Sapulpa Daily Herald (Sapulpa, Okla.), Vol. 90, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 20, 2005 Page: 4 of 38
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P\(,F A-IOI R — Sunday. March 20. 2005
I III SM’I I l’\ Hi K M <>
There’s nothing
wrong with
the truth
I read a lot "I obituaries
every day and there are some
common themes to all ol
them
It seems everyone who
attvone who would listen oi
alette with het Site ditln t al
ways think before she spoke
She was liked by some and
not liked hv others, maybe
Sara’s Say So
By Sara Plummer
dies, oi as some people like
to say. pass on. meets theit
Lord, goes to be with Jesus or
walks to the tunnel of light
into heaven, was either an an-
gel sent from heaven, a bless
ing to all who knew them or
a rav of light in the world.
Why is it w hen we die we
lose all ol our faults that
made us human ’ W hy are on
ly the good parts t a I keel
about, or even exaggerated .’
I would much rather read
an obituary about what some-
one was really like, not what
thev want everyone to think
thev were like
j've been to tuncials and
heard people talk about the
deceased and I wonder who
they 're talking about
I hat doesn't mean obitu
aries should be mean, just
honest
Lor instance, in my obitu
ary I would like it to say
something like this
She was blunt and hon
est. sometimes a little too
much She could he loud and
eave her opinion I reels to
because she didn i try to be
Iikeel hv everyone. She even
drove her family and triends
cra/y at times, but they still
loved her."
That is what is important
isn't it ’ Ihe people who mat
ter the most love you despite
vour faults, they even love
you because ol your faults.
Some s.iv it's disrespectful
and even blasphemous to talk
ill about the dead, but what
can be ill when it's the truth 1
fo me. w hen someone dies
and you are remembering
them, that is the pet feet time
to be honest I licit triends
and faun Iv should talk about
what someone was reallv like
so then memoi> mi i a labi i
caled brag sheet
People can t be rays ol
lights or angels tlieii entire
lives People get mad. people
make mistakes, people have
annoying habits and quirks
and that is what makes them
who thev are Why try to ig
nore or cut that out ol their
lives when thru lives aie
ovei '
life GET OUT
TOI AND SHOW fij
TOAAIlffi n ?
mwm
fOLK
HKI^AI JD
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tions in errors of tact that have been printed in the newspaper
The correction will be made as soon as possible after the error
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We encourage your comments on any of the editorials or stories you
read here or on other issues important to the community Send your let-
ters to Editor. PO. Box 1370. Sapulpa. Okla 74067, or bring them to the
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Sunday prior to an election or vote
Opinion
yyifCTWW < l«
CLUNK!
CLUNK/
SAUDI \\
ARABIA V,
IRAN
kr W^l
I’**.
Letters to the Editor'
Dear Kditor,
I cannot believe lltut
Darren Blaitchaul has the
nerve to wnte the Sapulpa
Herahl about morals, in
tegritv ami ethics. Has he al
ready forgotten about bis
dad running a dishonest
campaign against my dad so
he could get rid ol the stipei
intendent ’ Once he got on
the school boa id t hoy linally
had the numbers on theit
side So thev brought lorth
the accusation about the
pay loll me idem and a vv In >le
laundi\ list ol oiltei ;uiu»a
lions lie also lied on the
witness stand and is guilty
ol pei jut v Is this mot al
Mi Blanehaid ind his
group ol mindless drones
have worked vv itb a membei
ol the eonmumity to gel a
huge settlement Irom a law
suit that tie vet should have
happened it the peisoit
would have |tisl r|iiii naming
names while talking to the
school board She was told
that von cannot do that and
she kept lining it and was
netting umulv and uncon
nullable HIM n vv hv there
vv as a law still
JUsi lot cluMllcalinll I
was actually at the couit
hearing and the only thing
that was proven was that
Paul Blanehaid and lerry
Bullet were biased towards
the superintendent and that
they were on the board just
to fire him Because ol these
two outstanding board
members the school lias
been dropped Irom the in-
surance because ot that law-
suit and hail to get an insur-
ance plan six times more
expensive than the other
one I do not like my hard
earned money paying tor
such frivolous lawsuits be
cause Mr. Bullet has an ad-
mitted personal vendetta
against the superintendent
It is sad that board mem-
bers like to use their "pow-
er" to threaten teachers w uli
their |obs when they do not
like how much game lime
their child is getting or the
grade their child received.
