President Bush Specifically Mentions Lopez Lomong at White House Ceremony

Taken from www.whitehouse.gov.

President Bush Welcomes Members of the 2008 United States Summer Olympic Team to the White House Rose Garden

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks. Welcome to the Rose Garden. Please sit down. We are thrilled to welcome members of America's 2008 Summer Olympic and Paralympic teams to the White House. Welcome. (Applause.) Today we honor skill and discipline. You're here because of the support of your coaches and your trainers and your families and your friends. They are proud of what you've accomplished -- and so are the American people. And we're looking forward to rooting for you in Beijing. (Applause.)

Mr. Secretary, thanks for coming. I want to welcome the U.S. Olympic Committee staff; welcome the military personnel who are with us; and welcome the rest of you. (Laughter.)
In the coming days, around 600 American athletes will arrive in China for the 29th Olympic Games. You're going to compete in 30 different sports, ranging from soccer to sailing and from judo to gymnastics. Together, the talented men and women of Team USA will represent the great diversity of our country. You come from nearly every state. Some of you are young -- the youngest teammate is a 15-year-old diver -- and some of you are old -- er. (Laughter.) There's a 58-year-old sailor, which gives this 62-year-old mountain biker hope -- (laughter) -- that you may need me in Beijing. (Laughter.)

Team USA shows the great power of sports to bring people together -- and there's no sporting event that unites people like the Olympics. All Americans will rally behind you when you compete in Beijing. (Applause.)

We will be fascinated by the different stories behind each athlete. We will marvel at your hard work and your discipline. For example, the story of Matt Grevers. Matt seemed like a long shot to qualify for the U.S. team in the 100-meter backstroke. Because his parents are Dutch, the Netherlands tried to recruit Matt to swim for his team -- offering him nearly a certain trip to Beijing. Instead he chose to compete for the U.S. team, and ended up qualifying in both the freestyle and the backstroke. And when he swims in Beijing, it will be as a proud citizen of the United States of America.

Or we think of the story of Lopez Lomong. When Lopez was just six years old, his family had to flee their village in Sudan when it was attacked by the Janjaweed. Lopez was separated from his family, who assumed he was dead. The little boy spent three years -- three days running from the militants, and then ten years in refugee camps. He finally made it to our country as a teenager and his athletic career took off. Earlier this month, Lopez qualified for the Olympics in the 1500 meters. And now the boy who once had to run for his life is a man about to run for gold in Beijing -- representing the United States of America. (Applause.)

We think about Scott Winkler. Scott didn't spend his whole life training to become an elite athlete -- but athletic competition helped give Scott his life back. Scott was an Army specialist serving in Iraq when an accident cost him the use of his legs. He found healing in the Wounded Warrior Project, in his work to mentor young people, and in wheelchair sports. Last month, a magnificent throw earned Scott an American record -- and a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team. And here's the way he put it: "I fought for this country, and now I'd love to win for this country" in Beijing. Scott, we honor your service to our country, we thank you for coming today, and we'll be pulling for you. (Applause.)

America's Olympians have two very important things in common: God-given talent, and an appreciation for the hard work required to achieve true excellence. The amazing athletic displays we see on our TV every four years result from the hard work that our athletes put in during the four years. For us, it's a moment; for them it's a moment -- a life of dedication.
Olympians don't rest on their laurels -- they wear them. (Laughter.) Being a champion takes character. It also entails responsibility. In Beijing you will convey our nation's most cherished values. As ambassadors of liberty, you will represent America's love for freedom and our regard for human rights and human dignity. You'll represent to other athletes and to the people of China. In Beijing, you'll also represent our nation's character. As ambassadors of goodwill, you will be humble in victory and gracious in defeat. And by showing respect for your competitors, you will demonstrate America's respect for the world.

Laura and I look forward to joining you for the Olympics. I'm fired up to go. (Laughter.) I can't wait to salute our athletes, and I can't wait to share in the joy of your triumphs. And so today we send you off with congratulations on the success you have already achieved, and on the accomplishments we know will be yours in Beijing.

May you and your teammates compete "Swifter, Higher and Stronger" in the games. And may God bless you as you represent our wonderful nation. (Applause.)

A New Year

While most consider January 1 as the start of the New Year, the school calendar starts each new year on July 1. Although students may not return until September, the books are closed on 2007-2008 and things begin to unwind for the 2008-2009 school year. Orders are placed, maintenance projects are lined up, curriculum work is scheduled and all of the varied tasks to prepare for the arrival of students are put into action.

