Letters to the Editor 08-20-2004
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Taking Care Of Kids - School Board - Protect Marriage - School Salaries
Taking Care Of Kids
Editor, Times-Union:A rash of incidences of young children being left unattended in cars has local child protective services officials concerned.
"This summer, and especially over the past couple of weeks we've had a number of young children left unattended in cars," said Peggy Shively, director of the Kosciusko County Division of Family and Children, which manages child protective services.
The most common reasons, according to Shively, that parents give for leaving their children unattended in a vehicle include not wanting to wake up a sleeping toddler or the difficulty of maneuvering multiple children from a car, through a parking lot and into a store.
Shively reported that parents believe they are taking preventative measures by locking their children in cars ("safe" from predators) or by leaving the air conditioning on or leaving the windows cracked open. In addition, Shively thought that milder summer temperatures might recently have given parents a false sense of security about leaving children alone in cars. But she pointed out that very hot or cold temperatures aren't the only risks posed to children unattended, and locking a child inside a car can be a hazard in an emergency (air conditioning stops working, fire, child choking, etc.).
According to Kids In Cars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of injuries and deaths due to children being left unattended in or around motor vehicles, the risks include:
n The temperature inside a car can reach deadly levels within minutes.
n Children can set the vehicle in motion (harming themselves, others and property).
n The child can get his head stuck in an automatic window.
n The child might leave the vehicle to go look for the parent.
n The child can be abducted.
So far in 2004, there have been 246 nationally recorded incidences of children being left alone in cars, a number that the Kids in Cars organization believes to be drastically underestimated. Of the recorded incidences, 74 resulted in fatalities.
So what should a citizen do if they witness a child being left unattended in a vehicle? Call local law enforcement and stay near the vehicle, but do not alarm the child(ren) inside. Reported incidences of parents or guardians leaving children unattended in vehicles can initiate an investigation by child protective services.
To make running errands with children a little easier, parents can take advantage of "pay at the pump" gas stations and drive-through restaurants and pharmacies. Most retailers now have convenient parking spaces for parents of small children to make the navigation from vehicle to store a little easier.
Recognizing the legitimate challenges moms and dads have when running errands with children, Shively still says, "It's not worth the risk" to leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
For more information about keeping kids safe in or around vehicles, go to the Kids In Cars Web site at www.kidsincars.org
Stephanie Noffsinger
Kosciusko County Community Foundation
Warsaw
via e-mail
School Board
Editor, Times-Union:Once again the school board meeting proved to be very interesting! The 2004-2005 budget containing 4 percent raises for administrators was discussed. Then we were given breakdowns and explanations of how each budget works. Under the General Fund it states "Individual taxpayers' costs will remain stable, but we will not collect sufficient revenue to cover General Fund expenses." If this is the case, then why are we giving 4 percent raises? Dr. McGuire said raises are necessary to keep our people. We were told that WCS is below state average in pay. Dr. McGuire, money isn't everything! If teachers and principals are happy with their jobs they will stay. Dr. McGuire said the employee cost of insurance has gone up. Well, welcome to the real world, Dr. McGuire. This has happened everywhere.
Dr. McGuire continues to compare us to other schools, like Kokomo and now Columbia City, because they get more per student from the state than WCS. Well, we have known this for years. It is not a surprise and it should not be an excuse to overspend and then raise taxes! We are Warsaw Community Schools and we get what we get, according to existing formulas. Deal with it and start spending more wisely! I urge all taxpayers to attend the next board meeting on September 20th, because the board will vote to adopt this budget unless the public speaks out.
Also, the budget contains money allotted for upkeep of the three schools they've closed. Well, I've been to Claypool in the last two weeks and I have to say the money isn't going there. The weeds have taken over. The bushes are overgrown and the memorial in memory of a little girl is very sad looking. What a shame! Where is the money going?
In conclusion, I must say the rudeness of the board members continues. We as the public and taxpayers have a right to speak at these meetings and should be able to do so without interruption. Mr. Minatel was very rude! I hope someday the WCS board will consist of members who are good stewards of taxpayer money, working with the public for our children's benefit. There are three seats up for re-election in November. Please remember to vote.
