tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15886671544593066802024-03-13T07:31:57.023-05:00If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil!!!Join me in a great display of free expression. This Blog will entertain you, intrigue you, challenge you, and sometimes may even make you mad! I hope - If we can't agree - let's at least be Civil!!!!Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-882620765628934522016-11-19T18:21:00.000-06:002016-11-19T18:46:36.412-06:00Polarization of us and our NationMy entire life, I have enjoyed politics. My family has a history of politicians. We have spent many a day and night discussing political events and theorizing about outcomes. From a young age, I was taught to enjoy the discussion and to relish those who believed differently, than myself. I was taught you become better when you challenge your beliefs with intelligent dissent.<br />
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This year has been different. Much different. Actually, I would go as far to say; "This year has just been sad." I have watched people in my hometown squabble over roads, instead of coming together with a strong foundation. I have watched State level politicians take large sums from lobbyist and actually crow about it. Then, of course we all know what has happened on the National scene.<br />
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Throughout the Presidential election, I have watched as some people's friends became their foes. I have watched as some families discussions went to all time lows. Sadly, I watched as a Nation allowed their differences to come to blows.<br />
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Azar Nafisi, an Iranian born writer, who immigrated and became an American citizen, in 2008, said; "<i><b>I see people who talk about America, and then
undermine it by not paying attention to its soul, to its poetry. I see
polarization, reductionism and superficiality</b></i>."</div>
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We raise our children to believe in the "Golden Rule." Yet, we don't live by it.</div>
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We raise our children to know the awesome love of Jesus Christ. Yet, we don't exhibit it.</div>
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We say, "take the high road and don't get down in the mud with those slinging it..." Yet, we cheer when leaders get dirty, in front of us.</div>
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I hope each of you, reading this, will pause and think. Just for a moment. Don't think about this in terms of politics. Republican OR Democrat. Think of this in terms of humanity and each of us as Americans. </div>
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If we truly desire to "Make America Great Again", we need to reflect upon what was great about America. Civility. Respect. The ideal that, "All men are created equal."</div>
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If we can't agree - can't we at least be civil? </div>
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Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-86329575744836175582016-03-09T00:32:00.001-06:002016-03-09T00:32:26.316-06:00"The American Dream, as I see it". (Immigrants are not the problem, "we" are.)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> As a young child, I grew up believing in "The American Dream". My family always told me and my sister we could be whatever we wanted to be, as long as we were willing to work hard. My Father demonstrated this ideal to perfection. He worked long hours during evenings, holidays, weekends. He worked. He worked to support our Family, to improve our lives. Never at any time did I think I could fail in life, if I were willing to work hard. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> As I have grown and experienced the World, many of my beliefs have changed. I have seen things, made mistakes, learned from others, but one thing never changed - in fact if anything it has become more solidified - and that is what my Father taught us. You CAN accomplish anything, if you are willing to work hard.</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I was in grade school, I became a real American Patriot. It was then that my love of America grew. I learned there was no better Country, to grow up in. There was no better land, for real opportunity. It was implanted in my DNA. This is still true today. There is no better Country, than the United States of America. We are not perfect and I think we have much room for growth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> One of the best parts of America is our willingness to allow others to speak freely. We can pretty much say whatever we wish, without fear of criminal prosecution. That is amazing. Even today, many Nations still have restrictions on speech. In Germany, for example, there continues to be restrictions on Nazi related works and speech. Is that speech vile? Of course, but should it be banned? Who decides? You? Me? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Point is, America is great because our forefathers were fleeing persecution and faults they experienced, in other Countries. In order to keep America great, we must be willing to be honest with one another and to speak freely. Speak our minds, in a civilized way, so we may see things from different perspectives and work to solve our problems. This is what led me to write, tonight. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Earlier today, I read a piece in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/03/the-ethnic-groups-that-still-believe-in-the-american-dream/472776/?utm_source=SFFB" target="_blank"><i>The Atlantic</i></a> about how certain immigrants view The American Dream. This led me to want to express my views on the American Dream..........</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Contrary to what many of my neighbors and Donald Trump believe, immigrants are not our problem. We do not need to build a "wall". We do not need Mexico to build a "wall". We need to look in the mirror and be honest about "The American Dream, as I see it".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> After working as a police officer for more than 20 years and volunteering in many social capacities, I have come into contact with most all segments of society. I have grown frustrated with people and their bigotry. Their blindness to what is actually happening....again, in "my" opinion. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> When I use the term "we", I mean "us", "Americans", "people who have been born and raised in these here parts", get it? Ok.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> "We" are the problem, because we have decided it is OK for people to be declared "disabled", because they have a drug addiction, drink too much beer, have a sore back - but could still work at some job........I think you get the idea. We have made it easier for people to stay at home, than for them to work. It is easier for some people to qualify for Food Stamps, if they limit the hours they work, so they may get the maximum allotment from The State. We have become a Nation entitled to all we want, without having to put "any skin in the game".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Now, "We" complain about immigrants "flooding" into "our" home and taking away our jobs. "We" complain "they" all need to be deported. Shipped "back to where they came from, because they broke the law to get here". What "law" did they "really" break? They broke the "law" that wants to stop them from having a better life, for their kids. The "law" that does not want them to be "free" and get a great education.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Some of you will be fuming, by this point in my rant, but please allow me to have "free speech" and ask that you kindly take a deep breath and challenge yourself, right here, right now. Why have "these people" come to America? I think we can all agree, the vast majority of them have come here to seek a better life. Chase the real "American Dream", which "we" have declared dead. BUT WAIT, it is not dead, it is there for the picking, but YOU have to be willing to work to harness it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I am in a new career, now, and recently I came across a child, from Somalia. This child was in McDonald County and he worked on a farm. His father worked at a chicken plant, in Noel. When I came across them, the child was tired and not feeling well. He claimed to be sick. He appeared to be sick. Like most kids, he said to his Father, "Now, I get to stay home from school!", as if he was excited at the prospect. However, his Father said, "I was shot at. I fought to come here. I risked your life, your sister's life, your Momma's life, to come to America! I fought so you could learn and be scientist! Be great! I fought so you, would <i>not</i> have to work in a chicken plant! Tomorrow, you go to school! You learn! You become scientist!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> That moment was defining for me. Do <i>all fresh</i> immigrants feel this way? Probably not. Do <i>most fresh</i> immigrants feel this way? I believe so! My Dad felt this way. He taught me in a similar manner. I could see my own Father, in this man from a land in Africa. A man I knew nothing about, I suddenly knew <u><i>everything </i></u>about. A man, who like me, loved America. Who understood "The American Dream" and knew in order to grab it and not work in a chicken plant, you would have to go to school when you did not feel your best.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> How many of "us" teach our kids, like this, now? How many of "us" believe it is better to work three jobs and only sleep five hours a day, in order to remain off of Government Assistance Programs? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> As our Nation is in the middle of a historic Presidential campaign, I feel the issues are being "hyped". They are being thrown into five second sound bites, where none of us really stop to think.........what would it take to "Make America Great Again"?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> How about we only give government assistance to those able bodied people, who are willing to work hard? We have a crisis with our infrastructure, as our water and sewer systems crumble, and our bridges crack. Could we not teach the masses how to pour concrete, drive heavy equipment, dig up trenches for new water lines? Why should it be more rewarding to sit on your couch, than to rebuild Interstate 70? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This leads me to ask.....as many of you are clamoring to build a "wall" across the Mexican Border, have you thought for a minute that maybe we are wanting to keep the wrong folks constrained, by that very barrier? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Would it not make more sense to allow the hard working people, who seek a better life, to come IN; while we encourage those of "us" sitting on the couch to get OUT? You see, I am in favor of a different kind of immigration policy.....I think we should keep the eleven million who came here to work and we should ship out the red blooded, rednecks, who just want to cash a check. One we can not cash!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we can't agree, can't we at least be civil?</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mCBpsam6LIc/Vt_A0eHu3II/AAAAAAAAAO8/K2-Fcl5uisg/s1600/Illegal-Immigration-Profiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mCBpsam6LIc/Vt_A0eHu3II/AAAAAAAAAO8/K2-Fcl5uisg/s400/Illegal-Immigration-Profiling.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-66824502356001460492015-12-14T16:40:00.001-06:002015-12-14T16:45:31.839-06:00Life, Love, Liberalism, and the Legacy we wish to leave...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
anyone who knows me will tell you, "there is no doubt" where I stand
on most issues. Recently, I expressed opinions, which were not popular
with many people, about the admittance of refugees from Syria and being careful
to not lump all Muslims into one boat. My Facebook posts brought about
lively discussion. I was greeted by several people around the area who
expressed they were surprised by my positions and why they felt I was
misguided. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
always appreciate hearing from those who see issues differently, as they
challenge me to grow intellectually. But, comments from a few people led
me to write this Blog Post......so let's get to it!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over
the past several weeks, there have been some political developments in the area
which have led some people to ask if I intend to seek political office. I
won't ever rule out a political run, in some capacity or another, as I will go
wherever I feel led to improve our Community and Region. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
I spoke with some folks about my political beliefs, I had a couple of people
say, "You need to be concerned about your "liberal" views and
how they will affect you in a race." Those remarks struck me at my
core....many of my political views and political life lessons were gained at an
unusually young age. They are not "liberal". </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
have been blessed to lead a life unlike most people. As a youngster, I
spent a great deal of time with my Grandfather, Herbert Douglas. Herb, as
he was known by many, was known as "Granddad", by me. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Granddad
ran for the United States Senate, in Missouri, in 1956. He won the
Republican Primary, but lost the General Election, as Missouri was generally a
Democratic leaning state, in those days. Granddad told me many stories,
from "the good old days", as he and I traveled all over southern
Missouri, going to various Republican gatherings. On one occasion he
shared with me a powerful message....one I have not forgotten...he told me,
"never be afraid to stand up for what you know is right; particularly when
everyone else around you knows you are wrong."</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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I knew what he was saying...Granddad was telling me, when a large group of
people were traveling down a path I honestly believed to be dangerous, to take
the road less traveled. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
When I die, I don't care to be a monetarily rich person. Money has not
mattered to me, beyond wishing to provide for my family. I haven't heard
people reflect on the life of others and remark, "They sure were great,
because they had money." Instead, I know people are remembered for
their contribution to society. Their legacy. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
hope each of you will get this from my life, a glimpse of my legacy, which I am
trying to sew, to always love when you can and when you can no longer love,
step back and ponder what road you are on. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
are all molded by our own experiences. As a career police officer, I have seen
many horrific parts of humanity. That experience has allowed me to
cherish the good times and know, while there is evil in the World, there is way
more good. Good always trumps evil. We just have to believe.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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Growing up in The Ozarks, I know the importance of neighbors, family, God, and
friends. In every instance of my current existence, I face issues and ask
myself, "Can I face my neighbors, my family, my God, and my friends";
if I act or believe in a particular way. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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Often, I fall back on teachings of Love and knowing I don't have to conform to
anyone else's model to "be accepted". I am not striving for
acceptance. I am striving to set an example and in some very small way
make our corner of the World nicer, better, greater.</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
It is OK for us to be afraid of people and "things" that are
different. It is OK for us to protect ourselves against people who
legitimately wish to do us harm. It is OK to use force to protect
ourselves in the face of an imminent threat. I know all of this first
hand. I have seen it staring me in the face, more than once. I have
been terrified, on numerous occasions. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But,
the one thing I have never done is lumped a group of people into a pile and
believed all of them were bad, because one of them tried to kill me. That
is illogical, but more importantly it is not following God's teachings of love.
</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Along
with my Grandfather, my parents also gave me a very simple gift. They not
only taught me the Golden Rule, they preached it. Any time I made a
mistake and treated someone badly, one of them would ask, "How would you
feel if that had been you?" It took me awhile, as I am not always
the swiftest learner, but eventually the Golden Rule hit home. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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saw kids in High School, who were teased because they didn't have the nicest
clothes. I wondered how I would have felt. I saw a college roommate
treated differently, because he was Black. I wondered how I would have felt.
