Fifty Years Ago 38

If the situation at the Livingston Manor Central School District had not been compared to as “rats deserting a sinking ship,” at the least, the good ship was taking on water. In the course of two months since the takeover of the board of education by taxpayer association members or their sympathizers, the remaining two board members quickly resigned following the rough and tumble reorganization meeting. Perhaps seeing the handwriting on the wall, both principals then resigned, and just when matters couldn’t get much worse, the new board then decided to dismiss an elementary teacher in her final probational year before receiving tenure, setting up a confrontation with the Manor school’s Teachers’ Association that would spill over onto other issues for years to come. It was now apparent to all, what the board of D’Amico, Owens and Darbee lacked in charisma they made up for with chutzpa. 

Still, they attempted to right the sinking ship. Following emergency meetings, two community members were chosen onto the board, within only a matter of weeks after the resignation of the two long-time members, Doc Denman and Johnny Cassano. Bella Halpern and Vincent Ferguson, both unaffiliated with any of the community’s political divisions, had non-lightning-rod personalities and considered safe not to further rock the boat.