>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Although it was published on June 27, I would like to comment on Jeff Petersen's column "Soccer Needs Kick-Start." I returned home from Sun Valley, Idaho, several days ago to a stack of newspapers, including the column.

I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying that Petersen's jabs at my sport and its players were tasteless and uneducated. Several of his comments were bordering on racism. I'll have him know that a soccer field is indeed smaller than the country of Ghana, which (incidentally) "whipped us good," as the football players would say, in the World Cup this year.

It takes a special breed of person to play soccer. As Petersen said, the fields are large, but the players themselves have the guts not to complain about traversing it. Almost every hour of their waking days are spent vigorously training for the moment when they and 11 of their teammates represent their country on the pitch.

Strangely enough, only people who don't play soccer complain about the size of the field. The pitch stadiums may be the size of a major metropolitan airport, but football stadiums such as Giants Stadium manage to combine 80,000 seats with the best that Bud Light has to offer. Granted, Giants Stadium did play host to nine games of the 1994 World Cup, though I suspect that was only because there are no decent soccer stadiums in America.

The "Beautiful Game," as it is called by the Brazilians, is more than just "shorts, t-shirts, hard-toed shoes, shin pads, a ball and a hayfield." Soccer is a sport that combines all of these things — after cultivation of the hayfield — and individual and team skills into a competitive sport.

The players wine together, dine together and develop into an efficient, intelligent (note the word) and capable team. While goals are indeed scored rarely, this fact is a testament to the skill and determination of all the players involved in both offense and defense.

As for the fans, they are some of the most dedicated people in the world — except in America, where the legions of football players converge on the billion- dollar industries of beer and hotdog stands (it must take incredible dedication to eat those things).

In the days preceding France's defeat in the World Cup finals, France and Germany alike came alive with waving flags and enthusiastic supporters in a display of patriotism rarely equaled on American streets.

I would inquire of Mr. Petersen exactly how he manages to know so much about my sport if his entire life is spent watching the weather channel. Baseball and football may be America's games, but the rest of the world revolves around soccer.

With regard to penalties, I believe that soccer's card system is much more efficient than penalty-box styles of discipline. While offenders in sports like hockey must sit in a box when they commit a foul, I find this reminiscent of the time-out corner in my second-grade class. This corner's only accomplishment was to make sure that I committed my crime behind my teacher's back the next time.

Removing players from the game for a short amount of time may get them off the ice, but the box just makes players more resentful when they return to play after their short equivalent of a spanking. There is also no punishment for repeated fouls. The card method is a two-strike system; two fouls eject the offender from two full games — a much more effective reprimand.

Lastly, Petersen heard correctly. Soccer is the world's sport. Even countries too unimportant to be attacked by the Bush Administration play the Beautiful Game.

John de Villier is a student at La Grande High School.

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La Grande residents have faced some difficult challenges in the past in funding our schools, and yet we have always come together to face those challenges.

The past decade of budget cuts has brought about a serious deterioration, not only of our buildings, but also of positive attitudes toward our schools. Needed maintenance and repairs have been given a backseat to keeping teachers and programs intact.

Tough decisions have been made to close aging schools as we have faced declining enrollment. Our school administration and board have been bombarded with the fallout of those tough decisions and negativity and mistrust have become standard fare.

Though we have wished for more support for our schools at the state level, it is important that we look to the present and the future rather than grousing about the past. As members of the Facilities Committee, we have toured every building in this district. Many are over 50 years old, some are over 90 years old.

We have been appalled at the deterioration and wear. Just as we all know that a home requires on-going maintenance to keep things running smoothly, we also know that sometimes that maintenance is deferred when other pressing needs present themselves. Remodeling the bathroom will be postponed if the roof is leaking.

We have not had major renovation to our buildings since 1973 when a bond was passed to build Island City Elementary and La Grande Middle School and to add the west wing addition to La Grande High School.

The deterioration of our school facilities has reached catastrophic proportions. Failure to act now will do nothing but cost us more in the future, and our current method of patch-and-get-by cannot continue.

Superintendent Jay Rowell is conducting tours of our schools every Thursday at noon until school resumes, and one evening a week until November. We encourage everyone to come and see for yourself the condition of our schools.

The Citizens for School Renovation Committee has formed to support a bond levy in the amount of $30 million being placed on the ballot Nov. 7 by the school board to do basic and necessary renovations to each of the buildings in the district.

Though this sounds like a staggering amount, we can assure you after serving on the Facilities Committee that this bond will address important concerns like aging boilers, failing roofs, paint, basic upgrades and needed expansion. This is not a frivolous facelift.

With escalating building costs, $30 million this year could well be $40 million next year. We feel strongly that it is time to look to the future and ensure that the children of our community have a safe and secure environment in which to learn and grow.

And just as each preceding generation has done, we too must tighten our belts and do what is best for the next generation. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

Our community stands at an interesting crossroad. We are braced for new growth, people are recognizing the quality of life here, and new development is already under way. Good schools are a key component in maintaining a vital community.

Perhaps you don't have children in school, and you don't feel this affects you. But just look around at some of the doctor shortages we are facing. Will new people, eager for a good education for their children, come to a community with deteriorating schools?

Before rumors begin to circulate, before misinformation is perceived as fact, we invite the community to come and be informed. We are having a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday July 27 at the Integrated Services Building, 1607 Gekeler Lane. Enter through the rear door on the north side.

