Four-Period Day Deserves a Try
I am currently in the 11th grade at Bel Air High School. I am writing in favor of the proposed four-period day. I feel very strongly about it. I also feel that the students will be able to learn better, and mostly the underclassmen will benefit from it more, because they will have a longer time to work with it than the seniors. It will prepare students for a college experience. Students will be able to take more classes . . . with the eight classes instead of seven.
I understand that there may be some controversy with the parents, but every student will benefit. My reason for believing this is there will be less homework because of more time in the classrooms, and also working with your peers helps kids learn more easily because you are learning from each other, not just the teacher.
Some students and teachers have been to other schools that are engaged in the four-period day and say that attendance and grades have improved. Superintendent of Schools Ray Keech was all for it. I think a lot of parents discouraged him from it. Parents need to realize that having the four-period day will only improve their children's knowledge. We are not giving it a chance.
In a way, I don't even feel that it is really up to the parents. It's good for them to give their opinion, but I don't think that Dr. Keech should have based it all on them. They are not the ones who need to go through this. It's our education.
Many people feel that Dr. Keech did not let Bel Air High School have the four-period day because he didn't want to deal with the parents. . . . The students aren't being heard. I don't think the four-period day will hurt students, it can only benefit them.
Beth Heimbach
Bel Air
Sauerbrey's Folly
First, the fiscal conservative Ellen Sauerbrey couldn't admit defeat and pursued a lawsuit constructed on air that cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. Now, since she was open enough to report $25,000 from the National Rifle Association, suddenly it is again Gov. Parris Glendening who is in the wrong.
Just remember, without her frivolous lawsuit, there would have been no need for the defense fund. It's about time we start paying attention to the way our state is being governed instead of knee-jerk reacting to manipulative charges.
Let's concentrate instead on the fact that our governor is intent on keeping business and bringing new businesses to the state. Harford County is one of the first recipients of this drive. He also has pledged that taxes will not be increased during his administration and, with careful planning and keeping a watchful eye on fiscal disasters being orchestrated in Washington, will be working for tax reduction.
Alice Smith
Edgewood
PG Surprises
The fiscal surprises continue in Prince George's County.
During the election campaign for governor, it was gleefully claimed that Prince George's County was to be left with a $45 million surplus. It was enthusiastically proclaimed that the 12 years under Parris Glendening were years of progress and fiscal responsibility.
Surprise, surprise!
The Feb. 16 Sun reported a number of strange facts. Prince George's County:
* Has a $131 million shortfall in its budget.
* Faces a layoff of 830 people and other budget cuts.
* Plans to close six libraries.
* Plans to eliminate the "golden parachutes" that reward selected individuals for so-called involuntary separation in the pension plan of county government.
* Faces negotiated provisions in union contracts that guarantee no layoffs.
* Has some of the most lucrative pensions and fringe benefits in the state.
A high Prince George's County union official is quoted as saying, "I hope the state of Maryland doesn't end up this way. The same people are going up there who headed things down here."
Surprise, surprise!
It seems that lying and concealing the truth is a way of life for some politicians. It always surprises me that most of the media only uncovers the real stories after it is too late for preventive or remedial action.
The state of Maryland had a clear choice, and chose the "snake oil" pitch of Parris Glendening instead of Ellen Sauerbrey and her truthful medicine. We now hear that Ellen is a sore loser, and is not bringing out the true facts about a tainted election.
The winner and the attorney general are downplaying the entire problem and the questionable results. Who do you believe? Who is telling the truth now? I hope the voters in this state get more luck than they deserve.
Fred C. Lange
White Hall
Rapists, Speeders?
I would like to thank the editors of The Sun for running the recent story on the abduction and gang rape of a 13 year-old girl by 10 youths.
How many more victims do we need before we ask ourselves if our crime-fighting priorities and law enforcement priorities are in synchronization with the needs of the people? I think most people would agree that preventing violent crimes is certainly more important than enforcing traffic violations. And yet, the majority of our state police resources are geared toward enforcing speed limits on Maryland's highways.
Let's face the fact that Maryland is now the seventh unsafest state in America, where gang rapes and abductions of 13-year-old girls can occur in broad daylight. Let's also face the facts that highway deaths have continued to decrease over the past few years even while driving speeds have increased to the point where the Maryland State Police commissioner can claim that 15 percent of all Maryland drivers exceeded the highway speed limits by 20 mph.
In any case, should we continue to maintain our efforts at catching speeders or should we increase our efforts at preventing violent crimes? It certainly is strange that nobody doubts the state police's logic that simply having an unmanned police car parked on Interstate 95 is enough to deter speeders, and yet nobody seems compelled to ask if violent crimes can be deterred by having manned state police cars parked day and night in the crime-ridden neighborhoods of Baltimore.
If it will make our neighborhoods safer, let's get our state police off the highways and into the crime-ridden neighborhoods where they can do the law-abiding citizens the most good. Let's stop spending tax dollars on expensive radar guns, lasers and helicopter patrols to catch speeders and redirect the money to ++ hire more city police officers.
Undoubtedly, the Fraternal Order of Police may object to this proposal on the grounds that the state police have no jurisdiction in Baltimore, but let me mention that the recent state police raid on The Block has clearly established a precedent for employing state police in the city of Baltimore to fight crime.
Thomas E. Maloney
Bel Air