A big snowstorm looms and Tom Padula a.k.a Tornado Tom gives us the details. Tom is a 9th grader in Unionville-Chadds Ford.
Here is his report:
Hat tip Katie Rainey
Month: January 2015
Arlene Gilmore Iris Among Exhibits
Arlene Gilmore’s Iris will be among the photographs on display at an exhibit that runs Feb. 23 through March 14 at the Art Center/Gallery at Delaware State University, 1200 N. DuPont Highway in Dover.
Admission is free.
Arlene Gilmore Iris Among Exhibits
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 1-24-15
William Lawrence Sr Omnibit 1-24-15
Yes, Anthony, it is indeed against the law to tickle a girl in Portland, Maine with a feather duster. Use your fingers.
John Gilmore, Peaceful Warrior Reflections
Dr. John Gilmore, who has written for us at times and is one of our favorite people, has his own internet radio show, Peaceful Warrior Reflections that can be found at this link.
While we suspect many of our readers may not be necessarily find it their cup of tea, we say you can never have too many peaceful warriors.
John Gilmore, Peaceful Warrior Reflections
Philly Charter School Beats Springfield
The Pennsylvania Department of Education has launched paschoolperformance.org giving residents greater access to the balance sheets of Pennsylvania’s schools, says State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
He says the website shows school spending by district, including total revenue, total expenditures, per-pupil expenditures and average staff salaries, albeit we could not find the average staff salaries and we had to figure out the per-pupil expenditures ourselves.
The website also tracks charter and cyber charter schools, and comprehensive career and technology centers, Cox says.
And it includes academic performance.
We decided to have some fun with it comparing Philadelphia Academy Charter School with the Springfield School District in Delaware County.
Philadelphia Academy spends $9.475 million on instruction for 1,180 pupils which is $8,029 per pupil.
Springfield spends $34,054,290 for 3,907 pupils or $8,716 per pupil.
The extra $687 per pupil — which translates to $2,684,109 per year to the taxpayer — isn’t something to sneeze at but if it means more engineers and doctors and a cure for cancer who will object, right?
Some cynic here might chime in and and ask what if it doesn’t, well, we’ll get to that.
Philadelphia Academy’s total spending is $15,598,815 or $13,219 per pupil.
Springfield’s is $59,441,901 or $15,214 per pupil.
That’s $1,995 more per pupil which adds up to $7,794,465 per year to the taxpayer. While salaries to attract great teachers might be justifiable, one can see where the extra money for non-instructional use and support might make someone laid off or living on a fixed income feel a mite resentful.
But if a cure for cancer is coming, it is worth it, right?
Which gets us to the academics.
We should note here that 33 percent of Philadelphia Academy’s pupil population is “economically disadvantaged” with 20.76 percent in special education compared to 14.5 percent “economically disadvantaged” with 15.87 percent in special education for Springfield.
The school performance of Philadelphia Academy is higher than Springfield High School for mathematics/algebra (84.22 percent proficient or advanced on PSSA to 75.27) and science/biology (68.71 percent to 42.96) although SHS wins on reading/literature (87.36 percent to 77.28)
Regarding elementary education specifically, at least with regard to reading, Springfield wins with 89.7 percent of Scenic Hills pupils and 83.65 percent of Sabold’s pupils being proficient or advanced on reading as per the PSSA while Philadelphia Academy’s score was 80.6 percent.
We kind of think the great engineers and doctors and the cure for cancer are more likely to come out of Philadelphia Academy.
Really Springfield, a 42.96 percent proficiency in science/biology?
Hey, let’s build a $144 million Taj Mahal. That’ll fix it.
Philly Charter School Beats Springfield
As per paschoolperformance.org a Philly charter school beats Springfield public school district.
Yes, a Philly charter school beats a highly regarded suburban school district on several metrics.
And Philly charter school Philadelphia Academy Beats Springfield
Pa Revenue Bright December
Pennsylvania collected $2.7 billion in its General Fund during December, says state Rep. Jim Cox (R-129). This is roughly $162 million more than expected. Across the board, revenue collections were above estimates, including corporation taxes, sales taxes and Personal Income Tax collections.
Six months into the fiscal year, the General Fund stands at $13.3 billion, $271 million above estimate.
Pa Revenue Bright December
William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 1-23-15
William Lawrence Sr. Omnibit 1-23-15
You can blame William, Shakespeare for all those greedy starlings gobbling at your bird feeder.
The species did not live here until, in the 1890s, when Eugene Scheifflen a wealthy New Yorker (1827-1906) released 100 of the birds in New Yorks Central Park as part of a project to bring all the birds mentioned in Shakespeares’ works to the United States.
Bryant Gumbel Calls NRA Members “Pigs”
Bryant Gumbel in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine brought up the National Rifle Association in a response to a question regarding his story on the Eat What You Kill hunting movement:
There are a few things I hate more than the NRA. I mean truly. I think they’re pigs. I think they don’t care about human life. I think they are a curse upon the American landscape. So we got that on the record. That said, I’m willing to separate that this story had nothing to do with that. It’s not a gun story. So I would like to think that I would have done it, but I don’t know. Obviously, that was my first experience around killing and guns and hunting.
So, we would like to ask Mr. Gumbel, whose fame comes from his descriptions of men playing children’s games, how many NRA members — figure 100 percent armed — commit murder versus non-NRA members with guns? Hmmm? Do you, Mr. Gumbel, have the guts to take on those who really are the ones who “don’t care about human life”?
And how do you feel about abortion?
Bryant Gumbel Calls NRA Members “Pigs”
Rat Pack Honor Flight Event
Honor Flight Philadelphia will host “Swinging with the Rat Pack” Sunday, April 26, at the Springfield Country Club, 400 W.Sproul Road, Springfield, Pa. 19064.
Relive the glory days of Vegas with Sammie, Frank and Dean. Doors open at 2 p.m. and the show starts at 3:30.
Tickets are $50 per person in advance and include a buffet lunch. There will be a cash bar.
Proceeds benefit Springfield-based Honor Flight Philadelphia which provides all-expense days of honor for veterans to Washington D.C.
Reservations are requested for Swinging With the Rat Pack and can be made by calling Deanne at 267-303-5977 or clicking here.
Rat Pack Honor Flight Event
Lee Wachtstetter Lives On Crystal Serenity
The Crystal Serenity is the home of 86-year-old Lee Wachtstetter.
Call it seven years before the buffet.
Lee Wachtstetter, 86, has spent the last seven years living on the Crystal Cruise Line’s Crystal Serenity.
She began the lifestyle after the death of her husband of 50 years, Mason, a banker and real estate appraiser.
The Wachstetters loved cruises and did 89 before Mason’s death. She said that before his death from cancer in 1997 he told her “Don’t stop cruising.”
She described her life as a “stress-free, fairy-tale.”
The crew knows her well and calls her “Mama Lee”.
It cost her about $164,000 per year.
She says she rarely gets off the ship now but whenever it docks in Miami — about five times a year — she visits her sons and their families.
She says is in daily contact with them via a laptop.
Crystal Cruise Lines say three other women have made their homes on their vessels.