Letters to the Editor - Lakeville Journal - 3-2-17

Wants more opinion pieces like Schiller’s

I hope everyone who reads your paper read Cordelia Schiller’s guest commentary in the Feb. 16 edition. It was a literate, intelligent and thoughtful essay about the closing of the Grand Union in Millerton, the changing natures of our towns, her own experiences as a part-time employee at the store and the lessons she learned there about herself and others. I was so very impressed by her descriptions and conclusions, and by the maturity and skill of her writing. It is hard to believe that she is still a student.

I do wish that the Journal were able to publish more articles of this kind, articles which could cause us to reflect on our lives here in this beautiful place, and to consider the value added by all the lives in our community. It would make a nice change from the relentless weekly political venting and ranting, surely we’ve all had enough of that by now. 

Pamela Osborne

Salisbury

Support The Lockup in Salisbury, please

While The Lockup restaurant was being constructed last summer, I was impressed by the open arms it extended to the community. We were welcome to come in, see what was up, ask questions, etc. It was exciting to see this new venue opening in the middle of our town. And before the official opening, there was the free cocktail party, also open to the community. Since that time, my husband and I have eaten there often. In every case, we’ve had delicious food and great service. I’m addicted to their mussels; my husband likes the fresh pasta, and we both like the generous wine pours. The wait staff has always been pleasant and accommodating; the owners are charming, professional and warmly hospitable.   

So I was surprised to read recently in The Journal that negative rumors are circulating about the place. I can’t comment on the tipping issue, not my area of expertise. From the article it sounded as if the owners are merely trying to abide by the law, inconvenient as it may be. As for financial problems, well maybe. They went above and beyond in the restaurant’s construction, beautiful tile, imaginative layout. It probably did cost a lot. And, importantly, would make no sense if they intended to fly the coop soon — one of the rumors.

Every time I’ve been in the restaurant, it’s been full up, so it seems we are not the only ones who appreciate the good food and the kind of fun ambience. I wish The Lockup, its owners and its staff well. I hope our community will continue to give them the warm welcome they have extended to us. 

Marjorie Palmer

Taconic 

Need action on global warming

Watching the news each day

Shows global warming is here to stay

We must all rally round

And work for change that is sound

Top priority for us all

More important than a wall

Our leaders must address this threat

Not sit there as their donors pet

Meanwhile the Trump just tweets and lies

While at Mar-A-Lago takes his porky pies

And cons us all, pretending to work

And sits there with his awful smirk

Rally, resist do what you can

To insist that they come up with a plan

Michael C. Kahler

Lakeville

E pur si muove!

“E pur si muove!,” Galileo said to the consensus in science of his time, indeed in response to the latter day 97 percent of religious zealots. Of course, one has to recognize that science without validation is religion, like much of the rhetoric describing global warming and climate change today. As the late Professor Hal Lewis said, “the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it that has corrupted so many scientists … It is the greatest and most successful pseudoscientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist.” 

And Lewis, with other physicists, understood that CO2 can cause warming, they just questioned how much. Their response was resignation (https://bit.ly/2m8RXRD) from the American Physical Society over that society’s religious statements.

The science of climate is still in its infancy in terms of accurate scientific understanding.  The building of such scientific understanding requires specialization from many areas. Climate science requires contributions from astronomy, solar physics, geology, geochronology, geochemistry, atomic and molecular physics, satellite engineering, sedimentology, plate tectonics, paleontology, paleoecology, glaciology, climatology, meteorology, electrical engineering, oceanography, ecology, archaeology and history, at very least. Climate science must necessarily include understanding of previous historical climate changes with their causes. There is no such person as a climate scientist, even if a college degree is so given by a presumptuous university. Such a person would have to be a generalist without enough topical knowledge to be useful.

So how is the religion of human-caused climate change spread? By indoctrinating untutored minds of non-scientists, especially students. By conflating it with successful science like Galileo’s measurements of planetary orbits, like Einstein’s theories of relativity, like Darwinian evolution and its follow-ons. By using association with notable scientific success, such peddlers of climate doom can hope to cover up their failures.  Any time a writer tries to use association to pass off current scientific work, beware of pathological fraud.

Scientists at NOAA, and related NASA groups, recently archived (https://archive.org/index.php) their data in Canada in fear of the current federal administration. But what kind of data would likely be erased by new administrators?  Well, it is quite possible that the modified data from NASA GISS might be questioned because there is no scientific reason for some of their changes. (https://bit.ly/2kVQRab)  

And therein lies the real problem: has the original data, unmodified, actually been used or has it already been modified to suit a political and financial purpose? And the comments of a NOAA scientist is worth noting to bring anyone into the complexity of the discussion. (https://bit.ly/2jS2QoD). Good science isn’t easy, scare factors aside.

