The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Berlin School Dist.

Students Of The Month At Grafton Elementary

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Grafton Elementary School is emphasizing the following character traits throughout the year: responsibility, respect, self-control, compassion, tolerance, trustworthiness, perseverance, cooperation, citizenship and appreciation.

For the month of September the character trait was responsibility. The children were recognized at a special awards assembly and had their pictures on display in the building.

Bottom row from left to right: Rachel Bortnick, Nikifor Popov, Colby Brundige, Cora Stewart and Collin Douglas. Top Row: Emma Church, Hannah Sheridan, CJ Bortnick, Domnika Popov, Chase Sabourin, Isla Lyons and Max Locket.

A Heated Discussion Of The Cost Of The BCS Construction Project At The BOE Workshop

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BCS Press Release

A Berlin Board of Education workshop on Monday, September 29, was held in the Berlin Elementary School to hear reports from school attorney Robert Schofield and SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) specialist Phillip Dixon.  Attorneys led Board members through the short form for a Type 2 SEQR action, answering questions about this form and the criteria for designations of other actions such as Type 1 and Unlisted as established by State regulations and the Department of Environmental Conservation. The Type 2 designation shows less than 10,000 square feet of new construction and no significant impact on the environment.

Proposed elements of the renovation/new construction project for the Berlin District requiring blacktop, relocation of bus drop off and public parking at Berlin Elementary as well as blacktop at the bus garage area were addressed by Board members and the attorneys.  After a nearly two hour session, the Board of Education approved the Type 2 submission with agreed changes.

The Board turned attention to a report from  ARCH architect Dan Woodside and Engineering consultant Doug Dickson regarding last week’s meeting with Carl Thurnau and Kurt Miller at the State Education Department’s Bureau of Building and Facilities, also attended by Interim Superintendent Charlotte Gregory and State District Superintendent Dr. James Baldwin of Questar III BOCES.  After several days of consultation with other SED officials, it was determined that the Berlin Elementary School could receive some $1.8 million in additional aid to renovate that building if the District continued to plan consolidation of three elementary buildings to a single site at Berlin Elementary.  This gesture was in recognition of District needs, economically and for educational efficiency of programs and would only apply if the consolidation occurred, otherwise the estimates would be based on previous plans.  Previous plans reveal that all three elementary buildings would receive less aid as a result of small enrollments and regulatory aid factors based on building units.  Building Units (BU’s) are based on a standard class size.  The bus garage project and the roofing/ADA compliance project at the Junior/Senior High School sites would be eligible for full aid ratio of 76% of all eligible work.

Further, the Board and architects heard a report from a representative, Dr. Rick Timbs, of BPD Financial consultants, Bernard Donegan’s group, who gave a “ballpark” estimate of the new aid impact on the overall project.  Timbs estimated that the net cost to taxpayers on an annual basis would be $812,000 instead of the previously estimated $1.03 million. 

Tempers flared over the discussion of project expenditures as proposed. The current estimate for work to be done is $21.9 million. Board Member Tom Morelli said he had agreed to a project costing no more than $18 million. But Board Member Jeff Paine argued that costs have escalated in the past two years and the Board should not cause any further delay. He and Board Member Liz Miller encouraged the Board to act on a proposal to be set before the public.  “The public will tell us whether, or not, this is the right thing to do!” Miller said. Morelli disagreed saying, “We have a fiduciary responsibility to provide guidance to the public.  If we are to recommend to the public, and you fundamentally believe that you can’t pay for it, it says that you are not leading the public in the right direction.”  Miller responded emphatically, “I don’t think that is the case. That is what YOU think.” 

The meeting ended at about 10:15 pm. Dr. Timbs and the BPD organization is expected to provide a more comprehensive report to the Board in the near future. 

Another Workshop meeting with architects is scheduled for Wednesday, October 8, at 7:30 pm in the Berlin Elementary School Cafeteria.

Letter to the Editor – I Told You So, But There Is Still A Referendum

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To the Editor,

Is it too soon to say “I told you so”?

Do you know what’s being discussed with the Berlin Central School District (BCSD) referendum?

