Doan's Deeds

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Any substantiated deeds of the notarious Mr. Doan which can be legitmately/illegitimately used during the election.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Answers

I love it...I have tapes available of the last board meeting if someone wants to transcribe the allegations he made. T.

-- Anonymous, December 02, 2001

Here's my first submission and perhaps this can be used as a guideline for Doan's Deeds with accurate verification.

Catskill Mountain News (Jay Braman, Jr.) 2/21/01 - Mr Doan's response to the overcrowding that would result in his plan to not sign a lease and lose the Eratt modulars at Bennett, " Move the kindergartners, that's the easiest way." he said, "it wouldn't ne a big deal."

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2001


hi. I don't know if your interest in Doansdeeds is strictly current, but I have some interest in creating a three year sketch of Doanisms. I would have to start w/ the mascot debacle, if any one recalls quotable quotes from that period.I do remember one early on when he feigned an inclination to support the change.Especially his behavior after the vote interests me because it includes insisting that the vote was illegal, singlehandedly ordering the search of minutes from 1956 to find some proof of this claim, including , as I recall, one district employee working full time for some weeks searching for this elusive "proof".Would be interesting to know whether or not Donaghues work on that was part of his contract or no.Anybody have a clue what the best process for determining these kinds of expenditures are? Some of my other favorites include Doan's wild attacks on BBoyce about the West hurley fire house. Years of attacks and namecalling on Boyce, Geisler, Grehl,now Collins Lipton Hal Donaghue. Any one have personal favorites? I'd like to get a good document long before May.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2001

I can verify that the West Hurley Fire commissioners denied writing the memo that Doan presented as being from them that. This is the meo of MemoGate that he used to trump up charges against BCL Solutions and Barbara Boyce. Date? Maureen, help me here...with a little time,I can find it in the videos...both of school board and of the W. Hurley fire commissioner meeting. T.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2001

I appreciate the dialogue between MM and TC but I hope it amounts to serious documentation and accountability so it can be used in the future. I'm not sure what it is you guys are even talking about but I'm sure it's good stuff. Let us know if you can come up with any thing but I suggest that the discussion of these types be confined to the monthly thread and simply the results presented here. The purpose of this thread can then be to list documented accounts of HIS actions. That way we don't have to sift through the chatter to find our list and ammunition for May. Thanks.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2001


A teacher at Phoenicia school, Melissa Thongs, was in conversation with Doan and Milman at a board meeting break. They wanted to know is Phoenicia staff supporting Linda Stella concerning halloween parade. The answer was a big "yes". Anyway, Doan then reached over brushing something off Melissa's shoulder and said "what is that white power? anthrax?" Melissa was mortified and bowed out of the triangle speechless. This may seem a minor incident, but it does show Doan's weird sence of humor. He certainly never laughs at board meetings.

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2001

At the 12/03/01 BOE meeting Doan, acting as president in Marty's absence, tried to prevent Meg from making a comment on the condom issue which Doan had gone on about at great length. He kept interrupting her and insisting she not speak. It was loud, rude and very bad behaviour recorded on tape by Tobe. His comments were references to an article from the American Legion Magazine on the issue of the safety of condom usage. Strange source of reference material for a serious eucational health debate, eh?

-- Anonymous, December 08, 2001

Please indicate if possible the meeting (or the month and/or school) where a particular board meeting was held, so we can zero in on the appropriate videotape segments to look at, quote from, and who knows, perhaps even edit together in some form...dates are all important in this search for Doan's Deeds, and I'm sure your memories of key events beat mine by a long-shot. Thanks, Tobe

-- Anonymous, December 09, 2001

July 2000 Mr. Doan, without board authorization, hires Environmental Labworks to test water at West Hurley School. Tests are done and results sent to Mr. Doan at the School District office. He keeps the records in his personal possession and they are not part of the district's files.

August 2000 Doan requests payment of $120 be made by the district to the environmental company he hired without authorization. His request was made through buildings and grounds department and the district paid $120 in February 2001.

2001 Mr. Doan mentions testing results at a board meeting, but keeps them from district records and in his sole possession.

