Guilderland, June 5, 2008

GUILDERLAND — Applause from a crowd of hundreds followed three votes for the appointment of Carol Lawlor as police chief. The two opposing votes were met with silence.

Each of the town board members gave an explanation before casting his or her vote — the final tally, as expected, fell along party lines, with the Democratic majority in favor and the two Republicans, who joined the formerly all-Democratic board in January, opposed. Councilmen Warren Redlich and Mark Grimm favored John Tedesco, an assistant chief of police in Troy, who they say was a more qualified candidate.

“I… feel embarrassed for the board as a whole,” said Democratic Supervisor Kenneth Runion, after he began his pre-vote speech by saying the board had been through some tough times since Redlich and Grimm took their seats six months ago.

“I apologize to you… that you had to endure such a long and arduous process,” Runion said to Lawlor, who sat in the front row at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“That’s democracy,” Redlich said after the meeting of Runion’s apology. Both Redlich and Grimm called for an open process to appoint the next police chief, since the long-time chief left amid controversy about a year ago.

After reviewing 22 applications from across the state over the last several months, Runion said as he introduced his motion to appoint Lawlor, “The best candidate is Carol Lawlor.” The room erupted in applause.

The first councilman to vote was Redlich, who explained that he supported Tedesco because of his experience elsewhere, his education, his understanding of technology, and his success in accrediting the Troy department.

“We don’t have an accredited department,” he said. “We should have an accredited department.”

After his ‘no’ vote was cast, Democratic Councilwoman Patricia Slavick praised Lawlor, saying that, in the year since Lawlor has been acting chief of police, “The department has not missed a beat.”

Breaking the applause that followed Slavick’s ‘yes’ vote, Democratic Councilman Paul Pastore went on at length about Lawlor’s roughly 30-year history with the department before giving his ‘yes’ vote to audience applause.

Grimm acknowledged the audience’s sentiment, saying that it was nice they supported the “hometown” candidate. “But,” he said, “I have a different responsibility.” He stated his support for Tedesco, citing his experience, and said, “The merits should have taken us in a different direction.”

He praised the board for the process, though, saying that it was, in fact, an open one. “This would have been another quiet 5-0 vote,” he said, if it had been decided by the former board.

When it came to Runion’s final vote, he spoke highly of Lawlor, with whom he has worked for 30 years, noting her family’s history with the town also. Lawlor’s mother, who was a Republican, worked as deputy supervisor under three administrations, he said, adding that it was “ironic” that the two Republicans on the board were voting against her.

“Tonight it’s over,” Runion said of the contentious search for a chief of police. “Tonight I’m casting my vote for Carol Lawlor.”

— Unanimously appointed Michael Dean and Gregory Forgea as telecommunicators in the police department following an executive session.

Redlich requested the closed session since one of the people up for appointment wasn’t among the top three scorers on the Civil Service exam. Redlich, Slavick, and Grimm voted to enter executive session, with Pastore and Runion voting against it. During the closed session, Redlich said yesterday, Lawlor explained why she thought the pair were the best candidates.

“I think her answers made the difference,” he said of why he voted for the two candidates in the end. “I voted for the guy because of what Carol said”;

— Voted unanimously to authorize a warrant adjustment for the building at 1828 Western Ave. due to a billing error; and

— Voted unanimously to authorize the supervisor to sign a collector’s warrant for the Guilderland water district.

GUILDERLAND — Following a high-speed chase, police caught up to robbery suspect James Spears on Saturday after his car got a flat tire.

Earlier in the day, Spears had walked unarmed into the Berkshire Bank at 1704 Western Ave. in Guilderland and demanded cash from an employee, according to Guilderland Police. He walked away with $2,700 without using force, said Investigator Charles Tanner.

Spears, a plumber from Watervliet, left the bank in a black BMW convertible, according to police. A description of his car was broadcast regionally to police agencies and his car was seen by Colonie Police soon after. When officers tried to stop him, Spears “took off at a high rate of speed,” says a release from the Guilderland Police Department.

“This pursuit continued through the Town of Colonie, through Menands, South on Interstate 787,” before ending in Albany, the release says. After a tire on Spears’s car went flat, “He couldn’t control the vehicle anymore,” Tanner said.

Spears then left the car and, after a short chase on foot, he was arrested by Albany Police and turned over to Guilderland officers who charged him with third-degree robbery and fourth-degree grand larceny.

He was remanded to Albany County’s jail without bail, the release says, and, according to Tanner, the investigation is ongoing.

GUILDERLAND — Deborah Waljamitz focuses on the individual.

As the sole worker in her new beauty shop on Western Avenue, Waljamitz said, she prefers to take appointments and cater to one person at a time. “Everything is tailored to the individual’s needs,” she said.

