|
|
THE OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE MADISON TIMES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER |
|
|||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
Dear Editor, On behalf of the Madison Metropolitan Links, I would like to extend an enormous thank-you to you and your staff. What a fantastic coverage of the Links Annual Scholarship program! The coverage is far-reaching and will be remembered by many for years to come. I have heard so many positive comments about the coverage. You all deserve to know that you are making a big impact through your work. It is through media coverage like yours that the community learns of the many great minority students here in Madison and of the efforts of African American organizations working to encourage academic excellence. Your work is inspiring and informative and is definitely making a difference! Janice K. Hughes Public Relations Chair Madison Metropolitan Links
Dear Editor, A trio of well-meaning individuals and corporations have pledged $2 million toward construction of an Allied Drive Community Center. An additional $4 million in gifts is needed. Another campaign is under way to build a new Wexford Ridge Community Center next to Memorial High School, requiring multimillion dollars in gifts. And a new campaign is about to be announced to raise many millions of dollars in gifts for constructing a municipal swimming pool for our youth. Wait! Last week, the Madison School Board was forced to reduce the school budget by $10 million, eliminate 130 teacher positions, and impose huge fees. Our schools should be our priority for both public and private funding. The problem is that the discussion about philanthropy is dominated by the usual suspects, who lean toward the simple and failed solution of community centers to [solve] problems of racism and corrupt economics. The largest and most pervasive "community-center" systems in any state are the public-school system and the state and federal prison systems. The Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and the Vera Court Community Center combined cannot approach the solutions offered by our schools. In this time of fiscal crisis, we need spending priorities. Already, individuals and groups in the Allied Drive neighborhood are disputing who will control future spending, while the children continue to perform miserably academically. Allied Drive does not need a new community center. The Madison school system is in need of a $6-million gift to serve the educational needs of Allied Drive. Eugene Parks Madison
|
|
|||
|
|
|
||||
