Letters to the Editor for Sunday, Dec. 22
Younger and newer is not always betterYour recent editorial on LIFO states: “The practice, […] not only deprives students of the best teachers, but also prevents districts from maximizing savings by forcing them to keep underperforming higher-paid teachers at the expense of newer teachers who generally earn less pay and benefits.”This editorial drips with the assumption that younger and newer is better than older and experienced. I have crossed paths with a few teachers in my life, pretty much daily, and I know you are wrong.Imagine I placed you in a classroom with 25 rambunctious 5-year-old kindergartners and then left you on your own. No problem, right? Because you are the newer, younger model. If you have any problems, perhaps the teacher next door with 30 years of experience might give you a tip or two.James FogartyNiskayunaLook closer at flaws of socialist policiesFor historical context Mr. Ruddiman, regarding his Dec. 13 letter (“Socialist ideals are helping Americans“), needs to understand that Stalin’s form of governance was an absolute failure.Citizens starved and froze under the inability to find the funds to provide for, as Stalin termed, “all citizens.”The politically connected never suffered for the 40-plus years of Socialist ruling.After the Berlin Wall was removed, the majority of socialists citizens couldn’t wait to head west.This may be the future Mr. Ruddiman has in mind for the United States, but I am sure he is in the minority.Maybe he should read about the state of the Russian economy today as compared to ours.Like his hero Stalin, Bernie Sanders became a millionaire while employed by the government, not in the private sector.Michael SheedySchenectadyHonor the rule of law, not one political partyWe learned as children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag and to the Republic for which it stands.The flag also stands for the Constitution, the governing document for the country. The Constitution establishes checks and balances among the three branches of government. No branch is infallible or free of being observed and examined by the other branches or by the people of the nation as a whole.In our complicated system, allegations can be presented, examined, investigated and, when necessary, presented for trial, appeals and review under the law. One branch, the executive, is claiming powers and privileges beyond anything seen before. The chief executive is asserting freedom from due oversight by the other branches, not only for himself but also for departments and agencies, under his authority as he chooses.The political party controlling part of one branch, the Senate, has the power to confirm judges.That branch has made its highest priority to fill the third branch, the judiciary, with persons handpicked committed to rule in favor of the policies of one party. Thus, the entire system of checks and balances is being systematically degraded by a plutocratic oligarchy.Our representatives pledge an oath to support and defend the Constitution. The pledge is to the country and Constitution, not a political party or a man.We the people should expect our representatives to honor their pledge to the country and Constitution and the rule of law.Paul ZawistowskiBroadalbin More from The Daily Gazette:Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s press conference for Sunday, Oct. 18EDITORIAL: Find a way to get family members into nursing homesEDITORIAL: Urgent: Today is the last day to complete the censusEDITORIAL: Thruway tax unfair to working motoristsEDITORIAL: Beware of voter intimidation Categories: Letters to the Editor, OpinionDemocrats must stop wasting Trump’s timeI see that the Democrat/liberals are determined to create more wasted time for our president. They are concerned that his amazing success in recovering from the mess that they made must be stopped.This man who is fighting to bring us back to honesty, decency and fairness must be reversed, and he must be punished.Nevermind that he has helped more folks get back to work (lowest unemployed many have ever seen). “CNBC’s Cramer On Jobs Report: “These are the best numbers of our lives.” He is too dangerous to be allowed to continue.All the silliness that Nancy Pelosi and her liberal majority are accusing him of have been done before on a regular basis by his predecessors including her favorite, Obama.Of course, that was OK; he was a Democrat.Pelosi should be stopped. She should be told to get back to work and let the Congress be more productive. She is wasting our money on her personal vendetta.Wake up friends. Tell the world that we won’t allow this any longer.Don KnuthBallston SpaTalk is cheap. Take action to get changeOn Dec. 17, Schenectady expected to get up to six inches of snow.The following day, people were no doubt complaining all over the city about the lack of proper snow removal.However, except for approximately six of those people, not one has the right to complain. Why, you might ask? Because on Dec. 9, that is how many people exercised their right to speak at the City Council meeting. Full disclosure, as I was battling the flu, I was unable to attend myself. But thanks to Councilman Vincent Riggi for making sure my comments were put on the record. I host a YouTube show and my sign-off is always the same “Don’t just comment, act.”The people of Schenectady sadly do not.We have horrendous participation both at meetings and the ballot box. If you want change, then you must demand it of your leaders.Time to put up or shut up. Don’t just comment. Act.Edward SmithSchenectady
