NJN Network

By Tony Carroll, Kingston, Ontario, February 18, 2009

Back in 1995, there was a Provincial election campaign and during this campaign a report from the Board of Education came out that indicated that the Liberal government had slated numerous rural schools to close. It was a bombshell, and Keith Milligan, the Liberal leader of the time, although denying having an agenda to close rural schools, could not deny that a study was done that recommended rural school closures.

Pat Binns, the Progressive Conservative leader, indicated to the public that he would definitely not close rural schools and the result on the electorate was obvious as Pat Binns was elected with a huge majority and stayed in power for over a decade. During his time in power, Pat Binns’ government kept his promise and rural schools remained opened during his government’s tenure.
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Myrtle Jenkins Smith, Queen of the Liberal Millionaires Club

Everything we need to know about living on PEI according the the Liberal Millionaires Club

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
from PEI Government Press Release

Well, it’s here. The final report on how we are going to age with grace, style and panache. Province Releases New Healthy Aging Strategy. I’m excited. Then I look down and see -WHAAT? – It’s called “Ascent Report”!

Oh God save us please. Another report for our mindless Premier Robert Ghiz prepared by the Queen of the Liberal Millionaires Club – Myrtle Jenkins Smith.

I mean is there a limit to the subjects Myrtle will pretend to be an expert on? She gave us the going-no-where Disability Services Reform Report. It’s also known as – “dust collector.”

Myrtle is the author of that best seller – “How to close rural schools and centralize PEI in Charlottetown and Summerside” or your kids don’t live here anymore, Alice.
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Grand Tracadie Home and School Association argues school closing process is seriously flawed

By Martie Murphy, special to NJN Network, Grand Tracadie, PEI, Canada, February 20, 2009
Delivered to PEI Eastern School District special meeting, February 17, 2009

My name is Martie Murphy. I have been the President of the Grand Tracadie Home and School Association since 2004.

I am here, again, this evening to speak to the Board of Trustees regarding the violation of the legislation governing the closure of schools in Prince Edward Island as defined in our School Act. Laws or Acts are ENACTED through the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Prince Edward Island. Changes to acts and laws can only be altered through the same process.

Under our School Act, requirements for closure stated in Chapter S-2.1 Sections 3.1 and 3.2 state that the five criteria below “SHALL” be included in the report (Section 4.1 of the Act) submitted by the Superintendent to the Board of Trustees. The term “shall” in the interpretation of an act or statute means mandatory and non-negotiable.
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ÉDITORIAL

Par Jacinthe Laforest, La Voix Acadienne

De plus en plus, le dossier de Rustico se précise. En plus de prendre une ampleur politique, il prend maintenant une tangente juridique. Au cours de la dernière semaine, l’idée de retourner se battre devant les tribunaux s’est imposée comme une possibilité.

Si la communauté, les parents et la Commission scolaire de langue française sont o bligés de considérer cette option, ce n’est pas de gaieté de coeur. Ils y sont forcés par les actions de la province et en particulier de la ministre responsable des Affaires acadiennes et francophones, Carolyn Bertram, députée du district électoral qui inclut Rustico.
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C’est avec beaucoup de déception que la Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin a pris connaissance de la lettre du ministre Greenan au président de la Commission scolaire de langue française, Robert Maddix, en ce qui concerne le projet du centre scolaire communautaire de Rustico. Cette lettre, datée du 15 janvier dernier, annonce les travaux de planification de la construction d’une nouvelle école élémentaire pouvant accommoder 65 élèves (de la maternelle à la 6e année) pour l’école Saint Augustin sur un nouveau terrain. La SSTA a appris que la lettre du ministre faisait suite à une décision du Conseil des ministres de ne pas aller de l’avant avec le projet d’un centre scolaire communautaire à Rustico, lequel étant nécessaire et réclamé par le Conseil acadien de Rustico depuis plusieurs années.
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Refusing French school-community centre for Rustico

RUSTICO – Feb. 17, 2009 – The Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin (SSTA) was deeply disappointed to learn about the content of a letter from Education Minister Gerard Greenan addressed to Robert Maddix, chair of the French Language School Board, in regards to a project for establishment of a French school-community centre in Rustico.