And the sea still rises as it has been since the last glacial age, and it will continue to rise with the thermal expansion of warming, regardless of any political edicts to slow CO2 emissions. And the extra CO2 will continue to provide us with a more productive planet. (https://bit.ly/2lrTEd1) . 

John Mauer

Kent

The Lockup supports the community

Over the past six months, I have served on the St. Mary’s Refugee Committee, which has labored successfully to resettle the Syrian family, the Al Ghanems, into our community.

This committee gets its impetus from most local churches, generous individuals, and some governmental officials. I am writing as the individual responsible in assisting the father of the family to secure employment. I wish to respond to the recent article on the status of The Lockup restaurant, outlined in the Journal.

Within days of the family’s arrival in Salisbury, the Macaires, owners of The Lockup, hired the father to assist in the conversion of their building. After its completion, they generously offered him a position in the kitchen. As employers, they have shown extraordinary patience, understanding and compassion toward this individual as he adapts to a new language, culture and work environment. 

The Macaires should be commended for their commitment to launch a wonderful new establishment in our neighborhood and for providing a foothold for Mahmoud Al Ghanem and his family. 

John Pogue

Lakeville 

Pamela Vogel’s quest at HVRHS

After attending Thursday’s “Parent Communication” meeting at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, it is quite clear to me that Dr. Pamela Vogel has come to Region One on a singular mission of her own personal agenda.

She has decided to install a modified 4x4 block schedule on us country bumpkins, whom she believes relate to her rambling story of killing chickens.

Our school board was elected to represent the voices and concerns of the families and teachers of Region One. Instead we are being told that our voices won’t be heard, and that our concerns do not matter.

It was disheartening that not one Board of Ed member attended Thursday night’s meeting to hear their electoral questions, concerns and opinions. If our current Board of Ed members do not listen to the students, parents and teachers of Region One, then we should find new members that will. It is the Board of Ed’s responsibility to stand up to the incoming superintendent and be a voice for the taxpayers that pay Dr. Vogel’s salary.

I encourage everyone in Region One to visit a comprehensive, informational website on the 4x4 block.  https://www.jefflindsay.com/Block.shtml 

I will be calling on the board members to nullify Dr. Vogel’s contract before it becomes effective. Her unprecedented procedural violations starting with setting a controversial radically new schedule unilaterally for our children, without a known board vote, and without any public discussion until she was forced to hear us, in my opinion, is grounds alone for revocation of the offer.

What I believe is her hidden agenda was thankfully discovered before it became policy. 

Sim Winburn

proud parent of three HVRHS students

Sharon

HVRHS schedule: Do it right, not quickly

Region One Assistant Superintendent Pamela Vogel (soon to be superintendent) announced two weeks ago that Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) will be changing from a rotating six-block schedule to a modified four block schedule this fall. While parents were not informed, my daughter learned of this at school and came home with concerns about the new plan. She is a high honor roll student who enjoys her education at HVRHS. We decided a plan that could undermine our child’s education needed some research. We found the 4x4 modified block to be disturbingly inappropriate for the HVRHS students and school in many ways and the way it was being introduced to HVRHS even worse.  

After researching many schools who have switched to the 4x4, I was surprised to see Dr. Pamela Vogel being so rushed in her implementation. In order for a change of this magnitude to be successful, several things have to happen. 

First, all stakeholders must be on board — teachers, parents, students, and community organizations should have had the opportunity to investigate and evaluate the block schedule to determine if appropriate for this school environment, as it is not the right fit for all schools. Second, if it was deemed appropriate, they should have been allowed to help plan, design and implement the schedule. Third, if it was determined the block schedule would be a good fit for our school, then it is advised that “superintendents should require that, before schools move to a block format, principals and teachers spend from one to two years in staff development” (Dr. J. Allen Queen, Educational Consultant on Block Scheduling).   

Dr. Vogel is implementing the program with three months left to the school year. When we asked how staff would receive the necessary training, she replied, “They are professionals.” While I agree the staff at HVRHS is an amazing group of teachers who work hard at making sure our children receive the best education possible, it is not possible for them to switch to the new program so quickly and be nearly as effective at covering a year’s worth of material in 90 days and holding student’s interest day in and day out for 80-minute blocks.  

Among other things, teachers need to develop entirely new lesson plans and daily pacing to accommodate teaching for 80-minute blocks five days a week and to master seven to eight different instructional strategies to engage students for that period of time.  

In my opinion, it is irresponsible of Dr. Vogel to ignore the consensus advice of advocates of block scheduling by insisting on implementing it without bringing her intended plan to the stakeholders for review, and, more critically, by not providing teachers with the training needed to teach students effectively under this new scheme. That leads me to wonder  — why the rush? Why is it more important to do it now than do it right? 

Kim Fallon

Sharon

Resistance to new HVRHS scheduling is valid and needs to be heard

To understand our resistance, Dr. Vogel, you must first understand who we are.

