Sometimes seeds that are planted take a long time to grow.

A Berne native, Michele Von Haugg, has made it her mission to plant trees on the other side of the world — in Tanzania. These are blackwood trees, known as mpingo in Swahili. The mpingo grows slowly, taking three decades to reach maturity.

BERNE — Surviving with a bare-bones contingency budget after two years of defeats at the polls, Berne-Knox-Westerlo is looking at sharing services with other districts as a way to keep taxes in check while maintaining programs.

Michele Von Haugg struggled to find time in her busy life to promote herself. We scheduled an interview for 11:30 on Friday night because that’s when she finished her restaurant job. We talked into the wee hours of the morning.

GUILDERLAND — The school district on Tuesday asked those most affected by budget cuts — the students — for advice on how to proceed with next year’s spending plan.

“For the first time, we decided to go right to the source,” said Superintendent Marie Wiles.

GUILDERLAND — The school district estimates it may save about half-a-million dollars by rearranging schedules, thereby cutting some staff.

GUILDERLAND — Despite the $805 million in increased school aid proposed by the governor, Guilderland still faces a funding gap of over $3 million with a roll-over budget — keeping the same staff and programs — for next year.

GUILDERLAND — Several board members, a parent, and a teacher voiced concerns at last week’s board meeting about proposed changes in school schedules. Varied views were expressed on what the board’s role should be in making the changes.

GUILDERLAND — The school district and the Guilderland Employees Association have reached an impasse in contract negotiations.

“We’re not looking for the world,” said the GEA’s lawyer, Thomas Jordan. “Costs are going up for our members — food and gas — like everyone else. They need a fair wage.”

GUILDERLAND — The school district, at impasse with its two biggest unions and battered by rising pension and health-care costs, has launched a letter-writing campaign, seeking mandate relief.

GUILDERLAND — Following through on a promise she made a year ago, her first time through the Guilderland budget process, Superintendent Marie Wiles has studied both the district’s use of time and its leadership structure — and made recommendations for change — in preparation for the new budget cycle.