11-7 Letters to the Editor

  • Published: 11/9/2009 8:56:04 AM
Woodburn students doing great work
 
To the editor:
I have no problem with Mr. Cannon’s characterization of me or the decisions I’ve made (Oct. 31, Letters to the Editor). I am paid with taxpayer dollars and he has every right to express his opinions. I do, however, take offense with how he has portrayed our students.
 
First, it is important to know that the “protest” the students carried out wasn’t because they are spoiled and unappreciative of the lunch program.
 
They were upset because promises made by the former food services director were not being implemented. That’s it.
 
To describe our students as “spoiled brats” is completely contrary to reality. Our high school students are active community members and certainly give as much as they might get. Examples of this abound, but here are just a few:
 
1. Some of our students spent the summer tending a community garden and donated the fresh produce to the A.W.A.R.E. Food Bank; 
 
2. Last week, leadership students organized a blood drive and over 75 students donated to the American Red Cross;  
 
3. Halloween evening Woodburn High students collected food for the local food bank; 
 
4. Love Santa, Inc. would simply not exist without the generosity of our students and their families. Every year students at all levels donate thousands of pounds of food to this worthy cause;
 
5. Students have partnered with the city of Woodburn and helped construct playground equipment in our local parks;
 
6. Last spring, the Associated Student Body officers donated on behalf of the students in the four small high schools funds to send Mrs. Mary Tennant and her family to Washington, D.C. so they could attend a ceremony honoring her late husband, Tom;
 
7. Both middle and high school students participated in the annual Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce community clean-up activities, as well as the annual SOLV beach cleanup.
 
Every student in our Woodburn high schools participates at some level in community service. We believe it is important for students to learn compassion for others and the importance of giving back to one’s community. The vast majority are respectful, caring individuals.
 
If you would like to meet some, please let me know. I would be happy to give you a personal tour of our schools.
 
For those interested, the “free” lunch program we provide is one the federal government encourages for high poverty school districts. We have been participating in it for about six years. Even if it wasn’t provided, 90 percent of our students would qualify under the state and federal standards for free or reduced priced lunches. For some students, the school meals are the only ones they get.
 
As for transportation, the state requires that every student be transported to school who live a certain distance from the school.
 
For the youngest students, this is a half mile.
 
Older students must be transported if they live more than a mile from their school.
For better or worse, Woodburn (and the laws that govern us) has changed since the 1950s.
 
Walt Blomberg
Superintendent
Woodburn School District
 
 
Family appreciates love, care after passing of 103-year-old Alacoque Bartlett
 
To the editor:
To all neighbors, friends, caregivers and Orchard House staff, thank you for sharing your love and care and helping us celebrate 103 years of Alacoque Bartlett’s life. The cards, flowers and your presence, during this time of loss was greatly appreciated by all of Alacoque’s family.
 
Dianne Ferschweiler
Gervais
 
 
Many thanks for the help with Hubbard’s park reconstruction project
 
To the editor:
As president of Hubbard Parks Improvement Committee (HIPC), our committee appreciates the front page coverage and kudos from the Woodburn Independent staff regarding Walnut Vale Neighborhood Park. However, I felt special recognition should go to many volunteers and that is why I am writing this letter.
 
With the help of many energetic and generous local businesses, and wonderful volunteers, we broke ground Aug. 28 with the starting of excavation. The entire project was completed by Sept. 25.
 
A GameTime Obesity Grant of $5,260 helped purchase the play structure with matching funds from city of Hubbard park construction fund and HPIC, and fundraisers. Swings, basketball equipment, concrete, and Sof’Fall materials were still needed. This was accomplished with a few cash donations, plus again, funds from the city of Hubbard and HPIC.
 
We would also like to thank the entire neighborhood on Walnut Court for all their patience and cooperation, especially the many children who eagerly and patiently watched from a distance. A pizza party was held Oct. 19 to celebrate the open house.
Many thanks and special recognition to the following business volunteers: B&C Construction & Repair LLC, G. Cam Ltd., Duty Fence Co., Inc., Steve Haberstich Concrete Pumping, Triplett Wellman General Contractors, Bobcat West and McCain’s Shell.
 