This letter, dated Jan. 15, announced that planning work for the construction of a new elementary school to house 65 students, from kindergarten to Grade 6, for Saint Augustine, on a new lot. The SSTA learned that the letter from the minister had been sent following a decision by the provincial cabinet to refuse the proposal for a school-community centre in Rustico, which had been deemed necessary and lobbied for by the Conseil acadien de Rustico for several years.
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The law says as close as possible but not more than 50 metres

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada February 19, 2009

If 50 meters from the parking to the building door is the standard, how does UPEI measure up?

Main Building which had 3 accessible spots right by the door before last summer is now 128 meters from the visitors lot or 158 meters from the back lot, or 78 meters beyond the law.
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PEI Rural Alliance needs a strategy and it’s not putting a muzzle on Peter Llewellyn of Georgetown. Changing public opinion is your only hope.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009

Here is how this battle’s shaping up. We’ve got a government with law and power on its side. It can do whatever it wants and your recourse is to the courts and the next election. They already thought of that. The Courts will likely side with the government. PEI Courts are some of the most conservative in this country. If you had 10 years to fight to the Supreme Court of Canada like the French School Board, you might win and that’s a slim might. Most lawyers will take your case for the fees or on enthusiasm and empathy. All a court challenge will do is cost you money and waste your time. You don’t have any time to waste.

The next election is beyond September 2009 so that’s no help. Ghiz intends to close the schools this fall.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 19, 2009

PEI Rural Alliance better circle the wagons because the end is near. Can’t you smell it.

What’s that smell in this room? Didn’t you notice it? Didn’t you notice the powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

That’s what we got going on here in this little backwater Province of PEI. We got ourselves the stink of lies, of swamp water in the hot deep south. We got an autocratic Premier who wants to close rural schools. He hires his favorite hired gun Myrtle Jenkins Smith to write a phony report. We got a school superintendent Sandy MacDonald with a doctorate in mendacity. You have to keep a list on the fridge of all his lies. List of sneaky and dishonest acts by Eastern School District

That Sandy he’s got the agenda all laid out so you parents don’t upset his September 2009 start up.
Timelines:

January 7, 2009 Release of School Organization Plan
January 7 to May 12, 2009 Receive Feedback
February 12 to April 21, 2009 Public Consultation Meetings
May 13, 2009 Review and consideration of feedback begins
No later than May 31, 2009 School Board decision forwarded to Lieutenant Governor in Council
After May 31, 2009 Create Transition Teams to oversee any changes that will become effective as of September 2009

There’s no doubt. The decision is made. You’re just delaying it.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18, 2009

Nils Ling, a reader, has reacted to Wade MacLauchlan UPEI President Disability Bigot with the following questions and challenge to my logic. I like to refrain from direct responses since they can be inflammatory and this one is attempting to prick my ego.

You know, Stephen, I get that you see yourself as a Champion of the Underdog. I get that you are passionate about your efforts, and sometimes feel frustrated when people don’t see things as you do. And I respect your commitment and dogged determination to expose what you believe is “right”.

But I think sometimes you are careless with language. First, to lay the decision about parking spots on Wade MacLaughlan’s desk seems a bit of a stretch. If UPEI functions like any other bureaucracy – as it almost certainly does – the decision would have come from a committee of what he considered to be qualified people, and to ignore or fail to act on that decision would have been the wrong thing to do.
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By James Rodd, Leader of NDP, February 11, 2009, West Prince Graphic

The Island New Democrats congratulate the members of Rural Alliance for raising the debate over the survival of our rural schools. The Alliance has brought to light the broader issue that must be addressed – the survival of our rural communities.

For well over 50 years, Liberal and Conservative governments have been reluctant to play the kind of pro-active role that governments must play to protect our rural communities. The threads of our rural fabric have been allowed to unravel.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009

There’s a tangled web between Cymbria Lions Club and Minister Carolyn Bertram. Why else would she risk offending the Francophone community and their English supporters. Yes there are plenty of Canadians who support Acadians in renewing their language and culture. Some are Charter supporters. Some have French in their heritage although they don’t speak French. Some are looking at their careers and their children in the Federal civil service where functional bilingualism is required at almost every level.

