Letters to the Editor for Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Don’t let budget hurt city schools
A good education is the cornerstone of our future. Whatever budgetary morass we currently face, we cannot and should not sacrifice our ultimate success for short-term gain. We must make a stand and pay the costs for our children, for they are the future.

When our family moved to Lynchburg from Appomattox County about a decade ago we saw an immediate enhancement of our son’s motivation, interest and academic achievement. Lynchburg City Schools had excellent programs such as the GO Center and the Dunbar School for Innovation to capture his imagination and allow him to excel. He is now a high school junior and attends the Central Virginia Governor’s School at Heritage High School. Just this weekend he was in Richmond with another advanced student representing Lynchburg in a foreign language competition. His academic achievements are a direct result of the investment that Lynchburg chose to make in our city’s future.

A broad, well-rounded education is the key to preparing our youth to compete. Without it we are condemning them to mediocrity and ultimately failure.

Are we so ready to cede the future? Or are we willing to rise above the adversity currently ensnaring us and indeed our state and our nation?

The choice is ours. We can sit back and decimate our future consoling ourselves that “we had no choice.” Or we can expect our leaders to lead. It is high time that harsh realities be addressed and not side-stepped because that is prudent politically and the easy path.

It is time that our leaders in Lynchburg, Richmond and Washington put aside all of the finger pointing and political posturing, pull their heads out of the sand, and lead us forward.

Hard decisions must be made, but that is the price of true leadership as opposed to the mere facade we currently enjoy. Regardless of whether or not you have children in the schools this problem affects everyone, including area businesses who will need competent employees in the future.

We must attack this problem together. I urge all citizens to voice their support for maintaining our city’s excellent school standards and not allowing budgetary madness to decimate them.

KENNETH M. JUNGERSEN
Lynchburg

Play was terrific
Each time E.C. Glass produces a show the same thing happens. The audience sits down, chatting about “How nice it is to see young people performing ...” The orchestra begins the overture, the audience quiets, and we soon forget these are young people. Rather, that audience is caught up in one more dazzling afternoon or evening of entertainment by a thoroughly prepared, almost-professional group of singers, dancers, actors and musicians. And behind the scenes is a group of highly skilled teachers, craftspeople, lighting and sound crews, and others.

The result is another little jewel like (this time) “The Music Man.” We were very proud of our talented young friends, who, for 2 1/2 hours, transported the audience back to July, 1912 in River City, Iowa. It was a great trip.

LEE and LARRY BARTRAM
Lynchburg