posted by Joe Polk at 9:47 PM /
The Veterans Memorial Funding Committee has released a video describing the project and how people can help to build it. The description of the video on YouTube is as follows:
"Learn about the Veterans Memorial proposed for Mt. Lebanon Park and how you can get involved. Featuring former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier. Produced by J.W. Stehle in collaboration with the Mt. Lebanon Public Information Office."
"Learn about the Veterans Memorial proposed for Mt. Lebanon Park and how you can get involved. Featuring former Steelers running back Rocky Bleier. Produced by J.W. Stehle in collaboration with the Mt. Lebanon Public Information Office."
Labels: veterans memorial
25 Comments:
Nice video . . . by the way, since I'm the one who typically defends the various athletic associations on this site, I thought it was important to point out that each of the associations that I am involved with (baseball, football and soccer) has contributed to this incredibly worthy cause.
Mr. Franklin,
I agree, it is a nice video, and a very worthy cause; but I was wondering, when you say, "...I thought it was important to point out that each of the associations that I am involved with (baseball, football and soccer) has contributed to this incredibly worthy cause", do you mean that the athletic community actually transferred cash in some manner, or is it still a promise?
Notice Mr. Franklin said the associations he is involved with contributed to the memorial.
It is funny those associations play their sports on school fields but won’t contribute to the high school field house as they promised.
Mr. Franklin didn't specify an amount that was either allegedly pledged or allegedly contributed either.
I have to wonder could it be $1 per association, $10 per association, or $8MM per association? Who knows?
Dave, that's great to hear. Thank you for pointing that out and thank you for volunteering your time to those organizations.
To the Two John's, it's time to put an end to the bickering at Dave for the sport's money for the school.
While there was a group of citizens who approached members of the Board to discuss a possible partnership, Mr. Franklin's name never came up as one of the people responsible for the idea nor was he mentioned as someone intimately involved in the background. Heck, I don't even know if he was told the discussions took place at the time.
There is enough discontent in Mt Lebanon already. Better to save your arrows for those that are truly having a negative impact on your community rather than waste them on Mr. Franklin.
James
A partnership? What kind of a partnership? The September 21, 2009 Master Design Team minutes showed, “Dan Remely indicated that the athletic boosters believe that they can raise $8 million to build an athletic field house of some kind and while that has not yet materialized the stadium building can be part of that effort."
While I understand Dave Franklin wasn't involved, but who was? How do you let $8 million slip away? I asked about the status of that donation at a school board meeting. I was told that there never was such an offer. So why was it in the minutes? I am sorry that I can't let go of that, but we're talking $8 million.
Elaine Gillen
Elaine is correct! An alleged $8MM contribution is a lot of money - it's 16 Sable Contract buy-outs!
The public has a right to know why their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent rather in lieu of an alleged contribution!
Elaine, John, & John:
Why does this $8 million “promise” keep coming up for discussion? The notes say that the “boosters believe they can raise $8 million,” not that a promise of money was offered or accepted. Where is the evidence that anybody took the booster’s claims more seriously than “thanks, but we’ll talk for real when you show us the money”? Where is the evidence that spending decisions were made with the expectation that we had an additional $8 million to spend?
Unless you’ve got a whole lot more evidence to present, stop beating the drum. The tune is getting tired.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom,
Why doesn't a representative from the Athletic Community speak-up?
We've heard from concerned citizens, and various Board members, but the Athletic community has been rather quiet...
Tom,
The $8-Million offer for the field house is the evidence the Board and Administration mismanaged the building process.
Mr. Fraasch started opposing the high school project in the present form by asking for a phasing of the building project. If James had stayed with his original argument he would have encouraged the Board to tell the deadbeat athletic supporters to get $8-Million in pledges before the money was borrowed to build the field house. He didn’t do that. Again there is evidence of mismanagement.
Mismanagement of the District on the part of the Board or James is not acceptable behavior from our elected officials.
If Mr. Franklin was not part of the $8-Million offer, perhaps he should not be the mouthpiece for the deadbeat athletic supporters. Tell us who offered the pledge, James?
I submitted a comment prior to this and it doesn't look like it went through. I got an error message.
Tom, I don't want to argue, but a school board director just explained that a group of citizens came to the board with the possibility of a partnership. I want to hear more about the partnership.
