Let's Answer a Few Questions

Let’s Answer a Few Questions.

In a recent article on the O-R blog an individual stated that there were 5 members of the audience that stood when asked if any one agreed with the board and their decisions. First, I would like to clarify some things. The first person mentioned did not stand, the second one, well truthfully I could not tell if he was standing or not. Carl Fritz was in Ohio so I am pretty sure the attendees could not determine if he stood or not and Rick West was in Florida, I’m rather certain he was not standing at the time. As for myself, I always stand in the back and when she asked the question I and the three people I was standing with either squatted or bent over. The person that wrote the article does not deserve a response but I did feel that the two people that were out of town should not have been drug into such ridicules accusations.

The questions about “Trinigate”

First, it was not on a night when there was a board meeting it was reportedly a Monday.

Second, according to a 1994 ruling school board members have authority individually from “Gavel to Gavel” only. The precedent setting case states that no board member can act or investigate any item without full board approval.

Third I have been informed that tapes at Trinity are accessible for approximately 90 days (I have not fully confirmed that however)

More later.

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I guess this says it all



NONSENSE !!!!!

The following is the definition of the word Nonsense by the Webster’s Dictionary. This word, Nonsense was used by Mrs. Interval during the most recent board meeting. This word is used on a regular basis by many people; however the reason why this time warrants further discussion is the context for which the word was used.

The Sentence; “Sandy, call me back when this nonsense is over with”

The Context;

Mrs. Salvatori, speaking in the capacity of a citizen was reading a well prepared, heartfelt          speech about the current actions of the school board. Mrs. Salvatori was offering the state                        and the local recommendations of conduct and operational standards for school boards.

The Definition;

Noun 1. A message that seems to convey no meaning.[Wordnet]

2. Ornamental objects of no great value.[Wordnet]

3. That which is not sense, or has no sense; words, or language, which have no meaning, or which convey no intelligible ideas; absurdity.[Webster’s]

4. Trifles; things of no importance.[Webster’s].

Adjective 1. Having no intelligible meaning; "nonsense syllables".[WordNet]

2. Being absurd, ridiculous, preposterous, ludicrous or irrational. [Eve - graph theoretic]

3. Being silly, foolish, inept, senseless or stupid. [Eve - graph theoretic]

4. Being vacuous or empty. [Eve - graph theoretic]                                            

5. Being pointless or purposeless. [Eve - graph theoretic]

6. Being trifling, insignificant or trivial. [Eve - graph theoretic]

The Actual Nonsense;

·        The fact that some of our board members do not realize that their cell phone is equipped with a mute button. When used properly this simple devise would eliminate the need for everyone in attendance at the meeting from being subject to conversations and noises on the other end of the phone.

·        The fact that when interviewed by the O-R immediately following the meeting, Mrs. Clutter, when given this open media forum chose to complain about people wanting to talk about sports as her main comment.

·        The fact that teachers, clerical workers and coaches are being terminated without considering alternatives or other opportunities.

·        The fact that  a board member orchestrated TRINIGATE by entering the middle school at 7:00 PM with two individuals whom were coerced into assisting in an effort to obtain information off of a school computer in the food service office. Wait, could that be the same computer that the highly private information pertaining to free and reduce lunches are stored?

·        The fact that two board members and the AD decided what coaches should be terminated in an arbitrary manor that will most likely result in additional lawsuits.

·        The fact that we pay exorbitantly for a non-contracted attorney to handle all employment and contractual negotiations and still have not settled contracts with food service or clerical staffs after more than a year.

·        The fact that two board members and the AD made the decision to not allow state mandated hip and tail bone pads to be purchased because the term Girdle pad obviously refers to underwear.

·        The fact that two separate full page ads were purchased by 4 board members and both contained false and fabricated information according to the business office.

·        The fact that we have multiple lawsuits involving potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards and costs because of non-professional and ignorant statements and actions by certain currant and ex-board members.

·         The fact that after approval of the budge by the board, certain members manipulated its outcome by disallowing most items listed under the approved dollar structure of the budget.

·        The fact that a board member and a couple administrators decided to reject an offer to have the alumni game at the Trinity field  and then blatantly lie about the facts surrounding the situation.

·        The fact that 3 board members proved their interest in the views of the public when they voted “no” to allowing an extended time period for community comments during the last meeting.

·        The fact that according to one board members direct relative, the actions against a certain coach were a result of a vendetta reaching back 7 years.

·        Te fact that certain members of this board make rude and ignorant comments to each other and to audience members and these same board members appear to not pay attention to any constituent that is addressing them during meetings..

·        The fact that teachers and coaches have developed alternative offerings to assist in the budget needs, all of which were rejected by the board.

·        The fact that “Pay-for-Play” is intended to be the saving grace for budget concerns and we have not yet researched all of the ramifications connected to it.