Lions thought they had enough clout to torpedo the whole thing, school and all. There is a rumor they have more on Bertram than just the vote threat, but heaven knows what it could be. Apparently Bertram was poisonous at the meeting and Gizmo not much better. Way unprofessional. The brain trust thought they’d be able to double cross both sides but keep them quiet with “the Solomon fix”. At this stage the Lions strategy has focused on torpedoing the cultural centre. Maybe they think the Conseil and other groups will still use them. I think hell will freeze over first. Could this nonsense happen anywhere but PEI?
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Premier Robert Ghiz, PEI COD Executive Director Marcia Carroll, he's got her under his spell

Payoffs in not-for-profit sector

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009
When Marcia Carroll got the position of Executive Director PEI Council of Persons with Disabilities I hoped it was a fresh start for PEICOD. It’s actually been more regressive than the former administration of Barry Schmidl. Carroll is a personal friend of Premier Ghiz who has turned out to be a disability bigot. Ghiz is using her personal loyalties and grants to keep the PEICOD from advocating on behalf of the disabled. That makes Marcia Carroll a disability bigot as well. They’re in fine company these Liberals. People like Carroll are really parasites, living off the disability of others while pretending to help them.
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Our PhD

Sandy MacDonald, glib answers barely hide the deception

of prevaricating caught in the act

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 18th, 2009
PEI Eastern School District superintendent Dr. Sandy MacDonald has been up to his eyeballs in lies and deception recently as he tries to hoodwink the PEI populace in closing 11 rural schools. Along with his hostile body language he was barely able to contain his contempt for the public meeting last night at Charlottetown Rural. The meeting room was packed with parents who made several good points.

Apparently the school board is planning to break ground on the expansion of Montague Intermediate without disclosing it in the supplementary report. MacDonald said the cost was buried in the capital costs of the high school which left everyone in the dark.
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Turns down Federal money for cultural centre

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 17, 2009
with story from CBC

Ghiz never turned down free Federal money before. Why is he playing games with the French school board?

The Lions Club have lost. A school will be built and they are still sore losers. It’s like your landlord getting mad when you buy a new home and move out of the apartment.

The rest of the story.

PEI Premier Robert Ghiz, a modern day Machiavelli

PEI’s Premier Robert Ghiz had a proforma meeting with the French school board yesterday to tell them the bad news. The Board may have thought the meeting was a consultation. That would be generous since Ghiz has his mind made up on every issue well in advance. He wants to close the 11 schools in rural PEI. The English parents will use the French school in Rustico as red flag in their case. How can Ghiz spend $2 million on French students and close their schools some. Since the Federal government is providing funds for the cultural centre in the Rustico school the argument is illogical but plays well politically. Ghiz and Chris LeClair, his brain trust, see themselves as Machiavellian political manipulators. All decisions can be made in advance and you merely have to manipulate public sentiment. If the French school board sues, Ghiz wins since the decision is delayed beyond his mandate. The School Board would have to get a special intervention from the Supreme Court which is not likely.
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PEI Premier Robert Ghiz, one incompetent political decision after another

Ghiz overheard humming, Now and then there’s a fool such as I.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16th, 2009

PEI’s Premier Robert Ghiz showed his inexperience and ineptitude by dividing Rustico along linguistic lines and not closing the file quickly. Today he turned down the request of the Commission scolaire de langue française de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard for the a cultural centre to go with their new French school in Rustico. While the money was apparently coming from Heritage Canada, it mattered not to Premier Ghiz. He tried to play Solomon and divided Rustico along language lines, a deft act. The conflict was between the Cymbria Lions Club who were renting an old school building to the French School Board. The Lions fought to retain their $90K per year income from rentals. While the Lions Club could not stop the school from moving to the new building, they could act like a monkey in the works by interfering in the negotiations between the Federal Government, the Province and the Commission scolaire de langue française.
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Bill Gates, class size is not important but teacher quality and involvement is vital

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation $2 billion investment proves class size is not important, quality of teaching is

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 16, 2009
with story from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

I want to acknowledge and thank long-time PEI social advocate Bill Campbell for sending me this story.

Bill Gates retired from Microsoft and is dedicating his billions of dollars and time to improving social issues around the world, including health, education, and poverty. After spending $2 billion, an enormous amount of money, on education, Mr. Gates has concluded that class size is irrelevant in determining the quality of education of children. The real predictor of how well children are educated is the quality and innovation of the teachers.
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Premier Ghiz schemes with Sandy MacDonald. Eastern School District superintendent, to close down rural schools and rural PEI. We got the facts and uncover these two. Big cast of characters in this plot.