Summer 2001 Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request confirms that no board authorization was made for the water testing and that the test records do not exist in district files. The FOIL request reveals the payment made at Mr. Doan's unauthorized request. Mr. Doan turns over tests from his personal files to satisfy the Freedom of Information Law request to make them public.

November 2001, I report on the above at a BOE meeting. Doan attacks me verbally, calling me a liar. I respond that i stand by my remarks.

Winter 2001, I confirm that Doan was not authorized and that he kept the results, and that lab was paid by district. I report this in PBH at January 14, 2002 meeting...Call on Doan to repay the district and to apologize to me. Doan is silent.

Tobe ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------

-- Anonymous, January 15, 2002


Joe Doan's letter to the Woodstock Times, published in the 2/14/02 edition:

I am writing this response on February 7, 2002, to address Larry Sutty’s letter in today’s Daily Freeman. Initially, I had ignored both Tobe and Meg Carey’s personal attacks, feeling that their own words did more to discredit them than I could ever do. At this point, I think that it is important to bring out all of the facts in this matter and not let stand the moronic ramblings of these two misinformers.

This issue concerns the drinking water of the West Hurley School. Many years ago, at least two gas stations existed at the intersection of Route 28 and Route 375. The steel storage tanks at this location eventually rusted through and leached hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons of gasoline into the soil. The gasoline contaminated the aquifer, which supplied all of the wells in this area. Well water potability, being one of the realms of my professional engineering expertise, I understood the seriousness of gasoline contaminating the school well. At the June 6, 2000 Board of Education meeting, I conveyed my concerns to the entire board during the new business part of the agenda. The board president thought it was a good idea; there was no opposition from any of the board members, and it was done. I called the district’s lab, Environmental Labworks, to order volatile organic testing of the well water. The test samples were taken on July 17, and the test results, which showed no gasoline contamination, were presented to the board in August 2000. The lab reports were mailed to the central administration offices, and a copy of that report was sent to me. Whatever happened to the original report after it was received in the main office has nothing to do with my credibility.

At the January 28, 2002 BOE meeting, Meg Carey made a formal request before the board to require that I pay the district $120 for this test. How absurd. Did the Daily Freeman or Woodstock Times print one word about this issue? Of course not. Why? Because it shows Meg Carey in her true antagonistic light. At the same meeting, Carey, D’Orazio, Rosato and some of their uninformed supporters tried to undermine my efforts relating to the newly constructed girl’s softball field at the high school. This is one of the reasons why our board meetings go until 1:00 in the morning. Both Carey and Rosato’s campaign slogan last year was to focus on education.

While they are focusing on the value of testing the school district’s water supply, and whether the initial $15,000 cost to build the girl’s softball field and the additional $10,000 for safety fencing was in the best interest of the Onteora students, I have been moving in the opposite direction. My focus has been on standardizing the curriculum in our elementary schools, addressing the failure rate in the middle school, the five percent tax reduction in 2000, improving our facilities, building a girl’s softball field, reinstating a gymnastic team in the fall, eliminating wasteful spending in the district, uncovering duplicate and triplicate district payments, uncovering the Phoenicia paving scandal, and uncovering the Errett lease fiasco. And more.

The truth and their own words are the Careys’ worst enemies.

Joe Doan

V.P., Onteora Board of Education

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002



Carol - Thanks for posting that letter. It will be invaluable in the coming months.

-- Anonymous, February 20, 2002

Add the following to the Softball field info: 1. November 6, 2000…The topic surfaces and Doan says it'll cost about $2500 for the backstop with all the rest provided by free labor available from community. Says he will need to extend right field, do some grading, and take down a few trees to make it meet MHAL specs. Does anyone know if this November configuration is what was eventually used, or did the field get moved to a different configuration when it was actually done? The question remains whether or not the field is up to MHAL specs.

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002

here's the entire softball field posting: Softball field dates: Updated information. 2.28.02 1. November 6, 2000…The topic surfaces and Doan says it'll cost about $2500 for the backstop with all the rest provided by free labor available from community. Says he will need to extend right field, do some grading, and take down a few trees to make it meet MHAL specs. Does anyone know if this November configuration is what was eventually used, or did the field get moved to a different configuration when it was actually done? The question remains whether or not the field is up to MHAL specs.

