Inside Mesa

The sound of the jackhammer caught my attention as I entered the on ramp to the 202 and Power Road. Is it just me or do others question the pile of concrete rubble concealed behind a dirt hill?Has ADOT made a mistake in where the freeway pillars are aligned? How much of our tax dollars have been wasted on such a large error?

Many Mesa homes are exchanging a for sale sign with a for rent sign.As I sat in real estate courses this week, the topic was property management. As Mesa continues to grow, there will be more demand than supply in our housing market. With so many investors coming into our state, rental homes are frequently found among our neighborhood communities.As community builders, more homeowners need to take leadership roles in neighborhood programs. There are block watch programs, HOA organizations, neighborhood outreach, and justing getting out to mingle with neighboring homeowners.I encourage you to talk to your neighbors, get to know the kids on the street, and get educated in what you can do to deter crime and violence around your home. You’ll be glad you did.

Should teachers be able to voice their personal opinions about politics and religion in the classroom? Would this give them the power to persuade their students or would it basically be part of their job description to be an active citizen of moral character?As students prove to us that many of them are incapable of coping with the day to day pressure of school, peers, and adulthood shouldn’t we, as adults offer some kind of resolution for handling those things that seem to be out of their control.A student brings a knife to school to threaten students to stop teasing her, another child commits suicide leaving a note that life was too hard, and another student drops out of school for a life of crime and punishment. Where did we go wrong? Shouldn’t the adults in the community find ways to help these students look to positive avenues to keep their dreams alive?I substituted a 6th grade class last week. A student asked me if I went to church. I said yes, why do you ask. I didn’t offer the name of my faith or the basics of my beliefs. The student’s response: "My parents think that going to church is a perfect waste of a good Sunday." I did respond, "Well, one day you may need to go to church and learn those things that help you through life." There is no doubt that a good education is a valuable asset for the future of our students. But a well rounded education in many fields of life may be what can keep our kids alive and well.There is a new bill proposed to keep teacher’s personal opinions about religion and politics out of the classroom. I understand the need for a separation of church and state. However, we need to teach our children morals and citizenship. If not by our teachers then parents please step up.

As a teacher, I marvel at the amount of money that is needed to run a school compared to the amount of money a school actually gets to stay in operation. Very few people understand the disparity.Zaharis Elementary school is fairly new in terms what a mature school has in the form of books in their library. If you’ve ever visited a bookstore lately, you know how expensive books can be. For some schools, their library shelves sit empty until someone donates updated publications. Believe me, there are some great new published works out there. Our children are blessed to read such works of art.If you want to participate in adding more books to the shelves of an elementary school. Participate in the golf tournament. Links to Library Golf Tournament. March 31st at 1:00 p.m. Contact Zaharis Elementary: Scott Ritter 380-7200.

The Boise Broncos weren’t the only ones who took a few left turns last night.A few of my cousins from Boise came into town for the Fiesta Bowl with some extra tickets for my bother, sisters and me. We enjoyed being among the dedicated Bronco’s fans and in the University of Phoenix stadium, even though we wished it was in our own city of Mesa.It was suggested that we leave early to avoid the parking lot rush since some of us had to work the next morning. We left our cousins when there were three minutes remaining on the time clock.You could imagine the stunned look on our faces as we listening to the remainder of the game as we exited the parking lot. There is a lesson learned when debating whether avoid the parking lot congestion or stay until the last second of the game is played.As for our cousins, it took them an hour to just get out of the parking lot. They said it was well worth their time. As for Boiseans, it was like going to the Superbowl. For those of you who left early as I did… c’mon I know there were a few of you. Was it worth it? By the way, anyone have any Superbowl tickets?