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The Altamant $ntte?z>ri$e - Thursday, December 7,2006, 3 The Enterprise opinion pages are an open forum for our community. We encourage readers to express their thoughts about issues that appear in this newpaper or affect the community. Letters should be brief (with an outside limit of 1,000 words) and must include the writer's address, name, and phone number for verification. The editors may reject letters that have been printed elsewhere. Letters concerning elections will be cut off one issue before the election at the editor's discretion. No unsigned letters. Deadline for letters is Tuesday at noon. Cs/^lsfiysLtZ The common writer Waiting for the writing in the sky By Diane Cameron I laugh now at how many times in my life I have prayed for a sign to let me know if I was on the right path or for help in making a decision. In very difficult moments, I have begged for skywriting from the universe and just last week I told a friend that I'm still waiting for an envelope from God with my name on it. Maybe I watched too many episodes of Mission Impossible as a kid, but part of me wants instructions that spell out clearly what I should do with my life. I know God doesn't work that way, but I also know I'm not alone in wanting him to. Some people flip coins or watch birds or follow the crude metals index. Others keep psychics in business and ensure that books on spiritual guidance top the bestseller lists. I've tried it all — I've been to Tarot readers, thrown the I Ching, and I have a well-worn set of Rune stones. Years ago, when people close to me were dying and I was tearfully demanding to know God's will, a friend who was more experienced in grief chastised and reassured me by saying, \God's will is what is.\ The simplicity and profundity of that statement silenced me for a while. But I come back again to wanting to know, and often it's at this time of year and there's a good reason. As the winter begins and we are faced with dark and cold, there is a pull from deep in our bones that drives us to seek light and answers. The need for light at this time of year is so great that we adapted culturally to give it to ourselves. We have Solstice and now Hanukkah and then Christ- mas, all great stories about finding light. The part of the Christmas story that has always meant the most to me is that of the three wise men making their journey, We have to remember that the wise men did more than follow stars. They also packed up their gifts. They got their good stuff out of storage: gold, frankin- cense, and myrrh, and they gave it So the wise men's lesson is all about faith: We do our best, we study, we consult with others, we try to be wise men and 'At the end we preferred to travel all night, sleeping in snatches, with the voices singing in our ears, that this was all folly.' traveling on a hunch, a belief, and their deep wanting. They had studied the sky for years and then they saw their sign. The story says that the star in the east led them to the baby Jesus. In his poem, Journey of the Magi, T.S. Eliot wrote: \At the end we preferred to travel all night, sleeping in snatches, with the voices singing in our ears, that this was all folly.\ Of course that is the problem with star-following. You just don't know. We see this most painfully now looking at the news. Stories of young men and women as heroes in Iraq and others, the same age, who commit terrible crimes. All of them following their stars. But how do you know until you show up whether there's going to be a baby or a bullet? women, but we have to get on our camels, bring our gifts, and hope we are doing good. This is solstice week and these are our darkest days, There are many scary things in front of us: terrorism, global warming, a war with no end in sight, and the daily crimes we commit against our hearts. We cope in the most ancient of ways. We go toward the light — to neon and the mall, to crowds of shoppers, even as our ancient relatives were drawn to stars and the fire. Through all of this, we'll read pur horoscopes. We'll hope our loved ones will be spared the only thing that no one can be, which is death. We'll look at the night sky and try to believe. No wonder a baby born in a barn is a great story. No wonder we look for signs. Altamont Enterprise, December 6,1907 Early Legislation to Restrict the Use of the Weed: One of the curiosities of early colonial legislation is the laws enacted against the planting and the use of tobacco. Evidently the magistrates and elders of those days regarded that \creature called tobacko,\ as one of the many emissaries of the devil against whom it was their duty to wage constant warfare. The planting of it was forbidden except in small quantities to be used \for meere necessitie, for phisik , for perservaceon of the health, that the same may be taken privately by ancient men.\ *** Beware Your Friend's Plants: \If you have a friend going away for the summer,\ said the woman of experience, \don't keep a plant for her. The thing will probably die away, and you would consider yourself responsible. I worried through six weeks one summer tending a plant for a friend and then was invited to the country for a weekend. I stayed two days in addition. Of course the plant was dead when I came back, and my outing was half spoiled by worrying over it. I bought a duplicate of it the day before my friend returned, and it cost me $2. Even then she said she though t it looked somewhat peaked.\ *** Why Jewesses Marry Gentiles: A writer in the Jewish World, London, who signs herself \A Jewess Girl,\ is of the opinion that blame for much of the marrying that goes on between Jewish girls and men of other faiths and against which the chief rabbi recently inveighed is to be laid at the door of the Jewish young man. It is alleged by the \Jewess Girl\ that the average middle class Jewish youth is outrageously spoiled by his family and therefore sets an excessively high value upon himself, which does not conduce to the establishment of friendly relations between himself and girls of his own class. Moreover, it is said the Jewish young men are not content to start their married lives in simple fashion and therefore usually require to marry where money is, if not actually, for money. *** Houses and Homes: There have been and there are today in the various lands of the earth many people who have no houses and nothing that you could call furniture even of the antique variety. But there can be no doubt that they are far happier than many who are comfortably housed in mansions, which contain every- thing that money can buy. *** Organ Recital and Entertainment: An organ recital and enter- tainment will be held