Vallerie Rowland
Claypool
via e-mail
Protect Marriage
Editor, Times-Union:President Bush and other conservatives have been accused in recent weeks of seeking to "put bias in the Constitution" by endorsing an amendment that would define marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The truth is, the Constitution is going to be altered one way or the other. Either that change will come from unelected, unaccountable judges intent on creating a right of homosexual couples to marry when the Constitution grants no such right, or it will come from the American people through this amendment to preserve marriage as it has served society for millennia.
Amendment supporters have been disparaged as "bigots." How can that be, when the language being proposed is identical to the language of the Defense of Marriage Act, passed by 427 members of Congress? Are they - and former President Bill Clinton, who signed the bill into law - bigots, too?
These and other distortions of the truth must be resisted, because marriage and the benefits it brings must be protected.
Warren Walmer
Warsaw
School Salaries
Editor, Times-Union:When reading the Times-Union articles about the raises approved at the Warsaw school board meeting, one gets the impression that only the administrators received a 4 percent raise. At the risk of having my salary published on the front page of the newspaper, I would like to point out that all school employees received a 4 percent raise (technically a 2.85 percent raise with 1.2 percent incremental increase for teachers). In addition, one has to look hard to see that no one had a raise last year due to the tight budget, so the raise averages out to about 2 percent per year.
The way that the 4 percent raise for administrators was emphasized seems to imply that they do not deserve a raise. I have two thoughts on that. First, if their salaries do not remain competitive, we face the possibility of losing our administrators to other school corporations. We lost an elementary principal this year because she received a $7,500 increase in salary at a nearby corporation. Even if no one is enticed to leave, we still need to attract high quality administrators if someone retires. My other thought is that our administrators deserve it. I challenge anyone to do what my director at the Alternative Learning Center does and conclude that he does not earn his salary. Like other administrators, he is paid according to his education, experience and ability.
Alan Blakeley
Warsaw
via e-mail
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- Taking Care Of Kids - School Board - Protect Marriage - School Salaries
Taking Care Of Kids
Editor, Times-Union:A rash of incidences of young children being left unattended in cars has local child protective services officials concerned.
"This summer, and especially over the past couple of weeks we've had a number of young children left unattended in cars," said Peggy Shively, director of the Kosciusko County Division of Family and Children, which manages child protective services.
The most common reasons, according to Shively, that parents give for leaving their children unattended in a vehicle include not wanting to wake up a sleeping toddler or the difficulty of maneuvering multiple children from a car, through a parking lot and into a store.
Shively reported that parents believe they are taking preventative measures by locking their children in cars ("safe" from predators) or by leaving the air conditioning on or leaving the windows cracked open. In addition, Shively thought that milder summer temperatures might recently have given parents a false sense of security about leaving children alone in cars. But she pointed out that very hot or cold temperatures aren't the only risks posed to children unattended, and locking a child inside a car can be a hazard in an emergency (air conditioning stops working, fire, child choking, etc.).
According to Kids In Cars, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of injuries and deaths due to children being left unattended in or around motor vehicles, the risks include:
n The temperature inside a car can reach deadly levels within minutes.
n Children can set the vehicle in motion (harming themselves, others and property).
n The child can get his head stuck in an automatic window.
n The child might leave the vehicle to go look for the parent.
n The child can be abducted.
So far in 2004, there have been 246 nationally recorded incidences of children being left alone in cars, a number that the Kids in Cars organization believes to be drastically underestimated. Of the recorded incidences, 74 resulted in fatalities.
So what should a citizen do if they witness a child being left unattended in a vehicle? Call local law enforcement and stay near the vehicle, but do not alarm the child(ren) inside. Reported incidences of parents or guardians leaving children unattended in vehicles can initiate an investigation by child protective services.
To make running errands with children a little easier, parents can take advantage of "pay at the pump" gas stations and drive-through restaurants and pharmacies. Most retailers now have convenient parking spaces for parents of small children to make the navigation from vehicle to store a little easier.
