Virtual Real Estate Solutions

I remember my 6^th grade year of Elementary School. A class trip was scheduled for a 3 night, 4 day trip to Washington DC. All year long we saved our money, our allowances, we held car washes and sold cookies to raise the funds needed for one of the most educational trips I have ever taken. Those were the good ole' days.

Today, during my children's Elementary School years they have fond memories of 3 field trips per year to the Jamestown movie theater or maybe to a nearby lake to " feel the sand" while learning Science in class. Not one fundraiser to ever " earn " the needed funds and learn the power of a dollar.

We adults seem to have turned out just fine from way back when. In a time and a place where you learned to live within your means, where calloused hands were not faux-pau and "champagne appetites" never occurred on a "beer budget". Where you walked to school, up hill both ways, in the snow with holes in your shoes as my father would say.

Today, we are taught throughout society and within our schools to shoot for the stars and not accept anything less. Whatever happened to shooting for the stars and being okay with landing on the moon? That's not such a bad thing or is it ? Whatever happened to not buying the things you couldn't afford? What ever happened to buying a whole chicken and cutting it up ourselves instead of the over-processed, full of preservatives, lazy mans way of buying it pre-packaged ?

 Today, we build more schools when we cannot afford to operate the ones we already have. We neatly manicure football fields instead of getting down to the true root and meaning of the game " having fun", "teaching teamwork". Instead of enhancing the programs that already exist we don't finish what we start but rather we add " new ones " perhaps to make the old ones not look so bad ?

Today, Custodians, Maintenance and other School personnel lose their jobs to a budget shortfall because of a champagne appetite on a beer budget ! Today, my 16 year old JROTC son came home and said " Mom, I have nothing to look forward to in school anymore ". For those children who would rather walk on hot coals than go to school, you should be so proud, you just rocked their world and took away the only thing that seems to keep them going. Please tell me why our Children have to suffer because no-one can figure out how to balance a checkbook?

Superintendent VanWinkle says " It breaks her heart" This is a Professional who has made our children suffer over and over again this year ! Our County should be ashamed of themselves. A valuable program such as JROTC that keeps our children off the streets of Cumberland County has just been cut because they have been spending beyond their means.

Many Children in Cumberland County are faced with un-excused absences in school as many parents as well as students do not have medical insurance to provide a Physician note but faculty and staff are insured to the hilt...my point, why are the children suffering the most ? Faculty and Staff these days seem to be worth far more than our Children.

Books, Tutoring, Summer School, Drivers Education, ROTC to name a few are now long forgotten. Our Children suffer with substandard education so it should be no wonder why my children come home with " The lightbulb blowed" or " I got " rather than I have !

It appears to me that no-one has any " problem solving skills" the burden falls to our children, a heavy load they should not be introduced to at such a young age. Many of our "Future Leaders", many of the "Future Leaders" who are being taught to defend the freedom of our County, our Country, to stand on enemy lines and fight for what our Country claims to not have enough of just stepped on a "landmine" in a financial war they should have never been a part of. Congratulations to the Cumberland County School Board and County Commissioners for teaching our Children to be the "best they can be" ! You lead by example and you just taught the children of Cumberland County to cut the things that are most important in their lives, to never finish what they start and that education is last. Great job !

Melissa Grant, Affiliate Broker

Yes, I am saddened by these events. I am saddened that our School System has failed our children. I am saddened that many have risen to the occasion to save JROTC and that our Superintendent would rather pay a penalty for breaching a contract with ROTC than save it. I don't and have not seen her cut her salary, or remove personnel from her office. But yet, everywhere we turn something is taken from the students. Tutoring, Text Books, Summer School, Drivers Education, JROTC. Please do NOT tell me you are looking out for our Children. You have only proven you are looking out for yourself !

Today, I have cried for and with the Children of Cumberland County who are loosing the things so very dear to them. If I could pay for all of them I would. If I as one person could raise the funds needed I would. My heart has never broken for so many students as it has today. Cumberland County we are BETTER than this, step up to the plate and do whatever it takes. I WANT TO SEE YOU OUT THERE WASHING A CAR ! Or SELLING COOKIE DOUGH, stop leaving it up to the Children of this County to suffer the consequences for spending way to much money on things NOT needed !