Jim Lincoln's blog

Wow, somehow a reader thinks the Herald is in cahoots with the Tecumseh Public School administration and/or the board. I'm sure the board would get a laugh out of that. I would like to think that the Herald, and the public in general, has a shared commitment to the schools and its students and to join the board and administration in working for the betterment of the district. The Herald has all of a sudden been pulled into the ongoing school controversy after a letter was edited in this week's paper. The writer did at least two things wrong: a postscript (p.s.) was tagged at the end of the letter; and the information in the "p.s." was declared a "rumor." It wasn't hard to edit out a self-declared rumor, first of all, and secondly, p.s.'s are not and have never been included with any letter. If you have something to say, then say it in the body of the letter, and if you believe you have beneficial information or a question, then say so without suggesting that it's a "rumor." Sorry, but the writer asked for it. We give a lot of latitude to writers, some using the opinion page as a thank you bulletin, some who call presidents liars and terrorists, and others who actually have a sound opinion to make. We prefer letters that sound off with opinions. If you want to ask a public body, like the school board, a question, then ask the school board. Are you really seeking an answer or just passing off criticism disguised as a question in a letter to the editor? We're not defending the school board here. We have made our share of critical opinions on board actions, but wishing for us to print self-declared "rumors" doesn't wash.

Dog owners should assume responsiblity for their pets, not withstanding a city leash ordinance, which council dropped at its last meeting. As a dog owner myself, my first concern is the safety of my pets. I don't want them to suddenly dart into the street and get hit by a car. Frankly, I think it's crazy not to use a leash. Hey, I like my dogs too much to take any chances! And while my dogs are the biggest and the two most gentle babies you'd ever want to meet, their large size can be quite intimidating and I don't think it's fair to be walking down a sidewalk and have some pedestrian fearing for their safety. Having your pet under control for both their safety and the safety of others should be paramount.

What would you do? It looks like we have two choices regarding the next season for Tecumseh High School football. Either a new field is constructed at THS or all games will be played away. No kidding, just the facts. The school board faces the question and will vote March 25 to approve a 10-year loan for $1 million, using another $1 million+ the schools already have in the capital project fund, to build an athletic complex at THS. The schools cannot fix the bleachers at Indian Stadium without bringing the entire facility up to code. Why? That's the law. The cost to bring it up to code? An estimated $3 million, plus the need to find property to hold 1,000 parking spaces. The requirement to meet new codes makes the project unrealistic, if not impossible, at least by next fall. So, the options really are: build a new field at THS or play next year with no homes games. What would you do?