Did you know they are talking about only getting rid of one school principal position and one school nurse position?  If we keep these salaries we could have two schools for 1/3 the cost (which includes ADA, safety and adding on)!  Weren’t we supposed to save money on salaries?  What’s next?  Although when you “shove” an additional 200 kids into one location – are we really expecting the nurse, custodian, principal, office help, librarian and kitchen staff to all do the same job, with added duties, and still get paid the same?  What is it worth to your children?  How about how your tax dollars will be spent?  How much are you willing to pay if what was promised is not followed through?

We need a lot of money to fix up the Berlin Elementary School (BES). We will not be spending enough money to do so, but there might be a fresh coat of paint in all the rooms to make it look like it.

What about the addition we are building onto BES?  Where were they putting that again? Oh, wait ą it won’t be as big as originally discussed to taxpayers.  There will be JUST ENOUGH room, so if by chance we get more than we have now there would be no room for them – so then where would they go?

Where will our kids be while the bulk of the construction is going on ą IN SCHOOL?

Are you okay with shoving kids into classrooms into what was once a closet?  Are you okay with the construction happening while our kids are in the building, not knowing what lies under the surface – when mold is on the surface?  Are we really saving money and at what cost?

Did you know you still have a voice in the matter?

When the referendum date is finally decided, you have a chance to vote. There is NO reason for adding on a building. SAVE TAX DOLLARS!  Save our children’s health and education!  Which way will you decide to vote? I will be voting NO!

Amy Reger

Grafton, NY

Closing Of Grafton And Stephentown Elementary Schools Still Raises Hackles

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by David Flint

Sparks flew at last week’s Berlin School Board meeting regarding the Board’s decision three months ago to close the Grafton and Stephentown elementary schools. Tyler Sawyer, former Supervisor of the Town of Grafton, appeared before the Board to ask about their reaction to a letter he had forwarded to them from Robert J. Freeman, Executive Director of the Committee on Open Government. In his letter, dated August 28, Freeman expressed his opinion that the Board’s action in making a crucial decision just prior to midnight and continuing discussion to 1:30 am might not have been in line with the intent of the New York State Open Meetings Law. 

Sawyer had some time ago asked for an opinion from Freeman, noting that the meeting had begun at 7 pm but that by 8:30 pm it became clear, as Freeman summarized Sawyer’s objection, “that certain Board members already knew what direction they wanted to take when it came to the closing of our rural schools in favor of centralization of the District. But with so many people still in attendance, it also became clear to [you] that they felt the timing was not right to discuss it at that point. That is when Chairman Zwack turned over the meeting to Board Member Morelli to begin what [you] can only equate as an old time filibuster.” 

Sawyer said he and other community members left the meeting before midnight and only found out the next day about the decision to close the schools and the ensuing discussion into the wee hours about the possibility of spending up to $17 million for renovations and new construction. 

Freeman said that while the Open Meetings Law does not specify when meetings must be held, it does state that, “It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that the public business be performed in an open and public manner and that the citizens of this state be fully aware of and able to observe the performance of public officials and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy.” Citing a judicial decision against a school district that held a meeting at 7:30 am, Freeman concluded that, “From my perspective, voting on an issue and discussing matters of great significance to taxpayers in the community so late at night would be found by a court to be unreasonable, particularly under the circumstances that you described. If indeed there was a filibuster, an effort to delay discussing or acting on issues until those most or all of those interested in attending exited due to the lateness of the hour, it might effectively be contended that there was essentially an intent to discuss matters of great importance to the public and act in private in contravention of the spirit, if not the letter of the Open Meetings Law.”

Sawyer said he was not accusing the Board of intentionally dragging out the meeting, but, regardless of the intent, the perception in the community was that it was not fair to make such a central decision at such an hour. He said 50 to 70 community members were at the meeting thinking that this was just the beginning of a process for discussing the school closings but most had to leave, as he did, well before the decision happened. 

Board Member Tom Morelli responded vehemently that he applauded the Board for taking the time and effort that was needed to come to a consensus on important issues. He pointed out that the Board had spent over 18 months examining and weighing the issues. He resented it that people would seek to indict “a team that has been putting out enormous energy and brainpower to come up with solutions.” He said that Freeman’s opinion was just that, an opinion, and not a statement of fact. He made a motion that the Board request a legal opinion in response to Freeman’s letter from the attorneys who were present at the meeting. 

