Hospital
I can't believe CVPH sends people to the emergency room to get a pass. Even when we told this man in a lab coat that we were there for the birth of our grandaughter and had been there since 8:30 p.m., now 12:30 at night getting coffee. So we went and got a pass. Everyone in there was sick with the flu. Real smart sending us there when we are going back where the babies are. This policy needs to change.

Helmets
I have a child that goes to Peru Intermediate School. A few weeks ago, I received a letter that stated a child in my daughter's class has head lice. I was concerned. Now in gym class my child is forced to wear a helmet that is being shared by all the children. I am more concerned about H1N1. The helmet has a chin guard that has every child's saliva on the interior. How do we teach the adults to change their habits?

Shots
Can anyone tell me why the state of New York forced flu and H1N1 immunizations on thousands of health-care workers who did not need or want them while the highest-risk population is still not able to get them. This includes children, pregnant women, diabetics and transplant patients. There's not a pediatrician office in Plattsburgh that has the H1N1 shots during this nationally declared epidemic emergency. Leave it to the rocket scientists of New York!

Checks
Do area schools do background checks on people who are coaching? If not, why don't they? Also is it appropriate for coaches to have Facebook accounts with people under the age of 18?

Rugby
Why are we getting a rugby field? We need baseball and softball fields. We could use a youth soccer field before rugby. We have 60 to 80 kids who play soccer, and we split the time with the school at the point fields. Why should we use the money for a rugby field that 90 percent of the kids are from out of town?

Sickness
You are a school nurse — what are you thinking? Right now, with kids getting so sick, to not send them home? It isn't up to you; it's up to the parents. I know I don't want my kids in school if they are sick. Call the parents! You would think you would know better. How many kids did you refuse to send home today? I know of several.

Store
Call the Willsboro IGA closing lack of community support or whatever you want; fact is, this place had been falling in for the past 10 years or so. The ceiling and floors had more holes than swiss cheese. Neither door going in or out worked half the time. And customer service? Well you can forget about that. Running a store is more than stocking the shelves. And then blaming the community for closing? Well that's just not acceptable.

Cigarettes
I wonder if our state will ever get it right? We are talking about cutting SUNY but are afraid to tax the Indian reservations, a tax that is legal under New York state law. Come on NYS government, these kids are our future; don't cut their budget and not tax the Indians a cigarette tax that they are suppose to pay. What kind of message is that sending? The money the cigarette tax would bring in would pay for the education cut.

Bridge
NYSDOT has known about the condition of the Champlain Bridge for years. Millions of dollars from the tobacco settlement was suppose to go to education and cessation. Instead pols raided it for infrastructure work in NYC, including millions for a new ballpark, even though the owner can obviously afford to build his own. C'mon, $234 million to play a kid's game? The funny thing: NY spent millions repairing the top and checked the bottom last. Politicians love New York City. Upstate is mind over matter. They don't mind, because you don't matter.

Hunters
I would like to thank Mr. Righteous Duck Hunter for explaining the legality of his presence on your beach or just a couple of feet out in the water, again in front of your house, to discharge his shotgun at 7 a.m. Just because it is legal doesn't make it right. I will still call the police on you and force you to take the time to show your license and explain your legal right to be there. Happy hunting.

Waiting room
I went to the Doctors office last week and caught the flu from the sick people in the waiting room. There was no provision in the office to separate the sick from the well. No masks were given to those who were obviously sick and infecting the whole waiting room. All doctors should address this problem. Maybe they look at it as a way to make more money by treating the people that get sick in their waiting rooms and will not do anything about it.

Teachers
If you feel the need to complain about schools and teachers, you're obviously unhappy with the system. Why not do it yourself? All you have to do is teach the 13 years of math, science, social studies, literature, foreign language, health, PE, art and music NYS requires for a high-school diploma. Don't forget to give the 100 exams. Correct and grade all the work. Deal with all the mental- and physical-health issues. Then keep the drugs and fights and bad food away. Or it might be easier to just complain about the people who do it for you.

Unemployment
Good people of Plattsburgh, the unemployment rate in this area is above 9 percent. If you have your hands out waiting for the government stimulus package to get here, put them back in your pocket. According to one of Obama's head economic advisers, the stimulus package has run its course. That's it, folks. It isn't going to happen.

Dubois Road
Here is a novel idea for the clean up on the Dubois Road. Hold all those sloppy farmers responsible for the cleanup. I can't believe the town supervisor lets them get away with making such a mess. I can tell you this much: if the average Joe made a mess of the roads like that he would be held responsible for cleanup. Fair is fair, farmers. Clean up or stay off the roads.

Calls
With Election Day fast approaching, I have been receiving numerous automated phone calls — some as late at 8:30 at night. I feel this is an infringement on my time and wish there were some way to stop these calls. The calls do not influence my vote one way or the other. They are just hopeful politicians slamming their opponents.

Link
Speakout never ceases to amaze. Keep 'em coming. One such example lately is from the writer who has managed to link President Obama to the Cumberland Head woes. Be patient. The president is quite busy cleaning up after the catastrophic mess left by eight years of the Cheney/Rove presidency. I'm sure the president will get to your problem soon.

Ads
I'll be glad when Election Day comes and goes. Every 2 or 3 minutes another add on TV. Also, I have a laundry basket full of the flyers that they passed out. What a waste of money. They should use that money to provide meals for the poor or help with the medical. Democrat is all that I got in flyers. Guess Republicans figured where the waste of money is. Phone calls — hate them. Put your ads in the newspaper; we get one every day; that's enough. And mudslinging is unbecoming and sounds like High School.

Homerooms
Most schools in the area start by having all the kids go to one room like a gymnasium or have them in a hallway. I wonder why diseases go flying through a school? Put everyone every day for 15 minutes together in one auditorium and after how many days does it take for everyone to get sick? In this day and age, it's a bad policy for a variety of reasons, including fire safety, attendance taking, etc. Let's go back to reporting to home room immediately upon arrival. Then there's lunchtime.

Stetson Road
When the highway department gets done cleaning the mud and manure off the Dubois Road, they can come help the farmers on Stetson Road clean up their mess.