in the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem on Friday evening, Dec. 13th. An elaborate program of vocal and instrumental selections and readings is being prepared and eminent talent is assured. The beautiful chandeliers, especially designed, will be lighted for the first time. The donor, the Hon. John Eddy, will present them to the church in memory of his mother. At the close of the entertainment the ladies will furnish a light luncheon for all, of this there will be the slight fee of 25 cents charged. The Ladies Aid, which has labored so tirelessly and placed the new acetylene light plant in the church, are thus endeavoring to give the public an evening of enjoyment, and also offer an opportunity for everybody to all the changes that have been wrought for the better. The ladies have a right to expect a large attendance. Coach Crandall has done nothing to harm a student To the Editor: I was informed last week that a former friend, coach, and teacher had been disgraced by a parent at a school board meeting. I am writing to address this incident. The person that was disgraced was Mr. Robert Crandall. I've known Coach Crandall for longer than I can remember and he is a respectful, funny, and friendly person. I remember meeting him my first day of high school when he introduced himself to me. I would find out later that he was an old family friend. He was very nice to me and the other students; he was funny and he was very approachable. This being said, there were some parents and students who disliked him. I discovered why later on. Coach Crandall had apparent- ly made some questionable remarks to some students in the past. So I wondered what some of these remarks were. As I heard them, only one thought crossed my mind: \So what?\ Some of his remarks were probably not the best thing to say but these remarks were never meant to hurt the students. I will say this once and only once: Coach Robert Crandall would never and has never physically attacked or hurt a student. People will then tell me, \Well he is a teacher and should not be talking that way.\ I will confess that some of his remarks in the past were probably unbecoming of a teacher. People will claim that Coach Crandall has a history of this kind of thing. This man has done nothing toJiarm a student. He has made some questionable remarks but that is the extent of his \harm.\ For those of you who do not want your child submitted to sarcasm or harsh words, then do not send your kid to college, out at night, to see any PG-13 movie, or talk to any human being who has a pinch of humor. That being said, should Coach Crandall be punished for what he has said? Yes, that goes without saying. A teacher cannot make that statement and expect not to get in some trouble. But for this ordeal to be drawn out two years and then have a parent step forward and say that he could hurt a child or shouldn't be allowed near students is absurd and idiotic. In a small town where things can be easily blown out of proportion, I say to this parent: Step back, take a deep breath, and look at all the people who support this man. Are we all evil and dangerous because we respect this man? If this man is truly as dangerous as you make him sound, then why has he been teaching in Voor- heesville for 20 years and is praised by so many people? Has he truly deceived all of us? Are you the only one who sees the true dark, evil, and dangerous side of Coach Crandall? Finally, for those of you out there who claim to have heard stories about things he has said, have you heard these things through the grapevine or first- hand? In a town where, if you fart in the morning everyone will know it by night, the truth can easily be distorted. I think it is disrespectful and cruel to speak out and bash a person that you obviously do not truly know. To paint somebody in a J j- + \'e and evil way when you don't really know the person is, well, dangerous. Matthew Robinson Class of 2004 Voorheesville's high school SUNY Cortland student THE ALTAMONT Enterprise & Albany County Post Published, continuously since July 26, 1884 \We seek the truth and print it\ NQfPA JAMES E. GARDNER MELISSA HALE-SPENCER HEW*0*K IttEflS UHCUtX M Publisher Editor •r NEWS OFFICE — 861-5005 or 861-5008 BUSINESS OFFICE — 861-6641 Staff Writers JARRETT CARROLL, RACHEL DUTIL, TIM MATTESON, JO E. PROUT, TYLER SCHULING, SARANAC.HALE SPENCER Advertising Director CHERIE LUSSIER — 861-8179 Advertising Representative KATHLEEN COONAN — 861-5893 Office Manager WANDA GARDNER —861-6641 Production JAMES E. GARDNER JR., CARLA J. LUFT, BARBARA DEGAETANO, DIANE GROFF, DEBRA PRATT, SUSAN SPACCARELLI The Enterprise is the newspaper of record for Guilderland, New Scotland, Berne, Knox, Westerlo, and Renssclaerville. Our mission is to find the truth, report it fairly, and provide a forum for the open exchange of ideas on issues important to our community. PUBLISHEDTHURSDAYSat 123 Maple Ave., Altamont, NY 12009. Periodical postage paid at Altamont, NY. Postmaster Send address changes to The Altamont Enterprise, PO Box 654, Altamont, NY 12009. USPS 692-580, ISSN 0890-6025. FAX: 861-5105. E-MAIL: altamontenterprise@csdsl.net WEBSITE: www.altamontenterprise.com OFFICE HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: For Albany County residents, one year, $28; six months, $21. For out-okcounty subscribers, one year, $30; six months, $24. Postal charges incurred by a subscriber's failure to notify the newspaper of an address change will be billed to the subscriber upon renewal. No refunds on subscriptions. Single copy: 75 cents. ADVERTISEMENT RATES available upon request. The publisher reserves the right to reject advertising at any time for any reason. Liability for errors in advertisements will, at the publisher's discretion, be limited to the value of the ad only. NEWS DEADLINES: For correspondents' columns, Monday before publication. For all other contributions, Tuesday before publication. CORRECTIONS: The Enterprise will correct errors and clarify misunderstandings in news stories when brought to the attention of the editor, phone 861-5005. VIEWPOINTS expressed by staff members, contributing writers, and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership of The Enterprise. QUESTIONS and COMMENTS concerning the content of this newspaper should be directed to the editor by calling 861-5005 or in the form of a letter to the editor. WEDDING AND ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS will be printed free of charge. A $20 fee will be charged for announcements with a photograph. PHOTOGRAPHS will be printed with announcements about students for a $30 mini- mum fee. There is no charge to print announcements without photographs.
