Letters to the Editor 05-20-2003
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Community Support - Red Cross Crisis - School Complaints - Ultimate Sacrifice - Vanlaningham Scholarship - Christian Values - Choral Concert - Supporting Troops
Community Support
Editor, Times-Union:It's been one thing after another for us, but without the community's prayers and understanding we would have never made it through.
Thank-you so much to all of you who have prayed for our family - all the churches and pastors who put our beautiful children on prayer chains. Thank-you and please continue to pray. They still have a long haul ahead of them. A very special thank-you to my family; I wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you and your support. Thank you to Mentone School for everything you've done and for helping Branigan and Victoria through this. Thank you to our employers (Crystal Lake and staff and Miller's Merry Manor and staff). We love you! And most of all, Thank-you, God, for hearing and answering our prayers.
To all of you who have children, cherish and enjoy every second you can with them!
Armando and Ashel Ruiz and family
Atwood
Red Cross Crisis
Editor, Times-Union:It's rare that an organization dedicated to crisis response and relief faces its own crisis. Unfortunately, I must report that our national American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund is currently operating with a cash balance of less than $5 million. The estimated costs for our current national tornado relief operations are expected to exceed this amount very shortly. Much of our country will face the potential risk of further damage as the hurricane season opens in the southern coastal areas of our nation.
To respond to this urgent emergency, the Red Cross is appealing to the American people for support. The Disaster Relief Fund is not a reserve; it is a working fund that needs continual replenishment. Since July 2002, the Red Cross has spent more than $85 million responding to more than 230 large-scale disasters, however, only $26 million was raised toward these efforts, thus the Red Cross disaster fund has reached a dangerously low level. The recent rash of tornadoes in America's heartland has prompted the most simultaneous American Red Cross disaster relief operations since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
On behalf of our local Kosciusko County chapter of the American Red Cross, I want to encourage individuals, families, corporations and organizations to consider financially supporting our National Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Locally, we have avoided recent serious storm damage, but we all know that tornadoes and serious storm damage are always possible in north central Indiana. Should we experience major damage within Kosciusko County, we would want assistance from the national Red Cross organization. Now we have an opportunity to help others by supporting the Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.
You can help victims of disaster with a financial contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by calling 800-HELP-NOW. You can also direct your gift to our local chapter at 320 N. Buffalo St., Warsaw, IN 46580, and we will forward all gifts designated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to our national headquarters organization.
Thank you for your generosity and ongoing support in assisting the American Red Cross, both here in Kosciusko County and across our nation! "Together, we can save a life!"
Larry E. Peppel
Executive Director
Kosciusko County Chapter, American Red Cross
School Complaints
Editor, Times-Union:We have sat back for years and listened to family and friends complain about the Warsaw school system and the teachers. We have had dealings with the school nurse, school teachers, one which we should have filed charges against, school principals, had a school official hang up on me while trying to ask her opinion about a situation and have talked with a superintendent three times.
We totally agree with Anna Landrum's statements: Why is it that the school thinks they own our kids once they hit middle school? Are the teachers just trying to get these kids in trouble? Why is it OK for teachers and school officials to abuse our students and why is it being allowed? Did Anna Landrum's son deserve to be hit in the back of the head? Who do these school officials think they are? We as parents are not supposed to question school discipline! If we as parents don't, who will? These teachers want respect and should be recognized! We could not agree more with Sharlene Miclot's comments! Do these teachers at Edgewood really deserve respect and should they be recognized? Has my child been treated this way because all students are being treated this way?
Since our daughter has been attending Edgewood the homework has been enormous and she has spent countless hours doing papers and projects. She has been threatened on what would happen to her if she did not do her homework. She has been punished several times for things she did not do. She was injured in gym class while being punished for something she did not do and will be out of gym until she graduates. She was just mistakenly put on a list to have an after-school study hall and her name was announced for the entire student body to hear. She was not listened to when she tried to explain she did not do these things she was being punished for. Now for the first time that our daughter has received grades she did not make honor roll. Somehow, some way we just knew that Edgewood would make this happen. Her grades truly speak for themselves. Not all teachers and schools are looking out for the best interest of our students. Our daughter missed five days over the flu season and an additional three days for some medical testing. She received F's for note taking. How is it possible to make up note taking? Hello, she was not there to take notes! Why did we take the time to inform the school of her medical condition? She is a great student and if her teachers would have cooperated with her there should have been no reason why she could not have kept up her grades.