Comment Advertisement Phil HaighMonday 17 Jun 2019 1:24 amShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link25Shares William Saliba is edging closer to a move to Arsenal (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)Arsenal have reached an agreement with William Saliba over a transfer to the Emirates, but must now agree a fee with Saint-Etienne, according to reports in France.The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old defender in recent weeks, as have Manchester United and Manchester City.However, it looks like Unai Emery’s side have won the race for the Frenchman, with Foot Mercato reporting that they have agreed a five-year deal with the teenager.That agreement has only been made with the player, though, and the signing is not confirmed as a deal is yet to be stuck with his club.AdvertisementAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTThe French side are believed to want around £26m for the talented youngster, although Arsenal will be doing their best to drive that price down as they have a very limited transfer budget this summer, thought to be less than £50m. Advertisement Arsenal ‘reach agreement’ with William Saliba ahead of transfer from Saint-Etienne Saliba has caught the attention of a number of Premier League clubs (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)The highly-rated teenager only extended his contract at Saint-Etienne in April after impressing for the first team over the last season.A club statement read: ‘This Tuesday, William Saliba has extended his two-season contract with his training club which he is now bound until 2023.‘A pledge of confidence placed on the qualities of the young man of 18 years whose benefits reflect an irreproachable state of mind.‘His extension of contract also proves the ambition of the club.’More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man CitySaint-Etienne have requested that the defender be loaned back to the club when a deal has been done, but the Gunners are keen to keep hold of Saliba and quickly promote him into the first team.Former Arsenal full-back Lauren said of the young talent: ‘Yes, he looks a very good player,’ speaking to AmericanGambler.com.‘Strong, tall, can come out of the back with the ball and an international for France.‘He reads the game very well, which is important for a player at the back, you have to anticipate and he looks very good at just 18, so the future is bright!’MORE: Chelsea hero Didier Drogba aims cheeky dig at Arsenal for losing Europa League finalMORE: Arsenal miss out on signing Yannick Carrasco due to £30m transfer fee
David Luiz has called on Arsenal to improve against Crystal Palace (Picture: AP)David Luiz has called on his Arsenal teammates to stay true to their philosophy as they look to bounce back from Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United against Crystal Palace.Arsenal were left stunned by the newly-promoted Blades at Bramall Lane as Lys Mousset’s first-half strike handed the home side a famous victory against Unai Emery’s side.The Gunners returned to winning ways in the Europa League on Thursday but they delivered another unconvincing performance in a 3-2 win over Portuguese side Vitoria.Pressure is mounting on Emery following an indifferent start to the campaign but Luiz is adamant that Arsenal will improve and can challenge for titles.ADVERTISEMENT David Luiz urges Arsenal to stick to their philosophy ahead of Sunday’s clash against Crystal Palace Advertisement Metro Sport ReporterSaturday 26 Oct 2019 11:36 amShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link4.3kShares Arsenal returned to winning ways against Vitoria Guimares on Thursday night (Picture: Getty)‘We have to be honest about what went wrong, but we also have to be calm,’ the 32-year-old told Sky Sports.AdvertisementAdvertisement‘It’s only our second defeat this season. We are doing many things well. We have to keep believing in our philosophy, we have to keep believing in our team, which is the best way for us to improve.‘Football is about the end, not the beginning, so let’s see how we finish at the end of the season in May. We have to win, we always have to win.‘If you want to achieve big goals, you have to think about winning, winning, winning. It’ll be tough against Crystal Palace but we want the three points.‘I want to win titles with Arsenal, that’s why I’m here.’More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man CityPalace are just a point and place behind Arsenal in the Premier League table ahead of their trip to the Emirates and won 3-2 in the corresponding fixture last season in April.It is the first time that Wilfried Zaha will come up against the Gunners since their interest in him during the summer but Roy Hodgson insisted they were never close to signing the Ivorian.‘I believe that the money that was offered which was widely reported was reasonably accurate, and of course that was way below our valuation,’ he said.More: Arsenal FCArsenal flop Denis Suarez delivers verdict on Thomas Partey and Lucas Torreira movesThomas Partey debut? Ian Wright picks his Arsenal starting XI vs Manchester CityArsene Wenger explains why Mikel Arteta is ‘lucky’ to be managing Arsenal Comment Advertisement
