Letters to the editor: Toys for Tots offers thanks for support
Toys for Tots offers thanks to supporters of drive
To the editor:
We, Toys For Tots of Washington County, would like to thank and recognize our wonderful supporters for the years 2022 and 2023.
Our supporters include veteran's organizations, nonprofit organizations, large businesses, small businesses, labor unions, medical organizations, medical practices, churches, local government agencies, educational institutions, political parties and individual donors totaling over 200 supporters.
We extend a very warm thank you to all of them, their employers, employees and/or volunteers for their support and remind all of you that you are Toys for Tots, not me or any other volunteer, as if it weren't for you, there would be no Toys for Tots.
Our awesome coordinator, Diane Dutrow, brings all of this together up to and including distribution day.
The Antietam Detachment of the Marine Corps League, led by our esteemed commandant, Jeff Magnum, is not only our sponsor, but a huge supporter of Toys For Tots of Washington County, Md.
Jay KochCommunity LiaisonHagerstown
Washington County schools should return to six-period day
To the editor:
Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, Washington County Public School (WCPS) required its high schools to go from six or seven periods a day to eight (Greenfield).
WCPS claimed this would make students college- and career-ready by sophomore year, ensure all students would graduate on time, and allow students to take more classes so they would have a plan after graduation. Additionally, they thought it would make up for the loss of learning from the COVID-19 shutdown. While WCPS offered an array of reasons for its decision, it overlooked the negative impacts.
First, not all 16-year-old sophomore students know what college or career they would like to enter, and if sophomores are college- and career-ready, why should they be required to stay for two more years? Second, taking more classes each day increases students’ workload outside of the classroom, which consequently reduces the time for extracurricular activities, which “support school engagement and perseverance among all students including vulnerable ones” (McCabe 323).
Finally, more is not always better. In a controlled study of secondary schools, where the school day was reduced from a seven-period day to four, there was an increase in students’ GPAs, attendance and discipline, with parents reporting that less homework improved their family life (Khazzaka 95). Fewer classes each day would benefit the schools, families and more importantly, students.
At a minimum, WCPS needs to return to its previous six-period day and should make additional periods optional. Students who are college- and career-ready can take advanced placement courses and early college admittance classes.
By requiring eight periods per day, students are not getting in-depth learning, or the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. Furthermore, the coursework they offer is irrelevant to those who are not college-bound or have difficult circumstances. But that’s another letter.
Works cited:
Greenfield, Sherry. “Washington County Public Schools going to eight-periods next year.” The Herald Mail. 29 April 2022. https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/story/news/2022/04/29/washington-county-public-schools-adjusting-high-school-schedules/9540067002/. 29 July 2023.
Khazzaka, Joseph. “Comparing the Merits of a Seven-Period School Day to Those of a Four-Period School Day.” The High School Journal 81.2 (1997): 87–97. JSTOR. Web. 21 July 2023
McCabe, Julie, Véronique Dupéré, Eric Dion, Éliane Thouin, Isabelle Archambault, Sarah Dufour, Anne-Sophie Denault, Tama Leventhal, and Robert Crosnoe. “Why do Extracurricular Activities Prevent Dropout More Effectively in Some High Schools Than in Others? A Mixed-Method Examination of Organizational Dynamics.” Applied Developmental Science 24.4 (2020): 323-338. doi:org10.1080/10888691.2018.1484746
Dominic McCormickHagerstown
Uvalde shows need for background checks and more
To the editor:
The city of Uvalde and the state of Texas failed.
Three-hundred-seventy-six good guys with guns spent 75 minutes fearing for their own life while an 18 -year-old with an AR15 killed 19 children and two adults. Who never wants to hear the phrase “good guys with guns stop mass shootings.” You know if 5- and 6-year-old kids can cope with active shooter drills, then gun owners can deal with background checks, waiting periods and red flag laws.
Patricia TaylorWilliamsport
Rising rent is a moral issue, not just one of profits
To the editor:
In Pennsylvania, the rise in rent is more than a financial burden — it's a reflection of the distorted realities of our housing market. Consider a two-bedroom apartment now costing upwards of $1,200 monthly. This, in a state where the minimum wage only recently rose to $11 an hour.
The math doesn't add up. And the question that haunts many of us is — What exactly are we paying for?
In my case, an outdated townhouse with a deck that’s a safety hazard and carpets that tell tales of better days. Even basic repairs become a drawn-out saga.
The problem is clear — our housing market has lost its way, prioritizing profits over people. We need to advocate for policies that prioritize affordable housing and hold landlords accountable.
These homes aren’t suddenly worth more. It’s not about the value of the homes themselves, but about the market, about homes as commodities.
The Glass-Steagall Act, repealed in 1999, once separated commercial and investment banking. Its repeal opened the floodgates for speculation, turning homes into investment vehicles. The impact is profound and personal. High rent and low wages have trapped many in a cycle of financial insecurity.
We’re stuck paying more for less, with landlords benefiting from a market that rewards neglect. Our homes deteriorate, our bank accounts drain and our spirits falter, yet the rents keep rising. It’s not just a roof over our heads; it’s about dignity, about being able to provide for our families in a place that feels like a home.
Reinstating regulations like the Glass-Steagall Act could be a start. It’s about recognizing that homes should serve people first, not profits.
Affordable housing isn’t just a policy issue; it’s a moral one. It’s about ensuring that every American has access to a safe, decent and affordable place to live. It’s about rebuilding the American dream from the foundation up, brick by brick, policy by policy.
Kayla Canfield-GarnerWaynesboro, Pa.
More funding needed for cultivated-meat research
To the editor:
Given the environmental, public health and animal-welfare concerns associated with factory farms, our legislators should include more federal funding for cultivated-meat research in the upcoming farm bill. For those who don’t know, cultivated-meat is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter.
The new protein is currently too expensive to mass produce. Further development of the nascent field of cellular agriculture will help bypass this hurdle and others. Any politician interested in reducing our greenhouse-gas emissions, pandemic risk and the suffering we inflict on animals should support the effort.
Jon HochschartnerGranby, Conn.
This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Herald-Mail letters to the editor, Jan. 28, 2024
