SPEAKOUT

Questions about students' addresses

BEFORE MY husband and I bought land and began building our house this past late spring, I checked with Cape public school officials about residency requirements and district attendance. I was told by a Cape school district official that the student's place of residence determines what school district they must attend. I was told this was district policy and could not be waived. Based on this information, we passed up buying land where we really wanted to live because we wanted to be in Cape school district and Clippard Elementary district specifically. However as I looked at the school directory we received from Clippard Elementary School a few weeks ago, I became angry. I am fairly familiar with the boundaries of our district as a result of recent information and maps made public during the bond issue effort last spring. With that mind, could someone tell me why students living on the following two streets attend Clippard school? One student lives on Church Street in Jackson, and another student's residence is listed as North Middle.

Reply:

Explorer post for exemplary youths

I'M CALLING in reference to the article on the military Explorer post. I'm just disappointed that the Explorer program for Boy Scouts is discussed in the same breath as helping juvenile delinquents attain some sort of discipline. Boy Scout-sponsored programs are for kids who are exemplary and exceptional and should not be watered down with juvenile delinquency and kids on probation, including gang members. I am also surprised that the Boy Scouts organization would be associated with any court-sponsored programs for juvenile delinquents. The military Explorer post should be for young men and women who are interested in a career in the military, including boys and girls who desire to go to the various service academies.

Put an end to sales by students

THAT'S A big amen to Ms. Howard who is mad about Franklin school outlawing the Halloween and the overpriced crap that the kids have to sell. Common sense tells us that the problem isn't Halloween, which is a cute kids' holiday. No matter what its roots are in culture, that's not how we celebrate it here. And common sense tells us that since little Eddie Werner, 11 years old, of New Jersey was killed recently by a 15-year-old molester who met a 40-year-old lover on the Internet while little Eddie Werner was selling things door-to-door for his school. Yeah, it's time to put a stop to this practice. It's overpriced, it's crap, the money doesn't go to reading, writing and arithmetic, no matter how much they cry that it does, it does not. It goes to sports uniforms or pizza parties or something stupid like that. It's time to quit. I don't buy anything from children. If they want a donation, fine. If they can't accept one, tough.

One way to make you work

I WAS really proud to see in the paper where the jewelry store owner who was robbed shot his gun in the air after the thieves were escaping. I just wish he would have shot them in the backsides. That way, they would have stay off their butts and work like the rest of us. Also, the article about cattle rustling: I would like to mention that most prosecutors don't take cattle rustling seriously. My husband has cattle, and maybe the prosecutors won't take me seriously when I say I have a .22 rifle waiting for anyone after our cattle.

Streets are used as playgrounds

I HAVE read Speak Out and I have noticed where people have been complaining about speeders going too fast through neighborhoods. Maybe there is some of that, but very little of it. What I think is the biggest problem is, somewhere along the line, parents decided that the streets are the playground. Not only the kids are out there, sometimes the parents are out there. You can't get through the streets. There are several streets where kids play like it's a playground.

Chasing robbers with a shotgun

I UNDERSTAND that the Main Street merchant was probably really frustrated with those burglars at his jewelry store, but when did it become legal to chase fleeing burglars and fire shotguns at them in Cape Girardeau?

Reno's reputation will be mud

IF I were the U.S. attorney general, I would not risk my reputation for anybody just for a matter of two or three years. What's going to become of Janet Reno after Bill Clinton leaves office? Her reputation is going to be mud.

Community attitude is finally exposed

HURRAY, HURRAY, it's about time someone took the blanket off New Hamburg and exposed these people for who they really are. I have lived in this area all of my life, and what that article said is just the tip of the iceberg. If you're not born and raised in New Hamburg, or not Catholic, you will never be accepted into that community. It seems to me these angry booster club mothers have shown their true colors by the way they have treated these two new students. My letter to Dr. Bartman is in the mail.

Students' civil rights violated

MY OPINION concerns the New Hamburg issue. I was under the impression that the purpose of the school board was to protect the interests of the children in that district. If the board voted to not let these children participate, what kind of message are they sending? I believe the message is clear: We don't want you here. I believe these children's civil rights have been violated, and I think Dr. Bartman's office should be notified.

Apology for how students were treated

THIS IS my response to the article about New Hamburg school. I have children in this school myself. I have seen this type of activity go on for years. I do not condone it, but if I speak out in favor of these two children, my kids will suffer. I would like to apologize to the parents and the two girls for the way they have been treated at school.

TWE service is too spotty

I THINK the city of Cape Girardeau needs to get rid of Trans World Express. I do not know anybody personally who has ever taken a round trip with them that they haven't had to take a bus one way or the other. It's ridiculous. I know for a fact they've had nine cancellations on their flights in one week. It's ridiculous to expect people to use the Cape Girardeau airport, spending the taxpayers' money. when they don't have a carrier that can live up to the flight schedule.

