Florida Keys News
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Board targets superintendent
BY JOHN L. GUERRA Citizen Staff

With the help of its newly hired public corruptions attorney, the School Board Tuesday threw a monkey wrench into Schools Superintendent Randy Acevedo's decision not to renew annual contracts for two high school principals and other personnel decisions that Acevedo announced last week.

Attorney Latour "L.T." Lafferty of Fowler White Boggs also will determine in the next two...

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Recall Petition

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:02pm
Someone find out how to start a recall petition, there are many people who would sign it. This situation is hurting our community, our children. Its gone on for too long. Step down Randy, its the right thing to do! Charlie Christ will not do anything because he is friends with Di Gennero who is friends with McPherson, who is Friends with Acevedo. DUH people!!!! The only way something will happen to these people is if we all stand together as a community to get these [alleged] crooks out of our School System, they need to pay back what they [allegedly] stole and go to jail.

STAY HOME RANDY...

Submitted on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 8:31am
PLEASE STAY HOME ON GRADUATION NIGHT. DON'T RUIN THE CLASS OF 2009'S NIGHT. THE FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON YOU AND IT PROBABLY WON'T BE VERY NICE. PEOPLE ARE GOTING TO BOO YOU AND THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SIGNS FROM PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SEE YOU RESIGN. IF IT WERE ME, I WOULD NOT SHOW UP TO GRADUATION. I WOULD WANT THE GRADS TO HAVE A MEMORABLE NIGHT. PLEASE STAY HOME!

DiGennero

Submitted on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 12:30am
Say what you will about DiGennero.... He's a smart man...he's not going to commit political suicide over the Acevedos.... I don't think he'd get caught doing some petty #$%t like Monique pulled. Same with McPherson.. it's not like he could make a living in the real world. Is he really going to let his family go down to protect some Bubba priveledge of stealing from 9th graders? In fact, at this point I'd be suprised at anything less than jail time for Randy. Ultimately, the buck will stop with Randy. It looks like he could roll over on some others, but clearly isn't the type to do it... Monique on the other hand started selling others out the minute someone asked her for a receipt (John Andola).

So if we get 10% of the voters' signatures?

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:38pm by 50 year resident of Marathon and voter
What is the next step?

Here's A Contribution

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:13pm
When a petition is offered to establish the Super as an appointed official the same ballot can contain words that explain why....because the current super is incompetent etc. Refer to the statute for an incorporated county at http://leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1... Regardless of our status the fact that we demand an appointed super of schools because of an incumbants ineptitude should be sufficient to 1) force the Super of Elections to acknowledge an appointment referendum and 2) prove to the Governor that we are dissatisfied with our current super. I will volunteer my time to the effort. I'm in the Key West phone book. JFKulick

Petition

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:23pm
As a non-charter county, we cannot recall an elected official. A better long term solution is to appoint rather than elect the Superintendent of Schools. If that effort is successful, the school board can just fire someone who is not doing the job, or in a case like this one, is corrupt. To accomplish the task, the first step is to get either the county commission or the school board to vote to place such a referendum on the ballot. No petitions, no signatures. A woman named Pat Davis on Big Pine is starting a movement to do just that. She's not convinced that the three school board reps who have consistently backed Randy are ever going to change their minds, so she's approaching the county commission to try to get them to do the right thing. As the movement comes together, we'll keep you apprised of how you can help.

County Commissioners

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:21pm
How will you get them to dig in for this effort if we can't prove popular support without petition or signatures? I'm not against it, I'm just advancing an opposition that we surely will encounter! JFKulick

This can't go on-----------

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 9:31pm
forever and ever, can it? What are they waiting for--him (the supt) to retire?

Was this Televised?

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:25pm
If so, is there a way for me to check it out online? One more thing. More detail please about forensic auditor. How does he work? Give examples of book-keeping practices that flew by internal staff that auditor can tell are fraudulent (aside from obvious). In particular I'm interested in how someone would discover how much money Monique could have taken from the 9th graders. thanks.

is there a way for me to check it out

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 4:55pm by 4:25am by N. Sane
There is if you have Comcast--Friday night at 7 on Channel 78.

Can the Marathon movie

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 5:41pm
Can the Marathon movie theatre do a special showing?

GET OUT

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:03pm by sam
GET OUT!!!!! GET OUT!!!!! GET OUT!!!!! ALL OF YOU GET OUT!!!!!!!