I saw people denied job interviews, because they didn't "know" the
right people, but were more qualified. I wondered how I would have felt.
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Today,
I see people being judged and ridiculed because they come from a foreign land
and have a strange religion. I wonder how I would feel, if it was me...if
I was trying to save my family from stray bullets and bombs that had nothing to
do with me....if I was hungry and just wanted food....if I just wanted to lay
down, with my arms tight around my family in a place where I did not have to
worry about any of us being killed..........How would I feel?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
would feel like coming to America, because contrary to what some people will
tell you; America IS GREAT. America IS a place of hope. America is
a place where I could get off a boat or plane and upon working hard...I could
be CEO of ANY Fortune 100 Company. That is how I would feel, if I were a
refugee. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is not about being Conservative or Liberal.........it is about the Legacy I
wish to leave.............</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If
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<![endif]-->Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-29223741357790659302015-04-02T14:26:00.001-05:002015-04-02T14:46:05.077-05:00Letter to the Editor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.neoshosfuture.org/" target="_blank"><img alt="www.neoshosfuture.org" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yqAWDdWCdrU/VR2V3xXzthI/AAAAAAAAANI/9RzpHqlcJpo/s1600/11043228_10153205564816096_1444708271587106937_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Letter to the Editors of the Neosho Daily News and Joplin Globe - April 2, 2015</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the early
1970’s, my Great Uncle, Garland Douglas, advocated for a new school to be built
in Neosho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 50 years later, I have
picked up Uncle Garland’s torch and I wish to shine light on the realities
faced by us all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realize my influence
will be very small and I may not change a single mind, so I just ask this of
you – please read my words with an open mind and pure heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Good people
have expressed to me they just can’t support the construction of Neosho Junior
High, because of mistakes “made in the past”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would like to tell you, mistakes have been made in the past and they
WILL be made in the future!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>YES, that’s
right I said they will be made in the future as well. Why would I say
that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Neosho Schools are run by
PEOPLE and people make mistakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
real issue is not whether mistakes have been made, but rather how they were
made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have looked back to my Uncle
Garland’s time and I have yet to find ONE single mistake made out of malice or
ill will towards you, the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure, you can argue “this building
should’ve been here, that one should have been there”, or “they should’ve done
this or they should’ve done that”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life
does not come with a crystal ball, so all of us make decisions based on the
best information on hand at the time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some people
have expressed concerns to me over the cost of the increase and said, “I can’t afford
any more taxes”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand this, but
I counter with this – there is also a cost to doing nothing and voting no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we continue to vote no and turn down
adequate educational facilities, we will pay for it in a loss of great teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keeping an open mind please ask yourself, “If
YOU were a new teacher just graduating college and YOU were in the top five
percent of your class………. would you want to go to a School District with mobile
classrooms or worse yet a cart to push around from room to room all day … OR
would you select a school with a normal climate controlled classroom, where
learning can be facilitated.”?????<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
must recruit and retain the very best teachers!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Adequate schools, which are not over-crowded, allow us to compete for
the top educators.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lastly, YOU
benefit from adequate schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Educated
persons are less likely to commit crimes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Educated persons are generally higher wage earners who spend more in the
overall economy, which benefits business and creates jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main reason America has flourished for more
than a century is due to the commitment to educate the masses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just the rich, not just those who are
deemed “most intelligent”, in America we educate everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our forefathers knew there was a cost to
public education, but they were also wise enough to know there was a cost to
not having public education.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s time to
make an investment in our community and move the Neosho School District
forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time we address our real
overcrowding issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time we show
our teachers we value them and want to recruit and retain the very best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time we value ourselves and all of the
Neosho area, just as Uncle Garland dreamed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is not only an investment in our children; this is an investment in
our entire community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s time to vote
YES for Neosho’s Future!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Looking to Neosho's Future,</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Steve Douglas</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Neosho, Mo. </span></div>
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Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-76603196323347549462015-03-19T00:38:00.000-05:002015-03-19T00:38:16.803-05:00We all need to stand up for Neosho and be heardI am never one to shy away from controversy and this post will certainly back that up. The title of my Blog has always been..."If we can't agree-let's at least be civil?" To preface my remarks, I have always respected those willing to face me and take issue with my beliefs. I am not all knowing and I learn more from those with whom I disagree, than with those whose beliefs I share. I respect those who see things differently, as they challenge me to be honest and better. To those who stand up and work to make Neosho better, particularly those who may see things from a different viewpoint, I wish to say "thank you", as you do make me better. Together, we can grow Neosho into the very best community. <br />
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As I write this post, on March 18, 2015, I am a bit saddened and frustrated. An anonymous letter has been circulated within our School District attacking the management of our schools and the need for a new Junior High. I don't take issue with the disagreement, I take issue with the method. As a proud Neoshoan , for my entire life, I believe in making this community the best it can be for all people. The only way to accomplish this is through honest dialogue and holding leaders accountable. The sending of an anonymous letter - sprinkled with innuendos and misstatements - is not conducive to a prosperous community. You may not agree with me and I certainly have made many mistakes in both my personal and professional life, but I have always stood up and taken responsibility for my actions. I have never hidden my name, even when I have been embarrassed. I say this first to say, I intend to respond to the points made in this "anonymous letter"; BUT I hope you will ask yourself who you should believe and trust the most, as trust is mentioned in this very letter....do you trust people who volunteer many hours to make Neosho better and are willing to place themselves "out there" for the personal attacks OR do you trust those who hide behind a pen with no name? The issue of improving Neosho's Schools IS all about TRUST, on this point the author(s) of the anonymous letter and I can agree. <br />
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To begin, the opening of the letter states the author(s) decided not to join the "Neosho's Future Facebook page", because they did not wish to be "bullied, criticized, made fun of, or called names, and don't like many of the rude and condescending remarks on the page." I will tell you, I don't like ANY such remarks. The fact is there has been very little of this activity on the page. I have read nearly every post and comment since the pages inception and I have appreciated the level of civility shown most of the time. Have there been moments of tension, yes there have been, but I have never been involved in any worthwhile project that did not have debate. Sometimes, people become spirited and cross a line. I never argue that is right, but at the same time to imply or overtly state this "page" has "many" such statements is unfair and untrue. I invite you to join the page and see for yourself.<br />
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We, on the School Board, or the organizing Committee for the Bond Issue have not spoken to any patron with an "attitude" or double speak, with ONE exception. I take responsibility for that exception and wish to address it head on....several weeks, maybe a month back, a wonderful Neosho resident, Deanna McClelland, made a statement on a post that I misunderstood and I went after the statement, not her as a person. I soon realized my error and publicly and privately apologized to her. I am human and I have worked diligently with a pure heart to MAKE NEOSHO BETTER. I have no hidden agenda and I will not speak to anyone with an attitude, nor will any of us working so hard to pass this issue. We only want what is in the best interest of our community.<br />
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Next, the first question addresses Early Childhood Education (ECE) and why we have Field School dedicated to housing this. (We also have a ECE program at Goodman Elementary). The letter asks if all elementary schools house ECE, no they do not. The letter goes on to imply we should not provide this service if we are overcrowded. I totally and emphatically disagree. Neosho deserves the best education system possible from its public schools. We should all be demanding the best. Many different research studies, on educational outcomes , indicate the most important time in a child's life educationally is up until the child is in the 3rd grade. Research has shown potential high school drop outs can be identified by the 4th grade! This developmental time is crucial for a child. Due to limited space we currently do not offer enough space to provide ECE to all Neosho students who are of age. I will simply say, every school of our size not only in the region, but Statewide, offers some type of ECE. Instead of cutting this service back, I support expanding it to every qualifying child. Their quality education depends on it. This is not a "babysitting service" , as alleged in the letter. It is a valid - research based - educational program and we all need to support it. In fact, we should be emulating the Carthage School District who just recently passed an issue to construct a brand new center for ECE. Such facilities draw in progressive young families, who will spend money with Neosho businesses, too. <br />
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Directly to some of the statements in the first bullet point of the letter Barbie Lake replied best, when she said, " <span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">4
year olds are not in the elementary buildings. We have an Early
Childhood Center for preschool in Neosho and Goodman. We receive title
one funding for these preschools. Head Start is not part of our
district so I can't speak of the services. Earl</span></span><span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".32.1:3:1:$comment396924963817973_396926723817797:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">y
learning is very important especially for at risk children. Without
preschool, often times these kids are behind as early as kindergarten
and first grade and they are never able to catch up."</span></span></span></span></span></span></blockquote>
To the next statement, bullet point number two, I am not going to shy away from us providing nice "homey" spaces to our kids. I certainly understand some people don't agree with this and that is thier right, but please allow me to point out somethings....times change and if we expect America to compete on a World Stage, we better change out educational settings. Just because you got a wonderful education without "homey" areas, 15, 30, or 50 years ago, does not mean it is improper today. The items placed in the Middle School, for the after school program, were generously donated by the John Mills Family, after his long time Neosho Business, Mills Park Centre and Appliance, closed. Instead of criticizing these furnishings, we should be celebrating a long time Neosho Family who gave valuable resources to children. I appreciate what the Mills' Family did and I hope more of you will donate to our kids and their happiness. Also, much has been made about a fireplace in the High School Library. if you don't agree with this expenditure, which was in the neighborhood of $2,000, then hold me accountable. I voted for that item and I stand by my vote. I believe and again research supports educational facilities with an atmosphere welcoming youth tend to have better educational outcomes. These items are not placed in our schools to waste money, they are placed to benefit our educational environment. Look around at every new school built in the last 10 years within 100 miles of Neosho and you will find such items that can be criticized, but they are there for a valid reason, not to waste money.<br />
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Still with the second bullet point, there is a question as to why classroom space was used to form a seventh grade office at the Middle School. The issue is simple, we needed to better serve our students and manage our resources. Our Educators, who are experts in childhood learning, believed it was in our students best interest to form a "Junior High", now, no matter if the community supported the physical building. Our Superintendent believed this was in the best interest of kids. Since that decision was made, there has been an obvious and marked improvement in teacher morale. The teachers of the 7th and 8th grade are the very ones who became organized and cared enough to lobby me to change my mind and vote to place this bond issue on the ballot. I was initially against this, because I was frustrated by the lack of community support. BUT, these teachers, who are served by this new make shift office, felt it was vital we do something now! To that point, I want to directly counter the authors of this anonymous letter on this very issue....our school district has repeatedly come to you and literally begged for help. We have said children are suffering educationally and we are unable to provide adequate services, due to our physical building limitations.... and often the community has voted "no" and handicapped us from being able to afford reasonable and proper solutions....so, we think outside the box and play the hand we were dealt....to remodel an area - all the while knowing this is not the most ideal situation - in order to better serve kids .... and then the very people who vote no criticize us for making such a decision. I am sorry but there is irony and hypocrisy in that position and I am not meaning to be rude or condescending to these individuals, I am merely stating what I believe to be fact. <br />
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Further into bullet point two, I agree mistakes were made on the design and location of the Middle School building. There is no plumbing on the west side back wing of the structure which severely handicaps our ability to expand that facility. But, unfortunately, that horse left the barn 20 years ago. I am unable to rectify it. I have learned from this mistake and we, as a Board, have been diligent in demanding our current architects and administrators plan for all contingencies, so such errors are not repeated. I do take issue with the comment saying the Middle School was built in a "flood plain", this is untrue. There is not a "flood plain", as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in this area.<br />
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I am unfamiliar with the specifics of the allegations about water damaging Benton Elementary and Carver Elementary, after their respective completions, so I am unable to respond to that point.<br />
