Sunday, May 16, 2010

“Bill calls for student-athlete tutoring” plus 3 more

“Bill calls for student-athlete tutoring” plus 3 more

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Bill calls for student-athlete tutoring

Posted: 16 May 2010 04:13 AM PDT

Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, said he came up with the idea as a former middle school coach when he required his student-athletes to be tutored for an hour before each practice.

"I might not have had the best team on the football field or basketball court, but I took a lot of pride in knowing our students passed," Harrison told the committee. "All of my athletes passed."

Harrison's House Bill 257 calls for each local school board to spend no less than 5 percent of the money that's raised annually through athletic programs and activities on tutoring programs.

"The bills takes part of the proceeds that are there for the events and puts it toward year-round tutoring," he said. "You'll find out that if a kid is a football player, it's an incentive for that kid to stay involved and do well in school."

Some lawmakers expressed concern since the money being generated in the school systems doesn't just come from athletes.

"They're also paying to see the band and cheerleaders and pep squad," Rep. Hollis Downs, R-Ruston.

Harrison responded with a question that went unanswered: "Is there a failure problem with the bands and cheerleaders and pep squad?"

Still, it was a tough sell for many members with small districts back home.

"I think 5 percent could mean a lot in a small rural district like mine," said Rep. Major Thibaut, D-New Roads. "It could be the difference in having shoulder pads and some kids not playing."

Most lawmakers on the committee, however, cheered the proposed program.

"I think 5 percent is a minimal amount," said Rep. Elton Aubert, D-Vacherie.

The bill now heads to the House floor for further debate.

The committee also approved House Bill 486 by Harrison this week, which would require public-school guidance counselors to complete academic profiles for each ninth-grade student.

Harrison said the bill could be a way to get students on a career path earlier and involve parents more in the process.

The bill provides that the profile shall include but not be limited to the student's academic and personal goals, planning for college, exploring careers, participation in extracurricular activities and other skills and interests.

It likewise requires "student and parental involvement in completing the profile and in the annual review and revision of the profile."

HB 486 is also pending action on the House floor.

Jeremy Alford can be reached at jeremy@jeremyalford.com.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Free tutoring help in Weldon

Posted: 15 May 2010 05:14 PM PDT

Free lodging in China, but only if you speak English

Posted: 16 May 2010 07:03 AM PDT

SHANGHAI—Visitors seeking to see China on a budget would do well to brush up their English language skills to take advantage of a scheme that offers free lodging in Chinese homes in exchange for English tutoring.

With the cost of one hour of English tuition costing up to 500 yuan ($73.26) -- unaffordable for the vast majority of Chinese -- a not-for-profit Chinese organization called Tourboarding launched the initiative last month.

Lodgers must speak at least two hours of English a day in return for their keep while their Chinese hosts can learn for free from a resident live-in English teacher.

"In the past 30 days, 5,000 Chinese families have signed up," said Ken Chen, 38, one of the founding members for Tourboarding.

Chen said the aim of the company, which is run online (www.tourboarding.com/), is not to make money but to provide opportunity for the millions of Chinese keen to learn English.

Tourboarding hopes to tap into foreign demand for cheap accommodation in China, particularly in Shanghai, as hotel prices have soared since the start of the World Expo in May.

"Travel industry hates us, people love us," is the motto on its website, which prides itself on offering travelers airport pick-up and drop off, free accommodation with a family and two meals a day.

Travelers can choose to exchange their language for free accommodation, tour guiding or even Chinese cooking lessons.

Yang Yang, 16, a female student in Shanghai advertises her home on the Tourboarding website to prospective travelers: "The house is next to a lake, green is good. We can offer single rooms for you to live. My parents want me to invite a woman."

Chen said Yang is just one example of a rising number of Chinese opening their homes to foreigners in the hope of improving their English.

"We accept travelers from all over the world. In the future we will copy this model to imitate in new, booming countries such as Russia, Brazil and Vietnam," said Chen.

Chen who quit his job at Nike Sports China, joined forces with Nuno Zhang, 28, an ex-Google employee to create the Tourboarding concept. The company started up in April.

He added that the website would rely on donations from travelers until volume traffic increases.

