Ever since Vivian O. Evans made public the fact that she'd taken a job in Maryland -- but intended to keep her seat as the East District representative on the Buffalo Board of Education -- her whereabouts every two weeks for board meetings, and for committee meetings on opposite weeks, has become the subject of much speculation.
As Wednesday evening each week draws near, the musings begin: Will she show up? Won't she show up?
Immediately after it became known that Evans was working in Maryland, she missed a number of board and committee meetings.
Then, two weeks ago, she surprised some people when she turned up at the board meeting -- 30 minutes late -- moments after the board had gone into executive session to decide whether to declare her seat vacant. (After a heated executive session, Board President Ralph R. Hernandez said the board decided to let the matter drop.)
The following week, Evans did not show up for the committee meeting that Wednesday.
This weekend, she did attend the board's retreat on Friday evening and Saturday morning.
On Monday, State Education Commissioner David M. Steiner and two of his top people flew in from Albany to meet with the board. Evans was not there.
Two days later, at Wednesday's regular Board of Ed meeting, Evans did show up -- 45 minutes late.
Bottom line: Evans' attendance in the past two weeks: present and punctual, 1; present but late, 2; absent, 2.
-- Mary Pasciak