Throughout the summer months many of our instructional staff will come together to enhance the instructional programs offered to our students and assess our curricular programs. At the same time others will work to enhance the learning opportunities already in place. Plans are underway to expand the use of our EdAlert system to include announcements regarding SAT/PSAT exams, scholarships and other important Counseling Office information for our students in the 2008-2009 school year.

This summer, the buildings and grounds will continue to buzz with many community activities including the Tully Arts Council, special community based speakers, alumni tours, Town Recreation programs and much, much more. We eagerly await the return of students back to the halls of the school buildings. In the meantime, it is far from quiet. The buzz and excitement of learning and planning continues throughout the year.

Commencement 2008

The following comments were provided during the ceremonies of Commencement 2008 by JSHS Principal Peter F. Cardamone.

Good Morning: Parents, Friends / Mr. Burgett, Mr. Kublick, Mr. Pritts & members of the Board of Education / District Faculty, Parents, and Congratulations to you, Graduates…

This is truly a great day for us all – and it is especially a great day for someone like me – someone who has enjoyed your company throughout your senior year. And so today I open my remarks by saying thank you for the moments of this past year.

I know that your commencement this morning represents the beginning of the next stage of your life. This day will be remembered as a milestone for you. But today I ask you to also remember that -- along the way to this big event there have been many little things -- done by many different people -- that have made this day possible.

It was Rose Kennedy, mother of president JFK, who said “Life isn’t a matter of milestones but of moments.” I urge you to experience this milestone that is your graduation today -- while also being mindful of your memories of those moments that have brought you here.

I am asking that you take a little time now/ to reflect on your own moments and memories and contemplate your future. I wish for you to have a future where you have “A life worth living.”

In my brief time addressing you today I will attempt to deliver to you a short / but hopefully meaningful / message -- one that is worth the time you will spend listening to me.

Do you have an image of what your life would look like -- if it were to be a life worth living?

Have you had a role model to tell you or show you what a worthy life is all about?

Think, for a moment:
Is there someone who has brought courage to you?
Someone whose life has been close to yours?
Who in your life has been such of service to you?
Who has helped you love the good that grows within you?
Who has encouraged you to be the best you can be and grow to who you are today?

Stop now and take just take ten seconds to think of that someone who has loved you, been a role model for you, and wanted only what is best for you in life.
I ask you to do this in just ten seconds of silence now please.


Now I ask you - no matter where this person is today, either here with us in the audience or in heaven, to imagine how pleased they would if they knew that you thought of them just now.

There are reasons I am asking you to go through this exercise. It is not just because it has only been three months since I loss my own role model -- but because it is important for each of you to reflect on the one and only life you have to live here on earth.

And you have a choice – The choice to cherish others who have given you your many important little moments & memories.

You too should aspire to be an important person in the lives of the others.

Fred Rogers was well known for his “Mr. Rogers neighborhood” program
– No graduates that is not a video game program!
Mr. Rogers said “You bring all you ever were into every relationship you begin, and you leave something of yourself every time you meet another person.”

Nourish the memory of those who have been meaningful to you and the meaning you have given to others. What marvelous mysteries you’re privileged to be part of! Every day a slender thread that weaves together the complex fabric of your lives.

The words of Fred Rogers stand in stark contrast to the images of our modern society, which bombard you all constantly. You are confronted daily with lack of self-control and valuing for family. People feel empowered to say whatever is on their minds to you, no matter how hurtful or untrue. Bullying and Drilling behavior is all around you. Yes, for some people it is a “Win at all costs” society with no regard for the lies or distortions.

But you can counter this by living your own / good / life worth living.

Today I ask you to celebrate your life and resolve to make it a life worth living.

I offer for your consideration -- the example of your own role model that you just have called to mind -- as one sample of a life that is worth living.

Reflect on this image in your everyday lives, and treat the moments and memories they have given you, as lessons to take with you as you move out into the world.

As you look at the choices you face today, tomorrow and in your future,
It would be a good idea to pause & ask yourself, “What would my role model do?“

It couldn’t hurt, and you just might find that your life is better for having made someone else’s life a little kinder.

I leave you today, with your moments and memories of the little things that have made a difference in creating today’s milestone day for you.

And / be sure to take the time / to let those around you know / how important those little moments have been for you.

And so Graduates I end my remarks today with an addition to my opening statement to you,

“Thanks for the memories!”

