Otir · Storify

Sandy 2012: how we weather a historic monster storm

Otir — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:06:34 GMT

Storified by Otir · Mon, Oct 29 2012 10:06:34

RT @LewisboroDV: Metro-North Service May Be Halted Sunday Ahead of Sandy http://bit.ly/PdwV0F
— Otir · Sun, Oct 28 2012 05:06:59

Flood Watch for South Salem, NY (10590) - http://www.weather.com/weather/today/10590?cm_ven=Twitter via @weatherchannel
— Otir · Sun, Oct 28 2012 18:03:30

The wind just started picking up & whistling at my windows. Right when I thought I'd go to sleep. Rats. #Sandy #Westchester
— Otir · Sun, Oct 28 2012 19:34:22

“@fema: Now that you've prepared for #Sandy, the next step is to check on your neighbors- make sure they're ready too. We're in it together”
— Otir · Sun, Oct 28 2012 19:37:03

DO NOT attempt to travel anywhere during peak of the storm i.e Monday pm thru Tuesday am : projectiles likely to be a hazard #Sandy #koc
— Otir · Sun, Oct 28 2012 23:32:34

Calm before the storm · immalo

RT @DagmarBleasdale: are you ready? Some tips & >> Getting Ready for #Hurricane #Sandy, and Kind Of Enjoying It http://bit.ly/S5hply
— Otir · Mon, Oct 29 2012 00:24:32

Sandy to Blast, Batter Connecticut

While the track of Sandy into New England from the southeast is not expected, the large storm will still cause big problems in Connecticu...

National Weather Service reporting 24-foot seas off of New Jersey ahead of Hurricane Sandy - @cnnbrk

Keeping the pressure · immalo

Hommage to Jean Giraud, alias Moebius, RIP

Otir — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:54:18 GMT

Jean Giraud, alias Gir, alias Moebius, "father" of Blueberry and creator of SF died in Paris at age 73 on March 10, 2012.

Storified by Otir · Sun, Mar 11 2012 11:54:18

Jean Giraud, alias Moebius est bien décédé ce matin. Confirmation de son épous et sa belle soeur que je viens d'avoir au téléphone. #Moebius
— Mathieu Charrier · Sat, Mar 10 2012 03:12:36

ARCHIVE - #JeanGiraud alias #Moebius évoque son travail sur le plateau de Bernard Pivot en 1982 http://bit.ly/yfwaqL
— Mathieu Charrier · Sat, Mar 10 2012 05:02:57

I bow in reverence for you, Moebius. Your body died today, your work is more alive than ever. Will remember forever your house, your smile.
— Paulo Coelho · Sat, Mar 10 2012 05:06:12

Le grand Moebius est mort aujourd'hui . Le grand Moebius est encore vivant http://www.leparisien.fr/loisirs-et-spectacles/le-dessinateur-moebius-est-mort-10-03-2012-1899063.php
— Paulo Coelho · Sat, Mar 10 2012 05:09:37

Moebius (1938 - March 10, 2012) > http://bit.ly/wyNY6o
— Paulo Coelho · Sat, Mar 10 2012 05:28:08

Enki Bilal en réaction à la mort de #Moebius "c'était le plus grand artiste graphiste ... Le phare de notre génération"
— Mathieu Charrier · Sat, Mar 10 2012 05:35:17

ARCHIVE HOMMAGE VIDEO - Interview de #Moebius http://bit.ly/A39CXf
— Mathieu Charrier · Sat, Mar 10 2012 06:43:53

Farewell Mr. Giraud http://post.ly/5uNVU #Blueberry #RIP
— Angel Wings Web · Sat, Mar 10 2012 15:59:18

RIP Jean Giraud aka Moebius | biblioklept

12 hours ago ... RIP Jean Giraud aka Moebius ... likely his largest body of work Blueberry, but folks new to Giraud might wish to start...

Although Giraud’s work is more famous in Europe, and particularly France and Belgium, where comics tend to get more of the artistic esteem they deserve, his influence on contemporary American comics and sci-fi film design should not be underestimated.

The comics industry remembers Moebius, 'a true master of ...

