THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507150168
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 168 lines
Lame-brained approach
God help America. God help the city of Portsmouth!
After reading the column by Bill Leffler, (``Portsmouth relaxes eligibility standards for athletes'') in the July 9 Currents, I was so disgusted and fed up with the educational system in this country, and this city, I just had to write.
I loved the way the article started out. ``Borderline students who compete in high school athletics in Portsmouth are being given another opportunity to get their classroom work in order and still participate in sports.''
In other words, we are going to lower the standards! They are already ``borderline'' and we are going to make the requirements even lower!
Why are we always lowering our standards? Whatever happened to raising standards? What ever happened to giving a student something to strive for, not just get in under the wire? As if my faith in Portsmouth City School system was not already on shaky ground, I had to read this disgusting, sickening, lame-brained excuse for the athletes.
Where are the educators in this city? I know now that it is more important to have someone run up and down a field or court faster, or throw the ball further, than it is to make good grades! Why do we continually feel like we have to make excuses for people? And then when the students do poorly on the National Education Test we start looking for excuses, such as, the test was too hard or it doesn't represent the majority of the students. Did it ever occur to so-called educators that maybe some of the reason for the poor scores is we ``keep lowering the standards!''
It has become very obvious to me that the athletic departments now run the schools and set the academic standards for our kids! Just like the colleges, it's more important to have a winning athletic program than it is to educate the student! I thought educators were supposed to be ``smart'' people. I don't call lowering standards very smart.
What kind of justice do you think you are doing kids when we keep lowering standards so they never have to strive to do ``better?'' When they become adults, then they will continue to want the same treatment.
I've come up with a unique idea: why don't we let all the kids who want to play athletics for the schools just drop out of school? Then give them all part-time jobs playing their respective sports. That way we will not only help unemployment but we will have more classrooms available and the poor grade averages won't hurt the national average!
I thought we were molding our future generation, our adults of tomorrow, our leaders. Boy, what a joke! The next step that I see coming is that all athletes will have five years to complete high school, just like we give big brother in college!
But that's OK, little Timmy, next year the standards will be lower and you won't have to study at all, just show up and they will still let you play. And maybe someday, after a great number of years, they will just give you a diploma and you can go look for the next ``hand out.''
For Pete's sake, educators in the city of Portsmouth, I guess I can include coaches - get a life! Let's raise the standards for once. Why can't we be trend setters and not follow the easy road? Quit letting the athletes run the educational system, not only in high school but college as well. Why is it that we make getting an ``A'' so hard, but barely passing to play sports so easy?
If I misinterpreted Bill Leffler's column, I apologize for all of the above.
But, somehow, I think it said just what it said: We are lowering the standards from 1.7 to 1.66!
J. Wiseman
Clover Hill Drive
July 9, 1995
(Editor's note - Actually Portsmouth is raising its grade point average requirements for students to be eligible to participate in extra-curricular activities, higher than now required in most other area cities. The requirement will be 1.66 for the 1995-96 school year and 2.00 for 1996-97. Originally Portsmouth had planned to raise it to 1.7 for the upcoming school year.)
Keep causeway open
As a resident of Grove Park, I would like to express my concern about the causeway closing between Grove Park, Westhaven and Waterview.
I know there is traffic going through Waterview but there is also traffic on Winchester Drive cutting through from Airline Boulevard and City Park.
It certainly would make a difference in my time going to and from the YMCA, also to Maryview Hospital, if there is an emergency. About two miles each way and about 12 to 15 minutes with three traffic lights, two of which are multiple signals.
Ruth Blackman
Winchester Drive
July 6, 1995
A third assistant chief?
I recently read the advertisement for a Portsmouth assistant chief of police with a negotiable salary. At the present time, Portsmouth has a chief of police and two assistant chiefs. Do we really need another assistant chief?
For the price of a third assistant chief of police, I would much rather see three uniform patrol officers on our streets.
Gerald B. Myers
Reese Drive
July 5, 1995
Mack Doughtie missed
We were saddened to learn of the June 17th death of Mack Doughtie. Mack always brightened our day with his friendly hello and helpfulness while working at Old Town Exxon. Although we always use self service, Mack - as well as the other Exxon employees - would always check under the hood, etc.
We were delighted when he returned to the gas station after bypass surgery. He so enjoyed the company of his fellow workers and customers.
He surely will be missed!
Noel Brewer
Linda Brown
Court Street Academy bus drivers
July 10, 1995
Put trash on schedule
I suggest that each neighborhood in Portsmouth have a scheduled bulk trash pickup day. With this, I suggest that fines be placed on those who put bulk trash at the street more than 24 hours prior to their scheduled pickup.
This would help make our city a more attractive place to live. With Olde Towne being our tourist attraction, it's especially important to enforce this there.
Tom Branton
Portsmouth
July 6, 1995
No pay, don't pray
I am angry and upset that a decent human being has just been sent a certified letter by Noble Street Baptist Church that she is no longer considered a member there.
The reason: she couldn't afford to pay her pledges. Now, if the church has turned into a business, let them pay taxes, also.
Some of their pastors live in the lap of luxury - no house payment, church-provided car, health spa privileges, trips and vacations, etc.
I don't think this is fair to hard-working people struggling to pay taxes when churches can make millions and not have to be taxed.
The Bible speaks of false prophets and they certainly exist in our pulpits today.
Belinda Hopson
Darren Circle
July 7, 1995
`Red' Knight our loss
On July 1, Portsmouth lost one of its finest citizens. Joseph E. ``Red'' Knight was someone who will surely be missed. If you had the privilege of knowing him personally, you were blessed. He always worked tirelessly for others and not for himself.
He loved Portsmouth and his neighborhood organizations and always endeavored to make his community a better place to live. Red was one great citizen of Portsmouth and we will not be the same without him. If he were here, he would tell us to go on. We will continue, not in his footsteps, but in his shadow.
Heaven's gain is our loss.
Karen Jordan
Simonsdale Civic Club
July 6, 1995
Thanks to police
The Tidewater Chapter of the National Organization for Women wishes to thank the Portsmouth Police for protecting a woman in our community who was being attacked at knifepoint. We appreciate their willingness to place themselves in harm's way to put a stop to the violence being perpetrated. We are thankful they were able to protect her, and themselves as well.
Please share our recognition of their willingness to provide ``Equal Protection Under the Law'' with the gratitude we are sending their way. Thank you.
Marilyn Summerford
Records Manager Tidewater Chapter of the National Organization For Women by CNB