What is this leaching our
kids? Are we telling them
that m the "real world" you
do not get judged by how
well you do your job. but
whether or not your parents
threaten your boss .’ Their
kids are in for a rude awak-
ening
I was at the board meet-
ing on Monday and they
were discussing the addition
ot an after-school detention
program. Mr. Blanchard did
not want to implement it be-
cause as the clerk of Ihe
school hoard he would he
getting phone calls Irom
parents complaining about
it. I thought that a person
who gets voted as the clerk
knows that they are going to
he getting phone calls or
was there an ulterior motive
why he was voted to an ot-
fice?
Courtney I-1 etcher
IK-ar Kditor,
As a parent of past stu
dents of Mounds schools
and grandparent ol current
students I am extremely
concerned about recent let-
ters to your paper about
Mounds schools and I leel
that some matters need to be
clarified to set the record
straight.
I irstlv. in her letter to the
editor on I ebruary Xtlt Ms.
I emons claims that, "we
prov ed in court" that her sis-
ter's first amendment right
was violated In fact, the
matter was settled without a
court hearing with the
school board agreeing to a
settlement presumably to
avoid causing the school
ins turthei expense for
lawyer’s lees. In her other
allegation that "a child was
denied an education and was
lehiscd testing" we are rely-
ing on her word on this.
Mine all matters concerning
this child's education are
held m confidence by the
administration and may not
be discussed with others. It
het claim is truthful, why
did the State Board of
I dur ation recently com-
mend Mounds school on
llicir Special education pro-
giam and state that Mounds
would he used as a model
si bool ' It is ins understand
mg that it Ms. Lemons sis-
icr would sign a waiver re-
leasing the school Irom its
position ot confidentiality
ibis matter of the child's ed-
ucation could be discussed
openly and all the facts
known
Secondly, in Mr Darren
Blanchard's letter to the eili-
loi on March t3 (It . there are
some questionable "facts"
stated One might think that
as the son ot one of the cur-
icnt board members he
would have known the truth
about some ot his allega-
tions. but apparently not
lbs claim that the superin-
tendent "gave away the
school's money" is untrue.
I lie money in question,
three hundred dollars, was
money earned by a school
employee and had no effect
on school funds and was not
money "given away to help
a guv out " Ihs other allega-
tion that a child w as denied
ihe light to lx- properly edu-
cated" is merely a repetition
ot Ms Lemons' claim. He
also states that the reason
the last bond issue passed so
narrowly was because tax-
payers were reluctant to
give additional money to a
school system that gave
away their resources. I leel
that it was because of a cam-
paign run by enemies of the
administration spreading
those lies about them in or-
der to convince voters that
by voting against the issue
they could strike a blow
against the superintendent.
I Ins is both unworthy and
illogical, as the children are
the ones to suffer when the
school has insufficient funds
for programs.
I would like to note that
although last year’s court
ruling would entitle the su-
perintendent to collect court
costs, and pursue the option
ol lining the board members
in question, which fine
would have been paid by the
taxpayers of Mounds, he has
not yet done so. I his is
hardly the action of a cor-
rupt person.
These allegations and
other letters and rumors cir-
culating obscure the fact
that Mounds school is doing
very nicely, thank you!
Under the current adminis-
tration, Mounds school is
thriv ing and has an excellent
record. If you are really in
terested, log on to
www.schoolreporteard.gov
and find out for yourself'
Jill Jenkins
Dear Kditor.
This past year, I have sat
quietly by as my parents'
name has been drug through
the mud numerous times.
Well. I refuse to he silent
any longer. I refuse to con-
tinue to allow lies anil ru
mors to be spread and pub
lished about my parents.