Recognizing the legitimate challenges moms and dads have when running errands with children, Shively still says, "It's not worth the risk" to leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
For more information about keeping kids safe in or around vehicles, go to the Kids In Cars Web site at www.kidsincars.org
Stephanie Noffsinger
Kosciusko County Community Foundation
Warsaw
via e-mail
School Board
Editor, Times-Union:Once again the school board meeting proved to be very interesting! The 2004-2005 budget containing 4 percent raises for administrators was discussed. Then we were given breakdowns and explanations of how each budget works. Under the General Fund it states "Individual taxpayers' costs will remain stable, but we will not collect sufficient revenue to cover General Fund expenses." If this is the case, then why are we giving 4 percent raises? Dr. McGuire said raises are necessary to keep our people. We were told that WCS is below state average in pay. Dr. McGuire, money isn't everything! If teachers and principals are happy with their jobs they will stay. Dr. McGuire said the employee cost of insurance has gone up. Well, welcome to the real world, Dr. McGuire. This has happened everywhere.
Dr. McGuire continues to compare us to other schools, like Kokomo and now Columbia City, because they get more per student from the state than WCS. Well, we have known this for years. It is not a surprise and it should not be an excuse to overspend and then raise taxes! We are Warsaw Community Schools and we get what we get, according to existing formulas. Deal with it and start spending more wisely! I urge all taxpayers to attend the next board meeting on September 20th, because the board will vote to adopt this budget unless the public speaks out.
Also, the budget contains money allotted for upkeep of the three schools they've closed. Well, I've been to Claypool in the last two weeks and I have to say the money isn't going there. The weeds have taken over. The bushes are overgrown and the memorial in memory of a little girl is very sad looking. What a shame! Where is the money going?
In conclusion, I must say the rudeness of the board members continues. We as the public and taxpayers have a right to speak at these meetings and should be able to do so without interruption. Mr. Minatel was very rude! I hope someday the WCS board will consist of members who are good stewards of taxpayer money, working with the public for our children's benefit. There are three seats up for re-election in November. Please remember to vote.
Vallerie Rowland
Claypool
via e-mail
Protect Marriage
Editor, Times-Union:President Bush and other conservatives have been accused in recent weeks of seeking to "put bias in the Constitution" by endorsing an amendment that would define marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The truth is, the Constitution is going to be altered one way or the other. Either that change will come from unelected, unaccountable judges intent on creating a right of homosexual couples to marry when the Constitution grants no such right, or it will come from the American people through this amendment to preserve marriage as it has served society for millennia.
Amendment supporters have been disparaged as "bigots." How can that be, when the language being proposed is identical to the language of the Defense of Marriage Act, passed by 427 members of Congress? Are they - and former President Bill Clinton, who signed the bill into law - bigots, too?
These and other distortions of the truth must be resisted, because marriage and the benefits it brings must be protected.
Warren Walmer
Warsaw
School Salaries
Editor, Times-Union:When reading the Times-Union articles about the raises approved at the Warsaw school board meeting, one gets the impression that only the administrators received a 4 percent raise. At the risk of having my salary published on the front page of the newspaper, I would like to point out that all school employees received a 4 percent raise (technically a 2.85 percent raise with 1.2 percent incremental increase for teachers). In addition, one has to look hard to see that no one had a raise last year due to the tight budget, so the raise averages out to about 2 percent per year.
The way that the 4 percent raise for administrators was emphasized seems to imply that they do not deserve a raise. I have two thoughts on that. First, if their salaries do not remain competitive, we face the possibility of losing our administrators to other school corporations. We lost an elementary principal this year because she received a $7,500 increase in salary at a nearby corporation. Even if no one is enticed to leave, we still need to attract high quality administrators if someone retires. My other thought is that our administrators deserve it. I challenge anyone to do what my director at the Alternative Learning Center does and conclude that he does not earn his salary. Like other administrators, he is paid according to his education, experience and ability.
Alan Blakeley
Warsaw
via e-mail
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