NEWSLETTER

FOR THE CHILDREN? I THINK NOT

The Week began on Monday with a low of -12 progressing to -15 on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. Needless to say all schools and classes were called off immediately on Monday because as always we must have the children's safety at heart. Tuesday and Wednesday proved to be worse than Monday and of course with so called "snow days" in reserve no one batted an eye when classes were canceled, some even went so far as to say that the 18 hour advanced cancellation notice given on Sunday afternoon was not soon enough and classes should have been called off right away Sunday morning when forecasters called for the sub zero temps. Nevertheless the busses did not run and the doors remained locked to the schools on Wednesday, even though this meant that another day of school was to be had in spring to make up for the extra day off this week.

Forecasters were relentless however and called for yet another day of subzero weather, and as children lounged on their couches viewing their favorite afternoon television show weathermen banded together conniving and issued another ridged forecast and it would be the worst one yet. The evil weathermen combined their resources and dipped

The storm howled on as rain and wind poured down on the Green Bay area covering frozen roadways with thick sheets of ice. Temperatures rose throughout the daytime and as the mercury hit the above freezing mark on the thermometer items such as power lines and trees gained enough heat that the rain did not freeze to these surfaces. Roads we're a different story after withstanding a week of subzero they were cold and water froze to them instantly. Salters ran continuously and plows threw the half melted mess on to the ditches and driveways.

the mercury to -18 F, it would be the coldest temperature yet. After three days of bliss, covered in their blankees, playing with their tablet computers and phones, children were shoved out into the frozen black morning to fen for themselves and make their way to school like survivalists pioneering the Canadian Yukon. The coddled children wandered aimlessly to their assigned building of knowledge in the near 20 below temperatures and guess what. They survived! No one froze to death! No one had frozen fingers, or ears!

Let's see, why was it again that they took three days off in the beginning of the week when it wasn't as cold? Oh that's right it was for the children, or was it? Apparently after the 2 built in snow days were used up it became exceedingly apparent that the children needed to toughen up and deal with the cold. Children are tough and will be the last ones to suffer in weather situations like this. This writer is calling on the school administrations to find their common sense and hold school when the weather is cold no matter what the temperature is. This may come as a shock, but we do have heat in the buildings when they get here. Students and parents who endure hardship or find it too hard to get the kids to school can be excused anyway if it's too overwhelming. Those of us who grew up attending school in the 50's 60's and even in the 70's find the notion of calling off school off when it gets cold out absurd. I don't know the real reason for their waffling on whether to have school or not, but I say have it anyway and whoever can make it will make it and it will be counted as an official day on the calendar.

Snow days are of course a different matter and should be used to close schools. Driving on snow or ice covered unsafe roads does endanger students and with the multitude of lousy drivers such as tailgaters, texters, and speeders (some I've seen doing all three at once) keeping kids off the roads is paramount. My fear is that taking days off for these frivolous "cold" days will cause them to have school on an actual snow day when they shouldn't, thus leading to a more serious situation than cold fingers.

That's all the news that is news, see ya.