2. July 9, 2001: Doan says he wants to put it on the agenda for August 20th meeting...at $10,000 cost. 3. August 20th...postponed topic until Sept. 10.

4. Sept 10...Doan requests $10,000...says he will do the plans for free....$10,000 cost said to include fences and backstop, materials, labor, engineering...Chuck says make it $15,000 just in case...Doan agrees.

5. December 3rd. Asks for $10,000 more for fencing and backstop (sound like familiar items??)

6. January 14, 2002... when he initiates a conversation about the project, Meg counters by recalling the stages...now budget is up to $25,000. Meg asks if Joe has done the plans...Joe says yes, he has the plans.

7. January 28, 2002...Joe DiGiovanni says add $10,000 more for bleachers and team benches. (I guess the fans and teams could always sit on the ground!) Chuck raises issue of SED involvement since costs are so high now...Doan requested that Chuck call SED to find out what they say about the field. Doan says loud and clear that he will sign and put his engineering seal on the plans if SED requires the plans to be submitted.

8. February 11th… quoted from the minutes - "Business administrator Chuck Snyder confirmed that the State Education department does require plans and specifications. Mr. Snyder further recommends that said plans and specifications be completed as soon as possible, with a copy filed at the School before students begin playing on the field."

9. February 25th…Doan denies saying he would make the plans! Meg reads the approved (7-0 vote) minutes of January 28th meeting where Doan says he'll sign and seal the plans if State Ed requires them.

I count at least two times he said he would do them, and one time when he said he had them done...before his denial. And the record is clear that he knew on Feb. 11th that State Ed required the plans…so he had time to do the plans and prevent any delay of use of the field…

-- Anonymous, February 28, 2002


Over the past two years, Joe Doan has attacked/defamed/insulted many, many indivduals and groups. This is a recollection of mine which is bound to be incomplete, so I'm asking for help to complete it. I believe it will prove to be a valuable tool in the uncoming campaign.

1 All racial and ethnic groups: removed the Onteora anti- discrimination policy so that the Indian mascot could be restored

2 Tanya Washington, NYS Attorney General's office, Civil Rights Division: ignored her plea for compromise and rushed the removal of the anti-discrimination policy

3 Mike Grehl and the Transportation Department: and just what are the numbers on this privitazation?

4 Kathy Ailey, auditor: bullied her into resigning after the duplicate checks fiasco

5 The High School students of Onteora: stalled, waffled, and then opposed the seating of a student rep on the board

6 Hal Rowe: how many thousands has this attack cost us?

7 Barbara Boyce, and all of Special Ed: again, investigations and reports costing thousands, yielding nothing positive

8 Robin Sears, and the whole health staff

9 The entire Bennett school community: unrelenting opposition to the Bennett reno/addition project

10 Onteora teachers: too many days off, right?

11 John Donahue, former Onteora attorney: fired

12 All the applicants for the Rose Ostrander seat: never even got interviewed

13 Curry Rinzler: tried to get me removed from the Facilities Committee

14 Tobe Carey: his camera lies, right?

15 Beth Blis: she's causing him to go blind.....

16 The Woodstock Times and the Kingston Freeman: printing lies, lies, lies

17 Meg and Merino: responsible for all the bad stuff on the board

18 All the bus-riding students of Onteora: they need to be watched by video surviellance cameras

19 Programs for the Arts and their providers: no $ for this !

20 Dennis Geisler and all past school boards for carrying too large a fund balance, plus the infamous buyout of Dennis

21 The entire stall of the Middle and High Schools: bring in the dogs!!

22 The entire Phoenicia school community, for bad test grades

23 Randy Collins and Beth Lipton: watch out for your private life

-- Anonymous, March 14, 2002


latest Doan's deeds version 4.8.02

The Doan Deal

Doan's costs to the district:

Money Costs:

Year 2000 Budget failure: It is the Board's responsibility to put forth a budget. The Doan faction declined to make any budget changes to lower taxes and then worked to defeat the 2000-20001 budget they proposed. Failure of the budget meant more than a million dollars in existing and new educational programs had to be scrapped.

The Doan Transportation Deal has resulted in less flexibility and higher costs to meet daily district transportation needs. Doan wants to eliminate all Onteora-run transportation. In the past he has suggested using the bus garage to house a kindergarten.

