Website Update

www.murrayforschoolboard.com

We've added links to the Voter Registration Form and the Request for Absentee Ballot Form and to the site where we found them: Story County Government.

We've also added a "Meet Mike" section, with notice of just such an opportunity on Saturday July 9 at 4:00pm, at Jean-Luc Jannink's House, located at 612 9th St in Ames

Campaign Strategy Meeting

Hi folks,

I believe I have heard from most of you. It is often next to impossible to get everyone together during the summer and this is no exception. What it boils down to is the following date for the campaign strategy meeting:

Wednesday, June 22
5:00-7:00 or so

2016 Friley Rd

I will have some goodies on hand and Anne Kimber has also graciously agreed to bring some treats as well. Please let me know a head count to plan for and I will plan a light supper (probably pizza and salad) to fill our stomachs as we work.

I have asked Marianne Todey's daughter, Anne, to babysit for me. If anyone else is in need of a babysitter, please let me know and we will try to accommodate you as well. I will ask that you pitch in to help pay for the babysitting. If we find ourselves needing more help I will try to round up some other helpers, too.

Now for your assignment: start thinking about campaign strategy ideas. No idea is a bad one! bring all your thoughts and be ready for some serious brainstorming! (If you are unable to attend, we would welcome your ideas via e-mail and we will add them to the collection as well.) Think about how we might go about getting word out about these candidates, what sort of time frame would you envision, what we need
to do to get Mike and Ron elected!

I look forward to seeing you all when we get back!

Warmly,

Melissa Murray

Murrays in the News

Mike and his family were featured in a June 5th Des Moines Sunday Register story about school closings, excerpted below:

Ames, Ia. - Kate Murray is only 7 years old, and already she has been through two school closures - something children at almost 100 Iowa schools have endured in the past five years and a trend that will continue.

Kate experienced her first school closure when she was 4. Crawford Elementary, a half-mile from her home, shut its doors before she even got a chance to attend kindergarten. Her family had moved to the neighborhood specifically so Kate and her two younger sisters could walk to the school.

"She was absolutely devastated when they closed Crawford," said Kate's mother, Melissa Murray, who had taken Kate to the school's carnivals, socials and playground. "She already thought of it as her school."

Then, two weeks ago, Kate was told that Roosevelt Elementary - the school where she attended kindergarten and first grade by taking a 30- to 45-minute bus ride twice a day - would also close. Wednesday was the school's last day.

"She was in tears - not taking it too well," Melissa Murray said of Kate. "Her best friends are not going to go to school with her. She's been having problems the last week or so after that whole thing was announced."

As the school year comes to an end, hundreds of families in towns including Ames, Charles City and Welton are feeling hurt, sadness, frustration and anger over the latest wave of school closures.

Mike Murray, an engineer who is the father of 7-year-old Kate, is making a third bid for the Ames school board this fall. He and his wife said they feel betrayed by what they described as broken promises by district officials that they wouldn't close schools.

They also fear it will happen again, with even more budget shortfalls looming in the future.

"We're quite concerned that they'd want to cut another school," said Mike Murray, who blames the Ames school board more than state legislators over what has happened. "I think in Ames, we're facing a crisis of choices, not a crisis in funding."

New Blog

Welcome to the Mike Murray for Ames School Board weblog (blog)!

Mr. Murray will soon commence posting to this site. Meanwhile, you'll have to be satisfied with the knowledge that his new technology assistant, Paul Hudson (and Mr. Hudson's family), are enthusiastic supporters of this worthy gentleman's candidacy. Stay tuned...