Rockville Centre Letters to the Editor

Posted

School needs voting security

To the Editor:

On Tuesday, May 17, I went to vote at South Side High School. I walked in the door, but was never asked to identify myself. I simply said I was there to vote, and they directed me to the gym.

I got to the gym by walking in the school’s hallways with students all around. I passed the cafeteria, entered the gym, and again, was not asked to show an ID. I voted and left.

As I was leaving, the bell rang and students crowded into the hallways with me and other voters. It was at this moment that, as a former teacher, it occurred to me that this was a security problem of unimaginable proportions. No metal detectors, no check of IDs and yet, here we were, mingling with students.

As if this problem was not enough, when I called the office of Superintendent Dr. William Johnson, I got a secretary who seemed very untroubled by any of this and did not seem to see the potential risks, and told me Dr. Johnson was holding meetings, doing interviews and was unavailable. She said she would have him return my call. He never did. I called again, spoke to someone else and again, though I was promised a return call, I got none.

My wife, also a retired teacher, went to vote, and this, too, was her experience. In this day and age of security risks in schools, to allow strangers to enter buildings unchallenged and unidentified is irresponsible, unreasonable and reckless.

It is up to the superintendent and the principal to set the tone for security in our schools. If this is any example of how our students and teachers are being protected, the school board and the taxpayers need to re-examine their choices.

Ted D. Gluckman

Rockville Centre

Thanks to Lions club

To the Editor:

On May 21, the Rockville Centre Lions Club hosted its annual Dinner in the Dark at the Rockville Links Club. As one of the honorees, I would like to thank my family, friends (especially my fellow Lions), dignitaries and everyone who either conveyed kind words, contributed their time, made a donation or attended the event. I would also like to congratulate my fellow honoree, Wayne Lipton, and thank him for his service to our community.

It was a wonderful evening for three great causes: the Lions Club, the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts and the accessible playground being built in partnership with the village, the RVC Little League Challenger Division and the Lions Club.

Special thanks to the Lions Club Event Committee, headed by Co-chairs Lisa Spatz and Joan MacNaughton, for putting together a magnificent evening.

Michelle Sewell

Rockville Centre