Doan claimed increased privatization would save the district $500,000 in the first year and 1 million dollars if the entire transportation system is dismantled. Instead the costs to taxpayers included an additional $90,000 for contract-provided late runs. Contract transportation costs are expected to go up 3.5% in the 2201-2003 budget. District drivers' costs are expected to drop by 1.9%.

Investigations and Litigation costs since Doan was elected in 1999. Poley $ Erratt $ Mercer Ricci $ Mehlia $ Amy Albers $10,000 David Shaw $10,000 Feldman Report: $ Marino/Dericco costs $

Project costs:

Board misled in believing that the softball field could be properly done for $2,500 or $10,000 or $15,000 or $25,000 of $35,000 or $38,600 or…without proper preparation and following state requirements. He promised engineering services then broke his promise.

Moral and Psychic Costs - What Doan leaves in his wake: Anger Disappointment Mistrust Secrecy Frustration Sadness

Doan's Investigations and Litigation

Hiring of Special Counsel: $10,000 for "investigations." Arbitrarily removed Marino D'Orazio from the committee to oversee the special counsel.

Amy Albers Investigation of Special Education costing $10,000 yielding little of value.

Doan provided district documents to Gerald Ricci and Sam Mercer for use in their petition against the Board of Education. He is seeking to overturn the Board's approval of the lease of temporary buildings at Bennett and Phoenicia schools.

Doan supported the Mehlia petition to the Commissioner to have the Bennett School Building Project referendum vote overturned.

Doan initiated litigation with Erratt over leases and Poley paving over paving dispute: litigation costs now exceed $30,000.????IS THIS ACCURATE?

Costs for unilateral refusal to provide defense counsel for Marino D'Orazio in D'Errico Petition matter???

Doan's latest investigation plan costing $165 per hour for lawyers, with no cap and no end in sight.

Lies and Misinformation

Girls' Softball Field: Doan misrepresented the true costs of the softball field. He mismanaged the project, went way over budget, leaving an unfinished field without proper approval. Doan broke three promises to do the engineering free of charge. District taxpayers are saddled with $38,600 cost for the incomplete field without proper voter authorization or SED approval.

Secret audio tape: In June 2001, Doan secretly recorded an attorney and misrepresented what she said by playing only part of the recording at a board meeting. Doan claimed the tape backed up his assertion about a section of the law. Doan refused to turn over the unedited audio tape until forced to by FOIL requests and a board vote. The tape reveals the attorney told Doan to take the advice of the board's attorney, who would be more familiar with the particulars. Contrary to Doan's claim, she further said she didn't have enough information to give an opinion.

October 26, 1999, Joe Doan falsified information in a memo read to the public in October of 1999. In it, Doan attacked Director of Pupil Personnel Services, Barbara Boyce and her secretary Pat May. He wrongly accusing them of fronting for a private consulting firm. Doan claimed the information came from the West Hurley Board of Fire Commissioners. The Fire Commissioners repudiated the Doan statements at their December 16, 1999 public meeting. CHECK DATES>>>

Doan opposition to the Bennett Capital Project:

Unrelenting opposition by Doan to the Bennett renovation/building project. Doan spoke out against the project, attempted to delay it, actively campaigned in the community against passing the bond, and undermined the vote by passing confidential district documents to petitioners seeking to overturn the vote.

Attacks on administrators, employees, contractors, former and present BOE members:

Attack on Transportation Director, Mike Grehl, questioning his truthfulness.

Attack on nationally renown transportation specialist, questioning his truthfulness.

Attacks on 26-year district employee and internal auditor, Kathy Aley. Joe Doan and Marty Millman held an inquisition-like session in which they yelled and screamed at Ms. Aley. Shortly afterwards, she resigned from her position after 12 years as internal auditor.

Attack on Business Administrator, Dennis Geisler and all past school boards for carrying a reasonable fund balance of 5-6%.

Continuing public attacks on Superintendent Hal Rowe with efforts to interfere with him doing his job.

Doan attacked teachers with unsubstantiated allegations of taking too much time off. He searched all employee attendance records looking for wrongdoing.

