Letters to the Editor: Thursday, October 24, 2013

Brainwashed on cigarettes?

I enjoyed your “Humble Proposal” article (Sun Newspapers, Thursday, Oct. 17) and had a belly laugh at the comparisons (bikes / arms) we should all be very fearful of … My wife stopped smoking about a year ago and at times took up with an e-cigarette replacement.

Her doctor had no problem with the item and stated it had no health effect on her or others.

But many in the brainwashed public will never accept anything that looks even close to a cigarette.

Unless it’s a joint, I guess … That, of course, is cool, man!

Are you old enough to remember the white candy cigarettes with the red ends? God forbid if a kid used one of those, even at Halloween.

Good job … Keep up with the fun stuff that makes many of us really look at ourselves.

Sincerely,

Arnie Wilkins

Hail to the future LAEF King and Queen of Hearts

The Los Alamitos Education Foundation is hosting their very first King and Queen of Hearts dinner event on November 22 and will honor one King and one Queen during the dinner.

Prior to the dinner, candidates for King and Queen raise funds for LAEF.

The man who gets the most donations is crowned King, and the woman who gets the most donations is crowned Queen.

The candidates are working hard for a very good cause, and, for some of them, this takes a lot of courage! We are extremely grateful for their participation!

Please consider donating to one or more of the candidates—no amount is too small!

Please see links below where you can donate funds for each candidate if you choose to donate.

The candidates are Diana Brunjes, Meg Cutuli, Trisha Morris, Vince Bodiford, Justin Padilla, Danny Salas, and Mike Tannourji.

Sherry Kropp, Ed.D., Superintendent

Los Alamitos Unified School District

Two classes of students—rich and poor

The Long Beach City College Political Action Coalition consisting of faculty and staff is outraged that Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 955, known as the Two-Tier College Fee Plan, into law last week.

This bill, to be introduced as an Intersession Extension Pilot Program at Long Beach City College, allows community colleges to offer high-demand classes during winter and summer intersessions at a significantly higher cost to students.

Students would be charged $250 per unit to attend these intersession courses.

This bill will create two classes of students and would limit access for low-income students.

Other community colleges were authorized for the pilot, but ironically, only LBCC will participate: two schools opted out, two others did not meet eligibility requirements, and another is consulting with faculty before making its decision.

President Eloy Oakley lobbied in support of the bill, while faculty, staff and students vocally opposed the bill.

LBCC’s Teachers Academic Senate voted to oppose AB955 course scheduling and LBCC’s Teachers Union Executive Board voted to oppose the bill altogether. “This measure reverses the underlying philosophy of California community colleges, which is equitable opportunity for all,” said Jonathan Lightman, executive director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges.

Thomas Hamilton, AFT president; Janét Hund,

CCA Political Action Committee chair; and Karen Roberts, CHI president

Ghost under the stairs

The day had finally arrived for us to pick up the key to our new retail space on Main Street.  We arrived on time and pushed open the front door.

Belinda, who had Art on Glass there for 22 years, was moving on to new horizons.  She met us at the door and proceeded to fill us in on the nuances of the old building formerly used as an auto parts store back in the day.  For some reason, I turned to her and asked, ”Are there any ghosts in here?”?

She looked at me a little stunned at the question, but said, “You know, one night I was in the back and I looked up to see this woman standing there staring at me.  I said to her, you aren’t supposed to be here.”  Suddenly the woman vanished.  Belinda told her story to several skeptic people who kept asking her what she looked like.  Belinda said to herself, “You know I can draw, so I drew her picture.”  Lo and behold, when the owner of the building saw the picture he gasped, “Oh, that is my dead wife!”  Yikes!

Every once in a while when I go back to our supplies under the stairway, my hair stands up on my arms and I feel a chill through my bones.  Needless to say, I make quick work of retrieving the mop!

Happy Halloween!

Maryann Harvey

The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of the Sun. The Sun welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 300 words maximum. Letters should be e-mailed, signed by the author and include the author’s address and phone number (the latter two are for verification, not publication). The Sun reserves the right to accept, edit, or reject letters for any reason. Unless otherwise indicated, all letters sent to the Sun are understood to be intended for publication. E-mail letters to: dennis@sunnews.org.