Board President Frank Zwack said, “If [the meeting] took longer than it should have, then I am to blame.” He said he wanted to let each Board Member have as much time as they felt they needed to fully discuss the issue and he refused to shut down discussion or take shortcuts as the Board was elected to represent the community and provide checks and balances. 

Board Member Julie Darling, who along with Donald French and Beverly Stewart had opposed the vote on closing the schools, pointed out in the Board’s defense that the meeting was not scheduled to go to 1:30 am, but, “It just took us time to do it.” She agreed with getting the legal opinion saying, “As a Board we need to protect ourselves.” 

The motion to get the legal opinion on the timeliness of the meeting and the Board’s legal responsibilities in adhering to the Open Meetings Law was seconded by Donald French and passed unanimously 7-0. 

SEQRA Declarations Delayed

The Board’s vote to submit declarations regarding the environmental impact of the proposed capital project under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) failed to pass. The administration had tentatively prepared declarations that there would be no significant environmental impact from the proposed additions, improvements and upgrades at Berlin Elementary School, the Jr/Sr High School and the bus garage. The State Education Department cannot review any construction proposal until the SEQR process is complete, but Beverly Stewart said she had qualms about agreeing to statements such as that there would be no additional vehicular traffic at the elementary school. Tom Morelli also objected that there had not been sufficient discussion on the Board about various aspects of environmental impact. He insisted that the Board needed to be perceived as having done due diligence in this matter. Don French agreed that the Board would be jumping the gun by approving the negative declarations without having seen the detailed plans and without having discussed environmental impact. Interim Business Administrator Scott Hunter said he thought the Board had done due diligence by having qualified architects advise them on this, but Julie Darling joined the dissenters to defeat the vote to submit by 4-3. The Board will now bring in an attorney to walk them through the SEQR process.

Bids Accepted For Outdoor Basketball Court

Another split vote involved the new outdoor basketball court to be installed at the high school. About $4,600 had been donated for this purpose some years ago in honor of former Schools Superintendent David Sicko, former Buildings & Grounds Superintendent Steve Genaway and former Business Manager Fran Zuke. Money from a Bruno grant received a couple of years ago has also been allocated for the project, making about $31,600 available. The Board approved bids from CWG Excavating to relocate an existing volleyball court and do the excavation for both courts for a total of $21,900 and a bid from Callanan Industries to do the paving for $12,700. Tom Morelli objected saying he did not recall that this expenditure had been discussed in the budget process last spring. He said he wanted the project done but he wanted it done right. Although others on the Board recalled that it had been discussed and approved along with a new score board, Don French agreed with Morelli and suggested it be put off until they had a chance to review exactly what had been approved earlier. He also wanted more detail on how much it would cost to complete the project with seal coating, hoops and lighting. The vote to accept the bids passed 5-2 with Morelli and French voting no. 

Enrollment Projections

Business Administrator Hunter presented updated enrollment projections based on the Cohort Survival method. His study indicates that school population in the elementary grades (k-5) appear to have bottomed out at 403, having dropped from 481 in 2001-02. By 2013-14 the data shows there could be a slight increase. The number of students in grades 6-12 has declined from 589 in 2001-02 to 481 presently. Hunter’s figures show a continuing decline through the school year 2013-14 when enrollment is shown to be 838. After that the data indicates enrollment is pretty much flat through 2018-19. 

Savings Detailed From School Closings

Hunter also presented a breakdown of the projected savings to the District from closing the Grafton and Stephentown schools. At Stephentown savings in staff are expected to be $258,970, savings in supplies and services $19,344, savings in utilities $24,133 and savings in employee benefits $126,206, for a total of $428,653. At Grafton the numbers are $192,184 for staff, $23,678 for supplies and services, $30,239 for utilities and $60,151 for employee benefits, for a total of $306,252, and a combined total for the two schools of $734,906. Added to that are additional amounts related to administration and teacher retirement amounting to $255,971, for a grand total of $990,876. 