Lyon rejected a number of offers from Arsenal for Houssem Aouar this summer (Picture: Getty)Kevin Campbell has spoken of his disappointment after Arsenal failed to get a deal over the line for Houssem Aouar this summer but told the midfielder he will be ‘next on the radar for Mikel Arteta and Edu’.Arsenal head coach Arteta made it clear he was keen to strengthen his options in the middle of the park at the start of the transfer window but had only added central defender Gabriel Magalhaes to his first-team squad with just hours left on the clock ahead of Monday’s deadline. Multiple bids were rejected for Aouar as Lyon stood firm over their €60million (£55m) asking price and 22-year-old attacking midfielder will remain in France for the start of the new Ligue 1 campaign. The Gunners got a deal over the line for Atleti midfielder Partey on deadline day (Picture: Getty)Arsenal did, though, strike a last-ditch deal for Thomas Partey, 27, after activating a £45m release clause in his contract at Atletico Madrid and the Ghana international should be in line to feature when Arteta’s men face Manchester City in two weekends’ time.AdvertisementAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTHowever, Campbell is confident Aouar will still be on Arsenal’s shortlist of transfer targets as the France international has the creative game that Arteta craves in midfield.‘Who is next? Houssem Aouar, we missed you. We didn’t get you this time!’ the former Arsenal striker said on YouTube channel The Highbury Squad.‘Whether we can get you in January, I’m not sure. But I’m sure you’re next on the radar for Mikel Arteta and Edu.‘Somebody like yourself to add to the quality of that midfield, attacking, creative side.‘You hopefully will be a Gunner at some stage in the future.’ Metro Sport ReporterThursday 8 Oct 2020 8:12 amShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link4.1kShares Advertisement ‘I’m sure you’re next on the radar’ – Kevin Campbell sends direct message to Houssem Aouar after failed Arsenal transfer
Lyon were demanding an eye-watering fee of £55.5m for Aouar (Picture: Getty)Alan Smith said it was a ‘real shame’ when it became clear Arsenal’s hopes of landing Aouar were over this summer.‘They have been linked with Aouar from Lyon for a while,’ the ex-Arsenal forward told Sky Sports.‘It sounds like that’s dead and that’s a real shame. ‘He’s that creative player like Mesut Ozil was for a long time and Santi Cazorla was for a long time. More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man City‘When you have Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette up front, you need good service.‘A creative player is what they are missing. They have solid midfielders but lack a player with that vision.’Follow Metro Sport across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more stories like this, check our sport page.MORE: Mesut Ozil left out of Arsenal’s Europa League squad by Mikel ArtetaMORE: Eddie Nketiah equals record held by Alan Shearer and Arsenal flop Francis Jeffers Comment Advertisement
Michael Kuhne who has just put his mansion on the market. Picture Mike Batterham“We had 35 plasterers working on the ceilings alone and six engineers involved. “They used a post-tension system that allows 20m-plus spans in the vast open plan living spaces without any columns or beams.”And he even drew some inspiration from Gold Coast theme parks. The Paradise Point mansion has a ‘secret agent room’ and plenty of space for a boatIT’S the Gold Coast mega mansion that’s fit for 007 agent James Bond.The Runaway Bay residence complete with an indoor squash court and “secret-agent room” has hit the market at $11.8 million. The pool overlooks the waterfront.A 12-seat cinema, wet bar, 10-car basement and gym are among its luxury features.All levels can be accessed by a glass lift which opens to an internal grotto with a 7m high waterfall in rocklike feature walls. The ‘secret agent room’The concealed room, accessed by a 4 tonne hydraulic door, is set within the exterior wall of the property allowing jet skis to easily access the water. A sight to behold- 10 Shearwater Esplanade, Runaway Bay.Michael Kuhne has decided the time is right to farewell his luxurious four-level home on Shearwater Esplanade. Michael Kuhne relaxing poolside. Picture Mike BatterhamAs well as a pontoon, there is also a double jet ski garage and wet room, likened to a “secret-agent James Bond room”. 