10 hours ago ... “I met Jean Giraud on a couple of occasions. ... “What I see, whether it's Lt. Blueberry squinting into the dust o...

Jean Giraud lives one of the most interesting double lives in comics history. Under his own name, he is the artist of the legendary 'Blueberry' western series, and under the pseudonym of Moebius, he is one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century.

R.I.P. Jean "Moebius" Giraud (1938-2012) - Comics Alliance

3 hours ago ... R.I.P. Jean "Moebius" Giraud (1938-2012) ... visionary talent for his work on such projects as The Incal, Blu...

Hailed as a visionary talent for his work on such projects as The Incal, Blueberry, The Airtight Garage, Arzach, Métal Hurlant and much, much more, it is practically impossible to overstate Giraud's influence on modern comics and science fiction.

Jean Giraud, AKA Moebius, passed away today. He was an absolute giant in the fields of comics and science fiction and I was saddened to hear of his passing. This is a drawing I did this afternoon as a small tribute. Personal work, 2012 · cameron-stewart

RIP Moebius. PS if you don't like the David Lynch version of Dune, fuck you.
— Simon Berman · Sat, Mar 10 2012 19:20:08

RIP " Moebius ". One of the greatest comic illustrators of all time passed on earlier today. I first learned of Jean Henri Gaston Giraud AKA Moebius when I purchased a copy of a new, at the time, adult oriented sci fi comic " Heavy Metal ". It was the americanized version of the french mag Metal Hurlant ". Giraud introduced a character of his creation " Arzach " in that first issue. He continued on, giving readers many more fine entries to enjoy. He was a major influence in his chosen genre and beyond. Giraud was concept artist for the films Tron and Alien. If you have viewed Luc Besson's film " the Fifth Element " you have glimpsed a bit of the mind of Moebius. Essential reading " the Airtight Garage of Jerry Cornelius ". Thank you Moebius for making our world more interesting through giving us a look into yours.
— John Coiro · Sat, Mar 10 2012 17:56:03

Incrível doc do mestre das HQ`s, muito recomendado: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhgb8j_in-search-of-moebius-jean-giraud-clip1-3_shortfilms
— Orlando Fonseca Jr. · Sat, Mar 10 2012 17:29:25

Falleció el dibujante Jean Giraud, padre de Blueberry

El dibujante y guionista francés Jean Giraud, alias 'Moebius', creador del famoso cómic Blueberry, falleció este s&a...

R.I.P. Trey Pennington of Greenville, SC

Otir — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 02:37:30 GMT

Trey Pennington, a well known figure in social media marketing and a talented author lost his life to suicide on Sept 4, 2011 morning. As the news ripples through Twitter, sadness and questions are spreading, with talks about depression

Storified by Otir · Thu, Oct 27 2011 00:04:39

Sure am thankful for online friends who are real friends offline, too. Love you.
— treypennington · Sun, Sep 04 2011 07:21:10

i1095.photobucket.com

I've been told that Trey Pennington was pronounced dead roughly 15 minutes ago...
— Jay Handler · Sun, Sep 04 2011 10:16:03

The Difference Between Me and Trey Pennington | Intuitive Bridge

Trey Pennington committed suicide today, on the steps of a church in South Carolina. He was a marketing genius, a dad, a sweet, intelligent person. He believed in the ability of people and had the unique skills to carefully relate marketing and social media in a real, easy-to-understand way.

My heart is broken. I don't know what to say. Trey Pennington we love you so much. I really don't understand. I really don't.
— Logan Stewart · Sun, Sep 04 2011 10:50:07

The report on Facebook and here on Twitter is that @TreyPennington took his own life today. This is unutterably heartbreaking.
— Steve Woodruff · Sun, Sep 04 2011 11:17:51

For all of you surprised by the @treypennington story, realize that depression is everywhere. Be the best person you can be.
— chrisbrogan · Sun, Sep 04 2011 11:34:42

As someone who has personally suffered from depression, please know there is help out there. You are not alone.
— johnmorgan · Sun, Sep 04 2011 11:40:02