Not only superintendent

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:39am
The superintendent was not the only one who was not doing his job. The finance dept was not doing their jobs, the deputy superintendet- which I might add is next in line for Randy job, then there is the principal of KWHS-who knew in Oct. that the ninth graders fundrasing money was missing, now wants to cry foul, ... What about the Pedro Fraga who is the Director of Business and Fiscal service-watch him at the board meeting, the man does not even have a clue. I bet he don't even know what a fund balance is! Paid to do nothing. So as I said before, their are a whole lot who was not doing their jobs.

So Welsh knew about the missing money before the '08 election

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 6:00pm by 50 year resident of Marathon and voter
Guess he decided he'd better squeal after he found out the s**t was hitting the fan. Whistle blower my a**. Sound more like blowing smoke.

He's Not A Hero

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:30pm
I posted a similar comment about courage in full disclosure of fraud and official malfeasance regarding whistleblower protections granted under TITLE 10, Chapter 112, Florida Statutes in another article about my opinion of Ms. Reitzel's forthrightness under the statute and my conclusions are equally relevant to Mr. Welsh's claim, which in my opinion has no merit, because Mr. Welsh did not act within a reasonable amount of time to publicly disclose malfeasance or fraud on missing funds. This has been happening for years and he just discovered it after Mr. Acevedo showed him the door. Mr. Welsh is a former military man who understands what proximate acts are concerning proximate discoveries. He has lost the edge when it comes to digging in and reporting what happened when the act occurred but he chose to ignore it until it was to his advantage. That is not a hero, that sir, is a coward. JFKulick

JFKulick

Submitted on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 10:14am
I have read some of your posts and I must say, I really like your views.

PAYBACK

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:52pm
Payback for cutting Frankie, the wife of IT Director, his friend. Payback for helping to play everybody all along and because he's the Mentor's son (Let Mikey stay). Payback for ratting on the wifey (Cut Welsh). Payback for helping to cook the books as best we could (Let Pedro stay). Payback for my boy helping me play the hustle all these years.(Promote Christina). Payback and tribute for Bookie aka the man behind the green curtain. (Promote Mrs. Henriquez). All I can say is when it's time to punch the ballot again,I must admit I will be thinking about one thing...

Mike Henriquez

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:52pm
As I was saying, Mike is not in line to replace Acevedo. Mike is already in a sweet spot. He is the highest-ranking school official that doesn't HAVE TO RUN FOR OFFICE. So he has job security without having to campaign. Who would want to give that up?

Mike would make a great super!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:44pm
He is [allegedly] bigger than Randy. He is [allegedly] dumber than Randy. He [allegedly] comes from a bigger family of Conch/Bubbas! Why the fuss get rid of one [allegedly] corrupt [allegedly] sob and put in [allegedly] another!

Greed is only hunger for greed!!!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 1:30pm
Greed will cause one to give up a lot of things!!!

None of my comments ever get

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:35am
None of my comments ever get posted.

are you using foul language?

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 5:52pm by 50 year resident of Marathon and voter
Nearly every one of my comments has appeared.

Create Your Own

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:05pm
AT http://www.freeforums.org/

mine either

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 2:20pm
I have never had a comment posted. So don't feel like the lone ranger.

I bet this comment won't get

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 2:35pm
I bet this comment won't get posted either.

Oops....

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 5:38pm by *.*
You lost that bet.

WOWWWWWW

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 10:19am
The school board is FINALLY stepping up and putting Mr Smug, in his place

Bravo! About time! Let's clean house!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 8:56am by *.*
Let's not forget to seize property for restitution purposes, prosecute and put all crooks in jail. It's time a lesson is taught. As far as Randy goes, simply resigning isn't enough anymore. Prosecute. AND get bail money this time, Bubba Judge!

It is a start

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 8:55am by Concerned Citizen
At least this didn't turn into another Randy Love Fest with the board backing down from confrontation. I hope they push all of the mentioned actions, and make Randy's life a living hell. The man needs to leave now...

Watching

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 8:13am
Earn my vote or lose it now. My attention span is short and my memory long. Again I am watching what you do now... later I just cast my ballot. Would I vote for a bubba, only if I believe in the person. Naive aren't I.

Randy Must Go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:40am
After reading the paper today the possible list of employees to be fired seems to be missing a few names that over saw Randys Wife. Like Mike Bookie Jr. her boss that signed the approvals of her purchases. It also seems he was a sleep at his post and not reviwing his budgets. Lest see how about Pedro Fraga he also plays in this. and Randys not renewing contracts of employees due to there retirement status with the drop program how come Mr. Fraga is not on the let go list? maybe he knows to much and Randy cant let him go because he knows he will spill the beans. I smell Bookie Sr. in this one dont you! and for the two board members that care Keep the pressure on the cracks are forming in the wall and the house of school board cards are about to fall. CAN YOU SAY GRAND JURY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever it takes

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:39am
Randy no longer has cover for his claim that he is fulfilling his responsibilities to the voters and the students. He is misusing his position to protect his wife and making spiteful decisions to "get even" with the public and the school board. It is NOT about the kids. It is ONLY about Randy saving his butt -- WHATEVER IT TAKES!!

