Happy 50th, Head Start
In the summer of 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced the creation of Project Head Start, a federal program that would provide comprehensive early childhood education services to children facing poverty. 50 years later, the program has opened windows of opportunity for 32 million children facing poverty.
I know, because I was one of them.
My parents were hardworking individuals; however my father only had the equivalent of a sixth-grade education. My mother struggled with debilitating medical challenges that made it difficult for her to care for me in those early years of my life. They simply could not afford to send me to preschool.
When my mother heard about the local Head Start program from a neighbor, she immediately enrolled me — a decision that would prove life-changing not only for me, but my entire family. Head Start provided me with quality preschool that supported my cognitive, social and emotional development as I prepared to enter kindergarten. My Head Start teachers engaged my parents as well to ensure they had all the information, tools and resources they needed to be the best parents they could be. They even visited our home, as my mother was unable to drive.
Head Start not only prepared me for kindergarten, it gave me a confidence and love of learning that I have continued to carry in my day-to-day experiences. I believe Head Start laid the foundation for my passion in social justice, earning my master's degree in social work, and led me to pursue my doctorate in psychology. Today I am a clinical community psychologist here in Anchorage. I can't help but think that without Head Start, my life would have turned out very differently.
So happy 50th anniversary, Head Start, and thank you.
— Ruddy Taylor
Anchorage
Joyous event made better
We celebrated our Down syndrome son's 42nd birthday last week at the Midtown Pizza Hut. There were 13 of us eating pizza, salad and birthday cake, and making happy noise! As we went to pay the bill we were told a wonderful lady eating in the restaurant at the same time had already paid it for us.
She left a note, and in it she said, "It's so wonderful to see a family celebrating together. Reminds me of family reunions as a kid. Happy Birthday to the birthday folks and thanks for the smile you brought to me. (oh, and just pay it forward.)"
This is a big THANK YOU to that lovely woman!
Her generosity was overwhelming. We left the restaurant with tears in our eyes.
— Jim and Evelyn Moss
Anchorage
Diversity includes LGBTs
I enjoy your multicultural coverage on the diverse city and state we live in. However, I am extremely disappointed and saddened by the complete lack of coverage related to the Alaska PrideFest.
— Cynthia Parkin
Anchorage
Put Erins Law above petty politics
For the second year in a row, it seems as if Erin's Law, a bill implementing a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program, is doomed to die in a tied-up Legislature –– again. Even despite support from our last two governors, senators like Kevin Meyer, Mike Dunleavy and Anna MacKinnon have led an effort to barricade the original text of the law from reaching Gov. Walker's desk for its promised signature.
Specifically, our opponents of the bill's original passage have decided that politics ought to take a more precedented role than the protection of survivors of child sexual assault. Erin's Law is straightforward and implements an evidence-based curriculum to bring a voice to children who have been sexually assaulted; it has been passed in nearly half of U.S. states, and has received praise from schools and social workers all across the country. Rather than embrace its success, our senators have ignored the epidemic Erin's Law addresses and instead created a political battle over it.
That being said, I'd like to provide five simple facts about sexual assault among children to remind our senators how real the issue truly is.
1. Every year, approximately 8,000 children in Alaska are physically or sexually abused. (Child Welfare League of America)
2. Adult retrospective studies show 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men were sexually abused before the age of 18. (CDC 2006)
3. Alaska's child sexual assault rate is six times the national average. (FBI Uniform Crime Report)
4. Only 1 in 10 sexually abused children tell someone. (Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children 2012)
5. Every six minutes a child is sexually assaulted in the United States. (Erin Merryn)
Contrary to our Legislature's belief, Erin's Law is not political. Erin's Law is a bill that addresses a vastly underreported concern in this country. Erin's Law gives children a voice that should not be undermined by the petty politics of our budget brawl. Passing this is a step forward in mitigating a severe crisis in Alaska and rising above the fog of ugly congressional gridlock.
Above all, I'd also like to personally call on the mentioned senators as well as others in the Legislature who believe playing politics is more important than protecting Alaska's children. Sens. Meyer, Dunleavy and MacKinnon: Please put Erin's Law above the politics of this session's legislative battle for the good of our state and our children's futures. Help the Legislature put Alaska on the growing list of states protecting children from sexual assault.
— Robert Hockema
Homer
Officially tired of Web speed in the Bush
Hello, everyone at ADN and in Alaska! I am writing this today in protest of Internet in the Bush and trying my best to be the nicest person while typing it. As you know, there are only a few providers in the villages of Alaska, and concerning the quality of Internet as I browse Facebook, eBay and Google, I am officially tired of speeds lower than dialup. Plus, the service usually goes out twice a day.
There in Anchorage they have "tech support." Shouldn't an access point refresh by itself like once or twice a day? Here I have to rely on a cellphone that drops calls also, and usually a 12-minute call to "tech support." They should try offering that service to people in Anchorage or the Lower 48 and see how long they last. GCI should be ashamed of itself. We still pay $50 a month for crappy Internet and cellphone service. They are only worried about the profit margin and not quality of service for the customers. I even saw an advertisement for 4G speeds in the Alaska Bush. Dagnabit, it's not even 1G. I wish a slew of other providers would come give quality service to people in small communities so they can at least be competitive.