On @treypennington's FB "one of the worst things about Social Media is we can be surrounded by so many and still feel completely alone."
— markofrespect · Sun, Sep 04 2011 12:18:52

Trey Pennington took His own life Today. He never reached out. I never reached in.....
— Stephen J. Caggiano · Sun, Sep 04 2011 12:29:54

Just learnt another life lost to suicide. Someone who was first known on social media http://t.co/6DH5Y1F Let's talk abt depression openly
— angelwingsweb · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:36:08

Gutted to hear @treypennington has died. I hope his family have the support they need. #depression affects affects so many, as does suicide.
— Documentally · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:42:19

RIP @treypennington - you were a great storyteller and marketer. Please pray for his family. Suicide is incredibly difficult and sad.
— jeanalawrence · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:37:13

News of @treypennington's death is making the rounds on Twitter. I ache a bit 2day. Life is precious. Know you're valued. Stick around, pls?
— journeyscript · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:40:34

Trey Pennington & Jay Handler · EntrepreneurPodcastNetwork

@treypennington Still don't understand but hope you're at peace. I'll always be grateful for opportunities you gave me during my time in Gvl
— lbstewart · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:41:35

Just heard about @TreyPennington's death. Today the internet mourns. He will be missed. RIP.
— AnnaOBrien · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:41:43

Get Some Help

May 7, 2010 by Steve Woodruff I'm a happy man. I wake up with peace in my heart, and hope for the future. Most days, anyway! For many years - decades - I lived under a dark cloud. Depression was a constant companion, so woven into my experience that I did not even know how bad off I was.

Who haven't you caught up with lately that matters to you? Just one person. Take a moment and connect.
— chrisbrogan · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:45:46

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255): Suicide hotline, 24/7 free and confidential, nationwide network of crisis centers
— ButYouDontLookSick.com · Sun, Sep 04 2011 13:15:57

Emotion in the community after teenagers deface home and vehicles with anti-semitic graffiti

Otir — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:21:45 GMT

Storified by Otir · Wed, Oct 26 2011 23:10:31

(VIN) Lewisboro, NY – 4 Teens Face Hate-Crime Charges After Swastikas Spray-Painted On House: Lewisboro, NY – Fo... http://bit.ly/jB79YJ
— JewishNewsFeeds · Sat, Jun 11 2011 20:17:07

Four Local Youths Charged With Hate Crime in Painted Swastika Incident

Four teenagers from the Lewisboro area allegedly spray-painted anti-Semitic marks on a home in South Salem. Four local youths are scheduled to appear in Lewisboro Town Court on Monday night after allegedly spray-painting anti-Semitic slurs and Swastikas on the home and neighborhood of a Jewish family in the Elmwood Road area of Lewisboro early Friday morning.

Lewisboro Teens Facing Hate Crime Charges http://bit.ly/kx77oC
— DailyPoundRidge · Mon, Jun 13 2011 05:35:19

Four youths appeared in Lewisboro town court tonight after being accused of hate crime. What do you think? Read... http://fb.me/Xe2o2l5D
— bedkatonahpatch · Mon, Jun 13 2011 19:22:41

Letter to the Editor: Swastika Stands for Hatred

Rabbi David Greenberg of Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford responds to the arrest of four local youths accused of a hate crime in Lewisboro. Editor's Note: On Friday, four local youths were arrested after being accused of painting swastikas and anti-Semetic slurs on the home of a Jewish family in Lewisboro.

People in Lewisboro are talking about the four local youths accused of a hate crime. What do you think about this... http://fb.me/A0qYBftT
— bedkatonahpatch · Sun, Jun 12 2011 19:21:07

Hate crime charge dropped against teens for anti-Semitic vandalism as targeted victim was recently arrested for allegedly assaulting one of them

A column in response to comments on a story about the swastika-graffiti incident in Lewisboro. Hope some of the... http://fb.me/HQEKQWDj
— bedkatonahpatch · Tue, Jun 14 2011 12:55:43

Hate Crime Charges Against Lewisboro Youths Replaced by Aggravated Harassment

The change in charges were revealed during the youths' court appearance Monday night.