No expense has been spared in the build of the home.Mr Kuhne said it took two-and-a-half years to build his family home — he engaged three architects to complete the build and interior design.“It was a huge project but I loved every stage of it,” he said. Michael Kuhne got his architects and engineer to head to theme park Wet‘nWild to find out how they constructed their rock walls. Picture Mike Batterham“I asked one of my architects and engineer to head down to Wet ‘n Wild to find out how they constructed their rock walls,” he said. “From this we then designed my indoor waterfall feature.” Michael Kuhne is his indoor squash court. Picture Mike BatterhamFor the more active residents there is a pool bordering the waterfront and a full-size squashMore from news02:37Purchasers snap up every residence in the $40 million Siarn Palm Beach North4 hours ago02:37International architect Desmond Brooks selling luxury beach villa1 day agocourt that doubles as a basketball court.“The kids and I have had a ball growing up with the squash court, which has helped us keep fit,” Mr Kuhne said.“We’ve also played a lot of basketball there as a family.” Michael Kuhne has put his Runaway Bay mansion on the market at $11.8 million. Picture Mike BatterhamHe said he and his family had created many happy memories in their home, but the time for change had arrived. “The kids have all grown up and are ready to move out, so it’s time to downsize but I would like to stay in the area,” he said.
The large main kitchen in the home with room enough for two families. The house itself was also significantly larger than most Brisbane homes, at just under 1,000 sqm, with two of its bedrooms in a self-contained guesthouse, Mr Bradley said.“So it suits people with extended families, dual living, or you could have your home office, or business.” Travel time to the city was about 45 minutes during peak hours and about half an hour off peak.“We’ve had a bit of everyone (interested), with enquiries from Sydney and Melbourne this week and quite a few locals who have been looking for the right type of acreage.” This Bridgeman Downs home topped list for the nation’s most viewed homes.A SPRAWLING Queensland home was the most viewed house in the country in the past week, latest industry data shows. The eight-bedroom, five-bathroom, 10-car space home has a secondary access to the site which opens up the possibility of future subdivision of the 1 hectare site. Agent John Bradley, who’s marketing the property with colleague Matt Briggs of Place Aspley, said it was a “fantastic home”.“The fact that it’s a level flat 2.5 acre block” made it very popular, he said. “Normally for 2.5 acres you’d get goat country (hilly), but this is flat.” The property has a large outdoor entertainment offering including a large salt water pool. The billiard room is off to one side, perfect for cordoning off as a wing for teenagers. Mixed bag of houses to go under the hammer One in five expect to rent for life QLD house market to lead: NAB Interestingly, the property already has a second driveway. “Pending council approval, you could split it and sell off a block immediately or could have a family member to build on it,” Mr Bradley said.Some buyers were also attracted to the fact that the house was ready to move into. More from newsParks and wildlife the new lust-haves post coronavirus17 hours agoNoosa’s best beachfront penthouse is about to hit the market17 hours ago“A lot of the acreage properties in Bridgeman Downs were built a while ago and the houses need work to update. You can spend up to half a million once you buy a property to upgrade it, but this house is pristine, you just walk in and enjoy it.” A private courtyard leads to the pool area. The house, in Bridgeman Downs in Brisbane’s north, was the most viewed residential listing on realestate.com.au in the past seven days, data released this morning found, followed by a property at Coopers Shoot in New South Wales, a home in Croydon Victoria and another in Stirling, South Australia. (See list below). The home sits on a flat 2.5 acre block. MOST VIEWED IN THE LAST 7 DAYS: 1. 334 Bridgeman Rd, Bridgeman Downs, QLD 2. COOPERS SHOOT HOME MOST VIEWED IN NSW 3. 20 Plymouth Rd, Croydon, VIC 4. 10 Melrose Ave, Stirling, SA 5. 7 Bessington St, South Arm, TAS 6. 60 Avanti St, Mermaid Waters, QLD 7. 42 Livingstone St, Glengowrie, SA (Source: Realestate.com.au) Lions guarding the main entrance to the sprawling home. The kitchen in the guesthouse is as big as many main kitchens. FOLLOW SOPHIE FOSTER ON FACEBOOK The property also has a salt water inground pool, a shed with work space, 5.64 kW solar power system, two solar hot water systems and water tanks with a capacity of 66,000 litres.Meanwhile, this most viewed property online in the Northern Territory had star appeal this week.The unique property in Humpty Doo got plenty of attention, but it is not the first time all eyes were on the Territory address.The home featured on television’s Instant Hotel, and while it didn’t win the show it has been an instant hit with buyers.