Skinsations, which she just opened near the intersection of Carman Road and Western Avenue, offers facials, body waxing, manicures, and pedicures. She opened her first shop in Guilderland over a decade ago, said Waljamitz, and has spent most of her time since then in Rotterdam.

“When space opened in Guilderland,” said Waljamitz, she scooped it up.

When she used to get her nails done years ago, Waljamitz said, she would always end up changing them, so she decided to make a career of it and went to beauty school while she worked as a bartender. A few years after getting licensed to do nails, she went back to school and got her aesthetics’ license, so that she could give facials.

She now offers her services Monday through Saturday, with prices for manicures starting at $12, facials at $45, and pedicures at $20.

“It’s really a very calm and serene atmosphere,” she said, adding later of her clients, “When they’re here, it’s their time.”

Super says strike a balance
Freeman: Law, not policy, should dictate disclosure

Robert J. Freeman, executive director of the Committee on Open Government, said it was “contrary to law” to disclose parents’ names without their consent.

The lists were used last year and the year before to send cards before spring elections, supporting the budget and selected candidates, all of whom won. This year, because of the controversy surrounding the release of parents’ names and addresses, the president of the teachers’ union said the list would not be used. The three union-endorsed candidates won the election in a heated five-way race.

The Enterprise broke the story in January (go online to www.altamontenterprise.com under “Archives” for Jan. 31, 2008, “Use of GCSD directory legal?”) and it was picked up by other media.

Freeman wrote, “…Students’ names or other aspects of records that would make a student’s identity easily traceable, including the names of students’ parents, must in my view be withheld in order to comply with federal law absent receipt of the appropriate consent.”

Freeman went on, “In sum, it is my opinion that the district’s policy statements concerning directory information are unclear and inadequate, and because parents’ names constitute personally identifiable information relating to students and are not included within the district’s description of directory information, it was contrary to law to disclose parents’ names to the union or any third party absent consent by parents.”

Guilderland’s superintendent, John McGuire, received the opinion, by mail, on Monday and said he was surprised. “I had written some time ago,” he said, after comments from Freeman critical of the school had been printed. McGuire sent Freeman copies of the district’s relevant policies. “I wasn’t looking for an advisory opinion,” said McGuire.

McGuire said he had had two conversations with federal education department officials in Washington, D.C. whom, he said, “assured me we were in compliance and on solid ground.” McGuire asserted, “It’s all interpretive.”

He added, “I certainly respect Mr. Freeman and his role…We’ll look at his letter in more detail.”

The board has since adopted a new policy on directory information and its release, developed by its policy committee. Board member Catherine Barber, who chairs the policy committee, said the committee was clear it did not want lists of student addresses to be released.

Freeman also reviewed the new policy regarding access to records and wrote that several aspects are “clearly inconsistent with law.”

He cites a section entitled “Records Not Available for Public Inspection,” which lists several categories of records.

“While some of the records referenced might properly be withheld, others, such as portions of many of those records, such as evaluations, negotiation materials sought after a contract has been signed, employee grievances and disciplinary matters, must be disclosed,” states Freeman.

He also cites another section of the policy entitled “Records Available to Representatives of the Media,” which states that group information will be provided, “not a response to the salary of a specific individual.”

Freeman writes, “The Freedom of Information Law, however, has since 1978 required that a record be maintained and made available by all agencies that includes the name, public office address, title and salary of every public employee officer or employee of the agency.”

Freeman concludes, “From my perspective, the law, not an agency’s policy, determines whether or the extent to which records must be disclosed or may be withheld, and the subject matter list should indicate in reasonable detail, by subject matter, the kinds of records in possession of an agency, without regard to whether records are accessible to the public.

“In my experience, attempts to identify categories of records as accessible or exempt from disclosure lead to inaccuracies and failures to comply with law. It is suggested the district’s policies relating to the Freedom of Information Law be reviewed and reconsidered.”

McGuire responded that the new policy was written with input from the New York State School Boards Association “and from our own counsel,” Jeffrey Honeywell of Girvin & Ferlazzo.

McGuire said of Freeman’s statements, “As I understand it, this is an advisory opinion.”

He went on to say he would forward copies of Freeman’s opinion to the board members and the policy committee. And, he said, “I’m willing to raise these questions again with our attorney.”

McGuire concluded, “It’s important we’re true to the concept of open government and we want to be as transparent as possible. At the same time, we need to safeguard confidentiality for students and staff. We need to strike a balance.”

GUILDERLAND — Demian Singleton started his career as a research scientist and, now an educator, he said the scientific process still shapes his thinking.

“You’re looking for outcomes,” said Singleton. “You look at a project and ask, is it reflective of your initial thoughts and ideas?”

Singleton, currently the math and science supervisor at Farnsworth Middle School, has been hired as the district’s assistant superintendent for instruction. He’ll replace Nancy Andress when she retires in August and will earn $115,000 in his new post.

