Letters - Saturday

NOT-SO-SUPER SUPER?

D-11 should have searched before settling on Bishop

Craig Cox listed Terry Bishop’s administrative failures and inability to keep his promises (“Bishop a disappointment as D-11 superintendent,” Other Voices, Aug. 24). I would like to address certain aspects of his administrative style.

I have been a substitute teacher in District 11 for 14 years, and when I tried to approach Bishop about the treatment of substitutes, it took me more than four months to get an appointment with him. I found Bishop incapable of keeping certain promises, and to be a less-than-caring administrator. He seems to meet the needs of a politicized school board, which needs a superintendent who is very much aware of which way the political winds blow.

Colorado Springs continues to have an increasing population; however, paradoxically, District 11 loses almost 1,000 students per month to home schooling, parochial schools and other districts. Bishop’s style and skills during his tenure as acting superintendent have done nothing to stop this hemorrhaging. Therefore, instead of hiring him on a permanent basis, wouldn’t it have made more sense to hold a nationwide search for a superintendent with a record of success in healing the failures of systems like ours?

Herb Weinberg

Colorado Springs

FAST CASH

Prize money shouldn’t go to marathon officials

My family has been a part of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent for more than 23 years. We have volunteered and at least two family members have run the marathon every year. I have always been excited about the marathon weekend, until this year.

The Ascent and Marathon have always been people’s races with no prize money. The idea was that to say you did it was prize enough. Matt Carpenter has been lobbying for prize money for the race for years. He now sits on the board of directors and this year he got his wish. Not only did the Ascent and Marathon offer prize money, but Carpenter won, not one race but both.

I am appalled that Carpenter was allowed to race for the prize money since he sits on the board of directors. That seems to me to be a conflict of interest. I urge the board to reconsider its decision to allow Carpenter to race and collect awards while sitting on the board. I also urge the board to go back to the roots of the race and keep it a people’s race.

Meggan Michaels

Colorado Springs

HOLLYWOOD HISTORY

Movies can augment teachings from books

Ralf Zimmerman is correct and Anne Wadman is misinformed (“Showing only Disney does students no good,” Other Voices, Aug. 16; “Students would benefit from exposure to literature,” Letters, Aug. 24). In many local school districts, both Elie Wiesel’s “Night” and Anne Frank’s diary are read by students as a part of the English curriculum. “Schindler’s List” can never replace either Frank’s or Wiesel’s works. However, selected scenes from the film can greatly enhance the books and make them more understandable and real to young people who today are 60 years removed from the horrors of the Holocaust.

In the same way, a social studies teacher who requires his students to read Cornelius Ryan’s “The Longest Day,” might use the invasion scenes in “Saving Private Ryan” to add both drama and a graphic sense of reality to this outstanding history of the Normandy invasion.

Banning a film because of its rating rather than its relevance is a hindrance to good teachers who use whatever tools they have, including audio-visual aids, to convey knowledge to their students.

Holmes Brannon

Woodland Park

ST. PADDY’S DAY 7

Record shows activists committed no crime

I must clarify several points J. Michael Rice got incorrect in his letter about the trial of the St. Patrick’s Day peace activists (“Activists must be accountable for their wrongful actions,” Aug. 30). The freedom of speech and peaceable assembly guarantees of the First Amendment were never brought up in court.

It would be difficult to use subterfuge to hide our message when we walked down the middle of Colorado Avenue in 2006 with the same message. We were in the staging area and parade for an hour and 34 minutes in 2007.

This is subterfuge?

This idea comes from the original misinformation given to the police by parade officials that made the false assumption we had snuck into the parade from a side street to protest. This was proven wrong in a court of law. Parade organizer John O’Donnell was given misinformation, the police were given misinformation, and Gazette readers have been given misinformation. Somehow, six months later, all anyone can quote is this misinformation.

A juror I talked to after said the trial said obstruction wasn’t proven because it didn’t happen, other than us being stopped in the street. The judge’s instructions to the jury that the crime didn’t have to happen for the jurors to find intent is what hung them up.

Our intention was to walk, smile, flash the peace sign, give out candy and celebrate a happy day with the rest of the town, our children and grandparents.

Mark Lewis

Colorado Springs

SHORT TAKES

Cox’s continuing critiques lack a certain credibility

One has to question the conviction of Craig Cox’s beliefs when he voluntarily left a position on the District 11 board where he could actually try to institute them or work toward their implementation (“Bishop a disappointment as D-11 superintendent,” Other Voices, Aug. 25). As it is, his comments are, at best, constructive criticism and, at worst, heckling from the peanut gallery.

Alan McClellan

Colorado Springs

Hospitals should focus on care, not architecture

My husband and I have had a chance to visit three new hospitals in past six months, as patients and/or visitors. They were in Parker, Aurora and the new Memorial. Our thoughts on all of these were that they spend too much on the building costs. They must spend a fortune on the architecture, materials and labor.

I believe all of us would appreciate a rectangular building, nice nurses, efficient doctors and lower medical costs.

Cheryl Lafon

Colorado Springs

Bishop’s Castle comic captured man’s spirit

I had to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed Dave Philipps’ feature on Bishop’s Castle. His comic delightfully captured the spirit of Jim Bishop and his incredible castle. Bishop is living his heart’s desire, and his castle is a reminder for us all to dream big.

Sue Bigus

Colorado Springs

NO WORRIES

County wiretaps help protect us from criminals

I disagree with The Gazette’s Aug. 23 Our View, “Wiretap dancing.” I do not find 24 wire taps in a year’s time as an alarming number, especially in light of the results they achieved.

There is always a chance of abuse of power by individuals within the system. Under The Gazette’s theory, we should not have a police force because some individuals might abuse their police powers. Obviously this does happen, but I would still rather have the police force for the greater good it provides.

Dwight Underwood

Colorado Springs