Letters to the Editor 04-30-1997
After-Prom
Editor,
Times-Union:
The WCHS Parent Teacher Organization is again sponsoring the
after-prom at the career center gym at the high school on May 11
from 12:30 to 3:30 a.m. All WCHS juniors, seniors and their
dates are invited to attend, whether or not they attend the
prom. Tickets are $1 each and can be purchased at the WCHS
bookstore.
A variety of activities are planned: karaoke, casino games,
video games, "Sumo wresting" and a hypnotist. An auction will be
held where students can use the play money they win during the
evening to bid on various items that have been donated by
businesses and individuals from our community. There will also
be door prizes given away throughout the night.
The PTO is working to provide a safe and fun event for our
students. The after-prom committee thanks all who have helped
organize, plan and chaperone. We especially thank our local
businesses and individuals who contributed prizes. Please
encourage your student to attend what has become a tradition at
WCHS.
Susan Handel
WCHS after-prom
Safe Haven
Editor,
Times-Union:
I am writing in regards to the letter by Josh Lee.
My name is Keith Vant Hoff. I am 40 years old. I've been clean
for a whole lot of 24 hours. For the last two years, I've been
reading in the paper saying teens this, teens that. Our society
today is saying that teen-agers are no good.
I'm really tired of hearing this. I have a harder time with
parents than I do with young people. Older people judge you by
your hair, tattoos, the car you drive, and where you live.
Besides that, I thought that God was the only one that could
judge us. I wasn't aware that he left us in charge of that.
It is by the grace of God that I am clean for today and I can
try and tell you what I am doing for your kids today.
With the help of some good people from the probation department
that believed in me and what I wanted to do, I have now been
running a program on Friday nights for over two years from 7:30
to 8:30 p.m. in the AA building. When we started, we had all
kinds of room. Now we have young people standing or sitting in
chairs and on the floor.
We talk about drugs, alcohol or other problems they may have
today. I also try and make sure they don't turn out like I did.
Yes, I am one of those people that you judge for their tattoos
and said I would never amount to anything. I try to get these
kids to work with their heart, not their brain.
Then I went one step further. I needed some place for these
young people to go that has games, pop and some place that was
theirs.
You people that live in Warsaw know all the empty buildings in
town. For a year I wanted anybody to help by donating some space
for these young people to have some place of their own. No one
wanted to help. Until I met the mayor, Jeff Plank. He gave me
Tony Ciriello, who is in charge of the DARE program and the FOP.
To Tony and Jeff, from all the kids and myself, thank you very
much. We'd also like to thank all of the FOP members.
Now on Saturday we have a club called Safe Haven, which has
pool tables, games, pop and food. If you ever need someone to
talk to confidentially, we'll be there. The money they make off
the games is 50/50 with Jack F. Eiser (Fort Wayne) (Bill). Thank
you guys very much for your trust and your support. The money
these young people make goes into an account so that they can go
on a weekend trip and things like this. For in the summer,
something other than hanging out on the streets. Safe Haven is
open from 2 to 11 p.m. You know we even had a hard time getting
some of the stores to hang our flyers. The new mayor and
Times-Union are supposed to do a story soon on our
club. We'll see.
One more thing before I go ] my best friend, my brother, Don
French, and I do this for free. Not his kids, not my kids ] our
kids.
Don and I have invested a lot of time into our kids, the club
and the people. On Friday nights and all day Saturdays, we are
there for no cost to you. So if you want to know more about Safe
Haven, call Keith Vant Hoff at 269-1902.
Remember, if we were perfect we would not be here. So if you
want to help, don't say anything at all.
Keith Vant Hoff
Warsaw
BABE Thanks
Editor,
Times-Union:
On behalf of the board of directors and staff of the Health
Care Foundation of Kosciusko County Inc., I wish to thank the
community for the outpouring of goodwill and generosity during
the recent opening of the BABE Boutique. In this time when
public figures and politicians are diligently promoting the
spirit of volunteerism, I am proud to be in a community where
giving of one's self and resources is a way of life. Thank you
to the many groups and individuals who donated baby items and
time to get the boutique set up. A special thank-you to our
"Beautiful Babies," who raised over $1,500 in a penny-per-vote
contest ] money that will be used to assist other "beautiful
babies" to have a healthy and happy start in life. Thank you,
each one of you, for embracing this positive and powerful
program.
Julie Steele
Executive Director
Silent Majority
Editor,
Times-Union:
I have been thinking about my response to Gary Gerard's
question, "Where is the outraged silent majority?" What I think
is of no question but how could I say it so that those in silent
majority would listen? I don't believe I have succeeded ] here
goes anyway.
Imagine yourself an average person (remember I said imagine, I
am in no way speaking of any person living or dead). You work,
pay expenses, have a spouse, (maybe the second or third) kid,
pets, two cars (one's a beater) etc. By the time most people of
average faith and morality deal with the everyday stream of
inequities and crap that comes with association with schools,
co-workers, service people, bosses, authorities, agencies (I
could go on but you get the idea), we become a little jaded, or
maybe it's just numb.
We know that the LP guy shouldn't have crossed the lawn, or the
kid shouldn't have been written up when the teacher's actions
were unreasonable, we know it's not right to restrict gun
ownership based on misdemeanor convictions, we know. In the
first two instances fear of retaliation is enough to silence
most complaints; the third is another matter.
It's not too realistic to expect people to be vocal enough to
be heard over the din of network news distortions. The media is
the voice of the people and it's obvious that ratings take
priority over information. The people's voice isn't going to
produce average, unsensational, everyday value views; if it's
not extreme it won't sell.
The writer that disagreed with Gary's article probably agrees
with "Bill" that Tony Lake was treated unfairly, the poor man
was hounded. The truth is that Mr. Lake was in charge when his
subordinates decided that he didn't need to know something. This
cry of "I didn't know, not my fault," is becoming very popular
among certain groups of elected and appointed officials.
In my book you are responsible for all the actions of all your
subordinates. It's always been that way; this helps to ensure
that we have leaders, not just managers. The popular notion
spread by the liberal side of the media is that nothing is
anyone's fault, there's always an excuse. I've had enough
excuses but there seems no escape.
It's time to start placing the blame and demanding restitution.
You can bet if a gun owner allows a child to be killed by an
unattended weapon he will be prosecuted, as he should be.
However, each year four to five times as many kids die from not
being properly restrained in a car than from all gun accidents.
Why are we not prosecuting these people? They are blatantly
guilty of negligence causing death.
All this rambling leads to one thing. No one is going to
continue to voice opinions they can't get an echo on. There is
no middle-of-the-road representation, no champion of the
ordinary, and heaven forbid anyone defend the Constitution
without interpreting it for us first.
I guess I'm saying, yes Gary, we are out here, we are outraged
but the other side is desperate, determined and much, much
louder. We are silent only because extreme sells, if you're not
weird you'll get no attention.
Jeff Harding
Warsaw
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