Lions serve not fight the community

Fighting the Acadian parents isn’t going to work

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 15th, 2009

This is for the Cymbia Lions Club. You lost. You cannot win.

I’m sure that if the Lions put their minds to it, they will come up with lots of great ways to serve the community that don’t block the rights of the Acadian minority.

It should be a win-win for them.

From my read of the comments and players, this is a male versus female battle. Women are arguing for soft issues – culture, language, education, children – and men are arguing about money.
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Shyster superintendant and premier, have we got a deal for Souris

New school not in plans, MacDonald and Ghiz playing games

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 13, 2009, with story from the Guardian

The Souris parents may think they are getting a new school but the official report published in December 2008 says that two Souris schools will be renovated if the parents agree to close Fortune, Eastern Kings and Rollo Bay schools. It’s hard to trust Eastern School District Superintendent Sandy MacDonald when he continues to play mind games, tricks, pay bribes and generally confuse the situation with rural school closures. The Guardian is obviously trying to tilt the game towards Ghiz’s plan when they report half the facts like the story today.

In the case of Teri Hall, chair of the Parents for Learning committee, Terri and her group were paid $15,000 last year to write a report supporting one new school versus 5 existing schools. The report is even more insidious than the two $90,000 reports the Premier hired Myrtle Jenkins Smith to prepare, one on enrollment and the other on disability reform. Here Ghiz ensured local support by bribing a few key players into compliance with the school closure plan. The official school closure plan was written by Chris LeClair in the first months of the new Ghiz government and given to Jenkins Smith and Sandy MacDonald to push through, no matter what. LeClair is nothing more than a not-for-profit consultant in a cheap suit, masquerading as an expert in government.
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Sandy MacDonald, looking weaker everyday

Premier Ghiz, fire that man. Or resign yourself.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 13, 2009

Some of the board documents list Eastern School District Sandy MacDonald as having a PHd. In what, lying and deception? Which graduate school teaches that?

Let’s list the sneaky things Sandy MacDonald has done. If I miss something, please send me a comment or email njnnews@gmail.com :

1. Hired Ghiz’s patronage consultant to cook the enrolment report for $93,000
2. Use old enrolment data in the report and unscientific statistical analysis
3. Try to bribe Parents for Learning committee with $15,000 consulting fee
2. Released the report on the last day of December when the media and most people are off work for the holidays
3. Omitted all impact information
4. Muzzled Infringed the Board members responsibilities to listen and talk to public
5. Infringed the Board members Charter rights to freedom of conscience, thought, belief, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and freedom of association. That pretty well sums up Section 2 of the Charter apart from religion and the press. That single act to me is unconscionable in a public official. MacDonald should resign or Ghiz should fire him. We don’t pay public officials big salaries to infringe our rights.
6. Told the CBC Compass on February 5th, 2009 he hadn’t done an impact study
7. Produced a 56 page Impact study on February 10th, despite having only one working day, the 9th.
8. Told Parents for Learning offside they “might” get a new school while reporting two schools would be renovated.

How can we trust him? Who can trust him? It’s too much to keep up with. I’m sure the list is going to get longer. We need people in public office we can trust and this man has broken faith with Islanders.

The lies, cheating, playing one community against the other, obfuscation and dishonesty have gone on long enough.

Premier Ghiz, fire that man. Or resign yourself.

What in the hell are Bertram and Cymbria Lions Club thinking?

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 13, 2009

Fury is being unleashed on Minister Carolyn Bertram and the Cymbria Lions Club over their interference in the French school debate. This morning 4 more pointed and heated comments were on this story. Bertram trips over Lions in the wardrobe, Lions Club is missing too much, and Lions stop thinking about our money

Minister Carolyn Bertram is taking major heat on this issue by trying to play the middle. No other single issue dominates reader interest on NJN Network. The top 5 stories for the past two weeks have been about the French school, Carolyn Bertram and the Lions’ opposition. I dream that Islanders would galvanize so strongly around the disabled seniors issue.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, February 12, 2009
with story from the CBC

Having watched and heard the case for both sides in the French school debate, it’s easy to see why Minister Carolyn Bertram chickened out and did nothing. The new French school has to be built so her approval on that is proforma. Blocking the school from having the community centre flies in the face of the Supreme Court ruling but appears to appease the Lions Club.
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Cymbria Lions Club, Rustico PEI, too much is missing for a French school and community centre

Part 2 – yesterday Lions stop thinking about our money

Dear Lions,

You are great neighbours and many of you friends; however you don’t seem to understand that your pecuniary interests are going against the good of the children of this community.