We are parents that do attend parent teacher conferences and do attend every program that is required, and are very involved in our kids' lives. Both of our kids know that if they get in trouble at school they are in twice as much trouble when they get home. Every complaint we have had with the way our daughter has been treated at Edgewood has been the result of what someone at Edgewood did to her first. No one listened until we called the superintendent to let him know exactly what was going on. Why has our daughter been punished over and over again for things she did not do? Why is it being allowed?
We have six more years with the Warsaw school system and we can assure you that we are on guard and will continue to question the punishment our kids receive from school officials. We as parents will be the ones to somehow convince our daughter to continue to be respectful, responsible, safe and cooperative and to keep up her great attitude. We thought it was expected of everyone at Edgewood to be respectful, responsible, safe and cooperative! We have learned that there are some great teachers in the Warsaw school system but those few who have not been have ruined it for us. We have found that a teacher can make or break a student.
Pat and Tracy Lambert
Winona Lake
Ultimate Sacrifice
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to personally thank Lance Cpl. David Fribley and his family for the ultimate sacrifice in which he gave his life for defending his country. I know that Marines past and present feel that they have lost a fellow brother. It is always a sad day when a fellow Marine falls, but I know as our Marine Hymn states in the last stanza, "If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by the United States marines," and so I know he is looking down at us and keeping us safe. If any marine family ever has any questions about their sons or daughters, please contact me. I would also like to thank the White family and Culligan Water for their continuous support for providing our soon-to-be Marines with water during their rigorous training and preparation for recruit training.
I would like to recognize all the local Marines from the Warsaw area: Joe Woodling, 2002, David White, 2001, Marc Ianigro, 2002, Josh Dirck, 2001; Chad Fisher, 2002; Josh Heckaman, 1999; Harold Tusing, 1998; Tim Young, 2001; Brian Jones, 2000; and Joseph Clemen, 2002.
From the Wawasee area: Nick Houze, 2002; Elyse Hardin, 2002: Andy Stump, 2000; Ross Cook, 2001; Christopher Adkins, 1999; David Carpenter, 2001; Brandon Ley, 2001; and Rob Byrd, 1997.
From the Argos area: Andy Kohman, 2002.
From the Tippecanoe Valley area: Chris Yoder, 2000.
These are the Marines that are currently in recruit training who are Wawasee graduates: Sally Chandler, 2002; Richard Kidd, 2000; and Michael Ashpole, 2002. Bret Beehler, 2002 is a NorthWood graduate.
The following individuals are in the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program waiting to leave for recruit training:
From Wawasee: John Gabbard, 2003; Daniel Miller, 2003; Twilight Wolfinger, 2003; Eric Wolfinger, 2004; and Christopher Longenbough, 2002.
From Warsaw: Richard Wolfe, 2001, Christopher Wentz, 2001.
From Lakeland Christian Academy: Justin Bowers, 2001.
From Culver Military Academy: Philip Hoskinson, 2003.
To all the family members of Marines that I did not mention, I do apologize. Please contact me at 267-2604 or stop by my office in Warsaw, in the K-Mart plaza off of US 30. If you're looking for a challenge or want to change your life and you think you have what it takes to become a Marine, do not hesitate to contact me. Semper Fidelis.
SSgt. Bernard Reuille
Warsaw
Vanlaningham Scholarship
Editor, Times-Union:Amy Vanlaningham of Milford died from a Haitian bullet on May 22, 1984. Twenty-five years of age, she was completing her nurse's degree at Goshen College and had been assigned to Haiti for her study-service trimester. She was returning to her Haitian guest home after having attended an evening Goshen College student meeting when she was shot.
Amy was a committed Christian planning to nurse and assist the poor. She was the type of young lady that every community and church would be proud to claim.
Her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Hazel Vanlaningham, 1644 E. Mock Road, Milford, established a scholarship at Goshen College for nursing students, in Amy's memory. It is given annually to at least one and sometimes two older students who are returning to college to complete their nursing studies and who could not qualify for other types of financial aid. A contribution to this scholarship fund is but one small way to remember Amy and the thins she was planning to do in her life.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
Remember When
Editor, Times-Union:
On May 13 in the "Remember When" column by Vicki Taylor, there was an interesting statement. In an item about a serviceman in Germany 10 years ago, it said he was a 1989 graduate of South Whitley High School! This is not possible. The last class that graduated from South Whitley High School was the class of 1971.
