Re: New High School

[Bob Hoffmann <escape@alt-escape.com>]

At 08:13 AM 2/2/2001 -0800, Duncan Palmatier wrote:
>John Danahy wrote:
> > ... A school districts primary concern ... must be providing a
> > quality education ...
>
>Dear Vision2020:
>
>This argument is all wrong.

I tend to agree.  If the school district focuses only on education, and the 
police department focuses only on law enforcement, and stores focus only on 
making money, and farmers focus only on planting and harvesting crops, then 
we are not a community; we are merely a collection of self-centered, 
autonomous groups and individuals, with no regard for our common culture 
and humanity.  I know, John said "primarily," and not "exclusively," but 
the one easily becomes the other in common practice.

I won't comment specifically on Russel, 1912, etc., but I agree with the 
sentiment that our throw-away, no-deposit, no-return mentality extends 
beyond beverage containers and into the very brick-and-mortar of our civil 
society.

I remember the old Medina County Achievement Center (in Ohio where I 
lived).  The school for handicapped children was long neglected; long 
overdue for expansion.  Closets, hall ways, and bathrooms were converted to 
classroom use.  When the people of the county finally found it in their 
hearts to approve a levy, a grand new building was constructed, with 
impressive, soaring ceilings, beautifully tiled floors, etc.  Then someone 
got out a yard stick and found out that the new center had about 10 square 
feet more classroom space than the old one.  What was gained by abandoning 
the former building?  Impressive, soaring ceilings and a beautifully tiled 
floor.

The energy crisis in California should teach us that we must treat all 
resources as precious (yes, even things as plentiful and inexhaustible as 
petroleum and buffalo).  Our physical infrastructure should also be 
conserved.  I would not want a new school building built unless the 
"retired" building would have something like 80% occupancy within a year of 
the school relocation.  Any cost for necessary renovation should be 
included in the package.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.


Bob Hoffmann
846 Mabelle St.
Moscow, ID  83843

Tel: 208 883-0642
Fax: 877 495-2279