Section Two Eight Pages Volume 80—Number 33 O'Neill, Holt County, Nebraska, Thursday, December 8, 1960 Seven Cents - - ■ - - ... ■■■' - --; ..' ■■ ■■ - ---————————-_____-_____----■ - - —- —.- - - M ' I ‘ Readers Voice Opinions on Proposed School Bond Issue Dear Editor Being deeply interested in my community, I have listened care fully to the arguments on both sides of the school bond issue. Now I would like to add my thoughts to the discussion. First, I would like to urge ev eryone to make sure before they vote that they know the correct facta and figures. Too many of us get arbitrary ideas in cur heads and stick to them whe ther facts support them or not. Let's be fair. The thing I have been most dis appointed in is the way that so many of us have seemed to feel that if it isn't done our way, we will be against it. These differ ences about the gym, location, etc., are futile, because let us please remember that if 1500 peo ple are running something, it will be done 1500 different ways. This is a fact of life. We cannot each have it done just the way we think. It is simply impossible. We have elected fine city leaders from our city to our school board. Let us not show so little faith in them. Let us be gentle with each other. Bitterness hurts us all. Be very certain that your rea sons for your vote arc valid. Would you really vote against the school bond because you pos sibly don’t care for Mr. Baack or one of the school board mem bers? None of us really wants to be petty. Let us take personal pride in the accomplishments of our wonderful town. I am honestly convinced that financially this community sim ply couldn’t lose from a new school. Even leaving aside the fact that the taxes will be a little different whether we have a school or not (an important point that has already been well made—ask to have this explained to you if you don’t understand it) the revenue brought into town fr tn our tuition families would enrich our town by Thousands and Thousands of dollars. This is simple economics. For example, if our school must refuse tuition pupils from Emmet, and they go to Atkinson, revenues lost could include gas drugs, clothing, hard ware, medical, furniture, appli ances, and in fact almost any kind of business that is in O' Neill. Surely we can see that the more prosperous our town is, the better off we all are. The final point I would like to make is that this money is not going down a rat hole thousands of miles away. We are heavily taxed for foreign aid, and get pretty tired of the txirden. But this school would be built here in our own community for our own good, and for our own child ren. Let’s build this school, and let's do it right when we do it. In a town as fine and vital as ours, surely we won't settle for any less! 1 Horn-tooter for O’Neill , (Dear Editor, The ones that voted against the new school should go and investi gate the O’Neill public school and see why we need more room. H >w would the ones that voted against the new school like to go to school at 7:31 like the seventh grade and fourth grade do? The mothers that voted against the school who do not have child ren to get reiuly would probably change their rhinds if they did. perhaps you have a child in first or second grade. Please look ahead a few years. Do you hon estly think that a half day of school is all ;-ou want for your child when he is in the fourth grade? Linda Walton _,_ D«*ar Sir, Though many people say that O’Neill doesn’t need a new school they themselves probably hav en’t investigated. The people of O'Neill don't know how crowded it is in the class rooms It’s fine for you to speak for what you believe in, but yew should know what you are speaking about. Many citizens of O’Neill say we need a school house but not ano ther gym. The gym we have now is used by St. Mary’s for sports practice, the O’Neill high school uses it for physical educa tion, basketball and volleyball, The junior high has physical ed ucation and basketball in the gym. There are meetings, con certs, assembly programs, class plays, basketball tournaments and the people of O’Neill use it for 4 H, Idons Club activities and many other things. In a few days there is going to be another bond issue. Before you vote investigate what you are vot ing for. Kathy Farrier Dear Editor Once upon a time there was a little village named O’Neill—a store, a postoffice and a dirt street. Settlers came, liked the rich grasslands and nearby Elk horn river. Banks, more stores, the railroad came through. The little village became the county seat of Holt County. Two schools, and several churches were built and little O’Neill needed better streets for the new-fangled horse less carriages. Years went by—the ranches gn w and prospered, the town expanded, nut in new lichtins fa cilities, businesses and homes mushroomed, The little village kept in step with the times, welcomed a new airport, its own radio station and a National Guard unit. A swim ming pool, drive-in theatre and whole blocks of new business houses lured surrounding custo mers within a radius of nearly 60 miles. Trailer houses, new ultra mod ern homes, and over 70 traveling salesmen chose the little village because of its stretegic location, good h ig h w a y s, progressive schools and churches. Came the day when the city school board realized the present school was crowded to capacity— 40 children in a room, desks push ed close together, science and math labs woefully inadequate, one medium-sized auditorium