TECH-NICALLY IN STEP

SEP

13

World Folk Festival - Lynn Heritage State Park

Going

Invite

Public · Hosted by Mary Ellen Palermo and David Gass

The above photo is of James Runner's ITM dancers. James is the Head Football Coach at Lynn Tech. The ITM Step Squad & Dance Team are Lynn youth who brought to our Festival the power and precision of this nearly lost African dance form.

Stepping or step-dancing is a form of percussive dance. The entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word, and hand claps.

The Festival primarily features music and dance from peoples living on the North Shore. In the past five years, groups entertained us with 'folk' music from Haiti, Cambodia, Iraq, Scotland, Ireland, Greece, Turkey, Russia, Mali (whew...did I miss anyone?).

We also hosted music from ethnic and progressive activists: Yiddish (my family), cajun/zydeco, Appalacia, labor unions, US freedom songs.

This year, we honor the late great Pete Seeger (1919-2014). The Seeger Memorial Band (Julio Bare, Ralph Tufo and me) will have you singing some of his known songs like Precious Friend and Turn, Turn, Turn, as well as a few lesser known tunes like My Rainbow Race.

You can help by attending AND by:

A. donating - We have always paid the musicians, who are some of the
poorest people around.

B. getting the word out to friends and family. The fest has been moved to
September to avoid the rain/heat of the past two years and to attract
school children.

C. meeting with us once or twice before the Fest to plan & execute (non-
violently)

D. setting up the stage or parking cars, buying food from vendors

E. bringing something you made to sell. We rent tables to artists and
groups.

F. making (healthy) food for the semi-starved staffers.

Shalom / Salaam / peace

THE HIGHLANDS COALITION PUTS ON SHOW FEATURING FORMER RAM

World Folk Festival - Lynn Heritage State Park

• Saturday, September 13 at 1:00pm - 6:30pm

• Show Map Lynn Heritage State Park 135 Lynnway, Lynn, Massachusetts 01905

Join us for music - food - international groups - dance instruction during National Welcoming Week - September 13-21, 2014.

We in Lynn, Mass will welcome all our immigrants and ethic groups through food and music.

One the singers in Women of the World is from Lynn (LCHS).
Do you know who that is? Stay tuned for the answer.

UnlikeUnlike ·  · Share

ANOTHER UNACCOMPANIED BUILDING! WE ARE IN CRISIS MODE!

Lynn school buildings are 'busting at the seams' with so many students and no enough classrooms - isn't buying a newer building an easy solution to space? Sounds like eminent domain could have purchased a building quick and easy! Vacant Lynn building heading for auction www.itemlive.com The multi-unit building on Union Street has sat empty for a number of years since Eastern Bank first...

WATCH THE SPIRAL GO VIRAL

School will be starting in about a month. To no one's surprise I am worried about my beloved FORD SCHOOL. I wonder what is going to happen OPENING DAY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR? How fast can they get some leadership there to attempt to fill the void left from the sudden departure of DR. CRANE?

The simple answer is they CAN'T! Not in the current climate. It is fortunate that LSC MEMBER MARIA CARRASCO fought to get SOCIAL WORKERS at every school, not just a few like in earlier versions of this year's budget. Unfortunately it came at the expense of the librarian, so they say. DR. CRANE would have rather had the LIBRARIAN since she did that work herself. But as things have turned out this addition was rather fortuitous. They need there is OVERWHELMING for a NORMAL person. DR. CRANE was not a NORMAL person. With the DIVERSE ethnic background and the socioeconomic conditions in the HIGHLAND community, the NEED is GREAT.

I have concerns that the partnership that myself and so many others have worked so hard on between the FORD SCHOOL and the HIGHLANDS COALITION will not continue. I have warned others because there is NOTHING even remotely binding between HICO and the school. The good work we accomplished was due in LARGE part due to DR. CRANE and often at odds with the wishes of the higher-ups.

ANOTHER MINOR WITHOUT DOCUMENTS

Aug. 1, 1944: Anne Frank made her final diary entry from her hiding place in Amsterdam. http://usat.ly/1of9jJ7

LikeLike ·  · Share · 57,1201,14519,231

NEED A LITTLE COMMON CENTS

Sorry, you know me I am a CURIOUS GUY and I don't mean just funny looking. You see the MAYOR has PUBLICLY voiced her concerns about the influx of UNNACCOMPANIED MINORS. Some of those are real and need to be addressed, so her's a letter from CONGRESSMAN TIERNEY that attempted to alleviate some of those fears:

Maria Carrasco - Lynn School Committee

19 hours ago · Edited

Please read letter from Congressman John Tierney explaining money Lynn receives for ESL, refugees, and other financial aid for our Lynn students.

