Schools
Free laptops are being abused by students
I voted for laptops in Shoreline for students’ use in school related education. Not as a Christmas present, not to baby-sit or entertain, not to disrupt irreplaceable teacher classroom lessons, not for friend and family communications, not for other current misuses.
Some sit in local malls waiting to go home while playing entertainment CD’s. My money for servicing that drive bay should not go toward such use. Others outside plug in USB camera devices for fun and should know that the part of my money invested in the delicate LCD screens was never intended for playtime mishaps. Disturbing the dynamics of a classroom, by using the laptop for personal “needs,” while teachers and attentive students suffer from the inattention of an offending group of students, was not my idea of how the laptops were to be used.
It was simply misleading and unfair that I was told what these laptops were for, to gain a yes vote and now find out they are being used differently. In current world events, when a grandiose scheme has been advertised and put forward that now turns out to be fatally flawed, a national commission is formed. Is there a laptop commission, not internal but of outsiders, being considered, to find out what went wrong?
If my boss “gave me” a free car for traveling between work and home only and I returned it in four years after daily work travel but after also secretly taking it on several vacations and constantly driving it off-road in the mountains, who is culpable for the condition of the car? Forget legalities, who is morally and ethically responsible?
Can individual votes be retrospectively changed?
Raymond Koelling
Lake Forest Park
South Woods
Purchase saves one of last open spaces in city
It’s good to celebrate once in a while, and the finalization of the city of Shoreline’s purchase of the South Woods acreage is a great reason. Lots of people deserve credit in making this happen. I only got involved with the campaign towards the end, so I won’t mention any names for fear I’ll leave someone out. But … you all know who you are, together with your neighbors and friends who made this happen.
Goodness knows there’s been plenty of divisiveness in Shoreline, but we all worked together to preserve the South Woods, as well as the Krukeberg Gardens and the SPU property north of Hamlin Park – some of the only significant undeveloped land remaining in Shoreline.
So … good for us. Congratulations, everyone.
Peter Henry
Shoreline
Community
Police, affiliates came through in time of need
My husband of 28 years, Bob Haggerty, died a few weeks ago. His death was sudden and unexpected. Many friends and family have reached out to support my daughters and me through this. We are grateful and feel loved, and in time, will thank each of them somehow. But, there are some I want to thank publicly because you may not realize what empathetic and giving persons make up your Shoreline Police Department.
Today a crew of police officers, spouses, and police Explorers showed up at my house to hang our Christmas lights. They proceeded to pressure wash our deck, patio and driveway — even the doghouse and BBQ grill. They raked the yard, filled in any holes, mowed, and trimmed the back and front. They dug up all of the dead plants, pruned bushes, and put down new bark. They hauled off the yard waste. They even hung our Christmas lights! They worked straight through the afternoon and then were off like the down of a thistle. I could barely get the “thank you” out of my mouth.
I was left changed by this experience. I want to do this for someone else as a start. I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed. I know how hard they work, the little thanks they get, and how much they truly care about serving the community.
Julia Haggerty
Shoreline
Local food bank appreciates generosity
On behalf of the volunteers and clients of Concern for Neighbors Food Bank in Mountlake Terrace, I would like to thank the city and residents of Brier for their generous donations of food and money that was collected at the “Tree Lighting” for the city of Brier. We appreciate your support.
I would also like to thank the Angel of the Winds Casino for their generous donation of 104 turkeys, which we gave out for Thanksgiving.
Delores Sternola
Mountlake Terrace
Mill Creek
Traffic noise not limited to Seattle Hill Road area
I read with great interest the article about the noise on Seattle Hill Road (Mill Creek Enterprise, Dec. 8).
Chuck Wright is not alone in this problem. I live next to the intersection of Mill Creek Road and Village Green Drive. I receive noise from two streets. The homeowners that live on Mill Creek Road have signed a petition and presented it to Steve Nolen, Mill Creek’s city manager. He responded to our petition, but he had very little to offer us.
Aside from Wright’s problems, we on the other hand, have had to deal with cars and SUVs, plowing into the narrow greenbelt that stands between our homes and Mill Creek Road. Since August of this year there have been three destructive accidents in the space of the intersection and about a thousand feet west. I have lived here for 14 years and in that time there has been only one serious accident that I know of.
I agree with Wright that the noise of trucks, cars, and I will include motorcycles, is very bad. From 5:30 in the morning on, it is impossible to sleep. It is a constant drone. It is also impossible to spend any time on our patios because of the constant noise, aside from the fear of a vehicle jumping the curb and landing in our living rooms.
This is not only a Seattle Hill Road problem, it is a problem from 132nd to Bothell-Everett Highway. Please, look at the whole picture.
H. Doris Dashel
Mill Creek
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