THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506020269
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 46 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Long : 132 lines
Having just finished reading Ron Speer's latest editorial on appreciating this unique area we call home, I once again thought ``YES!'' I find his commentaries to be insightful and fun to read.
After I read your views on the waste of time watching the TV coverage of the O.J. trial, it became increasingly difficult to indulge myself with a couple of unproductive hours of nothing but watching the courtroom antics.
When I read ``Learn to do something with your hands,'' it reminded me to take pride in some of my capabilities that I had been taking for granted.
Reading about the pleasures of watching things grow and how flowers really are quite spectacular, just made me feel good.
And reading about the ``Wind Gypsy'' helped me to remember how close we live to huge, breathtaking, unpredictable masses of water, because a lot of the time I am so caught up in day-to-day living, that I forget to appreciate our environment.
Thank you, Mr. Speer, for your thoughtfully worded ``nudges'' that help us to think.
All of them.
Bonnie Brown
Kill Devil Hills Are projects justified?
The Dare County budget is a major topic of discussion these days, because the decision our commissioners make will affect us all, if they vote for a tax increase.
Although there are many expenses in the budget, two with major tax increase consequences are a new county office complex and a new high school on the beach.
Our commissioners, with the recommendation of our school board, would like the money for both.
Are these projects justified? Sure, but do we need new construction for both? No!
Can we justify a second high school in northern Dare County?
We currently have 800-plus students at Manteo High School. Since 1983, during a period of extraordinary growth, the high school population has only increased by about 400 students. We can justify a new high school, but only one, not two.
Currituck County is building a new high school - not a second one - just a new one. Their current high school will become a middle school.
Currituck has about the same north-to-south distance as Dare, but they don't have a school complex like we have in Hatteras to handle those students in the southern part of the county.
A 1991 study done in Illinois recommended the consolidation of schools that are currently the size of Manteo High School into larger high schools of up to 1,500 students.
The reason is simple: One larger high school offers a more comprehensive curriculum, better facilities, greater scheduling flexibility, more extracurricular activities, more sports programs and an estimated savings of $590,000 annually over the cost of operating two small high schools.
The county wants a new office complex. Manteo Middle School, built in 1955, still has an estimated life of 10 to 15 years. It currently has an enrollment of about 300 students (less than most elementary schools), but it has the capacity for 500 students. About 40 percent of its space is not being used.
First Flight Middle School is operating at about 75 percent capacity (488 students in a school built for about 650).
A recent letter to the editor said the county spends about $400,000 annually leasing office facilities.
Manteo Middle School has 34,000 square feet of floor space. Probably enough space for all of the Dare County and school board administrative offices, with an auditorium for large meetings, a gym for workouts, parking for employees and - more important - parking and easy access for us visitors from the beach. Without any capital expenditure, the county could have its office complex, with room in back for future construction when the existing building reaches the end of its useful life.
We need one high school for northern Dare County. It should be located as close as possible to the demographic center of population. We are a very rich county, but we can't keep spending based on what Roanoke Island wants and what the beach wants. We need to do what is best for northern Dare County.
One high school, and the conversion of an existing older building into a county complex, could save Dare County taxpayers up to $1 million annually.
Ken and Mary Ann Johnson
Colington Harbour Abused, but by whom
With the exception of a select few, everyone involved in the Little Rascals Day Care trial has been needlessly tortured due to the way the case was handled.
Simply by using videotapes or audio tapes of the sessions with the children, the therapists could have established the credibility of the investigation and the investigators (the first role of prosecution) and greatly reduced the children's burden.
Instead, for whatever reason, they elected to place the entire burden of proof upon the children's testimony and ignore their own involvement. They just projected the case as being simply a choice between (1) believing the children because they wouldn't lie about such things, or (2) believing the defendants. In essence, this implies that a ``not guilty'' verdict would be finding the children to be liars. It worked, but the entire foundation of this thinking is ridiculous.
Of course, the children are not liars, since they definitely believe they have been abused. The question is, do they believe it because they have been abused, or do they believe it because the therapists have convinced them that they have been abused? Child sex abuse happens, and i think most people know that. Inducements of such illusions by therapists also happens, and at least the higher courts know that.
Even their alternative, of believing the defendants is rather silly. If an innocent person is accused of a crime, he can only say that he is not guilty, which, unfortunately, is the same thing that a guilty person would normally say. Hence, a defendant has no credibility, since all defendants echo the same answer. Obviously, they're suggesting that defendants prove they're innocent, which is quite impossible.
It's very upsetting that on one hand therapists claim that people refuse to believe cases of child-sex abuse based solely on children's testimony, yet they do not videotape or audiotape their sessions with the children, which would greatly remove the greatest argument: Did the therapist induce the testimony? Besides, doesn't their position suggest that they actually expect to lose these cases?
While it may not be some form of guilt or misbehavior that prevents them from being genuine, honest and upfront - something does.
Because of the intellectual dishonesty involved, we may never know the truth concerning the Little Rascals cases. This is not only a vast injustice to those involved in the case, but to all of us. Sadly, there is no question these children have been abused - but by whom? If we knew the truth, I'm sure we would agree on what course of action to take. Whose fault is this?
Let me misquote a rather ducky line: If an animal looks like a weasel, walks like a weasel, smells like a weasel, acts like a weasel, then we can be reasonably sure that we're dealing with a weasel.
Roy L. Twiddy
Coinjock by CNB