WATCHDOG was asleep:
We were so enthusiastic about the introduction of the weekly Lancaster Post that the Watchdog failed to criticize the tabloid's April 25th front page political cartoon entitled "Double Crossings" that portrays all five Manheim Township commissioners as puppets for Dale High.
A recent Letter refers to the cartoon as " ...not accurate and did a disservice to the two commissioners that voted to NOT move this project forward."
The Watchdog apologizes for ignoring the injustice and promises to henceforth review the Post with the same critical eye as it does the Post's three local competitors.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
College Courses for High School Students
SUNDAY NEWS May 11 Special: "Don't make gifted students wait for college courses"
WATCHDOG: Kudos to retired teacher Dorothy Saunders for her "In My Opinion" rebuttal to the earlier opinion piece by Francis J. Bremer, Chair of the Millersville University History Department, objecting to the teaching of college courses in history to high performing high school students in their senior year.
We predict that any standardized test given to both MU freshman history students and to International Baccalaureate program seniors at J. P McCaskey on average would place McCaskey students on a par or ahead. Why? Because successful IB candidates qualify to attend the best schools in the country. MU has to draw its students from a much broader population.
Many youngsters lose interest in school and drop out or avoid college because they have been under challenged. The sooner gifted students move ahead, the more time they will have later for advanced classes, to independently pursue academic interests, and for part time employment.
A half century ago, the Ford Foundation sponsored brilliant students who would enter college early by skipping the junior and senior years of high school. The students could readily perform the academic work but were not as socially mature as their classmates. Providing college level courses at the high school level was found to be a better solution.
WATCHDOG: Kudos to retired teacher Dorothy Saunders for her "In My Opinion" rebuttal to the earlier opinion piece by Francis J. Bremer, Chair of the Millersville University History Department, objecting to the teaching of college courses in history to high performing high school students in their senior year.
We predict that any standardized test given to both MU freshman history students and to International Baccalaureate program seniors at J. P McCaskey on average would place McCaskey students on a par or ahead. Why? Because successful IB candidates qualify to attend the best schools in the country. MU has to draw its students from a much broader population.
Many youngsters lose interest in school and drop out or avoid college because they have been under challenged. The sooner gifted students move ahead, the more time they will have later for advanced classes, to independently pursue academic interests, and for part time employment.
A half century ago, the Ford Foundation sponsored brilliant students who would enter college early by skipping the junior and senior years of high school. The students could readily perform the academic work but were not as socially mature as their classmates. Providing college level courses at the high school level was found to be a better solution.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
NEW ERA, May 5
Comparing the performance of the current commissioners with their predecessors, the reporter said "That's a marked change from the squabbles and controversies that frequently bogged down the previous board, consisting of Dick Shellenberger, Molly Henderson, and Pete Shaub."
WATCHDOG: "Squabbles?"?? That is how they refer to the debate about the future of Lancaster City, the potential risk and waste of over $16O million, and the propaganda by the then-monopoly newspapers to enrich its owner and its joint venture partner the High Group??
If that is a "squabble" then a "squabble" is what took place at the Constitutional Convention, and the earlier confrontation with King George was a "big squabble."
WATCHDOG: "Squabbles?"?? That is how they refer to the debate about the future of Lancaster City, the potential risk and waste of over $16O million, and the propaganda by the then-monopoly newspapers to enrich its owner and its joint venture partner the High Group??
If that is a "squabble" then a "squabble" is what took place at the Constitutional Convention, and the earlier confrontation with King George was a "big squabble."
Sunday, May 4, 2008
WHY WE RUSH
WATCHDOG: Why do we rush through Marv Adams's Sunday News column ramblings to get to what his daughter had to say? Marv should double her allowance and give us more of Abigail's piercing tongue.
SUNDAY NEWS
The editorial "Fold 'em; We won't put our money on legislation to raise the stakes for small games of chance. Instead it's time to draw the line on gambling" expresses the noble sentiments of the editors.
WATCHDOG: A few years down the road when the convention center and hotel are tanking, word will come down from the Executive Floor to support a casino to rescue the project. At that time we will only have 'Artie See's' on-line messages and hopefully the Lancaster Post and NewsLanc to remind us of the editorial and what the staff of the Sunday News really thinks. Lancaster has good journalists but bad publishers.
WATCHDOG: A few years down the road when the convention center and hotel are tanking, word will come down from the Executive Floor to support a casino to rescue the project. At that time we will only have 'Artie See's' on-line messages and hopefully the Lancaster Post and NewsLanc to remind us of the editorial and what the staff of the Sunday News really thinks. Lancaster has good journalists but bad publishers.
Friday, May 2, 2008
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
Jeff Hawkes's May 1 column, "Recidivism: The point of no return" makes good points concerning the need to reduce prison population and curtail costs without compromising public safety. He quotes Rep. Katie True, who has come a long way over the years in drug policy and harm reduction sophistication, as saying "When you hear from (Beard) that 70 percent of the people in our prison population are there because of substance abuse, you have to try something different."
WATCHDOG: Instead of endorsing half-hearted incremental steps of allowing parole after serving 75% of a prison sentence in return for certain efforts, we should regulate and control marijuana as we do the two far more dangerous drugs: alcohol and nicotine. Not only would this keep otherwise law abiding citizens from arrests and sometimes incarceration, thus reducing prison costs, it would provide far more tax revenue than legalize gambling and cut the legs out from under the most profitable industry in the county: drug trafficking!
WATCHDOG: Instead of endorsing half-hearted incremental steps of allowing parole after serving 75% of a prison sentence in return for certain efforts, we should regulate and control marijuana as we do the two far more dangerous drugs: alcohol and nicotine. Not only would this keep otherwise law abiding citizens from arrests and sometimes incarceration, thus reducing prison costs, it would provide far more tax revenue than legalize gambling and cut the legs out from under the most profitable industry in the county: drug trafficking!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
WATCHDOG
SUNDAY NEWS: "[Manheim] township said High must pay for about $27 million worth of traffic improvements at Harrisburg Pike and Route 30. High is eyeing government sources for most of the cost."
WATCHDOG: Better said, High is eyeing taxpayers for most of the cost. High makes a specialty of so funding their projects .
WATCHDOG: Better said, High is eyeing taxpayers for most of the cost. High makes a specialty of so funding their projects .
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