Comments to the Class of 2008

What follows are my words to the Class of 2008 at their commencment ceremony on June 28, 2008.

Members of the Board of Education, administration, faculty, parents, friends and graduates—Good morning.

Today we greet and congratulate more than 90 members of the Tully Central School learning community that have achieved the milestone of a high school diploma.

Our graduates today will soon expand their horizons from the Tully community to the global society in which we live. They will attend colleges throughout the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic States and the South. The names in your program will represent our community and our nation across the globe in places such as Mexico, Belgium and Spain. Others will participate in vocational-technical programs and some will protect our freedoms by serving in the armed forces of our country. Others still will remain in our community to provide needed services and volunteer assistance in the fire departments and food pantry programs so vital to many families around us.

As we review the names in the program we know that there are young men and women on this list whose names we will hear in the future as they become leaders in our society. We will see their names as politicians and as doctors. We will see their names as actors and authors. And we will see their names on invoices they send us as they repair our vehicles and work on our homes. We really do not have much choice when it comes to our names. Look again at the list in your program. The names there take on various meanings—unique in many ways.

This morning I will spend the next few minutes focusing on a statement from former National Football League player Howie Long. His comments came during the pregame commentary leading up to Super Bowl 42 this past February.

At any rate, during the hours and hours of pregame extravaganza leading up to kickoff, Mr. Long made a statement that has lingered with me. He spoke about your name. Let’s take a look at his statement.

“You have three names in your life. The one you inherit, the one given to you by your parents, and the one you make for yourself through life.”

The name you inherit…

Your name has a rich heritage. As we look through our list of graduates we see those families who have been in the Tully area for generations. These names provide a history upon which our community is based. As we scan through the list we find the last name of Scouten. In researching the history of our community we find that a Carl Scouten was one of the first settlers in Tully. Mr. Scouten built a log cabin here in 1795.

According to Name Statistics.com we have a number of graduates on this stage whose last names are among the top twenty list of Most Common Last Names in the United States. Whether it is in international studies, engineering, teaching, hotel management or other field, we can be assured that those students in this top twenty list with the names of Smith, Jones, Davis, Thomas, Harris, Jackson, and White will carry the reputation of our school and community far beyond Name Statistics.com. We will continue to hear their inherited names in a positive sense for years to come along with their classmates.

The name given to you by your parents…

Among the top five male and female first names, we again find representation among those who will carry forth the red and black of the Tully Black Knights. If you are a James, Michael, William, Mary or Elizabeth you have many others in our country who share this first name. Lest you think that your given name will not have the same significance as a last name, you should know that the name of our Tully community for example was the given name of a person in history—Marcus Tullius Cicero. Coincidentally the community of Cicero to our north received the inherited name of this same person. Marcus Tullius Cicero was a statesman, lawyer, political theorist and philosopher according to various sources. He was also considered one of Rome’s greatest orators and prose stylists.

This is quite a reputation for the namesake of our community here in Southern Onondaga County. Perhaps some of the names I read a few moments ago will become a lawyer, a philosopher or leave the legacy of a town in their name.

The name you make for yourself through life…

Your reputation, your name, your legacy. What kind of legacy will the Tully Central School Class of 2008 leave? In my column in the April issue of Knight Insight, I wrote about a Season of Champions. When I pondered my words for today, I made a list of the championship level activities that include names of the young men and women with whom I share this stage.

• On this stage we find the first student Board of Education member in the history of the Tully Central School District.
• The Girls’ Lacrosse Game to fight Breast Cancer was an event that brought out the very best among our students as well as our community.
• Once again this year we found many on this stage representing our school in sectional and state championship level play in many different athletic areas.
• The community service hours performed by these students have been a benefit to our community members.
• A large percentage of these students have been accepted to four year colleges as well two year colleges or vocational-technical schools.
• Three of these young men and women are expanding their global opportunities as Rotary Exchange Students.
• Names on this stage were found on awards at the 2007 New York State Fair competitions as a part of our school’s Agriculture program.
• Your program includes names of our BOCES New Visions students who excelled beyond regional levels to compete at state level competitions
• In the Fine Arts, those on this stage submitted award winning work in the Central New York Scholastic Art Competition
• For the first time in this school district Tully names were presented with awards for their drama efforts by the Syracuse Area Live Theater Youth program.
• Some students sitting under these lights gave up study hall time to expand their horizons with the first opportunity in our school to learn Mandarin Chinese an important step in today’s world.

