Dear Editor, After reading the recent article about budget cuts
for the school district, I was very disappointed to see that all
cuts at the high school and junior high level would be from the
elective classes.
Former student disappointed in cuts to elective classes like fashion design
Dear Editor,
After reading the recent article about budget cuts for the school district, I was very disappointed to see that all cuts at the high school and junior high level would be from the elective classes. Having been a student in the Morgan Hill District for my entire education I can attest to the value of these programs.
I graduated in 1999, and went on to West Valley College, where I completed their fashion design program. I had a major advantage over many of my fellow students at West Valley, having taken Donna Foster’s Fashion Design courses at Live Oak. The knowledge gained through these classes made me extremely prepared to take on the new challenges. Making cuts only to the elective programs to be replaced with “remedial work in core subjects” is ridiculous and a big disappointment.
If a teacher will still be paid to supervise these students, then why not let them learn something new and creative while they have the opportunity. If an elective has added expense, maybe the students could find a creative way to raise some money to support the classes they feel are of extra value. Not every student wants to be a math or science major, or even plans on going directly to a four-year college. I have worked as a nanny for many years (completed the childcare courses), still work as a seamstress (completed fashion design courses), and photographer (also took the photography courses), and attribute much of my success to these teachers and programs!
You can be successful and do things you love, even if so called “core subjects” are not your sole focus. Maybe they shouldn’t be the districts sole focus either. I know the district will have difficult decisions to make, however, these programs are IMPORTANT, and shouldn’t be the first thing automatically on the chopping block.
Sandra Willson, San Martin
Visitor enjoys the paper and the town, vows to return
Dear Editor,
I just spent the weekend with friends in Morgan Hill. How refreshing to have a newspaper that has been laid out in a polite way to its readers! Why does the Monterey Herald make such irritating choices? For example, the ads that fold over the actual page. How annoying to the reader! I make a point to notice the advertiser and make sure I go elsewhere! I WILL look at an ad that is placed in the paper in a polite way, not that way.
Someone at the Herald really likes selling these ads because they keep coming at us.
And, in the Morgan Hill Times paper guess what? A story started on the first page is completed on the back page. How polite! No need to look at another ad and then find the remainder of the article somewhere inside the section. We loved your paper and your town! My husband and I have lived in Pacific Grove for 35 years so we haven’t stayed in Morgan Hill before. I got a whole different view of your town by being there for a weekend and we shall return.
Debbie Jones, Pacific Grove
Keep local access television local
Dear Editor,
I would like to respond to the column in the opinion section of this Tuesday’s newspaper regarding what to do with the control of Morgan Hill Access TV. First, I want to make it clear that I do represent the landlord of the space that MHAT television currently leases for their television studio. They have been in this location since before we became the landlords for the building they occupy and even though it is a very small space some may say that I have a financial interest in seeing they stay in their current location. That being said, I absolutely do not agree that control of our local access television should given over to CMAP (Gilroy) which might have better production capability or more volunteers or the most broadcasting awards or even the lowest cost. I am more concerned that the money we collect as a community through our charter with Charter Communications stays in Morgan Hill, is spent in Morgan Hill, and is used by Morgan residents.
The column suggest that the only way to look at the value of MHAT is solely based on how the final product looks that ends up on the air. I think the final product is only a small portion of the value that a public access television gives back to its community. MHAT is run entirely by volunteers who live in and around our community and who give their time and services to many other organizations. And just by the fact that they are located in Morgan Hill, their talents reach out to the community in many ways. Having seen many of the occurrences of their interaction with people and the meetings held at the bookstore allows me to see what a valuable asset MHAT is for Morgan Hill. They help local churches, schools, clubs and the like get their productions aired as well as help with local short films and interviews. Morgan Hill Access Television might possibly need encouragement to do more, work harder and reach out more, but we will never get the same kind access to public television once the door is shut on this valuable community asset.
I think that saying that MHAT television should lose their charter with Morgan Hill because CMAP (in Gilroy) has a better studio with newer equipment and more staff is like saying that all of the content for the Morgan Hill Times should come from Gilroy because the paper there is better equipped and has more journalists. I think most here would think that isn’t true. So it is with MHAT. Let’s keep this little bit of local, truly local.
Brad Jones, Morgan Hill