We invite everyone to come with questions. Come to get informed, come to get involved, so that together we can help La Grande move forward as not only a wonderful place to live and raise children, but also a wonderful place to educate those children.

Yes, school renovation is a wise investment for our entire community.

Jan Harris and Jerry Young are co-chairs of Citizens for School Renovation.

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It was reported in The Observer that La Grande city officials are urging people to keep the trees watered. They need to wake up, drive around La Grande and see how many lawns are dried up.

People cannot afford our high water rates and still the city wants to raise the rates every year for four or five years for a slush fund. I would love to have a slush fund myself.

With gasoline prices rising, natural gas prices rising and the school district wanting a new bond, lawns and trees may not be the top priority. The city officials need to rethink the water rate increase.

We are thankful that the city of La Grande and the schools can afford to water their property.

LaVerne Locken, La Grande

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There are three Union City Council positions and the position of mayor coming up for election this November.

Between the recalled Mayor and councilor and the majority of the present council, Union is being dismantled brick by brick. Decisions that need to be made are ignored while frivolous or vindictive actions are consistently promoted.

Common sense seems to be an alien concept to certain council members. If the residents of Union hope to save their city and their way of life they need to step forward now and stand for election to the open positions. I know there are a lot of intelligent, clear-thinking folks out there who have good common sense and want what is best for the city and its residents. If you don't come forward now the destruction will continue until all sense of community is lost and it's too late to repair it.

We need to restore balance to the council so that the majority are people without hidden or personal agendas are capable of making the decisions that must be made. We have been going backward for three years and it is time we start moving forward again.

The deadline for getting your name on the November ballot is Tuesday, Aug. 29 so please contact Joe Wrabek at City Hall in Union to get your paperwork. Union needs you to help repair the damage and restore sanity to the city's government.

Karen Gordon, Union

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I enjoyed Rocky Anderson's guest column entitled "Global Warming: Effective, Immediate Action is a Moral Imperative" printed in The Observer of July 21.

As a former resident of Salt Lake City I'm always interested in what the very controversial mayor has to say. When I read the bold type headline "Global Warming" I expected to be bombarded with usual boogie-man rhetoric: the ice caps are melting, it's all our fault, blizzards in Mexico City etc.

Instead Mr. Anderson's column included two brief references to global warming. The bulk of the column cited great ways Salt Lake City, B.P., DuPont, Seattle, I.B.M. and others have reduced energy costs and pollution emissions by adopting newer technology.

My point is that when Mr. Anderson can convert a conservative by citing the quality of life benefits of adopting "green" technology is there any need to reference the threat, the reality, of global warming?

Global warming, as a scientific theory and political ideology, has been so abused by the environmental movement over the past 30 years it just doesn't motivate the unconverted. I'm not interested in arguing the merits of the global warming theory.

People agree that it's occurring, they disagree on the cause. I am only saying that global warming as a persuasive idea lacks credibility among the people that need to be convinced. Next time Mr. Anderson should title his article "Reduce Energy Costs and Pollution by 30 Percent!" Then I wouldn't have to read it with a skeptical eye.

Brent Smith, La Grande

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Well, we are well into summer and lots has been happening with our local Habitat affiliate. Thanks to everyone's generous support we completed a successful fund drive in June. Meyer Memorial Trust matched your efforts to the tune of $30,000.

These funds have made it possible for us to start construction of a home in Elgin with the Jesse and Lindy Collins family. We are asking the community for volunteers to help with this project. Please feel free to offer your talents by calling our office at 663-9515 to volunteer.

One of the greatest challenges for Grande Ronde Valley Habitat for Humanity is finding affordable building lots. This is a challenge for Habitat affiliates all across the country. We are, as a community, going to have to get creative here. As an example of this we would particularly like that thank Linda and Martin Birnbaum for their generous gift of a building lot that will allow us to partner with one more family in developing home ownership here in Union County.

Please look around your neighborhood and talk to your friends about the possibility of making available donated or low-cost building sites. We need you to be our eyes and ears.

Please, any of you builders out there who may have come up with an odd lot that just doesn't fit your development, we will build on small lots. Remember, your gifts are tax deductible as we are a not-for-profit organization. And while you are looking, remember that we serve all of Union County. We have been busy in LaGrande and Elgin but we would like to partner with folks in Union or other outlying communities.

There are many worthy service organizations and programs in our community that give us opportunities to be of service to others and ways to contribute. I was particularly impressed when a group of women got together to form an organization called IMPACT 100. Their goal is to get 100 women to contribute $100 per year toward the support of a set of prioritized needs that they jointly select.

The community has profited from their efforts and these women have found a way to raise funds that is simple and direct. These are all busy people who have found a way to make a difference. Based on this idea, I would like to propose that all of you who would like to contribute to the work of Habitat do so by joining in the Habitat 100 effort; 100 families pledging $100 dollars will make a real difference. You can send your gift to Grande Ronde Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 111, La Grande 97850.

We will be at the Union County Fair this week so please stop by our booth and bring your children. We can talk Habitat while your child builds a bird house. Yes, we even offer habitat for wildlife. By the way, Habitat for Humanity will be 30 years old this September and we have build homes for one million people world wide; 22 of those folk live in Union county. Visit our Web site: wwwLaGrandeOneline.com, then click on Clubs and Organizations.

David Still, La Grande