Hate Crime Charges Against Lewisboro Youths Replaced by Aggravated Harassment

The change in charges were revealed during the youths' court appearance Monday night. The hate crime charges against four Lewisboro teens were replaced by aggravated harassment charges on Monday, according to Lucian Chalfen, a spokesperson for the Westchester County District Attorney's Office. "We did not drop the hate crime charges," said Chalfen.

Emotions Run High at Teen Hate Crime Arraignment | The Daily Lewisboro

At an emotionally charged hearing held Monday night at the Lewisboro Town Court, four area teenagers were arraigned on several felony hate crimes. The charges stem from a vandalism spree that took place late Friday night into early Saturday morning in which the defendants allegedly spray painted swastikas and anti-Semetic slurs on the Elmwood Road home of the Schecter family in Lewisboro.

Reactions and opinions from members of the community, from Katonah Lewisboro Board of Education and the Jewish Family Congregation rabbi

A Reminder to Remain Vigilant

A Message from Katonah Lewisboro Board of Education President, Michael R.

Rabbi: Restore Peace to Our Community

A letter to the editor from Rabbi Carla Friedman of the Jewish Family Congregation. June 15, 2011Sivan 13, 5771To The Editor:I am writing to express my concern about the recent events which involved local youth in defacing various properties, including a private home, Post Office vehicles and our local high school, with anti-Semitic graffiti.

Life In Lewisboro - A Sad Day for the Community : Dana Ramos -- Blog

A Sad Day for the Community Almost every one of us chose to live in Lewisboro for the same reason: A good, safe place with excellent schools for our children. We knew the commute to the city was long and there was a scarcity of retail stores, but that was part of the point.

Anti-Semitic aftermath http://t.co/NKJdsnF
— angelwingsweb · Thu, Jun 23 2011 04:03:21

Spray painting case adjourned to August: http://t.co/RvAqOkq #swastika #southsalem
— angelwingsweb · Fri, Jul 15 2011 06:43:01

Lewisboro Teens Face More Charges in Graffiti Case | The Daily Pound Ridge

LEWISBORO - The four Lewisboro teens accused of spray painting anti-Semitic graffiti on a South Salem residence, as well as vandalizing several postal trucks and road signs, were hit with two more charges - both misdemeanors - in town court Monday night.

And in a nearby community, a new event - dubbed an "anomaly" by the local rabbi - makes the headlines too:

After Hate Crime Accusation, Pleasantville Looks for "Teachable Moment"

Two PHS students are charged with felony harassment. Two unnamed Pleasantville youths, both 16, face felony harassment charges after they allegedly placed multiple anti-Semitic phone calls to a local family over an extended period of time. According to the Mount Pleasant Police Department, who said the arrests were made following a month-long investigation, "they targeted a Jewish family based on their religion."

Strauss-Kahn Case

Otir — Thu, 19 May 2011 23:27:28 GMT

This is the story that is pushing lots of my buttons.

Storified by Otir · Thu, Oct 27 2011 01:39:59

Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrives for sex case bail hearing | @scoopit http://bit.ly/ktlOOt
— angelwingsweb · Thu, May 19 2011 09:34:03

A plea has not yet been entered in the case, although his lawyers have said he does plan to plead not guilty. #dsk indicted by grand jury.
— angelwingsweb · Thu, May 19 2011 12:02:08

Breaking: Indictment against #DSK has been filed
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 11:37:25

Judge calls recess. Large chunk of defence statement will never be recorded thanks to an over-exuberant police siren outside
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 12:10:22

Bill Taylor, Strauss-Kahn's attorney, talking to Anne Sinclair in recess. She asks how #DSK is. Taylor: "Depressed. He hates this."
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 12:14:30

Meanwhile in France, there is definitely a new soul-searching on media practices about questions of violence against women...

msnbc.com Video Player

And outside of New York Supreme Court

Yfrog - photo - Uploaded by edemareschal · yfrog.com

Recess over. #DSK - in a grey suit and pale blue formal shirt - back in court
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 12:50:30

#DSK BAILED
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 12:52:26

Bail demand is $1m cash, $5m guarantee, and he must live under armed guard 24/7 & be electronically monitored #DSK
— jonswaine · Thu, May 19 2011 13:00:05

The Twitter era... no one watches TV anymore...

