By George

George Marinkov, Methacton High School's iconic football coach and Russian History teacher for almost forty years, was honored at a dinner November 23 during which he and several other area sports luminaries were inducted into the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame. (http://www.mcchof.com/mcchof_banquet.html) Several tables of past players and current colleagues (and SEVEN tables of officials!) were present amongst the 500+ attendees to support "Coach" and celebrate this occasion.

I decided to attend the dinner on behalf of my deceased husband Wesley, who played for George from 1978-1980 and enjoyed every minute of Warrior football, George style. He wouldn't have missed this dinner and seeing Coach again for the world. It was a wonderful event and I had the opportunity to connect with some students and players from 'my' era as well as meet ones who came afterward - all of whom were absolutely wonderful, stellar people.

Also, I had Mr. Marinkov for Russian History in my senior year and his no-nonsense, call-it-as-you-see-it style quickly made him my favorite teacher. You always knew where you stood with George - good, bad or ugly. It's a style I've tried to emulate ever since. No muss, no fuss, no BS.

When it was Marinkov's turn to speak, his remarks and delivery were classic George - minus the ever-present cigar - and it was obvious he was the favorite and most animated speaker of the evening. He brought down the house with his funny recollections of particular players and opposing coaches, relayed in his typical blunt, machine-gun, take-no-prisoners style. For a guy with, shall we say, small stature, he has such a huge presence and personality...you always knew he meant business, and you sure didn't want to mess with him. Most of all, he knew how to lead without being forceful. He knew how to make you want to follow him.  He's one of the reasons my family has continued to attend Methacton football games regularly, even to this day.

(above, he was speaking about how he doesn't 'do' technology like cellphones, and how, even though he isn't sure he deserves this honor, he'll take it anyway...!)

Perhaps his greatest trait, though, is that he can also poke fun at himself. During his remarks, I and others were literally wiping tears of laughter away. Alluding to the perception that his players got away with murder, George quipped,"Of course, the football players all got A's in my class. If you got a C, you had to have been a real jerk". The reality was, George made his class so interesting, so riveting, you couldn't help but do well.

Marinkov was replaced as football coach (rather unceremoniously, some believe), in 2007 when the school administration decided to go in another direction with a new football coach. It was a decision that was very devisive among the players, students and parents, generating a 'bring back George' movement. That experiment has been abandoned and as of this season, Coach is now back on the sidelines as an advisor to his successor, Paul Lepre, a former student. Somehow, to me, anyway, much is right in the Universe again.

Ironically, my son has had Coach as a substitute for a class here and there at the high school, and he, too, adores him and appreciates his style.

I ran into Mr. Marinkov at the high school one day a couple months ago when I was dropping off my son's working papers. He happened to come into the office while I was there. He walked over to me, knowing we knew each other somehow, but he couldn't recall my name (hey, it's only been 30 years!). We reconnected, and I told him how good it was to see him back on the gridiron, how much my husband had loved playing for him, and we talked about how well the team had been doing this year. He said "that's because the guys are being treated like the young men that they are".  Typical George...giving away the credit to the new head coach. However, football-wise, to me, things at Methacton look a lot like they did in 1980. And that's a good thing.

Any guy who can make a dry subject like Russian History interesting and the most looked-forward-to class of the day, AND coach winning teams, is a special person in my book. And I have to think that Coach could not have imagined he'd have made as big an impact on people off the field as on. Congratulations again, George. It's been our pleasure.

See more comments from George here:
http://www.timesherald.com/video/media-32078041/montgomery-county-coaches-hall-of-fame-2010/

Fun with Fees

All parents know the start of school means there’s some ‘homework’ for us parents, too. I’m referring to the blizzard of contact, medical, permission, and other forms and a curriculum/class rules page for each class (for those of us with kids in middle to high school range) to review and fill out. And then there are the packets of Home & School information, which in recent years they have (thankfully) begun sending out via mail in advance of the first day of school, to reduce the chances they’ll be lost or forgotten.