The facts are ... when my
dad was laid oft from his job
as a computer programmer;
he did some part-time jam
torial work for Mounds
Public Schools while he was
reeeiv mg unemploy ment
compensation. Lor whatever
reason, it was suggested by
someone else (not the
Superintendent) that they
Iust pay Dad on my mom's
paycheck. My parents
agreed They sincerely fell
that it was morally, ethically
and legally acceptable. They
were still paying all applica-
ble taxes and my dad's
part-time income still met
the Oklahoma
Unemployment Security
Commission's requirements
to receive benefits.
According to the
Commission, a person IS al-
lowed to work a job AND
collect unemployment bene-
fits as long as they are
"working less than full-time
and earning wages less than
their weekly benefit
amount." My dad was doing
both.
Two years later, someone
brought this situation to the
board. They felt that paying
my dad on my mom's cheek
was a means to illegally ob-
tain more unemployment
benefits and believed that
everyone involved should
he fired. As soon as my par-
ents heard about this contro-
versy, they contacted the
Commission on their own to
make sure that all the bene-
fits they had received during
that time were legitimate.
They were more than will-
ing to pay back any of the
benefits if a mistake had
been made.
After speaking to the
Commission, it was deter-
mined that over the
four-month period, my dad’s
wages had exceeded the al-
lowable amount to receive
the maximum benefit by a
total of $300. Immediately
upon receiving this informa-
tion. my parents apologized
for the mistake and returned
the $300 to the Oklahoma
Unemployment Security
Commission.
Contrary to the many al-
legations over this past year,
the Mounds School District
was not out ANY money as
a result of this situation.
Furthermore, il wasting
school funds is truly the
concern, why are there no
questions being asked about
the thousands of dollars in
school funds used to defend
a few school hoard members
who were found in a court
lit law to be biased against
the Superintendent? I don t
think the $300 was the is
sue. I think my parents were
simply "collateral damage"
m a small group's effort to
oust the Superintendent As
far as my dad being paid on
inv mom s paycheck, it lias
been determined hv outside
audits, overseeing agencies,
school board meetings,
court cases, and other inves-
tigations that a mistake was
made NOT a crime.
To those few people who
are continuing to drag this
out. please STOP! I under-
stand your light to investi
gate possible mishandling ot
funds or possible illegal ac-
tivity. but in tins particular
ease, it lias been investigat-
ed and nothing has been
found that hasn't already
been addressed anil recti
lied In continuing the nega-
tive campaign, you are
needlessly hurting the good
people involved anil the
very ones you say you rep-
resent. the students anil pa-
trons ol Mounds Schools
To those many people
who have stood by and sup-
ported my parents, thank
you! Thank you for dismiss
ing the lies and rumors and
for choosing to see the real
character of these wonderful
people I'm blessed to call
Mom and Dad. In spite ot
all the pain, embarrassment
and heartache they have ex-
perienced as a result ot this
ordeal, they continue to live
a life that thev and we. their
children, can he proud of a
life full ot kindness, forgive-
ness. and integrity as they
continue to serve the stu-
dents at Mounds Schools
In Closing, we would ap
predate everyone's help in
diffusing the rumors and lies
about this matter, l.et the
truth speak for itself and
let's get hack to being the
wonderful cohesive commu-
nity we once were.
Sincerely.
Karen Kaekley
Dear Kditor,
A decal that would he af-
fixed to out license plates
showing who has insurance
and who doesn't maybe
would work, but police need
to go further.
Anyone involved in a
wreck or who is stopped hy
police and does not have in-
surance needs to have their
ear towed and not released
until they can prove they
have purchased insurance.
Also, they need to confis-
cate their driver's license on
the spot.
Now the law is so lax, it
seems to be no big deal.
If this law is going to be
for everyone, the police are
going to have to make be-
lievers of those who think
they are exempt.
— Thunk you,
Shirley Anient
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Broaddus, Matthew B. Sapulpa Daily Herald (Sapulpa, Okla.), Vol. 90, No. 162, Ed. 1 Sunday, March 20, 2005, newspaper, March 20, 2005; Sapulpa, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1502098/m1/4/: accessed April 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.