Dear Editor,

Garfield Re-2 School District is fortunate to have a superintendent who is passionate about ensuring every child in our school system receives a high-quality education. He brings to our district 30-plus years of experience as a classroom teacher, high school principal, state department of education assistant chief of staff, and previous experience as a superintendent.

For those of you who think school superintendents are overpaid, let’s look at the top 10 responsibilities of our CEO, Gary Pack:

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1. Improve student achievement via curricular and program offerings for students in pre-K through grade 12.

2. Maintain the safety and welfare of nearly 4,000 students.

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3. Ensure the welfare, training, and retention of approximately 500 employees.

4. Manage and prioritize expenditures based on student achievement for a $20 million annual budget.

5. Oversee the maintenance of seven schools and other district facilities.

6. Manage $45 million of new construction and/or building enhancements (some recently completed).

7. Seek grants and other revenue sources to enhance the educational opportunities for students and staff.

8. Exhibit accountability to the local community, state and federal governments’ requests, requirements and regulations.

9. Lead the district through K-12 comprehensive school reform for the purposes of increasing student achievement.

10. Demonstrate leadership and accountability to five elected board members and the district goals they set forth annually.

Dr. Pack is thoroughly evaluated by the elected board and has continued to receive exceptional ratings in all areas.

Vicki VanEngelenburg

Garfield Re-2 Board President

Dear Editor,

The way Glenwood Springs remunerates our City Council members is woefully out of date. In line with our nostalgic idea of living in a small town, we continue to rely on a City Council freely donating their time and talents to serve the community. In return, council members presently receive a token pay of $500 per month.

Alas, Glenwood Springs has outgrown the idyllic small mountain town picture. Today we are suffering traffic, housing and public safety problems common to big cities. Just think about the multi-million-dollar decisions and big-league negotiations City Council is and has been facing regarding Glenwood Meadows and in relocating Highway 82 off Grand Avenue!

It is past time that we recognize that our council members have a full-time and highly demanding job. We must pay our City Council members competitive remuneration and benefits so as to attract qualified candidates other than financially independent individuals or those that serve at the leave of their employers and who therefore may be subject to the pressure of special interests.

At this time when our city manager and city attorney each earn well over $100,000 per year in salaries and benefits and Garfield County commissioners earn at least $50,000 per year, we can no longer afford to get our City Council “on the cheap!”

Sincerely,

Gerry Vanderbeek

Glenwood Springs

Dear Editor,

The “Died as ‘vicious dog'” article was absolutely horrifying. There were so many inconsistencies with the police version of this shooting. Having worked in several veterinary clinics and handled aggressive dogs many times with a guard stick, I can’t believe the police were not able to get this animal under control without shooting it.

How were they able to read the expired tags on the dog’s collar if this dog was so vicious?

Furthermore, this dog is a Labrador mix. In all my 30 years experience I have never had a “Lab mix” become aggressive. This was a child’s pet, not a guard dog.

Furthermore, if the dog had an expired rabies tag on, it did have a record. If the veterinarian’s office didn’t have it, it was probably on file at the local shelter. Did the police check that? If the dog was so vicious how were they able to get the dog in the car in the first place?

This morning on national news it was reported that a five-foot alligator got out of its cargo box on a plane and was captured with a guard stick without injuring anyone, nor was the alligator shot. The Division of Wildlife catches and returns bears all the time to the wild.

I think the police have some serious explaining to do. My heart goes out to the children who lost their pet. No matter how conscientious people are to keep their pets at home, pets do go astray and shooting an animal is inexcusable.

Respectfully,

Mary Roberts

Basalt

Dear Editor,

It appalls me that Tammy Klein, owner of the dog shot and killed by New Castle police, would have the audacity to seek public sympathy for herself and her children by directing blame for the dog’s death at police, instead of taking full responsibility and blame herself.

This was a lose-lose situation for everyone involved. Ms. Klein did not deserve to own a dog, the dog did not deserve to die while wandering at large frightened, and the police officer involved in the shooting did not deserve the guilt any compassionate human being would experience knowing he was about to kill what was probably, at some time, someone’s pet.

I feel Ms. Klein is an irresponsible, negligent pet owner. The results of her not licensing her dog, not vaccinating or otherwise identifying her dog, and allowing her dog to run at large, all instigated the tragic fate of her beloved pet. If the police had not shot her first, there was a high likelihood that roaming at large on Silt Mesa would have gotten her in enough trouble to be shot at by livestock owners, or the possibility of her harassing wildlife.

Ms. Klein, my dog wears three tags of identification. If he should become separated from his collar, he is also micro-chipped with my information. My dog carries more forms of identification on him than I do.

Perhaps your children’s newfound “hatred of the police” should be redirected toward a lesson in responsibility of pet ownership. The only victim in this story was your dog.

Jill McAlice

Silt Mesa

Dear Editor,

As someone who is contemplating moving to your area in the near future, I have followed the story of the dog shooting with interest. The level of ignorance shown by the police involved ” not to mention inconsistencies in their behavior and story as time goes on ” is astounding and disturbing.

It seems to me that some serious education of the police about canine behavior is in order.

Poor Jenny ” she died absolutely in terror, after hours of terror. There is certainly a better way to handle such a situation, and I hope the community learns to enforce a different way.

Susan Allen

Red Wing, Minn.