Inside New Berlin

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas are declaring Saturday, May 31, 2008 “Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties Support Our Troops Day”.

Two events to remember our troops from the past and present will be held that day---

The first event is the 2008 Ride for the Wheelchair Games, a motorcycle rally to raise awareness and funds to send Wisconsin paralyzed veterans to the 28^th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Omaha, Nebraska.*    This year's motorcycle procession will pass veterans memorials and military sites throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. It is scheduled to pass New Berlin’s Memorial (located on National Ave. and Casper) on May 31 in the morning. ( approx. 10:25)

Ride itinerary:

• 8:00-9:15 am  Check-in at House of Harley-Davidson (6221 W. Layton Ave.)
• 9:15 am  Ride to VA Medical Center for Parade on VA grounds
• 10 am  Ride to Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro and places that honor veterans
• 3 pm  Leave Bartolotta’s
• 3:30 pm  Arrive at Reclaiming Our Heritage on VA grounds (optional)

The cost: $30 per single rider; $50 per couple

Pre-registration is required for the Ride. Only 100 bikes will be allowed. To pre-register, call 414 328-8910. For more information (or to view a video of previous Rides) contact the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) at www.wisconsinpva.org/events .

* The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is advertised as the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. It is a multi-event sports and rehabilitation program for military service veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputations, or certain neurological problems. For more information about it click on the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs web site.

The second event is Reclaiming Our Heritage.  Admission is free to this living history event. There will be encampments from all the major military eras in U.S. history (from pre-Revolutionary War colonial militia up to the present era). This special event, which is located on the VA grounds (5000 W. National Ave.), honors veterans and educates the public about our veterans’ contributions and sacrifices. For more information about it and the many other family activities planned for the Reclaiming Our Heritage weekend, such as the Positively Patriotic Parade, click here.

Matt Thomas’ May 17 The Right Side of New Berlin blog (on New Berlin NOW) features an e-mail message from Keith Heun, in which Heun retracts several comments he had posted May 3-6 to Thomas’ blog about me, some other persons, and the ACLU.

In his “retraction”, Heun asserts some comments he’d posted to Thomas’ blog were “misstatement of facts”; “factually inaccurate”; he’d “inaccurately recalled what had transpired”, etc.

Heun’s “ retraction” letter also admits, “ The fact of the matter is that Policy 1330, revised on 6/23/03, Section 2, Para A. did expressly prohibit political activities in school facilities as the ACLU lawsuit rightly contended."

And four times in his “retraction” letter, Heun “profusely apologizes” for “any misstatement of incorrect information” in his comment, his description of the events” and his “description of the ACLU and individuals” that he mentioned in his comment that he “fully and completely retract”.

Sounds like a heap of legalese.

In plain English, Heun’s inappropriate and outrageous comments (May 3-6) that Matt Thomas published on his blog, are not only vile, vicious personal attacks and rants against me and some others--- they are falsehoods, fibs.

Or put another way, Heun and Thomas spread malicious lies about me, several other individuals and the ACLU. Thomas published information/comments on his blog that grossly distorted and misrepresented the facts pertaining to the Board policy, lawsuit, plaintiffs, me, etc.

In his “retraction”, Heun offers the lame excuse that since 5 years had transpired since the policy was adopted and he wasn’t on the board at the time, he inaccurately recalled what had happened.

Oh, so after School Board Clerk Keith Heun (abetted by School Board President Matt Thomas) spewed venom and falsehoods--- viciously and falsely attacking their constituents and the ACLU--  in a blog that can be viewed by anyone within or outside our community, Heun now pleads ignorance of the true facts?   Ignorance of facts that pertain to Board policy and the lawsuit ---and the settlement agreement under which the District/School Board is supposed to be operating? And what’s Thomas’ excuse for publishing Heun’s mean-spirited false allegations, personal attacks, and rants? Was that ignorance or malice?  Thomas does not apologize for publishing them or his own untruthful rants--nor has he retracted his words.  

Those two taxpayer-funded school board “leaders” are entrusted with our kids education and our tax dollars!  Shouldn't they have made it their business to know the facts about Board policy, the lawsuit and settlement agreement?  Don't they even bother to get factual information before making decisions or publicly maligning their constituents?  

After all, Keith Heun and Matt Thomas have been serving on the New Berlin School Board for 2 ½ years  (2005 to present). Both have held Board Officer positions--including Board President. The lawsuit was filed in 2004. The settlement agreement was announced in 2005.

