The Town of Webb UFSD Board of Education held a meeting on Tuesday, June 21, where it took the following action:

-PUBLIC FORUM-

a. Diane Amos gave a presentation regarding General Education Work Experience Program (GEWE) and Educating Students in Career Opportunities (ESCO).

b. Jennifer Dunn, PTC President gave an outline of the activities in 20010-11 and 2011-2012 events.

c. Diane Gaige gave a presentation about Writing Portfolio Assessment K-12 students.

d. Board of Education discussed the Board member vacancy and decided to advertise for interested community members to fill the vacancy for the 2011-12 year until the May election.

• Approved the Board minutes from June 7, 2011.

• Approved the recommendation of the Committee on Special Education and approved the authorization of funds to implement the special education programs.

• Approved the increase in the position currently held by Jessica Brownsell from a .5128 FTE Physical Education/Health teacher position to 1 FTE Physical Education/Health/Driver Education/Science 6th position effective September 1, 2011.

• Approved the probationary appointment of Mary Starring as .6FTE School Psychologist/.4FTE CSE Chair.

• Approved the appointment of Tricia Clark as After School Instructor for 2011-2012 school-year.

• Approved the August Regents Proctors for review session, proctoring and correcting of exam as per TOWTA Contract: Susan Smith, Ronald Smith, Mark Johnston, Jed Kinney, Brad Donovan, Pat Harwood, Andrew Huntress, and Judy Ehrensbeck.

• Approved the bid from Don Brown Bus Sales for the surplus 2005 GMC Bluebird 30 passenger bus.

• Approved the bid from Don Brown Bus Sales for the surplus 2007 Chevrolet Bluebird 30 passenger bus.

• Approved the bid from Timothy Noonan for the 2004 Bluebird All American 65 passenger bus.

• Approved the bid from Hans Schmid for the surplus 2001 Buick LeSabre car.

• Approved the base bid from Jewett Brothers for the bus garage siding.

• Approved the following appointment of the Fall Sports Coaches for 2011-2012: John (Louie) Ehrensbeck – Boys’ Varsity Soccer; David Leach -Girls’ Varsity Soccer; Travis Kiefer – Boys’ JV Soccer; Robert Fountain – Girls’ Junior Varsity Soccer; Joanna Cloherty – Girls’ Modified Soccer; Gregory Clark – Boys’ Modified Soccer; Ron Smith – Coed Cross-Country Running/Modified Cross Country.

• Approved the 2011-2012 School Lunch Prices: Breakfast: K-12, $1.15; Adult – $2 plus $.17 tax = $2.17; Lunch: K-6, $1.75, 7-12 – $2. Adult -$4 plus $.33 tax = $4.33

• Approved the revision of Board Policy 515. – School Lunch Policy.

• Accepted Helen Estabrook’s resignation from the Board of Education effective July 1, 2011.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 6:30 p.m.

Daniel J. Enea, Herkimer County Coroner and area funeral director was presented with a certificate of appreciation for his efforts in conducting an annual internship program with the Herkimer-Fulton County BOCES Criminal Justice Program.

Enea was presented with the award on Monday, June 20.

The internship program offers a_student the opportunity to learn the role law enforcement plays when a county coroner is called to the scene of a death._

Danielle Riesel of Herkimer was the student who benefitted from the internship program this past year._

Enea has served in the capacity of coroner since 2006.

Services were held in Freemantle, Western Australia, for Dylan Martin, 18, who was killed in a car accident along with his step father, Perry Diver, on May 24. 2011.

Dylan had_graduated from High School in December 2010, and was employed at Techtronics. He worked as a civilian on military vehicles in a secure environment. He had also attained the level of Eagle Scout.

Dylan is survived by his father, Matthew Martin (Barbara Green) of Old Forge, NY; his mother and sisters, Cindy and Haley Diver of Serpentine, WA, and Brittney Martin of Perth, WA.

He also leaves many friends and family members of the Martin and Diver families.

Dylan’s family would like to thank everyone for their kind expressions of sympathy in the form of hugs, cards, calls, food and offers of help. Your friendship and love is heartfelt.

Mrs. Mary Lou Graham, 89, a resident of the Masonic Care Commu-nity in Utica, formerly of North Utica and Old Forge, passed away on Monday, June 20, 2011, at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, with her loving family by her side.

Mary Lou was born in Utica on August 10, 1921, the daughter of the late Frank J. and Dorothy (Milgate) Colwell.

She was raised in Utica, was a graduate of Utica Free Academy, class of 1939, and the Excelsior School of Business.

On January 12, 1943, Mary Lou married Walter J. Graham at Blessed Sacrament Church in Utica, a loving and devoted union of 68 years.

During World War II, she was employed with Rhoads Hospital in Utica, later with Utica Mutual Insurance Company and for 10 years as a personal secretary to Monsignor Gallagher at St. Francis de Sales School.

For 35 years, Mary Lou was a devout member of St. Peter’s Church in North Utica and also a member of St. Bartholomew’s Church in Old Forge.

She was a former member of the Altar Rosary Society at St. Peter’s Church and St. Francis de Sales Church.

Mary Lou was an avid bridge player and enjoyed reading and taking walks with her husband, Walter.

