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Opinion
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Written by Editorial Board
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Wednesday, 17 March 2010 09:00 |
It is the opinion of the Louisburg Herald that our local library frequently doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
The Louisburg Library is well-known around town for its list of hosted events. A quick look at their calendar shows they provide everything from free tax advice and computer classes, to children’s story hour and craft shows. The library staff makes a sincere effort to find something entertaining, and often educational, for all its patrons, regardless of age.
However, its the outreach work performed by the Louisburg Library that may have the most value.
Every week, adult services coordinator Holly Gillogly can be seen all over town at places like the Louisburg Senior Center, Louisburg Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center and Vintage Park. What she brings with her varies from week to week. It could be music, movie clips, a slide show or, yes, even a few books.
At Louisburg Healthcare and Rehabilitation, Holly may simply spend an hour reading to the patients, while at the senior center it could be a half-hour of jazz music from the 1920s. Whatever the activity, her efforts — and, by extension, those of the library — are proving to be beneficial on so many levels.
Perhaps most important, however, is their role in keeping the senior element of Louisburg active and involved. It’s a fact of life that most communities don’t do enough to support their older residents; to remind them of their importance and their value.
By making it a point to spend time with them each month, Holly and the Louisburg Library staff do more than their share. It’s an example from which we all could learn a little something.
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Opinion
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Written by Editorial Board
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 09:00 |
Since discussion of the 2010-2011 Louisburg USD 416 budget began in earnest several weeks ago, it has been apparent that no cuts — should the district be forced to make them — would come easy.
Board of Education member John Cleek said it best during a previous board meeting, when he said there was no fat left to be cut away. Every suspension to programs and staff they would make moving forward as the result of dramatically reduced state funding would be felt in the bones and sinew of the district.
It has long been our opinion that district officials needed to do whatever they had to do in order to protect the teachers. Louisburg schools enjoy a sterling reputation academically, as they do in other areas, and so much of that can be attributed to the quality of those educating the youngest minds of the city.
Like most in town with a vested interest in the schools, we at the Herald have seen the list of recommended cuts and potential new revenue sources distributed by the district. It’s a list that represents many tough decisions, not the least of which is the possibility of 15 licensed staff positions and another 10 classified staff.
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Opinion
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Written by Editorial Board
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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 09:00 |
The possibility of a statewide smoking ban has long been kicked around in the Kansas Legislature, but last week brought an unexpected halt to the discussion.
The passage of HB 2221, dubbed the Clean Air Act, by a vote of 68-54 Thursday in the Kansas House of Representatives means the bill has cleared all but the final hurdle to becoming law. Gov. Mark Parkinson spoke out in strong support for the legislation immediately after it was approved.
With a few notable exceptions, including private clubs, tobacco shops and casinos, HB 2221 effectively places a ban on smoking in public places. Though it is a hot button issue, this was the right time for Kansas to pass such a ban, and the Legislature is to be lauded for finally taking action — particularly on behalf of Kansas workers.
The statistics regarding second-hand smoke, or environmental tobacco smoke, are staggering. According to the American Cancer Society, ETS accounts for an estimated 46,000 deaths stemming from heart disease in non-smokers who live with smokers, in addition to approximately 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults.
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Opinion
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Written by Editorial Board
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010 09:00 |
It should be clear to anyone by now how much the Louisburg community cares about its schools.
Approximately 100 people showed up at Louisburg Middle School Monday night to discuss the budget of Louisburg USD 416 with district officials. If all the gathered crowd had done was sit silently in their seats and absorb the flood of numbers washing over them, that would have been sufficient. The more informed people there are within the community putting their minds to finding a solution to the problem, the better.
But this was far from a silent audience. It was encouraging to see just how many people showed up already aware of the issue’s particulars; how many had taken the time to download budget information from the school district’s Web site, and put in some research time of their own. Many came armed with questions, and for more than an hour Superintendent Sharon Zoellner answered them to the best of her ability. From just this one session, several suggestions were made for finding additional revenue into which Zoellner promised the district would look.
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Opinion
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Written by Staff
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010 20:25 |
During the past few months, we at the Herald have appealed for community involvement in any number of causes, all of them eminently worthy.
Residents should be involved in their city government and in the activities of local organizations — such as Agape Food Pantry, Lions Club and American Legion Post No. 250. Through such involvement, Louisburg continues to grow stronger, healthier and more vibrant.
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