Letters in Fosters

The following letters were published in Fosters on March 12; they are republished here with their kind permission.

The facts

To the editor:

I was on the Oyster River School Board in August of 2010, when Jim Kach was appointed to fill a vacated seat. His easy going, friendly demeanor and his claim of having no agenda other than to serve his community convinced me to give him a chance. Before he had barely time to interact with the superintendent he voted against a nomination the superintendent put forth. This vote of no confidence was unusual for a newcomer just stepping up to the plate.

At the Candidates Forum in 2011, Mr. Kach stated he would support the hiring of a permanent principal for the high school. But on April 14, just after his election, he voted no on the nomination that came forward, a vote that directly led to the need to hire an interim.In June of 2011 Mr. Kach declared that every dollar of the unreserved fund balance should be returned to the voters. At the very next meeting (June 30), he voted to spend $185K to buy out the last year of Superintendent Howard Colter's contract. The money came from the unreserved fund balance.

Mr. Kach says he supports technology and yet on Dec. 7, 2011, after approving cuts in technology hardware for our teachers and students, he voted to cut even further. Mr. Kach does not follow the will of the voters. On September 21st, 2012, he voted no to expend the $15K that voters approved to help heal the tension in the district. I've watched Mr. Kach minimize concerns about his or the Board's behavior. About his personal tweets that offended many in the community: they were attempts humor and he didn't mean to offend. And of the first of two lawsuits against the Board: merely a matter of 3000 emails. When asked how he would prevent this from happening in the future, he quipped, "Hire a better lawyer."Such attempts at humor are fine for shooting the breeze over a cup of coffee, but they are not what one seeks from an elected school official. We need awareness of and responsibility for the impact of one's actions on others.

Voters in all three communities can cast a vote for the Madbury race between Jim Kach and Ed Charle. Eighteen months ago I gave Jim Kach my vote. This time my vote will go to Ed Charle, a civic-minded individual who sees the facts and knows our community deserves better.

JoAnn Portalupi
Lee

For Charle

To the editor:

This is a letter of support for Edwin Charle, M.D., for his interest in and application for the Oyster River School Board. I have known Dr. Charle for over 25 years and have had the privilege to work directly with him for the past six years. He is a competent and caring physician caregiver who started and managed Salmon Falls Family Health since 1989. He is a Board Certified Family Practitioner with sub specialties in gerontology — caring for the elderly and used to complicated medical management problems. How does this relate to our school board elected officials? We need good and thoughtful listeners. We need Ed's patience to ferret out complicated school board issues and to show the same kind of respect for teachers and administrators that has been clearly lacking in recent months. He understands and expresses humility and compassion. He has administrated a successful and respected family medical practice with many professional employees and support staff. Despite lack of knowledge of all school board related issues, he is a quick learner and earnest in his desire to digest all the issues. I believe that his common sense approach to problem solving is the right type of leadership quality we desperately need at this time. Please support Dr. Ed Charle by voting March 13th at Oyster River High School. You will never regret your choice in voting for this well-educated, yet humble and thoughtful resident of Madbury, New Hampshire.

Richard Renner

Durham


For OR board

To the editor:

It is time to gather around our shared commitment to the education and well-being of the young people in our community and bring a fresh and disciplined perspective to the Oyster River school board. Please vote for Tom Newkirk, Maria Barth, Ed Charlé, and Al Howland on Tuesday, March 13. They are the candidates who will be responsive to the diverse voices within our school community and who can restore the trust and discipline necessary to foster a climate of stability, productive dialogue, creative energy, and fiscal responsibility in the district.

Tom Schram

Durham