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The letter goes on to make reference to the current land being proposed for the new Junior High. The author(s) question the purchase price. As I sit at home and write this reply, I am unable to recall the exact dollar amount of the land purchase, but it is fair to say it is in the ballpark of $350,000 for 70 acres m/l. The authors question the price of $5,000 per acre. There is a liveable home on the property. The home is red in color and the second home south of Maple Drive, on the west side of Kodiak Road. There is a barn and a pond on the property as well. This is a fair asking price. I challenge you to find land cheaper that is along a paved road, within a mile of access to an interstate highway, has city water and sewer nearby, and is suitable for construction of a school. If you owned this property, you would feel $350,000 was a fair price. I encourage anyone to drive by and examine the location and home, from the road, then compare prices for comparable real estate in the Sunday Paper. You decide if the price is too high. I have looked and I find the price is fair.<br />
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The money raised from the sale of the Taylor Property, which is located at Highway 86 and Kodiak Rd., was used to finance the furnishing and establishment of Carver Elementary, to save the taxpayers money.<br />
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To the third bullet point, we must have offices for our Principal and support staff. they need to be centrally located in the building. Could they be in trailers? Sure they "could be", but is that right either? We must have an office for our Principal. We are overcrowded. We need your help.<br />
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To the fourth bullet point, our Administrative Center (The old Rec Center) is used for offices and as a training facility for our wrestling program, which is housed in the old gym. The "security guard" does have space in this building for a desk. The "security guard" is in fact a sworn Neosho Police Officer. To question what he is "guarding" by having his office space in this facility is no different than questioning why we have a police department or sheriff's office downtown. Cops don't sit in their offices all the time, in fact they often and regularly patrol. The School Resource Officer goes to all of our campuses and is prepared for any situation, to best serve our community.<br />
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To the fifth bullet point, none of us has down played the new soft ball field, located north of the Carver Elementary. In fact, I have asked , again, to be held accountable for this decision, as I would not vote for it, with the information I now have. I did vote to fund it, back in 2012. That is NOT to say it was not needed or that it was a waste of money. It was needed, as we had no facility for our softball team to play on. We were allowed to use the field at Crowder, but there were scheduling conflicts, as it was not ours. Again, the community has ignored needs for so long, that the list is all over the place. My regret comes from my vote being made when I did not have all the facts. I was only on the Board a few months, when I cast my vote in support. I later learned we did not have a good master plan in place that accounted for this facility in a list of priorities. (Since that time , we have developed a solid master plan, for our facilities, and we have prioritized) I should have known better and asked more questions. I learned a valuable lesson, that has greatly helped me with decisions on the FEMA shelter and the Junior High proposal. NOW IF YOU ARE STILL WITH ME, PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS NEXT POINT....if we can build a new Junior High, it will be across the field, within walking distance, of the softball field....at that point the construction and placement of the softball field will look wise and provide locker room space and concession areas that could be used at a cost savings. So, this could be a good decision. Time will tell.<br />
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To the sixth point, I have seen people remark that a new school will reduce bullying. I am not going to make that claim as I have no way to honestly support it. But, I will say....it is common sense that less crowded facilities that are used within their proper design limits ARE safer. It is safer in a fire and it will be safer in a security setting. Anecdotal evidence here, from my own life, my daughter graduated from NHS in 2014. In speaking with many of her female friends, I was appalled to learn how many of them have been groped at some point in the crowded halls of Neosho High. Ask around for yourself and see what the female (even some male) students tell you about inappropriate touching in our crowded hallways. I was a police officer for more than 20 years, in this community, so I feel I am qualified to say, as an expert, a new school WILL provide a safer setting for our kids. Will it stop bullying? Probably not, but will it improve upon a despicable unsafe situation??? YES!<br />
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To the seventh point, we have extensively discussed and studied the traffic impacts of the new junior high. We have facilitated a traffic study by our architects, Sapp Design Associates. The ONLY new traffic, into the area, will be from the addition of the 8th grade. The Neosho Special Road District has already completed an awesome upgrade to Kodiak Road and Old Seneca Road, which is immediately north of our proposed location. The City of Neosho has generously dedicated $100,000 to the improvement of Waldo Hatler Memorial Drive and the Hale McGinty intersection. The Neosho Transportation Development District (TDD) projects completion THIS year of millions of dollars in road improvements to the immediate area south of the Middle School. Traffic in the area IS being addressed.<br />
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To the 8th point, yes propane buses were slightly more expensive than diesel buses, BUT we thoroughly researched this and believed we would be able to save $100,000 over three years by purchasing these buses, even taking into account the higher up front cost. Since that initial projection was made, our latest projections indicate an even greater savings will be realized. We were recently informed of a .50 cent per gallon rebate from the federal government, to encourage use of this alternative energy. Again, on one hand we are criticized for "wasting" money on a couch and a fireplace (around $2,000), but when we save more than $100,000 , we are AGAIN criticized. I simply don't understand. We have been VERY open and transparent about the propane buses. We held discussions in a couple to a few public meetings openly displaying our thought process. We are looking at ALL aspects of our operations to see where we can save money, yet still serve kids educational needs. We will continue to do so.<br />
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At the bottom of the second page, the author(s) gives some ideas about how to solve the overcrowding, by shuffling kids from this building to that building and moving other services to trailers.....first of all , we do NOT have the space to adequately do this, as an assumption is made that any particular grade can be moved to any particular building and have their specific needs met, this just doesn't work in reality. We have professional educators who have established the current building assignments. They have the background to know what is best for kids and I trust them. Further, the author(s) seem to indicate it is acceptable to move certain employees or programs into trailers. I will have to agree to disagree with that and state, NO trailers are acceptable on any of our properties. IT IS TIME Neosho stands up and takes back the glorious pride of our past......which did NOT settle for trailers, but rather literally reached for the stars and sent Americans racing to the moon! IT IS TIME Neosho once again leads and does what is not only best for kids, but for the ENTIRE COMMUNITY. We need to stop settling for second rate half assed plans. IT IS TIME we do things RIGHT! <br />
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Finally, the last page of the letter says there is a gym in the High School FEMA addition, this is UNTRUE! There are 18 new classrooms.<br />
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Then the question is posed about why such large shelters at South Elementary and Carver Elementary? Easy, the facility at South is designed for the students and residents who live within one half mile. Placing hundreds of people into a shelter takes space. We utilized the grant money to add a gym and presentation stage to South, which previously had neither. The facility at Carver is also designed to house their students and faculty, which is more than 600 people. Again, that takes space. Day to day, the Carver FEMA shelter will be used for additional classroom space. We have applied for grants to place FEMA shelters on the campuses of all Elementary Schools and the Middle School, but we have not been approved for any others. We hope that approval someday comes.<br />
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Now, particularly erroneous information is found in the next paragraph of the letter, when the author(s) lump the Neosho School District into the disagreement about the TDD. This is unfair and mistaken. The Neosho School District stayed neutral throughout the much publicized dispute. We continue to have good working relationships with both the City of Neosho and the TDD. There are great people on all sides of this project, they just see things differently. All parties wish to see Neosho grow. Further, many people on both sides of the TDD issue have endorsed the new Junior High , as they see it is vital to a better community. We have no ill will towards any party on either side and we have NO "in-fighting" at all with any party. <br />
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I encourage any of you who authored this letter to contact me at any time and discuss these issues. I will say that I am disappointed in myself and realize I have failed in my efforts to bring about a better Neosho, as you have felt unable to identify yourself and come forward for a friendly reasonable discussion. I wish all people of Neosho would come forward and pool resources to make this a better place. To start that, we need a real dialogue. Real dialogue requires true relationships, which will never develop with an anonymous foundation. Thank you for your time..........as always I leave you asking, "IF WE CAN'T AGREE - CAN WE AT LEAST BE CIVIL?'<br />
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(Below I have included scanned images of the anonymous letter, for your review.)<br />
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<br />Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-2558656450983523902014-10-26T04:30:00.001-05:002014-10-26T04:30:23.024-05:00"What's Best for Kids?""What's best for kids?" These four words have caused me deep reflection and challenge to personal convictions, over the past month. A couple of intelligent and articulate young ladies representing the Student Body, at Neosho High School, and the Graduating class of 2015; came before the Neosho School Board to request moving graduation to Missouri Southern State Univeristy's Leggett & Platt Center. There reason? They wished for valued family and friends to attend their graduation. They feared inclement weather could force their graduation ceremony inside, at Neosho High School, and cause limited seating. Indeed, over the past eight years, this has been the case six times.<br />
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Upon first hearing this proposal, I was shocked. I was saddened. I felt betrayed, by the very students whom I have tried to advocate for, as I have pushed several educational agendas. You see, when I am injured and blood comes to the surface of my skin, it is not crimson or red in color. When I bleed, it is a mixture of two colors.........BLACK AND GOLD. I believe in Neosho. I believe in all that is good about this community and how wonderful it is to raise children here. I fondly recall riding my bicycle around the entire City, as a youth in the 1970's, waving at Jim Gage as he opened his Dry Cleaning Business; or stopping to say "Hello" to Hale McGinty, as he swept the sidewalk in front of his Department Store; or riding into the Neosho Fire Department to check out the Fire Trucks with Chief Bill Grey.<br />
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My point is this, to me, Neosho is not just a town. It is not just a place where I live. Neosho is my home. I have a real emotional connection here and I appreciate all the good Neosho has allowed me to experience and I hope to see others find their own good and happiness here. But, as a friend of mine, Mike Stauffer, pointed out to me, this connection; while healthy in many regards, can blind my judgment and not allow me to see the forest for the trees. Sometimes, one must step back from their position and get the "Ten thousand foot view".<br />
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As I began to step back to 10,000 feet and thought about what these kids were requesting with graduation, I stared at the back of my name plate, which sits before me at every School Board Meeting. The back of the name plate says, "WHAT'S BEST FOR KIDS". I then went home and my daughter asked how I felt about the proposal to move graduation. Chelsah is a 2014 graduate of NHS. I told her I was inclined to vote against the idea. She then reminded me how much she was stressed and physically ill, just 5 months earlier, as she had to decide which family members she would invite to see her graduate. She worried about offending her Uncle Dave, when she told him she didn't have enough tickets to get him in. Or about her adopted family, the McKeehan's, when she would have to tell them she just didn't have room. Or her third grade teacher, Mrs. Crane. Oh, Mrs. Crane, Chelsah loved her as a small child and then was fortunate to be able to work in her classroom as a Cadet Teacher, this past year.<br />
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As Chelsah mentioned all these people and her stress, I realized she had memories, just as I did, from my youth. However, as most of my memories of Neosho, were fond and happy, Chelsah had a siginificant one that wasn't. As she spoke about her graduation, she told me how she thought about the stress, the decision of who she was going to have to exclude from "her" special day. THAT was it, my mind changed. I got it. I never wish for Neosho to "exclude" anyone. WE are a community. WE need to be together. <br />
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The only way for the Neosho Community to be "together" for graduation, is to allow room for indoor activities to be in a larger venue, than we have available within the immediate Neosho area. Does this mean Neosho loses something? Does this mean Neosho is less of a great place to raise a family? Does this mean the kids don't support area businesses? NO, this means our children wish to share an exciting moment with as many people as they possibly can!!!<br />
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Over the past several years, I have stayed rather silent on controversies that have engulfed our Ozark Home. I have shied away from some very important issues, as I didn't want to offend anyone on either side. I felt there was no "winning" and someone would be mad. Well, I made a mistake. The ONLY side of any issue that matters, from here on is this....."What is best for Neosho". Period! We all need to stop finding issues to divide us and find what UNITES us. Stop looking for reasons to attack one another and find reasons to help one another reach common goals. Will we always agree? Certainly not, but we can listen to one another and learn why we feel the way we do. Let's work to make Neosho the best small town in America, together!<br />
