Hillman staff deserves applause for giving hope

Hillman staff deservesapplause for giving hope
EDITOR:
As a parent of a student in the Youngstown City School District, I feel where credit is due, someone should speak out. All too often, Youngstown city schools are condemned for one reason or another.
Although a school is usually defined as a place where people go to get an education, we are sometimes unaware of the numerous other lessons our children are taught along the way that have a much greater impact on how they develop in today's society.
I have heard people comment that the teachers and such are not like they used to be. Well, you only have to look as far as your own back yard. Some of the finest in the field are here in the Youngstown Board of Education. Nancy Murray, principal of Hillman Middle School; Mr. Rose, assistant principal, along with several others on the staff at Hillman, right down to the secretary, Mrs. Williams, are some of the finest and most caring educators I have encountered through the years. They not only educate, but show kindness, compassion and caring on an individual basis.
All children learn in different ways, and just because a child doesn't fit into a certain mold in the system shouldn't be cause to throw any student away.
If you drive down Market Street, you can see a billboard that reads, "Students are a Beacon of Hope in the Youngstown City Schools."
Mrs. Murray and her staff can be real tough when needed, but when you hear her speak of "her students," you can't help but notice that twinkle of hope in her eyes. They say, "You can't judge a book by its cover."
The same holds true for Hillman Middle School, for when you walk through those doors, it holds the hope of the future. It also holds caring educators who just may make a lasting impression in the lesson of human kindness that gives a beacon of hope to all our young children.
BARBARA SOLOSKI
Youngstown
If found guilty, area chiefdeserves stiff punishment
EDITOR:
I am responding to the article by Tim Yovich on May 7 about the Dairy Queen owner who says the chief of police, Anthony Ross, ran into him twice with his car. I disagree strongly with what this police chief did, and the judge should not hold back on his punishment just because he is the chief of police.
Anyone that purposely runs into someone with their car should have to live up to the consequences. If it was only one time that he ran onto this Dairy Queen owner, he could possibly make the argument that it was an accident, but he did it twice so he should have no excuses. He knew strictly what he was doing, or else he would have realized it was wrong and stopped after the first time.
He has been guilty of driving under the influence, something as a police officer, he is supposed to be preventing. He was also fined $300 and got his license suspended for six months because of it. Ross was also suspended for 10 days because he was doing personal business during the workday. Maybe he thinks that he can do all of this just because he is the chief of police, but after the first couple of incidents he was lucky that he didn't get dismissed.
Now that he ran someone over he should definitely get dismissed, because he went this far. What's he going to do next? What is going to stop him from doing something that can put someone to death if he doesn't get stopped now? If he doesn't get a real punishment, then he's going to think that he can get away with anything.
DEIDRAI McCLARY
North Jackson