Letters and comments for May 2, 2011

Good neighbors

To the Editor:

We are writing about a situation in our Buchanan Lane neighborhood. The neighborhood has always been a peaceful place to live. The neighbors were friendly, and we got along well. Then, circumstances changed. One of us decided to sell their home, the economy changed and they couldn’t get their price. Then all hell broke loose. It must be because there are trucks next door. The whole place shakes and rumbles; the dust is terrific; traffic is terrible; and the lights are blinding. No, I don’t think so.

Let us state the facts. Our home is 45 feet from the road. It is the oldest home in the neighborhood and we have lived here longer than everyone else. The house does not rumble or shake due to trucks warming up. Two trucks leave in the morning and come home in the evening. If we hear them go by at all, we laugh and say “there go those ‘noisy’ trucks.” They idle down their driveway without lights, and idle past our house. They never use their jake brakes and are completely courteous to walkers, bicyclists and other traffic. They are always looking out for us, or the stray animal that might have escaped.

The Fregulias employ members of the community, all of whose children attend schools in the valley. They support the youth in the area. They are not bugaboos. They are good people who are trying to help a little piece of their world. We hope they can continue.

Carol Mattson

Dale Mattson

La Grande

Cut administrative costs

To the Editor:

I have watched with interest the articles in The Observer regarding the La Grande school funding issues. As a person who went through the La Grande school systems, from grade one through 12, as a retired educator and as a property owner in La Grande, I feel I must comment. The teachers, teaching assistants, coaches and office personnel are being asked to make concessions and face reduced work time to lower costs.

Nowhere, in the information I have read, have I seen the school administration/department heads make concessions to help reduce costs. How about taking a reduction in pay, Mr. Glaze, and perhaps combine responsibilities of administrators to reduce the top-heavy costs.

When I was going through school, there was a superintendent and his secretary/administrative assistant, there was a high school principal with two counselors, one for boys and one for girls, and the rest of the funding went to teachers, students and support staff such as cooks, bus drivers, etc.

Granted, administering a school district was a bit less complicated then, but do you really need all this non-teaching staff?

My point is that if you are going to ask the teachers and support personnel for concessions, you should be prepared to reduce the costs of administration also. Perhaps then I might be more inclined to vote for a levy. Right now, not so much.

Susan Mercer

La Grande