Viewpoints
Where are your taxes going?
By Jean Griffin
May 24, 2010
Monday
Taxpayers, where are your dollars going?
As everyone knows, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District
has a problem with their School Lunch Program. On March 10,
2010, Joe Griffin was hired as the School Lunch Program Manager.
Joe has 45 years of experience in the Food Industry. He retired
from the US Coast Guard with 20 years as a Cook. After retiring,
here in Ketchikan, he worked as Project Manager for 17 1/2 years
under different contractors for the Base Galley. Thereafter,
he has held positions including the Ketchikan Pioneer Home and
the Narrows Restaurant for 3 1/2 years. His involvement with
all these organizations has necessitated his acquiring a working
knowledge of Federal and State Guidelines for the Preparation
and Serving of Food to the Public. Wouldn't you say he is qualified
for the School Lunch Program?
After assuming the position, he has established a HACCP Program,
SOPs, Temperature Controls, Logs, and added some new items to
the menu. He was in the process of completing a 6-week cycle
menu, addressing the issue of required nutrimental labels and
correcting other deficits that will come under scrutiny in the
up-coming Fall Audit.
On May 4th, he attended a Training Seminar in Anchorage on Child
Nutriention in the School Lunch Program. On May 14th, he had
an employee evaluation with Mr. Mathew Groves, Business Manager
(1 year with the School District) for the Ketchikan Gateway School
District. At this evaluation, Mr. Groves told him he had a personnel
problem that needed some work. Two working days later, Mr. Groves
told him he was on administrative leave and was to be terminated
on May 21, 2010. There was no mention of mediation.
My question to the taxpayers is where in the real world would
a business or organization not at least attempt mediation to
protect their investment of training expenses in lieu of losing
a qualified employee? Where else would that organization allow
$18.00 an hour employees, who are in negotiations for a new contract,
hold them hostage at the end of a school year and force a valuable
new employee out just because one senior employee had not gotten
the job when she had applied for it? Maybe she didn't get it
because she wasn't qualified and resistant to change.
I think it is about time the taxpayers do some evaluating of
their own?
But Joe would like to thank the Taxpayers for adding more knowledge
to his qualifications.
Jean Griffin
Ketchikan, AK
About: "I have lived in
Ketchikan for 32 years. Married to Joe for 45 years. Have 2
Grandchildren in school here. Have worked for E. C. Phillips
for 30 years. And I am Quality Control at Phillips. I am HACCP
and Serve Safe qualified."
Received May 24, 2010 - Published
May 24, 2010
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