Letters to the Editor 09-06-2000
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- KABS Frustration - Vote Them Out - Millennium Summit - MDA Telethon - Heat Dismissal
KABS Frustration
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is in response to Lesa Regenos' frustration with the KABS bus system. I too have a big problem with my city and state taxes being wasted on a bus system that refuses to help people. I thought that was their job, at least that is what they advertise, "Need a ride-call KABS Bus," what a joke!
My granddaughter needs a ride to school, a five-minute trip from her babysitter's, but they say it will be two years before they can work her in their schedule. By the way, they waited until the day before school started to tell us this.
Yes, Warsaw needs a responsible bus service to get kids to school and help out parents who work out-of-town, but it is not KABS!
Deb Hobbs
Warsaw
Vote Them Out
Editor, Times-Union:Problem and solution: Problem, too high of gas prices, too high of taxes, too much government. Solution, vote out present politicians. Have a nice day.
Michael L. Stevens
Pierceton
via e-mail
Millennium Summit
Editor, Times-Union:I'm very concerned about America's future liberty and independence. A document called the U.N.'s Charter for Global Democracy will be introduced on Sept. 7 at the U.N.'s Millennium Summit. This document will strengthen the U.N.'s International Criminal Court. Since this court would operate without any Constitution guarantees, those accused would not necessarily have a fair, public, speedy trial. Only foreign appointed judges will try the cases; no trial by jury will be involved. Also the judges could be from hostile countries. Our American soldiers who serve as U.N. Peacekeepers could be prosecuted as war criminals simply for defending themselves.
Please call your congressman and senators at 202-225-3121 to tell them to oppose the Charter for Global Democracy and protect America's sovereignty. Ask your congressman to co-sponsor H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act.
Gwen Gerdt
Warsaw
MDA Telethon
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to thank everyone who donated toward this year's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. I would especially like to thank Rice Ford for allowing us the use of their business for this worthwhile cause. With all of these efforts, our pledges this year totaled $1,655. A special thank you goes to all the volunteers for taking time out of their holiday to help answer the phones, without you this would have been impossible. Your contributions will help support the fight toward a cure for all Muscular Dystrophy diseases.
Diane Jones
Warsaw Pledge Center Coordinator
Heat Dismissal
Editor, Times-Union:Wawasee Community School Corp.'s recent decision against early dismissal at North Webster Elementary School because of high heat and humidity is unconscionable! WCSC's "early dismissal due to heat" policy is based on six criteria: outside temperature and humidity, 90+ degrees and very high humidity should qualify; temperature in the classroom, 87-90+ degrees at 7:30 a.m. should qualify; forecast, yes, we all knew from the weatherman that the heat wave would persist; feedback from teachers, afternoon heat intensity prohibited learning; principals and other relevant data. This must be the bureaucratic white-shirt administrator who left his air-conditioned office and air-conditioned car to walk the school halls. Or is it the visiting administrator who thought we were lucky since our school gets a nice, gentle breeze off Lake Webster!
Parents brought coolers of ice to classrooms. Students had water bottles at their desks. Administration passed popsicles out at 2 p.m. leaving some of the youngest children pleading for "one more."
Some parents removed their child from the hellish classroom conditions before their child vomited, as some did, developed heat rash, as some did or became dehydrated. Shame on administration for requiring parents to make a decision that administrators should make. You have a heat policy. Use it. Add common sense to your "other relevant data."
Superintendent Mark Stock's concern is that some students may not have a safe, cool place to stay until their parents come home. Well, Mr. Stock, some children don't have a safe, cool place or parents at home at 3:05 p.m., so now our school becomes a heated day care center in August? Professional teachers are paid to teach. If teaching conditions exist such that learning cannot take place, we insult our teachers by expecting them to provide little more than professional day care on miserably hot afternoons.
It seems common sense and public school bureaucracy cannot coexist. WCSC will delay school for fog, snow or the possibility that school furnaces may not work in the new millennium (legitimate safety issues). Common sense would suggest that high heat and humidity (also student safety issues) existed last week and should have qualified for early dismissal (as it did for Fort Wayne and South Bend schools). Revise the current heat policy. End current bureaucratic indifference by allowing the building principal and teachers to make the decision. Teacher input under the current policy is disregarded.
We older folk may respond: "I never had any air-conditioning when I went to school." Let's remember: Back in the 'good ole days' school started after Labor Day! Incidentally, back in the good 'ole days, North Webster High School dismissed early for heat.
If it's hot enough for administrators to spend time "cooling their heels" strolling our halls, hot enough for popsicle breaks, hot enough to hope for a Lake Webster breeze, then it's hot enough to go home.
Mr. Stock could not be reached Thursday or Friday for comments. He and his family (including his North Webster student) were on vacation.