was being used by multi-groups of physical education classes, volley ball and basketball (both junior and senior high plays, concerts, programs, assemblies and band programs. Besides this, the school was generously sharing the same gymn with its neighboring par ochial school and adjusting schedules for St. Mary’s teams and games. A group of far sighted villagers laid plans for a new school—it would take care of the senior high, it wojld be convenient and adequate and attractive, just like their own newly built homes and stores. How could O’Neill's teach ers do their best when crowded and hampered by lack of facili ties? Voting day came—the issue failed. Why? It would cost too much! This thriving, bursting-at the seams little village, with its huge potential trading area could n’t afford a new school for its children! Why, it would cost each pro perty owner at least $1.50 per month! So it failed! Will the little village of O’Neill have a second chance? Lets Hope So _ -—-—— ——— Need A Good Second Cor For The Lady of The House? TAKE A LOOK! 1952 Plymouth 4-Dr. 1953 Chevrolet 4-Dr. Bel Air ; % 1953 Ford 6-cyl. with Overdrive 1955 Ford Fairlane 4-Dr. See These Clean Used Cars At Your Ford Dealer. Robertson Motor Co. Phone 33 O'Neill, Nebraska I>«var Editor: O’Neill hasn't had half-day ses sions long enough to feel the im pact of delinquency which usual ly follows in communities with half day schooling. Many will say delinquency is the responsibility of parents and this is true to some extent but aren't we, the citizens of O’Neill, helping delinquency along by closing the doors of education to the young inquiring minds and leaving them with this idle time. Mr. and Mrs. taxpayer, who pays for correctional institutions and vandalism? Wouldn't tax dol lars be better spent on education rather than correction? ‘A Thinking Ahead Mother’ Dear Editor: When in the very near future you are driving around our fair city, please notice the fine store buildings, supermarkets, modern bars, lovely homes—then, park in front of our public school building and take a good look at the place where our children are getting the knowledge which will some day be used by adult citizens. The building is a disgrace, es pecial y fur such a wonderful city as O’Neill. I don’t say children need frills and gadgets for play, or ultra modern surroundings. I do say tn y are entij ed to a good build ing which will provide adequate space, lighting, ventilation and in spiration. This ,s a wonderful opportunity for us to show how proud we are of our young folks-and they are the tintst in the country! O'Neill has the reputation for being civ ic minded and for always stick ing together when it comes to any local matter. Now is the time to once again show that spirit. Vote YES for our school building. Another Taxpayer! Dear Editor, Many people think the town should pave streets and make runways at the airport before building a new school house. But what are we going to do for room for chi dren in school? Many people say that there is enough room for the children but only the children know how bad it is without enough room. The seventh and fourth grades have to go from 7:30 to 12 and it’s hard tor them. They have no study periods and have to take all the Stu tes home. Only a few planes land at the airport a year. It is true we need the streets paved, but think, does education mean more then paving runways or streets? The child ren’s education decides what the world is going to do tomorrow. Dorothy Gorge n Dear Editor, l'ne room is very scarce for the children coming to the O’Neill public school. There will not be room when more and more child ren come in. The fourth and the seventh grades are having half-day clas ses now. This will not have to continue if a new school is built. Also there is very little time for any discussions or questions to be asked. In the winter these half-day morning children will be coming to school at 7:30. In the evening the afternoon children are com ing home at 5 p.m. This is a bad situation for either classes. There will be more of these half-day classes if a new school is not built. If you want your children to have a good educa tional background they will need plenty of room to study. Mary Pribil Dear Editor, We need more room to have better classes. The classes we have now are too short. Some are not interesting because we have too short a period. We need more study class period. Our grades are down because we have to get up so early that we don’t feel wide awake. It gets a little cold walking to school at 7 in the morning. The class rooms we have are too small even if we do go only in the morning. We can't see films because the film room has classes in it. If you don’t let us have the new building we will be sitting on the gym floor having classes. We might not be able to let country kids come to our school. Richard E. Cradit Dear Editor, Some of the people who live in O’Neill think that we do not need a new school because they do not have any children that go to school. If they had any children that were in the fourth or the seventh grades they would have to get their child up at 6 or 6:30 and get them off to school by 7:25. The new school would not be for seniors alone, it would be for the tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. A new schoolhouse would help keep salesmen and other people in town. They would make O’Neill their headquarters. AH the way around we need a new schoolhouse. Jolene