He may have been a graduate of Whitko. Whitko was so named (Mr. Delbert Hatton, the first Whitko superintendent told me) because it sounded better than Koswhit or Kowhit. It has always amazed me how anyone could misspell Whitko as Whitco, leaving Kosciusko County out.
I am a former Pierceton teacher and mother of five, and grandmother of six Whitko graduates.
Jean Neher
North Manchester
Editor's Note: The article in question appeared in the May 12 edition. The article incorrectly stated South Whitley High School instead of Whitko High School when it first appeared in 1993 and again last week when it was reprinted in our Remember When column.
Christian Values
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say I think it's awesome that there are parents in Warsaw that instill Christian values in their children. On April 10, 2003, I was at Wal-Mart doing some shopping. I had hurt my wrist and was unable to lift as much as a pencil. In my cart were several heavy items, behind me there was this mother and her children, one of them was a young man (I'm guessing around 8-10 years old) he asked me if he could be of help. He had seen the struggle I was having trying to put the items on the counter. I thanked him, this young man not only helped unload them out of the cart, he also helped bag them and put them back in the cart. He then let me know that he would gladly help me put them in my car. I let him know I would greatly appreciate this and let his mother know what a blessing he had been this day, and how rare it is to see this in a lad his age this day in time. The mother stated, "I try." I let her know I thought she was doing a fantastic job. Young man, I did not get your name, but thank you once again for being my angel that day and, mom, keep on doing what you're doing, God will bless you abundantly.
Mary Cundiff
Warsaw
via e-mail
Choral Concert
Editor, Times-Union:Hats off to the Warsaw Community School's choral department and Scott Avery for the outstanding concert May 14.
Mary Lou Smith
Warsaw
via e-mail
Supporting Troops
Editor, Times-Union:I'm a grandfather of a soldier in Iraq and I can't believe the things we are asked to send. I would think that a well-equipped army would have toilet paper, flea repellant, washing materials (wet-wipes) and a host of other basic necessities. I did send a box a couple of weeks ago and it has yet to arrive. I understand that the volume of undelivered boxes is such that a fair number are being "returned to sender." Are all these things true?
Fred Kolter
Warsaw
via e-mail
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- Community Support - Red Cross Crisis - School Complaints - Ultimate Sacrifice - Vanlaningham Scholarship - Christian Values - Choral Concert - Supporting Troops
Community Support
Editor, Times-Union:It's been one thing after another for us, but without the community's prayers and understanding we would have never made it through.
Thank-you so much to all of you who have prayed for our family - all the churches and pastors who put our beautiful children on prayer chains. Thank-you and please continue to pray. They still have a long haul ahead of them. A very special thank-you to my family; I wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you and your support. Thank you to Mentone School for everything you've done and for helping Branigan and Victoria through this. Thank you to our employers (Crystal Lake and staff and Miller's Merry Manor and staff). We love you! And most of all, Thank-you, God, for hearing and answering our prayers.
To all of you who have children, cherish and enjoy every second you can with them!
Armando and Ashel Ruiz and family
Atwood
Red Cross Crisis
Editor, Times-Union:It's rare that an organization dedicated to crisis response and relief faces its own crisis. Unfortunately, I must report that our national American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund is currently operating with a cash balance of less than $5 million. The estimated costs for our current national tornado relief operations are expected to exceed this amount very shortly. Much of our country will face the potential risk of further damage as the hurricane season opens in the southern coastal areas of our nation.
To respond to this urgent emergency, the Red Cross is appealing to the American people for support. The Disaster Relief Fund is not a reserve; it is a working fund that needs continual replenishment. Since July 2002, the Red Cross has spent more than $85 million responding to more than 230 large-scale disasters, however, only $26 million was raised toward these efforts, thus the Red Cross disaster fund has reached a dangerously low level. The recent rash of tornadoes in America's heartland has prompted the most simultaneous American Red Cross disaster relief operations since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
On behalf of our local Kosciusko County chapter of the American Red Cross, I want to encourage individuals, families, corporations and organizations to consider financially supporting our National Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Locally, we have avoided recent serious storm damage, but we all know that tornadoes and serious storm damage are always possible in north central Indiana. Should we experience major damage within Kosciusko County, we would want assistance from the national Red Cross organization. Now we have an opportunity to help others by supporting the Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross.
You can help victims of disaster with a financial contribution to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by calling 800-HELP-NOW. You can also direct your gift to our local chapter at 320 N. Buffalo St., Warsaw, IN 46580, and we will forward all gifts designated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to our national headquarters organization.
