Approx. 4 years ago and I may have shared this with you, I mentored reading at Hand Middle School as a favor to the principal and took a few lady friends from my church with me, once a week. What an amazing experience as I thought I had seen and heard it all in my worldly carer and travels.
The students were all African-American or Hispanic, there were NO white children. They children volunteered for the help and we had a great time. I would take treats for the kids and built friendships.
The reading level was horrible and to take an AA girl and explain to her that when I was her age I loved to read to pretend I was on that journey, reading is a way to learn and travel. One day she asked if I would be the shaperon for their cheerleading team when they went to other schools on the bus. She took my arm and lead me down to the basement of the school to meet the Coach, what an experience. Having had no children of my own and had not taught since 1971 nor been in a school, it was wild.
My heart went out to these kids for other reasons and I will share another story. One day we were discussing PASTA. The young girl actually asked what that was, she saw in the picture it was Spaghetti and also could not say the word property. I shared with her that our favorite was Sea Shells! She had no clue what they were so the next week I brought 2 Boxes of Sea Shells and 2 cans of Rague Sauce (my favorite) and gave it to her to take home to her family. The letter I received was heartbreaking people however I learned also.
Lancaster City School District is in trouble. They have a hard time getting teachers and the ones there are so very dedicated. The program they implemented was so creative and it is a shame we have so many laws that are too general. The school district gets a bad rap yet is playing this game of equal with one hand tied behind their back so to speak. The homeless kids are the highest in the county and the programs and school buildings cannot compare to the support like Manheim, Hempfield, Manor just to name a few get.
42% of the property in this school district is tax exempt and the real estate condition is a lot to be desired YET this County allows projects like the hotel and convention center to literally STEAL valuable dollars from these needy children!
We need more men and woman on the board as this gentlemen and the Mayor and citizens of means need to take a look at what they can do to give these kids a fighting chance at making a better life for themselves instead of wasting money on STREET SCAPES and projects that are stealing funds that would help the lives of the people who live BEYOND LIME and PRINCE, VINE and LEMON.
When the hotel and convention center can carry its own without costing the taxpayers a cent and pay some school taxes, I will call it a success. Shame on this project for not contributing to the school district and the city. Shame of Penn Square Partners for continued propraganda like this.
Of course countywide hotel room sales tax revenue will go up as long as people come here and stay in the rooms provided by private investors. My question is, may we see a daily room occupancy of the Marriott last year, considering that the city owns the hotel and it also remains tax exempt?
The Penn Square Partners treats all of their revenue and occupancy figures as a closely-guarded secret. Bernie Harris from LNP has been trying for months to get this information, and they refuse to give it to him.
EDITOR: Lancaster Newspapers through an affiliate owns 50% of the Marriott. An affiliate of High Associatesowns the other half.
When LNP and/or Bernard Harris provide anything other than glowing, flowering reports on the CC and hotel; pigs will fly!!! This has been a disgrace to journalism and an insult to the taxpayers of Lancaster City and County since the get-go.