Cleveland Dew Editor, We children that go to the O’ Neill public echool definitely need more room. Most people just talk about the situation but never seem to do anything about it. Some people don’t even bother to think about it. Going to school a half-day isn’t the most fun in the world and is really hard on the teachers Some of them must go to school very early in the morning to teach us and then some must stay until five or later teaching us. We need a new school and I hope we get it. Worried Celia Peterson Dear Editor: “Old Guard" says “Guard your own finances - nobody else will.” How many times have we spent money for something we possibly never used? Now we are in a position to help our youth acquire the education they need so badly in their future. Unless the stan dards of education in our school are not elevated to the needs of the future where does that leave our children of the future? Education is a MUST for youth today. Too large an enrollment per room, as we now have, does not give the teach; r time to give the needed attention to their stu dents. In this fast moving day and age, are we to stand still in O’ Neill, or do we want to better ourselves and our community? If you have your eyes on the future, go to the Polls and vote YES on tne Bond Issue December 9. “A Promoter" O’Neill, Nebr, November 29, 1960 The Frontier: Why the hurry? We are intrigued by the rapidi ty in which the proponents of a new senior high school are press ing the voUis of the O'Neill school district for a redetermina tu n of their views on this school, the bond issue being voted down on general election day. Sometime ago, a letter appear ed in a local paper from one “Ima Taxpayer” that certainly hit the nail on the head. He mention ed the unused space in the old school of some 2000-2500 square feet, (old gymnasium) that could be converted to a better use than the “rainy day” utilization by stu dents whose sole use is eating lunch in this place. The new grade school erected some few years ago was said by the school board and those de siring a new school, to be so erected that additional lloors could be erected on top of this structure. If additional rooms are now needed, why not build? Also, how many square feet of the so called “band rcom” could be con verted to school rooms? This bond issue should be defeated by an overwhelming vote, it is “high pressure” selling at its worst. The electorate should be given the following information, so that the voters could make an intelligent choice in the matter. 1. How many square feet in the proposed new school is to be used solely for class rooms? How many square feet for offices, rest rooms, teachers lounge, power plant, recreation purposes (gym etc). What is the anticipated price per acre for the necessary land and is it true that the school board has already sounded out the property owners in the north and east ends of the city to ac quire land at $1000 per acre? Is this cost included in the $465,000? How much additional cost for paving, water, sewer, lights etc.,? 2. What is the anticipated cost for the junior high school, where is it to be built? Additional costs etc., The cost for this school must be greater than the cost for the senior high school for there are always more freshmen and sopho mores than juniors and seniors? Is tms s.n Kii .o nave a gym al so? Surely the younger pupils should not be forced to go across town to use other gymnasiums? This proposed school plan is ob noxious, and irresponsible School Board and educators leadership is at its worst. The plan has not been thought througn, nor have the voters been dealt with as responsible and intelligent indi viduals. Now those who criticize must also show that they are construc tive as well. This is what should be done. Utilize to its fullest ex tent the present school plant by conversion of unused or illused space to class rooms! If these are not sufficient then build on the new grade school! If these prove inadequate or insufficient, then eliminate the gymnasium and all non-direct school facilities in the proposed school. Advise the elect orate as to the location and cost of the proposed junior high school. Additional costs as to utilities etc. If absolutely necessary to build a plant cf this size, why not wait for federal funds to assist the city and school district, both Kennedy and Nixon were for additional schools? These are a few of the things that should be set forth by the proponents of the new school, be fore time for the selection or non selection of a new school by the electorate. I have a direct interest in this school or schools, as I live here and expect to continue doing so. However, I won’t be here long if my landlord raises my rent at least 25 per cent as she has stated. Sincerely Yours, IMAN INDIRECT TAXPAYER War Sim, The second Special School Bond election will be held on Friday, Dec. 9. All Eligible voters wui cast their at tne Court house—NOT at the regular wards. Before casting your ballot on this School Bond issue, please' review anu consider carefully the following facts: Federal Aid To Education The Democratic Party offered Fedt ral Aid to Education as one of the chief planks in its Party Platform. If O'Neill will wait un til January 2j, 1961, perhaps Uncle Sam may assist us in a new building program. (We are still carrying a debt of $38,000 on the bunc.ing now in use.) Cost of building and operating another school plant. Tne operation of the present Public School plant will cost $102,150 this school year, plus the several revenues which are as signed to the School Fund. Som^ of these sources of revenue are tuition fees, head tax, traffic (and other) fines, school land leases, State appropriations, etc. These revenues add a considerable amount of money to the opera > tional funds each year. To build a new half million dollar High School plant AND TO MAIN TAIN AND OPERATE SAME ON luP OP OUR PRESENT COM MITMENTS seems almost prohib itive. Taxes would skyrocket, and the school levy would jump at least 10 mills, perhaps more. Gymnasiums—IIow many do we need? O’Neill Public School already has one of the best gyms in Northeast Nebraska. St- Mary’s will begin work on its new gym nasium and High School soon. The new Armory plans include a regulation court, which will be available for practice sessions. (Despite rumors, the Armory plans n >t have been scrapped.) Population Census—1960 Official 1960 population figures show that Holt county population has decreased 1,137 persons since the 1950 census. O’Neill’s popula tion has increased 131 persons during the same period. Do the above figures indicate that the school enrollment in O’ Neill is likely to increase in any appreciable number soon? Do these statistics warrant the ex penditure of one-half million dol lars (and more, to build a new Hign School at this time? lease remember that our Public School is educating only about one-half of O’Neill’s children. No one wishes to deprive our children of an adequate educa tion. Few towns of O'Neill’s class and size can boast of two good schools such as O’Neill already has. O’Neill’s present enrollment is only slightly higher than in re cent years. Free Tuition students will not be turned away after 1964, hence tuition revenue will not be lost despite repeated warn ing to that effect. Effect upon Business O’Neill is the County Seat of Holt county and is the BIG town in this area. O’Neill will attract business IF our merchants are not forced to mark up their pri ces to offset higher taxes, higher rentals, etc. Our High School will continue to function—new building or not. O’Neill’s facilities are as good (or better) than many of those located in Northeast Nebraska. Procuring and holding good teachers in our school system would be easier if our teacher’s salary schedule were more ad equate and properly scaled. Rentals on homes and business property will advance when / if taxes are increased to finance the proposed School Bond. O’Neill’s most urgent need is a workable long range City Im provement Plan including a build ing program, industrial develop ment, etc. The hit and miss method of the past is neither an adequate nor a wise procedure. When the new Grade School building was built, the plan was to build a matching building directly opposite the ex isting new grade school when the need for more elementary space arose. The plan has been by passed for a new High School plant on a new site. This indi cates a woeful lack of long range planning—or adherence to former plans. Here are a few improvements that O’Neill MUST plan for and we should strive to adjust the city development plans accord ingly: Sewage disposal plant. (State of Nebraska will demand this soon.) Paving projects Municipal extensions of water and sewer facilities. Lets plan our city improve ments progressively, carefully and intelligently. Let’s not plunge school District No. 7 into massive debt beyond its capacity. Taxpayers’ League Dear Editor, I think the people of O'Neill should be glad to save a little money for their children of to morrow. The people against it say no. Only the children for it speak up, the mothers and fa thers keep quiet. The people who have no child ren are usually the ones against it. Even if your children are small they will need it when they grow ap. So for the children' sake vote for the new school. Judy Riley Dear Editor, I, a seventh grade morning stu dent, may not be very smart, but going to school a half day is very inconvenient for most of the boys and girls in my room. Some of the boys have paper routes. Some get up early so they can get to school. Some people didn't vote for the new school because they didn't have any children going to this school. Tlioy said they're just tax payers. That’s right, but even if we don't get the new school tax es will go up because of country students being barred from at tending O’Neill school. I'm asking you, would you like to got up at 6:30 to get to school on time now? Please think about what I said for either the district will have to close doors to tui tion students, or more and more elementary grades will have to go on a half-day set-up. (A Seventh Grade Student) Sandy Trant Dear Editor, We Need a New School One of the main problems fac ing O'Neill is a crowded school. Even after rearranging different rooms they found that they could n’t crowd in all the students. That is why many students are going a half day. In this half-day we are seated from 12:30 until 5 with a ten minute break at 4 o'clock. We have to take home all studies that are assigned to 'us since we have but a short study period. It is also very inconvenient for the mothers as well as the whole family. Dinner is cooked for the seventh or fourth grader and then warmed up when the rest of the fnmilv orptc hnmn The inadequate school we now have could be compared to a car with a spark plug missing. It would run but not properly. With a new school all of these problems along with many others would be