"In the future we will bring in advertising to make the service sustainable but we will not charge hosts at all as they are from a developing country," Chen added

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Money Sought for Peer Tutors

Posted: 16 May 2010 02:49 AM PDT



Years After Cancer, Iroquois Teacher Celebrates Life at Elma Relay
Near the end of 2002, Pam Kacmarski was on maternity leave from her teaching job at Iroquois Central Schools when she visited her doctor because she wasn't feeling well. She had shoulder pain and sciatica, which she attributed to being a new mom. Her first baby, Nathan, was a newborn.

Two Running for Holland School Board Seat
Along with voting on the budget, a capital project and a bus proposition, residents in the Holland Central School District will choose one person to fill a five-year term on the School Board.

Immaculate Welcomes Past Priests
Priests who have served Immaculate Conception Church in East Aurora have been invited to visit the church on Sun., May 16 for a special service and reception.

East Aurora School Budget Vote is Tuesday
Residents of the East Aurora School District will vote on a $27,974,810 budget plan for the 2010-2011 school year on Tues., May 18, and had the opportunity to hear about the budget plan and ask their own questions at a public budget hearing last week.

Elma Town Board Recognizes Young Volunteers
Iroquois students have been helping out the Town of Elma on several fronts. The Town Board recognized the students last week for their service, some in planting trees and others in work done through Eagle Scout projects.

President Obama's Remarks at Industrial Support, Inc. in Buffalo on May 13, 2010
Transcript Provided by the Office of the White House Press Secretary

Cuts Bring Questions on Iroquois School Budget
Concerns about staff and programming cuts—specifically the fourth-grade music program, school clubs, and business teacher Jeffrey Toy—prompted comments and questions from Iroquois students and residents at Monday night's Iroquois School Budget hearing and board meeting. The public input followed Superintendent Neil Rochelle's presentation of the budget plan, which will be voted upon Tues., May 18.

Dwindling Surplus Funds Could Mean Tax Hike for Town Police Services
Aurora residents who live outside the Village of East Aurora could see the full impact of the cost of police services in 2011 as surplus funds in the town outside the village portion of the budget have nearly been depleted, a report by the town's auditors shows. Such fund balances are typically used to reduce the impact of spending increases on property tax rates.

Trooper Responding to Alarm Makes Burglary Arrest
State Trooper Steven Przystal was responding to a residential alarm on Centerline Road in the Town of Wales at 10 a.m. on Fri., May 7 when he passed a man traveling in the opposite direction on a bicycle. Trooper Przystal noted the man's appearance and continued a short distance to the unoccupied residence. Upon checking the home, Przystal discovered a rear door had been forced open and that it appeared as though the perpetrator had cut himself on glass upon entry as there were fresh droplets of blood located on the floor. After doing a quick search of the premises, Przystal determined the perpetrator had fled prior to his arrival after activating an audible alarm.

Man is Charged with Felony DWI after Elma Stop
At approximately 12:35 a.m. on Thurs., May 7, New York State Troopers David Schwing and Stephen Verostko reportedly observed a vehicle drive off onto the shoulder of the roadway while turning left onto Bowen Road from Bullis Road in the Town of Elma. A traffic stop was initiated and the operator, 43-year-old David L. Ferreri of Elma, was asked to perform several roadside field sobriety tests, which he subsequently failed. The man was arrested for driving while intoxicated. At the State Police station in Elma, a breath test indicated his blood alcohol level was 0.13 percent. Ferreri was issued tickets for felony driving while intoxicated and making an improper turn. He is scheduled to appear in the Town of Elma court on May 20.

President Obama's Remarks in Buffalo (Prepared Version)
Hello, Buffalo! This is my first visit to western New York as President, and I am so happy to be here – especially since it's not snowing like it was last Sunday. And I thought Chicago was bad.

EA Fitness Offers New Machines, Opportunities
East Aurora just got healthier -- There is a new business in town geared toward a fitter and healthier community. It is called EA Fitness, and its goal is to be a high quality "fitness place" for everyone in the area.

From the Tomahawk: Texting While Driving Spells Trouble for Teens
Editor's Note: The following article is reprinted as it appeared in the most recent edition of the Iroquois High School student newspaper, The Tomahawk. Aileen Gutmann is a junior at the High School.