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If we can't agree, can't we at least be civil?????????Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-43683961136096972652014-09-05T02:17:00.002-05:002014-09-05T02:21:28.463-05:00Open Letter to Employees of Neosho R5 School District<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is an open letter to the hard working Food Service and Maintenance Workers, of the Neosho R-5 School District. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent the opinions of the Neosho School Board, as a whole........</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wish to begin by expressing my heartfelt admiration and appreciation of the work done everyday, by each and every one of you. Recently, I asked for the Neosho School Board to hold discussions on privatization of Food Services and Maintenance Services. Since that proposal was made, I have heard feedback suggesting some of you were in fear of losing your jobs. I have also heard some mis-information. I would like to take a moment to address the reasoning behind my proposal and explain my policy stance..........</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Like all School Districts, in Missouri, the Neosho R5 School District faces an uncertain financial future. During the past two sessions of the Missouri Legislature, bills have been passed that, in my opinion, adversely effect the budgets of school districts. Tax collection changes, from last year alone, have already caused us to lose around $500,000 in revenue. There are Bills pending currently that if enacted are projected to cause us to lose a total of $1.2 million to $1.5 million, per year!!! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When I ran for School Board, nearly three years ago, I promised to thoroughly examine all aspects of School Operations to help guide Neosho to being the very best, for the most reasonable investment. I have kept that promise and this issue is a furtherance of my pledge to our community.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Neosho School Board has enacted many cost saving measures, in the past 2 1/2 years. For example, we have restructured the Health Care Trust and contracted with a new Third Party Administrator, which is expected to save the taxpayers $400,000 to $500,000 per year. We have purchased new propane powered school buses, which are projected to save taxpayers $100,000 to $200,000, over 3 years. We have refinanced outstanding Debt to lower interest rates, which is expected to save $1 million , over the next 13 years. Point is, we, as a Board are being good managers of taxpayer money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The proposal to privatize your specific jobs is a furtherance of these efforts and also in response to looming budget cuts, at the State Level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">First, let me assure you, the discussions about this issue are in their infancy. There will be no back room deals, no hidden agendas, no tricks! We will conduct meetings in the open and you or any member of the public are not only able to attend, you are encouraged to come help us plan. Please come to our meetings!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Personally, on my own, I have been researching this proposal for more than a year. I have spoken to several school districts and colleges, who use Private Contractors. I have spent hours upon hours reading online studies and articles about these programs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My motivation is simple, I desire to find out if we can save real taxpayer money, while at the same time protecting our employees and providing better services to our "customers". I wish to find a way to provide raises to each of you in Food Service and Maintenance. About a year ago, I loudly advocated for a raise for each of you and was able to get Board support to provide a smaller than hoped for raise for the Maintenance Staff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Being a Government Worker myself, I know the struggles of living within a limited budget. It is difficult to make ends meet, when we don't always get cost of living raises and when pay may be lower than our neighboring School Districts. I will NOT support any proposal to privatize that does not include some type of pay or benefit raise for each of you. Period. If the School District is to save money, I want you to benefit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I feel horrible every year when I approve the School Budget knowing there are many school employees, who in my opinion, are not making a living wage. Each of you is valued and you do important jobs that allow our School to excel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">IF we find we can save substantial money and provide better services and better pay to you, then I am inclined to advocate for a change to privatization. Such a scenario would be a win - win. The Neosho Commnity Taxpayers will benefit by saving hard earned tax dollars and you will benefit with a better working environment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">IF I find your jobs will be harmed and there are limited or no cost savings, I am done. I will not support such a change.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Superintendent Dan Decker has met with you and explained what we are after. Please trust him and take him at his word. Over the last year, I have come to know Dan personally and he is a man of integrity. He cares about each of you and wants what is best for the Neosho Schools. If you have any questions or concerns, please ask your supervisors to seek answers from Dan and he will provide you with whatever knowledge he possesses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Again, I encourage you to be informed. Don't listen to rumors and fear mongering. Come to our OPEN meetings and hear for yourself what is going on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I welcome your input , as honestly, I know very little about your respective jobs and you may very well point out issues I have never considered. Working TOGETHER we will take Neosho to the top!!!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Steve Douglas</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Member of the Neosho Board of Education</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"...If we can't agree, can't we at least be civil?"</span>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-40300226957249937952014-04-07T05:55:00.002-05:002014-04-17T05:39:40.188-05:00Progress does require sacrifice... we have to work together, for the common good of Neosho!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein, as always, are my own and in no way are representative of The Neosho School District, as an entity, or the Neosho School Board, as a whole.<br />
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I promised to have a Blog Post about tomorrow's Neosho School Bond election. This Blog addresses questions posed, to me,which I have heard raised by Patrons of the School District. This Blog Post is directed at those who have yet to form an opinion on the issue or those who may be leaning to the "NO" vote, but are open to consideration. If you have questions, please comment, on this post, in the comment box below OR message me on Facebook OR e-mail me at : steve105@swbell.net. I will do my very best to respond to each question, before polls open tomorrow.<br />
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For more detailed information, please visit the "Vote Yes for Kids" Facebook Page.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION:</b> <span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Has there been a traffic study on the location where the new school is proposed to be built?</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ANSWER: </b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, our architects conducted a traffic study. They used recent traffic counts obtained on roads leading into our proposed site. They estimated the traffic increase would be around 400 to 450 cars, per day. They arrived at this by estimating to the high side, figuring the area would see the addition of eighth grade traffic, <b>only</b>, as seventh grade is already in the area. If there are 350 to 400 kids in 8th grade, they estimated nearly half would be driven by parents. Then there was a calculation involving how many of these parents were already driving through the area, because they had children in other grades at Carver or the Middle School. The results were the existing roads can handle the increase in traffic and that the proposed location should actually reduce congestion, because they showed the opinion that a significant number of vehicles would start using Kodiak Rd. to Old Seneca Rd., to enter and exit the area. This would allow traffic relief to Norway Road and Kodiak Road to the south of Norway Rd., as people would travel away from areas they currently believe to be more congested. I understand that line of thinking, just not sure how people will act in reality. We discussed and reviewed this thoroughly, as a School Board. In addition, the TDD (Neosho Transportation Development District) projects will be bid in October 2014. That will complete Hale McGinty Dr. to an outlet at Highway 60, further pulling traffic from the side streets, around the Middle School. There also will be the addition of turn lanes at Waldo Hatler (Norway) and Hale McGinty. These projects will be completed in 2015, according to the TDD and prior to the opening of the Junior High.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>QUESTION: </b>I</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">s a storm shelter part of the new Junior High School plans?</span></span><br />
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<b>ANSWER: </b>Yes. There will be a shelter, built to current FEMA standards, incorporated into the structure. The exact portion of the building has yet to be determined, but according to the architects, it would most likely be the cafeteria or gymnasium portion.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><b>QUESTION: </b>D<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">id we recently pay off an old school bond?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ANSWER:</b> No. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We will not pay off the Carver Bonds (used to build Carver Elementary and make improvements to the High School), until 2026, but we refinanced them at a lower rate, late last year. Our projections are for this to free up 6 to 7.5 million dollars, within the next five to six years. If this pans out and we can pass the Junior high issue, we would like to go to the voters and ask for a no tax increase bond issue to build an addition to South School, which would allow us to not have overcrowding at the elementary levels, with new growth.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>QUESTION: </b>Why does the Neosho School District keep coming back to the voters, after we have already approved so many increases in taxes to build Benton Elementary and the Middle School?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ANSWER: We have not had an increase in taxes to pay off ANY bonds, in more than 40 years. With the exception of the 2006 Carver Bonds. The last tax increase to pay off bonds, was approved in the late 1960's to build South School. The Neosho School District has faced an overcrowding problem, for more than 25 years. The failure of voters to approve bond sales led past school boards to build Benton Elementary and The Neosho Middle School with funds borrowed on 'Lease Purchase Agreements", from financial institutions. The problem with this action is.... in order to repay lease purchase agreements a school district has to use money, from their operating accounts. This is the same account we use to supplement pay to our Teachers. This account is also used for the day to day operations of the school. Therefore, any money spent on lease purchase agreements come directly at the sacrifice of money needed for kids. </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>In addition, the Neosho School District has never had enough money available, in the operating account, to actually address our needs with lease purchase funds. This has led to the horrible parking issue, at the Neosho Middle School, and other substandard features, such as no plumbing or ability to expand a large portion of the middle school. I have heard many people complain about features of both Benton and the Middle School....most poor design features are a direct result of no community support to build a structure properly.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>QUESTION: Can the School District use lease purchase money to build the Junior High, if this issue fails?</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>ANSWER: NO, we don't have the funds coming into our operating account to satisfy this need. We simply can not afford this needed structure, without the approval of bonds to be sold.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">QUESTION: Has the District thoroughly researched the "need" for a Junior High and is the "right" plan, for Neosho?</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ANSWER: YES!!!! I have personally been involved in several of the past bond campaigns and I personally feel this particular issue has been more thought out, than any others. This is an excellent plan, for Neosho's real needs. </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If this issue passes, we will free up much needed space, in the High School, by taking 8th grade out. In addition, we free up room in the Middle School, by removing 7th grade. Both the High School and the Middle School are terribly overcrowded.</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We have studied every aspect of this plan. We hired a demographic company to project future growth, so we would be able to build this structure to our needs 5 to 7 years down the road. You may think this sounds like a short period of time, and it is, but I can only honestly use "5 to 7 years", as that is the only amount of time valid to a study of population growth. We certainly expect this building to meet our needs 10 years out, but our population study is not valid at that distance of time.</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We hired a Nationally recognized survey company to "poll" your wishes, as patrons, and you told us a Junior High was what we needed. We asked our professional School Administrators to study our overcrowding and they said we needed a Junior High, to adress our needs. We hired Sapp Design Associates of Springfield, Mo., as our Architects, they studied the issue and developed a Master Plan, for the District, their plan result? We were advised to build a Junior High!</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #783f04; color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 17.940000534057617px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everyone of our experts told us we needed a Junior High and it was researched from every angle possible, with the money we had available.</span></b></span></span>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-5769863292579278922014-02-28T18:58:00.000-06:002014-02-28T18:58:52.678-06:00Severe Weather Forecasting IS about saving lives.... NOT hype and ratings!!!!I may certainly live to regret, this blog post, but as you all know I am not one to shy away from my opinion, so here it goes......<br />
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I enjoy weather research and weather forecasting. As you most likely know, I REALLY enjoy severe weather. Severe weather forecasting is important to me, because I care about giving back to the community and helping people. I want to be clear here, I am NOT an expert forecaster and have NO formal training, so take my opinion for what it is worth.... It is free!<br />
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I write to you, this evening, frustrated by the local media, in the Joplin Market. There is a lot of hype about tomorrow's winter storm. Headlines about advice from electricians and what to do if your power goes out. That is important information to know, SO I do not intend to minimize their advice. My concerns lie with what is actually being forecasted, by the professionals, at the National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield, Mo. and Tulsa, Ok. These professionals ARE forecasting freezing rain, for much of the four state area, tomorrow night and into Sunday. BUT.........................<br />
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As I review the forecast and look at the projected ice amounts, I would like to bring some reality (in my opinion, to this hype):<br />
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The map, above, has been released by the NWS Springfield Office, and is valid as of 02-28-2014, at 18:30 hours (that is 6:30 p.m.). Look closely, at the projected accumulations of ice, .10 (1/10th) to .50 (1/2) inch of ice is projected, by the professionals. To put this into perspective, in December of 2013, just a couple of months ago, we had a similar ice storm with accumulations of .50 to .75 inch of ice. Some people DID lose power, particularly in SE Kansas and areas of West Central Missouri. These outages were brief and did not cause major life threatening emergencies. <br />
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I also acknowledge the forecast is for 30 mph winds, tomorrow night, which may cause some tree branches to fall. Again, this is similar to the December 2013 storm.<br />
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My concern is this, people in the 4-State Area, panic when they hear "Ice Storm" and "Power Outages" and for good reason!!! We recall December 1987 and January of 2007. Those were devastating storms with catastrophic losses. People were out of power for weeks! People had life threatening emergencies, during both of those historical events.<br />
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I wish to bring some calm, to this forecast, and as I stated, at the beginning, I hope I don't live to regret this blog post; HOWEVER, here I go...... this storm will NOT be anywhere near the proportion of those past historic storms. This storm will bring some inconveniences to us and will most likely make travel hazardous to inadvisable, BUT it is NOT going to close down our communities and cause unrest in the street!!!<br />
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I find it irresponsible of media outlets to hype the storm with headlines that "scare" people. It is wrong. I try to be as accurate as possible, when I make weather posts, where others rely on me. The broadcast media has WAY more responsibility to you, than I do, BUT they care about ratings and making advertising dollars. <br />
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Please do watch the weather for updated forecasts and plan accordingly. Be safe, as you travel and slow down. Carry winter survival gear and extra food, if you must be out. <a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/" target="_blank">Check with the NWS Springfield's website, which may be found by clicking here</a>. But, Please don't believe all the hype and panic. I have seen social media remarks from people who are fearful of this storm. I don't see it being as bad as what some are predicting, as far as the power interruptions go.<br />
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I make mistakes and I usually fall victim to Murphy's Law, so if I am wrong here, I will be the first to admit it, BUT as I sit here tonight, I don't believe the HYPE! Have a safe weekend! <br />
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If we can't agree (with the broadcast media), can't we at least be civil?????????Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-61532031563415481572014-02-24T23:17:00.001-06:002014-02-24T23:17:35.613-06:00Building Trust Builds Our Community<br />
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Alison Croggon, who is an author, from Australia, said, “<i>We are all mistaken sometimes; sometimes we do wrong things, things
