Reply With QuoteYou are a real piece of work. First your worried about him keeping the suv, now your worried about who they would sell it too? You truly are a nutjob!
New social studies curriculum teaches history in the context of steel towns
Updated: November 24, 2011, 6:23 AM
The history of former American steel towns has been cast into fodder for an innovative social studies curriculum geared toward fourth-graders that, appropriately enough, will start in Lackawanna schools.
City school district and Buffalo State College officials Wednesday announced the initiative at Martin Road Elementary School, where Jill Gradwell, an associate professor at Buffalo State, explained how she and three of her graduate students developed the curriculum.
“We took a notable trade book called ‘Steel Town,’ by Jonah Winter, and developed an extended lesson plan [around the book] where students would evaluate artifacts and primary sources about steel towns and the steel industry, so they would learn about their local communities,” Gradwell said.
Two of the three graduate students, Danielle LaJudice and Jonathan Amidon, joined Gradwell for the announcement.
“Steel Town,” which was illustrated by Terry Widener, has been singled out for recognition by the National Council for Social Studies as a notable book.
“This is an award-winning book, which is why we selected it,” Gradwell said. “When we developed the curriculum, although we were thinking about Lackawanna and the region, we wrote it so that it could be used across the country.”
The curriculum was aligned to national education standards and references not only Lackawanna, but other former steel towns, including Pittsburgh, Pa., and Gary, Ind.
“And we also submitted it to a peer-reviewed social studies journal that accepted [it] for publication in the spring,” Gradwell said.
Martin Road Elementary School Principal Jared Taft predicted the curriculum will resonate with fourth-graders learning history at his school.
“It’s important to know that with mass movement and the power of people, the value of human effort, you can build a city and have it sustained for 100 years,” Taft said.
The City of Lackawanna “just celebrated 100 years last year, so anytime you can connect that to the classroom and make it a real experience for kids, it’s a wonderful thing,” he added.
Lackawanna School Superintendent Nicholas Korach said the book “Images of America: Lackawanna,” by Gerald L. Halligan and John Koerner, will serve as companion source material for students and teachers in the district and also will provide information on Lackawanna’s history as a steel town.
The new curriculum has the seal of approval from the Steel Plant Museum of Western New York, a chartered educational organization in the region.
“We’re just happy we can support this and continue to tell the story of steel plant and its members here in Western New York,” said James Carey, museum president.
hmcneil@buffnews.com
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You are a real piece of work. First your worried about him keeping the suv, now your worried about who they would sell it too? You truly are a nutjob!
Zing!
Whatever blahblahblah!Originally Posted by blahblahblah
I do not give a blahblahblah about whatever you think of me! You are partly right though, I do- do my home-"work", unlike you!
Santa already knows if YOU have been naughty or nice........
Obviously, it went right over your head and YOU do NOT get my points at all. Zing! Go watch your soap operas, which is more your speed!
Your response tells me you are NOT an original Lackawannan.......or you would know my reasoning about the Ford Escape. Polanski luxuriously drove around in a FREE vehicle for almost 4 years now. He got along fine the first 4 years as Mayor without a new vehicle.....why did he need a City paid one all of a sudden? He could have used a Police vehicle or have been paid mileage and used his own car to go to whatever meeting. Did he fight NHTA when they took necessary bus routes away from LA citizens who rely on them to get to their work? Can you answer that for us blahblahblah? BTW: The Council took away City paid for vehicles when Mayor Kathy was in to spite her, Polanski brought them back illegally.....at one time even the Dir. of Parks and Rec. had a free car!
Free NEW SUV
Free Insurance
Free Gas
Free Repairs
Free Oil Changes
And he had the audacity to drive and park it all day on election day November 8, 2011 in front of the Senior Center while he was electioneering. He has been seen at night at various political cocktail parties too over the years.
They secretly purchased his black Escape ( which perfectly matches the wifey's---the "M" on his license plate is the only way to tell them apart) out of DPW bonded money, meant to buy critical heavy snow equipment, etc.
Don't you think he could have bought his own SUV from his $55,000/yr Mayor salary and saved lots of tax money that could have been used in playgrounds, etc.? Do you get a free ride to work, blah?
P.S. Will someone please tell blah why I said it will be interesting to see who purchases the SUV if Geoff really orders it to be sold off....with Council approval of course. Unlike when it was purchased.......WITHOUT Council approval, it just showed up.....along with another new truck for the family member who lives in Hamburg.
By Jay Tokasz
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Published:November 25, 2011, 12:00 AM
1 Comment
On the surface, the final numbers from the Erie County Board of Elections indicate that Geoffrey M. Szymanski won the Lackawanna mayor’s race in a landslide.
He received 3,684 votes, or 55 percent. Dion J. Watkins came in second with 2,474 votes, or 37 percent. Voter turnout was 57 percent.
Szymanski’s name appeared on three ballot lines—Democratic, Conservative and Working Families. Watkins’ name appeared on none.
Lackawanna voters wrote (or stamped) Watkins’ name in a box 2,474 separate times—an incredible amount of write-in votes for a candidate in Erie County, said Dennis E. Ward, the county’s Democratic elections commissioner.
“For the guy to get that many votes without his name on the ballot, that’s quite a job,” Ward said. “It was a tremendous effort on his part.”
Watkins, who distributed stampers with his name on it at polling places for use on the ballot, also far outpolled two other candidates whose names were on the ballot. Patrick A. McCusker, whose name appeared on the Republican and Independence lines, finished a distant third with 302 votes. Walter M. Seres, on the Time for Change line, tallied 122 votes. John J. Nowak, another write-in candidate, received 79 votes.
