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Vox Pop A really scary thought
It was interesting to see the Brainerd School Board and Mr. Lund's reaction to being assessed for street repairs in College Drive. It may not be in their budget. Welcome to our world. Many of us are wondering where we'll be getting the extra 15 percent to pay for the board's tax increase. We are in a recession. Does the board want a really scary thought? For our 15 percent we want to see a 15 percent increase in standardized test scores and a 15 percent reduction in truancy. If we don't get these improvements, we want our money back!
Give us a 'brake'
After chastising me at the stoplight, you still feel the need to continue this issue in the paper. I happened to be that dangerous and irresponsible man that slowed down to let a bus out of L Street onto Mill Avenue. I didn't want that bus to try a suicide run with the bumper to bumper traffic. I've noticed there are motorists that actually speed up so the buses are held hostage on L Street. These buses carry our precious kids and are on a tight schedule. We're talking less than 10 seconds. Give me and the buses a "brake."
Field trips are useless
I think the kids in this area go on too many field trips that cost the district too much money. Even if the family has to contribute anywhere from $3-$10, there is still gas money, wages to the bus drivers and lost time in the classroom. A trip to St. Mathias farm? What's the point of that? It's fun for the kids but completely useless. With all of the cutbacks made in recent years, district dollars should be spent elsewhere.
Editor's note: Over the past five years, field trip budgets have been nearly eliminated from Brainerd public schools, said Superintendent Steve Razidlo. Garfield kindergarten students took their annual fall field trip to the Farm at St. Mathias, as do some other classes in the district, said Garfield kindergarten teacher Jennifer Owens. Owens said students paid $3 each to go on the field trip and the bus was paid for through the school's activity fund, which is supported through donations, school fundraisers and the school's PTO. Owens said if any parents cannot afford the field trip fees, the PTO will help the family out.
"Any enrichment we can give our kids by offering them those experiences beyond our classroom walls is so beneficial," said Owens. "It supports our curriculum, certainly, with whatever we're doing. We wouldn't waste our time going to anything that wasn't worthwhile."
The little white truck<br>
Does the person who drives the little white Ranger truck with the city logo do anything but drive around? I counted that truck driving by my house six times in less than an hour and I don't even live in Brainerd. I would like to know if Dan Vogt asks how many miles are put on this truck in a year. If it drives by my house as many times as it does, where else does it drive?
An invitation
This is regarding the ATV trail. The proposed route will run down my Oak Lawn Township road. I am concerned about the drop in my property value and the damage that will occur on the dirt road. It would affect my taxes. It would be nice if a representative of the ATV Association would attend one of the town hall meetings to address our concerns.
Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Submissions are limited to 100 words. To phone in a comment, call (218) 855-5888 and leave a message. To e-mail a comment, write to voxpop@brainerddispatch.com. Comments, which must meet the newspaper's standards of fairness and good taste, may be edited for clarity, length and libel.
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