Mark Hooper

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:16am by 50 year resident of Marathon and voter
I still want to know about the $50K we lost to Habitat and the $20K in tools that were purchased for the High schools many of which are in the boxes. Someone mentioned in one of the posts that the students never got to perform any construction duties but did get to sweep after the construction was done by local contractors. So much for learning. Way to go, Habitat organizer, Ferraro.

Why is the school involved in this anyway?

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:47pm
Theses kids need to get to college. Mark Hooper is not accomplishing anything to do with getting these kids to college. He is just like Sunny Booker. They have created job titles then they fill in the job discription as they go along. It is well known that both worked very hard to get Randy elected. In turn they got high priced mystery jobs for thier loyalties. Fire both of them!

That is what is wrong with

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:36pm
That is what is wrong with public education today. All kids are not college material. Teach these kids a trade so that they may feed themselves. Look at the unemployed they are unskilled workers or college grads, not skilled workers. We need all types of workers and college isn't for everyone and public schools nowadays do very little to prepare the kids for the real world.

No problem with a technical education

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:57pm
but Mark Hooper is using Habitat as a psuedo education program to anchor his mystery job title. He runs around piggy backing programs already in existance. The game here was $50k in tools and supplies which could have been used in educating the students with a real courses in the construvtion field.

Absolutely!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 4:53pm
Where are our electricians, plumbers, builders, auto mechanics, etc. going to come from? The new KWHS was built with new shops....all gone now. Why? Who made that decision?

There are plenty

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 7:48pm
they just dont speak much english!

What I learned by attending School Advisory Council meetings

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 6:21pm
By the time the new KWHS was finished the number of classrooms was already insufficient for the student enrollment and the shop class,the Conchette rooms and any other useable space had to be converted to classrooms to meet state and federal mandates. The shops classes did not attract enough interested students to warrant the expense of keeping them.

Easy fix to that problem

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 9:24pm
KWHS was not designed to be used the way they are using it. The school is built in pods with office space in the middle of the pod for teachers. If they would just schedule classes to class rooms instead of one teacher to one classroom they would have no trouble with having enough classrooms. Like when you take a class in college the professor has an office and he goes to the classroom to teach a class it may not always be the same room. They need to schedule the classroom so that it is utilized each period of the day and doesn't sit empty two periods a day when that teacher doesn't have a class.

news story on the MCSD webstie

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:25am
Here's the link: http://www.monroe.k12.fl.us/Habitech/default.asp I don't see any students.

Abuse of Power

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 4:51am by Not a bozo
Oh Oh looks like there might be consequences after all for these people. That lawyer and those two accountants at the board meeting yesterday sure knew what they were doing. Finally we start to hear the truth of how badly the school district is managed. And these people are being payed how much in salary with our tax dollars?

Is there a way to see the

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:41pm
Is there a way to see the meeting online or a transcript or something? I missed it...:(

a way to see the meeting

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:55pm by 4:25am by N. Sane
The meeting will be broadcast on Friday night at 7 on Comcast Channel 78.

Where do I sign the recall

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 12:19pm
Where do I sign the recall petition???

Statue of Limitations may have a new light !!!

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 11:41am
I listened closely to the meeting and I think I hear the new School Board's public corruptions attorney, L.T. Lafferty, say that the Statue of Limitations for these type of crimes [embezzlement & thief of public money] had a limit to 4 years from the point of " Discovery " which would make this investigation take on a whole new meaning and direction. Some people who thought they were in the clear would be right in the middle of this investigation again, such as the former director of Adult Ed for his alleged acts. The School board would have 4 years to " track down " any wrong doers and bring them to their just punishment either criminal or civil. Please, can anyone clear up this very important point. Maybe the Citizen staff members who covered the meeting could contact L.T. Lafferty for clarification of this point.

Where?

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 3:22pm
Where can I see the "Statue of Limitations"? Next to the Statue of Liberty?

I saw that too - and it would appear it should apply to Mo

Submitted on Wed, 06/10/2009 - 2:10pm by *.*
as well. The more counts the better the chance that justice will be served, without some Bubba Court Two Step that would save their crooked butts.
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