By Staff
Field trip was great experience
Editor,
Hartselle's own historic Tabernacle was the site of a recent field trip for the sixth graders at Hartselle Junior High School. During the last three years, the sixth graders have cleared trash and prepared a walking trail on the grounds to create an outdoor classroom. Over a ton of debris was removed from the site by the students in previous years, creating a spectacular learning environment.
Their hard work and perseverance paid off as we spent the day participating in hands-on learning.
The outdoor classroom buzzed with activity as students rotated through 10 fun and informative stations. Grad Tanner gave the history of the Tabernacle. Ann Rabb told stories of her childhood to encourage responsibility and respect. Chris Keenum brought a display of furs and a snake, and discussed the wildlife in our area. Sport Bennich gathered students in a neighboring cotton field to discuss the cotton industry and everyone had the opportunity to pick cotton–many for the first time!
We also stopped by the creek with Marshall Carter and Bo Bohannon from Alabama Water Watch to check the water quality. Don Kimberly from International Paper shared his expertise on the forest. And several of our teachers manned stations on creative writing, making water colors from nature, survival in the woods, and a leaf scavenger hunt.
We ended the day under the giant cedars of the Tabernacle with a musical review by Johnny Whitley and Company.
Our day was made possible by grants and generous donations from our community.
We want to thank the myriad of volunteers who contributed to this event. The Tabernacle Board of Directors allowed the young people in our community to use this facility. The city of Hartselle hauled off trash and repeatedly sprayed for mosquitoes. Hartselle Police blocked off the road for our walk to the Tabernacle. Mark Harrison let us pick his cotton, while Bill and Kelly Russell allowed us to use their field for orientation. James Hayes cut the field and Benji Hughes made last minute site preparations. Jimmy Yarbrough, a retired teacher from our school, spent many hours on his tractor clearing new trails and cleaning up around existing trails. Darwin Halbrooks took a crew and cleaned up trails after all the wind from the hurricane. Jean-Marie Davis was our nurse for the day. Thankfully, we did not have an emergency.
Finally, we need to thank the many parents for their cooperation and supervision. Relocating 240 adolescents to the woods was a daunting task and would not have happened without them.
It is extremely rewarding to teach in a community where education is a priority and parents are supportive. Learning really takes place when students see the connection between the classroom and their world–and that is what happened, thanks to many of you! It was a day we will all remember.
Beth Rabb
HJHS sixth grade teacher
Bush is best choice for America
Editor,
As the election is now only a month away, the selection for a candidate is in doubt for many Americans. After careful consideration of the two candidates running for President, I am supporting President Bush and here is why.
First: Bush is decisive. He considers the facts and then makes the necessary decision to achieve the result. He immediately went after terrorists following the Sept. 11 attack on the Trade Towers. He has eliminated over 75 percent of al-Qaida's leadership. And he has taken the terrorist war away from our shores so we can enjoy relative peace in which to conduct our daily lives.
Second: Bush is a Christian who seeks God's counsel daily. He follows biblical morals, and is against abortion and gay marriages, which are both abominations in God's eyes.
Third: He is a good wartime leader. The fact we did not find any WMD, does not mean Hussein did not have any. In fact, he did. He used large amounts of chemicals against the Kurds. Bush was not the only one who mentioned WMD in Iraq. In the 1990's President Clinton referred to Iraq's WMD, and so did Madeline Albright. Bush supports the military leadership in running the war, and does not interfere with daily military operations in the field as did President Johnson in Vietnam.
Fourth: He is a compassionate and caring person. There are countless stories about his visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital, and meeting with families who have lost loved ones.
A vote for Kerry is to support abortion, allow gay marriages, more entitlements, and one who will demoralize our military as did President Clinton. In this unstable world, we must have a efficient and highly motivated military led by a determined, capable, and respected Commander-In-Chief. Bush is the best man for the job as America faces serious challenges to our way of life in years to come.
Robert Jaques
Hartselle
Stealing street signs is serious offense
Editor:
Someone is guilty. Is it you?
Who is harboring the criminals? The young criminals who continually steal the Katie Circle street sign?
Every parent who has encountered a Katie Circle street sign in their kids room is probably a partner in crime. And could possibly become a partner in a far more deadly situation, a situation that could turn your heaven into hell on earth.
When a residence on Katie Circle caught on fire, the fire department had to stop and ask directions to Katie Circle. How far did the roaring flames travel while they were asking directions? Should we have quick need for an ambulance, we would be in very serious trouble.
With these thoughts going through a parent's mind, how can they tolerate their darlings stealing street signs? I realize that some parents may think stealing a street sign is funny, just a kid thing. Not so. A street sign can, and sometimes does, mean the difference between life and death. Every parent that has a Katie Circle street sign in their home could be implicated in a felony charge.
Over the past 15 years, I have asked the street department to put the street sign on a utility pole that is nearby, up out of reach of these stealy little toads, but for whatever reason they refuse to do so. It should be noted that down the street about one half mile the street sign is on a utility pole. And to my knowledge, no one has stolen it in the last 15 years.
There are a number of resident of Katie Circle that could very well require an ambulance at any time. How long is it going to take to get the ambulance to the residence?
Roy Jones
Hartselle