Thank you for your generosity and ongoing support in assisting the American Red Cross, both here in Kosciusko County and across our nation! "Together, we can save a life!"
Larry E. Peppel
Executive Director
Kosciusko County Chapter, American Red Cross
School Complaints
Editor, Times-Union:We have sat back for years and listened to family and friends complain about the Warsaw school system and the teachers. We have had dealings with the school nurse, school teachers, one which we should have filed charges against, school principals, had a school official hang up on me while trying to ask her opinion about a situation and have talked with a superintendent three times.
We totally agree with Anna Landrum's statements: Why is it that the school thinks they own our kids once they hit middle school? Are the teachers just trying to get these kids in trouble? Why is it OK for teachers and school officials to abuse our students and why is it being allowed? Did Anna Landrum's son deserve to be hit in the back of the head? Who do these school officials think they are? We as parents are not supposed to question school discipline! If we as parents don't, who will? These teachers want respect and should be recognized! We could not agree more with Sharlene Miclot's comments! Do these teachers at Edgewood really deserve respect and should they be recognized? Has my child been treated this way because all students are being treated this way?
Since our daughter has been attending Edgewood the homework has been enormous and she has spent countless hours doing papers and projects. She has been threatened on what would happen to her if she did not do her homework. She has been punished several times for things she did not do. She was injured in gym class while being punished for something she did not do and will be out of gym until she graduates. She was just mistakenly put on a list to have an after-school study hall and her name was announced for the entire student body to hear. She was not listened to when she tried to explain she did not do these things she was being punished for. Now for the first time that our daughter has received grades she did not make honor roll. Somehow, some way we just knew that Edgewood would make this happen. Her grades truly speak for themselves. Not all teachers and schools are looking out for the best interest of our students. Our daughter missed five days over the flu season and an additional three days for some medical testing. She received F's for note taking. How is it possible to make up note taking? Hello, she was not there to take notes! Why did we take the time to inform the school of her medical condition? She is a great student and if her teachers would have cooperated with her there should have been no reason why she could not have kept up her grades.
We are parents that do attend parent teacher conferences and do attend every program that is required, and are very involved in our kids' lives. Both of our kids know that if they get in trouble at school they are in twice as much trouble when they get home. Every complaint we have had with the way our daughter has been treated at Edgewood has been the result of what someone at Edgewood did to her first. No one listened until we called the superintendent to let him know exactly what was going on. Why has our daughter been punished over and over again for things she did not do? Why is it being allowed?
We have six more years with the Warsaw school system and we can assure you that we are on guard and will continue to question the punishment our kids receive from school officials. We as parents will be the ones to somehow convince our daughter to continue to be respectful, responsible, safe and cooperative and to keep up her great attitude. We thought it was expected of everyone at Edgewood to be respectful, responsible, safe and cooperative! We have learned that there are some great teachers in the Warsaw school system but those few who have not been have ruined it for us. We have found that a teacher can make or break a student.
Pat and Tracy Lambert
Winona Lake
Ultimate Sacrifice
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to personally thank Lance Cpl. David Fribley and his family for the ultimate sacrifice in which he gave his life for defending his country. I know that Marines past and present feel that they have lost a fellow brother. It is always a sad day when a fellow Marine falls, but I know as our Marine Hymn states in the last stanza, "If the Army and the Navy ever look on heaven's scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by the United States marines," and so I know he is looking down at us and keeping us safe. If any marine family ever has any questions about their sons or daughters, please contact me. I would also like to thank the White family and Culligan Water for their continuous support for providing our soon-to-be Marines with water during their rigorous training and preparation for recruit training.
I would like to recognize all the local Marines from the Warsaw area: Joe Woodling, 2002, David White, 2001, Marc Ianigro, 2002, Josh Dirck, 2001; Chad Fisher, 2002; Josh Heckaman, 1999; Harold Tusing, 1998; Tim Young, 2001; Brian Jones, 2000; and Joseph Clemen, 2002.
From the Wawasee area: Nick Houze, 2002; Elyse Hardin, 2002: Andy Stump, 2000; Ross Cook, 2001; Christopher Adkins, 1999; David Carpenter, 2001; Brandon Ley, 2001; and Rob Byrd, 1997.
From the Argos area: Andy Kohman, 2002.
From the Tippecanoe Valley area: Chris Yoder, 2000.