We are one region, consisting of six towns that support each other and stand together. Our middle school students interact through sports, programs and social activities. Our high school students gather at HVRHS every day. Together we are strong, and together we are passionate. Perhaps the poor decisions you are making are a result of not truly understanding who we are. 

Your first poor decision, and the one that I believe bothers our community most, was your hasty decision to implement a modified 4x4 block schedule for 2017-2018, involving only the Board of Education and the administration in the decision-making process. You do not have the needed support of our students, our teachers, or parents to implement this change successfully.

What I believe was your second poor decision was to hold a Parent Communication Meeting that consisted of a lengthy bio about yourself, followed by presentations by yourself and the administration. We came to the Parent Communication Meeting to ask questions and voice our concerns. Our questions were collected on note cards, sorted through and few were addressed.  When we spoke up, we were told: 1.) to sit down, 2.) we can discuss this later, 3.) read the literature, 4.) I don’t like your tone. This is not communication. This is silencing nearly 200 community members.

Your third poor decision was not inviting our HVRHS teachers to attend the Parent Communication Meeting. Our teachers were instead invited by a concerned parent, and the teachers who did attend, I was told, had been instructed not to speak by you. This is not a partnership.

The fourth poor decision was the absence of the Board of Education at the Parent Communication Meeting. My elected town representative, Bob Whelan, said to me, “Look forward to speaking Thursday!” When I asked you where the Board of Ed was, you said, “They were told not to come.” This is not accountability.

It would be in your best interest to agree to work with students, teachers and parents who are pleading with you to be included in this decision-making process. There are improvements that could be made at the high school that do not involve changing the schedule format. I oppose implementation of a modified 4x4 block schedule for the 2017-2018 school year. Additionally, I am uncomfortable with your communication, partnership and accountability with all of us in the community.

When you better understand who we are, and agree to consider our suggestions, data, concerns and questions, then you will earn our support and cooperation to succeed. If you truly mean your “focus is on increased learning and providing every opportunity possible to students, so that they are prepared and successful beyond high school,” please do the right thing. This is who we are. 

Lynsey Anderson

Sharon

Takes issue with Lockup article

I thought your article last week (Feb. 23) on The Lockup restaurant was a bit snarky and not worthy of The Lakeville Journal.

It brought to mind the review you gave to the White Hart some years ago, which I believe essentially caused the demise of that restaurant.

I truly hope that doesn’t happen to The Lockup! Great food, great people and a lively and elegant setting.

I’ll be giving them patronage for a long time to come. 

Maureen Bateman

Lakeville

HVRHS scheduling is already exceptional

As teachers and parents in the Region One School District continue to object to the modified 4x4 block schedule being implemented at Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS) this fall, I would like the broader community to know that these objections are not knee jerk reactions to change. Common sense alone is sufficient to tell most people that the new schedule is inferior to what is in place at HVRHS today and the research bears that out. To understand our objections in greater detail, I advise readers to visit www.stoptheblock.org, a website created by concerned parents to provide more information.

HVRHS already uses a sophisticated schedule that goes far beyond a modified 4x4 block in offering real benefits to both students and teachers. Under the existing schedule, students enroll in eight classes. There are six class periods each day, two longer than the others. Each class is held three times in a four-day rotation, twice in a short block and once in a longer block. This gives teachers flexibility to tackle more in-depth material occasionally, as needed. It keeps class times short enough to hold students’ attention. It gives students a break from each class once every four days. Classes rotate so that neither students nor teachers have to suffer with the same class first thing in the morning every single day (or missing the same class every day due to sports or other activities). The 4x4 block schedule advocates often contrast it to the archaic schedules used when our grandparents went to school. But if a traditional fixed schedule is the horse-and-buggy and the 4x4 block is the automobile, then at HVRHS, we’re already flying in hover cars.

Most readers are well aware of declining enrollments in our schools. In the Leadership Profile prepared to assist Region One in hiring a new assistant superintendent, author Mary Broderick stated, “Another enrollment issue for Region One is attrition of some students to local independent schools between grades eight and nine. The draw of these competing schools requires greater communications/marketing sophistication to make residents keenly aware of the successes of the Region One schools.” 

Additionally, our communities face problems attracting young families. Our volunteer fire and ambulance squads have pointed this out. A recent article in the Register Citizen quoted Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway as saying that a big issue facing the region is whether increasingly elderly communities can survive without attracting young families. And a 2010 Salisbury report on affordable housing says that anticipated result of declining enrollments at Salisbury Central School is closing of some school buildings and fewer jobs for teachers and staff. 

In light of these challenges, the Board of Education should put an immediate stop to Dr. Pamela Vogel’s unilateral decision to implement a program that will result in a decline in the quality of education of students at HVRHS, drive more families than ever to private schools and give young families looking at Region One another reason not to move here 

Dennis Fallon

Sharon

What outcome from Trump presidency?

