Portsmouth's Save Our Schools (SOS) sent out an e-mail to supporters this morning with updated recommendations for tomorrow's local elections:

Save Our Schools: Candidate Recommendations

In A Nutshell

• On Tuesday, Nov 4, be sure to get out and vote!!
• For School Committee, SOS urges you to vote for Sylvia Wedge and to write in Terri Cortvriend, leaving the third selection blank.
• For Town Council, Save Our Schools urges voters to support Croston, Canario, Honnen, Katzman, and Katzman, Seveney, and West.

Details: School Committee
As discussed in a prior e-mail, because there are no republican or independent school committee candidates, there are only three candidates on the ballot to fill three positions. However, sitting school committee member Terri Cortvriend is mounting a write-in campaign. Terri's history of supporting the schools is impeccable, and the two new-comers on the ballot have shown that they are decidedly less qualified. Save Our Schools urges it's members to write in Terri Cortvriend and vote for Wedge only (see below). in the stead of either Angela Volpicelli or Marilyn King. Not casting a vote for either of those two candidates (i.e. casting only two of three potential votes) will help Terri in this very up-hill battle. Information about Terri, including a sample ballot with a write-in vote, can be found at her web site http://www.terricortvriend.com/. In addition, the Hard Deadlines web site http://torvex.com/jmcdaid has her and the other member's answers to various questions.

Details: Town Council
All of the Democratic candidates running for town council have consistently supported the school system. Incumbents William West, Jim Seveney, and Leonard Katzman were the only members to vote in favor of settling with the school committee instead of going to court in the Caruola action that further divided the town and ended up costing the town hundreds of thousands of dollars while returning most of the funding cut at the 2006 tent meeting. Returning candidate Al Honnen, who sat on the committee prior to 2006, also has supported the schools. Ex-school committee member Dave Croston and Mark Katzman have also been heavily involved in Save Our Schools and can be counted on to make tough decisions for the betterment of Portsmouth education and Portsmouth's future.

Dennis Canario Update: Dennis Canario did cast the swing vote that caused the Caruolo action. However, in recent discussions, it was recounted that he was of the opinion that had the town settled, it would have found itself sued by the PCC and ended up in court anyways, with the real possibility that the town would then have had to enter the Caruolo proceedings after that. This opinion was apparently shared by members on both sides of the council, a fact that Save Our Schools was unaware of before this e-mail.

What might have happened is anybody's guess, but the point is that Dennis made what must have been a difficult decision with the good of the town and school in mind. He has carried the role of president of the council very well, and runs a good meeting. With this information, Save Our Schools now supports Dennis' re-election.

Republican Jeff Plumb and his wife Elise have been involved parents at Elmhurst school, and were important contributors to the tent meeting preparations. He also supports a new, central elementary school, which seems at this point to be a potential source of savings over the long term due to reduced operating and staffing costs. If he is convinced that funds are invested in a manner that will result in better education, Jeff can be counted on to support school improvement.

Keith Hamilton Update: Save Our Schools issues an apology to Keith over a mis-understanding in our conversation. Keith does support the use of warrant when they are re-imbursed by the state, as the building warrants are. Also, Keith correctly pointed out that the tech warrants are NOT reimbursed by the state, and thus the use of those warrants does represent cost to the town in terms of interest. If a way could be found to replace the funding stream those warrants represent, a cost savings could be realized. This is an idea that carries merit, however, under the Paiva-Weed tax cap, the only way this funding stream could be replaced would be with a tax cap override, which is unlikely.

In Keith's words:

"I have 2 children attending Hathaway School and will put nothing ahead of their or any other child’s education in this town."

Joe Robicheau and Peter McIntyre have been PCC stalwarts, and it seems as there is no such thing as good education funding in their eyes. Both have been central figures in the decimation of the school system in the recent past.

Huck Little has voted with Peter in most issues relating to the schools.

E-Mail Change

Notice that Save Our Schools has a new e-mail address.

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