School Community

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Randy Davis, a Daphne Republican, would levy a 1 percent sales and use tax on most goods and a 0.5 percent tax for items including vehicles and agricultural equipment. Proceeds would go to the Baldwin County school board.

The Legislature passed House Bill 748 despite the Baldwin County Commission’s failure to adopt a resolution in support of renewing the tax.

The existing sales tax is due to expire on May 31, 2013. If approved by voters, the new tax would kick in on June 1 and continue for the next five years.

Davis has said that extending the tax would save nearly 400 jobs.

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Louis Pumphrey writes a good letter (Empathize with innocent people victimized by American soldiers, Sun News, April 26), criticizing silly, irrational and total adoration of the military.

I offer an alternative support for our young men and women who sacrifice daily to protect our freedoms and enable those same freedoms for people in oppressed countries. One of those freedoms being the right to express your opinion, we can agree to disagree.

Pumphrey brings up the My Lai incident, which was big news for the media; we can all agree this was a horrible deprived act, by a group of scared soldiers led by a whacked-out lieutenant. No one wants war; its an ugly way to resolve our differences. However, if and when the need arises to take up arms, I am one American that appreciates our military might. Sure, we can discuss these terrible acts of lunacy like the My Lai incident to ensure they are never repeated. But let me tell you about another military incident, one of many involving our military, which you never heard of, because it never received any media coverage and was never intended to.

In the late 60s, a US Navy destroyer on its way to the Vietnam war zone stopped in a small Central American country for some much needed rest after over two months of battle readiness training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where 18-, 1-9 and 20-year-old kids became hardened in anticipation for what awaited them. Upon their arrival, the 200+ compliment of crew and officers ready for a few days of rest and relaxation before crossing the Pacific were greeted by a local priest. He met with the captain of the ship and told him about an orphanage for approximately 200 children that had been under construction when the funds went dry and not even the government of this nation could or would offer any help. So, the children of this orphanage lived and went to school in leaking buildings, no running water, with unfinished electrical service and dilapidated unpainted walls.

The priest appealed to the captain for a handout. The captain, after verifying the situation, called the crew and officers to muster. He did not command or order, he explained the plight of the orphans and asked if anyone with skills could offer any help. The entire crew stepped forward and put aside several days of R and R. They volunteered their talents and time without hesitation and to the last man, they spent the next three days and nights working, providing power, plumbing, wiring lights, hammering, nailing, repairing roofs and painting, not only doing the work, but going into their own pockets to help finance the supplies needed to complete the construction. Officers and men worked side by side to get the orphanage and school in shape so the residents could have a safe environment in which to live and learn.

Oh, I also forgot to mention, the nuns and children of the orphanage provided meals for the work force in appreciation of their efforts. They would wait patiently until the men were done eating before they took their first bite. When the crew realized what was going on, they insisted the children and nuns of the orphanage join them to share in the staples, making sure the orphans and nuns ate first, again, going into their pockets to ensure there was enough food for everyone all three days they were there.

This ship was a Navy destroyer, designed for war, armed with the latest weaponry that could unleash fire power that could level an entire enemy strong-hold. The difference was, stationed on board this vessel of war were officers and men with a heart, who gave of their time and treasure to help others in need, Officers and seamen with enough internal fortitude to think of others before themselves.

This is a true story, and there are many others just like this one. But you wont hear about them in the news because its not salacious, there is no blood and guts, its not a My Lai massacre and it wont sell copy. There are some people who would rather write and talk about the horrors of war and color our entire military machine as terrorists. Then there are others that are proud of our men and women in uniform and proud of being a veteran and proud to be called an American.

If you want to call that silly and irrational adoration of our military, be my guest. Just thank God you live in a country that provides you that right and privilege. While you are at it, thank our military and our veterans for the privilege as well.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Epic Elementary School has been evacuated because a propane tank being used by roofing contractors there burst this afternoon, school officials said.

About 1:15 p.m. students were escorted from the school and taken to nearby Glen Iris Elementary School for the remainder of the day, according to a statement from the Birmingham school system.

EPIC is located on 10th Avenue South, near the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Parents may pick up their children at Glen Iris at 3 p.m. There will be no after school care, so parents whose children usually stay for after school care should pick them up at Glen Iris as well, according to the statement.

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CUYAHOGA COUNTY

PUBLIC LIBRARY Bay Village Branch, 502 Cahoon Road, (440) 871-6392.

Writing for the Silver Screen, 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 31. Do you have a great movie idea but just dont know how to get started? Learn the building blocks of a movie script, how to develop plot and characters, and techniques to dramatize your idea. We will also discuss the path to selling a script and having it produced.