·        The fact that starting November of 2009 certain board members have spent all of their waking moments attempting to destroy Trinity sports and the Trinity school system.

·        The fact that this letter could go on and on and on recapping the ridiculous behaviors, attitudes and actions of a few board members as they carry out their own agendas and vendettas.

Thursday July 21, 2011 School Board Meeting

This meeting has the potential to be a very important one, there will be many questions asked and hopefully answered at this meeting. If you are available please come and support your school and your children. If you have questions ask them, we each need to become involved in the process instead of waiting for decisions to be made for us. This is not just about sports, it is however about the future of our children and the education of our children. We can no longer allow decisions to be made with malice, contempt and personal adgendas in play but rather these decisions need to be made in the best interests of the students, the educators, the parents and the taxpayers.

Some facts sorounding the Alumni Game

From time to time there are items that we talk about that although we consider them to be important they fall a little lower on the “life changing actions” chart. One such item was the most recent Alumni football game, yes it was important, fun and filled with excitement, however the game itself will have minimal impact on the future of Trinity or Washington School Districts. With that said we recently stated in the blog and others have stated that efforts to use Trinity as the venue for this event were thwarted by Trinity officials. Some of these officials have emphatically denied even knowing of the game, others have said “where is the proof” well here is a direct copy of one email and a brief timeline surrounding the game and the facts behind it. We also have all of the other emails for further evidence if needed.

I realize that this is not as important of an event as the many other items happening now, items such as teacher layoffs, Pay for Play, kindergarten reductions, busing issues and on and on, however this speaks volumes to the integrity of those that we are dealing with for the future of Trinity. Remember these problems are created by a few members, not the entire board.

From: James Varner <james.varner@yahoo.com>;
To: <clutters@trinitypride.org>;
Subject: Trinity VS Wash High Alumni football game
Sent: Mon, May 16, 2011 4:39:47 PM

Hello Mrs. Clutter, I understand that recently a fellow alum. football player (Ben Bell) for Trinity's team had contacted you in reference to information about assistance with this game. Furthermore, I understand that you had said that it was the first time that you had heard of this event and to contact you if there is anything that you can do to help. That was great news for me to hear as we do in fact know of a few things that we would appreciate your help/assistance with. This event usually sees the school reaching out to the alum team to help out with preparation, offer the football field as a venue, etc.. In return the school shares in the full admission fee collection with (Wash High) the other school. However, I spoke with Athletic Director Bobby Jones who stated that Trinity Field is not an option and the event as a whole seems to not be of interest to the school. I noticed a CC of our email exchange had also gone to Mr. Kasunich. I am willing
 to accept that I may misunderstand this concept, but I was unaware that only a board member or two are needed to make a choice on a topic that is brought up involving the school district and events? I would like to make a final push upon your statement to let you know if there is anything that you can do. We would like organization of a band (which in all honestly would give the band real time practice before the real football season starts) for this game and would also appreciate the use of Trinity Football uniforms. All schools in the area support the alumni teams since the school itself will benefit financially. I truly hope that you can help us so that we and also the school can benefit. Otherwise, we appreciate your time and will look to make all monies go to Wounded Warriors Foundation. This is not a small, one time thing. It will happen year in and year out and become a tradition. Though Trinity has expressed that we are a homeless team basically
 in terms of venue (even if we were granted home field advantage) . We our extending our hand with one last attempt for the very school in which we were educated and paid taxes to assist us and also benefit themselves in doing so as this game approaches. This game is set for July 8th, your assistance and expedience will be greatly appreciated.




Best regards,


James Varner

Alumni Game Timeline

March 20^th-Jim Varner emails Bobby Jones and requests a meeting with him concerning the Alumni Game

March 20^th-Bobby Jones replies that he will look into the rules but would be happy to discuss it with him.

March 20^th- Varner  responds and looks forward to discussing the event when he flies back from Ft. Lauderdale toward the end of April.

Early April-Varner contacts  Athletic Director Bobby Jones who states that Trinity Field is not an option and the event as a whole seems to not be of interest to the school. A CC of this email exchange had also gone to Mr. Kasunich.

April 24^th- Big Meeting with both Wash High and Trinity to determine home field.

April 26^th-Ben Bell emails Sandy Clutter asking why their proposal was rejected. He attaches his draft letter and requests a response.

April 29^th-Sandy Clutter replies to Ben Bells email and states that “Iwill let you know ASAP.”

May 16^th- Jim Varner emails Sandy Clutter asking for assistance and support of the game.

Budgeting 101 (The Trinity Way)

Well let’s try to understand this latest attempt at sabotaging sports. The school Board passes a budget, now most of us have a few problems with that budget, namely laying off several great teachers aids and staff members, Pay-for-Play, coaching reduction and so on. But here is one that seems almost comical because it is so ridicules, each department has a budgeted amount of money to spend, generally budgets are based on wish and need lists so you give the board a list of items you will need with the anticipated costs for those items. Then there may be discussions or possibly just a decision is made as to the actual amount that will be allowed, that number is then added to the budget, the budge is then approved and we have a working program for the upcoming year.