New girls should be included at school

I'M CALLING in regards to the New Hamburg issue. It sounds like these angry booster club and seventh-grade mothers have a personal problem with the parents. Pick on someone your own size. Include these girls and let them cheer. You're only young once. My advice to the school board members: Save face while you can. My guess is you won't be re-elected anyway.

Another referral service not needed

A CENTRAL referral service to establish another job for taxpayers to pay for is utterly ridiculous. We have an abundance of referral services or sources, and people in need know about them. I want to commend our county commissioners for denying the request for $10,000 to set up such a system. I have a problem with United Way providing funds to assist in establishing this system. Citizens need to look more closely at how United Way spends money when they ask for funds. The referral service is not needed. Ask someone who's been there. Some bright ideas are more to create jobs than to help the needy.

Too much emphasis on worldly things

DOES ANYBODY now see how priceless the artwork at St. Francis of Assisi in Italy was? It was not worth a dime in God's eyes, because it was kind of messed up. They had another earthquake. I think we place too much importance upon things of this world.

Catholic competition for Kelso sports

TO TINA L. Trickey: Another incidence of no separation of church and school at the Kelso School District exists in their athletic program. Having become a public school over 20 years ago, this district continues to compete against Catholic schools exclusively, with an enrollment of near or above 200 students. They prefer competing against schools with enrollments of 50 to 100 students. Before your letter is sent to Dr. Bartman, ask people of the local parishes who have children who compete against Kelso in cheerleading, volleyball and basketball what they think of this arrangement.

Change school conference schedules

IF HALLOWEEN parties are a problem for teachers because of conference time, the answer is simple. Next year, have conference time a week or two earlier. As a parent, I have plenty I want to talk to teachers about. Parents have to wait too long for conferences anyway. Don't rob the children. Halloween is a special time, and many children love to show their costumes to friends. It can also be a teaching time for schools. One school asked its students to dress as something cultural -- Native American, Japanese and other different cultures. Halloween is important to the kids, and as a parent I would love to see conference time moved up, because it is too long between conferences anyway.

Store owner should protect his store

ABOUT THIS jewelry store robbery. I understand the owner fired his gun in the air as they were fleeing, and now enforcement officers want to charge him with discharging a firearm in a city. If this isn't lunacy, I don't know what is. He shouldn't have fired in the air, he should have fired at them, right there in the store.

Shifting to a day of diversity?

MEGA DITTOS to Tana Howard. In a recent poll, Halloween was voted the most popular holiday in the United States. Of course, it does have religious connotations, and I have to wonder if that isn't the real reason for not celebrating it in our local schools, and if this isn't the first step in implementing the proposal to abolish Thanksgiving in favor of a day of diversity.

New center doesn't get much use

THE NEW city's civic center building on North Kingshighway is very nice looking. We have walked through it. However, to my knowledge, to date it has only been used for one-half day flea market. Is that efficient?

Penalty too stiff for marijuana possession

I CAN'T believe that they would recommend five years in prison for a guy that had less than a quarter ounce of marijuana. If this guy does five years, he will see murderers and rapists come and go before he gets out. It's ridiculous to keep this guy in prison while they release violent criminals because there's no room. This is ludicrous. It's like the Dark Ages.

Businesses must be able to protect themselves

I HOPE that the owner of the jewelry store gets nothing more than a verbal or written warning for discharging a weapon in Cape. If the people down there can't defend their own property and businesses, then we need to work on correcting the laws so they can defend themselves. There is no way to know whether the robbers could have harmed them, so I don't see any reason the owner should be penalized. He didn't fire at them, he fired into the air. I think he has the right to defend himself.

Board didn't lock public out of meeting

I AM calling in reference to your articles about the Scott City school board. It would seem you've taken a one-sided approach to this meeting. There were about 14 of us from the public at that meeting. No, Mr. Beck wasn't there. There were people standing outside until about 9:30 that evening. Mr. Beck wasn't there. A janitor did lock the doors at 9:30 because he was leaving. While that is unfortunate, in lieu of the recent break-ins at the school, I doubt he thought he was doing anything wrong. According to your paper, Mr. Beck said he was in the building and left to get a pencil and paper and was locked out when he came back. What he didn't say was that at two different times people tried to let him in, and he refused. As far as Christy Baker Neal goes, the board did not lock Mr. Beck out. Why should we taxpayers pay to prosecute a case with an awful lot of holes in it? As far as the open gym policy being discussed in closed session, I don't know. I do know it was discussed in open session, and it was brought up by the public.