The kids don’t have the privilege of enjoying the gymnasium five days a week in the Lions centre because “it costs too much to heat up in the winter”. The kids cannot eat in the cafeteria on days that there is a funeral lunch so they have to eat in the classroom. The kids cannot enjoy a freshly cooked meal a few times a week, nor can they have cooking oriented learning activities. It is not permitted to make use of the Lions Centre’s kitchen because “it would cost too much in insurance”.
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Cymbria Lions Club, Rustico PEI, think about children not money

Editor: the series of local articles on Lions and the French school community centre are not only popular in PEI. We received a thank you note from the Lions International noting their interest.

Dear Lions.

You are great neighbours and many of you friends; however you don’t seem to understand that your pecuniary interests are going against the good of the children of this community. Having a French school with a community component is not going to harm whatever activities you do. The activities and groups that would come to the French school would not be the same as the ones you entertain in your building. We need our kids to live and learn to feel accepted and welcomed in their own community. They should be proud of who they are, that is Acadians. This means being of French descent and culture.
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Bertram cuckoo to get caught in this one

By, l’Acadienne, special correspondent, NJN Network, PEI, Canada, February 9, 2009

Mme la Ministre Carolyn Bertram is said to have become obsessed with the comments being made about her attempts to block the building of a French language centre scolaire-communautaire in her own constituency in various blogs appearing on the internet. Minions have been instructed to track down the villains lurking behind the aliases and a Black List is being prepared for circulation to other departments. The brains trust on the fifth floor is said to be especially perplexed as to who lurks behind the nom de plume Stephen Pate. Some wonder if it might be Alan Buchanan.

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North Rustico, waiting 27 years for new French school

École Saint Augustin has been located at the Cymbria Lions Club for eight long years. It was established as a pilot project of the Commission scolaire de langue française that received a moral boost and a step in its gait following the Supreme Court decision in favour of Noëlla Arsenault and Madeleine Costa’s long-fought cause against the province for Section 23 rights in Summerside. The current rental arrangement was only ever meant to be a temporary situation. This was known by all parties at the time. Still the students and parents have been waiting patiently for this to be rectified as has been the cultural council that is also housed in the same structure.
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By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 6, 2009 6:20 EST

The PEI Eastern School District in a 7 to 3 vote passed a motion delaying an implementation of school closures in rural PEI. Superintendent Sandy MacDonald was instructed to provide the Board with an impact study by early next week. Edna Reid was one of three trustees who voted against the motion. She had no comment at the meeting. From our point of view it seems improbable that MacDonald would tell CBC News on February 6th that he hadn’t done the impact study and somehow he was going to produce it for the next meeting on February 10th, 2009. Public meetings to gather input are scheduled to start two days later. Again the whole process is being rushed, notwithstanding the PEI Rural Alliance protest. In a related matter, Georgetown Mayor Peter Llewelyn was on CBC radio this morning and was told by host Paul MacNeill that Premier Robert Ghiz would be sitting across the table. At the last minute Premier Ghiz proved a lame excuse and chickened out. The whole school closing issue is driven by Ghiz indifference to rural PEI. The enrolment report was sponsored by his office and prepared by patronage consultant Myrtle Jenkins Smith. Rural PEI smells a rat. Video interview tomorrow morning with Board chair Bob Clow, Peter Llewelyn and Conservative MLA Mike Currie.