that have bad consequences. But it does not mean we are evil, or that we
cannot be trusted ever afterward.</i>”
I find this quotation to be fitting to explain past actions of the Neosho Schools. I ran for the School Board believing there was a need for change. I hoped to be a small part of improving things, I perceived to be wrong, and to build upon things I thought were good. I have learned a lot in my two years on the Neosho School Board. I ALWAYS knew the importance of trust, but I have come to respect trust from an entirely new perspective and I would like to take a few moments of your time to tell my story.......<br />
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Neosho is a strong community, which each of us loves or we would not be raising our Families here. As with all things in life, we see things differently, as our current beliefs are based on past experiences. Tonight, I had a good honest discussion with a friend, about the Neosho School Board. My friend told me how difficult it was to get good solid information about our proposed new Junior High. He went on to tell me how much he supported the cause of building a new Junior High, as his children would attend. But, he kindly explained how hard it was to "trust" the School Board, due to past decisions and perceptions. I really appreciated him saying this, as I "get it". I understand. I had issues of trust, with the Neosho Schools and that is one reason I wanted to take action and be a part of a solution.<br />
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As we work toward building trust with the community, I feel it is vital to go back to the quote, from Alison Croggon........ having trust does NOT mean a person will not make mistakes. I want to say that again, you trust people, who DO make mistakes. No person is perfect and to expect perfection is to set yourself up for disappointment. Instead, you should expect accountability, honesty, and ethical decisions.<br />
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Over the last two years, which is all I can honestly address, because I have been a part of the inner workings and decision making within the schools; I can assure you no one has made decisions not intended to help kids. The School Board has drastically cut down on the use of Closed Meetings, using them only when they are necessary to conduct personnel business and other narrow topics allowed by law. We have done this with the hope of improving transparency and increasing attendance, from the public, at our meetings. We have had limited success, in increasing attendance. I hope to see that change and I encourage you to attend our meetings and ask questions of us. The ONLY way to have good democratic representation is to be involved, stay informed, and ask questions.<br />
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Over the last seven months, in particular, with a great new Superintendent - Dan Decker - on board, we have tackled many issues. We have focused on problems. Some of these problems we were aware of, when Dan was hired, some of them cropped up along the way, but we have worked to correct them. We have worked to build three very important tornado safe rooms at the High School, Carver Elementary, and South Elementary. We have worked to bring lap top computers to every child, at the High School, in order to better their access to information and to improve the quality of instruction. We have worked to thoroughly investigate, discuss, and plan for a 24 million dollar bond issue, which would fund a new Junior High. We have worked toward implementation of an improved training program, for ALL of our employees, which will go into effect next year. We have examined ways to save tax payer dollars, through improvements to our Health Care Plan, which is expected to save us nearly a half million dollars a year, and through the purchase of school buses powered by propane, which we expect will save us around $4,000 per year - per bus. Point is, we have been very busy!<br />
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Being so close to this work, has allowed me to make a huge mistake and not keep YOU the people as informed as I should have. This is YOUR school, YOUR community, YOUR money. I sometimes assume, since I know what the school is doing - well you do, too! That is obviously false and naive, of me! I apologize and I vow to work harder to get information to you. HOW? Well, I don't have that figured out yet and I am wide open for suggestions! My friend suggested we send letters, with updates on important issues, home with the children. That is a good suggestion.... do you have others????? If we can start a healthy dialogue, we can build trust and solve problems, together!<br />
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I try to be an open and approachable individual. A huge part of my personality is just laying things out there and saying it how I see it, SO to that end; I want each of you to know..... I LOVE Neosho, I really do. I want this community to be the very best around. I want each of you to love life and prosper, with the opportunities we build TOGETHER. It is frustrating, to me, to be so passionate and work so hard to BUILD a better community and then to see hiccups, obstacles, whatever one may call them, raise their ugly head and be misunderstood, by others. In all relationships, there will be mistakes, there will be those moments we wish we could "have back", but that is not reality..... we all know this....... in those moments we wish we could "have back".... there are lessons for each of us.... lessons if we calmly examine, will allow us to solve the real problem and move Neosho ahead.<br />
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As for the school bond issue, we will work hard to get all the facts out to you. We desire transparency and good factual information. There are NO hidden agendas, by anyone on the school board. All seven of us have the same passion and desire---to make the best public school system possible!<br />
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Please consider attending one of our meetings. The dates and times are generally posted on our school website at <a href="http://www.neoshopublicschools.net/" target="_blank">www.neoshopublicschools.net </a> We are nothing, without YOU.<br />
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Have we made mistakes? Yes. Are we working to correct them? Certainly. Will we openly discuss them with you? Yes. Do we want to build trust with you and prevent future mistakes? YES!!!!<br />
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If we can't agree, can't we at least be civil.............................. Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-61204990207002389152014-01-31T10:23:00.000-06:002014-01-31T10:27:28.202-06:00Bullying is a serious issue and MUST stop!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfQN_k1eub4/Uuu-jKnsygI/AAAAAAAAAJU/6Ye8EXE5N8M/s1600/stop+bullying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kfQN_k1eub4/Uuu-jKnsygI/AAAAAAAAAJU/6Ye8EXE5N8M/s1600/stop+bullying.jpg" height="221" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span>Bullying is a VERY serious issue and must be dealt with, by us all working TOGETHER!<br />
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a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia and
co-author of "Letting Go with Love and Confidence: Raising Responsible,
Resilient, Self-Sufficient Teens in the 21st Century.", says,</span>"Character is about doing the right
thing when nobody is watching or when it's hard to do. The person with character says, 'not in my presence.' "<br />
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According to statistics provided on <a href="http://www.stopbullying.gov/">www.stopbullying.gov</a> , the Bureau of Justice Statistics reported more than 1 in 4 kids, grades 6 to 12 were involved in some type of bullying, in 2008 - 2009 school year (latest available numbers).<br />
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Recently, the Neosho School District has come under scrutiny for an alleged act of bullying, on one of our buses. The Neosho Schools take bullying very seriously, unfortunately, in my opinion, the manner in which this incident has been handled has served to harm the cause of anti-bullying efforts. Please allow me to explain and realize I in no way intend to minimize the allegations being made, also realize, due to The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99), I am not going to be able to discuss the specific situation, of the child, rather my focus - here is on teamwork.<br />
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The recent incident has led to an online attack of the Neosho School District and a couple of our Administrator's. I want to emphatically defend our Administration and assure you they will deal with ANY situation of bullying, brought to their attention! Safety of ALL children, within our community is our number one priority. I have seen several parents allege inaction, by the Neosho School District, with regards to bullying.... to this I ask, to whom have you complained? I have been on the school board, for nearly two years, and I am unaware of any complaints being brought before the school board, because a parent felt they had not been resolved by our staff. The Neosho School District has anti-bullying efforts in place and has aggressively trained staff to deal with this pressing issue.<br />
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If any parent feels they have an issue with their child, particularly the safety of their child, I encourage them to follow the procedure and discuss the situation with the Principal involved. If, after that meeting, they feel their concerns have not been addressed; then contact our Administrative Office and speak to an Assistant Superintendent OR the Superintendent.<br />
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Now, here is my real concern and point of today's Blog..... notice my terminology - two paragraphs up - when I say the word "attack". I know people, myself included, have felt "attacked" over this issue and that is most unfortunate. We ALL want to prevent any bullying and keep kids safe. Any time, ANY person, or entity is placed on the defensive it detracts from the main issue. It is just human nature. If someone makes statements against you, your family, etc; you - most likely - will feel a bit ruffled and emotions will rise. That is counter productive to what really needs to happen with all serious matters.<br />
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I have noticed many people "liking" a facebook page related to this incident and I wonder.... instead of just "liking" a page, what real effort could all of us make to prevent bullying all across Neosho? We can make threats to go to this agency or that agency, to seek legal counsel, or degrade one another in public forums, BUT unfortunately - at the end of the day - kids are still being bullied! Why? Because, ALL serious matters REQUIRE teamwork to be solved. We must work TOGETHER to face this issue and educate people to end the cycles. There are many reasons children bully other children.<br />
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Education, teamwork, counseling, and a UNITED front are the ONLY ways we are going to keep our kids safe. I have seen enough division, in the Neosho Community. It is time it comes to an end. I think there are many positive actions in progress, to make Neosho an even greater place to live...... I hope we can SOON add positive team action to prevent bullying - to the list of Neosho's great efforts!<br />
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Please visit <a href="http://www.stopbullying.gov/">www.stopbullying.gov</a> to learn more. <br />
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If we can't agree, let's at least be civil.........Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-49393299150778532062014-01-22T00:08:00.000-06:002014-01-22T00:08:34.502-06:00Neosho Junior High Proposal - UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL.....<!--[if !mso]>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an illustrative EXAMPLE ONLY and not meant to serve as a FINAL example of the proposed Junior High. I include this picture, simply to assist the reader with orientation to the land, involved, and the design to which we are proposing. Actual road design and building location, may change in the coming weeks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As many of you are well aware, our Neosho School Board has voted to place a bond issue on the April 8th Election Ballot. As the Issue draws closer, I will be posting additional statements, to my Blog, in the hopes of answering questions. HOWEVER, today's blog is about Me and the Great People of the Neosho Community. This IS about our future. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nbhSRm_Mm84/Ut9azmv76fI/AAAAAAAAAJE/ohTsjERt1sM/s1600/2400px-Flag_of_Missouri.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nbhSRm_Mm84/Ut9azmv76fI/AAAAAAAAAJE/ohTsjERt1sM/s1600/2400px-Flag_of_Missouri.svg.png" height="232" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the great flag of Missouri. If you look closely, at the seal, in the center, you will see the words; "United We Stand Divided We Fall". We, the People of Neosho, must pause and seriously think about this, as we consider the Bond Issue, for a New Junior High.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have heard from people, who preferred the "Taylor Property", as the location for the building. Some of these people have told me they will oppose this issue, because it is not being located there. I liked the Taylor Property, as well. It has many great benefits and features that would be awesome, for any structure, but the reality is I am one vote of seven and it was clear the majority liked the property, near George Washington Carver Elementary. So, let's have an honest discussion about that property AND our core beliefs....................</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have not yet heard from anyone who disagrees Neosho has an overcrowding problem that MUST be addressed. We all, for the most part, seem to agree on that!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">IF we each intend to only vote for a plan that suits our specific desires and needs, we will NEVER build a school and improve our community. In every community, people have to compromise and work together to each get some of what they want.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I share concerns about the traffic congestion around the Carver Property, BUT I want to assure you all, we have seriously considered this and here is what I know today; the City of Neosho and The Neosho Transporation Development District have declared a truce. The TDD project IS moving ahead. With that said, soon, Hale McGinty Drive, by the Neosho Middle School, will soon be a through Street to an access point with US 60. Once that happens, there will undoubtedly be improved traffic flow around the Middle School.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition to the improved flow around the Middle School, we will be shifting some traffic from that facility to the New Junior High, as Seventh Grade students will no longer be attending the Middle School. The ONLY new traffic, into the area, will be from the Eighth Grade students. Looking objectively, at the Carver Property, there is access, from the south on Kodiak Road, the West on Norway Road, and the North on Kodiak Rd., from say the area of Old Seneca Road. Point is, there are relief points to the traffic in this proposed area.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Can I promise you will not wait a few minutes in traffic??? NO, I can not make that promise. BUT, can I promise we will alleviate overcrowding and build a Junior High that will suit our needs into the foreseeable future? YES!!!! I can promise you that. I can also tell you, our plans include the new Junior High being built with a Tornado Safe Room large enough to house all the students on the campus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We will never come up with a perfect plan, for everyone. But, everyone can perfectly plan to improve Neosho. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The time for bickering is past. Has our School District made mistakes? Yes, I believe so. The District is operated by human beings, who are not perfect. Do all of the people associated with our District have the communities best interests at heart? YES! I do not question their heart and desire to do the very best by your children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We can complain about the past, the plan, and the cost, BUT it will not change our needs. The cost will only get greater, the past will always be in the past, the plan will never be 100 percent for everyone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Open your mind, step back and dream about what YOU want for Neosho....... now, tell me do we get to your dreams by uniting together or dividing, from one another???????</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If we can't agree, can't we at least be civil.............................................. </span></div>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-82432002443441075682012-10-10T23:04:00.000-05:002012-10-10T23:05:22.406-05:00Polarization is chilling America<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2oNqegJW8M/UHZCEMabPxI/AAAAAAAAAHc/wSjCCPQKwWg/s1600/Polarization.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2oNqegJW8M/UHZCEMabPxI/AAAAAAAAAHc/wSjCCPQKwWg/s400/Polarization.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While reading comments on my Facebook Page, today, I thought about the path we are taking, for America. I found it interesting how far apart I was with some of my friends on our beliefs about "Obamacare" and what its implementation will mean to American Business. What struck me most was how much I appreciate my friends speaking up and giving me their thoughts, even when they know we differ.</div>
