Letters to the Editor

Readers write: Letters to the editor, December 14, 2017

Thanks for flat-tire help

I want to thank the two gentlemen who changed my tire on Friday after a blowout outside the state investigative office on King Street. You cannot know how much that gesture meant to me. Without your help I would have had to call a tow truck, which I couldn't afford, and been without a car until I was able to get new tires. I have been depressed over the way things are going in our country and you helped ever so much to restore my faith in the fundamental goodness of humanity. It was a wonderful Christmas present. Thank you.

— Jamelia Saied
Anchorage

Support our teachers

I am very proud of the Anchorage teachers for rejecting the tentative agreement that was to give them a contract for this year only. It's a lot of work to go through for one year and it sounds like the bargaining teams ran out of energy. I felt that it was a slap in the face to all teachers when I read that instead of giving them a raise, the district wants to give them more time off. Do we want our kids to be with substitute teachers for even more days? The negotiators must not have been in the classroom for many, many years if they think that a lot of learning goes on when the teacher is not there.

And to not even address a pay raise is unconscionable! The teachers haven't had much of an increase in many years and then to have none at all? What is that? Are the administrators in the classroom every day dealing with the teaching, discipline, curriculum, grading and extra-curricular activities? No they are not.

I would not be surprised or upset if this went to a strike situation. The teachers have every right to stand up and be counted. When even our well-paid legislators want to eliminate tax breaks for education and give considerable support to private schools, I say enough is enough. Support our teachers now and you won't have to pay a fortune to find a private school for your students later!

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— Merle Askeland
Eagle River

Support the newspaper

To the letter writers complaining about the lack of a Saturday edition I suggest the following: Purchase at least one or preferably several additional subscription(s) to the paper. Subscriptions can purchased for your neighbor, a local school, a family member, a church, or business for example. I bought one for my mother-in-law. My husband bought one for our neighbors.

Buy advertising if you are a business owner. There's a heck of a lot more businesses in Anchorage than I see adverts for in this paper. We are lucky we still have a print paper. It isn't cheap to publish six days a week. You want a seventh, then chip in and help pay for it. Lastly, give the current publisher a chance. This effort will most likely take time to become financially stable enough to add a seventh edition.

— Theresa Philbrick
Anchorage

Discrepancy clarified

In a letter to the editor printed in the Dec. 12 edition of the Anchorage Daily News, Elaine Pfeiffer of Eagle River mentioned a discrepancy in what the district reported in its annual report, "Expect the Best" (an insert in the Sunday, Dec. 10 paper) as the 2016 graduation rate (79.6 percent), and the 2016 graduation rate reported in Tegan Hanlon's Dec. 10 article as 76.1 percent.

I believe the discrepancy is that Ms. Hanlon's article reported the 2016 graduation rate for the state of Alaska as a whole. In the Anchorage School District's annual report to the community, the district reported the 2016 graduation rate of only ASD students.

We appreciate the opportunity to address the reader's concern and respectfully request that a clarification be published.

— Deena M. Bishop,
superintendent
Anchorage School District

Allow pets to fly

Really Charles Wohlforth, picking on puppy dogs, kitty cats, and bunny rabbits now on airplanes? (Column, Dec. 13)

Face it, while airplanes are wonderful traveling machines, they are also public transportation for many of us just like a bus or ferryboat. Many people take Airborne before flying to avoid catching a cold from another passenger, no problem. Others wipe down their seating area with Lysol wipes to protect themselves from left-behind germs, no problem. A cheap set of ear plugs has saved my bit of rest and sanity more than once due to a crying baby or loud, intoxicated passenger. Food allergy or dislike then simply avoid that food, no problem. Pets traveling in the cabin are required to remain in the pet carrier, under the seat by Alaska Airlines, just like my cellphone belongs in "airplane mode."

So if you have a pet fur allergy, take a Benadryl and enjoy the flight like the rest of us!

— Karen Avila-Lederhos
Anchorage

The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter under 200 words for consideration, email letters@adn.com, or click here to submit via any web browser. Submitting a letter to the editor constitutes granting permission for it to be edited for clarity, accuracy and brevity. Send longer works of opinion to commentary@adn.com.

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