THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 26, 1996 TAG: 9605250209
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 125 lines
I was appalled when I read the article in The Virginian-Pilot about the Western Branch High School senior who could not attend his prom.
I understand that the schools have their rules. But come on people, there has to be room for extenuating circumstances.
What are these forms that are required to take someone from outside the school to a dance? Supposedly they are signed by a teacher, school administrator or employer and attest to the student's ``good character.''
When are we going to show our students that we trust them? After they have left the school? No! The time to trust them is while they are in school where learning is supposed to take place. They can't learn trust if they aren't taught it.
This smacks of Eastern Bloc countries where you had to show the proper paperwork to travel from one place to another or had to carry certain paperwork with you to prove who you were and that you had business in the area.
Come on, Chesapeake! Wake up! These students are our future. If they don't learn to trust and to be trusted what kind of future are we creating in them?
Paul Zentmyer
Norfolk
paulz(a)norfolk.infi.net Congressional timber
While watching our City Council meeting last week, I was truly impressed with the way the council is doing the business of the city.
So often people write in to complain about things and yet seldom does anybody say anything good about our fine City Council.
One thing that got my attention was the way W. Joe Newman clearly explained the importance of the re-numbering of the Interstate highway system in this area. I understand that Mr. Newman took time to go to Richmond to appear before the Commonwealth Transportation Board to fight for the interstate to remain in Chesapeake and to have the flow of traffic improved for both Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks.
With the ability and vision that Mr. Newman has for the entire area, we should be very happy to have him serve us in Chesapeake.
For a long time, I have thought that perhaps Joe Newman would serve us well in Richmond some day. But with his clear speaking ability and his common-sense approach, perhaps it would do us all more good if he represented us in Congress. Is it too early to start a Draft-Joe Newman-for-Congress effort?
G.W. McLaughlin
Johnstown Road Ill-advised comment
In reference to a letter to the editor from Charlotte Guilbert (The Clipper, May 19), I would like to say I felt her arrogant note with regard to Chesapeake's fire chief was, at best, ill advised.
Perhaps Ms. Guilbert should spend a day in the life of a firefighter, or better yet, simply get a life of her own.
Cora Madden
Chesapeake Not thinking clearly
Regarding M.P. Goldston's letter concerning Del. Robert Nelms (The Clipper, May 19): At first, when I read the article concerning Mr. Nelms, I, too, was shocked. Then I heard Mr. Nelms' side of the story.
It seems that he was relieving himself beside a nature trail and got caught. Mr. Nelms seems to be guilty of not thinking clearly, not of lewdness.
As for Mr. Goldston's comment about alternate lifestyles, he does no favor to the homosexual or bisexual by condoning his or her action. According to Revelation 21:8, practitioners of sexual immorality will go to the lake of fire. By condoning alternate lifestyles, he is condoning the spiritual suicide of the very people he is trying to help.
Donald W. Davis
Haviland Road Get a jug
Chesapeake Utilities Director Amar Dwarkanath, whose failed ideas are legend, laughable and expensive, has come up with yet another plan to provide Chesapeake residents with good drinking water: More wells. (Keep in mind the $72 million he's spending now to remove some of the salt from the water.)
Surprised? Well, no. Chesapeake mayors, city managers, city attorneys, council members and utility directors, slow learners all, have bitterly opposed private wells. (It's still a Class I misdemeanor to drink from one.) Now the council is being asked by Dwarkanath to put up $102,600 to drill nine new public wells throughout the city identical to those private wells thousands of residents were forced to give up - under threat of jail and/or fine - by his department in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dwarkanath's idea, found in his April 23 report, ``Short-Term Contingency Plan for Chloride Mitigation,'' is simply this:
When a resident wants a drink of good water, he picks up a plastic jug, goes to one of the nine new wells and fills it up.
That's just like people do in poor, undeveloped, third world countries.
Carl Cahill
Old Drive Community service
In the busy lives we all have, it is nice to see people give of their time to help their community.
The students from the landscape and design class at the Center for Science and Technology, under the direction of Terry Cornett, made a big contribution to Indian River Middle School. The school was undertaking the beautification of the entrances at both the main building and the annex. Mr. Cornett along with all his landscape students came to the school and did all the work. They spent several days working on weeding, planting and mulching the newly designed beds.
The Indian River Middle School students, teachers and parents can take pride in their school and the wonderful work done by these volunteers.
Karuth White
Golden Cypress Court Successful reading
The first open-mike poetry reading, held on May 10 at Russell Memorial Library, was worth attending.
As one of those budding poets, I wish to thank the organizers, particularly Lori Boocks and the Friends of the Library, the main sponsor of the event.
The evening really turned out to be a wonderful one filled with poetry, nostalgia and fun. The coffee was good and so were the baked goodies.
Kudos and more power to everyone who participated.
Chris A. Quilpa
Portsmouth by CNB