- May 7, 2024
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Enforce traditional bathroom use
Dear Editor:
I believe the School Board should take a tip from the superintendent of schools in Levy County. To do otherwise is to discriminate against the majority of school children and their parents.
The Levy County Journal on May 12 contained the following letter:
“To the educators and citizens of Levy County,
“The president issued a decree Friday afternoon, which has a direct effect on our school system. It states in part that any student, kindergarten through college may use the locker room or restroom which they feel appropriate at that point in time. This directive (while not law) does carry a threat of the loss of federal dollars.
“Let me assure you that while making adjustments, we can survive quite well without federal dollars. In fact, education is responsibility of the state and not of the federal government.
“We do not want to make any child feel uncomfortable when using the restroom, not even the .001% that are having an identity problem. However, we certainly do not want the 99.99% of our students to feel uncomfortable while in the locker room or restrooms.
“In summary: The Levy County school system will honor the traditions of our great nation and mandate that all male and female students use the respective facilities for personal and private functions.
“Any violation of this will result in appropriate discipline action.
“P.S. If you have questions, refer to your birth certificate.”
The letter was signed Bob Hastings, superintendent of schools for Levy County.
Wake up, Flagler County!
Diane M Evanac
Palm Coast
Editor's Note: School Board member Janet McDonald responded via email to Evanac in this way: "Currently, the (Flagler Schools) policy aligns with Title IX sex identity as biological sex, and restroom and locker room use is guided along those lines.
"When or if unique situations arise on any policy, the school and district administrators provide accommodations, when warranted on a case by case basis, that do not compromise other students.
"FS takes opportunities like this to reflect on current policies to insure the health and safety of all students in providing best academic environments."
Dear Editor:
Since we moved here over 12 years ago, you could almost predict the list of local candidates every four years.
This year had a welcome surprise with not only new names and faces in each of the races, but more importantly being that they are quality candidates.
A great example of this change and the possibilities began a little over a year ago when former Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks resigned. It’s my opinion that a local elections office that is truly engaged with the community and promoting a voting culture in the area will bring more and better quality candidates. Our newly appointed supervisor of elections has made great improvements in a rather short period.
We have a unique and important opportunity in front of us when it comes to the city of Palm Coast Council and Flagler County Commission. Three seats are open in each body, and all races have good options for voters and our future. We have the opportunity before us to have two almost entirely new bodies and not only the possibility of the two groups finally working well together, but influence on finally addressing issues such as the local economy with real and more effective ideas.
We shouldn’t overlook the race for our Sheriff’s Office or School Board, either. We have a slew of candidates vying for the sheriff’s position, and it’s a group that is making it a tough choice as well. We are all well aware of the challenges with that office and have had little choice over the last several elections, but that is very different this time around.
Likewise, we have one long-term seat on our School Board that will change as the incumbent is not running, and another that could very well change.
The bottom line to me is that we, as residents, have a unique and excellent opportunity in front of us if we truly want positive change and to lay a more solid foundation for moving forward.
But it is up to us to seize upon this opportunity at the polls in August, when some positions will be decided during the primary election, and November at the general election. I’m excited for what the future could look like here locally with this opportunity if we make smart choices as a community.
And you don’t have to rely on simple name-recognition with signs or blurbs from compressed local forums. Seek out these candidates on their online social profiles, like Facebook pages or Twitter, and pose questions to them challenging their positions or statements. Send them messages with your questions through their websites.
These are great new avenues for local voters to gain access and information about local candidates and make smarter decisions like we’ve never had before. Let’s seize the opportunity before us and lay the groundwork for a positive future.
Brad West
Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
I am really tired of having a sheriff with ethical lapses. Anyone elected to that position should be beyond reproach and continue that during their term of office.
Don Fleming not only had the country club issue but also (more importantly, in my view) the issue with not reporting the conversations with what turned out to be the perpetrator of a hit-and-run — until it came up later after charges were made. That was enough to make me ditch my Republican leanings and vote for Manfre.
Jim Manfre makes Don Fleming look like a piker when it comes to ethics. People forgot about Manfre’s ethical issues in his first term, which led to Don Fleming ousting him. We won’t make that mistake again.
Mr. Larry Jones and Mr. Rick Staly have also demonstrated that their ethical compass can waver at times.
None of those four deserve our vote and won’t get mine.
Mike McGuire
Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
Walking at a local Palm Coast park recently, my husband and I saw the path covered with rose petals. At first I thought, “How romantic!”
Or was it? The petals were not real rose petals (biodegradable), but "silk" (i.e. polyester/plastic), and they were flying off the path into the environmentally sensitive marsh around it.
We spent 40 minutes bent over double, picking up all that we could reach along the path, but without a grabber, we couldn't reach the ones that had already fallen into the marsh. The great egrets and the anhingas and other wildlife will now wade and swim among plastic reminders of someone's big day. And local kayakers and fishermen and nature lovers will have to look at it too.
So to the couple who just got engaged — or the senior who just celebrated graduation — or whatever milestone you were marking: What does it imply about your future that you showed such disregard for others?
If you are reading this right now, and you just didn't think (believe me, I've been there too!), now is your opportunity: Take a free hour on a weekend to go to a park and pick up someone else's mess. Or do something nice for someone else that you wouldn't normally. It's not too late. As for us, we are picking up a grabber from Walmart to keep in our car. For the next time.
Mary and Jason Giraulo
Palm Coast
Dear Editor:
I would like to commend the city of Palm Coast on helping keep our city beautiful. There are many different departments that aid with this.
I did notice that one city truck was cleaning up yard sale signs this weekend. He stopped in front of me and walked over to the swale and plucked off the sign, then threw it in his truck bed. Sometimes that is perfectly fine for a heavy object. Unfortunately, if it is an object made of light paper or cardboard, the force of the wind will fling the paper out of an open pick-up truck.
This happened to this city worker. The papers ended up all over the road. I caught up to this man at the traffic light and signaled to roll the window down so I can alert him of what happened. He refused. I asked again by hand gesture, and he refused again.
It’s possible he thought I would do something to harm him from my vehicle? I hope he can read lips because I tried to tell him.
Please keep Palm Coast beautiful — carefully.
Cindy DeLance
Palm Coast
Editor's Note: Palm Coast spokeswoman Cindi Lane said three Code Enforcement officers were asked about this incident, and none recalled being approached by a resident. but, she said, "with this resident’s concern, we have asked all staff to be sure to secure any signage placed in the bed of truck or put it in the passenger side of the vehicle. Thank you for making us aware of this issue. We do want to keep Palm Coast clean and beautiful!"