Yfrog - photo - Uploaded by edemareschal · yfrog.com

AP News: IMF chief resigns, will make new bid for bail

NEW YORK (AP) - Hours after Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned from his post as manager of the International Monetary Fund - saying he felt compelled to focus his energy on the sexual assault charges he faces - the French politician will try to get out of jail.

msnbc.com Video Player

Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK) arrested for attempted rape in NY

Otir — Mon, 16 May 2011 03:32:08 GMT

Saturday May 14, 2011, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a potential candidate for next presidential elections in France and current IMF chief, was arrested on alleged sexual attack of a maid at a Midtown Manhattan hotel. Waiting for arraignment in NYC.

Storified by Otir · Thu, Oct 27 2011 01:44:29

Dominique Strauss-Kahn · Bond154

DSK interrogé en ce moment même dans le commissariat en face de chez moi, normal. #dsk
— Mickaman · Sun, May 15 2011 01:06:24

Dans la salle d'audience, waiting.
— balasseNY · Sun, May 15 2011 12:52:21

Francois Dufour's Twitter

Fun the way the AP story describes #DSK : 'the white-haired, well-dressed, thrice-married father of four'...Not really the clients over here

DTN News - INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND NEWS: I.M.F. Names Replacement As Chief Awaits Arraignment · DTN News

What the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair did to me · flickr.com

LesNews's Twitter

La victime présumée a identifié Dominique Strauss-Kahn selon un porte parole de la police cité par l'AFP. brk

Ca devient long, des journalistes commencent à partir.
— daftkurt · Sun, May 15 2011 15:40:56

DR - OZAP.com

Le Parisien du 16 mai 2011.

AP: NY police say the maid who accuses (#DSK) of sexually assaulting her in his luxury hotel room picked the Frenchman out of a LINEUP.
— dufourdufour · Sun, May 15 2011 15:12:30

Bystanders are wondering. They would expect PDiddi or Beyonce, they hear IMF. When told "rape" and "French", they laugh.

Les passants sont dubitatifs. Ils s'attendent à P Diddi ou Beyoncé, on leur répond IMF. Qd on leur dit "rape" et "french", ils rient.
— daftkurt · Sun, May 15 2011 16:17:51

Peux pas résister... Quelques photos supplémentaires :) #DSK http://yfrog.com/h3rq7rgj http://yfrog.com/h8karzrj · Pierre_Vincent

New York Criminal Court

yfrog Video : - Uploaded by

Click on the video to comment, share or view other great videos

Three hours later, still nothing.

Toujours rien
— balasseNY · Sun, May 15 2011 16:57:48

Just heard #DSK is STILL at police stn in Harlem. Both his lawyers are here at court. Something strange going on. #StraussKahn
— jonswaine · Sun, May 15 2011 16:56:06

In the meantime, on 124th between 2nd and 3rd Avenue, at Special Victim Unit

The 2012 campaign will be dealing with the race issue

Otir — Mon, 02 May 2011 23:10:13 GMT

The "birth certificate" story will just be the detonator for what the birthers and other tea-party extremists have refused to claim openly: their utmost racism and false discourse.

Storified by Otir · Thu, Oct 27 2011 02:01:20

OBAMA - birth_certificate_whitehouse · flickr.com

Obama's long form birth certificate released so that America can move on to real issues that matter to our future http://goo.gl/fNmdR
— whitehouse · Wed, Apr 27 2011 05:58:17

"We're not going to be able to solve our problems if we're distracted." - POTUS on birth certificate http://www.wh.gov/live
— whitehouse · Wed, Apr 27 2011 06:53:06

The President: "We’ve got big problems to solve…we can solve them, but we’re going to have to focus on them - not on this" http://wh.gov/Cix
— whitehouse · Wed, Apr 27 2011 07:31:33