Day After Tomorrow, movie reviews hit front page of Guardian

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PE, Canada, February 6, 2009
with no story from the Guardian

The public meeting of the trustees is 5 PM, Eastern School District offices, 234 Shakespeare Drive, Stratford, PEI, Canada

If the Guardian ever figures out why it’s revenues are going down like a stone, today’s front page is the answer. Outside of Charlottetown, the biggest story in Queen’s and King’s County PEI is the rural school closings but the Guardian is not reporting the meeting tonight at the Eastern School District on the front page. The big story is a features piece on Diedre Kessler’s new elementary school history text book. The 2nd biggest story is a move plot about the end of the world as we know it called The Day After Tomorrow. P.E.I. may face flooding from Antarctic ice sheet melt: study is yesterday’s CP wire story masquerading as news. The 3rd front page story is Duffy withdraws comments about premiers which belongs in the obituaries. The story of our ignoramus native son in the guise of a wise Senator plays either as “Native son gone wrong” in Atlantic Canada or “Stick it to them, Mike” in Ontario and Alberta.

I’m looking, I’m looking – nope, there is no coverage of the meeting. Strange eh? CBC Compass carried it last night, well sort of. They didn’t report the meeting. Georgetown Mayor Peter Llewelyn was on the radio this morning already. In the Guardian, no coverage of this important meeting, no announcement, virtually nothing. I forgot to check the movie reviews: maybe it got switched.

Sandy MacDonald, looking weaker everyday

If he wasn’t “married to the Captain’s daughter”, I’d say PEI Eastern School District superintendent Sandy MacDonald would be working somewhere else real soon. He is a part of the Ghiz team that tried to tear rural PEI apart. He’s a dictatorial manager threatening to sue trustees. He doesn’t believe in democracy which is bad in Canada. And he’s a bold faced liar which is obvious from all of this. That’s the MacDonald blarney. Hard to get rid of him though. Deep seated friends are everywhere, especially with Tex in the Premier’s office. The only thing that keeps Tex from being more dangerous is his partying habits. Tex is just a good old boy always on the make for some scam or deal. Just put muzzle and short leash on Sandy and cut off his phone line. That should work. PS – Both Tex and Sandy are members of the Liberal Millionaires Club.

But it will still take courage on the part of trustees and parents

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 6, 2009
With stories from CBC and Island Voice Tribune

The closing of 11 mostly rural schools on PEI may soon hit the wall if the school board trustees vote for their constituents and their conscience at tonight’s 5 PM board meeting. The meeting will be held at the School Board Office, 234 Shakespeare Dr, Stratford. The meeting is open to the public. The whole process is unravelling like a ball of twine rolling down hill. The battle is well engaged but not won yet. The parties on both sides will need to fight hard to win in the end.

The parents got organized as PEI Rural Alliance and held a rip-roaring first meeting. We revealed that the enrollment report is flawed, amateurish and probably is a fraud concocted in the Premier’s office. Georgetown threatened a lawsuit. The trustees broke rank against dictatorial school superintendent Sandy MacDonald. Mike Currie opposition MLA called for the Premier to restart the whole process. Sandy MacDonald looked pretty weak on Compass saying he didn’t do an impact study because…ah what what that bogus excuse he gave.
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Minister Carolyn Bertram, from frying pan into the fire in a month, what happened?

Minister Carolyn Bertram draws the ire of Acadians

Special correspondent: par l’Acadienne, NJN Network, PEI,February 5, 2009

The magnificent new Bertram Manor constructed in solitary stately splendour on a hill outside Hunter River allows Mme la Ministre to look down on her constituents, an attitude which has become increasingly pronounced since she took on the office she so richly deserved.

Fortunate indeed that her carefully enunciated schoolgirl French is so much better than that of the Acadians whom she represents as Minister: it ensures that she understands the needs of the Francophone community so much better than they do. Advertised this week is the now vacant position of Director of Acadian and Francophone Affairs. Given La Ministre’s attitude to officials (who of course know far less than their minister), she would probably be better advertising for a butler who could at least ensure that her tastes for fine food and wine are appropriately met and accounted for beyond the prying eyes of the unsympathetic taxpayer.
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By Stephen Pate, PEI Disability Alert, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, February 5, 2009

Ed – this report was sent to the PEI and other media and our contacts at UPEI 10 minutes ago.

Accessible entrance and exit doors are required to have an approved power opener with buttons placed inside and outside the door. Only one of the 4 exit doors has an electronic opener with buttons. That door is inaccessible with a 50mm drop after the aluminum threshold.