Here in the community of Kotlik, they have moved their cellphone antenna, greatly reducing the quality of calls to the people living on the other side of the high school. What a waste of time and money. I hope they can get their collective behinds in gear and work for the customer. I think it is time to find another way to get Internet and cellphone service elsewhere. Thanks for your time and reading efforts. I'm just trying to keep up with the times and not in the Internet stone age.
— Jake Hunt
Kotlik
Take budget ax to costly megaprojects
This budget battle should not be this difficult. It's all about choosing the right priorities. Instead of cutting foster care, or breaking their own promise from last year to fund public schools, the Legislature could stop funding corporate welfare and making down payments on megaprojects and energy projects that would cost Alaska up to $32.3 billion, if the remainder of the necessary money is ever found. We could avoid the $69 million in education cuts simply by deleting the $45.3 million inserted for the Knik Arm bridge, the $20 million for the Bragaw extension, $6 million for the Susitna dam, $26 million for the Ambler Road and $25 million for the Juneau Access Road. That would leave enough money to build the southbound bridge over Eagle River, a project that will actually do something to improve traffic congestion and safety, instead of causing more problems. Gov. Walker needs to veto these megaprojects. Alaska can't afford legislators who either can't or won't understand fiscal reality, and make common-sense choices on how to invest our dwindling funds.
— Bob French
Anchorage
Make your own political analogy
The other day a robin was hunting worms in my backyard. A starling was shadowing the robin, and as soon as the robin pulled up a worm, the starling flew over, snatched it out of the robin's beak, flew about 10 feet away and devoured the worm. The only reaction from the robin was to search for another worm. This event cries out for a political analogy, doesn't it? I won't make it for you, since you may have a different political outlook than I have. So, make your own, and if it upsets you, so much the better.
— Jon Sharpe
Anchorage
Those days of cushy union contracts are gone with the states money
It's time for the state of Alaska union leaders to understand that the era of Cadillac work contracts for state employees is over and to realize that it's time for them to step up to the plate. We the working general public have seen, even with a union contract, our wages and retirement benefits in times of economic trouble with our employers reduced or eliminated totally. OK, you have a contract that says you get a pay raise. Well, guess what, the state is running out of money, oil prices are down and it doesn't look like in the foreseeable future for them to go up, and when the prices do go up, the days of $120 a barrel for oil are over. Couple that with reduced production of oil, and we here in the state are facing serious budget crises.
There is talk of an income tax as part of the solution. If this comes to pass, we the general public who are working at wages, sometimes lower for the same type of job as state employees are, will no longer tolerate Cadillac union contracts. Many of us have seen our retirement programs that were once provided by our employers vanish and 401(k) programs put into place, and those who retired with these plans saw them evaporate and now have no employer-paid retirement plans. There was a time when government employees were paid less than the general public, but those days have passed and now many government jobs enjoy an hourly pay rate equal to or greater than their general public counterpart.
I have personally seen subpar union-protected government employees moved from one department to another because it was easier than to fire them. In the private sector, even with a union this is not the case. If you cannot perform, you get your layoff notice. Yes, it's nice to provide your rank and file with great pay and benefits, but the days of easy money are over, and with talk of income or sales taxes, it's time to rethink how you will be perceived by the working general public.
— James Rowe
Anchorage
Jenkins should be more informed
Paul Jenkins really, really needs to be a better informed writer. It wasn't last Sunday but two Sundays ago where there was a derogatory reference that someone who upset Jenkins "had not eaten enough Wheaties." If Jenkins is/was an adequately informed writer he'd understand "Wheaties" just is not the most appropriate analogy to use. As a kid when I was growing up, Bruce Jenner was forever on the Wheaties box. Was the writer having thoughts of a deadline and neglected to notice current online events give a disproportionate amount of coverage to Jenner and the current status of Jenner? Jenkins as a writer must be more informed, maybe careful. He has a right to his opinions but they must have a degree of credibility. It is not necessary for Jenkins to use dated clichés in excess to demonstrate that Jenkins does not agree with the governor. It is the year 2015, and realistically, no one speaking English today uses words like "bamboozle." When uniformed writers overuse a word nobody normally does use, it diminishes the writer's credibility. On the other hand, the credibility of Alaska's governor appears to be increasing. Maybe Jenkins should take a hint: rewire his knowledge base and actually write material showing his readership he is informed. The governor is not the proper subject for a writer to demonstrate dated cliches.
— Louise Donhauser
Anchorage
Put obstructionists on a list
The media says Alaskans have a short attention span. In case that is true, please plan to publish a list of legislators who don't support education, health, term limits for themselves, or limits on legislative sessions. Please publish it again immediately prior to the next election. Hopefully, citizens will find a way to remove these obstructionists even before the next election, but in case we don't, we need that list of names to vote them out of office ASAP.
— Elizabeth Hatton
Anchorage
The views expressed here are the writers' own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a letter for consideration, email letters@alaskadispatch.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@alaskadispatch.com.