A Zenith Twofer Treasure Trove

The latest Zenith had a treasure trove of School District items. The first was a letter by Loren Martell. I was almost embarrassed for the current school board member who managed to beat me in 2006 and Loren in 2010.

In a similar vein Richard Thomas wrote what was essentially a follow up to his story last month. This one was called “The Red Plan isn’t dead; its not even in the past.” My door knocking over the past month has confirmed the truth of this title.

A friend from the Twin Cities alerted me to the Zenith. He’d already read it online at his Mother’s urging. It was written by Richard Thomas who recalled the following School Board dialogue. My friend said it was “hilarious.” Its between Laura Condon and Gary Glass and here’s Richard Thomas on the set up and exchange”

On December 15, 2009, Nilsen’s last board meeting of her previous term—then–Board Member Gary Glass questioned two items in which money was transferred into and out of the general fund. “And you two ladies who wrote an editorial about me, saying I’m absolutely wrong, this shows how wrong I am.”

Glass was talking to Members Mary Cameron and Ann Wasson, who had criticized him in a Duluth News Tribune op-ed the year before, saying he “suggested the operating levy could be used to fund the district’s long-range facilities plan. Glass was absolutely wrong about that and about other items.”

Glass went on to have the following exchange with Board Member Laura Condon:

Condon: Resolution B-12-09-2707, authorizing transfer of funds from the general fund to the debt service fund, regarding financing of the Long-Range Facilities Plan. Do I have to read from this or can I just move?

Glass: Did you read the title?

Condon: Yes. “Authorizing transfer of funds.”

Glass: From the general fund to the debt service fund regarding the financing of the [Red Plan].

Condon: Yup, I did that.

Glass: [The title of this resolution] is the second miracle to this board, because we were told in the past that we cannot transfer money from the general fund to the debt service fund.

Condon: Well, Member Glass, this is the season of miracles.

This prompted an outburst of laughter, arguably at the expense of serious budget discussion, but, to be fair, the board was in the midst of a grueling four-hour meeting, lengthened by Glass’s many questions.

The story then leads to Nancy Nilsen who was on my tail in September’s primary election results.

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