The Long Hill Observer The truth

At last night's school board meeting Bruce Meringolo told the board that the budget presentation may be broadcast on LHTV. That would certainly be a step up from having 20 or so people attend the meetings. He also suggested that it be available on the board website.

In addition, he said that the current websites maintained by the teachers would most likely be controlled by the administration. Of course, this would enable the administration to "edit" these websites and might create a backlog of additions and changes that teachers would like made. What will be allowed to be posted has yet to be determined. It seems as though school personnel would not be permitted to post information on their own websites regarding school business. Some questions about this might be; (1) Is the board headed for a first amendment standoff with a teacher who takes exception to this? (2) Wouldn't this just create more work for an already "overworked" administrative staff? (3) What about the timeliness of the teachers' comments, assignments and remarks?

Hey Bruce; how about actually posting the minutes like the board website says you do (but you don't) so that the Observer doesn't have to put in a "Request for Information" every month. We all know how busy John Esposito is and how he hates to get these "love notes" from the Observer. (See his refusal to address me at the meeting.) And while you're at it, post the line item budget in Excel format prior to the budget meetings so that we can all see what it is you are really proposing.

Treasurer's Report

Vice President and Treasurer, John McCarthy, gave us all of about a minute and told us virtually nothing in his report. He warned that this budget is going to be "very tight" and, according to what he inferred, would increase by the full 4% over last year, about $480,000. this will most likely cover only the mandatory increases and untilities. don't expect any increase in services or programs for the kids. You would think that a board that was told by its auditor that it ran out of money last year would devote a little more time to this report and attempt to detail what was spent, what was received in taxes, and how much we have in the bank in 'the "unreserved. unencumbered" account (the account used for emergencies). Getting him to agree to give us more detail about this account on a regular basis was like pulling teeth.

Click here to view his report on YouTube and the Observer's request that he give us more information at these meetings.

Other

During a discussion of the state mandate that DYFUS must be notified in the event that a student has 5 consecutive "unexcused" absenses, Karen Nyquist seemed confused as to what the definition of the world consecutive means. she actually seemed to believe that it might mean that a student was out on the same day for five consecutive weeks. Board members had to define the word for her. This is a board member? I think most of our sixth graders understand the meaning of this word. Hey Karen; get a dictionary! If you don't believe it, click here for the video clip.

The other item for discussion you might want to pay attention to is the discussion about the administrative re-organization. It is obvious that a board member was told to ask for clarification regarding this issue. This was so scripted! Obviously, board members determine what they want the public to know in advance and select members of the board to ask specific questions.

You can view most of the meeting by clicking on the links below. Sorry about missing some of Meringolo's report.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 The End.

A few things you might note. Board Secretary John Esposito states that he will not address the Observer. He dances around the question of how to increase the amount of money in the bank (unreserved, unencumbered funds). They seem very cavalier about this issue which, according to the auditor's report, is the biggest problem facing our school district.

Some individuals who attended the meeting have told those who did not attend the meeting that they were appalled at the way the Observer was treated by the Board.

Wait until you see the questions next time!

Thomas Jefferson

"Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories."

Township Committee

Walter M. Luers
Law Offices of Walter M. Luers, LLC
165 First Avenue
Atlantic Highlands, NJ 07716
732-872-8088
732-872-8044 (facsimile)
201-892-4316 (cell)
wluers@hotmail.com

School Funding Plan

Click here for the actual numbers from the DOE website.

Click her for a "simplified" explanation of the funding formula.

Click here for the LHT Mayor's "State of the Township Address", January 2, 2008

Click Here for LHT Community Calendar

Want you child to develop some interest in music? What better way than to buy her that special birthday present.

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The Trial of
John Peter Zenger

One of the most important events in American journalism history occurred in New York in 1735. This, of course, was the libel trail of John Peter Zenger, printer of the New York Weekly Journal.