Beverly Stewart wanted to know why there were no savings included on the list for the Principal and School Nurse at Grafton. She said that was said to be one of the main reasons for closing Grafton, to realize those savings. She wanted to know if now it was planned to have two principals and two nurses at Berlin. Interim Superintendent Charlotte Gregory responded that they were leaving the Board that option but they could be cut later. Frank Zwack said the list was intended to be a very conservative indication of savings and that it was expected the savings would be better than indicated here. The positions have not been settled upon, he said, but it is better to have the savings estimate as low as possible for State aid purposes. But Stewart was not mollified, saying, “I feel deceived.” She noted that she had proposed a capital program costing only $7 million that would have closed Berlin Elementary and left Grafton and Stephentown open, but was told that wouldn’t work largely because it would still leave the District paying for two building principals. 

The Board set a capital project workshop meeting for Monday, September 29. at 6:30 pm at Berlin Elementary School and their next regular meeting for Tuesday, October 21, at 7 pm at the high school.

Letter To The Editor – A Flawed Plan For Berlin Elementary School?

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Dear Editor:

As a resident and taxpayer of the Berlin School District I am deeply troubled by what I’ve been witnessing at the BOE Buildings workshop meetings. I was invited to tour the Berlin Elementary School with the BOE and the Architects Monday night, September 8, and what I saw was disastrous, and I don’t know how we got to this point.

First, the taxpayers need to know that they are going to be asked very soon to support a flawed rehabilitation plan for the Berlin Elementary School. We are going to be asked to support a plan that only addresses 50-75 % of the building issues but costs upwards of 15 million dollars. This School Board was presented many options by the blue ribbon committee they formed [the LRPC] two years ago, and they seem to be dismissing all of the options. The only thing that the BOE agrees on is that the “status quo” could not be maintained. As Chairman of the Facilities and Transportation committee of the LRPC, I know we clearly gave them options that are not being explored. After we presented all the options this School Board [minus a few members] buried their heads in the sand and cried that the only option that made economic sense was to consolidate all the elementary schools and students into one school in Berlin, close and sell off the other buildings and use the savings to pay for the Berlin rehabilitation project. If that were only the truth. As the BOE explores all the problems and looks over all the repairs they are missing the point. The point is that we need to find new ways to educate our children. We need to add to the classroom experience by upgrading materials and resources for the teachers and students;. One improvement would be by adding a certified librarian/media instructor to the BES and putting in place new strategies to reach every learner. I was so disheartened by the BES library facilities. I now have a better understanding why the students don’t achieve their full potential.  I have never seen such a mismanaged resource in all my days. The BOE should be ashamed to allow students to go there.

We as taxpayers spend over $14,900 per child to educate our children in the BCSD. That’s over 18 million dollars a year, for what? At that price I think that we should be able to send all our children to private school and get a first class education. I now understand why some of my friends are taking their children out of this school district. They tell me that the unhealthy conditions in Berlin, the longer commute and the substandard education that their children will be receiving in Berlin during the consolidation and rehabilitation project were major factors. But they told me more. They don’t want larger class sizes for elementary students, and they are less than impressed with the extracurricular activities, sports and educational programs that this district offers. 

I want to commend those teachers and a few administrators that over the years put up with all the politics and mismanagement that this school district has put them through. Good teachers can only go so far. We have had so many administrators come and go that it’s like a revolving door in these schools. Without some sort of consistent leadership it’s hard to have a good team of administrators all working together to make a better environment for our children. The leadership of this school district should flow from the school board to the superintendent and then to the building administrators. We have an interim-superintendent, who only rests on her past work to guide her, who has no clue what the Berlin School District really needs, and she has no long term commitment to the District, students, teachers, staff or the taxpayers. I find it troubling that this person will be leading us through one of the most dramatic changes that this school district has ever seen. 

There are so many questions to be answered and so few facts that I as a voter and taxpayer am unable to support the course that the BOE is taking. I will be voting for our children but not for this building project. We need to spend our taxpayers money wisely and where we can have the best return for our investment because that’s what it is, a long term investment in not only my children’s future but the next generation of students who are being born today whose parents will no doubt have greater expectations for their children. I don’t see how any of these plans will be able to deliver on those expectations.

Andrew Zlotnick

Petersburgh

Berlin H.S. Events

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Improv Night

On Friday, September 26, at 7:30 pm you will laugh so hard. That’s right; it’s the second annual Drama Club Improv Night.  Starting at 7:30, students will improv situations similar to those on the popular TV show “Who’s line is it anyway.” Join us for the fun. Admission is $5 per person with free refreshments

Fall Fest

Next week, October  4, is the 16th annual Fall Fest at Berlin High School. Craft vendors, games, a coffee can auction and much more is fun for the whole family from 10 am to 3 pm.