These are just two incidents that we investigated at random on the University campus. UPEI management refuses to discuss any disability issues with us so we took them to the City of Charlottetown, Planning Department who ignored our warnings.
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School Superintendent Sandy MacDonald, building a police state without freedom of speech

Superintendent to provide written report on school closing impact by Feb 10, 2009,

Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, Feb. 3 2009

The Eastern School Board put the request last Saturday to Sandy MacDonald to hold a meeting on school closing impacts on Friday February 6, 2009 5 PM and have a written report ready by Tuesday February 10, 2009. That gives Sandy, let’s see, 16 hours of work time to write about all about the impact on the children in his schools. Wow! That’s not much time but he’s smart. I bet he has the report written up already, before the meeting, and before the public consultations at new meetings. Yeah that Sandy, he’s just as foxy as Premier Ghiz. You make up your mind and write beautiful reports to justify it. I wonder if he’ll be using Ascent Stategy like Ghiz? That’s why we pay him the big bucks. I better be careful what I say because he has lawyers to threaten me with gag orders or a gag.

Methodology, statistics, demographics slanted by patronage contract

Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, Feb. 1 2009

The enrollment report being used to close down 11 rural schools may be as phony as a $3 bill. The report was prepared at a cost of $93,000 by Ascent Strategies a well known recipient of patronage contracts from the Ghiz Liberal government. “Schools for Tomorrow: Building and Sustaining High Quality Education Programs” builds what appears to be a solid case for school closures. Strategis is controlled by Myrtle Jenkins-Smith a local event organizer who has turned her hand to anything Robert Ghiz wants fixed. The Ghiz government has been hiring Jenkins Smith through a variety of companies to execute the orders of the government. The conclusions in the enrollment report were given to Jenkins-Smith before the ink was dry on the contract – close rural schools. Jenkins-Smith then dusted off some older reports and re-wrote what Ghiz wanted with a new cover.
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Georgetown Mayor Peter Llewelyn speaks out against urban bias in Liberal government

Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, Feb. 2 2009

“Rural PEI produces 100% of the agriculture, 100% of the fishing, 80% of the tourism. Why do we get 5% of the respect.” Mayor Llewellyn told the 300 people in Covehead a the kick off meeting of PEI Rural Alliance. “When did it start” that rural PEI was separate from the rest of PEI Llewellyn told the receptive crowd. Llewellyn called on the government to show leadership in building a plan that will address the real problems of rural PEI and not shut down the schools. “We’re getting fed up. We’re not mad and we’re not going to throw any shoes.” he told the MLA’s, School Superintendant Sandy MacDonald and trustees in attendance. “We need money, let’s sit down and talk. We need teachers, let’s sit down and talk. Refusing to talking to us is not an option. We’re voters, we’re taxpayers and we’re from PEI.”

PEI Disability Alert announces the Disability Bigot of 2008 Award

Stephen Pate, NJN Network, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, Feb. 2 2009

One of my favourite articles Oh UPEI we stand on guard for thee, the adventures of Chucky the Beaver received an inscrutable comment “What a f***ing moronic blog.” In algebra you solve from the known to the unknown. I check the word moronic “A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years.” Hmmm. Not much luck there. What does “f***ing” mean. If one takes the asterisks to indicate missing letters it could mean: failing, farming, fussing or funking. There are 506 words that that match the writer’s anagram and I lost interest after 10.
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By Melissa Barton,

My son Alex Barton was voted out of kindergarten because he has Aspergers Syndrome. His teacher Wendy Portillo was suspended for one year. YET< Monday she fights her suspension in FT Pierce FL. I need your help to prevent this monster from ever teaching again. Please read the article.

Alex Barton teacher’s suspension appeal to be heard Monday in Fort Pierce

From TC Palm, Palm Beach County, FL

FORT PIERCE — Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo, who got worldwide attention after she led her kindergarten students to vote out classmate Alex Barton, will be heard Monday morning as she appeals her one-year unpaid suspension. Portillo got the suspension after a lengthy St. Lucie County Schools investigation into the incident. Alex was 5 years old last May when he was voted out by classmates. He was in the process of being diagnosed with a type of autism.
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By Paul MacNeill, Eastern Graphic, Montague, PE, Canada January 28, 2009

Supporters of small schools would likely fail if their only defense for keeping the schools open were an emotional one.

Since a report calling for the closure of 11 schools in the Eastern School District was announced a couple of weeks ago, we’ve seen a lot of emotion. And with just cause. The schools have been, and continue to be, an integral cog in the communities they serve.
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