As far as evidence goes, Dan Remely denied it and Tim Steinhauer admitted that it occurred. Would a link to a podcast be considered more evidence? Eight million dollars is a boat load of money. I like the sound of that tune.
Elaine Gillen
Tom,
I’d like to see the Board appoint independent counsel ( and I emphasize independent counsel - not an attorney from, or a representative of, the athletic community) to thoroughly investigate the alleged $8MM pledge and then report the findings to the community!
I also want to point out that this was about the Veterans Memorial but any time "athletic groups" is mentioned, it opens up a can of worms. My uncle was killed on Christmas Day in WWII. I plan to make a donation to this worthy cause.
Elaine Gillen
Elaine,
Your CREDIT is good with me ANYTIME, but I'd prefer cash-in-advance from the Athletic community!
One election that many overlook is our selection of an Attorney General.
Elaine, John, & John:
I don’t care about what was supposedly offered. What I care about is what, if anything, was accepted.
Are you telling me that the school district accepted an offer of $8 million dollars? Are you telling me that the school district spent that money, and now that the offer has gone uncollected, is billing the taxpayers for it? If so, you haven’t given me any reason to believe it. All you have done is present evidence that makes me think that somebody may have said $8 million was possible – not that an offer was actually made (although it wouldn’t surprise me), nor that an offer was accepted, let alone acted upon.
Without the “acted upon” part, there are no consequences. And I have a hard time getting worked up over nothing.
Cheers,
Tom
Tom,
MY GOD! Are you saying that it doesn't bother you if the Board walked-away from $8MM?
Mr. Kendrick made a good point about cash in advance. from the athletic community. Considering we have an On-the-Job Training Program for the Superintendent it is probably a good idea to collect the $8-Million before we build the field house.
That way we can fix the leaky roof, the collapsing ceilings, and the MEP systems before we add a field house first.
Maybe we will even find out what the Contract Extensions are about in the teachers contract.
To the Veterans Memorial Committee, I apologize for allowing this thread (and your worthy efforts) to be "hijacked" by a few. My original comment was made with good intentions, but sadly I failed to realize that in the eyes of this vocal few, no good deed should go unpunished.
Please keep up your good work, and again I sincerely apologize.
John (K),
What bothers me is that somehow you manage to use just about every worthy topic on this blog as a springboard to launch into a discussion of this $8 million supposedly lost.
Please, give it a rest.
Cheers,
Tom
I second Tom's comments. Enough is enough.
Do you guys remember the Commission meeting when the Commissioners endorsed the High School project by voting FOR the shared Parking Agreement? Do you remember the lady that asked for a show of hands from the audience to see how many people supported the high school renovation project? I counted about 50 people in the room that evening, but I only counted 6 hands in the air!
Dave Franklin, didn't you bring up the whole athletic issue on the first comment here?
Now you apologize "...for allowing this thread (and your worthy efforts) to be 'hijacked' by a few."?
Would the real 'hijacker' please stand up?
I've had enough. David Huston
Yes, Mr. Huston, I did. I did so because more often than not this site is littered with comments that bash the athletic associations and the people who support them. I acknowledge that in my desire to defend and promote these groups, I neglected to appreciate that my comment would fuel the fire for yet another thread of similar bashing, lies and misinformation. For that I apologized and I take full responsibility for momentarily directing attention away from this worthy cause.
Mr. Franklin,
Would you please identify the specific lies and misinformation that appeared in this thread?
I also appreciate the contribution of the World War II generation, and like Elaine I also lost an uncle in World War II. Please remember Mr. Franklin, there was at the very least an immediate threat to the existence of the United States; and most likely a extension of the genocide from the Third Reich to American soil. Without their sacrifice, we would not exist today.
Those who died gave the ultimate sacrifice so that so many like you can live in this fresh, open, and liberal society where there sadly seems to be "no rules" and everyone does as they feel - with one exception...the elimination of any free speech where even simple and minute ideas contrary to those strong liberal positions are extinguished - with a fire hose! Which positions? The same positions that underlie the athletic facilities that you so strongly advocate.
Personally, I feel that to extinguish any discussion concerning our right to govern, question, or exercise our rights, particularly when the memory of these tremendous individuals looms before us, is an insult to their memory and everything that they died to protect!
Very truly yours,
John David Kendrick
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