25 ¢
S E R V I N G TAY L OR , OL D F OR G E , MOOSIC & SURROUNDING AREAS TRIBOROBANNER.COM | MAY 9, 2019
Old Forge students picked up trash in their neighborhood, helped by a state representative | PAGE 6
An area elementary school was named a distinguished Title 1 school by the state Education Dept. | PAGE 7
Forging a new strength
Meeting will introduce The Foundry BY JOSH MCAULIFFE Special to the triboro banner
Senior High School principal Christopher Gatto, the foundation received Members of the community will have approval from the Old Forge School Board in the fall. Besides Katz, the their first big opportunity to learn advisory council includes Old Forge more about the Old Forge School District’s new education foundation on alumni of various ages and profesThursday night, May 9. sional backgrounds. The advisory council has drafted byFrom 6-8 p.m., the foundation, known laws and set up a website and Facebook as The Foundry, will host an informational kickoff event at The Cellar at page. Gatto goes to all of The Foundry’s meetings but is not directly involved Cusumano, 432 S. Main St., Old Forge. Admission is free to the event, which in its administration due to his district employment. will include complimentary pizza, appetizers and a cash bar. According to Katz, the foundation Attendees will learn more about the will fund projects not accounted for in goals of The Foundry, and how to make the district budget. That list includes: a donation to the cause. classroom technology upgrades; dual “We’re expecting a good crowd,” said enrollment scholarships for students Noah Katz, president of The Foundry’s looking to earn college credits; enadvisory council. “We’ll have informa- hancements to the district Learning tion packets and forms there for donaStore, which is staffed by special-needs tions. We just want to get the word out students; the re-establishment of the and let people know what we’re all district band program; and improveabout. With the literature, they can see ments for the district’s STEM and where the money is going, which is diSTEAM curriculum. rectly to the kids of the district.” “Some of the projects are big-ticket The Foundry — the name is a nod to items, while others are smaller-scale Old Forge’s metal-forging past and a projects that could still have lasting metaphor for the tools the foundation benefits for the district,” Katz said. Peter Quigg of Commonwealth hopes to impart to students — was Charitable Management was hired to recently established with the idea of manage The Foundry’s perpetual ensupplementing the district budget and dowment fund. Commonwealth Chariallowing it to expand its offerings to table Management will accept money students. Though the foundation will from individuals and organizations work alongside the school district, it will be a completely independent entity. to create endowments, special project The brainchild of Old Forge Juniorfunds, Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program funds (EITC) and Educational Improvement Organizations (EIO) that will directly benefit district students. Each year, a percentage of the fund TS_CNG/TRIBORO/PAGES [T01] | 05/08/19
10:38 | CORNELLCHR
SUbMitteD photo
The committee includes, from left: Nicholas Parise, Gretchen Holland, Megan DiBileo, Noah Katz, Kiel Eigen, Mark Palma and Rick Notari. Also on the committee are Ryan McBride and Alison Woody. will be granted under the direction of the advisory council, which will perform an annual needs assessment to gauge the outstanding needs of the district. Meanwhile, a special projects fund will allow donors to direct taxdeductible donations to a specific project, and the EITC program and EIOs will allow businesses to support a wide variety of programming and improvements for as little as 6 to 7 cents on the dollar. The key to The Foundry’s sustainability will be active involvement by alumni and community members who see the value it will bring to the district. “If you look at the history of Old Forge, it’s always rallied around its
people. We think it’s only natural to rally around the district,” Katz said. “All of our money is going to educational purposes, and we think that’s going to resonate.”
If you go What: the Foundry informational Kickoff event When: thursday, May 9,6 -8 p.m. Where: the cellar at cusumano, 432 S. Main St., old Forge Details: admission is free to the event, which will include complimentary pizza and appetizers, as well as a cash bar. Donations to the foundation will be accepted. For more information, visit the Foundry’s website, educationalfoundation.ofsd.cc, or its Facebook page.