New school board member resigns after son's diagnosis
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 3:23 p.m., Tuesday, August 11, 2009
SCHENECTADY -- A newly elected city school board member who vowed to make the district more transparent has resigned.
Joyce Wachala e-mailed other school board members this morning to let them know she's leaving the post she won in May. Her election was a signal of city voters' discontent, as Wacahala and another newcomer, Diane Herrmann, defeated two candidates endorsed by Jeff Janiszewski, who was president at the time and was succeed in that post by Maxine Brisport. Janiszewski remains on the board, serving in a term that runs through May.
Wachala, who co-owns Arthur's Market in the Stockade, said she must now focus on her 3-year-old son, who was recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
"I fought so hard to get on the ballot. I wouldn't have simply given up," said Wachala, whose residency was questioned by the district before officials validated her nominating petition. "But I have to fight for what I have to do with my son."...........>>>>...................>>>>.............http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=829957
Diabetes is a serious illness. ESPECIALLY when it starts that young! It's too bad for the school system, but she did the right thing! FAMILY FIRST!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Sch’dy schools: 1 step ahead, 1 step back Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com.
It sometimes seems the people of Schenectady can’t win. In the recent election for two seats on the school board, voters clobbered the two candidates most closely associated with the ruling clique and overwhelmingly elected two dissident outsiders who promised greater openness. And now what happens just a month and a half after the two new members were seated? One of them up and quits (for understandable family reasons), leaving the ruling clique led by Jeff Janiszewski in a position to appoint a replacement of its choosing, thus, in effect, nullifying the election, or half the election. And this comes shortly after a challenge to the school district’s notorious budget scam got bungled, so that in all likelihood the scam will stand. I refer to the concoction of an inflated “contingency” budget, with a 15.8 percent tax increase, used as a cudgel to knock people into voting, by the slimmest of margins, for a budget with a 5.8 tax increase. An employee of the state Education Department acting ex offi cio and anonymously put together a petition per Education Law to undo the scam but then collected more signatures from people who were not qualified to sign than from people who were. And now this. Now the surprise resignation of Joyce Wachala, who got the second highest number of votes in the election, far ahead of the third-place finisher, who had been recruited by Janiszewski, and the fourth-place finisher, who was a sitting member of the board. She has a child with recently diagnosed health problems she must care for and admitted to me that the board position made greater demands on her time than she expected. What’s more, she and her family may be moving back to Ballston Spa, where they came from not long ago. So that’s that, and now Janiszewski & Co. will have another crack at filling the seat, at least until the next election, which will be in May of next year. They could simply appoint one of the two losers from the last time around, or they could conduct a secretive process as they have done in the past. ...............>>>>...........>>>>.............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01300&AppName=1
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer Last updated: 2:20 p.m., Monday, August 17, 2009
SCHENECTADY -- The city school board has called a special meeting for 7 tonight to discuss how to replace new school board member Joyce Wachala, who abruptly resigned last week.
Wachala's exit disheartened the board's other newcomer, Diane Herrmann, who along with Wachala defeated candidates backed by former school board President Jeff Janiszewski. The surprise wins likely signaled discontent among voters upset over with various controversies plaguing the district, such as a 6 percent tax increase in this year's budget, the investigation of former facilities supervisor Steven Raucci and the closing of Howe magnet school.........>>>>...........>>>>...........
SCHENECTADY Ousted member back on board Vacant seat given to Bellick, loser in May election BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Despite finishing in last place in May’s election, Linda Bellick is apparently headed back to the Schenectady Board of Education. A majority of the board on Monday informally agreed to appoint her to fill Joyce Wachala’s vacant seat. Wachala resigned just a little more than a month into her fi rst term to care for her 3-year-old son who has been diagnosed with Type I diabetes. The decision did not sit well with Vice President Diane Herrmann, herself a newcomer to the board. “I think that makes a mockery of the election and what people wanted,” she said. “We’re just going to laugh in the faces of those voters — ha ha ha.” There was no support for leaving the seat vacant. Herrmann was the only person on the board who favored a special election. Board Clerk Sal DeAngelo said the cost would be roughly $8,700. Board member Jeff Janiszewski said that seemed low compared to previous election costs. Board member Lisa Russo first suggested reappointing Bellick and called her a “victim of circumstance,” alluding to the controversy surrounding the district involving the indictment of former facilities director Steven Raucci on terrorism charges. She said while she was sorry to lose Wachala’s perspective, Bellick has nine years of experience necessary to step back into the position. Russo also noted that Bellick frequently disagreed with Janiszewski when he was board president. “She’s certainly not Jeff’s puppet,” Russo said. “She’s about the kids. She’s about the parents. She’s about the community. She knows what she’s doing.” Russo also said she did not want to appoint an unknown, then have that person realize they’re in over their head. Herrmann said district residents voted overwhelmingly against Bellick. “You’re calling all the people angry and not informed,” she shot back at Russo, adding that she considered it a huge mistake,.............>>>>................>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....1&Continuation=1