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I am worried about our "Polarization", as a People. We should be Americans FIRST and everything else second. (I took the above picture from <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/horseraceblog/2008/11/polarization_continues_under_o.html" target="_blank">"RealClearPolitics"</a>. Read their Blog, it is interesting!) As you can see, from the picture above, we have become more polarized, over the last 16 years.</div>
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My concern is this; why is it we can't stop to respect the opinions of those whose beliefs differ from our own. In a personal way, what makes someone else's opinion more right or wrong than mine? I feel many people have become so entrenched in their opinion they refuse to be open to the other side. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, we could learn something from one another and actually carry America forward.</div>
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This Polarization has led to a Missouri Legislature and United States Congress who have accomplished very little, over the last several years. The Republicans and Democrats are so worried about fighting with one another and opposing whatever the other side supports - that BOTH sides are losing out.</div>
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Please take time to listen, truly listen, to people who hold views opposite your own. Maybe they will bring up valid points to challenge you and make your beliefs stronger; maybe you both will find some common ground and remember - WE ARE AMERICANS FIRST - and everything else second. IF WE CAN'T AGREE.....LET'S AT LEAST BE CIVIL!!!!!!!</div>
Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-37753169983255278722012-09-27T19:33:00.000-05:002012-09-27T19:33:28.089-05:00Why aren't we complaining about Education and Academics, in Neosho?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KAJCpo6X-E/UGTrSOxuc5I/AAAAAAAAAHM/HfrrZFhx_hY/s1600/Wildcat+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1KAJCpo6X-E/UGTrSOxuc5I/AAAAAAAAAHM/HfrrZFhx_hY/s200/Wildcat+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
While attending School Board Training, today, I had my eyes opened to an interesting question, from the Presenter......she asked; "How many of you have received calls, from angry patrons about the lack of excellent academic achievement, in your District?" No one in the room, of 73 School Board Members, from ALL across Missouri, raised their hands. The Board Members spoke of calls about Sports Coaches, Bus Drivers, Teachers "being mean" to their kids, etc.<br />
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This made me think long and hard. Where are our priorities? Now, do NOT misunderstand me here, I am not attacking our Teachers, in Neosho. I support them 100 %. So, don't misunderstand my criticism..... I feel Neosho can do much better at educating our youth and I ran for the School Board to chase Excellence.<br />
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Vince Lombardi, the famous Football Coach, was never satisfied with his teams "staying" where they were, in performance, he was driven to make them even better. That is my Goal. I want to see Neosho be the greatest School and provide the best education anywhere AND I want to see constant improvement over time. Never ending improvement.<br />
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So, this brings me back to the question asked today. Why aren't YOU, as a parent, or Teacher, or District Patron calling me to demand improvement in academics across our District? Our kids deserve it! The questions must be asked.... "What can we do to improve?" .... Answers need to be obtained, to that question, and then a plan must be implemented to get us there. That is what I am working toward.<br />
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We have our priorities messed up, as a Nation and as a Society. While it maybe important to know why a Teacher was mean, or a Bus never runs on time, or a specific team always loses; the bigger MORE important question is this; "What are WE doing to prepare our most valuable resource, our children, for life?"<br />
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How about we ALL get "angry" (in a positive way) and tackle academics? Isn't that why we have schools in the first place???????<br />
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If we can't agree.........let's at least be civil!!!!!Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-27816727882697513812012-09-20T23:50:00.000-05:002012-09-20T23:50:06.061-05:00Romney is being railroaded - he is RIGHT about the 95 percent!Well, the liberal media is at it again, BUT this time they have gone way to far. They have proven they are anti-American and not optimistic, as evidenced by this story today from the Huffington Post: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/mitt-romney-95-percent-video_n_1900608.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012" target="_blank">"</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/mitt-romney-95-percent-video_n_1900608.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012" target="_blank">Mitt Romney: '95% Of Life Is Set Up For You If You're Born In This Country</a>".</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">As I read this article and searched the web, to find several other news organizations bashing Romney's statements, from this May 2012 campaign speech; I became angry. Not angry about what Romney said, as he is Right! Mitt Romney said; "..... <b>95 percent of life is set up for you if you're born in this country</b>...." The article goes on to bash this idea and present statistics showing why its not true and I want to tell you this......The article is a prime example of everything that I see wrong with TODAY'S AMERICA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In Today's America, people are not brought up (as a whole) to believe hard work will get you wherever you want to go in life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Not only do I believe it; I know this is fact. Hard work WILL get any person to a better place in life and to achieve their dreams, in Today's America!!! Show me one person, who has worked hard, not used drugs or something dumb like that, and they have not bettered their life. I want to see it!!! I am from Missouri, so SHOW ME! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Sure, people have rough patches in their lives. We lose jobs, unexpected things happen, and challenges cross us all; but all in all hard work and dedication makes the American Dream still viable to anyone who is willing to chase it. Being born in America is a blessing, from God!!! This is the difference between Democrat leaning Liberal Media folks and Republicans. Republicans still believe America is a great Nation and we can work hard to make it better, with less Government and hard work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many people today, take the easy road - they file for disability, because they are too lazy to work, they collect unemployment instead of looking for work, they live off the Government dole, because they feel entitled. Now, you can be offended by my remarks OR you can look at them objectively and see where I am right!!! I am NOT saying all people on Government Assistance are lazy and draining society. I have no objection to helping my neighbors, who are truly in need. But, I do object to supporting those, who are as able to work as the next guy. We have to change our mindset!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">America is in decline because of junk like this and the failure to have a vision, like Mitt Romney, when he sees the blessing afforded all Americans....being born here does make you better and luckier than most all other people in the World...Don't take it for granted! Work hard and fight for it. America isn't easy, but America is Great!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If we can't agree........can we at least be civil??????</span>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-12663294402768147982012-06-28T03:03:00.001-05:002012-06-28T03:13:34.055-05:00A Field of Dreams: when athletics drives kids to succeed...............in life!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giving kids the tools to graduate and succeed in our society is my main goal, as a School Board Member.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A Field of Dreams: when athletics drives kids to succeed...............in life!</b></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>In May, of this year, I joined other members of the Neosho School Board in unanimously voting to build a new Softball Field, Locker Room, and Concession Stand, on property immediately North of George Washington Carver Elementary School. I have heard from many of you, the patrons of the Neosho R-5 School District, who are upset with the expense of this project. I have heard you don't understand why we are spending money on such a "frivolous" project, when we have such a huge overcrowding issue.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> I would like to respond to these concerns, in a public way, so I chose the use of my Blog. Now, let me give you my disclaimer: I am speaking only for myself here. I respect every member of our Board and know each of them has the very best interest of our School at Heart, but I do not pretend to speak for any of them, so if you want to know their thoughts, please go ask them.....</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>EVERY vote I make as a Neosho School Board Member will ALWAYS be with the best interest of the students and District as a whole in mind. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>I feel our District is at a crossroads and we have many needs. We have sub par facilities and when I ran for election, I made no bones about my feelings in this area. I have repeatedly said, "Our kids deserve the very best education and to have great facilities, just as kids in Joplin, Carthage, Webb City, Monett, Nixa, Republic, and Willard do."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We have to face facts, we have neglected our facilities for decades! In the years since we established a Softball Program, for our High School Lady Wildcats, we have NEVER had a field of our own. We are unique in our conference, in that regard. We were unable to host District Play, which brings people and tax dollars into our area. But, more importantly in my mind was this: "What message were we sending to the young ladies in our District?" Were we telling them how important it was to be a champion and succeed in life?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>This project is not just about money to me, but I realize how expensive this project is and I deeply respect responsible use of YOUR tax dollars. This project is also about keeping kids in school, improving their academic achievement, and encouraging them to go to College. Athletics does all of this. <a href="http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1006&context=psych_honproj" target="_blank">Most all Researchers have come to this conclusion: Extracurricular involvement DOES translate to academic success, in High School. Further, most all research shows kids involved in Extracurricular Activities have a lower instance of dropping out</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">According to the United States Department of Education No Child Left Behind: “The Facts about 21</span><sup style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">st</sup><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
Century Learning” in 2002, students who spend no time in
extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% are
more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four
hours per week in extracurricular activities. After school hours of unsupervised time for youth can lead to one or more life altering poor choices</span></span></b><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">.</span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;"> (</span><a href="http://www.wvmetronews.com/hsSports.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=47924" style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Taken from http://www.wvmetronews.com/hsSports.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=47924</a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">). </span></span></b></b><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Study, after Study has shown - kids who are active in Extracurricular Activities are likely to have better grades, higher scores on the SAT, and less instances of substance abuse and depression. We MUST do all we can to encourage ALL kids to succeed in school. I desire excellent results, from EVERY child within the Neosho District.</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">IF a new softball field keeps 5 kids every year engaged in an activity, when otherwise they would have been wandering the streets, would you support it? What if only one kid per year stayed in school, because they loved softball? Would it be worth it? Now, mind you, that is 10 kids in ten years. Who will these kids become? What would they have become if they dropped out? THAT brings me to my final point.........</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">Every one of us is in this together! We sink or swim based on what happens in the Halls of ALL Neosho Schools. Did you know it easily costs more than $12,000 per year to keep a non-violent offender in a Missouri Prison??? Did you know High School Dropouts are much more likely to be arrested, than graduates???? Do the math. </span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">You see, as I was voting on this issue, I thought about the big picture, not about the large expense (which I agree the new softball field is) today; but rather the many rewards to our society tomorrow.</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="line-height: 115%;">I encourage those of you with questions and disagreements on this issue to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you. I also would like to invite you to become involved and come to our Board Meetings. This issue was discussed for more than a YEAR, at open Board Meetings, and to my knowledge not one person came and spoke against it. We are here to represent you! </span></b></b></span></div>
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(I could go on and on with so much more information on this issue, but in the interest of time I will close. If you have further questions, just ask!)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If we can't agree - Can we at least be civil???????.................. </b></span></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-33812245911948889422012-05-18T11:53:00.000-05:002012-05-18T11:53:58.016-05:00Dare to DREAM BIG NEOSHO........<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqGbO1hWsu8/T7ZulzXBd_I/AAAAAAAAAGw/26xIS--TV4c/s1600/NHS+Wildcats+N+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GqGbO1hWsu8/T7ZulzXBd_I/AAAAAAAAAGw/26xIS--TV4c/s1600/NHS+Wildcats+N+logo.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: georgia,bookman old style,palatino linotype,book antiqua,palatino,trebuchet ms,helvetica,garamond,sans-serif,arial,verdana,avante garde,century gothic,comic sans ms,times,times new roman,serif;"> </span>I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the
difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream
deeply rooted in the American dream.<br />
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I have a dream that one day this Community will rise up and live out the
true meaning of its creed: "Neosho, where Excellence in Education is the Norm."<br />
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I have a dream that one day on the rolling hills of Southwest Missouri the children of
former graduates and the children of new transplants will be able to sit
down together inside a modern education facility, second to none.<br />
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I have a dream that one day even the Neosho R-5, a District struggling through economic tough times, will be transformed into an oasis of educational opportunity for all people.<br />
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I have a dream that my two children will one day live in the District where they will raise my Grandchildren in the most modern facilities anywhere.<br />
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I have a dream today.<br />
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As I ran for the Neosho R-5 School Board, I made no secret of my desire to pursue a Bond Issue to improve our inadequate educational facilities. When I graduated from Neosho High School, in 1987 (25 years ago this month), the building was over crowded. A few small additions have been made to the building, in the past 25 years, but by and large it is the same as when I walked those halls. The student population has grown greatly, in this time. There are hundreds more students now, than back in 1987.<br />
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Our entire District has grown, exponentially, in the past 30 years.<br />
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At our most recent School Board meeting, we voted to add Mobile Classrooms to the Middle School and Central Elementary Campuses. Mobile Classrooms are NOT acceptable for our children. They do not contribute to the educational environment AND they are an expense on our operating budget. Real brick and mortar buildings appreciate in value, not so with these structures. They are unsafe in severe weather, as well.<br />