Watkins wasn’t alone this year in getting out the write-in vote.
Alden Town Supervisor Ronald L. Smith came within 13 votes of winning re-election, even though his name was not on the general election ballot.
After failing to secure the endorsement of Republican leaders, Smith, supervisor since 2006, decided against running in the Republican primary against Harry F. Milligan and Ronald L. Snyder. Milligan won the primary, and Smith decided to run a write-in campaign.
Milligan ended up defeating Smith by a vote of 1,089 to 1,077. Smith finished well ahead of the
Democratic candidate, Edward F. Sisson, who had 601 votes.
Other write-in campaigns in Cheektowaga and Evans didn’t generate as much traction with voters, but Ward said the relative success of Watkins and Smith may now give more candidates incentive to pursue write-in ventures, which historically have not fared well.
“In smaller jurisdictions, this may be the wave of the future,” Ward said.
Write-in campaigns let candidates bypass the party structure, which may be attractive to some voters.
Still, Szymanski, who is 2nd Ward councilman, prevailed in Lackawanna. He received several congratulatory greetings Monday evening at the first City Council meeting since the election.
The congratulations were followed quickly by questions or suggestions about what he should be doing once he becomes mayor.
Typically, the comment period of the Council meetings pertains to items on the agenda, but Monday, only one item made it onto the agenda, and the item ended up being tabled for further review.
So Szymanski wound up being the primary focus of attention.
“I didn’t expect every question to be going on about me and my administration,” Szymanski said afterward.
Former 1st Ward Councilwoman Andrea Z. Haxton, for example, offered congratulations before asking whether Szymanski would appoint a charter review committee and drive a city-paid vehicle.
“Everything is open for discussion,” Szymanski said. As for the mayor’s vehicle, Szymanski said he planned to sell it and use the proceeds toward a new fund for city playgrounds.
Barbara A. Peoples, a 1st Ward resident, had plenty to say to Szymanski, as well.
“You should go forward and try and save this city from further decline,” Peoples said. “I believe you can be a good person.”
Szymanski didn’t miss a beat.
“Why, thank you — as opposed to the horns I have on my head,” he responded in jest.
After the meeting, Szymanski fielded a few more personal congratulations — including from David Hardy and Laurent R. Swanson, two key campaigners in Watkins’ upstart run for mayor.
Hardy proposed a meeting between Szymanski and Watkins, and Szymanski indicated he was agreeable to it.
jtokasz@buffnews.com
Comments
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Wow, what an organization. Talk about getting out the vote, that might be a record for write-ins.
BOB CATALANO, DERBY, NY
Further editing......time ran out.
" Obviously, it went right over your head and YOU do NOT get my points at all. Zing! Go watch your soap operas, which is more your speed! "
Edited:
ZING!
""And......... Because numerous discussions on this Forum zing right past you,blah,..................,Please do yourself a favor........., Go back to watching your soap operas ( No offense to anyone), Family Guy, B. and ....head, Jacka.., The Simpsons, etc., which are by your own admission, much more your speed!
Why watch a soap opera on tv when I can get all the free comedy I can handle right here live by reading your posts, better than Comedy Central! You couldn't say something whitty enough to go over my head, LoL.
According to you he just took a blank check to the dealer, bought the SUV and while he was at it he cut a deal so a family member could get one cheaper? Then the DMV was in on it when they gave him a plate one letter away from his wife's so noone could tell them apart? Better than a SNL skit! LoL
So what if he drove the SUV on election day?!?! Was he suppose to leave it at home just because you felt he should?
Still feeling your hang-over, huh?!?
zing!
Yeah, you got me. Me, Normie and the boys drove around all weekend in the city's SUV drinking all that wine!!! Man,we were bombed, or wait a minute, was it his wife's SUV? Forgot to check the license plate! Doesn't matter we were too drunk too read it anyways, oh well!!! Your such a loser!
Anyone have any idea who has applied for the 2nd ward council seat?
If I remember the rumors correctly Pat McCusker was a traitor and for that he was to receive the second ward councilmans seat. While I am at it I also believe that his good friend was to receive all of the electrical work needed done by the City.
Ouch! Now Dan, you can not say that I am "calling" you out as you made it known when you signed up as Dan12 exactly who you are - so did you get more jobs from the City?? Who called Pat a traitor??
Evem if that were the case he needs to get approved by the council and i doubt he will be able to pull those 5 votes. Poor guy sold out for nothing... ah well better luck at something else pat doesn't look like politics is your thing because at the end of the day you will be the one to look like a fool over and over and over again! Who would buy him out NO ONE he wasn't even a threat! he had only 400 votes, i think he did better in the general when he didn't campaign. FYI wanan win in Lackawanna WALK!!!!!!!!!!!
I havent falsely accused anyone of anything on here like a lot of my counter parts have ! Also as you have intentionally pointed out yes it is I and I have let it be known through necessity when I signed up with this screen name, however what I just posted is nothing I need to hide from. As far as jobs go I love this City if you play ball with the right people the rewards are endless and man I am really reaping them, and as far as the traitor remark it was made up here in the past by someone so I posted it as rumor has it.
Last edited by Dan12; November 30th, 2011 at 08:05 PM.
See how slimy this city is? Play ball? Eight ball anyone? Knees sore?
The only difference between a crappy game of pool and a great game of pool is whether you won or lost !!! LOL
Greg will be next 2nd Ward councilman!
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