Certainly, their pal Board Member Jennifer Eitel would know about Policy 1330, the lawsuit and settlement. She was serving as Board President when that 1330 revision was adopted in 2003 and is still on the School Board. Furthermore, Heun and Thomas could have consulted James Benfield (Superintendent) and Anthony Goedheer (Business Manager) for information. Both of those administrators were employed in the District at the time and until they recently retired. Contacting the ACLU for information would have been yet another option.      

By the way, Heun’s “retraction” was published on Thomas' blog three days after my blog entry titled "Thomas Exit Strategy", which mentions that I’d consulted lawyers last year about personal attacks directed against me.  

Additionally, I noticed that Heun’s published “retraction” does not mention:

• The letters to the editor by Heun and Thomas in 2003 in support of the Board’s adopting the Policy 1330 revision. Thomas’ letter attacked Bill Moore, who had objected to the revision.
• The atrocious 1330 policy revision was approved at the 6/23/03 School Board Meeting by a 3-2 vote, with Jennifer Eitel, Matt Weiss and Tim Cramer voting yes. Jennifer Eitel was Board President. Matt Weiss was the Vice President. Tim Cramer was Board Clerk. (All three have been supported by New Berlin Citizens for Responsible Government). Kyle Kramer and Alan McGinty cast the nay votes.
• The lawsuit alleged that the Policy 1330 revision violated Constitutional protections regarding free speech and assembly.
• School Board members take an oath to uphold the Constitution when sworn in to public office.
• Just before the School Board/District was required to respond to the lawsuit, it rescinded its objectionable policy 1330 revision. It quickly adopted a different policy (waiving the usual second reading). Following that sly maneuver, the School Board’s legal counsel requested that the lawsuit be dismissed, arguing that the policy 1330 revision no longer existed. The judge refused and allowed the lawsuit to be amended to cover the new policy hastily adopted by the School Board. Concerns were raised about that replacement board policy--and a legal settlement agreement was eventually obtained.

What is Matt Thomas trying to hide?

Thomas posted a blog Monday announcing that he’s quitting his NOW blog. I noticed that every one of his past posts and the comments posted to them had already been deleted.

It is one thing to stop blogging;  it’s quite another to have all past posts and comments removed prior to the blog being taken off the NOW site. Why was that done? What was the rush?

Hmm. Last Friday (May 9), I posted a comment to my blog, informing readers that last year when I consulted attorneys regarding a personal attack made against me publicly by School Board official Keith Heun, I was advised Heun's comments were over the top, libelous and actionable. My comment also stated that an attorney advised that if there was a pattern of our school board members publicly attacking a citizen or citizens, that could be interpreted as intimidation and be considered a civil rights violation.

The following Monday ( May 12). Thomas posted his blog announcing his departure from NOW--and interestingly, all of his previous blog posts and the published comments had vanished from it.  That’s right: They were removed, deleted.  Poof. All gone.

Quite a coincidence, huh?

So, how does Thomas “spin” it?  Thomas offers the excuse that he lacks the “ time and energy to do his blog justice.” And he claims to have “ thought long and hard about the positive direction our district will continue to go in over this next year with our new Superintendent Paul Kreutzer at the helm.”

That’s downright amusing. Of the abrupt disappearance of all his past blog entries and people’s comments he’d posted to his blog site--many of which were exceedingly negative and nasty, Thomas says nothing.

Thomas' pitch about the District continuing to go in a “positive” direction is such a joke. Throughout the 20 months Thomas, a school board official, had a NOW blog, he could have written upbeat, “positive” informative blog pieces about educational issues or other topics.  Instead, he often used his blog as a vehicle to bash citizens. In fact, in one of my recent blog articles, I noted that half of Thomas’ blog posts since January 22 mentioned my name in the title. They were rants against me. I’d also discussed Thomas’ peculiar obsession with me in my May 4, 2007 blog.

Thomas’ and his fellow “political strategist” School Board colleague Keith Heun have held public office leadership positions, but have handled scrutiny, criticism, and dissent very poorly. Their “trash-talking” written communications and vendetta against me (and/or some other individuals) have not escaped people’s notice. Instead of setting a “positive” example for their students and NBPS faculty, these school board “leaders” have come across as governmental cyber-bullies utilizing Thomas’ blog to attack, vilify, lash out, or retaliate against their own constituents.

