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Letters to the editor: 03/16/00 |
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School officials should not be upset
To the Editor: School officials should not be upset by the coverage of their latest fiasco. Instead, they should be upset over their lack of logic in solving a very simple problem. The student with the highest grades is no longer attending the school, ergo, the student next in line now has the highest grades, becoming valedictorian, and the next highest becomes salutatorian. What's left to decide behind closed doors? Patrick Montague Salutatorian Sylva High School Class of '51 Newspaper's coverage of school board was fair To the Editor: A recent letter-writer, Joshua La Vere, was fairly critical of The Sylva Herald's coverage of the recent valedictorian controversy. After reading his letter, I couldn't help but respond. First of all, Mr. La Vere, a newspaper is supposed to be neutral in the news it reports, I'll give you that much. But an editorial is an expression of an opinion. It is apparently the opinion of The Sylva Herald's editorial staff that the Jackson County School Board made a wrong decision. They have a right to that opinion, just as you have a right to yours. The Ruralite Cafe is an opinion column. By definition, an opinion column prints an opinion. Secondly, I firmly believe that if The Sylva Herald had gotten actual letters expressing agreement with the school board before yours, they would have printed them. After all, they printed your letter, didn't they? Lynn Hotaling, the reporter you criticized, even printed a story telling the community about the board's displeasure and included the complaints the board voiced. If you recall, the column that talked about a "score" of 250-2 said that it was combining letters to the editor, e-mail responses, comments by citizens, and responses to The Sylva Herald's online poll. I would assume that if a negative opinion wasn't printed, it was probably expressed via a phone call, conversation, or response to the poll, none of which can be printed using current technology. Finally, I think you've missed the point of the opinion expressed by the newspaper's editorial staff. They never said it was wrong to eliminate these honors, only that it was wrong to do so in closed session, especially without even consulting the family of A.J. Rowell. According to all printed excerpts of the letter sent to the Rowells, including the section published last week at School Board Chairman Martha Queen's request, the title you referred to, "Most Outstanding Scholar of the Senior Class," was not offered to A.J. in the school board's original letter. That letter informed his parents only that he would be allowed to participate in graduation exercises as "the current highest academically ranked student." The "honor" you mentioned was included in the school board's Feb. 28 statement, long after Jim Rowell brought the issue to light. Does the school board really think the community would have been less outraged if the newspaper had printed the entire letter sent to the Rowells? Or what if the editorial staff had said the school board was right? I don't think the local paper can control the 2,000 people who signed the petition. The newspaper only printed what happened. You can't blame them for that. This situation would never have gotten so out-of-control if the school board members had just acted openly and accepted responsibility for their decisions. Bradley Perry Tallahassee, Fla. Sylva Harrah's does not represent 'God's Country' To the Editor: I used to see a beautiful billboard as I turned off U.S. 441 to my home. It read: "I Love You' I Love You' I Love You - God." Now it's gone. Now as I drive toward Dillsboro I see a billboard with pictures of gold coins with a slogan reading: "Best View in the Smoky Mountains!" This scares me and makes me sick! I have always believed that these beautiful mountains are known as "God's Country." People have traveled from all over to see North Carolina's mountains. I know because I am one of those people who traveled from Illinois to "God's Country." The beautiful colors He makes on the trees in the fall' the beautiful flowers He makes in the summer and the friendly people are all reasons my husband and I moved here permanently four years ago. This is where the Lord wanted us to be. He owns everything here' and it is because of Him that these mountains are so beautiful for us to enjoy. We should be ashamed of the way we are taking care of these mountains. People don't seem to care anymore. They throw their garbage and beer cans all over the roads. I wonder what the visitors are thinking. Harrah's is not the best view in the Smoky Mountains and never will be. God didn't put Harrah's here. I can tell you one thing - money won't get you into Heaven. I'm proud to be able to say that I'm just a sinner saved by Grace' and when I get to my real home' I'll be at Jesus' feet. My question is what happened to God's Country? Deloris Estes Sylva Teachers respond to county planning meeting To the Editor: This is a response to an article in last week's Herald titled "Commissioners begin planning 2000-01 budget" (March 9, page 1A). The article said that the commissioners had all agreed they'd fulfilled their campaign promises to improve funding for education. We'd like to ask this question: Do you mean to say you only planned to have education as a priority for one year of your term? If so, we wish you had made that clear when you ran for office. In the statement that says that the governor raised teacher pay, we would like to say that Mr. Hunt is trying to get the teaching salaries up to the national average. An important note here is that Raleigh will include everyone's salary and supplement (even the county that gets a 23 percent supplement) when they figure the average salary in North Carolina. Keep in mind that Jackson County does not have a supplement so our average salary will be lower than the state's and therefore lower than the national average. The statement that embarrasses and saddens us the most is the one that suggests that Jackson County teachers might leave work here for other school systems that offer supplements. The committee seeking a supplement for Jackson County educators never said, implied or otherwise indicated that teachers are leaving this county for any reason other than retirement. Even though teachers will stay for the great quality of life here, do you think the young graduates are going to select Jackson County over other counties that offer supplements? We think that the best and most qualified graduates will be in great demand and will seek teaching positions where they can make the most money. Our committee simply said there would be a large number of teachers retiring soon in Jackson County and a supplement would help the county find, hire and retain excellent teachers to replace those retiring even though there is a national teacher shortage going on all over the United States. That, in fact, is the real reason that a supplement is so important for Jackson County at