By By MARCIA STEFFENS / Niles Daily Star
BERRIEN SPRINGS – The legislators who were expected to speak at the "Legislative Dinner &Michigan Association of School Board Awards Presentation," were still in session and unable to attend.
Awards were still presented and the dinner was enjoyed by those superintendents and school board members from Cass and Berrien counties who attended.
The Berrien County Intermediate School Board was honored with the Honor Board and Standard of Excellence Award, presented by Olga Holden, director of board development and planning for the Michigan Association of School Boards.
All the members of the board have taken time to complete at least nine courses, or 30 hours of study. These are voluntary.
Board members include Superintendent Jeff Siegel, Tom Fanning, Linda Holt, Sharon Kalling, J. Aleene Smith and Cathy Bair.
Al Pscholka, District Representative for Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) was able to make the dinner and caught up those in attendance on what is happening in Washington.
Some decisions, such as reauthorizing No Child Left Behind, will probably be extended until the new newly elected officials are in place, until February 2009, he said.
Other bills may be vetoed by President Bush, he added, so there wasn't much to tell.
John Ostrowski, superintendent of the Lewis Cass Intermediate School District, said he and Siegel, of Berrien's ISD, have tried "to open communications" between the counties.
He also informed everyone of a meeting, "Leadership for achievement" planned for Aug. 6-9 in Mount Pleasant, for board members, teachers and principals.