Included in my ‘homework’ was an explanation about the newly implemented student activity fee and a form to complete and include with your check. The student activity fee is supposed to help offset the cost of providing athletic and other after-school programs to students.

The fee is set at $50 per family. Now, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that families who have, say, three children involved in after-school activities versus people like me, who have one, are essentially paying a lower per-child rate. The rate for that family breaks out at about $16 per kid, versus mine, who’s costing the full $50.

What was the school board thinking? How did they arrive at this figure? Isn’t the impact of a family of three kids on costs to provide after-school services more significant than one, and shouldn’t that cost be borne fairly by those families whose impact is greater? In other words, shouldn’t the family of three be paying $150? Or, should the family of one be paying $16?

Whatever that actual offset point is that the school board was trying to arrive at, they have clearly not assessed it fairly. I personally know of several parents who have contacted Methacton to complain about this, but from what I’m hearing it was treated in a dismissive manner to the parents as a minor issue. I have to wonder how many parents did what I did, which is to blow through the packet of papers, sign where necessary, write checks where necessary, and move on. I didn’t catch that the fee was per family, not per child. I have to believe if more parents realized this, there might be more phone calls to the school district.

And by the way, ‘fee’ does not include transportation. Your student who stays after school to participate in activities has no ride home. There are no more ‘late buses’; that was one of the budget cuts the school district implemented. Transportation is on you to arrange and pay for, if necessary.

There seems to be no logic at work here, but then again, this is the same school board that built a school many residents in both Lower Providence and Worcester believe we did not need, and renegotiated the superintendant’s contract early to give him a healthy raise and bonus, at the same time allowing the teacher’s contract to languish for a couple of years without resolution.

Open publication - Free publishing - More student

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

All good things must come to an end, and summer is no exception. As much as I enjoy the kids being home and all of us having a few less things on the ‘to do’ list (not to mention nagging about homework, which we can all do without) I do appreciate when it’s time for them to go back, if for no other reason than I get to reclaim my house from all the teenagers running in and out, and it stays clean longer. 

Methacton’s doors reopen on September 7 – but for how long? The number one question I’ve been hearing in recent weeks is not IF we’re going to have to deal with a strike, but when, and for how long? Already many of the kids are eagerly looking forward to a little extended time off.

An update posted at the end of July on the school district website explains where the school district believes the process is at the moment and the timeline of events in play going forward. If both parties go through the steps in the maximum time allotted for each, MEA, if no progress is made and they so choose, could potentially go on strike approximately September 22, but I think it’s safe to say anything after mid-September is a real possibility.

If they do, collective bargaining law (Act 1992-88) dictates that a first strike must end if 180 days of school cannot be completed by June 15, or the last day of school as designated on the instructional calendar, whichever is later. Following the first teacher strike, the Board and MEA would be required to submit to mandatory nonbinding arbitration. Following the mandatory non-binding arbitration process, which could take place over as little as 65 calendar days but usually lasts much longer (and during which the public gets ten days to comment on the ‘final best’ contract offers) a second strike could occur. The second strike must end when 180 days of school cannot be completed by June 30.

Attempts to contact Methacton Education Association president Diana Kernop for a status update or comment on their position were not returned.

The next Methacton School Board meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night, August 24 at 8 pm in the Arcola auditorium. As I’m sure the subject will come up, you might want to attend to get the most recent information or to ask questions.

In the Light of Day

In case you haven’t yet heard, Methacton School District is holding a rare daytime meeting for residents on Friday, June 4 at 11 am in the large group instruction room at the high school to present an outline of the 2010-2011 proposed budget and to take questions about it.

