Story Published:
Jan 14, 2008 at 6:23 PM CST
Story Updated:
Jan 14, 2008 at 6:27 PM CST
Hyperventilation occurs when a person breathes too rapidly and exhales excess CO2. Rapid and shallow breathing marks it.
Proper treatment involves breathing into and out of a paper bag.
There are some people in Cookeville ought to be breathing in and out of a bag.
They are the ones who were clamoring for a new Jere Whitson school out on N. Washington Ave., the ones who think it should have been built and ready for full occupancy when students returned after Christmas break.
Emotion was carrying the day...not clear headed logic as these people put pressure on the school board to spend money and when the money runs out pressure the commission to issue more bonds if necessary to get the Jere Whitson school built on a $425,000 site that has no utilities.
You know the old saying "damn the torpedo's, full speed ahead ". Well, there are torpedos in waters about Cookeville.
I don't believe that the school board was dragging its feet regarding the rebuilding of Jere Whitson.
They are an elected deliberative body of 6 people who we the people duly elect to make policy relative to the operation of our schools.
The key word is deliberative; we expect them to be good stewards of the tax money we give them.
We certainly cannot expect them to simply ask for more money to either tear down the current Prescott school or to purchase a tract of land out on N. Washington for a new Jere Whitson.
There's a group of children who have been shoved from pillar to post.
Yes, they've been deprived of their " community" school and will probably be deprived of their school forever, since a new school will not be built in time before they leave the fourth grade.
I doubt there are many people in Putnam County who enjoy this situation, but it is what it is.
We can be thankful for the parents, teachers and support staff at Jere Whitson who will guide the kids through these trying times.
Politics was defeated by the 4-2 vote regarding the rebuilding of Jere Whitson on the original site.
By building on the original site, where the teachers wanted to rebuild and most of the county commissioners, the taxpayers were saved about 1 million dollars.
What about Prescott? The property no doubt will be sold to TTU and turned into a parking lot.
The proceeds will go toward Jere Whitson's rebuilding. The new school will be asbestos free, clean and sanitized above EPA and state standards.
Don't worry that the new school won't be comparable to Algood...that's fear mongering in the most reprehensible form.
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Steve Moore's Column "Moore To The Point" runs every Monday & Thursday.
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Steve Moore
Cookeville, TN