solved. Also with better teaching facilities teachers would naturally like to teach here than other places with less adequate facilities. Sandra Philbrkk O'Neill, Nebr. Dec. 5, 1960 Editor, O’Neill Frontier Dear Sir, I am addressing this letter mainly to the landlords of rental properties in O’Neill, who are op posed to the building of the new High School. It has been pointed out that if we do not expand our educational facilities for the high school, that we will have to shut out the stu dents from outside our own dis trict with a loss of $34,000 or m ire each year which we will have to make up in taxes. Be sides this, you are saying to these people, "Take your children else where, we don’t want them here”, I and so they take them to the surrounding towns and that is where they will do their trading also. You cry about getting industry into O’Neill and yet you are wil ling to drive away the most vital industry that we have, our farm ers and ranchers. By having this kind of a town we will not attract new business or new families, and you Mr. , Landlord will be the first to suf fer because your property will be the first to go vacant, and the loss of rent on one house for six months would pay the increase in taxes on all of your property for several years. You should be encouraging your renters to vote for the school in stead of threatening them with higher rent if they do. Let’s keep our town growing and a good place to live, let’s build when and where we need to, that is the only way you or any of us can keep our business pros perous. A Businessman Phone Your News To The Frontier Phone 788 HOLIDAY SPECIAL 20% DISCOUNT On all Raliegh Products to O'Neill residents only. Phone and mail orders solicited Mrs. John Alder YOUR RALIEGH DEALER Inman, Nebraska Phone 135, Inman IVar Riwlttr*: In answer to Onsus Makes Sense, I’m wandering of what value the figures presented are . . . They do give a distorted pic ture. How docs a census based on all age levels throughout the county have a tearing on the need for a school in this com munity? It would set'm more en lightening to know the number of children ill the district involved rather than the census figures in cluding babies and adults throughout the county. Why not use school census figures; even tli.se can't be used as accurately as enrollment figures to spell out the need for a school. If some of the smaller communities are losing pisiple is that easing our enrollment here? If the school officials could dis perse the pupils as easily as ‘Census Makes Sense' does on paper we in O'Neill wouldn't have an overcrowded school. Of course, if you subtract the com plete k rulcrgarten enrollment and those moving out you can de crease the enrollment of 460 to :I56. What about those moving in (surely they didn’t all move out and none oome ini and what about the kindergarten students that are here this year . . . they’re still here are we to be lieve they will all leave for St. Mary's as 'Census Makes Sense' figures wouui indicate, wur pro 1 lein doesn't rest soley with the kindergarten class but with the growth throughout all grades. O'Neill’s eighth grade class numbered 50 beginning this year compared to a class of 38 in 1950, how can anyone say this isn’t an upswing in enrollment? Next years class will have 17 students compared to 30 in 1950, is this not upswinging? ’Hie county superintendent's of fice reveals an average of 254 Holt county students graduated from the eighth grade in the past five years. This years class shows 296 will graduate followed by 312 in 1962. 'Census Makes Sense,’ can you honestly say (hero isn't an upswing In public school en rollment'.' O'Neid won’t claim all of these students but its safe to assume we would get our usual number and more with this larger class graduating if wo aren’t forced to deny them schooling because of inadequate space. Several of my rural friends have toM me of receiving invitat tions from neighboring high schools inviting their children to attend their school when O’Neill no longer accepts them. If we fol low the guidance of ‘Census Makes Sense’ we’ll certainly not be an upswinging community. Let’s think before we believe all the figure's presented get the facts before you deny that boy or girl an education. The best source of information Is your school board, they’re elected hv you and serving you- so ask them. A Figuring Mother DANCE SATURDAY, DEC. 10 SHORTY AVERY and liis Country Swingsters Summerland' Ballroom Ewing, Ncbr. AilmlHfdon: 75o Dear Editor Our school la crowded with children. We ekin'! learn as nmclh as we should, we don’t get to see etkieational films, nor do we have the pleasure of dances sad parties ns children in other schonte do. Ibis year, next year, and the year after that the fourth and seventh grades will have it nmgh going either at 7:30 and staying until 12 or going at 12:30 and staying until 5. Our teachers have hard times giving us the instruction we need in tin' &h irtened class periods. We need study periods under a teacher’s guidance as much as any other grade does. When a room wants to sec a film it is usually impossible be cause there are five high school classes a day In the film room The gyms are usually busy with basketball practice, gynm clam», games, dances, assemblies, and community activities, so you we we can’t have classes there. Some people any that there la never a full room everywhere, and that we seventh grndei* could study there but we can’t. We can’t move ourselves,