Singleton was chosen from a pool of 26 applicants, said Superintendent John McGuire. “He has a vision of excellence for our program coupled with a nice leadership capability,” said McGuire. “He understands how to work with people ... encouraging them in the process. “Singleton’s vision, said McGuire, is not individual but instead involves bringing people to consensus.

Singleton has worked with Andress whom, McGuire said, has “created a culture of professionalism for the district.”

At 38, Singleton is a busy man. He is married to a Shaker High School teacher, Jennifer; they are raising two children — 3-year-old Andrew and 8-year-old Jessica, a third-grader at Guilderland Elementary School.

At the same time, Singleton is working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Sage Graduate School.

His father teaches English on the college level and his mother is a social worker. His sister, who lives in Los Angeles, is also a social worker.

His early life was not idyllic. “My parents got divorced; I moved around,” he said. “In hindsight, I would have preferred more things in my control...We survive and move on...live and learn.”

After high school, where math was his favorite subject, Singleton went to the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse to earn a bachelor of science degree in environmental biology and microbiology.

“I wanted to go down the research road,” he said. Although he was accepted to graduate programs, he got a job instead at Albany Medical Center as a biomedical research technician, studying the response of certain human cells to chemicals.

During his two-and-a-half years at AMC, Singleton worked on a master’s degree in science education and did informal teaching. He taught procedures such as chemo taxis, which he described as “the reaction of cells to conditions we placed them in.”

Although he enjoyed his work as a researcher, Singleton said, “I missed human interaction.”

Singleton did his student teaching at Bethlehem Middle School and Guilderland High School, and was hooked.

“I loved it,” he said. “I loved actually having students I could work with and see the learning cycle go from start to finish.”

His first teaching job, for the 1995-96 school year, was a temporary post, teaching biology for a year at South Colonie. Then he was hired to teach seventh-grade science at Farnsworth Middle School, where he has been ever since.

Singleton had expected he’d be a high-school science teacher but found teaching middle-school students “enlightening and refreshing,” he said.

Singleton enjoys the “energetic, upbeat” atmosphere in middle school, he said. “Kids are curious and think at a higher level,” he said, while still maintaining their enthusiasm.

He taught until 2004, when he became the school’s math and science supervisor. “Guilderland promotes a lot of leadership,” said Singleton. “I still think of myself as a teacher, working with other teachers to promote their growth.”

He also likes shaping curriculum, determining, he said, “what students learn and how.”

Under his leadership, Farnsworth was recently one of nine schools nation-wide named a finalist for the Intel Schools of Distinction Awards in the Science Excellence category, for which it received a $2,500 grant. The winner will be announced on June 15 and will receive an additional $7,500 of grant funding and $150,000 of materials and supplies.

In applying to Intel, Singleton said, he highlighted “first and foremost, the overall philosophy we subscribe to — inquiry.”

He explained, “Science is not just disseminating knowledge to students. It’s something they have to experience...We balance the State Education Department requirements with an inquiry-based program.”

The Intel application also emphasized community service projects through which students learn about science. These projects include tending to the school’s organic garden and raising butterflies that thrive in native habitat.

One of the things he’s proudest of in his leadership at the middle school is the “shift in how we offer math and science enrichment,” said Singleton. Previously, the enrichment programs targeted gifted and talented students.

“I’ve pushed to shift towards enrichment for all students, regardless of ability levels,” he said, “providing opportunities so they can develop and demonstrate their abilities.”

The enrichment programs “expose students to authentic math and science applications,” said Singleton. “Confidence and skill levels have grown astronomically.”

Singleton is also proud of the way new federal and state requirements have been met without sacrificing the program. He spoke of the “plethora of testing” and the required shifts in curriculum to “meet accountability measures” and concluded, “We’ve done it and still maintained integrity...We’re not a test-prep program.” Rather, he said, students learn through problem-solving.

One of the challenges Guilderland faces, said Singleton, is in sustaining leadership. He referred to the turnover in the last few years, particularly at the high school.

Referring to himself, and to Altamont Elementary teacher Allan Lockwood who has just been named Guilderland Elementary principal and to Farnsworth house principal, Chris Sanita, who has been named Pine Bush Elementary principal, Singleton said, “We moved up the ranks...It shows you can have successful vertical movement...That should be imbedded in how we operate as a district.”

Singleton said he applied for the assistant superintendent’s post because of his “interest in curriculum as a whole.” He explained, “Now, I’m limited to math and science. I want to look at literacy skills, too...This gives me an opportunity to interact with all aspects of curriculum and instruction.”

Referring to controversy in recent years, particularly with some parents’ complaints about how reading is taught, Singleton said, “I firmly believe you have to listen to people.”

