- April 30, 2024
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Keeping warm, common sense show uniform policy is a problem
Dear Editor:
Note: This letter was also sent to the Flagler County School Board.
I am a parent of two Matanzas High School students. Neither has ever been in trouble and both are consistent honor students. The morning of Oct. 30, I received a message from my oldest son, who was in the dean's office for having a logo on his sweatshirt.
Please be advised, that my son grew out of all of his sweatshirts and was planning to go to school in a short-sleeved shirt in 50-degree weather. I insisted that he put on his father's sweater to keep warm. The sweater was black with a New York Islanders logo on the front. I couldn't imagine that the administrators would have an issue, considering the quick change in weather.
However, he was sent to the dean. I immediately drove to the school and sat in the front office, waiting for some help. I waited approximately five minutes. During this time, three students entered with large logos. Not one was sent to the dean. Upon seeing the third, I became angry and demanded to know why this student was not sent to the dean. I was told, “She is new.” I was furious.
Principal Dr. Chris Pryor entered and brought me back to his office, where I explained my situation. He told me "dozens of students" were in the dean's office for the same violation.
This is absolute absurdity. You are supposed to be advocates for education, yet you feel that it is more productive to pull a student from class to reprimand them for trying to keep warm. In addition, you are being selective in your enforcement. It's either selective or discrimination. You choose, because I am not done with this. If you choose to corral my son and "dozens of students" to the dean's office then by golly, you better find each and every student who is in violation and treat them the same. Maybe then you will realize that your policy trumps the real needs of our children who you were elected to represent.
I was against your uniform policy, and I feel that parents were not given a fair opportunity to vote on the issue. However, my children always look nice for school, and I didn't think it would be an issue. In addition, I agree that students should dress appropriately with respect to covering parts of their bodies that may offend other students and staff. However, you have abused your authority in pulling students from education for this ridiculous issue. I can't imagine that you, the school administrators, students and parents don't have better things to do with our time.
Lynn Salcedo
Palm Coast
Free health care for smoking patients makes no sense
Dear Editor:
Disgusting. And we see or hear about it all the time. I’m talking about the Nov. 3 edition showing a smoking patient waiting for free service at the free clinic. You would hope that at least a person would respect the free service and not smoke, nor do harm to others.
Further, these inconsiderate people certainly should not smoke on the office grounds, harming others. This abuse isn’t limited to the free clinics: Our local emergency rooms see this all the time, as well.
One political issue being discussed is the welfare system, where people in need of assistance must be drug-free, and prove it. I’m all in favor of this action, and believe smoking should be included. We have seen the money people spend on smoking, and the related health care costs. Let us do something about this one issue, and tackle one each year.
John Kerr
Palm Coast
Red light cameras make the community safer
Dear Editor:
Here is a vote for red light cameras. The life you may save may be your own if you don’t run a red light.
If you can’t obey, then you must pay. We all must play by the rules. Like it or not. We are all better off if everyone does.
Duwayne A. Klapper
Palm Coast
My taxes are going up; why doesn’t government live within its means?
Dear Editor:
This week, I received my property tax bill for 2012. During the period from 2008 to 2012, my total taxes have increased almost 37%, with the Flagler County portion increasing 54%, and the city of Palm Coast assessment registering a 51% increase.
These punitive increases completely violate the spirit of Save Our Homes initiatives of years past, when increases were limited to a 3% increase annually. Our taxing officials circumvent this by simply adjusting the millage rate to whatever budgetary requirement they feel is needed.
Two years ago, when the Palm Coast portion of my taxes increased by 16% in one year, a local official informed me: “Your taxes weren’t increased, we just adjusted the millage rate.”
Most local real estate agents I have talked with confirm at least a 40% decline in housing values since 2008. Tax increases of this magnitude seem to be unconscionable in these market conditions. In my view, they reflect a failure of leadership and planning. We Flagler County citizens (many on fixed incomes) have to live within our means. Apparently the government does not! It would be interesting to me to hear what others here think.
On a positive note, I am a big fan of the Palm Coast Observer. Recent coverage of the election candidates was outstanding.
John Wilson
Palm Coast
Let’s look at who is taxing us
Dear Editor:
A word about local taxes. Most folks pay their taxes and probably grumble a bit, but let’s take a look at what each taxing entity puts into its coffers.
— 38.7% goes to the school district
— 37.3% goes to Flagler County
— 20.9% goes to the city of Palm Coast
— 3.0% goes to Mosquito Control, FIND and St. Johns River Management
This should give us a clue as to how to vote when we have the next opportunity.
Richard G. Smith
Palm Coast
Flagler Beach is smart to pursue Holmberg solution to erosion
Dear Editor:
I am writing to congratulate Flagler Beach on its decision to proceed with feasibility studies with Holmberg Technologies. Mr. Holmberg literally saved our Michigan home in 1995. Since his technology was installed, our beaches and those of all my neighbors have benefitted from his work. I've even had neighbors who were opposed to the project initially come forward and admit that what they have witnessed over the years since the installation has been phenomenal.
Flagler Beach will serve as an awakening, and a model for rebuilding the beaches of New Jersey that were lost to Hurricane Sandy. The artificial dunes that were placed by the Army Corps failed, and armoring the shoreline is definitely not the nature-friendly or correct approach. My hopes are that the residents of Flagler Beach continue and are successful in their quest for installing a system that will work with nature, not against her, and provide a shoreline that they and their families and tourists are able to enjoy forever.
Dr. Paul J. Keck
West Olive, Mich.
