The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, October 31, 1996, Page 6, Image 6
Wahoo boos idea to delay Halloween WAHOO (AP)—Trick-or-treaters are already saying boo, but not in preparation for Halloween. They are booing the mayor instead. Parents and young children are up set with Donald Virgl for postponing the holiday so it will not conflict with the high school football playoffs. Wa hoo High School and Wahoo Neumann High School are both scheduled to play in away games in the state Class C-l playoffs that night. Bowing to pressure from sports fans and school administrators, Virgl issued a statement this week urging local parents tc not allow their children to go trick-or-treating on Thursday. He is asking them to wait until Friday in stead. “At first I didn’t want to do it, but I had a lot of calls over the weekend” asking to postpone the holiday, Virgl said. “The schools put the heat on me.” Since his decision, Virgl has re ceived calls from angry parents who believe their children are being cheated out of Halloween. “My kids have been spending the last three weeks getting ready for Hal loween. This is a children’s holiday,” said Coleen Koehler, a mother of three. Koehler’s children found out at school Tuesday that they will have to wait until Friday to go door-to-door in their costumes. Being Roman Catho lics, the Koehlers believe that Nov. 1 is All Saints Day, a holy day when they attend Mass at church, not a day for Halloween frivolity. “If he runs for re-election, I won’t vote for him,” Koehler said. In 1991, Virgl postponed the holi day because of an ice storm with little protest from parents. But this time around is different. “One woman called and said, 'Since when does sports have to run everything?”’ Virgl said. “But another mother said she liked it better to not have Halloween on a school night.” Virgl said his main motivation for the postponement was that most resi dents of the town of 3,500 will be at one of the two out-of-town games, and will not be hone to offer candy to trick or-treaters. Wahoo High School will play at West Point, while Wahoo Neumann travels to David City Aquinas. “If the federal government can switch Memorial Day and Armistice Day to make three-day weekends, why can’t we change Halloween?” Virgl said. “I’ll accept the flak.” Public hearing to precede AKsarben plans OMAHA (AP) — The public will get to voice its opinion on First Data Resources’ development plans at AKsarben before a final agreement is made. Hie Douglas County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to hold a public hearing on the plan before taking a fi nal vote on the proposal. The County Board in July approved the concept of the First Data project that envisioned a high-tech office park and a University of Nebraska at Omaha technology campus on AKsarben prop erty in central Omaha. Commissioner George Mills said he wanted assurances from negotiators that the development would not com promise recreation at AKsarben, which includes a race track and auditorium. He wanted to know if Douglas County would get $2.5 million from First Data —as pledged in July—at the time of land transfer to the company. | Halloween ^ Travis Wagner Band ( November 1 & 2 | (l Baby Jason & The Spankers Comer of 11th & K \jT\ 477-3513 Parents in Hall County face charges for truancy GRAND ISLAND (AP)—Par ents of seven youths have been charged with misdemeanors and could face jail time or fines because their children have missed too much school. The seven adults were charged in Hall County Court with compul sory education attendance viola tions, Class HI misdemeanors. If convicted they could face a maxi mum $500 fine and three months in jail. The students are 9 through 15 years old and attend Walnut Junior High, Barr Junior High or Jefferson Elementary School, court docu ments said. Court documents list the parents and students as Judy Meston, par ent of Tim Meston and Tina Meston; Prisilla Maese, parent of Jessica Maese; John and Cynthia Resto, parents of Joshua Resto; Cindy Rosas, Victor Villa; Delores Whiting, Donald Ocampo; and Brenda Xayvongsa, Christopher Rundel. Deputy Hall County Attorney Michael Burns, who filed the charges late last week, estimated the students had missed at least half of the school days through mid-Octo ber. The state’s Compulsory Educa tion Attendance Law provides that parents of children ages 7 to 16 who have unexcused absences and are habitually truant from school can be charged with the misdemeanor. Once students reach 16, they can not be required to attend school. The Hall County attorney’s of fice in April also charged parents of eight other Grand Island students under the truancy law. Two of those parents pleaded guilty and were sen tenced to two or three days in jail. Charges were dismissed against four parents when their children re turned to school. Trials are pend ing in the remaining cases. “I think we’ve had some success with the cases we’ve filed,” Bums said Tuesday. “Our objective was to get students back in school.” Pastor says metal detectors will not solve gun problem OMAHA (AP) — Metal detectors table, won’t solve the problem of guns in ^ 4 4 . schools but loving God would, tke pas- . c T tor at Trinity Christian School said af- “i h ter two eighth-grade boys were ex- fr pelled for havmj a loaded pistol. "u?*er rem°v®d-and a slx'™and cllP A student reported the boys to I^y!f "°d ^ was(arrHes?d °? Ius‘ school authorities late Friday after the P™* ofpossession of a defaced fire toys bragged about having the gun, said the Rev. Les Beauchamp, senior The school sent a letter Monday to pastor at Trinity Church Interdenomi- the families of its 635-student body, national. informing them of the incident and the “One boy brought it to school and expulsions. It also held a chapel ser was giving it to the other boy,” vice so students could pray for the boys Beauchamp said. The second boy and their families, all of them mem showed the gun to others at the lunch bers of other churches. pi mi i in Halloween Thursday, October 31 $1000 Cash Prize Giveaways for 250 Wells, Wines ? Featuring the DI Not to mentio % ~