Letters to the Editor

To the Editor:

My name is Brian K. Gahagan and I am the School Board President that Mrs. Smith was referring to in her recent Letter to the Editor. I have been the president for seven of the nine years that I have been honored to serve the Spring Cove School District on the Board of School Directors.

First, I would like to than Mrs. Smith for her concern about my mental health, but I can assure you that I have had no “meltdowns” and I was only trying to point out some misinformation and untruths that had been spread via Facebook.

Second, it was never my intention to insult either conservatives or Christians, since I would consider myself both of these things. I certainly agree that our community deserves better than some individuals running. I am sure we differ on who those individuals might be. I am and always have been a conservative Republican; however, I do not support armed rebellion against the government.

Additionally, the Christianity I learned growing up, taught us to love one another, forgiveness, empathy, compassion and “judge lest not ye be judged.”

I do not and never have had an agenda. My only reason for serving on the board is to ensure that EVERY student receives the best, free PUBLIC education possible and I can wholeheartedly say that I feel we have accomplished that. The boards I have been a part of have worked as a team. We did not always see eye to eye, but we talked things over, tried to reach common ground and accepted the vote of the majority. We have probably one of the best superintendents in the state, our administration, faculty, and staff all strive to do what is best for all of our students to make sure they receive the best education possible and keep them safe and secure.

My sister and I (class of ‘92 and ‘90 respectively) are proud Central graduates, as are my three sons, CJ (Class of 2010), Connor (Class of 2014) and Cullen (Class of 2015). I am proud to present the Wendell B. Gahagan Community Service Scholarship every year to one deserving CHS senior that exemplifies community service. My father Wendell was in the first graduating class of Central High School and taught in the Spring Cove School District for 38 years. He stressed community service to my sister and I and that is something I have strived to live up to all my life.

I have been involved in politics and community service for over thirty-nine years. I started out in the Boy Scouts when I was 13 years old and just followed in my father’s example to give back to the community.

I started out in politics/service when I was in junior high school being elected to student council. In college I volunteered on two of former Congressman Bud Shuster’s re-election campaigns, served as a legislative intern for Jerry Stern in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and as an adult have volunteered on many elections campaigns (Bill Shuster, Bruce Erb, Jerry Stern, Andrew Blattenberger and Jim Gregory). I was an elected member of the Martinsburg Borough Council from 1996 thru 2008. was Pro Tempo re of the council from 2002 through 2003 and the Vice President from 2004 through 2008. I was appointed to the Spring Cove School District Board of Directors in August of 2013 and have been 1 of 2 Spring Cove Representatives on the Joint Operating Committee of the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center since my appointment to the board. My heart has always been in serving the wonderful people of Morrisons Cove and I take that job very seriously.

I would like to point out that school board directors are not PAID politicians. We are volunteers who spend our time and effort reading and learning rules and regulations, keeping current on laws, pending legislation, education technology and a myriad of other issues. That being said, I am extremely proud of the advances our district has made from college credits that help our student graduate earlier and save our parents money to the advancement of our STEMP curriculum and Project Lead the Way and the increase in attendance of our student at the GACTC. Our district is in a great place and we need to keep these positive programs moving forward.

As a director, I have taken every phone call and spoken to every community member that has approached me at an ice cream shop, restaurant, athletic event, band/chorus concert, other school function or that showed up in my driveway with a concern. I have taken this stewardship seriously and regardless of my opinions, I have listened to what others believe. In the end, it is my responsibility to represent the community and if people feel I have not done that to the best of my ability then I should be voted out of office.

In conclusion, I would not change a single vote as a school board member. I have only ever tried to do what is best for the students, administrations, staff, faculty and our community. I am DRAGON PROUD of all that we have accomplished and I ask for your support on November 7th .

Snowberger driven by children in school board race

I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and share a little bit about who I am. My name is Samantha Snowberger, and I am currently running for re-election on the Spring Cove School Board of Directors. What I have learned during this election process is that people simply do not recognize my name. I am the daughter of Denny and Linda Ayers and known by most as Sam. I was a 1997 graduate of Central where I played softball and volleyball.

Currently, I am involved in several community organizations that include the Dragon Pride Foundation Board, Faith and Grace Learning Center Board, VFW Auxiliary Post 43, Martinsburg Business and Professional Women’s Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the cleaning and restoration of headstones. I am also coordinating Blair County’s first Wreaths Across America ceremony.

I have worked for over twenty years in the mental health field with individuals of all ages and from various backgrounds. My current job of ten years has been working as a drug and alcohol therapist in reentry services. I provide drug and alcohol counseling for individuals transitioning from a correctional setting back home. It is a challenging and rewarding job that I love.

Aside from volunteering and working, I am most importantly a wife and mother of two children in the district. Without the support and love of my family I would not be able to do these things. My children are the main drive for my desire to be on the school board. Our children are the future, and we must ensure we as a district and community are doing everything we can to provide them with the best possible education and tools to be successful.

When I have down time, you can either find me mowing the lawn, camping, cleaning headstones, or doing something crafty. I hope this provides some insight as to who I am and the ways I do my part for our community. I am DRAGON PROUD of our schools, students, staff, and community.

Samantha Snowberger

They ran on false platform of indoctrination

Many of the candidates running for the new seat on the Spring Cove School District School Board presented a platform of “stop the indoctrination” in the May primaries. This implies that the teachers and staff of SCSD are brainwashing the children. When challenged at a board meeting to tell me who was brainwashing the children and with what, three candidates sitting at the table could not identify one specific situation. They said that it is currently not happening in our schools, but they feared that it could happen in the future. This is a false platform full of lies intending to spread fear among the community here in the Cove. Many people believe what they say even when it is not the truth. We need board members who are willing to work with teachers and school leaders to help ensure a safe and inviting school atmosphere without telling lies, without inducing fear, and without pitting the teachers against the parents.

Many of these candidates are also running on the platform of transparency. I also called out many of these candidates at one of the last board meetings for belonging to an extremist group called Moms of Liberty. This group pushes “to advance an anti-student inclusion agenda, and they are seeking to undermine public education and to divide communities” based on lies and fear. I ask them to be transparent. Are they actual card-carrying members of this group, and do we really want this group influencing our schools and creating a divide in our community?

I am very sad and disappointed that many in this group (who declare themselves Christians) felt that they needed to mislead the public regarding what IS actually happening in our schools. We have great schools, great teachers, great leaders, great students, and we are proud to call ourselves Dragons.

Kate Muthler