Letters to the editor

Positive comments

… And now, for a change of pace regarding activities of the Polson School District, something positive to comment about.

It was my privilege to attend the opening night of the most recent PHS/Post Polson Players production. The students did a fantastic job in all respects and showed how blessed we are to have the Lewings and the fine supporting roster of volunteers in our midst!

I hope that the citizens of Polson, in addition to involved parents, took advantage of this opportunity to see our next generation in full flight. I certainly thank the entire ensemble for an evening of laughter – it was just what the doctor ordered for this playgoer!

Bob Hanson

Polson

Support the teachers

I am disappointed with the lack of support given to the fourth grade teachers at Linderman. They have large classrooms and still have given my fourth grade daughter a wonderful education.

I spoke with my daughter’s superb fourth grade teacher and told her how much I appreciate her skills and her caring of her students. Yes, I have attended events at the classroom and school. Have any of the board members? Despite all “the problems” the fourth grade teachers spend extra time putting together fun events such as “Who’s Smarter than a Fourth Grader,” and Poetry Cafe, to name a few.

Yes, my daughter’s teacher states she could use some help, so she can spend more time with each student. So where is her help? If the board and administration would quit with their own agendas and worry about the children, maybe they could get some extra aids for these large classrooms. Shame on board members Cox and Laimbeer for stating, “we agree” to the fourth grade classes being problematic. I know that neither of you have bothered to get in the trenches to ask the fourth grade teachers their opinions on solving the problems. Do you even know what the problems are?

As far as the Russells needing to come and attend a board meeting — that is ridiculous. I can read the board meeting minutes on the district site. Who in their right mind would want to come to such dysfunctional meetings? Until the board can put their issues aside and focus on the importance of the children, it is stupid to try to participate at these meetings.

I do not even know the Russells, but feel empathy for them. I feel their article did not paint a good picture of the fourth grade. I think they want smaller classrooms or aids to help the teachers, it didn’t come across that way. I was born and raised in this community and my father was a pillar businessman for over 40 years in Polson. My husband and I were away from Polson for over 10 years and lived in three other states. My husband had a job opportunity to move us back to Polson four years ago, and we were excited as we both got a good education in Polson and it is a safe place.

We question both of these things now, as the administration and board does not have the best interest of my children at heart. Safety is also questioned as there are no consequences in Linderman for badly-acting children. A wonderful child got his nose broken last week from a poorly-acting student who has already struck other children at least three other times, according to my daughter. Why is he still in school? This is a ticking time bomb. The administration needs to have consequences for children like this.

There are more than a few problematic children at Linderman that have gotten off easy. The middle school’s rules seem too harsh sometimes, but maybe they should be adopted in the Linderman, because I guarantee that child would have been expelled by now. Please support these fouth grade teachers, most of them work hard to give your children a good education.

Jennifer Campbell Salois

Polson

Bright smiles

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our local dental community for coming to Cherry Valley and Linderman schools to screen and present information on proper oral health to our students during Children’s Dental Health Month.

Dr. Bull, Dr. Heintz, Dr. Siemers, Dr. Windauer, Julie Cross, Cari Brown and Lori Picard each donated time to our schools. We are very appreciative of their willingness to share their expertise.

Darlene Cooper, R.N. and Millie Nesladek, R.N.

Polson

Baby birds

In these columns, over the last few weeks, there has been a continuing debate as to the intent of ICLEI and its association with the U.N. Agenda 21. One side has provided information that is substantiated in fact, while the other side has stated personal opinions devoid of any reference to reliable sources. This is an issue to which my fellow citizens should be paying close attention as it will affect their lives and the lives of their descendants for generations to come.

Anyone with a computer, internet access, a little internet savvy and a modicum of intellectual curiosity can quickly discover what ICLEI and Agenda 21 are about and make their own decision as to whether they are in favor of the future that these organizations are pushing for all Americans. Two of their visions, and these can be easily verified, are that a minimum 50 percent of all property in the U.S of A. will have no human habitation or human usage at all. Another of their goals is the end of ownership of all private property with all property being owned by the state (and I am not referring to the state of Montana).

Unfortunately, I feel that most of my fellow citizens are like baby birds. Baby birds wait patiently for their parents to return home to regurgitate food for them to eat. In the same manner our citizenry, for the most part, wait for the talking heads of the media to feed them what they “should” know. The media regurgitates information in a manner not meant to stimulate citizens to think, but instead to get citizens simply to memorize what they want citizens to know and accept.

Unfortunately, the normalcy bias is at play here, with very few realizing what is happening and most seeming not to care. People are too busy with all of the chaos they are exposed to from the media and are so distracted that they are unable to do any critical analyses or research of their own.

No society, in which people have experienced the freedoms which we have, has continued to flourish when the people in that society have become complacent and intellectually lazy. Our society is not immune to the forces which have ravaged and destroyed every society in the history of mankind. Our life, with the freedoms we have come to enjoy and take for granted, is well on its way out.

Now go back to sleep all of you Rip Van Winkles.

Dave Koger

Ronan