Scout Plans to Clean Up Goodleburg
Long rumored to be a haunted burial ground, the historic Goodleburg Cemetery in the Town of Wales, dating back to the early 19th century, will be given a do-over and spruced up if one local Boy Scout has anything to say and do about it.

Dog Bar Marks 70th Year
May 1 marked the 70th birthday of the popular Dog Bar restaurant on Route 240 in West Falls. Owners Linda and Ron Schenne reminded patrons that the Schenne family's success was predicated not only on the family's hard work but on a clientele that has been loyal and supportive of the Dog Bar for so many years. They also praised employees for their efforts and dedication to the restaurant.

Oasis Design Blends Art and Technology on Web
Considering that any webpage is really nothing more than the blending of art and technology, it makes perfect sense that someone like Betsy Wallace, who has undergraduate degrees in art, as well as weaving and fiber, and who attended graduate school for metalsmithing, should also be a successful website developer. For 10 years, Wallace has run Oasis Design, a graphic design and website development firm, first from Vermont, and for the last five years in East Aurora.

Legislator Mills Closes Office in East Aurora
Erie County Legislator John J. Mills has closed his district office, which was located on Main Street in East Aurora, and has moved to downtown Buffalo, joining the other five members of the Erie County Legislature Republican Caucus.

East Aurora Designated as a "Tree City"
Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance founded in 1872 that encourages tree planting and tree care. East Aurora High School hosted its ninth annual Arbor Day ceremony on Fri., April 30.

Money Sought for Peer Tutors
The new peer tutoring that pays Holland Central School District students for their work has reportedly seen success, but without further funding it will stop after this year.

EA Alum Dr. Jason Ohler Brings Digital Storytelling to the Community May 10
Since I am the sole Ohler brother remaining in the old hometown, I am often asked, "Hey, what's your brother Jason up to these days?" On Mon., May 10, at 7 p.m., Jason Ohler, the former president of the East Aurora High School Class of 1971, will provide the whole community with an answer to that question. He will present a program of fascinating media work, called digital storytelling, done by some of the teachers and students he works with. The event is hosted by the Community Education Department of East Aurora Schools and takes place at the High School cafeteria. Admission is free and all are welcome. Please register with the Community Ed receptionist by calling 687-2311.

Public Hearing is Set for Holland School Budget
School districts across the area will be voting on their adopted budgets in less than two weeks, including those within the Holland Central School District.

Aktion Club Plans New Playground
Playgrounds are fun, but they're better if everyone gets to play. That's the reason that the East Aurora Aktion Club and its supporters want to build what they call "a playground for everyone" at Hamlin Park. The new playground would be constructed adjacent to the existing playground, and would consist of three structures designed for handicap accessibility.

Tell Us What You Think
The Advertiser wants to know what you think about its website, what changes you would like, and where you get your news. Click here to take the seven question survey.

Iroquois Budget Has Cuts in Clubs, Staff
Voters in the Iroquois Central School District will consider a $41,042,652 budget for 2010-11 on May 18. The proposed spending plan represents an increase of only $71,000 over the current budget, but due to significant losses in state aid, and "an anticipated increase in expenditures, we found ourselves with over $3 million to be shaved from our current budget," explained School Board President Susan Brunner.

55th Annual Holland Tulip Festival Begins Thursday
Any tradition that goes on for over five decades will evolve, adapting to new people and current needs. But the original ideals and purposes are kept in place even as portions of the event change.

More Youth Joining Volunteer Programs
A point may arrive when students approaching graduation from college ask themselves, "What's next?" Between graduation and finding a job, uncertainties arise about which direction to go and the options can seem daunting. For a variety of reasons, many are turning to volunteer and service work. [Click here to read profiles of individual volunteers.]

Profiles of Local Volunteers
Taking a year or more to volunteer with an organization is becoming more prevalent for young adults, especially those graduating from college. The Advertiser caught up with several former students from the area who have spent a year or more with a service agency, finding opportunities locally, out of state, even in another country.

Travel Information

Travel Info Links
Here are handy links to weather, highway conditions, airports.
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