John Peter Zenger arrived in New York from Germany in 1710 and served an apprenticeship to William Bradford, printer of the New York Gazette. In 1733 New York Colonial Governor William Cosby stirred up a great controversy by prosecuting the interim Governor, Rip Van Dam, and removing Chief Justice Lewis Morris from the courts. After Governor Cosby adopted arbitrary measures against these men, and opposition group arose to fight him politically. These wealthy and powerful men established an opposition newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal, and hired John Peter Zenger as the printer and editor. The Weekly Journal printed numerous articles critical of Governor Cosby until Cosby could take it no longer. In November, 1734, Cosby had Zenger arrested and put in jail incommunicado for ten months.

On August 4, 1735, Zenger was brought to trial and charged with seditious libel. He was defended by Philadelphia lawyer, Andrew Hamilton. The prosecution argued that the sole fact of publication was sufficient to convict and excluded the truth from the evidence. Hamilton admitted that Zenger published the offending stories, but denied that it was libel unless it was false. Hamilton made an eloquent appeal to the jury to judge both the law and the facts; as a result was acquitted. This finding of not guilty established truth as a defense against libel and was a landmark victory for freedom of the press. It also set a precedent against judicial tyranny in libel suits.

It has long been held that the first report of Zenger's victory in court came in his own newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal of August 18, 1735. The front page of that date contains the abbreviated story of his trial and in column two states "The jury returned in Ten Minutes, and found me Not Guilty" However, a review of the Journal file from 1735 reveals that the issue of August 18 was not the earliest report of Zenger's being freed.

Although the New York Weekly Journal of August 11, 1735 had nothing on the trial itself, there is a printer's note at the end of the last column on page 4. It read, "The Printer, now having got his liberty again, designs God willing to Finish and Publish the Charter of the City of New York next week."

So read your newspapers carefully as they sometimes whisper things to you if you take the time to read and listen.

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NYU/Polytechnic Students

Executive MBA Program

55 Broad St, NYC

MG 7193 Ethical Dimensions of Modern Management

Professor H. Abraham Kupferman

All managers frequently face ethical challenges. Success often depends on how well managers handle decisions that challenge their own set of values. Ethical dimensions of modern management also increase as competition becomes increasingly global and technology-intensive. This course identifies major ethical issues facing managers today particularly with regard to technology, innovation and global decision making. The course also provides an opportunity for students to develop effective approaches for dealing with major ethical challenges. Finally, the course gives students a chance to reflect on the efficacy and strength of their own personal set of values.

Click here for the syllabus and course readings.

You might also read

1. "Aristotle's Ethics"

2. "The Prince" by Nicolo Machiavelli

William Livingston

Governor of New Jersey 1776–1790

Buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY

"The Enemy have lately tempted me to consider myself in a point of light in which I should never have had the vanity to consider myself but for their most gracious opinion of me, that is as a Man of Consequence. I hope they will never succeed in killing me, as I should by that means most certainly lose the honor of being hanged in Company with some of you more illustrious Rebels."

Reverend James Caldwell at the Battle of Springfield

"Give'em Watts Boys"

On June 23, 1780, the climactic battle of the final invasion of New Jersey was fought. Approximately 6,000 Crown forces under the command of General Knyphausen attacked from Staten Island, New York, via Elizabethtown, attempting to seize the Hobart Gap in the nearby Watchung Mountains. His goal was to get to Morristown, where General Washington had supplies and artillery.

Approximately 2,000 American Continental and local Militia forces defended the area in the Rahway River vicinity. For more than 40 minutes, Colonel Angell and his men fought the advancing British infantry, cavalry and several field pieces, which were five times their number, to a standstill. Slowly, the British pushed the Militia back.

During the heat of the battle, as the Colonial and Militia forces were nearly out of ammunition and outnumbered, Reverend James Caldwell of the First Presbyterian Church, passed out Watts Hymnals for use as artillery wadding. His cry, “Give ‘em Watts, Boys!” has lived on and became the famous motto of that battle.

As the British retreated, they resorted to burning and looting the town. Only four houses remained standing after the Battle of Springfield. The British goal of reaching Morristown was once again thwarted and the Battle of Springfield, also known as “The Forgotten Victory,” marked the last invasion of the British into New Jersey.

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