Letters to the Editor Feb. 04, 2010

We are caregivers, not caretakers, and proud of it

As a “caregiver,” I’d like to address the usage of that word versus “caretaker.”

Caregiving is what you do. Make sure those you care for are active, alert, coherent, clean, comfortable and interact with others. Sit with the consumer, watch television, sit in the ER, go to appointments and have a conversation with them.

If they’re seniors, take them to the senior center. There’s a special bus for them.

We are caregivers, not caretakers, and proud of it!

Theresa Wenger

Crescent City

We’re more concerned about student health than education

Regarding the Saturday article, “Board cuts summer offerings,” our school budget is getting the raw end of the deal. Being a kid growing up in Crescent City is relatively hard enough. Without the opportunity to rely on summer school to finish up the school year, kids will continue to fall behind.

It’s fairly easy to understand why, with all the lessened opportunities that the children of Crescent City face every day by simply just living in a small town. Now these children are going to have to stay behind a grade.

These children are going to lose a level of confidence that is necessary for mature growth. Confidence that will be deprived from the embarrassment of being held behind a grade, the possible ridicule from their previous educational generation, and by that of their new class.

Granted, some may say that these children are at a state of misfortune caused by their own doing, and I agree. But as adults, teachers, and leaders of this community, our job is to provide a helpful hand and a way out of this “rut,” so to say, a rut that was more than likely caused by boredom, which generated the lack of motivation.

Instead of spending the school district’s money on summer school, somebody, not pointing any fingers, decided to spend it on nutritional advisors to fight obesity in our schools. So it has been written, the funding for these nutritional advisors came from the Network for a Healthy California, but it is hard to believe that this organization has financed the whole program along with the new dietary guidelines, training, employee salary, food preparation etc.

Great, we are more concerned about our children’s body-fat percentage than their education. Well at least our kids can consume a healthy diet rather than a healthy dose of history class. Lastly my friends, why must we take away the opportunities of our children, especially when it’s not their fault that we have to cut back on spending. Adults do the spending, make the budget, choose decisions, and adults made the mistakes that caused the budget to be so low.

Joseph Burrell

Crescent City

Panhandling ordinance will not solve homeless problems

The new city ordinance will help control panhandling, but will not eliminate the problem at the 101 Shopping Center all together. What is needed is an on-site security guard, which is present at shopping centers in other towns.

Without a security guard many incidents will go unreported and shoppers will continue to avoid the area. With a security guard, our police force will be free to pursue other crimes.

Because the state has announced that it will be releasing a great number of non-violent prisoners in the near future without a means of support, those on probation in Del Norte County will need a halfway house. Without this control, panhandling will become rampant, as well as other problems.

Continue to help those homeless holding up signs as their only hope. Our hard-working charities cannot, and do not, provide all essentials.

Carolynn Starr

Crescent City