Congratulations to families in Dolly Parton Imagination Library

Congratulations to the families in Floyd County who have registered their children to receive a free, age appropriate hard-back book in the mail each month through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project. The campaign to get all Floyd County Children registered has been a huge success.

The Dollywood Foundation projects that a community can get 70 percent of its children enrolled in five years if it works hard to make that happen. Since the Floyd County Imagination Library kicked off, officially on Aug. 22, 56 percent of the five year projected total of children have registered for books. In only three weeks, we have registered over half of what it usually takes five years to get! That is amazing — and I wonder if it is a record for all the communities who participate! We actually have 38 percent of the total number of children between the ages of birth through five in the county registered. That is very exciting and says that the families in our communities care deeply about literacy and setting a foundation for their children to read for pleasure — helping to guarantee the long term success of their children. (Developmental Asset No. 25, youthcount.com).

For those who have children or grandchildren 0 to 5 years old and are not yet registered for this great program, go to imaginationlibrary.com to get signed up. This success would not have been possible without the many partners advocating on behalf of our children; CAPE, the Horseshoe Foundation and Community Foundation, United Way, our schools, newspapers, hospital, library, congregations, elected officials and so many more.

This is a great community!

— Jerry Finn, Executive Director, Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, New Albany



Reader upset with decision on airing speech



An open letter to the Greater Clark County Schools administration:

We are having difficulty expressing the enormity of our disappointment in Parkview Middle School’s decision to not air President Obama’s speech to all students. It undermines our daughter’s intelligence, and that of the other Parkview students, to assume she cannot comprehend a 15-minute message on doing your best and taking responsibility.

I had contacted Parkview by phone previous to the speech and was assured that my daughter would have the opportunity to watch the speech. I indicated at that time that if they were not going to show it, then I would pick her up and bring her home to watch it. She was not allowed that privilege.

We cannot think of another president where this would have occurred. Which, unfortunately, leads us to believe that there is a biased motivation behind the refusal to air the speech for all students.

What does it say, in support of diversity, that the public school system refuses to air a nonpolitical speech given by the first African-American president?

It sends a very negative message.

It is ignoble that the schools would put the obligation on the teachers as to whether the speech should be shown or not. It is inexcusable that the schools would censor the president of the United States, and then allow the heat to be put on the teachers, rather than standing in solidarity in this patriotic moment.

We are shocked and frustrated that the schools, where our children attend, are not encouraging them to hear a message form their president about staying in school, studying hard and trying their best. We are equally shocked and frustrated that lies and political persuasions have led the schools to make this decision. We believe that it does our children, and all the children within Greater Clark school system, a great disservice.

We would have hoped that the Greater Clark School board and principals would have put political differences aside, considering the address is not politically motivated, and put the interest of the children first.

We can see, however, that this is not the case. It is unfortunate that diversity and difference of opinion cannot be tolerated within the Greater Clark school system.

We expect that in the future the Greater Clark School board and principals will make wiser, more considerate and patriotic decisions.

— Carolyn Cardwell, Jeffersonville



Resident looking for a unique Jeffersonville



I loved the recent Spectrum section story on local businesses. Maybe, just maybe, one of the new promoted Jeffersonville leaders will have read it. Maybe, she won’t think of Jeffersonville’s locally owned businesses as so “quaint.”

Maybe, just maybe, Grow Jeffersonville can rethink how it promotes Jeffersonville. Maybe, if Grow Jeffersonville has access to grants, government money or any other resources, a bit of that money could go toward revitalizing downtown Jeffersonville. Is there a possibility an organization could be formed to find or locate grants for rehabbing older buildings from downtown to Youngstown Shopping Center?

This group could find or locate businesses that would be an asset to the local ambiance that is uniquely Jeffersonville. With the right businesses downtown, it could be a huge draw.

I can envision it now — “Jeffersonville’s Closer than Madison” or maybe, “Jefferson’s Closer than New Harmony.”

Let Jeffersonville be unique, not another cookie-cutter city full of box stores. This writer’s vision is three or four streets full of stores that would draw people looking for that “something different,” you can only find ... oh, in Jeffersonville.

We are a riverfront city doing it! It can be done! The new motto for Jeffersonville would read, “Eat your heart out Nashville, Indiana.” Along with that motto, could run a secondary motto, “Look at the Gas We Can Save.”

Councilman Keith Fetz would love that one. We could have a two-fer — build Jeffersonville and help cut the use of fossil fuels. Think about it!

— Steven Fetter, Jeffersonville