Obama hopes we can move on to debating issues that matter to the American people. Long form birth certificate: http://wh.gov/Cl6
— whitehouse · Wed, Apr 27 2011 07:04:23

RT @whitehouse: Obama hopes we can move on to debating issues that matter to American pple. Long form birth certificate: http://wh.gov/Cl6
— Otir · Wed, Apr 27 2011 07:05:25

Trump: Obama Birth Certificate Needs Truth Test · AssociatedPress

Some blacks see racism in 'birther' questions http://ff.im/-CcmRO
— Otir · Thu, Apr 28 2011 14:54:46

With President Obama's Birth Certificate, Klansman Trump Reminds Blacks They Will Never Be American · baratunde

Hopefully, some backlash will positively impact all the disgust that have arisen at first, and indignent reactions will move in the right direction to demonstrate how false racism can be.

BREAKING: Facing Trump Backlash, @Groupon Announces It Will Stop Sponsoring The Apprentice http://bit.ly/kzJNQq #ItsHappening
— baratunde · Thu, Apr 28 2011 16:22:47

ThinkProgress » BREAKING: Facing Trump Backlash, Groupon Announces It Will Stop Sponsoring The Apprentice

Potential GOP candidate Donald Trump has been peddling false and malicious attacks on President Obama. He gains much of his prominence from his prime-time NBC show The Apprentice. This morning at 9:30 am on Twitter, ThinkProgress urged concerned citizens to ask Groupon to stop sponsoring the show. Dear @Groupon: Are you going to continue to sponsor The Apprentice and support Donald Trump + his malicious attacks on our President?less than a minute ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply Mome...

Debunking racism where it shows. Even if it means making assumptions, it is just a way to draw the picture. Like a photograph revelator.

ThinkProgress » Trump To Black Journalist: ‘I Know You’re A Big Obama Fan’

Yesterday during his press conference in New Hampshire –- after the cable news networks cut to President Obama’s remarks regarding the release of his long form birth certificate — potential GOP presidential candiate Donald Trump spent some time extolling infrastructure investments made by China and other countries, suggesting the U.S. should follow suit. This prompted Les Trent, a reporter for Inside Edition, to ask Trump: “Isn’t that what President Obama tried to do with his stimulus packag...

Schieffer: Racism underlying Trump's assertions

CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer says "birther" and new "bad grades" slams by Donald Trump on President Obama have strains of racism

Let's see now when and where we are going to hit the most embarrassing political discourse in America.

We're steadily heading towards it.

reading "Whoopi and Joy Behar Call Trump Racist for His ‘Birther’ Beliefs"

Not long after the White House released President Obama’s birth certificate, Whoopi Goldberg seized the opportunity to blast Donald Trump, the nation’s most

David Letterman calls Donald Trump 'racist' | EW.com

David Letterman accused real estate mogul, Celebrity Apprentice star and possible political candidate Donald Trump of being a racist on last night’s edition of CBS...

MSNBC Host Has Latest Trump Racism Charge

Lawrence O'Donnell is the latest media person to level racism charges against potential political candidate Donald Trump., More from myfoxphilly.com

GeorgeStephanopoulos's Twitter

Since President Obama released his birth certificate, will Donald Trump release his tax returns? http://abcn.ws/hzJbMm

KLSD hires a highly controversial superintendent

Otir — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:08:34 GMT

Storified by Otir · Thu, Oct 27 2011 02:24:44

Katonah - Lewisboro School District

During the Spring break the school board announces its search is over and a new Superintendent will be hired on the day school resumes, stirring protests amongst community members and teachers when they learn the chosen candidate is a highly controversial superintendent in Wisconsin who stood next to Gov. Walker when he wanted to strip unions from bargaining rights.

A petition to postpone the hire until the community can learn more about Dr. Paul Kreutzer is launched, and a rally is held before the High School before the board meeting.

Give KLSD more information and allow feedback before hiring Wisconsin's Dr. Paul Kreutzer Petition

Give KLSD more information and allow feedback before hiring Wisconsin's Dr. Paul Kreutzer Petition, hosted at PetitionOnline.com

NewsFlash
JOHN JAY MIDDLE SCHOOL PTO

4/26/11 --

The KLSD Board of Education has posted on the district website a Q&A on the superintendent candidate.