These are the Marines that are currently in recruit training who are Wawasee graduates: Sally Chandler, 2002; Richard Kidd, 2000; and Michael Ashpole, 2002. Bret Beehler, 2002 is a NorthWood graduate.
The following individuals are in the Marine Corps Delayed Entry Program waiting to leave for recruit training:
From Wawasee: John Gabbard, 2003; Daniel Miller, 2003; Twilight Wolfinger, 2003; Eric Wolfinger, 2004; and Christopher Longenbough, 2002.
From Warsaw: Richard Wolfe, 2001, Christopher Wentz, 2001.
From Lakeland Christian Academy: Justin Bowers, 2001.
From Culver Military Academy: Philip Hoskinson, 2003.
To all the family members of Marines that I did not mention, I do apologize. Please contact me at 267-2604 or stop by my office in Warsaw, in the K-Mart plaza off of US 30. If you're looking for a challenge or want to change your life and you think you have what it takes to become a Marine, do not hesitate to contact me. Semper Fidelis.
SSgt. Bernard Reuille
Warsaw
Vanlaningham Scholarship
Editor, Times-Union:Amy Vanlaningham of Milford died from a Haitian bullet on May 22, 1984. Twenty-five years of age, she was completing her nurse's degree at Goshen College and had been assigned to Haiti for her study-service trimester. She was returning to her Haitian guest home after having attended an evening Goshen College student meeting when she was shot.
Amy was a committed Christian planning to nurse and assist the poor. She was the type of young lady that every community and church would be proud to claim.
Her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Hazel Vanlaningham, 1644 E. Mock Road, Milford, established a scholarship at Goshen College for nursing students, in Amy's memory. It is given annually to at least one and sometimes two older students who are returning to college to complete their nursing studies and who could not qualify for other types of financial aid. A contribution to this scholarship fund is but one small way to remember Amy and the thins she was planning to do in her life.
Berniece H. Dwyer
Milford
Remember When
Editor, Times-Union:
On May 13 in the "Remember When" column by Vicki Taylor, there was an interesting statement. In an item about a serviceman in Germany 10 years ago, it said he was a 1989 graduate of South Whitley High School! This is not possible. The last class that graduated from South Whitley High School was the class of 1971.
He may have been a graduate of Whitko. Whitko was so named (Mr. Delbert Hatton, the first Whitko superintendent told me) because it sounded better than Koswhit or Kowhit. It has always amazed me how anyone could misspell Whitko as Whitco, leaving Kosciusko County out.
I am a former Pierceton teacher and mother of five, and grandmother of six Whitko graduates.
Jean Neher
North Manchester
Editor's Note: The article in question appeared in the May 12 edition. The article incorrectly stated South Whitley High School instead of Whitko High School when it first appeared in 1993 and again last week when it was reprinted in our Remember When column.
Christian Values
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to say I think it's awesome that there are parents in Warsaw that instill Christian values in their children. On April 10, 2003, I was at Wal-Mart doing some shopping. I had hurt my wrist and was unable to lift as much as a pencil. In my cart were several heavy items, behind me there was this mother and her children, one of them was a young man (I'm guessing around 8-10 years old) he asked me if he could be of help. He had seen the struggle I was having trying to put the items on the counter. I thanked him, this young man not only helped unload them out of the cart, he also helped bag them and put them back in the cart. He then let me know that he would gladly help me put them in my car. I let him know I would greatly appreciate this and let his mother know what a blessing he had been this day, and how rare it is to see this in a lad his age this day in time. The mother stated, "I try." I let her know I thought she was doing a fantastic job. Young man, I did not get your name, but thank you once again for being my angel that day and, mom, keep on doing what you're doing, God will bless you abundantly.
Mary Cundiff
Warsaw
via e-mail
Choral Concert
Editor, Times-Union:Hats off to the Warsaw Community School's choral department and Scott Avery for the outstanding concert May 14.
Mary Lou Smith
Warsaw
via e-mail
Supporting Troops
Editor, Times-Union:I'm a grandfather of a soldier in Iraq and I can't believe the things we are asked to send. I would think that a well-equipped army would have toilet paper, flea repellant, washing materials (wet-wipes) and a host of other basic necessities. I did send a box a couple of weeks ago and it has yet to arrive. I understand that the volume of undelivered boxes is such that a fair number are being "returned to sender." Are all these things true?
Fred Kolter
Warsaw
via e-mail
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