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Cancer-Fighting Secretary Served 30 Years

Son Challenges CCS Board

On Impersonal Note To Mom

Laurie Pestar's son, Marine Jeremy Denmeade, share his disappointment with the Cooperstown Central school board at the impersonal letter sent to his mother. Seated counter-clockwise from left are board members Tony Scalise and Marcy Birch, Interim Superintendent Mike Virgil, board President Theresa Russo, and board members xxxx (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Laurie Pestar's son, Marine Jeremy Denmeade, shares his disappointment with the Cooperstown Central school board at the impersonal tone of the letter sent to his cancer-fighting mother. Seated counter-clockwise from left are board members Tony Scalici and Marcy Birch, Interim Superintendent Mike Virgil, board President Theresa Russo, and board members Mary Leonard, Marielle Ainsworth and Tim Hayes.  (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)

By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

Mrs. Pestar's colleagues and friends filled the seats at tonight's meeting.
Mrs. Pestar's colleagues and friends filled the seats at tonight's meeting.

COOPERSTOWN – Friends, colleagues and the Marine son of Laurie Pestar, a 30-year elementary school secretary fighting cancer, confronted the Cooperstown Central School board this evening – not so much for rejecting her request for a six-month unpaid leave of absence, but by doing so in such a cold and impersonal way.

“I will never forgive this board for this callous and budget-driven decision,” her son, Jeremy Denmeade, told the school board.

In response to an audience question, school board President Theresa Russo would only say the school board has various reasons to give unpaid leaves, and declined to discuss the issue further, saying it was a personnel matter.

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