I could go on for a lengthy period of time about the name that this class has made for themselves. We are not here to listen to me. This is a day for these students. They have enjoyed their heritage and developed their own name. To our graduates--your life and your name are in your hands. You are our future and we are proud of you.

Let me repeat the focus of my comments today so they may remain with you as you commence life beyond high school.

You have three names in your life. The one you inherit, the one given to you by your parents, and the one you make for yourself through life.

This last one is the only thing you can control.

Thank you and congratulations.

Memories

History is an important part of the communities within the Tully Central School District. The history of the district is important for us to know and remember. The school website (http://tullyschools.org) tells us a great deal about our district’s history through the artistic sketches of John and Josh Bishop as provided to us by the Tully Alumni Association and now greet every visitor to our online information center. In addition, through the research efforts of Louise Lutz, the site contains a documented history of our school district dating from 1801.

For the past several years I have been privileged to participate in various gatherings of our Tully alumni as they come together each summer to reminisce on their school days. One of the highlights of these visits for me is the opportunity to provide tours of our campus for our returning Tully “students” and their families. Recently, I was privileged to provide a tour for the children of one of my predecessors. The late Mr. John D. Crosley served as Superintendent of the Tully Schools for 20 years retiring in 1971. Members of his family gathered in Tully and two of his children, both graduates of Tully, came to visit the school. The memories flowed as I showed Joanne Crosley Milano of Maine and Thomas Crosley of Long Island around our buildings.

Upon the passing of their father, family and friends contributed funds to enable the district to purchase a new podium system for the Junior Senior High School Auditorium. The podium, put into place a year ago, incorporates a sound system allowing its use in other locations throughout the building as well. Thomas and Joanne (shown in a photo in the July Knight Insight) expressed their appreciation for this lasting tribute to their father in recognition of his many years of service to the district.

An Asian saying quotes, “You must know your past to chart your future.” Memories are important as they help us to understand where we have been. The alumni of our school are an important link for those who will pass through these walls in the future.

Drama Awards for Tully Staff and Students

Congratulations to Tully High School English teacher and drama director Bill Ralbovsky. Last month during the Syracuse Area Live Theater Youth (SALTY) awards ceremony Bill was named Educator of the Year.

Several Tully students also received recognition for their work in Tully productions and their work in productions outside of the school. Although policies prevent the use of their names on the Internet, I will use initials.

B. H. took home a best supporting actress SALTY for her role in the Appleseed production of Our Town. She also took the award for Best Actress in a play at the Cortland Repertory Theater Awards in June for her work in Arsenic and Old Lace.

B. M. got the SALTY spirit award which each school gets to choose an all-around supportive student to receive.

Congratulations to these winners and their suporting casts.

Ending Pension Fraud: The Rest of the Story-Guest Entry

The editorial in Wednesday's paper (May 28-Syracuse Post Standard) entitled "Ending Pension Fraud:State needs clear rules to prevent thievery, limit double-dipping" paints a picture that is extremely misleading about the activities in Central New York.

As the District Superintendent for the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, I am responsible for submitting the requests for any district that needs an Interim Superintendent. Over the past five years, there have been six such requests made for Interim Superintendents. I was responsible for submission of five of the requests. Syracuse City's hiring of an Interim was handled by the City. All of the Interim Superintendents for whom I have filed requests were hired at salaries that were below the salary of the superintendent being replaced. This was during a time when 21 of the 24 superintendents in the supervisory district have been replaced. All five of them served for six months or less.

It is clear from reading Newsday that there are some people who are abusing the system and that there should be effective ways to control those abuses. But to paint the whole system as being fraught with thievery is hyperbole and not worthy of the editorials that you usually print. My experience with the Post Standard over the past five years has been that the editorial staff and the reporters investigate the facts about Central New York prior to writing such an editorial.

It is important to provide more information on this issue in light of the growing shortage of educational leaders at all levels.

Thank you.

Jessica Cohen, Ph.D.
District Superintendent
Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

Thoughts on the Property Tax Cap Commission Report

As we all know by now the Property Tax Commision has released their prelimnary report. The results of this report are of interest to many. While the media has jumped onto a few of the recommendations, I was quite surprised that many of the others that would have a definite change in the way things are done appear to have been overlooked.

I thought I would take some time here to provide a few of the report recommendations here for our community to ponder.