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My daughter, Chelsah, is a Sophomore at Neosho High School. She is active in Debate, Track, and Cheerleading. Her activities have led us to travel across the region. What I have seen smacked me upside the head!!!!!! New schools and wonderful state of the art facilities, in Webb City, Carthage, Monett, Republic, Nixa, Willard, Ozark, Bolivar, Joplin, Clever, Carl Junction.......should I continue or do you see we are falling behind?<br />
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Last evening, I was conversing with a dear friend of mine, whom I respect a great deal. We talked in depth, about our Schools and the many needs we face. I expressed my desire to present a bond issue to the Voters, early in 2013, and my vision for first class innovative facilities. He replied, "Steve, Neosho may not be ready to dream that big".<br />
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I have thought about this remark all night. I ask, "Why?" Why are the people of Neosho not ready to Dream Big? Why do we seem to have such poor infrastructure, not only in our schools, but across our entire community? For way too long, these items have been looked upon as an expense..........well, I respectfully disagree.....NEW SCHOOLS ARE NOT AN EXPENSE - THEY ARE AN INVESTMENT.<br />
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I refer your attention to the list of communities above, who HAVE invested in their schools, show me ONE community that has had less retail, industrial, and residential growth (on a per capita basis) than Neosho? They have all had a lot MORE positive growth, because people want to live in progressive communities!<br />
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It IS TIME. It IS NEOSHO'S TIME! Interest rates are at ALL TIME HISTORIC LOWS! We NEED new Schools and I don't think anyone can reasonably disagree on that point. I know how tough times are, but I also know this...............<br />
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Somewhere, in China and Indonesia, young people are working hard to show us up. This is a matter of not only investing in Neosho's Future, but America's Future. <br />
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I have a Dream Today. My Dream is for you to join me in supporting our youth, who will someday be America's Leaders, in having access to the best facilities anywhere. Let's grow Neosho and invest in OUR FUTURE! Let's show people what it means to have WILDCAT PRIDE! The time is now!<br />
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If we can't agree, let's at least be civil............................<br />
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<br /></div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-88279301968300375602011-09-01T23:21:00.000-05:002011-09-01T23:21:30.609-05:00The Hope for a Positive Spark from Will McDaniel<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7epAWfrCDc/TmBY8hpIMlI/AAAAAAAAAGo/7lF9FdM7Hkk/s1600/013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k7epAWfrCDc/TmBY8hpIMlI/AAAAAAAAAGo/7lF9FdM7Hkk/s320/013.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will's Friends Honoring his life at Bob Anderson Stadium</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Suicide is something our society speaks of softly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t reach out to help those who need us, when they need us most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope there is a spark being set tonight to change that unfortunate fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will McDaniel will be sorely missed and many are left pondering the question with no answer……why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I had answers to help others prevent such action in the future, but maybe this can be the positive outcome of Will’s life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I stood in amazement and wonder tonight as I watched hundreds of Neosho Youth stand on the gridiron – that was Will’s stage for so many years – in honor of him and his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These young people gathered in a classy show of respect and remembrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They all knelt in prayer and recited scripture, as they sought an inner peace so difficult for them to grab on this dark night.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The kids placed a respectful large “24”, in luminaries across the stands of Bob Anderson Stadium, in Will’s honor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish Will could have seen the impact he had on so many.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope the sparks, used to light the luminaries, burn into a much larger fire and that is the fire of compassion, love, and friendship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen many tragedies, like this first hand, and they are never easy; each with their own circumstance and story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, this is a time of opportunity; a time to make Will’s Legacy be one of teaching and healing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope everyone can take a moment and talk openly about what has transpired and educate themselves on “being there” for others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So often we go about our lives in a hustle and bustle, with little regard for others and what troubles they may be facing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People in our society, who seek help for such thoughts are often labeled and looked down upon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is wrong and must stop.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We have lost a treasured part of Neosho’s future today, but as I watched this huge throng of kids coming together as one – I realized we have a great chance to solve a long standing wrong in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is the wrong of not caring more for our fellow man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope each of these kids thinks of Will and the greatness he brought to their lives and then they keep a piece of the extreme pain they feel today for his loss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope that pain drives them to ensure no one, in their lives, will ever be in a position to feel they need to seek this form of escape.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It does not matter “why”, it matters we come together – as these great loving kids did – as one and tell all people we love them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-32986570498905443472011-06-28T02:17:00.000-05:002011-06-28T02:17:26.795-05:00"The Joplin Tornado" is really "THE Tornado", to our neighbors.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnwGM1sDelc/Tgl_uAgCx8I/AAAAAAAAAGY/vWSaXRxUxwg/s1600/IMG-20110524-00054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnwGM1sDelc/Tgl_uAgCx8I/AAAAAAAAAGY/vWSaXRxUxwg/s400/IMG-20110524-00054.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17th and Rangeline - I took this early on May 23rd</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">After Hurricane Katrina, in 2005, news reports spoke of people who had been forgotten by their Government and how they were isolated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, we all learned these reports were exaggerated and generally misreported, but the memory etched into our minds illustrates the power of media. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I would like to tell a story about the absence of media and what it means to our neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is going to seem strange, but this story is about the “Joplin Tornado of May 22, 2011”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know you are thinking to yourself….Steve is crazy, because there was no absence of media – everyone in the World knows about the “Joplin Tornado”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, you are correct and you are also sadly mistaken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You see, the World does know about the “Joplin” Tornado, but what has been forgotten is OUR neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 200 Newton County residents have sought disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two Hundred Families!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a “normal” disaster that would be a significant number; however, this disaster was not in any way “normal”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I write this Editorial, it has been nearly 5 weeks since the most deadly American Tornado in 60 years and one of the most widely reported by our technologically overloaded society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, today I was speaking to a friend, Sherry Dodson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sherry used to be a police officer with me in Neosho and at one time she lived on Marten Road, in rural Diamond, Mo. Today, Sherry lives in Sedalia, Mo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For those of you familiar with the area, Sherry lived in the nice quaint house immediately north of the KAMO Power substation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sherry asked how things were in the area and how the recovery was going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told her how lucky the new occupants of her old home were and she was confused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She asked what I meant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I explained the tornado barely missed her old house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She thought I was crazy and then I realized, she did not know how bad it really was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one knows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the story of the people forgotten in all of the World wide media coverage.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In no way do I minimize the loss of life in Joplin, I lived it first hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I personally lost a friend and several acquaintances, shy of losing my home or my family – I know the real pain of the Tornado and what it did, better than most anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, it is unfortunate it’s being called The “Joplin” Tornado. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because, it went for miles across Newton County emotionally chewing up people’s life long possessions and their homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Places where Newton Countians had lived for generations were destroyed, as if the Big Bad Wolf had come calling and their homes were made from straw.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Take a drive from the area of Highway FF and Jaguar Road, across the lesser known meandering terrain conquered by this beast and you will discover addresses ranging along Jaguar, Aspen, Kodiak, Marten, Beech, and Lark Roads – then continuing across Missouri Highway 59 Just North of Diamond to Pelican, Cherry, Quail, and Raven Roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not the “Joplin” tornado to the people along these roads, this was “THE” tornado.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It affected our neighbors as horrifically as the better reported and much better known start of the storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Newton County residents lost their homes and all their belongings, just like so many unfortunate souls a few miles to the North, along an imaginary line making the difference between two counties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As your prepare to volunteer or send money for the worthy relief efforts, which will be ongoing for months and most likely years, please don’t forget the unknown victims of this tragedy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are able, drive some of the roads, I have mentioned, and stop to ask if the farmers or homeowners need help cleaning up their lives – ask what we can do to make them whole again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need us, every bit as much as the others affected need us, so please join with me in lending a hand and showing the victims of “THE Tornado” our Love and Support.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">***Columnist’s Note: a detailed map of the damage area in Newton County from this storm and a secondary storm affecting the Wentworth Area, maybe found by visiting the following web site sponsored by the National Weather Service:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_summary">http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=event_2011may22_summary</a> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-89215904333547126622011-05-16T20:29:00.000-05:002011-05-16T20:29:23.175-05:00Hale McGinty was the Mayor of Piney Point<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJvwCuvjmyE/TdHNtbxXcKI/AAAAAAAAAGU/yYWAGJFueFU/s1600/g12c000000000000000bc6f66623f0a3bec252df432f3150862c1ca7831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xJvwCuvjmyE/TdHNtbxXcKI/AAAAAAAAAGU/yYWAGJFueFU/s320/g12c000000000000000bc6f66623f0a3bec252df432f3150862c1ca7831.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Mayor" McGinty</td></tr>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">United States Vice President Hubert Humphrey once said. “Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This type of positive attitude exemplified my friend, Hale McGinty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hale passed away Saturday, May 14, 2011.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">As news spread of Hale’s passing, I have heard and seen many stories in the news about what a great person and businessman Hale was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been many reports about the awesome things he did for the Neosho School District.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How he was Neosho’s “Greatest Cheerleader”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How he was always pushing for economic development in Neosho and Newton County.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, much has been mentioned about his Family’s Department Store, “McGinty’s”, which operated on the Neosho Square for decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">All of the statements I just mentioned about Hale are important to his legacy and many would be wonderful accomplished all by themselves, but of course Hale did them all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I want you to learn about a different Hale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Hale that had not as much to do with Neosho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Hale that was about being a great father, grandfather, friend, and mentor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">As far back as I can remember in my life, my Family had a Cabin at the confluence of Big and Little Sugar Creek – where Elk River is formed – in Pineville, Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The area where our Cabin was nestled was home to several other Cabin’s and was known as “Piney Point”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Piney Point was a place of bustling activity in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have many wonderful memories there and most all of these great memories in some way or another involve Hale McGinty.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">You see our Cabin was purchased in the 1950’s by my Grandfather, Herb Douglas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandfather had few hobbies, but he loved Piney Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went there all the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of my first real memories of Piney Point was a fishing trip I went on with my Grandfather and Hale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Grandfather told me Hale was the “Mayor of Piney Point”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I called him “The Mayor” from that point on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Hale loved Piney Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved watching the children run, swim, ride their bikes – anything kids could do – Hale would watch with joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He loved to Fish and walk along the creek looking for crawdads or unusual rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes, I think he most enjoyed sitting in his chair on his deck and just watching time go by with no worries.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The first fish, I ever caught with my Grandfather, included Hale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught a small fish and was so excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My Grandfather told me we could eat it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, Hale helped me clean the fish and prepare it for the grill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, I hated the taste of fish!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, the experience was good and we had a lot of fun!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I recall a canoe trip we took with many different families, from Piney Point to Low Water Bridge, which is South of Lanagan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather was good as we started, but quickly turned cloudy and threatening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we approached the Riverside Campground Area, a massive storm hit – causing trees to be blown down and a significant amount of damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The damage was great enough; we were unable to continue our float trip safely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, this was in the days before cell phones, so someone had to walk for help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A short time later, we learned Hale would be coming to pick us up, along with some other people from Piney Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all glad to see him and our “Rescue Party”.