Montauk: Two in Race for One Seat

   The Montauk School Board learned on Tuesday that Lee White and Honora Herlihy have filed the required petitions to run for five-year terms on the board. Each is a parent of two young children.

    Ms. Herlihy is the former owner of the Montauk Carriage House, which she recently sold. Mr. White is a member of the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals and has worked at the Harvest on Fort Pond restaurant for many years.

    They are running for the seat that is being vacated by Therese Watson, who has been on the board for 29 years, 6 of those as president. “All good things must come to an end,” she told the board when announcing her resignation in March.

    At Tuesday’s meeting the board also got a peek at a proposal submitted by Kelly Window Systems to increase security at the building’s entrance. The company has done prior work for the school that officials were pleased with.

    During budget workshops, Jack Perna, the district superintendent, told the board that in light of recent school shootings, especially at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., he wanted to tighten security. An amount of $30,000 was included in the budget for the project.

    Mr. Perna told the board that three bids had been submitted for the work, with one from Kelly Window Systems coming in at a little under $13,000. The two other bids were for $20,000 and $38,000.

    The plan calls for adding a second interior entrance, with walls about five feet high, past the existing entry doors. There would be a vestibule area where visitors could wait or drop off their children’s lunches. It is to have double doors five feet in height, with “panic hardware” installed on them. Visitors would have to be buzzed in by school staff.

    The other doors into the building are locked at all times. At present, anyone stepping into the building’s main entrance is caught on a camera that streams live to a television set in the main office.

    Board members wondered if all staff and teachers should wear identification badges so that “you know someone’s not supposed to be here if they don’t have on an identity pass,” Diane Hausman, the board president, said.

    Another board member suggested making the walls on the new entrance higher so that students wouldn’t be tempted to throw things over to the other side. The project is still being tweaked, but the board gave its approval to start. The security measures will be put in place soon.