Also, the following individual volunteers: Hubbard Public Works Superintendent Jaime Estrada, Sarah King, Ken Kleczynski, Linda Kleczynski, Tim Kleczynski, Julie Lemon, Dennis Peterson, Jens UIven and Hubbard City Councilor Bruce Warner.
 
Linda Kleczynski
President, Hubbard Parks
Improvement Committee
 
 
Times have changed, so has the WSD in regards to its lunch program
 
To the editor:
As a parent, community member and employee of Woodburn School District nutrition services, I would like to respond to Mr. Cannon’s recent letter to the editor (Oct. 31, Letters to the Editor). My remarks are my own personal thoughts with a few facts thrown in to clarify information.
 
The National School Lunch Program is a federally-assisted meal program, operating in over 101,000 schools. School districts that choose to take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and donated commodities from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve lunches that meet federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price lunches to eligible children.
 
For example, children from families with incomes at or below $28,665 are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between $28,665 and $40,793 are eligible for reduced price meals. Based on the high percentage of free and reduced-price incomes of our families in our community, the Woodburn School District has had the opportunity to participate in the National School Lunch Provision 3 program, which allows them to serve all children within the district breakfast and lunch at no cost to the children.
 
Nutrition services receives reimbursement based on the percentage of free, reduced and paid students they have participating. The WSD nutrition services budget is funded only by the reimbursements they receive from those meals they serve.
 
Currently WSD nutrition services employs 25 hardworking and dedicated individuals. I am not without flaws nor is this program. Improvement is constantly sought after. I have never served a meal to a “brat.” I have the opportunity to have over 600 children affect my life each day.
 
We, as adults, have no idea what the students leave at home when they step on the bus or enter the schools. I am grateful, Mr. Cannon, that you survived your childhood and young adult years without any additional help. But I can tell you from being on the front line that the world isn’t the same as when we grew up, life has changed and many of our young people need our support and care while they have to make choices and decisions about daily survival. I am grateful Superintendent Walt Blomberg has the backbone to gather the staff and students together at the high school and discuss solutions to the problems and carry forward with those solutions.
 
I feel that your solution to close the doors on the cafeteria, the lunch program and its employees because of a few flaws is similar to cutting off your left hand because it has a broken finger. The finger is fixable.
 
The following statement is on the WSD Web site: “Woodburn nutrition services believe in the children of our community. We are here to help provide the nourishment they need to grow both in body and mind; so that they may achieve the challenging goals they set.”
I am not perfect. I strive to be better.
 
I am extremely efficient in feeding the students we have in our schools.
 
I am very conscientious in my budgeting for my meals. I am professional in my standards.
 
I have the health and well-being of our students foremost in my mind and actions.
 
I live in Woodburn and am proud to have had my children attend our schools.
 
The issue of bussing is another letter for another day.
 
Kim Dennis
Woodburn
 
 
Join in offering healthy alternatives at Halloween
 
To the editor:
Another successful Halloween at our house. Success is having more than 90 bag-toting ghosts, goblins, Spidermen and other happy creatures at the door — offering to trick or be treated.
 
For the last two years, I’ve done my bit to fight obesity among children by replacing candy and caloric handouts with little presents.
 
To my delight, children loved choosing a little present and not one child complained about my no-candy collection.
 
To the contrary, as they walked away they had laughing debates about whether “my present is better than your present.”
 
Parents, needless to say, offered heartfelt thank yous.
 
My little presents were interesting and inexpensive items like decorated pencils, Miss Kitty ribbons, very small cars, bag clips, tiny bungee cords, small barrettes, highlighters, pint-sized note pads and tiny herb pots. For the under-4 crowd, I had a separate basket with plastic gourds, pumpkins and other non-choking items. These presents came in large packets sold for a buck at the Dollar Store and at the Wilsonville Target. Thank you, Target, for putting the Halloween collection of little presents at the front entrance and candy shelves out of sight.
 
Next year, won’t you join in a community campaign for healthy kids at Halloween? It will challenge your creativity to find or make attractive but inexpensive handouts.
 
It will warm your heart to watch children leave your door with smiles and laughter.
 
And it will help our society be a healthier place. Not bad for your Halloween gift to Canby.
 
The all-time favorite of my presents: some pretty rocks I found near Flathead Lake. 
As a boy left my door, he shouted to his mother, “Hey mom, mom. I got a real Montana rock.”
 
Barbara Karmel
Canby

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