Attacked Robin Sears and district health professionals. Rose Ostrander and Joe Doan bypassed the professional health staff in seeking board approval for defibrillators to be placed in district schools. True costs of defibrillators and required training was hidden from public in the rush to pass this "feel-good" proposal. The Ostrander estimate is $2,000 for each defibrillator. True costs are 50% higher for each unit and thousands of dollars in required ongoing training and certification for staff and employees.

Attacked Robin Sears and health program staff and the Comprehensive District Health Plan. Ignoring the staff health professionals Doan unilaterally invited a nurse to speak on STDs. He kept her name secret, refusing to say who she was. When public outrage forced him to reveal the name, he distributed a resume that hid the crucial fact that the nurse was on the staff of a local "right to life" program and coming to the district with an agenda promoting a religious based point of view. Doan proposed hearing from the nurse and then making a district policy banning condom distribution in the high school…even though the district does not distribute condoms. A strong public presence and reports from the medical and research community about the need for effective sex education incorporating both abstinence and sexual safety forced the Doan agenda back under the rock.

Doan attacked Randy Collins, and staff at Phoenicia school by releasing selective testing data from the middle school, and leaping to unsupported conclusions blaming the curriculum and staff.

Doan tried to get Curry removed from the Facilities Committee, because Curry dared to disagree with something Joe Doan said at a committee meeting.

Attack on rights of the media: The board majority enacted the Doan policy prohibiting flash cameras, video or audio recorders at any meeting at the discretion of the chair or the board majority.

Attacked reporters and editors of local newspapers who cover the district.

Personal attacks on present board members: Blaming Meg Carey, Tom Rosato, and Marino D'Orazio for all the bad stuff on the board, ignoring his own and the board majority's numerous bad board behaviors.

Attacked contractors who work with the district claiming they are out to "screw" the district.

Personal attacks on the District Transportation Supervisor. Doan's attacks on the district transportation system have left us with too few drivers and buses - making it difficult to make up the shortfall for trips when private contractors are unable to meet our needs.

Personal attacks on providers of after-school arts and grant-supported programs.

Doan against music and arts programs in the schools: On___Doan voted against On____Doan voted against Etc. Etc. Etc.

Delay in adding student rep to the board:

Stalled, waffled, and opposed the seating of a student rep on the board, causing months of delay in seating a student rep. Doan's and Millman's stated reason for the delay: "The board is too dysfunctional."

Rigged the political process to fill a vacant board seat:

None of the twenty-five applicants for the empty Joe Vanacore board seat ever got interviewed or considered. The board majority rigged the board seat appointment process, effectively stealing the public's right to political oversight and involvement in the political process. They appointed Rose Ostrander, the head of their political support group, CARE without any interviews or consideration of any other candidates.

More Bad Board Behaviors: Breaking meeting protocol; excessive executive sessions; hiding discussions from the public; ambushing board members with sudden motions; hijacking the agenda; excess requests for reports and action from staff:

Banning Superintendent Hal Rowe from some Executive Sessions.

Doan makes numerous off-agenda motions late in meetings with no public or board notice made. Off-agenda items stop the public from speaking to these issues during public be heard.

Numerous attempts to intimidate members of the staff.

Doan's desire for identifying "Trustee badges."

Excessive and unauthorized requests for reports and actions from district employees including staff, teachers, principals, and administrators.

Attempts to eliminate opposition voices:

Arbitrarily removed Trustee D'Orazio from committee overseeing the Doan sponsored investigations.

Failed attempt to remove Curry Rinzler from the Facilities Committee.

Attack on media: Doan policy to prohibit flash cameras, video or audio recorders at the "discretion of the chair" or "the board majority."

Removed Kingston Freeman and Woodstock Times as official papers, insuring that official notices are published in the two least-read papers in the district (Middletown Herald-Record and Ulster County Townsman)

Unilateral and unauthorized behavior:

Doan orders unauthorized water testing.

Doan twice carries out unauthorized asphalt testing on pavement.

Doan in an unauthorized and unilateral manner names himself Onteora's "agent" and applies for a grant stating the district will make available $750,000 for its share of costs. The grant application is rejected by granting agency.

Unauthorized and unilateral invitation to investigating attorney to come to a special meeting called by Doan. These costs to district $165 per hour, are not authorized by the board.



-- Anonymous, April 09, 2002



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