Letter to the Editor

Thanks to signers

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I would like to thank the 220 citizens of the Hitchcock County School District for signing the Neighborhood Petition to save our Red Brick School Building.

There has been no action on this petition. I called the high school on July 1, 2011 to get on the agenda for the July 11, 2011 meeting. I was told I did not need to be on the agenda.

On Saturday July 2 Mary the high school secretary told me I would need to be on the agenda so at that time she put me on it. July 7, 2011 when the agenda was posted I was not on the agenda.

Mr. Apple had removed my name. The reason? I did not answer my phone when he called me three times and I did not go to the door when he came to my home. This was hard to believe.

Also, I would like to thank the people who carried the recall petitions and the 205 citizens that signed them.

On Monday evening, Sept. 12, 2011, the school board voted 5 to 1 not to accept the petitions. There was a problem with the signing of them. Shane Rippen followed the procedures provided by the Clerk of Hitchcock County.

Under the Constitution of the United States of America it is not only our right, but our duty to petition when we want to right a wrong.

United we stand

Divided we fall

Hope Strong

Culbertson

Comments
View 11 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • to bad the petition you signed wasn't to save the red brick building but to recall some board members. i would like to know how many more thought they were signing the same!!

    -- Posted by bornraisedswneb on Thu, Sep 15, 2011, at 2:31 PM
  • Soooo...you don't know why, but you wouldn't answer your phone or your door? Hmmmm. I think I see the problem.

    -- Posted by Husker23 on Fri, Sep 16, 2011, at 10:58 AM
  • I'm thinking Hope is saying that it is hard to believe that she didn't answer the phone or the door, not that it was hard to believe that she was taken off the agenda.

    Perhaps she's indicating that the attempted contacts didn't occur. If you think about it, she WAS trying to speak at the school board meeting, why would she NOT want the opportunity to be heard?

    Further, if Mr. Apple did try to contact her, who's to say is was at a reasonable time? Perhaps he showed up during regular work hours. Did Hope realize that she had to be contacted prior to the school board meeting in order to save her spot on the agenda? Does Hope have an answering machine or voice mail on the phone Mr. Apple attempted to call and if so was a message left?

    Would it make sense to send a letter indicating that she would be taken off the agenda if she couldn't be contacted prior to the board meeting?

    I just see a whole lot of questions that warrant answers.

    -- Posted by Nick Mercy on Fri, Sep 16, 2011, at 10:59 PM
  • you don't have to be on the agenda to speak up at board meeting.

    -- Posted by norm on Sat, Sep 17, 2011, at 9:01 AM
  • They generally allow time for public comments to be made at the board meetings.

    However, I sincerely doubt the county clerk informed them to tell some of the signers that if they are to sign there would be a better school bond.

    -- Posted by bberry on Sat, Sep 17, 2011, at 11:17 AM
  • "There are two ways of exerting one's strength or power; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." Booker T. Washington

    "Never give in----never, never, never, never in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to conditions of honor and good sense." Winston S. Churchill

    -- Posted by Kid Kokamo on Tue, Sep 20, 2011, at 11:56 AM
  • Do people just sign and vote for things nowadays without being informed?

    First the petition was to recall board members not save a building. This should have been known to all signers, since the petition carrier has to read the petition to all that are asked to sign.

    Second the demolition of the school building was part of the bond that was carried by the popular vote. So it cannot be reversed. The historical society was contacted to help with saving the building but after they looked at the voted on bond they said there was nothing they could do.

    Please people of our communities get informed and know the details of what you are signing or voting for before you take such actions. Not doing so makes you look ignorant and you opinions will fail to matter in the future.

    -- Posted by carlsonl on Tue, Sep 20, 2011, at 12:45 PM
  • Hope made up her own petition. It was to save the Culbertson School Building. It was not a legal petition and as you mentioned, the results of it would not matter anyway because the building was scheduled to be torn down as part of the bond that passed in May.

    There was also a petition to recall board members.

    -- Posted by Parent of a HC Student on Wed, Sep 21, 2011, at 5:12 PM
  • I have always been under the impression that when you are on the agenda, you are on the agenda. What gives Mr. Apple the right to take her off of it ? Im sorry but if she didnt want to talk to him face to face about it, that is her right. She wanted to discuss it publicy, proud of her for that.

    What was the reason that Mr. Apple took it upon himself to try to "corner" her into a one on one conversation and because he couldnt do so just automatically took her off !!

    This seems to be one of the issues that we are facing.... a few people making decisions that arent right OR just for everyone

    -- Posted by sanecomments on Thu, Sep 22, 2011, at 8:00 PM
  • There are two sides to every story. When one is only willing to listen to one side of it, is a good example why the recall petition has failed so far. Generally you'd think one would hear both sides before throwing accusations.

    -- Posted by bberry on Fri, Sep 23, 2011, at 10:34 AM
  • Carlsonl, there were two petitions mentioned in her letter. The one to save the building had 220 signatures and the one for the recall had 205 signatures.

    I feel like there is more to the story than what she mentioned in the letter. Possibly those close to the action would know about the things she left out, so she didn't feel the need to elaborate.

    If it had been me I would have gone to the meeting whether I was on the agenda or not, just to try to make myself heard.

    -- Posted by dlfiend4ever on Fri, Sep 23, 2011, at 1:39 PM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: