To the Editor:
I think Palestine’s priorities will be the same one hundred years from now as they are today, because Palestine children are taught from birth to hate all Jews. Palestine has aligned themselves with a known terrorist organization that shares their sentiments. They resent the Jews wanting to build more homes and settlements. There Palestine priorities are quite different, instead of building homes and because war is expensive they buy, build rockets to destroy homes, fire at Israel, all of this with the huge amount of money our state department gives to Palestine without strings. This is equally as smart as us giving sophisticated guns to Mexican drug dealers in Arizona.
Israel wants Palestine to accept the Jewish state and stop shooting, bombing, killing their people. Are they asking too much?
Is this administration spending out tax dollars wisely or not? You have a duty to let your elected representatives know what you think. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot - my opinion only.
David Kaiser
Santa Paula
We all have priorities
To the Editor:
Governor Brown has HIS priorities, many of us disagree with his direction, because the state is broke, Brown wants to take more of Santa Paula’s diminishing tax dollars from Santa Paula coffers, as was clearly defined in Wednesday’s Times (9/31/2011) by Karl Berger our city attorney. The state will use every legal trick in the book to take money from the cities. California has recently made it known that they will have to close many of the State’s parks in order that California can afford more benefits for illegal immigrants. California is now paying a huge price to support the large number of illegal immigrants that we have today in our prison system and yet Governor Brown is making moves to encourage more illegals to come with his ‘DREAM ACT’. The courts have put us on notice that California will have to reduce this overcrowding in our prisons soon by releasing thousands of criminals back on our streets. This will increase the load on Santa Paula’s law enforcement, furthering more financial drain.
David Kaiser
Santa Paula
Good job
To the Editor:
It’s been over three years since Beverly Harding died and the Alumni Association almost died when she did. But thanks to the members that were elected to the new BOD, upon her death, it’s still going strong. Last Saturday night at the Marriott Courtyard in Oxnard there were over 150 SPUHS Alumni for a dinner that honored alumnus Richard Yamamoto and teacher Ed Geis.
Xavier Montes supplied the music on his harp during cocktail hour. The hotel did a fine job serving a good dinner, and then President Floyd Griffin, acting as the MC, kept things moving along with the introductions of the honorees and guests.
What a pleasure to see people I haven’t seen in 60 years or more. There was Herb Ward class of ‘51 who is a professor at Rice University. I didn’t think he would make it out of high school. Just kidding Herb. And how many of you remember Rudy Osuna. He put SP on the map with his exploits on the football field in ‘49-‘50 and ‘51. Three County Championships and a SS CIF Championship. He’s still talked about by members of the opposing teams, when you see them. Another man who I have seen once since 1940 or ‘41 was Wallace Umber who came down from Santa Barbara where he is retired. I could go on and on, but I remember Beverly Harding told me once to “Keep it short.”
There are some alumni that come every year or two and it’s always good to see them again and reminisce. The sad part is that there are some that should be there, and never will be there again. But they are remembered in conversations by those of us that can attend and enjoy thinking of friendships past.
Congratulations to a great BOD for fighting the fight and winning. I know it was a struggle.
The web site for our association is www.spuhs-alumni.org not to be confused with www.alumniclass.com.
Wayne Allee
Class of 1950
Santa Paula
McKevett Elementary School piano program off to a great start
To the Editor:
Principal Sheryl Misenhimer placed a request for keyboards in the Santa Paula Times last month to replace and replenish the instruments needed to teach piano at McKevett Elementary School by SPESD Music Specialist, Donna Nelson.
The following Santa Paulans stepped forward to donate keyboards for the piano program: SPESD Board Member Tony Perez, Dan and Mary Doll, Steve Gosh, the Henry Galvan Family, Audrey Vincent, Keith Michl, Larry Garcia, Marvin Millikan, McKevett Teachers: Lori Bockserman and Dolores Britton.
Volunteer Piano Teaching Assistants Mrs. Pam Strange and Mr. J. L. Chavez were on hand during the first week of classes to assist the students with hand positions and note reading.
We wish to thank the Santa Paula Times and Maria Bombara of Santa Clara Valley Bank and the Rotary for their help in spreading the word.
Due to the generosity of the above named, the 2nd grade classes at McKevett have begun group piano lessons, which will continue throughout the 2011-2012 school year. After school piano classes have also begun and are servicing another 50 children. THANK YOU VERY MUCH SANTA PAULA FOR PROVIDING THE RESOURCES FOR OUR WONDERFUL CHILDREN.
Donna Nelson
Santa Paula