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Letters to the Editor

What a refreshing reminder of History of Education by Robert Saddler!

I was fortunate to be instrumental in what to expect from students and what students should expect from their teacher. I was fortunate to have as my mentor friend and advisor Ethel (Straw) Guthrie, teacher in Marietta Ohio. I am sure there are still a few of us who remember or have heard of Mrs. Guthrie. She was one of the most dedicated educators as well as most caring individual to see people achieve success. Mr. Saddler Stated in his letter, rules of conduct in the classroom must start on Day 1. So true. Throughout my teaching career, I have never resorted to corporal punishment by ...

Disposal wells destroying rights

I am writing about what the state of Ohio refers to as Class II injection wells. In the oil and gas business we call them disposal wells. These wells are injecting the waste from high-pressure hydraulic fracturing, that is, fracking, most of it coming to our area. This brine waste contains water but also a toxic brew including harmful chemicals such as PFAS (forever chemicals), carcinogens, volatile organic compounds and more. It is also radioactive. Washington County leads the state in the volume of brine waste injected into its grounds. I have 50 years of experience drilling and ...

Season of thanks

Dear Editor, During this season of thanks, I would like to give a big thank you to our U.S. Postal Service workers. With a day that starts at 7:30 in the morning and often going well past an eight hour shift, they spend nearly all of their daylight hours at work. With the holiday season ramping up, comes the added burden of 2-3 hundred packages a day, from Amazon alone, to deliver per carrier. Maybe that noise you hear in your yard after dark is your mail carrier with a package for you. If you are expecting a delivery, please leave your light on and keep your dogs inside to ease ...

Marietta’s war on the homeless

I am writing you because I am deeply troubled by the recent developments in our city. It seems that we have engaged in a war against the homeless and poor. Marietta recently passed a ban on all public camping outside of designated zones on city property. This is ironic because currently no zones exist for public camping. The idea has also been floated by some council members to have violators of this ordinance do community service to pay off fines for camping. So let’s get this straight, do they really want to take someone with no resources and force them to do community service? That ...

Leaders must set an example

I am writing to you as a concerned member of our community to address an issue that is impacting the quality of education and extracurricular programs in our district: The need for improved leadership characterized by collaboration, empathy, and respect. In recent years, a troubling trend has emerged. Competent and talented teachers, administrators, and coaches — individuals who have dedicated themselves to the success of our students — are leaving the district. This exodus appears to stem from a pervasive environment of micromanagement and a lack of respect for their professional ...

Regrets

“You may regret the things you’ve done, but you’ll regret a whole lot more the things you did not do”. The famous sentiment expressed by Mark Twain nearly two centuries ago. Many notables have capitalized on the same sentiment. Many of us know of J. Edgar Hoover, Barbara Bush, Lucille Ball, Marlene Monroe etc. more recent perhaps Simone Biles, (a gymnast). She possessed wisdom beyond her years. At age 19 in May 2016 she competed in Olympics. I relate it to a Latvian poem I heard during World War II while in refugee camps. As I recall there were lamentations made in regard ...