this time. The educators at Cullowhee Valley School hope that everyone realizes that the committee seeking a supplement for Jackson County educators is most concerned about the future of education in Jackson County. That is the driving force behind this action. The two chairpersons of the supplement committee will not benefit from a supplement because one of them, Ray Menze, is already retired, and the other, Marsha Cameron, can retire next year. We hope the citizens of Jackson County will show support for those responsible for their children's education and help us be competitive with the rest of North Carolina in attracting the very best educators for our wonderful children. Respectfully submitted, Mary Aiken, Glenda Barnes, Sue Bartlett, Kristine Bates, Johnnie Nell Bishop and 24 other educators at Cullowhee Valley School Supplements attract the best teachers To the Editor: How important is it for our children to get a good education? How important is it for our children to have the best teachers? Let me tell you how important it was to my parents in 1965. My parents were farmers living in the middle of North Carolina. Neither had been to college. In 1955 my parents owned land on the Randolph and Guilford County border. They built their first house on the best site, which happened to be in the Randolph County section of their land. By 1964 they had three children enrolled in the Guilford County school system. Because they lived in Randolph County, they paid out-of-county tuition for us to attend Guilford County schools. Why did they want us to attend school in Guilford County? My mom's answer was simple, "Guilford County had the better teachers because they paid a higher supplement than Randolph County." When Guilford County's enrollment reached a certain number, out-of-county students were no longer allowed to attend Guilford County schools. What did my parents do then? The education of their children was top priority for them, so in 1965 they sold their first home in Randolph County and built a smaller house just 500 yards from their first home across the county line in Guilford County so their children could attend the schools with the best teachers. Not the newest schools, the schools with the best teachers. When I told my mother I was writing this letter, she said, "You know, it was a struggle for us to pay the tuition and when we were no longer allowed to pay the tuition we were heartbroken. Our first house was paid for and we went into debt for 20 years to pay for that second house, but it was worth it. All four of you children went on to receive college degrees. It was worth it." She went on to say that they were not the only family in Randolph County to sell their home and move in order for their children to attend the schools with the best teachers. Many families moved. She was also careful to point out that Randolph County schools eventually became as excellent as Guilford County schools, once there was no longer a teacher shortage. I have been a teacher at Camp Lab/Cullowhee Valley School for 21 years. I would like for the teachers of Jackson County to have a supplement but not because I am a teacher. It is because I am a mother that I want the teachers to have a supplement. Like my own mother, I want my children to have the best teachers. In 1965 my mother knew that the counties paying the highest supplements attracted the best teachers. In the very near future Jackson County will be facing a teacher shortage, possibly much worse than the one in Guilford and Randolph counties in the 1960s. What can we do now to prepare for this shortage? The answer seems as simple as it was in 1965: let's pay a supplement to attract and keep the best teachers! Kathy Roberson Sylva We deserve a clean river, environment To the Editor: It's great to see The Sylva Herald's article on the new owner and management of Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. It seems that this company, being a true railroad company, will bring a lot of commitment and knowledge about a railroad experience for the thousands of riders each year who come to Jackson County for that experience. Being an innkeeper, I interact with a lot of riders and get their feedback about the trip. I regret to say that most of the travelers have a negative impression of Jackson County. Just recently I rode the train for the first time and saw for myself why. I am afraid that Jackson County, from the railroad tracks between Dillsboro and Whittier, looks to be a god-awful mess. What people have is not an "America the Beautiful" experience, but rather a depressing sight of litter, waste and a mismanaged resource. The opposite bank along the Tuckaseigee River from the tracks is so full of trash and discards that it is hard to appreciate anything natural. What was disturbing to me was not the occasional car body, fender or freezer box, but the ever present litter and the obvious fact that little has been done about it for years. All along the river bank under the Smoky Mountain Expressway, where there is much effort put into beautification, lie tons of papers, bottles, cans, Styrofoam and plastic bags full of the same, as well as the major discards "car bodies, white goods and junk yards. After my first trip on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, I left feeling rather sick, like many of the customers, and disempowered somehow, thinking it was all too great a task to clean up. We, as a community deserve better for our image, our pride, our environment. Please support your the Tuckaseigee River Cleanup and help the new management of the GSMR give their riders a good experience. T.J. Walker Dillsboro Church is the answer To the Editor: I have attended a Baptist church for 50 years, except for being gone three years during World War II. I don't know the girl from Western Carolina University or her parents. As Christian people we must stop and think just a minute before we make a Joan of Arc out of her. What has our T.V. society has done to all our young people? When you put a stripped suit on this young girl, is it fair at the same time to approve the killing of 1.5 million babies by doctors and reward them with two houses, three cars and a chicken in every pot? Our government allows this, and the disposal of these little bodies is a lot worse than one in a landfill. The men must be held accountable for 50 percent of the problem, but you never see them on T.V. or in the newspaper. If only one man was put in chains and on T.V., that sure would help. I have seen Western Carolina University grow from 700 students to more than 7,000. The old policy of girls being in by 10 p.m. is gone. And we have too many cars (new cars) in our society today. Our parents and society must accept most of the blame. No country in the world permits kids to buy cars and live together in the same buildings like the U.S., except Sweden, and they are going down the drain, too. What this girl (allegedly) did is a sin, and the judge should make her and her parents go to church for 10 years. Yours truly, Roger C. Parris Franklin |
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