200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 10. The War of 1812 was fought on Lake Erie near the newly settled area of Bay Village. Join us as local historian Floyd Adams presents the history of the events on Lake Erie and the impact of the war on the area.

Titanic and the Great Lakes, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18. It has been one hundred years since the sinking of the Titanic. Carrie Sowden, archaeological director for the Peachman Lake Erie Shipwreck Research Center, will discuss the epic disaster, and its intriguing connections to the Great Lakes.

History of Cleveland Rock and Roll, 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 25. Join us as Michael Heaton, Carlo Wolff and John Gorman discuss the history of Rock and Roll in Cleveland. Learn about how Cleveland became the center of Rock and Roll in the early stages. Registration is required as seating is limited.

Pruning Your Favorite Shrubs and Vines, 7 p.m. Thursday, April 26. Learn how to prune some of your favorite ornamental shrubs and vines.

Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd. (440) 933-8128.

If you have placed a book on hold and have been notified that its now available, you can pick it up yourself in the library. Your book will be waiting for you on the shelf next to the circulation desk. Books are shelved alphabetically by patrons last name. Simply pick up your book and check it out.

Our eBook collection is now compatible with the worlds bestselling eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle. Patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app, such as iPhone, iPad, Android and more. To get started, visit the librarys web site at alpl.org and go to Digital Media.

The resume coach will work with you to create or polish your resume so it stands out from the crowd. Coaching sessions are one-on-one and free. Call the reference department to make an appointment.

Evenings with the Stars On Monday nights in April, with clear skies and temperatures above freezing, the telescope will be set up across from the tennis courts. Stop by 7:45-8:30 p.m. and take a look at whatever interesting stars or planets are visible.

Mother-Daughter Tea, 2-4 p.m. Sunday, April 22. Put on your party dresses and enjoy an afternoon high tea with your daughter. Etiquette expert Catherine Holloway will present a program to help your young ladies establish self-confidence and poise through dining etiquette and party manners. Young ladies ages 5 and up are welcome. Prepaid registration at the circulation desk is required. Friends registration begins April 1; adult fee is $5 and girls are free. General public registration begins April 8; adult fee is $5 and girls fee is $3.

Small Business Outreach Seminar, 9-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 3. Existing and new small businesses are invited to participate in this seminar hosted by Congresswoman Betty Sutton and the Small Business Administration. This panel discussion will cover SBA loans, selling to the government and additional support available for small businesses.

Special Collection Do you have a special collection of clowns or other circus related items? Would you be willing to share it with us this summer? As part of the librarys summer reading program, we are looking for a circus-themed collection to display in June and July. If you have a collection to share, contact Sue Hurbanek at (440) 933-8128 Ext. 249.

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension has a variety of gardening and agricultural experts available to assess how the unseasonably warm spring weather could affect crops, ornamentals, fruit trees and flowers. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s and 70s could force early blooms for daffodils and other flowering plants throughout Maine, which can be delightful for many people, but economically threatening for farmers and fruit growers.

“We can enjoy it while we can, but let’s hope it doesn’t push things along too fast,” says David Handley, Extension vegetable and small fruit specialist at the Highmoor Farm in Monmouth. “My biggest fear is we could face a repeat of 2010, which from a berry perspective was glorious and everything came out really early, but in mid-May we got hit with a pretty hard frost.”

Many apple growers suffered when that frost killed their apple blossoms, recalls Renae Moran, an Extension fruit tree specialist also in Monmouth. But, “just because spring is early doesn’t mean we’re going to get hit with a frost, she adds.It’s a matter of chance.”

In spite of the early warmth, there is still time to do spring pruning, even though many hardy vegetables can be planted now. John Jemison, Extension water quality and soil specialist in Orono, already has started some early vegetables and says there’s really little to lose with planting backyard or community gardens early, especially if cold frames are available.

From a pest-management perspective, a late spring frost could kill some insect pests, including black flies and mosquitoes, says Glen Koehler, Extension associate scientist for tree fruit~pest management in Orono. Koehler adds that just because apple trees buds may be three weeks early this year doesn’t mean blossoms also will be three weeks early. “Things have a way of evening out by June 1,” he says.

The following Extension scientists and educators are available in several Extension offices statewide:

• David Handley and Renae Moran, (207) 933-2100 in Monmouth
• John Jemison, (207) 581- 3241 in Orono
• Horticulturist Kate Garland, (207) 942-7396 in Bangor
• Marjorie Peronto, small greenhouse food production educator, (207) 667-8212 in Ellsworth
• Barbara Murphy, South Paris, (207) 743-6329
• Ornamental horticulturist Lois Berg Stack, (207) 581-2949 (as of March 26) in Orono
• And Glen Koehler, (207) 581-3882 in Orono