Your source for community topics and thoughts

Sounding off on new high school
“So when are we getting the new high school we keep getting promised? The existing school is in awful condition and is really an embarrasment for the city of Hartselle. I think some of the problem is cleanliness. At any given time there is trash all over and you can hardly ever find toilet paper, napkins and never soap in the bathrooms. I don’t know if there is a shortage of janitors or if the ones we have are just too busy socializing with the students to get much work done. Which I feel is a big problem that needs to be addressed as well. If we are stuck with this school for a while then it needs to be cleaned and made to be as nice as possible There is never any soap in the bathrooms and it’s just nasty in that school.”

“Every year I read this “no bathroom tissue, no paper towels, no soap, trash every where, lazy custodians,” crap from other blogs and here on esound, about Hartselle schools. Every year what is missing in the complaints, is the primary reasons that sometimes this occurs.
1. Students that are incapable of hitting the waste cans after they dry their hands, and aren’t willing to pick up the used paper towels off the floor, after they miss the cans.
2. Students that go into the restrooms, remove the tissue, cram it into the toilet, in an effort to stop up the toilet and cause an overflow.
3. Students that go into the restrooms, and either waste the soap, or damage the dispensers.
4. Students that deliberately go into restrooms and urinate on floors instead of the proper place.
5. Students that are hell bent on destruction and thievery.
Just as these kids do this at school, one can just imagine what they do at home.
I’d hate to think I had to clean up after a couple thousand kids. It doesn’t take many bad apples to spoil the entire bunch.”

“For the age of the current high school building, I think it’s faired well, and is in acceptable condition, and yes, I have been in there recently. Find something more credible to gripe about!”

“The condition of the school is pretty bad but considering its age what does one expect. The building itself is holding up well I guess. I do think more could be done to make it a more clean and sanitary place for the students. I too would hate to think I had to clean up after that many students but if that was my job and that’s what I got paid to do then so be it!”

“As I student of HHS, I have to say in the girls restroom this does not occur. Students do not do anything you mention. Yes sometimes they miss the trash can, and they do not pick it up. That is the only thing we maybe do on your list. Now in about half the bathrooms there is never soap. This is beyond disgusting. When I use the restroom, I would like to wash my hands.”

Sounding off on school board
“Elected paid school board or unpaid volunteer school board equals one group who can be manipulated by those who pay them, even if it’s not in the best interest of the students! One group doesn’t have an agenda, or motives for policies they decide upon only the best interest of the students!”

Boys’ home closure a great loss
“Without these homes there are children with nowhere to go and even worse we are sending kids from our communities to other counties because of a shortage of homes and foster parents. This in return doesn’t allow much success in putting a broken home back togather because of the distance between them. My husband and I currently have a child that came from a boys home in Killen. This was a life changing experience for us but no child deserves to be with out a parent and when their’s fail someone has to take pick them up and offer them stability, and a loving, caring enviroment. In working with DHR one day he may return but it’s a long hard process and it has its ups and downs. These children suffer at the expense of our failure. I think a lot of the failure of this particular home is from “political” failure which in return leads to the homes failure because of money. Our community supported it but when money started leaving the facility and not staying in “our community” people began to become frustrated and in return did not support it. In a perfect society maybe things can change and that home can open it’s door again either through the sheriff’s office or private donors. I will pray for those children whose stability has been lost because of our failure and hope that can find peace in a new home soon. I know our child bounced from 3 or 4 homes before we brought him into our family. This “adventure” has brought us new found respect and opened our hearts even more. I thank God everyday that he was brought into our lives.”

Sounding off on weather sirens
“North Alabama dodged a huge bullet regarding the weather. It’s a miracle in itself, that the damage from the storms was as minimal as it was. One thing I noticed was the emergency sirens. At times they were difficult to hear, other times I could hear Falkville’s better. Inside our home, it was impossible to hear them at all. If I am not mistaken, Hartselle only has three sirens to cover approximately 15 square miles. Sound intensity is altered depending on wind, atmosphere, etc. Point being, we need more sirens ASAP.
One good thing about the storms, they occurred during the day, as opposed to night when people would be sleeping. I’m not criticizing anyone on this, just making an observation. I’m not sure what the costs of purchasing and installing more sirens would be, but I do think it would be money well spent.”

The Hartselle Enquirer’s e-sound off is an  opportunity for residents to provide anonymous comments about community issues. All comments are subject to editing. The Editor reserves the right to refuse publication. In the event of several submissions on a single topic, a representative comment may be used. Comments can include your thoughts on local issues, questions about policies or procedures or praise for a community group, business or person. Email your comments to news@hartselleenquirer.com with “Sound-off” in subject line.