Click below for link.

Questions & Answers on the Anticipated Appointment of Dr. Paul Kreutzer as Superintendent of Schools
for the Katonah-Lewisboro School District

The Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education will decide tonight on whether to appoint Paul Kreutzer as its superintendent. Kreutzer would come to the district from New Berlin, Wisc. In March, he stood with Wisconson Gov. Scott Walker, and supported initiatives that would eliminate collective bargaining for public employees, including teachers. Should Kat-Lew appoint Kreutzer? Cast your vote in our Editorial Board poll:
— LoHud · Tue, Apr 26 2011 09:26:06

Rally in Katonah-Lewisboro - April 26, 2011 · TheHastingsTA

Controversial Wisconsin Educator Set To Take Over As Superintendent In Katonah-Lewisboro

They're normally non confrontational affairs -- the hiring of a school superintendent. But that wasn't the case on Tuesday night in an upscale Westchester County community News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of NY

The John Jay High School cafeteria was packed on a pretty summery evening. Emotional speeches were spoken. The board voted unanimously to hire Dr. Paul Kreutzer after an hour and some more minutes were devoted to letting the public ask questions directed at him.

The school board acknowledged it had done poorly in its communication with the community about the hire - and had not paid attention to the timing of the announcement.

Katonah Lewisboro Superintendent Appointed After Rally

Make Patch better! Take our survey: OK Sorry, maybe next time (survey will open in a new window) Schools The school board unanimously approved Paul Kreutzer of Wisconsin as the new schools chief. By Email the author After a rally where hundreds of educators from school districts throughout Westchester joined a group of parents and teachers from Katonah Lewisboro to protest the hiring of Paul Kreutzer as the next superintendent, the school board unanimously voted to appoint the Wisconsin ed...

Lisa Buchman's Twitter

The Katonah Lewisboro school board unanimously appointed Paul Kreutzer to the position of superintendent tonight,... http://fb.me/IXnTgnQo

Katonah-Lewisboro Hires Superintendent, Over Protests

In Westchester County, a rally opposed a contract for a Milwaukee-area schools chief who endorsed efforts by Wisconsin’s governor to limit collective bargaining rights for teachers.

Wednesday morning, Dr Paul Kreutzer published an open letter to the Katonah-Lewisboro School District community:

Letter to the Editor: An Open Letter to the K-L Community From Paul Kreutzer

Make Patch better! Take our survey: OK Sorry, maybe next time (survey will open in a new window) Opinion The new schools chief introduces himself and his family to residents. Last night, after introducing myself to the public at the Board of Education meeting and fielding questions about who I am and what my professional career has been about over the past 11 years as a superintendent, I was appointed as your new superintendent of schools. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to w...

The day after the meeting, comments went on within the community members. I heard many words ringing like "crazy world" and "thuggish behaviors" but also lots of reflection on what communication in today's age mean, and how it should be (better) dealt with.

School boards should certainly learn from the events.

Kreutzer hired; let's move forward | The Journal News | LoHud.com

Before all is litigated and appealed, there doubtless will be a lot of public officials who wish they had been more circumspect about being videotaped, photographed or otherwise had their moment in the sun with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker memorialized for all of the thinking world to see, pass judgment upon, and no doubt wonder at some point, 'what exactly got into those people?'

Although he faced a passionate wave of criticism on Tuesday, Dr.
Kreutzer, who has attracted controversy with his support of anti-public
union legislation in Wisconsin, said that building trust is the only way
to run a district successfully.

Kreutzer defends actions, responds to critics

Hersam Acorn Newspapers – Your local news source covering Southwestern Connecticut and Westchester County, New York

Dr. Kreutzer defines what success is for him.

Kreutzer talks education

Hersam Acorn Newspapers – Your local news source covering Southwestern Connecticut and Westchester County, New York

After the dust has settled a little, the Board of Education, thinking through their communication mistakes, came back with this message to the community:

Beginning a New Chapter

A Message from Your Board of Education

In replaying the events and emotions of the past several weeks, the Board of Education felt it was important to share some additional sentiments on the hiring of Dr. Paul Kreutzer as our new Superintendent of Schools.

