Letters on zoo agreement, school funding, respecting teachers, Eagle editor, tattered flags

Changes to zoo agreement a disaster

I read that the conservative majority on the Sedgwick County Commission wants to more than triple the county’s representation on the board of the Sedgwick County Zoological Society as part of a new operating agreement between the parties (May 29 Eagle). What a disaster.

The prime attraction to out-of-town visitors is going to become a political football. I expect this meddling will result in the loss of the zoo’s director within a year and mark the beginning of the diminishing value of this great asset.

We need to vote these gentlemen out of office before they do serious damage.

Leave zoo alone

I remember when our zoo consisted of some pitiful animals housed in tiny cages in Central Riverside Park. Thousands of us saved box tops to help buy animals for the proposed new zoo and took great pride when it opened.

Thanks to the public-private partnership that has supported and funded our zoo for many years, we now have a beautiful facility known worldwide for its design, care for endangered species, breeding programs, caring employees and successful director.

We have enjoyed great contributions from our leading corporations and individuals, enabling the continued expansion of our zoo and making it the No. 1 outdoor tourist attraction in Kansas. It is our grandchildren’s favorite outing when they visit Wichita.

Now three Sedgwick County commissioners – Larry, Moe and Curly – want to seize control of our zoo (“Proposal would boost Sedgwick County’s role on zoo board,” May 29 Eagle).

Commissioner Larry will be sure to enforce censorship in case a zoo director or employee truthfully reports the damage being done to our zoo. He will also make sure no one he dislikes is hired, never mind the person’s qualifications.

Commissioner Moe can give public talks at the zoo on the evils of the United Nations.

Commissioner Curly can sit around and pontificate on the evils of government while announcing the county has no responsibility to sustain our zoo.

Our zoo works well. Commissioners should provide needed support and leave the operation of the zoo alone.

Not a ransom

Just a quick note to Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover: Reinstating and fully funding the state’s old equalization formula is not, in any way, like “paying a ransom” (“Kansas legislators leave school finance unsolved,” June 2 Eagle). It’s like returning stolen money to the victims.

Do not persist in destroying Kansas public schools. Respect the mandate provided by the Kansas Supreme Court.

Respect teachers?

Surely, the public school educators in Kansas are facing the summer of their discontent as mounting evidence of disrespect for this proud profession is conveyed, to wit:

▪  The issue of adequate funding has to be determined by the Kansas Supreme Court, suggesting that school officials are not trusted to request that sum of money actually needed to offer quality schooling.

▪  In face of minimal funding, school districts are forced to creatively adjust budgets in a manner deemed the most likely to not reduce quality instruction for pre-K to level-12 students – often a cruel process.

▪  School districts, classroom teachers, administrators, other staff and especially students translate the message presented by this unfortunate circumstance as an expression of disrespect for the public school education experience. This borders on insanity, as nearly all American citizens will vouch for the relative importance of our schools’ mission of preparing our young with the knowledge, skills and values that assure the successful perpetuation of what has made America outstanding.

For nearly five decades, I helped prepare prospective and practicing classroom teachers for excellent level competence, always with the message, “You will be or you are a member of the single most important and highly respected profession known to man.” Today this second claim would be a hard sell, and it truly saddens me greatly.

Will miss Chisenhall

On behalf of the Multiculture Celebration and Education Association, Christian Women in Action and many other community organizations, I applaud the excellent work of Eagle editor Sherry Chisenhall (“Eagle editor Sherry Chisenhall to move to Charlotte Observer,” May 26 Eagle). She has supported many organizations, businesses and the community by “opening the door” for us. Her open-door policy let us meet with her and the newspaper staff. They gave us suggestions that helped us get our stories out to the public. She helped us build a relationship with Eagle staff. She will be truly missed.

Bunch of lies

The comics page is the only one in the newspaper worth reading. Everything else is a bunch of lies that’ll make you mad. The comics page is a bunch of lies that’ll make you laugh.

It would also help if the media could take the advice of George Bernard Shaw and learn to make the distinction between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization. The weathermen in this town could really use this advice. If I hear the phrase “severe weather” one more time, I’ll lose my mind.

Of course, I understand that they “have” to do it, so there’s no use in complaining. But I’m complaining anyway, to do my part to contribute to the general malaise and help sell more papers.

Replace tattered flag

I’m a Boy Scout, and it upsets me to see the American flag flying at restaurants when it is torn and tattered. Men and women fought and died for our flag and the freedom it represents. It is disrespectful to those who died and to the people who serve our country in the current military. It would be better to leave the flagpole empty than to fly a tattered flag.

Tattered flags can be given to any Boy Scout troop, which will dispose of them properly in a burning ceremony. Please order a new flag to be flown in place of the tattered one.

This story was originally published June 5, 2016 at 12:06 AM with the headline "Letters on zoo agreement, school funding, respecting teachers, Eagle editor, tattered flags."