Board urged to change mind

To the editor:

Members of the school board. We submit our signatures to you in the hopes you will realize what the rest of the community already knows. We want Mr. Eads back because he is a great role model, a caring and friendly mentor, a representative of the seven pillars of character, and an asset to our schools. Our kids want and need him back at their school because he provided a positive and happy atmosphere. He was active and engaging.

We originally collected these signatures to encourage you to bring principal Eads back to General Shanks by the end of the school year. While we appreciate Dr. Long for so "graciously" allowing Mr. Eads to return to General Shanks for two whole days, we are saddened to learn he will not be returning next year. Forcing Mr. Eads to choose between a retirement resignation or being fired is not what the parents, students and people of this community signed this petition for. We signed because we want to see Mr. Eads reinstated until he decides he's ready to retire on his own accord. In the United States of America we are innocent until proven guilty. In Jay Schools, we apparently can be deemed guilty even after being proven innocent.

As you look through the names, you will see that many people took time out of their busy day to come and support what they felt was right. Citizens of all walks of life choose to sign and be heard. You will see the names of parents, law enforcement personnel, business people, a judge, former students, retired teachers and students of General Shanks. Almost all of these people had a story of how Mr. Eads helped them, cared about them, had been a positive influence or in some way made a difference in their lives. These stories were heartfelt and sincere. Most responded with a strong sense of determination to have their voice be heard.

If only you could have been there to see all the kids who stopped by wanting to sign a petition, too. The kids begged their parents to bring them in and sign their names. They shared their stories of affection for Mr. Eads. They miss his high-fives, handshakes and silly jokes. They miss him greeting them before school and seeing them off when they leave. These kids were truly in distress and wanted to help, so we created a petition just for them. Now their voices are being heard, too. If this whole experience did not have such a tragic end of Mr. Eads' career and his lifelong desire to help kids, I suppose one could thank the administration for giving our kids and our community an excellent lesson on community activism and how to pull together and stand up for what is right. We have been amazed at all the support and stories that people have shared. This has been an insightful and educational experience for us and our children.

Sadly, you will not see any names of school staff, teachers or bus drivers. Why is that, you ask? Because they were afraid to sign. Many teachers stopped by or called to tell us they supported what we were doing. Several said they would really love to help by signing the petition, but couldn't because of fear. Fear of losing their jobs if the administration learned who they were. What a shame. Isn't it a travesty that dedicated professionals have to deal with this kind of concern added to an already tough job?

Members of the school board, you can fix this. Talk to law enforcement; get a complete copy of the police report. Find the truth. Do not settle for a partial version of the story. A man's life purpose and career depend upon you to learn and know the facts. Take into consideration what parents, students and citizens are trying to tell you. Form your own conclusion based on the facts and not what you have been led to believe. We are counting on you to make a knowledgeable and timely decision.

Respectfully,

Jenny Bricker and

supporters of

Mike Eads

Thanks

To the editor:

The Portland Police Reserves recently held its fourth annual golf tournament to raise money for the Shop with a Cop program. This fundraiser helps us to raise money to take children shopping for Christmas who may not otherwise get Christmas gifts. We would like to thank the many people who helped support our tournament.

A huge thanks goes out to the Portland Wal-Mart for the community grant, Moser Motors of Portland, POET Biorefining, Judge Brian Hutchison, McDonald's of Portland, Portland Forge and Jay County Pawnbrokers for being hole sponsors. Dave's Heating and Cooling and Jay County REMC also made contributions to the tournament.

Thanks also to those businesses who donated door prizes: McDonald's, Buffalo Wings & Rings, Bandido's, Jay County REMC, Pizza Hut, Portland True Value, Carquest, AutoZone and May Financial Group.

We would also like to thank Ken Schwieterman of Portland True Value and Shawn McCoy of Pizza Hut for letting us sell our golf ball drop tickets in front of their businesses and thanks to everyone who purchased a ticket in support of Shop with a Cop.

Last but not least, thanks to Chief Bob Sours and Dr. Mark Tatman for donating their team winnings back to the program.

Many thanks.

Angie Schlechty, for the

Portland

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