Carl Strock THE VIEW FROM HERE Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com. School board vs. people of Schenectady
You really have to see the Schenectady school board in action to believe it. If I simply tell you about it, you’re going to say I exaggerate. You’re going to say no elected, unpaid members of a body with so benign a purpose as overseeing the education of children could possibly be so contemptuous of the people they purport to serve as to laugh to scorn those people’s own votes. But I can’t help it. I was there last night, in Room 128 of Mont Pleasant Middle School, where the board held a special meeting, and I saw it. The board solemnly decided to fill a recently created vacancy in their ranks by appointing a former confederate of theirs who ran dead last in the May election, that being Linda Bellick, at the same time dismissing out of hand the alternative of holding a special election to fill the seat and also, after some discussion, dismissing even an open interview process in which any resident would be able to submit a résumé and answer questions in public session in order to be considered for appointment. Not even that, which was proposed by Diane Herrmann, the person who won by far the largest number of votes in the election, after her proposal for an election elicited not so much as a murmer of interest. A special election would cost a mere $8,700, the clerk of the board reported, meaning less than half what the school administration paid an inspirational speaker at a recent retreat, but never mind. In the first place, Jeff Janiszewski, the godfather of the board though no longer the president, thought the true figure was $20,000. But it could as well be 20 cents. He and his team have no reason to believe a new election would yield any different result than the May election, which yielded a brisk repudiation of their rule —a rule, let it be recalled, which permitted their head janitor, Steve Raucci, to impose an alleged reign of terror for which he now awaits trial. They were not about to call for a new election after that disaster. ...............>>>>...........>>>>............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00701&AppName=1
What a slap in the face of the taxpayers! I am just speechless!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
These Schenectady School Bored members are idiots! The overwhelming majority of voters stated that they did not want Linda Bellick to serve ANYMORE. She finished dead last.
For them to insult the taxpayers by bringing this cheerleader back is a slap in the face. Nobody can replace Joyce but this is the worst possible candidate. Linda Bellick should stay home and watch her children. They keep blaming the press for their inability to make a rational decision. Bellick, Jeffy and Brisport are all finished next year.
{TU} Lauren Stanforth-8/18/09--The City School Bored plans to appoint former school bored member LINDA BELLICK to fill a recently vacanted seat--the sole incumbent in last May's election who also got the lowest number of votes.
There was tension at the Monday nights special bored meeting, as newcomer/reformist VP Diane Herrmann said the rest of the bored was "laughing at the voters" and that their support of Linda Bellick was "a backroom deal held out in the open".
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Editorial: Sch'dy school board: If at first voters say no ... defy, defy again Wednesday, August 19, 2009
For those Schenectady voters who thought they’d gotten rid of school board member Linda Bellick when they overwhelmingly rejected her in the May election, and sent a message to the board in the process, guess what? She’s b-a-a-a-ck! About to be appointed to fill a vacancy created by the resignation (for family reasons) of Joyce Wachala, one of the two reform-minded newcomers who trounced her in the election. Appointed by her former colleagues on the board, who themselves would almost certainly have met an electoral fate similar to Bellick’s had they been on the ballot. These people are incredible. Their arrogance, brazenness and contempt for the public know no bounds. In fact, if one had to choose between the Schenectady school board and the state Legislature for lack of openness, democracy, or shame, it would be too close to call. Just consider the board’s recent record. After voters rejected its original proposed budget, with a 4.8 percent tax hike, this spring, it came back with an even bigger one, with a 5.8 percent tax hike — and the threat of an artificially inflated contingency budget, with a 15.8 percent tax hike! if voters rejected that. Then, in the face of widespread public disgust with the budget extortion, head custodian Steve Raucci’s alleged reign of terror, manipulation of the Civil Service system to hire family members and coddle Raucci, etc. , the board prematurely extended the contracts of the superintendent and others who were or might have been involved in these matters. And now, at the first opportunity, it shoves Bellick right back in our faces. Those magnanimous election-night “we respect the will of the voters” speeches are for others, not for the Schenectady school board...................>>>>...................>>>>......................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/aug/19/0819_edit1/
Both papers are screaming about this outrage. A working knowledge of French helps for the Gazetto. They must have many French readers?
As usual here, there is a DEM angle to all this crap that no one dares report. Except me. Bellick's husband is long time Schenectady DEM hack/signman. That's what this is all about. Replace a CONS businesswoman with a DEM puppet who has a State job. It will just make it easier to replace all 3 stooges next May.
Logged
These Schenectady School Bored members are idiots! The overwhelming majority of voters stated that they did not want Linda Bellick to serve ANYMORE. She finished dead last. 
BORED BACKS DEFEATED LINDA BELLICK
Both papers are screaming about this outrage. A working knowledge of French helps for the Gazetto. They must have many French readers?
