I told myself I would keep my opinions to myself, since I don't have a child in the school system any longer, thank goodness. But Willie Mitchell's comment that if the citizens of Gainesville can't be patient and work with them then they should step aside was the final straw. It echoes the attitude that we've seen in the superintendent's office for the past year. Mitchell's comment even evoked an angry outburst from my normally calm, level-headed husband.

The academics have improved under Steven Ballowe, but remember, they were among the best in the state before he arrived. But does that improvement warrant turning a blind eye to the fact that this superintendent has lied to the board; withheld important financial information from the board and with the community paying his salary; continued to spend millions that were not there; manipulated the situation to his advantage; and done his best to shift the blame to anyone else who might be standing close? In the corporate world, he would be gone by now.

There are other people in the education community who are capable of taking the city schools forward and achieving success without these machinations.

I would suggest to the board that many voters will remember this episode when next your names appear on a ballot. I suggest term limits to two terms and, if you have no children in the system, you should not be serving on this board.

There is an old saying: If you keep doing what you've always done, then you'll get the same results that you've always gotten. If you keep this superintendent, just know that this is what you will continue to get. A leopard doesn't change his spots; they are designed so that he can blend in with the scenery so you don't see what he's doing.

The current school board should have been keeping a vigilant eye on the budget during the year. It should have been the subject of discussion and scrutiny at every board meeting. Then perhaps, we would not be facing such a deficit, overspending would not have occurred and we would not be facing higher taxes.

Please, begin now to do your job.

Sherry Schlereth
Gainesville

Abortion can lead to emotional trauma
I am writing in response to The Times article of June 12, entitled "Woman Forged Abortion Waiver." The article begins: "A Hall County woman will be spending a year in jail after she illegally gave permission for her son's 16-year-old girlfriend to have an abortion at a Chamblee clinic."

The woman's consequence for her deception will be a year in prison. The daughter, her parents and the boyfriend may be dealing with the emotional trauma indefinitely. The last part of this article captures some of their pain.

Fenn Little, the attorney representing the girl's family "says that, more than a year after the abortion, the girl is still dealing with the emotions of being ‘coerced' into aborting her pregnancy. She feels like, basically, her child was killed," Little said. "She's got issues about what her responsibility was. She's also got that she was forced into this, and that takes some time to get through."

Gainesville Care Center is the only organization in Hall County to offer a 10-week postabortion recovery class (one for women and another for men). Contact us at 770-535-1413, e-mail info@gainesville
care.org, Web site www.gainesvillecare.org.

Ann B. Gainey
Executive Director, Gainesville Care Center