Brownsville security office earns praise for confronting man with gun
BROWNSVILLE – Superintendent Larry Golembiewski commended the Brownsville Area School District’s security officer, John Carney, for helping the district avoid a potential disaster at a high school basketball game. Golembiewski explained on Monday that Carney had noticed someone attending the game was carrying a gun in his pocket. Wanting to prevent a scene that might provoke the man and cause someone to get hurt, Carney changed his clothing and approached the man saying that he was the athletic director and he needed to speak to him outside because the man had apparently not paid admission to the game.
Carney had already contacted local police, who were on the way, but he was not able to avoid a confrontation with the man outside, whom police later determined was a fugitive. Golembiewski said that man was also found to be carrying seven bags of crack cocaine in addition to the weapon. Golembiewski said that Carney deserved to be recognized for confronting the man so that he would not hurt anyone else.
“We had an individual come to a game with a pistol and it could have been tragic,” said Golembiewski. “I think this man is a hero for what he did last week.”
Golembiewski had said he thought police had been able to arrest the perpetrator but Carney said the man is still at large.
Director Andy Dorsey also commented that Carney did a wonderful job, and he said metal detectors will soon be installed so that nobody will be able to hide weapons.
Other discussion at the board’s agenda meeting revolved around payment of bills to the district’s architect, N. John Cunzolo, because board members said that the company is being paid automatically each month according to contract, but they have yet to see some of the completed plans for the district’s elementary building project.
Dorsey questioned the up front payments, saying that the board should not pay if they are not legally obligated to do so. He said that the board still doesn’t know if the district will be able to afford building the new elementary complex.
Golmebiewski said that the district could not borrow the money for the project until next year, and he reminded the board that he had advised them to raise taxes one mil for the last four years in order to afford this project, however, the board did not vote in favor of that.
Director Ron Dellarose said that before he was elected, $10 million had already been borrowed for the building project, and the board was told at that time that they would have to increase taxes at least two mils to cover that bond. He said that rather than argue amongst themselves, all board members should attend the buildings and grounds committee meetings and work together make the best possible decisions.
President Rocky Brashear said there will be a buildings and grounds committee meeting in February where everyone can hopefully determine the best way to proceed.
Other business matters to be voted on Thursday include approving conferences and student trips, hiring substitutes and coaches, approving the repair of a sewage pipe at the high school, and approving a contract that will allow technicians to service the roof heating and cooling units at the high school.
Keith Harvey, buildings and grounds supervisor, told the board it was “in the best interest of the district” to have the contract in place, because technicians were required to maintain the units, and if one should need replaced it would cost a great deal of money.
“It’s best to keep them in working order for as long as possible,” said Harvey.
Director John Harvey pointed out that these units work more efficiently for heating and cooling opposed to a boiler system, and he thought it best to allow technicians to service the units regularly to save the district money in the long run.