Mrs. Graham is survived by her beloved and devoted husband, Walter; four loving children, Marilyn Graham of Utica and Old Forge, Sheila and Jack Mineo of Whitesboro, Stephen Graham of Utica and Old Forge, and Michael and Maryann Graham of Utica;

Six cherished grandchildren, Stephanie (Raymond) Randall, James (Carrie) Mineo, Christopher Mineo, Robert Mineo, Erin (Justin) Nackley and Kayla Graham;

Five adored great-grandchildren, Kristopher Jones, Mac-Kenzie Kelly, Joshua Richard Graham Kelly, Jack Mineo and Bria Nackley;

A brother-in-law, Jeremiah Mahoney of Utica;

And several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins.

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her four sisters, Shirley Roth, Elizabeth Price, Phyllis Colwell and Kathryn Mahoney, and a brother, Donald (Bud) Colwell.

Mrs. Graham’s funeral will be held on Friday, June 24 at 9:15 a.m. at the Heintz Funeral Home, 408 Herkimer Rd., N. Utica, and 10 a.m. at St. Peter’s Church, where her mass of Christian burial will be celebrated by her cousin, Rev. George Wurz.

Interment will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Whitesboro.

Those wishing to make a donation in Mary Lou’s memory, please consider The American Heart and Stroke Association, Central Association For the Blind and Visually Impaired or the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home. T

The family would like to pay special thanks to the entire staff of the Masonic Care Facility, especially the Saranac Neighbor-hood where Mary Lou resided and received excellent and loving care from all of her caregivers.

We would also like to thank the staff of the Intensive Care Unit and Floor 3C at St. Elizabeth Medical Center for their excellent care in her last days. online guestbook and messages of sympathy at www.heintzfuneralservice.net.

A.B. “Sandy” Lawrence III has handbuilt a “Little Bit” canoe for a fundraising raffle to benefit the Kinderwood Preschool Program at View, the new arts center in Old Forge.

Following is Mr. Lawrence’s personal account of the history of “Little Bit,” and how the raffle will benefit area preschoolers.

“Kinderwood is that very special place where so many of the young in the Old Forge area first learn to euphuistically ‘paddle their own canoe.'”

“I hope you will take a chance (or ten) on this little boat and do your little bit to help the next generation get a good start on this amazing journey called life,” he said.

The Little Bit by A.B. Lawrence III

The Little Bit is a five-foot version of the famous “Sairy Gamp” canoe built by J. Henry Rushton for the famous nineteenth century adventurist and writer George Washington

Sears, otherwise known as “Nessmuk.”

Rushton built a 10 ft. 6 in. “Featherweight” canoe that was offered in his catalog under the name “Nessmuk.”

That boat paid homage to the several lightweight boats that were built for Sears to use on his various adventures in the Adirondacks and Florida.

The hull design for the Little Bit was taken from the table of offsets found in the book “Rushton and his times in American Canoeing” by Atwood Manley and published for The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake.

“Mac” McCarthy, boat builder and author of “Featherweight Boat Building,” provided the scaled down forms and the boat was built using his strip built methods.

I had Mac scale down three different designs and I have built one of each for my grandchildren.

Many times when Mac would discuss the attributes of a particular boat he would conclude with a simple observation: keep it simple, keep it small and it will be used.

At first Mac was not very enthusiastic about my desire to build such a small boat because he didn’t think it would find its way to water.

He was, however, pleased to find that his maxim held true for these three boats are the most used of all our boats.

The joy of watching the next generation learn to paddle their own canoe is worth every scratch and ding, for those “pride marks” add to the patina of life.

When the last of the young are grown and have moved on to bigger boats and longer journeys it’s ok to display the boat in your home, let it hold your kindling, magazines or memories.

A wise man once said to his child: “To become a man you must first learn to paddle your own canoe!” Had he spoken to a daughter I am sure the same advice would have been offered.

Tickets for the Little Bit raffle are $10 each and are available for sale at View.

Town of Webb High School junior, Garrett Pavlus, has been selected by Baseball Factory Pro Scouts to compete in the Pirate City World Series in Bradenton, FL this August.

Garrett, the son of Joanne and Lance Maly, is a member of the school’s varsity baseball team and plays American Legion baseball for the Smith Post of Rome.

Baseball Factory is recognized as the leader in college placement and player development in the country.

Its vision is to guide both players, and their parents, through the college recruiting process in order to find a school that is the right fit for them-both academically and athletically-as well as to professionally train players for a career in baseball.

While in Florida, Garrett will have the opportunity to play in an extremely competitive tournament, with and against, some of the best baseball players in the country.

He will also have the opportunity to be coached and trained by a staff of professional baseball players, professional scouts, and former college coaches.

In the next few months, Garrett will be seeking sponsor support and donations, and will also be holding fundraisers in the area to help raise the money he needs to attend the World Series.

Among the fundraisers is a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, July 2 from 7 to 11 a.m. at Old Forge American Legion Post #893.

A Texas Holdem Poker Tournament will take place at the Thendara Golf Course at the end of July.

Anyone who would like to donate to Garrett’s cause, can make a check payable to Baseball Factory and mail it directly to him at: P.O. Box 100, Old Forge, NY 13420.

Garrett will also be accepting bottles and cans as donations throughout the summer.

Call (315) 369-3193 to arrange for pick up or drop off at his home located at 245 Spruce Drive.

For further information visit: www.baseballfactory.com.