Letters to the editor
Dear editor,
There has been a lot of press about "sniffer" dogs in schools lately. It would appear we're all very concerned about violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We don't seem to be, however, nearly as concerned about the safety and security of our children. Instead of looking at sniffer dogs as an intrusion on privacy and civil rights, why are we not looking at them as "deterrents" to the sale/purchase and use of drugs in a great number of our high schools. If the kids knew the sniffer dogs may/will randomly visit their school lockers, washrooms, yards etc... to search for drugs, I would think the perpetrators would think twice before bringing the stuff with them to school.
Will it make it "inconvenient" for those that do on a regular basis? Absolutely!
There are private companies out there doing this kind of work, not affiliated with law enforcement that can do an excellent job of this. I know, I own one. A program such as this, would allow the school councilors, administrators and parents to, first try and deal with the problem on a social level. Law enforcement can be called in as a last resort for those few habitual "rule/law breakers" With the use of a professionally developed program, the kids are safer, the school's liability exposure is reduced and the parents become involved.
-Andrew Farago,
Berry Mills, N.B.
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Sad day for Salty
Dear editor,
Your article on the demise of Salty Jam was most distressing considering that this was born from the Saint John Jazz Society in 1995 and then the formation of the Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival in 1996 which later was renamed the BMO Nesbitt Burns Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival. At the time, the idea was that Saint John would join other successful jazz and blues festivals in Fredericton, Halifax and Montreal and great performers graced the stage such as Diana Krall, Renee Lee, Oliver Jones, Joe Sealey, Carol Wellsman and a host of others.
The festival and Salty Jam have gone through a number of volunteer organizers who have done a great job of having performances under "the tent" and in other bars/lounges in Saint John.
Since I was part of the organizing team which formed the first jazz and blues festival, I am disappointed, as well, that Salty Jam could not continue. Unlike Fredericton, Halifax and Montreal, Salty Jam doesn't have paid staff persons but operate by volunteers who need to access monies, organize events, pray that the weather is good and try to manage to keep out of debt. It's a monumental job for volunteers and very quickly it results in volunteer "burnout".
At one time there were discussions of having a full-time staff person who would look after the festivals/events in Saint John. But, of course, this requires "someone" to organize this and so discussions were laid aside.
Saint John can be proud of the vast number of volunteers who willingly come forward to help with these events but perhaps the time has come for us to consider hiring a full-time staff person to organize the myriad of details which are required of such events.
- Betty Tompkins,
Saint John, N.B.
Dear editor,
I was very disappointed to read today in [here] Magazine that this summer one of the events I look forward to will no longer be in Saint John. I volunteered for the first two summers I moved to Saint John when it was the Saint John Jazz and Blue's Fest and now it's a huge disappointment to hear that Saint John is losing this great venue for local talent and a loss of getting great talent here in New Brunswick.
Sad day indeed,
- Niki Schoenberger,
Saint John, N.B.
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EFI extinction
Dear editor,
A central tenant of Minister Lamrock's embattled plan for French language instruction in our province is that children currently in the early French immersion program will be 'grandfathered'. Recent events suggest that it will be more like 'orphaned'. Children in Grade 1 should expect to have 11 more years of their program; yet District 2's website has completely expunged any mention of the program. As a hint of worse to come, District 18 has removed all remedial help for EFI students, and similar programs are being cut in District 8. Studies over the past decade have argued that the proper way of reducing streaming out of EFI is to provide it with better support, as is done today in Nova Scotia.
However, when Lamrock apportioned funds from the joint commission on classroom composition last year, over $1 million was provided for special help in the core program, and only $4,000 for EFI students. No wonder parents of struggling students are encouraged to migrate to the core program. It seems that if Lamrock is allowed to continue down this uncharted path, he will do even more to ensure that EFI becomes the 'elitist' program he has criticized.
- Stephanie McCarty, Fredericton, N.B.
-Send your letters to the editor to Breanna@urbanpublications.com or by mail to 939 Main St., Moncton, N.B. E1C 8P3.
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