Later, the Family Dance will be held at Berlin High School from 7:30 to 10 pm.  Admission is $3. Glow necklaces are $2. Refreshments are free.  Students under sixth grade must be accompanied by an adult.

Soccer Weekend In New Lebanon

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Come to the 32nd Annual New Lebanon Soccer Tournament. New Lebanon is hosting the Lee, Berlin and Hoosic Valley Boys teams as well as the Chatham, Berlin and Hoosic Valley Girls teams.  All these teams are playing great soccer this year. There has already been some really good soccer being played at the New Lebanon High School this year, and these games promise to be no different. The tournament will be played at the New Lebanon High School field.

Tyler Pomakoy vies for the ball against Waterford. (David Flint photo). Waterford’s Ray Carmel and Mike Hilton scored a goal apiece to give Waterford a 2 to 1 win over the BCS Boys soccer team on Wednesday. Fred Morine scored for Berlin with Brent Demick recording 24 saves in goal. Berlin is now 4 and 3 in the league and 6 and 3 overall.
Tyler Pomakoy vies for the ball against Waterford. (David Flint photo). Waterford’s Ray Carmel and Mike Hilton scored a goal apiece to give Waterford a 2 to 1 win over the BCS Boys soccer team on Wednesday. Fred Morine scored for Berlin with Brent Demick recording 24 saves in goal. Berlin is now 4 and 3 in the league and 6 and 3 overall.

 

 

There will also be baked goods, hot dishes and barbecue off the grill for very reasonable prices.  Great soccer!  Great food! Why go anywhere else?

Entrance at the gate is $2 per adult, $1 per child, per night.

Games are as follows:

• Thursday September 25 – Boys –  5 pm – Lee vs. Berlin, 7 pm – Hoosic Valley vs. New Lebanon

• Friday September 26 – Girls –  5 pm – Chatham vs. Berlin, 7 pm – Hoosic Valley vs. New Lebanon

• Saturday September 27 – 1 pm – Girls Consolation Game, 3 pm – Boys Consolation Game, 5 pm – Girls Championship Game, 7 pm – Boys Championship Game

Weight Watchers At Work Program Offered At BCS

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The Berlin Central School District Health Council would again like to sponsor a Weight Watchers at Work Program.  

Meeting day and time (no Friday meetings and meetings not to begin before 3:15 pm) will be determined when 15 people have committed to participate.  Meetings are opened to public.

Two program options will be available.  

ź a 12 week program for $144 per person with a two-way split pay option available.  A minimum of 15 commitments are required.

ź a 17 week program for $186 per person, including free e-tools, with a three-way split payment option available.  A minimum of 20 commitments are required.

Meetings are approximately 45 minutes to one hour long with a confidential weigh-in, approximately 15 minutes, and the meeting approximately 30 minutes.

If you have a specific day and time you are interested in or have any questions, please contact Tammy Whitman at twhitman@berlincentral.org or 658-2684, ext. 230.

Class of 2009 Golf Tournament Fund Raiser

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On Saturday, October 11, the Berlin High School Class of 2009 is hosting a fund raiser at the Windy Hills Golf Course in Greenwich.  

The event begins with a Continental Breakfast at the clubhouse at 7:30 am followed by a 9 am Shot Gun Start.

There will be hot dogs and beverage at the turn and a hot/cold buffet and beverages at the end as well as lots of prizes plus challenges, surprises, thank you gifts and fun. 

The format is a four person scramble – limited to 26 teams.

The fee of $100 per person includes 18 holes of golf with cart.

Registration forms are available online at www.berlincentral.org.  Click on schools, select the high school and then click on the Class of 2009 link.

Two New Principals At Berlin Central School

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by David Flint

“We will be ready, and school will open on time!” Berlin High School’s new Principal was looking forward last Friday to starting the school year and was enthusiastic about the “tremendous pool of talent he has found here. Dennis Healy said he met the new Guidance Counselor and new teachers for music, social studies, science and technology at orientation last week and found a lot of fresh experiences and new ideas. That, combined with the talent and energy that he said is already here, would be “a formidable combination to help kids advance better.” “I’m very optimistic and looking forward to a very good year,” he added.