The process is a little different here at Trinity all of the steps are the same, except the last one that is. The final approved budget is then taken by a couple of the board members and an adjustment is made to the approved items, not the dollars, just the items. For example, football had all of the normal items included, items that are very important to fielding a team, items that are required by law in some instances. But a few wise members of Trinity Area School Board have decided it is a frivolous expense to purchase mouth guards, girdle pads, and chin straps etc. Almost every sport has been affected by these listing so the money is still but the approved items list is reduced to almost nothing. Once the budget is approved by the full board what would one or two of the board members gain by then changing the list of approved purchases? More importantly what would make them believe they have the power or authority to do so without the entire board voting? I think it is time we all start asking these questions and demanding answers from them. As I stated in the last blog “enough is enough”. Please attend the upcoming board meetings and tell them how you feel The next one is July 21st.

Another Lawsuit??? and She wants to do what with Spirit Wear???

I have waited several weeks for the following information to be reported on but I have not heard or read anything about it. So I thought I would at least put the facts in the blog to allow you the opportunity to stay informed. So, here are the basic facts from a lawsuit filled against The Trinity School District. Docket No. 533-2010-01118 Filled with the United States Equal Opportunity Commission.

Craig Jackson filled an action stemming from an application with the Trinity Area School District, Trinity was ordered to pay Jackson $21,000 and Gregg, Jackson’s attorney $9,000. Jackson agrees to not pursue any further actions.

One part to this that bothers me greatly is that this action is against the Trinity Area School District not the Trinity School Board A few members of the board continue to lump the  great families of Trinity into this type of action and embarrass each and every one of us because of their own feelings, agendas, and prejudices. Enough is enough.

Here is a brief tidbit about recent statements by the President of the Trinity School board, she now would like to open a store in the school to sell spirit wear, and no longer allow booster clubs the opportunity to sell the items without paying licensing fees. Lets look at all the facts here. The board initiates a Pay-for-Play policy, they then eliminate most items that will be purchased by them (more on this in a couple days), then they reduce our coaching staffs by 9, and now reduce the possibilities of booster organizations making minimal profits on Trinity logoed items DO you see a trend here that would include the elimination of sports. I will offer more details in a couple days but that is the start.

Interesting!!

I recently had an opportunity to speak to some of the people involved in the upcoming alumni game featuring Wash High and Trinity. According to these individuals this game was offered to Trinity first, to be held at Hiller field and allowing Trinity to reap the benefits of somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000. Now please understand not everyone agrees that this game is a good idea, and the 15 to 20 thousand dollars is purely speculative from the promoter, however this game could have easily assisted in offsetting pay for play costs and/or booster purchases. (Booster purchase will be discussed in my next blog).

Why? You ask would we have not at least met to decide if this was something we could have done. The promoter had the expense, the insurance, the uniforms and all of the paperwork along with most of the other costs. The school has to use boosters to man the gates and sell tickets and anything else the boosters would like to sell. Seems like a no brainer, however according to the people involved our School Board President stated we were not interested. I guess that is all I need to say on that subject

What's next ???

If you happened to read the newspaper today you are aware of the ad placed in the paper by four of the school board members. I am confused as to why they would need to run that ad if the budget was already enacted. Why would there be a need to pay for an ad showing teacher salaries after the fact. Was their goal an attempt at producing the “shock and awe” effect, usually these actions are intended to achieve a goal, doing it after the fact is simply an attempt to create a reaction. That action is kind of like a policeman shooting a person multiple times and then yelling “STOP POLICE”, doesn’t have the same effect does it, pretty much looses all of its meaning I think.

The plan of certain board members was, first lay off some teachers and staff members. Second, charge the kids and parents for just about anything they could think of and of course reduce services to the kids. Third, it begins to get a little tricky here because there is a long list of “In-again/Out-again” Items added to the budget then taken out of the budget, for example eliminating the Opt-out insurance program (back out of budget) and the no transportation for middle school sports (back out of budget). Then there is the elimination of three positions from the staff including Transportation, Police and Marketing (back in the budget). Reduce coaches from as many sports as possible (back in the budget) and the ever popular evaluate and reward certain administrators for a job well done (tabled again). 4 members of this board’s goal were achieved, in spite of arguments, questions, suggestions and directives. The 5^th member voting for the board apparently voted for the budget because he has been living in a vacuum and did not realize that the Governor had added money back to the school district.  

If you were present at the meeting this past Wednesday you saw an amazing turn out of teachers, administrators, parents and even students, the teachers have shown a desire to work with the board by offering concessions and an open line of communication. The board has rewarded that by attacking everyone. Seems like nothing changes with this group.