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">One of the last Piney Point memories I have of Hale, took place about seven or eight years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On a sunny Fall Day, the “Creek Season” was well over and the leaves were turning brown, Hale and Betty (the love of his life) came strolling down the simple one lane gravel road, known as Piney Point Drive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stopped to visit and ask about our kids and my Parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hale relayed how much he missed Herb, who had passed away several years earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then Hale looked intently at our Cabin and said, “The thing is kind of falling in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to paint the side and fix it up some, don’t you think!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Now, this was not insulting, this was Hale’s way of looking to better Piney Point!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was right – we did need to do some repairs and the following Spring – we did!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once they were complete, Hale and Betty were the first people, outside the Family, we showed it to.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">I am a little saddened by all the media reports about the great things Hale did, with no mention of Hale and his Piney Point “activities” – to me Hale was one of the best things about Piney Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Hale was “The Mayor of Piney Point” and today a sadness looms over the area at the confluence of Big and Little Sugar Creeks.</div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-32238997090776103382011-05-09T18:38:00.000-05:002011-05-09T18:38:42.905-05:00I miss Craig Schultz of the Kansas City Police Department<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; 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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1KxmSqpn1g/Tch3vZbVeAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/nRoUAVTCyXE/s1600/2001schultz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p1KxmSqpn1g/Tch3vZbVeAI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/nRoUAVTCyXE/s400/2001schultz.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig Schultz</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Early in my law enforcement career, I became interested in traffic accident investigation. I sought all the training I could find, in the field, and I asked as many questions as I could. I attempted to be competent and professional. In the pursuit of this goal, I attended a great many hours of accident investigation at the Missouri Safety Center, which was located on the Campus of Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg.<br />
<br />
It was through the classes, at the Missouri Safety Center, I would meet Craig Schultz. Craig was a police officer in Kansas City, Missouri. We were teamed up with a couple of other investigators on several of our practical exercises. We learned all facets of crash investigation, from passenger vehicles / light trucks, to motorcycles, and commercial vehicles. Craig was an avid motorcycle rider and he taught me a great deal of motorcycle dynamics. I appreciated his help and respected him as an intelligent peer.<br />
<br />
Craig got me a really cool wooden night stick used by the Kansas City Police. It is like the old billy clubs carried by cops in the 1950's. In the end of the club, by the handle - are the letters "K.C.P.D.". I appreciated him getting this for me. Although, I would later get a second one from a friend, in Neosho, it is Craig's who really meant something.<br />
<br />
I wish I could tell Craig how much I have carried that wooden baton - as a matter of fact it sits beside me in my patrol car every shift to this very day! But, I can't tell Craig, because he perished ten years ago today - on May 09, 2001 - doing what he loved most - riding his Kansas City Police Motor Unit to am injury accident. Craig apparently hit a slick spot on an off ramp and crashed his bike - losing his life. I miss him. I think of him often - every time I look at my baton.<br />
<br />
Craig was a great guy and I am so glad he came into my life. Craig, after ten years, I want you to know how much I miss seeing you at classes to flash that dumb ass grin at me and then to make fun of me when I screwed up. Peace my friend - I will see you on the other side!Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-60996910324619129702011-04-27T10:49:00.000-05:002011-04-27T10:49:16.041-05:00The Republican Crackup<a href="http://swampland.time.com/2011/04/26/the-republican-crackup/">The Republican Crackup</a>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-58608709023745167582011-04-08T11:17:00.000-05:002011-04-08T11:17:40.590-05:00Neosho asks, "What came first, the chicken or the egg?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-If73lt7ShWg/TZ8v5RQRQ1I/AAAAAAAAAGI/SnMupuiEqS4/s1600/what-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-If73lt7ShWg/TZ8v5RQRQ1I/AAAAAAAAAGI/SnMupuiEqS4/s320/what-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <div class="MsoNormal">Nearly 300 years BEFORE Jesus walked the Earth, <a href="http://www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/">Aristotle,the Greek Philosopher,</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pondered a question – which I pose to you today – “What came first the Chicken or the Egg”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, my version of the Chicken and Egg dilemma is varied slightly, from Aristotle’s, yet the philosophy is the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For years, I have watched dollars – hard earned dollars – escape Neosho’s businesses and Local Governments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There have been campaigns, from the <a href="http://www.neoshocc.com/index1.html">Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce</a>, t<a href="http://www.neoshomo.org/">he City ofNeosho</a>, various individual businesses, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, too little avail.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have asked many people why they leave Neosho and selection of goods or services ALWAYS comes up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s true there are not many restaurants or retail outlets, in Neosho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it is also true – most retail and restaurant companies, who operate on a National Level, do a tremendous amount of research before investing in a community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These businesses look at many factors, but one of which is what percentage of a dollar earned in a community – is spent within that community.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Neosho, a huge percentage of “a dollar earned”, by a Neosho resident, is spent out of the area – a majority of it in the Joplin market. The Neosho Chamber of Commerce did a retail study on this several years back, so if you wish to check my facts – feel free to contact them and see what they tell you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past week, I noticed a Carthage based masonry company is building the beautiful wall, in front of the Neosho High School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This wall is NOT being built by the school district, but by Alumni from the School – who worked hard to raise private money for a very worthy aesthetic improvement. Are there no brick layers, in Neosho - who pay Neosho taxes????</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then, the City of Neosho awarded a bid for hundred of t-shirts, which will be worn by our Neosho Youth in the City Soccer League, to a Diamond, Mo. based business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three Neosho based businesses bid on the same project, but were passed over.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thirdly and from a slightly different angle – I give you this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Neosho High School Student Body is once again holding their Prom at the Holiday Inn, in Joplin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate to see this.<span> </span>I know – as mentioned – there are few places to go eat, in Neosho for prom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know our venues are not the absolute best for the dance, but there are options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I was a teenager growing up, businesses on the Neosho Square complained loudly about the teenagers who “cruised the square”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They successfully lobbied the City Council for parking and time of assembly restrictions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon, the kids were gone and the Square was quiet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The message to me and the other younger members of Neosho was clear – the Downtown Businesses did not want us there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, as we grew up and began spending our paychecks – we remembered the message and a lot of my peers stayed away from the square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Undoubtedly, there were many reasons for the collapse of the Downtown Business District, but you will never convince me – this move was not one of them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Point is, we all rely on one another – as we are a COMMUNITY.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Community takes care of itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We MUST make every informed business decision we can to protect EACH other and it starts with shopping Neosho!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If we spent more money here – with the businesses we have – our sales taxes would improve and the National Chains would see the numbers and decide to locate here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, the improved sales taxes would improve our police and fire departments, as they suffer through a very difficult time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Consider this, the City of Neosho (not speaking of the Neosho Area Fire Protection District – but I am speaking of the CITY) has not purchased a new fire truck in more than FIFTEEN years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The City of Neosho has not bought a new police car in four years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your life and mine rely on these vehicles, but there is no money to buy them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are killing ourselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shop Local and help Neosho "hatch the egg - back to its glory days!" <span></span>Your Neighbor will thank you!</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JoDPzs8oKDU/TZ800Qw8yrI/AAAAAAAAAGM/Ngk0PzaJONk/s1600/8c281ed439c30980_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JoDPzs8oKDU/TZ800Qw8yrI/AAAAAAAAAGM/Ngk0PzaJONk/s400/8c281ed439c30980_large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b></span>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-65298600638054453212011-04-06T08:58:00.000-05:002011-04-06T08:58:45.142-05:00There is Joy in being a "Loser"!!!!!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Now that the April 5<sup>th</sup> Neosho School Board Election is over, I can get my life back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, like all experiences in a person’s life – I have gained wisdom and perspective.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">No one puts their effort into anything to lose, but I have learned there is Joy in losing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see; in this election there were five candidates and the top three vote getters won a seat on the Neosho School Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished 15 votes away from gaining one of those seats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disappointing? Of course, but in all reality losing has brought me Joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can this be?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As I watched the election slip away last night, I wondered what I could have done to get a few more people to the polls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then something strange began to happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My phone began to light up with calls and text messages – my facebook page had many remarks and I got private messages – all from people wishing me well and offering encouraging words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was then I realized how blessed I truly am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To have people reach out to you as the “Loser”, you know those people truly care about you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have no hidden agenda, no politics to gain, no job to seek from you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These people reached out to me, because they were good decent friends and they shared my passion for a better community.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I worked for the Neosho Police, I learned a hard lesson over the many years in which I had great influence over hiring and firing decisions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People would get close to you in an effort to get a job or a promotion, but they might care little for you as an individual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be clear, I don’t mean all people were this way, only a few, but these few certainly existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was one of the things I had to watch out for and “weed out”, as I determined people’s motivations and true Heart.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With this “loss” yesterday, I have determined I really won.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won because I have the respect of some of the greatest people anyone could know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won because these people are genuine in their feelings toward me and have nothing to gain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I won because issues were brought out during my campaigning, which will benefit the youth of Neosho.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most importantly, Neosho won, because unlike some School Districts who had no “competition” for seats on their Board – Neosho had fierce competition from five candidates, any of whom were worthy to serve – all of whom desired to serve for the RIGHT reasons.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As you face losses in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your life, look at those people who surround you and lift you up and you will understand what I mean – there is much Joy in losing!!!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you to all who stood by me and supported my dream!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GO CATS!!!!!</div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588667154459306680.post-76083334430121992932011-02-24T01:00:00.000-06:002011-02-24T01:00:13.167-06:00Drunk Drivers Kill Little Children<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qyn0R4LaEg4/TWYB1s_4jFI/AAAAAAAAAF4/wPvhnF4LEIc/s1600/02152006+crash+harmony+71b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qyn0R4LaEg4/TWYB1s_4jFI/AAAAAAAAAF4/wPvhnF4LEIc/s320/02152006+crash+harmony+71b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I never met Melissa Keif.<span> </span>But I have known so many little girls like her.<span> </span>I imagine she was like my daughter, Chelsah, vibrant full of life – not a care in the world.<span> </span>But, Unlike Chelsah, who is asleep in her room as I write this; Melissa is in a world of permanent rest. Peaceful rest I hope, but her journey was not peaceful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Monday, February 21<sup>st</sup>, Melissa was killed on a lonely stretch of Missouri Highway 37, near Butterfield, Missouri.<span> </span>Melissa was a passenger in a car, which was struck by a 26 year old suspected drunk driver.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The really sad part of this story, besides the loss of Melissa itself is - this is a repeat.<span> </span>This story has been repeated hundreds, no thousands of times, since cars were invented.<span> </span>Most of you will know someone who has been killed, injured or struck by a drunk driver.<span> </span>But, what is sad is most of you bore at hearing “another drunk driving story”.<span> </span>Well, this is not JUST another drunk driving story – this is the story of a family and a child.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It could have been your family – it could have been your child. When will we wake up and do something about this?<span> </span>Our laws can only go so far, it takes a real change in mentality – we must not tolerate anyone driving under the influence.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t care that driving while intoxicated is illegal – I care that drivers driving while intoxicated KILL little girls.<span> </span>They kill little boys.<span> </span>They kill people nearly everyday.<span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is senseless – take action and stand with me in solidarity for tougher penalties and action.<span> </span>If not for me, will you do it for little 10 year old Melissa?</div>Steve Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04358834739676684263noreply@blogger.com0