We have heard from a great many people over these past several weeks -- those who shared concerns for what they heard about Dr. Kreutzer, and many others who applauded the Board for our selection of Dr. Kreutzer and for standing firm with our choice. Our perspective is that despite what you may have seen or heard in the media, you can be assured that our focus remained at all times on our community -- our students, our taxpayers, and our staff. We have hired an excellent leader for our district and we look forward to his beginning his term.

Dr. Kreutzer needs to prove himself on the ground to you and to us. He knows this and is looking forward to it, and we are confident this new chapter of leadership will prove successful.

You elected us to establish and maintain the policies that deliver
high-quality educational services and programs, and to ensure that due diligence is being exercised in all facets of district operations. We take this challenge quite seriously, and we invest an enormous amount of personal time and energy on behalf of the community at large. On balance, we think this often produces positive results.

Acknowledging missteps when they occur is important if we are to maintain the community"s trust. While we believe firmly (and unanimously) in our choice of Superintendent and the authenticity of the process that was used, we clearly could have done a better job of managing the timing of the announcement and communicating about the process and the candidate.
We should have had a heightened sense of awareness of the concerns that might be registered from some, and addressed them in a plan that was proactive. It has been an excellent learning experience for us.

We were grateful for the exchanges that occurred at the public meeting on April 26th.
The dialogue was candid and Dr. Kreutzer got to witness, first-hand, the passion, intelligence, and persistence of our community. Being the KLSD Superintendent is a challenging job. To master it one must be always willing to answer difficult questions and face difficult situations. In sum, we say thank you to our community for reminding us what we already knew as a Board: that our residents care greatly about our schools, and that we can resolve conflict and move forward in a positive manner.

About Dr. Kreutzer"s Contract

We thought it was important to note that Dr. Kreutzer is serving the
district under the terms of an agreement that is quite different from
those of prior Superintendents. The Board chose to remake the terms and conditions of the contract to better reflect current realities in our region today, especially in regard to incentivizing performance, which is quickly becoming a more readily accepted operating principle in public education.

Term of agreement:
New York State law provides that contracts with School Superintendents must be a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years.

Dr.Kreutzer"s contract runs from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2016; however, after three years, the District is permitted to unilaterally terminate the agreement without compensation. Most Superintendent contracts in our area are fiscally binding on the District for the entire term of the agreement. Further, most
Superintendent contracts have complicated, burdensome and expensive arbitration provisions that are absent from our contract with Dr. Kreutzer.

Compensation: Dr. Kreutzer"s first year base salary will be $245,000. Thereafter, in order to give the District as much flexibility as possible, annual pay raises and bonuses, if any, will be granted at Board discretion. The contract also provides that a salary increase, if granted, can be no more than $10,000 in any one year. To put it bluntly: there are no automatic raises or bonuses. Any increases must be earned.

This base salary is at the low end of Superintendent salaries at comparable school districts in our area and at the midpoint for districts in Westchester County.

Active Health Care: If Dr. Kreutzer elects medical coverage for himself from the District, he will pay 50% of the single employee rate. If he elects family coverage, he will pay 50% of the single rate plus 100% of the incremental expense of the family rate. In our District and in comparable area districts, Superintendents generally pay premiums in the 15% - 25% range and that percentage applies to both single and family
coverage.

Retiree Healthcare:
Typical Superintendent contracts provide retiree medical benefits for life to the Superintendent and his/her spouse, generally after
qualifying for NYS retirement income benefits at age 55. The contract with Dr. Kreutzer provides for no retiree medical benefits.

Car Allowance: Dr. Kreutzer gets no car or car allowance. He will be reimbursed for mileage driven for district business at the IRS mileage rate.

We are, first and foremost, your neighbors, elected to serve the community by ensuring that our schools deliver a high-value return on taxpayer investment. We will not waver from that commitment, and look forward to fulfilling our leadership responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with our community"s expectations.