I just want to say Amen to your column in this weeks Champion. You have stated what the majority of this District feels. Thank you! There are still some Holbeck/Hensch/Loos/Wallace/Albers supporters out there for some unknown reason and I guess they will never get it. These arrogant goons have been running the show and putting us in the biggest MESS we've ever had and yet they still try to claim innocent. I'm so looking forward to all 5 of them being gone! Penny and Josh have walked into a HUGE mess but I think they'll do great. We just all need to give them our support and patience.

Amen:

Thank you. When we came to Harrisburg 13 years ago, our school board made good decisions, in the open, and the patrons were happy. Our district had a good reputation. The only thing I will blame the citizens (and myself) for was being too complacent that this would always be the case. Good people have to run for office. The rest of us need to stay involved and aware of the process.

We were also blessed with some good administrators who helped lead us through tremendous growth, namely Jim Hargens and Keith Huber.

Thanks for your comments.

Todd

The school board is no place for someone on a power trip... that's what the U.S. Presidency is for! LOL

You've long carried the flag for Open Government and make good points about trust in government and that which has been lost with a couple of the soon-to-be-former School Board members in this district.

Your postition, however, is compromised when you always bring your your arguments back to "H & H" and the "Good Old Days" ... others in the district follow along this same path.

I encourage the following for dispassionate parties seeking deeper understanding of that which is really at the heart of the matter: When hearing of discord from a patron of the Harrisburg School District, ask a series of three consecutive questions of "Why ?", "Why is that ?", "Oh, really, why do you feel that way ?" Only a few dedicated devotees of the "Open Government mantra" or the "Accountability towards the Taxpaying Public platform" will hold true to those issues as the root of their protest ... most others will migrate towards "...well, H & H!." or "...the Good Old Days".

P.S. Were your wearing your hat gangsta' style while you penned this op-ed ... kinda like your pose when screaming into the news camaras last spring ?

Noted the following in your op-ed:

"We saw it with a number of long time faculty leaving because of all the chaos."

I would like to acknowledge the infusion of new talent (adminstrators and teachers) who have been attracted toward joining the misssion of this School District. I noted with interest Dalton Walker's feature in this week's edition of The Champion which included the fact that a recent posting for the Activites Director position attacted over 40 applicants (!!!)

There are great things happening in this school district for those who will open their eyes, ears, and hearts to receive/accept the news of such. Great things happen because of talented and inspired people ... we have many (and an increasing number !) of those in this district.

Guy:

Yeah, the Harrisburg District is a freakin' educational Disneyland. There is no trust. That is obvious. If good things are going on--and I'm sure they are--they are lost in the morass created by the Axis and Holbeck.

And yes, closed government that isn't responsive to the citizens ticks me off in a big way. Yelling at the cameras is far less harmful than ignoring the wishes of the faculty, the taxpapers and the students, agreed?

Guy, you're on the wrong side of history and the election results on this deal.

Epp

Guy:

I'm guessing you're a school board member or one of Holbeck's administrators. I'm just sayin.

Epp

An educational Disneyland ? I might rather suggest a three ring Barnum and Bailey Circus [and as much because of the torches and pitchforks antics of the villagers as the perceived conduct of any school board member(s) ]. Unfortunately, the antics of the villagers has become the news as much as the school board. I've personally been to Harrisburg school board meetings where the news cameras departed prior to the end of a school board meeting agenda ... "if the villagers haven't brought their pitchforks and torches to provide news, there is no need for us to be here". I obviusly do not agree with your comment RE: the comparative harm of screaming into news cameras (thought I would make that clear, since you were presumptuous to indicate my implicit agreement in your post above).

I am uncertain about your comments directed toward history and election results: (Unlike your op-ed commentary) I offer no comments about history ... I am very much about the future. Speaking of the future and election results, I believe that I acknowledged an issue of trust between the patons and soon-to-be-former board members (note the term applied "soon-to-be-former"). The patrons did as as our democracy allows - by expressing their wishes at the ballot box.

Todd Epp wrote: "I'm guessing you're a school board member or one of Holbeck's administrators. I'm just sayin"

Why would you say that ?