Dr. Timothy Quinn, Methacton’s Superintendent of Schools, said in a press release that ‘members of the community expressed interest’ in a daytime meeting for those who have otherwise been unable to participate in the budget process via other electronic means or at the evening meetings until now. While I applaud this latest step toward more transparency and responsiveness, it’s not entirely as proactive as the press release would make it seem.

The school district only considered such a meeting because a Worcester resident collected petitions in both Worcester and Lower Providence from primarily senior citizens (who shoulder a significant chunk of the tax increases on fixed incomes), requesting that they be so accommodated. Nevertheless, it’s yet another opportunity for our residents to have input and dialogue with the governing body that is, to date, solely responsible for increases in your property tax bill.

There are a lot of numbers being tossed around, but the bottom line as it stands right now, with the cuts proposed to date, is that the average tax bill for Lower Providence househoulds will rise $235.08 for the year – primarily to pay down the debt load on the new Skyview middle school (and to staff it) slated to open later this year. That’s bad enough by itself, but don’t forget, caps on electricity are set to be removed in January 2011, causing electric rates to rise approximately 40%. Our seniors in particular are understandably very concerned, since their incomes are not rising at commensurate rates (heck, my salary isn’t either).

When it comes to Methacton Education Association (MEA), my understanding is that the proposed budget numbers only include what the school district has already offered to the teachers. A question I hope somebody asks is what they plan to do if the teachers keep asking for more, and strike until they get it. Where in the budget would that money come from?

As for that issue, I’m told that the school district and MEA are supposed to be negotiating today, June 2, as I write this, and that they will stay at the bargaining table up to twelve hours. Hopefully, today’s session will shed more light on the status of our budget for Friday’s meeting. I highly suggest you try to make it to that meeting and be heard if you have issues. Final budget approval is slated for the June 22 school board meeting.


For more information, check out the Methacton School District’s website at www.methacton.org.

War(rior) Paint

The striking teachers in the North Penn School District could soon have company if their neighbors to the south, the teachers of the Methacton Education Association (MEA) serving Methacton School District, go through with their intention to walk off the job if negotiations on a new contract break down.

In early March, MEA notified Methacton School District that they were implementing the 'work to rule' provision of their contract, which is more a display of solidarity and a small scaleback in their participation of noncontractual obligations than a threat, but still, it moves MEA one step closer to going on strike.

 With only 48 hours' notice to the school district, MEA's leadership could choose to strike, since members of the teachers' association recently voted to permit their leadership to initiate a work stoppage at will.

Since negotiations have been ongoing since 2008 and the teachers have been without a contract since June  2009, I have to wonder at what point MEA, frustrated with the lack of progress, will flex their muscle and go out on strike, using whatever leverage they have - imminent June graduation comes to mind as one potential chip - to move negotiations forward.


The school district's website indicates that negotiations are still ongoing and progress is being made, and the next negotiating session is scheduled for May 3.


Unfortunately for MEA, the timing could not be worse to be in the midst of contract negotiations.


The Methacton School Board finance committee recently reviewed a list of 27 proposed budget cuts totaling $1,102,359 from the fiscal 2010 preliminary budget. The $1.1 million in cuts will maintain the budget’s millage increase at 1.55 mills to 25.79 mills, a 6.4 percent real estate tax increase. The millage increase will boost the average homeowner’s tax bill by $272.71 to $4,537.54 based on an average assessment of $175,942.


That's if their labor costs stay the same, which they certainly won't (or else any strike will be endless). And that's if they actually make all those budget cuts - which some people are already screaming about, such as proposed elimination of the T1 program or closing the swimming pool at the high school - or substitute any of those items on the list that are spared with something else of equal savings.


The proposed fiscal 2010 cuts come on the heels of last year's budget, in which measures other than spending reductions were taken in order to keep the budget trim. Other revenue sources, including a transfer of  $1.1 million from the capital reserve fund, reduced the original proposed 6.7% tax increase to 3.92%. The small percentage of our school budget that comes from state and federal subsidies will surely be even smaller going forward as those sources are already strained and experiencing shortfalls in funding to provide their critical services.
 
