EC Program changes are a step backward
As a retired EC (exceptional children) teacher, I was very disappointed to read of the changes in the EC Department. The swim program was introduced in 1975, not for Special Olympics, but to give students the opportunity to learn a new skill. Those who were physically impaired had an opportunity to feel freedom they had never experienced. This special gift came from the Proctor Foundation at no cost to the school system except the transportation.
The Community Based Instruction program also started during my tenure. EC students have difficulty transferring practiced job skills to actual job sites. CBI afforded them the opportunity to learn new skills in real situations and offered the public an opportunity to witness the capabilities of persons with disabilities. Many students have held jobs for years because of this program.
The Occupational Course of Study (OCS) diploma requires a certain number of on-site hours in order to receive a diploma. This requirement is from the state. Many jobs require a high school diploma, and this program gives many who would not be able to work that opportunity.
Persons with disabilities deserve a learning environment that helps them become productive members of society. The school system’s EC Department was once known as a model for other counties. I am sorry to see all the progress disappear.
ó Delores Elliott
Salisbury
Fowl judgment
I note each year that the Salisbury Post lists the awards won by their staff for articles written and published. I wonder if there is an award for the most irrelevant and absurd article. If so, then I think the winner “hands down” would be the one in the Sept. 16 Post about the woman running over the chicken and turkey parts. We were made aware of the driver’s effort to rid the car of these parts and the smell. Wonder how you could tell the difference between turkey and chicken parts?
I question why the Salisbury Post staff considers this story newsworthy when they have, so far, ignored the car break-ins and muggings that transpire near the YMCA on Jake Alexander Boulevard. YMCA executives explained that they had tried cameras and security guards, yet these crimes still take place. The Post did give details on some generators being installed at the Y, but nothing about the dangers for folks using the Y. I guess smelly fowl parts under a car make for a better story!
ó Don Pruitt
Salisbury
Consider the recordWomen who support McCain and Palin probably assume that a vote for them would be a boost to women’s right. Sadly, just the opposite is true. Both want to overturn Roe v. Wade. Palin opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. When Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, rape and sexual assault victims were forced to pay for their own rape kits and forensic investigations ó at a cost of $300-$1,200 charged to each victim! As governor, Palin slashed funding for teen mothers and staunchly opposes family rights.
McCain has voted against women’s health issues for 25 years. Planned Parenthood gave him the lowest rate possible after he opposed all legislation that would reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. McCain voted against the children’s health care bill last year. McCain even voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would ensure equal pay for women.
Please consider their records before voting. Policies like McCain’s and Palin’s would set back women’s rights 30 years or more.
ó Annette E. Whitted
Salisbury
Just doing my part
So I went to my bank yesterday. Told them my family needed to borrow $20,000.
“What for?” they asked.
Said we needed it to finance our fair share of the bailout of bad investments that we neither made nor were responsible for. Offered up bad debt as collateral. Politely informed them that it was none of their business how the funds were used and that we may not be able to pay them back. And by the way, we need it by the close of business today.
They laughed. Shouldn’t Congress?
ó Mike Mills
Salisbury
Changes at the VAAs of the year 2000, veterans made up 12.5 per cent of the US population, which amounts to over 32 million. If the closure of the Salisbury in-patient hospital and emergency room is something passed down by the U.S. government to become a trend nationally, 32 million people will be looking to cast their votes this election year in another direction.
ó Jim Taylor
Statesville
Park the rudenessI was at the Rowan County fair on Saturday to help park cars. All I heard that night was snide remarks and complaints. One person who had to wait a couple of minutes while cars came into the lot before I let him out yelled “You all need to get a traffic pattern down!”
If he had waited for a reply, he would have been told that we did have a traffic pattern down, but he was going against that traffic pattern.
After one car was delayed for mere seconds to let someone into the outgoing line, a passenger yelled out “I bet that makes you feel important!” Yes, standing in a pasture for five hours in a stylish orange reflective vest waving a flashlight does make me feel important.
While we turned cars around to get them pointed in the correct direction, there were cars backed up for a minute or two, and one of the other attendants said that one man called her just about every name in the book. I was also questioned as to why a person had to park in a back row when they arrived after 8:30 p.m. Let’s use common sense here folks.
What you might not know is that the attendants were volunteers. We were not employees of the fair, and we were not being personally compensated for the time spent there. We were there to help, and people need to have a little patience and compassion in situations like these. I can guarantee that I won’t be volunteering for that duty next year. I’ll write my son’s school a check just so I won’t have to do that again. You fair-goers will be on your own next year. Good Luck!
ó Richard Gough
Mocksville
Open-air artists
The term Plein Air painting frequently brings blank stares because it is a term not widely used. In fact, as I type it into “Word” I am notified of my spelling “error.” But how fortunate we are, members of Plein Air Carolina, to have examples of our work currently shown at both the Waterworks Visual Arts Center and Arts United in Lexington.
Plein Air is a French term for painting in the open air and is a tradition popularly credited to Monet. We literally take our art supplies into the great outdoors to paint what we see. Of course, each artist experiences personal inspirations. Should two or more artists be attracted by the same subject, the paintings always reflect our personal styles. Such is the nature of this activity. As the sun rises and sets, shadows grow and shrink, clouds come and go, people enter and leave, the scene continually changes. The major benefit of painting outdoors is to capture the light, and “infuse the sounds of nature, the smells of foliage and the freshness of the air” into our work.
Our sincere thanks to the Salisbury Post, the St. Luke’s Senior Saints, Fine Frame Gallery for their framing expertise, Arts United and the Waterworks Visual Arts Center for their interest in our art. I hope you will stop by to see us as we are painting in and around the area. Do come and see our show!
ó Phyllis Steimel
Salisbury