Letters to the Editor 08-06-1997

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By -

- Dillinger - School Costs - Basketball


Dillinger

Editor, Times-Union:

Don Kaiser's recent letter concerning John Dillinger's death on July 22, 1934, was certainly noteworthy to those of us here at the Old Jail Museum in Warsaw, inasmuch as we have a small but interesting display of Dillinger memorabilia in our second floor bull pen. There will also be some intriguing tales of this notorious outlaw in Dan Coplen's forthcoming "Kosciusko County, A Pictorial History" Volume II, which can be ordered here.

We invite Mr. Kaiser and others curious to know more of the local Dillinger saga to visit us at the Old Jail Museum.

Jeanne E. Jones, Director


School Costs

Editor, Times-Union:

After reading the Times-Union on Tuesday about the cost of school books per school district, I had to write to ask why the difference in cost from one school to another, per grade? For example, Triton sixth grade is $92.43, Warsaw sixth grade is $56. That is quite a difference in cost!

Don't all schools teach basically the same subject in elementary classes? Triton first grade, $133.80, Warsaw first grade, $80. What in the world would first-graders need that much material to learn with? And somebody explain to me where those costs come from?

I feel sorry for parents that have to pay costs like that just to send their kids to school. As a property owner, my real estate taxes are close to 85 percent for schools. Then they add these high costs for books onto the parents.

Isn't it ironic that with a lot less material things and technology, we put out smarter and more disciplined kids years ago? We now have kids that can't read (phonics was no good), can't count change without a machine, have their civil rights (till they get in trouble), then give them back to Mom and Dad to handle, the way the courts say to.

How many years does it take to get things through people's heads? It isn't working!

Barbara Holle Etna Green


Basketball

Editor, Times-Union:

On behalf of the Kosciusko Community YMCA, I would like to thank you for your very fine coverage of the Fourth Annual Bill Reneker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament recently held in conjunction with the Warsaw Downtown Days.

I would like to clarify for your readers one inaccuracy of your sports editorial piece regarding the tournament.

We did not eliminate the open division to discourage participation from out-of-town players. We did eliminate several age groups as a means of reducing the number of teams participating. The reason is that this year, we decided to run the tournament ourselves and not pay a large franchise fee to have someone else bring in the baskets and run the tournament for us. We felt that the past level of participation (approximately 200 teams) was not manageable for our first year running the tournament on our own.

The YMCA promotes "sound mind, body and spirit" through athletic competition. We do not discourage anyone from participating in our programs. Team basketball on asphalt in the summer heat is bound to produce competitive disagreements. Our local competitors are just as likely to have disagreements as out-of-town competitors.

Finally, a big thank-you to Jim Kessler and Grace College for providing us with our baskets and Tom Coxey, physical education director at YMCA, for excellent organization.

Joseph M. Thallemer, O.D. President, YMCA Board of Directors
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- Dillinger - School Costs - Basketball


Dillinger

Editor, Times-Union:

Don Kaiser's recent letter concerning John Dillinger's death on July 22, 1934, was certainly noteworthy to those of us here at the Old Jail Museum in Warsaw, inasmuch as we have a small but interesting display of Dillinger memorabilia in our second floor bull pen. There will also be some intriguing tales of this notorious outlaw in Dan Coplen's forthcoming "Kosciusko County, A Pictorial History" Volume II, which can be ordered here.

We invite Mr. Kaiser and others curious to know more of the local Dillinger saga to visit us at the Old Jail Museum.

Jeanne E. Jones, Director


School Costs

Editor, Times-Union:

After reading the Times-Union on Tuesday about the cost of school books per school district, I had to write to ask why the difference in cost from one school to another, per grade? For example, Triton sixth grade is $92.43, Warsaw sixth grade is $56. That is quite a difference in cost!

Don't all schools teach basically the same subject in elementary classes? Triton first grade, $133.80, Warsaw first grade, $80. What in the world would first-graders need that much material to learn with? And somebody explain to me where those costs come from?

I feel sorry for parents that have to pay costs like that just to send their kids to school. As a property owner, my real estate taxes are close to 85 percent for schools. Then they add these high costs for books onto the parents.

Isn't it ironic that with a lot less material things and technology, we put out smarter and more disciplined kids years ago? We now have kids that can't read (phonics was no good), can't count change without a machine, have their civil rights (till they get in trouble), then give them back to Mom and Dad to handle, the way the courts say to.

How many years does it take to get things through people's heads? It isn't working!

Barbara Holle Etna Green


Basketball

Editor, Times-Union:

On behalf of the Kosciusko Community YMCA, I would like to thank you for your very fine coverage of the Fourth Annual Bill Reneker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament recently held in conjunction with the Warsaw Downtown Days.

I would like to clarify for your readers one inaccuracy of your sports editorial piece regarding the tournament.

We did not eliminate the open division to discourage participation from out-of-town players. We did eliminate several age groups as a means of reducing the number of teams participating. The reason is that this year, we decided to run the tournament ourselves and not pay a large franchise fee to have someone else bring in the baskets and run the tournament for us. We felt that the past level of participation (approximately 200 teams) was not manageable for our first year running the tournament on our own.

The YMCA promotes "sound mind, body and spirit" through athletic competition. We do not discourage anyone from participating in our programs. Team basketball on asphalt in the summer heat is bound to produce competitive disagreements. Our local competitors are just as likely to have disagreements as out-of-town competitors.

Finally, a big thank-you to Jim Kessler and Grace College for providing us with our baskets and Tom Coxey, physical education director at YMCA, for excellent organization.

Joseph M. Thallemer, O.D. President, YMCA Board of Directors
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