The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


Letters to Editor

You Came, We Listened

Dear Editor,

Last December 19th at the "Truth in Taxation" hearing, many of the Henderson County voters appeared and expressed their opinions on the proposed tax increase.

As a board we listened intently to what those of you who spoke had to say. We heard your anguish with the never ending tax increases, and I believe acted responsibly based on our current needs for next year.

We voted down the proposed tax increase of 12.3% and agreed to a much smaller increase of 4.9%. You came, you spoke, we listened and we as a board voted based on what we felt was best for the schools and the school children of Henderson County, for this year.

As a board member I can however ask that you listen to us when we discuss the tremendous tasks that we have ahead of us.

As most of you know to enact change in a system that has become set in their ways requires steady, knowledgeable, evenhanded leadership, leadership that has as its primary objective excellence in education for all students. Educational change can not occur overnight, as attitudes, techniques, strategies, and competencies must be changed.

Will this be a quick fix, most definitely not. At the time of consolidation we were looking for a man who would accept this long term commitment. To receive that commitment we in turn had to make that same commitment to him.

I hope in the future when we continue to address our problems, they are not many but the ones we have are huge, and they are entangled, that you as voters listen to us and that you help us in every way possible to solve these problems.

What problems you say. Well, to begin with, as one member of the board of education with only my thoughts I will list the more important ones.

1. Educators accountability vs educator entitlement.

2. Attendance-our current attendance percentage is totally unacceptable for two reasons. State aid is based on attendance, and regardless of how good a teacher is, a child simply cannot be taught if they are not in attendance.

3. Test scores-No Child Left Behind is a terrible piece of legislation, but it has done one good thing and that is it requires all students who attend school to take and to score at an acceptable level in order to meet promotion standards. To do this we must be able to attract, to hire, and to retain the best qualified teachers we possibly can.

The status quo can not be acceptable in our schools, we must continue to improve in order to meet the educational needs of our children.

Excellence in education will take proper financing.

We will come to you in the future with definite needs in our request for excellence. When we do, please listen to us and make your decision on what you feel is needed to give all the children of Henderson County the same chances to succeed as we, as a board of education feel, that they deserve.

In closing, I would like to end with a personal observation.

When we offered Ralph Grimm the superintendency, we committed to a long, determined uphill battle.

I thought then, and I think now, that Ralph Grimm is one of the most knowledgeable educators I have ever dealt with, and I believe he is the long range solution to providing excellence in education over the next 5 years.

Richard W. Clifton
Member of Unit #235


A Mom's Recipe

Dear Editor,

Good Morning and Happy New Year!

I am looking for a "homemade noodle" recipe my mother, Kathryn Peasley use to make when I was a child.

She was always going to show and teach me how to make them, but as always, we never got around to it.

Now my sister, Linda and I are trying to remember and recreate this recipe.

The one thing I remember is " take the eggshell and measure (blank) that is how much you use". We thought maybe someone in the area could help us out.

I look forward to the day The Quill comes. I do not know many people any more but it is a warm reminder of my home and the place I grew up.

Regards,

Barbara (Peasley) Thatcher

California

(formerly Stronghurst)