As for Thomas lacking “ time and energy to do his blog justice”, the NOW online editor notified us regular bloggers several months ago that we should post a blog entry a minimum of every 30 days. Evidently, Thomas is unwilling or incapable of communicating information via his blog in a “positive” and respectful manner regularly even once a month.

Congratulations to Wayne Hamilton, who was presented with the 2008 Citizen of the Year award* on April 22 by Mayor Chiovatero.

Gary Drinan nominated him, maintaining that Wayne Hamilton was deserving of this honor because of his active involvement in New Berlin youth sports for over 41 years.

Mr. Drinan’s compelling nomination letter conveyed that Wayne Hamilton-----

• Is an upstanding citizen, committed volunteer, Korean War Veteran, married 52 years to Audrey and has 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
• Joined the New Berlin Youth Athletic Program (NBYAP) in 1967
• Volunteered for the newly created New Berlin Athletic Association (NBAA) Board in 1972, which succeeded NBYAP and continues to be an active board member
• Besides his duties on NBAA Board, served as county coordinator for youth sports from 1975-1987
• In his 41 year association with NBAA, has coached, recruited others to coach (boys and girls sports---baseball, basketball, soccer, wrestling, track and bowling)--and coordinated award dinners & ceremonies, including arranging for prominent speakers. Echoes the NBAA philosophy: “The NBAA was formed to give all kids a chance to play. There is no cutting. If they come out to play, they make the team.”

    In addition---

• New Berlin Lakes Baseball, Inc. was formed in 1971 to serve talented youth and adults who wished to play baseball after high school. In 1972, it combined with NBYAP to form the NBAA. Wayne Hamilton not only played on the team for 2 years, he managed it for 3 years, winning the Land O’Lakes Grand Championship in 1977.
• In 1977, Wayne Hamilton assumed the General Manager position, helping the team secure financing and to keep it functioning to the present. He worked closely with the City Parks and Recreation Department and NBAA board to keep the hardball diamond at Malone Park in excellent playing condition, installing modern lighting and reconditioning the playing field with a new drainage system and playing surface. Wayne Hamilton was inducted into the Land O’ Lakes Hall of Fame in 2004.

* Nominations for Citizen of the Year are judged by the Mayor’s Office and City Clerk on this criteria: Contribution to community welfare; Civic achievement; Contribution of something of a lasting effect on the community; Volunteerism; Enrichment of the cultural, civic, and youth facilities of the City of New Berlin.

- Howard Johnson

* the above verse and other quotes re: mothers or Mother's Day can be accessed via the internet.

The board meeting began with Board President Keith Heun flubbing the Pledge of Allegiance. ( See my blog entry Holy School Board! ) 

After the Pledge of Allegiance, outgoing Board Member Susan Manley was recognized for her board service. Outgoing board members are traditionally honored in this fashion.

The oath of office was administered by Jennifer Eitel to the newly elected school board members-- Dave Maxey and incumbent Art Marquardt (Marquardt was attending by teleconference ). School board members (except Marquardt) voted for their board officers (by secret ballot). Thomas appointed two board members to positions.

Then came recognition of students   It was listed on the meeting agenda as:

POPLAR CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL  

• Brittany Biddle--State D.A.R.E. Essay Winner

NEW BERLIN WEST HIGH SCHOOL

• Byron Butler--WIAA State Champ--100 Yard Butterfly
• Co-op Swim Team Members--WIAA State Qualifiers

NEW BERLIN EISENHOWER MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL

• Basketball Team--Division 2--WIAA State Champions
• Cheerleaders--National Champs, 2^nd in State
• Academic Decathlon Team--3^rd Place, Division II at State
• Dance Team---3^rd in State
• Co-op Swim Team Members--WIAA State Qualifiers
• Woodland Conference Varsity Math Champions
• 2008 State Fair Art Winner
• National Art Competitor

Wow. Congratulations to all of those students and teams for their remarkable achievements. Obviously, New Berlin Public Schools has many talented and hard-working students and athletes.  

Today's New Berlin NOW.com (Community Watch) conveys that Alderman Poshepny, who has been in the hospital since Sunday, is scheduled to come home on Wednesday.

I hope he’s feeling better each day and wish him a speedy recovery.

Want to know more about congestive heart failure?  The American Heart Association presents information about heart failure on its web site.

Here’s an excerpt from it:   “More than 5 million Americans are living with heart failure and 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.”