The headline in the daily last week read: “Kingston School Board Examines Diversity Hiring Efforts.”

Or, school district fails at diversity hiring efforts; school board wrings hands.

The story detailed the Kingston school board’s ongoing efforts to hire more teachers of color (and staff) in the name of diversity. I’m all for diversity as long as the school district hires people who meet the high standards it imposes on everyone else.

In this case, it appears the district gets failing grades. According to district officials, 6,563 students were enrolled in 2021, of which 47 percent were classified as “of color.” Conversely, and I find that fair commentary, a teaching staff of 570 employed 40 persons of color, or 7 percent of professional staff.

Elsewhere, staff members of color seem as rare as in the teaching staff.

Not that the district isn’t committed to diversity. Angela Armstrong, district director of Recruitment Retention and Equity, put it this way, telling the Freeman:

“We’re purposefully trying to integrate our curriculum to be more effective and diverse which will also be something that that will draw educators of color to want to be here and want to stay here,” she said.

Or so she hopes. Figures lie and liars figure, as they say, but these figures are downright alarming. That almost half the KCSD’s students rarely see anyone who looks like them in positions of authority in school is beyond dismaying.

Politics of Power

It would appear that Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha intends to use her legislative franking privileges (meaning taxpayer-paid mailings) for the purpose of attacking power piñata Central Hudson for the foreseeable future.

Channeling deep anger and frustration at the utility’s inability to get its billing operation in order, Shrestha details five bills she supported aimed specifically at utilities.

Shrestha, who advocates public takeover of utilities, mailed a newsletter to some 130,000 constituents last week that was long on Central Hudson criticism but short on specifics on what else she actually accomplished during the just past January-to-June legislative session. Did we elect a one-trick pony?

Much of what Shrestha conveyed to her constituents has been public for months, but there was some news. She will be moving her district office from 1 Albany Ave. in the Gov. Clinton Hotel building to the corner of Washington and Lucas Avenues at a date to be announced.

The new digs are currently under renovation. Hopefully, the assembly office will include signage, something I can’t seem to find at No. 1 Albany Avenue.

Parking Task Force

This one is a bit of a head-scratcher. Last month the Common Council gave final approval to a new zoning code that virtually eliminates parking requirements for new development. And now the mayor is looking for volunteers to recommend parking regulations? Horses and carts come to mind.

Population Surge?

Speaking of Hizzoner, a couple of weeks ago on our Me and Mario radio show, the mayor opined that he’d like to see the city’s population increase to “around 27,000” over this decade. We thought this a bold projection, considering that the city’s population rose by only 106 souls from 2010 to 2020, according to the Census Bureau.

City population currently rests at 24,069, but not for long, if the mayor proves prescient.

The question is, where would all those newbies go? And perhaps as important, who would they force out? Would the attendant increase in traffic and crowding be accepted by those already here? “Major” building projects in Kingston have a way of bringing forth pitchforks and torches. Did somebody say “Kingstonian?”

An increase in headcount population the mayor envisions would be something on the order of 12 percent of current population, or about 2,900 people. In context, that’s roughly a whole new city ward.

Shutting Up in Saugerties

Sawyers beware! When your town board starts “mulling” plans to deny the public information of any kind, red flags should go up.

This knucklehead initiative is apparently the product of the recent resignation of town police chief Joe Sinagra.

Under a resolution discussed then tabled last week, the board would deny all Freedom of Information (FOIL) requests for details dealing with “personal privacy” such as “resignations and retirements.” Hello, Joe.

These are public issues. The public pays the salaries of these individuals and their retirements, and in many cases, their medical benefits for life. And the public has no right to know these details?

If this is the direction the town board is now headed, townsfolk should be suspicious, very suspicious. Exactly what are they trying to hide?

Maybe this: Given the dearth of information coming out about the Sinagra affair, there is a growing buzz around Saugerties that the town board was less than diligent in its oversight of Sinagra’s police department and may bear some responsibility for how things went so wrong as to force the chief’s resignation.

And they want to call that a “personal privacy” matter? It might be more “personal” (political) than we know.

Forsooth.

Me and Mario

Your dauntless duo’s bi-weekly radio call-in show will return at 7 a.m. Friday on WGHQ-92 A.M. We have no guests scheduled but will engage in the kind of enlightened commentary that alters and illuminates our lives. Oldtimers alert: What was Walter Cronkite’s signature line in his 1950s “You Are There” TV series on historical events?

In the meantime, we are actively engaged in signing up candidates for mayor and district attorney for future shows. Trust me. Getting two candidates together at the same time before live mics is a challenge. If you would prefer to stream the show live, or watch it later, click here: https://vimeo.com/user173056939