The Property Tax Cap
The tax cap proposed by the Commission is simply shifting a property tax cap that has been in place for schools for many years from a cap in spending to a cap in the tax levy. The exact same formula that has been in place to calculate a contingency budget has been shifted in this proposal to a cap on the levy. Will this have a major impact on taxes? Time will tell. As we have seen in our own district, our budgets have been near or below the contingency level of spending put in place by the current cap. The most recent budget proposal would still have fallen within the revision put forth by this Commission--even with the additional proposal for purchasing vehicles (the public library tax is totally unrelated to the school tax levy and would not apply in either formula).

Governor Patterson has been quick to introduce legislation supporting this proposal. While I have not read the full legislation, the information I have read indicates that it closely matches the Commission's proposal. There is one important difference, however. In the proposal from the Commission, there is an "incentive" in place to exempt schools from having a public vote if they were not exceeding the cap. The Governor, wisely in my opinion, reinstated the vote and requires the voice of the public in every circumstance. It has long been the only opportunity that the taxpayers of this state have to directly voice their opinion on taxation. I think it would be wonderful if a similar process was in place for village, town and county budgets. It appears that will not happen, however, as this report barely mentions any property taxes beyond the school taxes.

Some other recommendations from the Commission include:

• No new legislative mandates without a complete accounting of the fiscal impact on local governments, which must include full documentation, local government input and proposed revenue sources to fund the new mandates.

There have been many attempts to implement this type of accountability at the state and federal levels but none have been successful to date. We can always be hopeful.

• No new regulatory mandates from the State Education Department without a complete accounting of the fiscal impacts on local governments, which must include full documentation, local government input, and proposed revenue sources to fund the new mandates.

Likewise, the mandates continue. The State Education Department has actually made some efforts to curtail some report duplication. Instead, we are seeing a marked increase in accountability audits and surveys from the Attorney General, from the Comptroller and other state offices. These all carry a hefty fiscal impact on the school districst across our state. Many times these audits duplicate audits already submitted to the state from required processes already in place.

• Mandate accountability through an annual report from the Office of the State Comptroller, which should include the cumulative cost to localities of complying with all new regulatory and legislative mandates.

A mandate to document mandates!!! Nothing further needs said in this area.

• Amend the Triborough provision of the Taylor Law to exclude teacher step and lane increments from continuation until new contracts are negotiated.

Statewide this would have a major impact. Locally, however, our teacher contracts do not include a step schedule so this issue does not apply to the Tully school district.

• Regional collective bargaining

This recommendation is interesting but is expected to bring a great deal of opposition from the various labor associations. One of our legislators was quoted in the paper the day after the release of the report that many special interest groups would complain about the report. This is certainly one area that will bring protests. It could, however, provide some savings for all municipalities. I repeat, this recommendation is interesting.

• Non-instructional service consolidation through BOCES

Our district continually looks to BOCES for many areas of consolidation. We look to maximize our dollars while still providing a high level of service to our students, staff and community. We use BOCES in many areas and have saved the district tens of thousands of dollars as a result.

• School district consolidation

Another interesting recommendation. There is some discussion about county wide school districts in southern states. A study of this very topic was done in the Binghamton area a few years ago. Overall, the report recommends that there should be about half of the number of districts in New York State compared to the present total. There are currently about 700 districts in the state. This report recommends that there should be between 350 and 400 with the consolidation resulting in districts of approximately 3,000 students.

The report states, "New York State's fragmented structure for delivering elementary and secondary education is somewhat comparable to the educational systems in other large states such as California, Texas and Illinois. These states rank high in terms of total number of districts and number of districts with fewer than 1,000 students, with New York having one of the lowest average school district sizes of the large states. In comparison, Florida's system of countywide school districts includes only 67 districts, and school districts in that state, and in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, which also rely exclusively or extensively on countywide school districts, average approximately 40,000, 36,000, 12,000 and 9,000 students respectively."

The report recommends giving "the Commissioner of Education discretionary authority to order consolidation of school districts" based upon several criteria areas. School consolidation is an emotional topic as schools remain the center of much activity in many communities. We will have to wait and see what comes of this recommendation.

• Countywide property tax assessment

Countywide property tax assessment is something that could have some benefits to all municipalities. As we have often stated at the school, we have no control over assessments, nor do we receive additional funds when assessments rise. Assessments are completely controlled by the various towns. The Tully School District incoporates parts of eight towns. As a result, we have eight different assessment levels that usually change on an annual basis. In our district, a countwide assessment would reduce most districts to a single level of assessment. In our case, because we also have a substantial amount of property in Cortland County would deal with two assessment levels. This proposal would level the playing field for towns within each county. I am not in a position to assess the cost savings that might result.