Obviously, we can't transfer money from the reserve fund every year. And MEA's members are likely to be unwilling to settle for the kinds of reduced or eliminated pay raises and benefit contributions that those of us still fortunate enough to be working full time have had to
 accept in a poor labor market.


So far, the war paint is on, but no one has raised a tomahawk just yet. At some point, however, the rubber will have to meet the road, and it may not be pretty when it does.

Don't Rain on My Parade

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for a long time, but due to scheduling conflicts never did...I attended the Conshohocken St. Patrick's Day parade (because it had been rained out on its original date and rescheduled to yesterday probably helped make this happen). Aside from my pride in celebrating my Irish heritage, I enjoyed it as  a wonderfully executed event and recognized that it spoke volumes about that community's commitment and unity. A community parade is as much a part of Americana as are Chevrolets and apple pie.

It reminded me of the time back in 2005 when Lower Providence held a parade as part of its yearlong Bicentennial activities. As I was on the Board of Supervisors at the time, filling in for a member who'd had to resign mid-term due to health issues, I had the privilege and pleasure of participating in that parade, riding in a convertible with one of the other supervisors at the time, Jim Dougherty. Passing by and waiving to residents who'd parked their lawn chairs and blankets along the parade route to watch, I distinctly remember how  proud I felt of our township  that day and how amazing it was that everyone had come together for an event whose sole purpose was to celebrate our beginnings all those years ago and our two hundred years worth of history since.


There was talk at the time of making it an annual event, but nothing ever came of that. While I recognize it's a lot of time and effort to put something like this on, I suspect that if you know you're going to do it every year, some things become easier. We could tie it to the Fourth of July fireworks and do it the same day, leading up to it. Corporate sponsors would likely be willing to underwrite some or all of the costs, which would primarily involve traffic control and public works - and they already do cover the costs of the fireworks event.

It would be a great opportunity for our civic groups, athletic associations and other local organizations to promote themselves and maybe do a little fundraising while they're at it. Think about it: we could have Methacton's reigning homecoming king and queen and marching band participate. Float entries from ARA, the Wolverines, the Cougars (and other sports organizations). School organizations, such as Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD). Perhaps the Optimists Club, the Lower Providence Historical Society, Mill Grove and Daughters of the American Revolution would participate.

Institutions such as Visitation, Lower Providence Presybterian Church or St. James Episcopal might want to celebrate their longtime presence in this community. Veterans' organizations. Ethnic organizations. Classic cars. Horse-drawn wagons. And of course, our fire department, public works and police departments could show off their latest equipment and units (K-9, motorcyle etc.). Neighboring community organizations in Worcester, West Norriton, Skippack and Collegeville would be welcome to have entries too. Last but not least, it would be yet another opportunity for our elected officials to be seen in public and available to those that elected them.

To make it even more interesting, perhaps their could be a competition for the most creative float design. And, since in my opinion there are really two 'main drags' through the township - one being Ridge Pike and the other along Egypt Road in Audubon - perhaps we could alternate parade routes between the two every year.

I think a community like Lower Providence could especially benefit from something like this. Too often, it seems to me that the residents here tend to be concerned only with what's going on only in their part of the township - Trooper or Audubon or Collegeville - and forget that people in other parts might think differently. It can become easy to forget that we all share the same government, school district, and community. 

Possibly, an annual parade might bring us all together and remind us that outside of our own neighborhoods, Lower Providence is populated with people from all over its boundaries, people with different concerns, priorities and perspectives that also need to be weighed when decisions are made that affect all of us. An event such as this can, I think, go a long way toward helping to unify us when we are presented with issues that threaten to divide us.

And yes, I realize that when one proposes something like this, one is essentially volunteering to coordinate it. I have no problem with that, but it's really up to our elected officials whether we do it or not. Let them know your thoughts.