For me the market morning will inevitably lead to an afternoon of my own type of farming (actually just lawn mowing and weed-pulling), but following a day of rest, relaxation and chores on Sunday, I will be resting up that night for a jam packed morning of activity on Memorial Day.
At 8:30 am Monday, the Lansdowne Memorial Day 5K will see plenty of folks of all fitness levels participate in a furious dash (or perhaps a not-so-fast stroll) to the finish line. The route begins in front of the municipal parking lot across from the Lansdowne Theater and makes its way through the historic residential areas and central business district. Following the race, the Memorial Day parade offers a celebratory yet poignant reminder of the true reason for the holiday – a tribute to those men and women who lost their lives while preserving our freedoms. This parade begins at Lansdowne and LaCrosse Avenues and wraps up with a ceremony at the Penn Wood High School field on Green Avenue. I encourage anyone with an appreciation for the many freedoms we enjoy as Americans to come out.
After all that early-morning activity, it's time to get something to eat, and where better than right next to the parade route, where the Lansdowne Baptist Church will hold an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast from 8 am to noon. If you've got kids under five, they eat for free, but the prices are more than affordable otherwise, with a $20 per family maximum. Proceeds from the breakfast go to the Aaron Royal Scholarship fund, which benefits members or regular attendees of the church or students who live within the William Penn School District. It's a good cause, and a good time, so try to stop by for a bite.
Did I miss anything? I know my schedule is probably already busy enough, but if there's something else going on locally that I missed, feel free to drop me a note and let me know. Thanks for reading, and hope you have a great holiday weekend, whatever you choose to do!
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ReplyDeleteJennifer, it would be interesting to read your thoughts on why you chose to once again raise property taxes in the William Penn School District. Would you please address at what point you think enough is enough? Or do you believe that there is no limit in what YOU believe you may extract from taxpayers? Also, do you think you have a conflict of interest in raising taxes because you accept no bid public contracts for your business?
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing.
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying that no one likes to raise property taxes but that is how our state has decided we must fund our schools.
Over the years there have been many attempts to change how we fund schools but none of them have made it through our legislature. That is the horrible truth.
The school board and administration worked very hard to get the budget down as much as possible and that included laying off 28 staff.
The school district is responsible for educating children. There is a very limited way to get that money. WPSD applies for grants from both government (Race to the Top, Accountability Grants, etc.) and private sources to try to defray as much taxpayer expense as possible but those funds are very limited.
Its a chicken and the egg situation. WPSD needs to be accountable to the State and Federal government and No Child Left Behind. If we do not meet those standards our schools are punished with less funding. NCLB has certain mandates, which of course are unfunded. It is really hard to meet standards without the money to purchase the resources needed.
I do not blame you for being upset about property taxes, not one bit. I just wish we could all harness that feeling and work together towards demanding our state find a new way to fund schools.
As for my business, I have run my business for 25 years the same exact way. You tell me what services you need, and I tell you how much they will cost. I am never aware of the clients quoting process beyond how it directly pertains to me.
Thanks for your comments. In closing, please know that I would love to see PA deal with school funding as is very unfair and inequitable.