School safety has been our number-one priority in the years since Columbine and it will continue to be. The challenge of protecting our students and staff in our free and open society is always under discussion and review. We believe in taking a balanced approach to school safety: realizing that many strategies, rather than one or two extreme measures, will be most effective in keeping our schools safe.
   It is important to remember that parents and students play a key role in keeping our schools safe. One way to do that is to simply communicate with the school. If something doesn’t sound quite right, let the administration know so that it can be investigated.
   Parental communication with sons and daughters is another very important component. Please help us by emphasizing that weapons – including facsimiles – have no place at school. In addition help us to encourage our students to solve problems through mediation.
   The following are a few focused actions we have taken to address school safety in recent years:
Our Crisis Plan is reviewed and practiced.
Multiple supervisors are trained to act on suspicious or questionable activity whether it is before school, during school, after school, or at lunch or recess.
Staff members make it a priority to be in the halls when students are moving through the halls.
Doors other than the front ones are locked once school starts.
Background checks are completed on staff and volunteers.
Visitor passes and sign-ins are required at offices.
Police are called immediately when an adult or student becomes threatening.
We emphasize and focus on the “human factor” as we strive to ensure that all students feel welcomed and connected with adults at school. We believe that students that feel connected are more likely to resolve a disagreement peacefully. In addition when lines of communication are open, students will be more comfortable sharing information with school officials.
We have maintained four guidance counselors as a way to keep connected with students.
We encourage parents to communicate with the school regarding any information about a potential threat - even if it could be perceived as a joke.
Our administrators are visible and active during lunch, recess, and any other playground time.
   We live in a society in which any threat to school safety is severely punished. No one can threaten to harm someone at school – just like we can’t yell “fire” in a movie theater or “hijack” at the airport without a quick and severe response.
    Your continued support and communication is needed, and greatly appreciated.

  Veterans Day is upon us again, and that means it is time for the Altoona Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) to sell Buddy Poppies at local establishments. Doing so helps us live up to the VFW motto, “Honor the dead by helping the living.” 

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   Altoona residents Dan and Judi Malone are working hard to ensure residents have options when it comes to bar establishments in the area. As owners of Happy Hollow Tavern for over three years, they know what it takes to run a successful business. On Wednesday, October 15, the Malones became owners of Tailgates Sports Bar and Grill on Clairemont Avenue in Eau Claire. They are hoping to take the success of their Altoona establishment and use that as a template for this bar.

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   With less than two weeks until the November election, many Altoona residents might have noticed the influx of direct mailings in their mailboxes – specifically, direct mailings from a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based group called All Children Matter that contain rather aggressive messages about Wisconsin Assembly District 68 Democratic candidate (and Altoona resident) Kristen Dexter. Why would a group in Michigan care about state representatives in Wisconsin? Although the Altoona Star remains an objective, nonpartisan entity, I feel it is important to explore the origins of such mailings and the importance of doing one’s own research on candidates before an election.

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   To the Editor:
   After watching an incredibly dull Vikings-Lions NFL game a couple of weeks ago, I got to wondering.
   Can and should NFL games be improved? If so, how?”
   While I have some ideas, I’d be most interested in hearing what your other readers think.
   I’ll state my suggestions succinctly at this time. I’ll be happy to amplify and defend the reasoning behind them at the drop of a hat.
   1. Elimination of the kick-off. An exciting return is a rarity. A lot of injuries occur. The ball usually ends up on the 20- to 25-yard line thus setting the stage for conservative, dull play. Let’s just toss the coin. The winner gets the ball on the 40-yard line and can play more imaginatively right away.
   2. Field goals are dull but are imbedded in the game. Change the scoring. A 52-yarder should get more points, maybe six, than a 10-yard chip shot (one point). This change would have great impact upon strategy during the game and make it much more interesting.
   3. Eliminate the “excessive celebration” penalty. It’s only a game, not High Mass. It’s fun to see players having fun.
   4. Use the college overtime rules for the NFL.
   5. Push the “off button” on commentators. Only John Madden and a few others rise above the endless prattle that most commentators provide. Spectators at the game simply sit back and watch without any such incessant chatter.
   NFL team owners are the entrenched obstacles in the face of any change. But we, the viewers, are the consumers of the product that they supply. We are entitled to have substantial say in the matter. We lay out a lot of money in support of this enterprise.

 - John R. Thurston, Eau Claire

  Fellow parents, there is a message we need to hear and act upon, or we may be in jeopardy of losing our children.

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   “Do I have to wear a helmet, Mom?”
   Kids, especially 11- to 14-year-olds, are sometimes reluctant to wear helmets. They may insist that they are good riders who do not need helmets anymore, complain that helmets are uncomfortable, or – an old favorite – point out that none of their friends wear them.

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   A group of dedicated individuals continues the planning process for Altoona’s 4-year-old kindergarten program, which is scheduled to be implemented during the 2009-2010 school year. Seventeen people attended the latest 4-K planning committee meeting on Friday, October 3. 

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   In my role as Altoona School District Superintendent, I always look forward to a new school year. This year when I addressed the entire staff, I challenged them and myself to hold on to the optimism and positive attitudes that September brings – for the whole year. Now as we roll into October, I extend that same challenge to parents and students.

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Greetings! I hope you are all getting outside to enjoy the beautiful fall weather before winter sets in. I look forward to continuing to use this column to inform the citizens of Altoona on city business matters and to answer questions I’ve heard from many of you. Read the rest of this entry »