John and Cinthia Hilgenberg
Leesburg
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- KABS Frustration - Vote Them Out - Millennium Summit - MDA Telethon - Heat Dismissal
KABS Frustration
Editor, Times-Union:This letter is in response to Lesa Regenos' frustration with the KABS bus system. I too have a big problem with my city and state taxes being wasted on a bus system that refuses to help people. I thought that was their job, at least that is what they advertise, "Need a ride-call KABS Bus," what a joke!
My granddaughter needs a ride to school, a five-minute trip from her babysitter's, but they say it will be two years before they can work her in their schedule. By the way, they waited until the day before school started to tell us this.
Yes, Warsaw needs a responsible bus service to get kids to school and help out parents who work out-of-town, but it is not KABS!
Deb Hobbs
Warsaw
Vote Them Out
Editor, Times-Union:Problem and solution: Problem, too high of gas prices, too high of taxes, too much government. Solution, vote out present politicians. Have a nice day.
Michael L. Stevens
Pierceton
via e-mail
Millennium Summit
Editor, Times-Union:I'm very concerned about America's future liberty and independence. A document called the U.N.'s Charter for Global Democracy will be introduced on Sept. 7 at the U.N.'s Millennium Summit. This document will strengthen the U.N.'s International Criminal Court. Since this court would operate without any Constitution guarantees, those accused would not necessarily have a fair, public, speedy trial. Only foreign appointed judges will try the cases; no trial by jury will be involved. Also the judges could be from hostile countries. Our American soldiers who serve as U.N. Peacekeepers could be prosecuted as war criminals simply for defending themselves.
Please call your congressman and senators at 202-225-3121 to tell them to oppose the Charter for Global Democracy and protect America's sovereignty. Ask your congressman to co-sponsor H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act.
Gwen Gerdt
Warsaw
MDA Telethon
Editor, Times-Union:I would like to thank everyone who donated toward this year's Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. I would especially like to thank Rice Ford for allowing us the use of their business for this worthwhile cause. With all of these efforts, our pledges this year totaled $1,655. A special thank you goes to all the volunteers for taking time out of their holiday to help answer the phones, without you this would have been impossible. Your contributions will help support the fight toward a cure for all Muscular Dystrophy diseases.
Diane Jones
Warsaw Pledge Center Coordinator
Heat Dismissal
Editor, Times-Union:Wawasee Community School Corp.'s recent decision against early dismissal at North Webster Elementary School because of high heat and humidity is unconscionable! WCSC's "early dismissal due to heat" policy is based on six criteria: outside temperature and humidity, 90+ degrees and very high humidity should qualify; temperature in the classroom, 87-90+ degrees at 7:30 a.m. should qualify; forecast, yes, we all knew from the weatherman that the heat wave would persist; feedback from teachers, afternoon heat intensity prohibited learning; principals and other relevant data. This must be the bureaucratic white-shirt administrator who left his air-conditioned office and air-conditioned car to walk the school halls. Or is it the visiting administrator who thought we were lucky since our school gets a nice, gentle breeze off Lake Webster!
Parents brought coolers of ice to classrooms. Students had water bottles at their desks. Administration passed popsicles out at 2 p.m. leaving some of the youngest children pleading for "one more."
Some parents removed their child from the hellish classroom conditions before their child vomited, as some did, developed heat rash, as some did or became dehydrated. Shame on administration for requiring parents to make a decision that administrators should make. You have a heat policy. Use it. Add common sense to your "other relevant data."
Superintendent Mark Stock's concern is that some students may not have a safe, cool place to stay until their parents come home. Well, Mr. Stock, some children don't have a safe, cool place or parents at home at 3:05 p.m., so now our school becomes a heated day care center in August? Professional teachers are paid to teach. If teaching conditions exist such that learning cannot take place, we insult our teachers by expecting them to provide little more than professional day care on miserably hot afternoons.
It seems common sense and public school bureaucracy cannot coexist. WCSC will delay school for fog, snow or the possibility that school furnaces may not work in the new millennium (legitimate safety issues). Common sense would suggest that high heat and humidity (also student safety issues) existed last week and should have qualified for early dismissal (as it did for Fort Wayne and South Bend schools). Revise the current heat policy. End current bureaucratic indifference by allowing the building principal and teachers to make the decision. Teacher input under the current policy is disregarded.
We older folk may respond: "I never had any air-conditioning when I went to school." Let's remember: Back in the 'good ole days' school started after Labor Day! Incidentally, back in the good 'ole days, North Webster High School dismissed early for heat.
If it's hot enough for administrators to spend time "cooling their heels" strolling our halls, hot enough for popsicle breaks, hot enough to hope for a Lake Webster breeze, then it's hot enough to go home.
Mr. Stock could not be reached Thursday or Friday for comments. He and his family (including his North Webster student) were on vacation.
John and Cinthia Hilgenberg
Leesburg
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