New High School Principal Dennis Healy in his office. (David Flint photo)
New High School Principal Dennis Healy in his office. (David Flint photo)

 

 

Healy grew up on Long Island and later attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and history. In the early 1990s he received a Master of Social Work degree from SUNY-Albany. He also has administration and building principal certificates from the College of St. Rose.

His work history has largely been with disadvantaged and disturbed youth. His first job right out of college was working with young gang members in Brooklyn. He has worked at and managed residential centers and group homes and was for five years the Director of Residential Services at McQuade Children’s Services in New Windsor, NY, near Newburgh. Hired as a social worker at HFM BOCES serving Hamilton, Fulton and Montgomery counties, he stayed there for 16 years, becoming the Coordinator of Pupil Services. He worked primarily with behaviorally challenged students and developed and marketed a Career Assessment Program to establish student profiles facilitating placement in the Career & Technical Center or in internships. 

Healy said he had been looking for employment in a rural school district where he could apply his expertise in teaching, crisis intervention and cultivating and optimizing a good school climate, facilitating the building of a community within the school. He considered Berlin to be a good size school. He remarked on what he said was Berlin’s comprehensive selection process for new principals. He was quite impressed with the behavior, discussion and excellent questions on the part of members of the selection panel that included students as well as community members, teachers, non-instructional staff and the School Board. The process and the people involved, he said, made him feel comfortable with his decision to come to Berlin. 

Healy said he will spend some time assessing the situation at Berlin, speaking with all staff members and getting their take on things. “We will work together to meet the challenges and create a positive educational experience for faculty, staff and students. If there is a problem, the object is not to fix blame but rather to fix it and move on. I want to optimize achievement and help students to learn to think critically so that they can apply their learning to life experience in the future,” he said.

Healy will be the fifth High School principal at Berlin in eight years, following Fran DelSignore and before her Marla Yudin, Jeannie Henry and James Bedford. He noted that there has not been as much turnover at the elementary level here, but he believes that consistency is important in an educational setting, so he has made a commitment to being here “for quite a while.” 

Cathy Allain Takes Over At The Middle School

Cathy Allain is the new Principal at the Berlin Middle School. District residents have become familiar with her as the Principal of Grafton Elementary School for the past two years. Before that she was Principal of the Hoosick Falls Elementary School. Allain is replacing Interim Middle School Principal Patricia O’Grady who in April replaced Ed Kilmartin, the first Middle School Principal appointed last year. O’Grady will now function as Interim Principal at Grafton. 

Allain said she loved her position at Grafton but when asked by Interim Schools Superintendent Charlotte Gregory to take over the Middle School she said she would be happy to help out. The Berlin School District, she said, is a very welcoming place to work, and she believes she could be happy at any location. 

Allain believes the decision the Board made last year to more clearly set off the Middle School from the High School was a good one as it places a true focus on grades six, seven and eight and on the particular needs of these students and what they need to do to transition to the High School. These students, she said, need to develop many academic and social skills as they change and develop. One key to the success of the new school, she said, is the Steering Committee established by Kilmartin to determine specific needs and program changes. The Committee comprises teachers, parents and community members. It has good representation, she said, and is a very active committee. They look at test scores, student interests and teachers’ particular talents and seek to develop what a Middle School should look like, and specifically a Middle School in the Berlin community. Allain said she has already met with the staff and they have started to map out the critical issues for the coming year. The State standardized test scores are certainly one of these critical issues, and the Steering Committee will be working on ways to improve test taking skills as well as academic achievement. 

Another issue that concerns Allain is the dropout rate at the high school which she said could be improved. The high school dropout rate, she said, is a function of an attitude that starts at the middle school level. Thus it is important to find out what middle school student interests are and help staff to become more connected with students, perhaps by developing more opportunities for discussion in after school activities and enrichment programs. 

Allain said they would be ready to start school on September 4. Last Friday preparations were under way for an orientation night for sixth-graders and their parents. Among other things, students were to be introduced to their handbooks, helped with their schedules and shown their lockers and how to use their combination locks. “I’m looking forward enthusiastically,” Allain said, “and I would appreciate parent input. They can contact me at callain@berlincentral.org .”