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Mar
17
2006
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by Jim Evans
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Friday, 17 March 2006 |
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We all have an interest in keeping the Lansing Star with us and prospering. To do that, we can show off how well informed we are on the school district’s capital improvements, for instance, and urge everyone to read this wonderful source of information and entertainment. We can help in an even easier way, as well: Click on the ads. As you bounce around the site, click on each ad in the headers and margins at least once per issue. The advertisers will “see” the clicks and know their money is getting results. It only takes a second; you can go back to the Star page without even reading the ad if you’re not interested. Every click counts and helps us get the Lansing Star for free! From: Jim Evans
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Mar
17
2006
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 17 March 2006 |
I thought the quick reversal on the decision to move the 5th grade to the Elementary School was probably inevitable. The devil was in the details -- there just wasn't enough time to get it all done. When you make a move of that magnitude it's not just the basic classrooms that are affected.
But I thought I was hearing more people up in arms about the process of the decision making than about the actual idea of moving the 5th grade. That bothered me. I understand people wanting more input or better communication. I also understand how the mandate to move the district office by August seemed to make the timing critical. I am now trying to separate how much of the uproar was about doing what's best for our kids and how much was about protecting the status quo.
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Mar
10
2006
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 10 March 2006 |
I currently have two kids in Lansing Middle School. In both cases I thought they were too young to start Middle School in 5th Grade. So I think that moving 5th grade to the Elementary School is a great idea. Kids that age, in my opinion, are not old enough to deal effectively with the hustle and bustle of Middle School life, moving from classroom to classroom every 40 minutes, or mature enough to take responsibility for their agendas.
I felt that those distractions took far too much attention away from academic pursuits. Process became more important than substantive learning. There was more emphasis on getting work done exactly on time than there was on doing good work and mastering the material.
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Mar
03
2006
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 03 March 2006 |
With two Lansing tax initiatives placed on hold and Ithaca's defeat of the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) initiative, some municipal boards are learning valuable lessons and integrating them into their plans. Others -- the jury is out.
I'm reminded of an incident that occurred when I was a senior in college. They were building a new theater complex on campus and there was no funding for stage lighting. The Theater Department Chairman was concerned that he would have a beautiful facility with no way for audiences to actually see the events. So he stayed up late one night with the budget and when he was done the lights were funded, but there was no money for seating. That was a need the Alumni could understand and lo and behold! They raised more money!
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Feb
24
2006
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by Dan Veaner
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Friday, 24 February 2006 |
When I talked to Town Councilman Bud Shattuck about his idea to enact a sex offender law he asked me what I thought about the idea. I'm all for it. I have kids, and we did have a sex offender on our street some years ago, so it hits close to home. In fact I can't think of anyone who would be against it, except, perhaps, the offenders themselves.
As I wrote the story I thought, "How would I feel if I were a sex offender? If I'd done my time, wouldn't my debt to society be paid? Why register, why be subjected to public scrutiny after serving my sentence?" Then I thought "There are some times when it shouldn't matter what the other person feels. Political correctness shouldn't count when our children's safety is concerned."
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