It is with a feeling of enormous disbelief and despair when I hear the message coming from this presidential administration. Clearly, it is a message of divisiveness, exclusion, bigotry and fear mongering. It is shocking that our country has slipped back into a “good old boys” network when we have made such progress in our nation.

The total lack of regard and the indifference of this administration toward anything but their own agenda is extraordinary. Making America great again has been their motto, but in reality, America is already great and their policies are endangering that the office of the presidency is the highest one of this country and should be treated with dignity, respect, careful thought and for the good of us all, not for the selected elite.

We are the standard for other countries and I have to ask, what will our country look like in four years? I am not optimistic that it will be one of the diversity and enlightenment that has been peeking through the clouds of racism that have haunted our country for so long. We must be vigilant in the face of this chaos and keep moving our nation forward, or we will pay the price. 

Gretchen M. Gordon

Sharon

Clarifying HVRHS process

On Feb. 16, 2017, four members representing the Housatonic Valley Regional Faculty Association met with reporter Patrick Sullivan to discuss the proposed high school scheduling plan. We appreciated the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Sullivan, but wish to provide some clarification about a point in the article discussing the stakeholder groups that research indicates must be involved for any schedule change to be successful.  

While four of the five stakeholder groups were not engaged, information provided at that time indicated that the building principal had developed his own modified schedule, which addressed all of the articulated needs. The principal’s schedule had been shared with the school leadership team, but was later rejected for consideration. In January, Dr. Martinez informed faculty that we would be moving to a semester block schedule, and that he had been directed as such. 

Nur Abdulhayoglu

Housatonic Valley Regional Faculty Association

Professional Rights and Responsibilities

Falls Village

With apologies to Shakespeare

Now is the Winter of our dissent…

Pray glorious Summer survives the Liar

Who capers Rudely in ladies’ chambers,

Remaining determined to prove the Villain

To please himself and cronies like Bannon.

Plots they have laid, making life more dangerous.

Devising Untruths to turn all against the Other,

For when people smile easily upon one another,

Fiends have no purpose, their war profits curtailed.

This cannot be, down in our Souls we know…

Against Treachery, take no delight to pass away time.

Rise up, Resist, confront these Louts who steal the sun.

Robin O’Connor

Lakeville

Borderline

Every tyrant depends on having an enemy. Every tyrant needs a myth about this “enemy.” They like to form loyal militias (proposed 10,000 to 15,000 new border patrol personnel.) And every tyrant needs a crowd that is ready to identify itself by rejecting others. Some of President Trump’s supporters also seem to like having an enemy. The president feeds them inflammatory misinformation, satisfying an impulse for undeserved punishment.

The president has determined that a people of color are the enemy. He rants, “Get them the hell out of here.” 

He has generated a toxic myth and falsehood about the alleged criminality of Latinos, treating them as less than human. This odious response to an illusory enemy is contrary to the best values and heritage of our country. It seems like an extreme ideology hiding behind a pretense of maintaining law and order.  Meanwhile, President Trump’s actions strike terror in the Latino community and distress in friends and classmates.

A Real Fact: With multiple attestations, the statistics reveal that first-generation immigrant Latinos have a crime rate lower than the national average.

Trump goes after the poorest and most vulnerable in our country. It’s billionaires against the powerless.

 The president’s recent changes in immigration laws means that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents have very few constraints on whom they arrest.

Some years ago, I met a 17-year-old youth in Nogales, Mexico. Alejandro had just been dropped off by one of ICE’s gray buses with dark windows. He had come north to escape gun violence in El Salvador. He had hoped to earn money to send back home. He was broke but would try to cross again.  

The passage through Mexico to El Salvador is very dangerous, both directions. There are real criminals there. They hold hostage those are who trying to cross the border until their family pays an exorbitant ransom for release. The large criminal cartels in Mexico are brutal. Murder and rape are not uncommon. No sane person would want to make that journey twice.

If Alejandro were apprehended crossing the border now for a second time, he would be charged with a felony, held in jail, and then rushed through a heartless judicial process (about a minute per person) with 40 or 50 other prisoners dressed in orange and with shackled hands and legs. 

Most likely, Alejandro would be sent to a detention camp run by CoreCivic: “In an earnings call last week, the private prison giant CoreCivic (formerly known as the Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA) announced that it saw the ICE detention expansion as a business opportunity.” CoreCivic prefers long sentences.

Clearly, there is a real criminal element at the border. They should be apprehended. But people like Alejandro are really refugees. They just don’t have the resources to apply for refugee status. Life itself is still good and beautiful, but our world is changing rapidly in shocking ways.

“America! America! God shed His grace on thee.” 

John Carter

Lakeville