond to decide on an $11.6 million facili- hoo~ ~~~~~~~~~~ Bethlehem New Scotland A school district can spend and therefore do not go to the The vote will be from 7 a.m. to 9 money to present information polls. However, the tax impact is p.m. at the Bethlehem Central about what a bond issue contains, often enough motivation to bring Middle School on Kenwood Ave. the reasons for it and the financial residents who oppose a tax in Delmar. All district residents impact to the taxpayer, and can increase to the polls. are eligible to vote. also remind residents when the The 20- ear bond I·s-sue w1'll Through the public sessions Y vote will be held, says Bethlehem . provide for the construction of 28 Central Superintendent Leslie ~CS he!~ to distribute bon_d Issue new classrooms between the Year2 $8.50 per $1,000 $12.14 per $1,000 Loomis. information, and e~en dunng the .Glenmont, Slingerlands and Ha- or a 4.1% ora4.4% "School districts cannot make re~l:W open sessiOn wher~ the magrael elementary schools, 1m increase increase direct statements to residents that deciSIOns about the bond Issue provements to all seven ·district· theyshouldvoteyes,"Loomissaid. weremade,attendancewasdismal. school facilities, some asbestos So the districts have to rely on Two of .the bond issue removal and roofing work others, such as parent-teacher pre~ntationsdrew.approxirnately · Under. the proposed 'bond is associations, to inake the vote yes 40 residents. · sue, the Hamagrael school will statement. Only 20percent of the eligible receive a 10-cl~ssroo~ _addition. Average $5.94 per $1,000 $8.49 per $1,000 _ LorraineBoyle,presidentofthe voters in: the Ravenit-Coeymans, and a gym st:I!'?n addi11on._The for20year ora2.9% or a 3.1% Elsmere PTA, said:the district's SelkirkdistrictvotedJart250nthe Glenmont facilities p!an calls for parent organizations are involved b d · • ·. ·· • . 1· · an 11-classroom additiOn, acafete ·period , · · increase ''.. increase . r because "we felt we:"could reach · on Issue, ria addition and a1 gy'," • station ' ... the most numlier of parents." She · Evel\. ,in Bethlehem, where addition. The Slingerlimds school also said it is easier for parents to some 200 residents attended the will have a seven-chissroom addi renovatiol). and new bleachers are 4.1 pereentinthe secondyearwhen encourage other parents to vote meetil\g where 'the bond issue tion, a new two-station gym, and slated forthe high school. both .interest and principal pay- for the bond issue.