He went on, “I believe strongly in supporting evidence and reason for change. We have many measures of our success.” He said he respected the data as much as opinions and personal preferences. “Those things will balance out...so everyone embraces the outcome,” he said.

Singleton said of Andress, “Nancy at certain times has taken some heat. Ultimately, her goal and ideally of the school community is to get a product we will collectively support.”

Asked if there is a conflict between preserving rich curriculum and having students perform well on required tests, Singleton said, “I think there is a conflict in time...It boils down to how much time is allotted to test-based activities” like preparation and scoring.

“It can very easily consume a curriculum,” he said. “You run the risk then of sacrificing authentic learning,” which may not show up in test results.

Guilderland has emphasized creative learning, said Singleton. “You have to find that balance,” he said. “Test scores may be a little lower, but is it worth it?”

He went on, “We’ve done a lot of work articulating the vertical and horizontal with curriculum mapping,” which he described as “a constant work in progress.”

Singleton concluded, “We will be looking for that balance constantly. I don’t know if any school has found the perfect formula.”

GUILDERLAND — Community Caregivers is preparing for a change in scenery, and will be relocating by the end of the month.

The not-for-profit agency, whose volunteers aid the elderly, the chronically ill, and single and teen parents, will be moving from Altamont to Route 20 in Guilderland.

“We’ve been growing a lot over the past 18 months,” said Executive Director Diane Cameron. “We grew into Bethlehem about two years ago and began serving New Scotland. Now, our volunteers come from all over, so we wanted to be more centrally located.”

Most of Community Caregivers’ clients are elderly, so its volunteers provide services like light housekeeping, and rides to medical appointments.

After setting up shop in the basement of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Altamont in 1994, and then moving to Fountain View Senior Assisted Living Center in Guilderland, Caregivers moved into its current home at the former Helderberg Bible Chapel on Gun Club Road in February of 2006. All of these locations were rent-free.

Now, in its 15^th year, and with more than 560 volunteers, Community Caregivers is planning its fourth move to 2113 Western Avenue.

The space at Gun Club Road, dubbed the Community Care Center, was donated to Caregivers by local developer Jeff Thomas, who received a letter from Cameron on June 1 informing him of Caregivers’ plan to move.

“I’m happy that church was part of their growth, and I was happy to be part of that with them,” said Thomas. “They’re a great organization, and I’ll be helping them out as much as I can.”

While Caregivers operates out of the chapel rent-free, this will not be the case in their new space. “I think rent will be about $7,000,” Cameron said. She thinks that there are several factors that make it well worth it.

One is the agency’s education and training program. “It was on and off until about a year ago, and we’ve been doing it steadily ever since,” Cameron said of the program. “We decided that this is really important for both client families and caregivers. We’re helping caregivers learn about the state of health care, and we even have yoga classes for our caregivers.” This, in conjunction with Caregivers’ ever-expanding coverage area, is good reason to relocate, she said.

“We now serve all of Guilderland, all of Bethlehem, Slingerlands, New Scotland, we reach into the Hilltowns, and also the Carman Road area. They have a Schenectady address, but they’re actually in the town of Guilderland,” she said. “If we can make it more central, we can cover all these places better.”

The centralized location will also be more convenient when Caregivers starts to bring in more volunteers from these new coverage areas to help with office work, Cameron said.

Additionally, Cameron said that the need for caregivers is growing fast. “In the next five years, there’s going to be a quadrupling of the number of people over 60 in the area, and we think we’re going to need more services, more volunteers, and more trainers,” she said. “Plus, the small difference between the new location and current location will make a big difference in gas, since we’ll be that much closer to everyone we serve. This is huge if you think about gas prices and our economy.”

As the organization expands, Cameron said, it continues to receive support for its efforts. “We received a grant of $15,000 from the Women’s Fund for a collaboration we’re doing with Jewish Family Services and Catholic Charities,” she said.

“The other wonderful thing is that it’s the headquarters for the Foundation of New York State Nurses,” said Cameron of the building that will house the new office. “They really support caregivers and nurses that have retired, so there’s a wonderful compatibility of mission between us and them.” She anticipates the two organizations will work well together to benefit the community.

As for the future of the space when Caregivers moves out, Thomas is unsure. “I renovated the building to serve the community, and hopefully it will continue to do so,” he said. “Another organization has expressed need of office space, so I’ll be interviewing them.” Thomas declined to name the organization.

“Any other not-for-profit organizations who express interest will be potential candidates for the space,” Thomas continued. “There’s a large gathering room, too, so maybe the town or village will use it for gatherings,” he said.

“The Caregivers used the church well,” Thomas concluded. “I’d like the building to continue to serve the community, as they did.”

As of right now, the actual date of relocation is unknown. “I hope to have the exact moving date soon,” Cameron said. “We’re looking forward to the move. I think it will only benefit everyone.”