There are numerous other proposals within the report. If you wish to review it in detail (all 112 pages of it) you can click on the link below and review all of the details.

Download the entire Property Tax Cap Commission Report here (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Moving Forward

As we reflect upon the continued demonstration of support for our funding plan for 2008-2009, it is important to express our sincere appreciation to every member of our learning community.

Our Junior-Senior High School was recently named by the New York State Commissioner of Education as a High Performing/Gap Closing School. Our Elementary School and District overall were also named as a Rapidly Improving School and District.

An important part of these achievements is directly related to the support of our schools by the community. Learning does not start and stop upon entry or exit of the school campus. Instead it is an ongoing, lifelong practice that exists throughout a true learning community.

As we move forward, we continue to treasure the relationship with and support of the Tully learning community that once again has voted to support our children and our future.

Moving Forward

As we reflect upon the continued demonstration of support for our funding plan for 2008-2009, it is important to express our sincere appreciation to every member of our learning community.

Our Junior-Senior High School was recently named by the New York State Commissioner of Education as a High Performing/Gap Closing School. Our Elementary School and District overall were also named as a Rapidly Improving School and District.

An important part of these achievements is directly related to the support of our schools by the community. Learning does not start and stop upon entry or exit of the school campus. Instead it is an ongoing, lifelong practice that exists throughout a true learning community.

As we move forward, we continue to treasure the relationship with and support of the Tully earning community that once again has voted to support our children and our future.

Funding Our Future

Statewide School Budget Vote is May 20

In our approach to the development of a budget for the 2008-2009 academic year we focused on balancing the needs of our students with a fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers. Through that approach we have developed a fiscal package that maintains or enhances most of our programs yet results in the smallest tax levy increase in nearly a decade.

Through this financial plan, we will continue to focus on the use of new technology to open the world to our students through distance learning and virtual field trips. This technology enables students to take courses in conjunction with other schools in fully interactive classroom settings. Additionally, our students can explore and experience other parts of our country and opportunities in a rich two way audio and visual communication that would not otherwise be an option.

We will continue to expand our relationship with our community through our website and community forums. Our FFA students have now entered into a relationship with the village that will enable us to continue enjoying the tradition of the flower baskets hanging during warm weather months. In addition, we have expanded our relationship with higher education by incorporating a new college credit course through SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry next year.

The Literacy Across the Ages program has been recognized at the county and state levels for its innovative collaboration and opportunities for those from two years of age through our senior citizens. An exciting new addition to this program is found in the May issue of Knight Insight.

Like many schools we are facing declining enrollment issues. As a result, changes are needed in those areas where we have the ability to control costs. At the same time, like in your homes and businesses, there are cost factors beyond our control-- energy costs, pension costs and others.

Details of the budget proposal will soon be posted on the school website and in the special insert in the May edition of Knight Insight. Remember to make the time to cast your vote on the spending plan on May 20, 2008 from 6 am to 9 pm in the Elementary School Auditorium.

We believe this budget proposal retains the programming and supports to continue the preparation of our students for the global opportunities of tomorrow. At the same time we believe it is a plan that recognizes our responsibility to you, the local taxpayer as staying within the cost of living index while still providing a means of Funding Our Future.

Literacy Across the Ages Adult GED

Free classes to be offered at Tully Free Library this summer

Last month, you read of the possibility of an Adult GED program located right in Tully. We are pleased to report this month that all of the pieces are in place to make this a reality. Literacy Across the Ages Adult GED fills a crucial gap in our goal to promote literacy across all age groups in the area.

This GED program for those 21 years of age and older will be held in the Tully Free Library Community Room on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-5:30 pm. The program will run from July 15th through August 21st. Literacy Across the Ages Adult GED is offered through cooperation with the OCM BOCES Adult and Family Literacy Program at no charge to participants. And will enable attendees to earn an equivalency diploma with the convenience of a location close to home. A minimum of 10 participants is required to offer this program. You do not have to be a resident of Tully in order to participate.

Anyone who is interested in attending Literacy Across the Ages Adult GED should contact OCM BOCES at 315-453-4672 or the Tully District Office at 315-696-6204. You can also email kpritts@tully.k12.ny.us to be placed on a registration list. We will need your name, address as well as a telephone number and email address if available. You will receive follow up information directly from OCM BOCES Adult and Family Literacy in advance of the program.