1 ShareLikeLike ·  · Share

Well It's been over a week now and I haven't heard any responsefrom the MAYOR or anyone from LPS substantially disputing the facts of what was reported. Only inflammatory rhetoric and questions about the validy of the numbers provided by a sitting member of the US Congress. Fair enough, Congress doesn't have the best reputation.

Then again why shouldn't we apply the same level of scrutiny to the numbers or lack thereof provided by JUDY. This is the same person who refuses by some (MOST) accounts to FULLY fund LPS.

WAIT! WHY WORRY, THOSE PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY JUST HERE ILLEGALLY. (YOU CAN'T PICK AND CHOOSE)

Lori D'Amicoposted to‎Stanley Wotring

5 minutes ago · Edited

I am using your wall (again) because I want to reach as many people as I can so I can get many different ideas and suggestions. The question is: How can a high school reach out, engage and involve ESL or non-English speaking parents so they become more involved in their child's education, particularly what and how their child is doing in school, how they can help and why it is important?

WHAT IS COOK-ING FOR CRANE?

Let's have a Celebration.
One for the HIGHLAND NATION!

A party for an EDUCATOR
That has been a success generator.

A time to give thanks
From all who came through the ranks.

A chance to look back on all the gains.
WHEN and WHERE is all that remains!

CAUSE FOR A CELEBRATION

Lisa Ellen

1 min

Hi all I'm hoping to get all the Ford alum together for a family picnic send off for Claire! Saturday Aug 30 has been suggested at High Rock park *byo food etc share stories...

Kool & The Gang - Celebration

• by KoolAndTheGangVEVO
• 4 years ago
• 25,169,995 views

Music video by Kool & The Gang performing Celebration. (C) 1980 The Island Def Jam Music Group.

WHY WE NEED LIBRARIES!

Unlike

A FINAL FAREWELL TO FORD

I can't put into words how devastated I am that today was DR. CRANES last day at FORD SCHOOL. Oh I am estatic for her personally but I am deeply concerned for the community and childred whose cause sge championed for with such conviction. I have talked with other members of the School Improvement Council and I assure you tears were shed. I [romise to anyone who rreads this post, I will do everything that I can to insure that the legacy left behind remains intact.

LIL'LORI LEARNS ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL BUT WE'RE JUST NOT SURE ABOUT THE ENDING

Lori D'Amico‎Stanley Wotring

7 hrs · Edited · 

I have been communicating with Jeff Wulfson, Deputy Commissioner of the DESE via email over the past week or so. The following are his responses to my questions and concerns (I have copied and pasted them so they appear as if it is a single response, but it is not):

Lori –

Your recent email to our Program Quality Assurance unit was referred to me.

We do indeed monitor compliance with the Commonwealth’s net school spending requirements. Districts are required to submit annual financial reports to document their planned and actual spending. The next reports will be submitted this fall, documenting actual spending for FY14 and planned spending for FY15. These reports will be posted on our website, and we will review them to determine if districts are in compliance.

We are very much aware of the issues in Lynn. Legislation was recently enacted that will allow Lynn and other communities to begin reporting their expenditures on retired teachers’ health insurance for net school spending purposes. This will have a direct impact on our compliance determination.

I agree with you that a district must spend 100% of its requirement to be in full compliance. When a district reports that its spending falls short of 100%, we take appropriate action as specified in G.L. c.70, s.11. The action taken depends on the amount of the shortfall.

We have not yet established the process and timeline for acting on waiver requests.

Jeff Wulfson

Deputy Commissioner Jeff Wulfson
Mass. Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant St, Malden MA 02148
Tel. 781-338-6500 Fax 781-338-3392
jwulfson@doe.mass.edu

LikeLike ·  · Share

• 

  Stanley Wotring So we are not out of the woods yet! We are being held hostage subject to the winds of political favor.

  7 hrs · Edited · Like
• 

  Stanley Wotring One has to wonder how the Mayor's recent media blitz will affect the willingness to give LYNN a waiver since the GOVERNOR has expressed a willingness to accept the UNACOMPANIED MINORS.

  7 hrs · Like
• 

  Lori D'Amico I do not think the recent media attention regarding the influx of unaccompanied minors and immigrant students will even be a factor in the decision making. And let's not forget that the Governor's willingness came because the shelter and support for these individuals are being paid for with federal funds, not state.

  6 hrs · Edited · Like
• 

  Stanley Wotring Thank you LORI for making my point. Lynn's chance of getting FEDERAL help is much better if they didn't take such a HOSTILE stance. The kids are coming anyway so you have to decide if you want to handle the PROBLEM or be part of the problem.

  6 hrs · Like