Merkur Offshore, the developer of German Merkur offshore wind farm, has signed a long-term contract with the Dutch subsidiary of EMS Maritime Offshore (EMO) for the construction of a service base in Eemshaven, the Netherlands.EMO will build a 600 m² warehouse, affiliated offices covering 500 m² spread across two floors, as well as the terminal logistics.Merkur Offshore will be carrying out part of its maintenance and service works for the 396MW offshore wind farm from Eemshaven as of spring 2018.GE Renewable Energy, who will supply the wind turbines for Merkur, will use the entire infrastructure for the upcoming years.EMO’s terminal covers an area of 33,000 m² and is directly connected to the waterfront.The offshore installation is already well underway at the offshore construction site, with the first monopiles installed in April of this year, and the first transition pieces arriving to Eemshaven on 20 October.Merkur will consist of 66 GE Haliade 150-6MW wind turbines and is scheduled to be fully operational in 2019.
The top three eligible finishers in each of the five regions for IMCA Modifieds, both IMCA Sunoco Stock Car regions, both IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock regions and in national point races for Karl Kustoms Northern and Smiley’s Racing Products Southern SportMods earn product certificates good for two SNS Conventional springs. PONTOTOC, Miss. – IMCA Sunoco Late Model competitors are in the running this season for new awards from Hyperco. “IMCA is an incredible organization with great competitors across the country. After 23 years of supporting the series, it’s grown more into a relationship than a partnership,” said Hyperco’s Justin Cockerham. “All manufacturers should do as much as we can to give back to the organizations and racers who support us all and this is a great way to do just that. I look forward to seeing everyone at this track throughout the year!” Hyperco begins its 23rd year of IMCA sponsorship and continues awards in five other divisions this year as well. To be eligible, drivers must compete with at least one Hyperco spring and display two Hyperco decals on their race car to be eligible; Modified, Stock Car, Hobby Stock and SportMod drivers are also required to complete and return a sign-up form to the IMCA home office by Aug. 1. Hyperco awards will be presented during the national banquet in November or mailed from the IMCA home office beginning the following week. “Our Late Model members will continue to be a focus of the Hyperco program, but opening it up to national points expands the pool of racers who stand to benefit,” commented IMCA Marketing Director Kevin Yoder. “We appreciate the course Hyperco is taking with this program and are excited about the 2020 racing season.” The eighth-place finisher in 2020 national point standings for the fast-growing division receives two Conventional SNS springs from the Pontotoc, Miss., high performance suspension components manufacturer. Both the ninth- and 10th-place driver get single SNS Conventional springs. Information about Hyperco high performance products and the company’s network of dealers is available at the www.hypercoils.com website, by calling 800 365-2645 or 662 488-4567 and on Facebook.
The 21-year-old spent loan spells with Wolves, Charlton and most recently Fulham, before returning to the Gunners in the summer. The Ghana international has, though, yet to appear for Arsene Wenger’s side this season – something he implied on Twitter was because of his colour and nationality. Asked on Monday night why he was not involved in Tuesday’s Capital One Cup tie with Chelsea, he posted “LOL I wanna laugh”, and then added: “Sometimes I wish I was white and English #realtalk.” Frimpong quickly deleted the comments and insisted: “Not every tweet is football related.” The defensive midfielder, who was last year fined £6,000 by the Football Association for branding a Twitter user “scum yid”, later added: “Look what ever you read tomorrow has majorly been twisted. Is a joke what people will do to start controversy goodnight people.” Arsenal had no official comment on the matter when contacted by Press Association Sport, but it is understood the club will remind Frimpong of his responsibilities. The midfielder has almost 800,000 followers on Twitter, a YouTube channel and official website, despite having started just three Premier League matches for his boyhood club. Wenger said Frimpong’s omission from the Arsenal squad to face Chelsea was because “he is still short of competition”. Press Association
Emmanuel Frimpong has backtracked on a suggestion he is not featuring for Arsenal because he is not “white and English”.
Mount Maunganui: Having already lost the series, Team India will now look at a consolation win when they face New Zealand in the third and final ODI at the Bay Oval on Tuesday.While India were comprehensively beaten in the first ODI even after posting 347 in Hamilton, they came out with an improved performance with the ball, only to be undone because of the top-order failure in the second ODI in Auckland.Having nothing to lose, India could thus give a shot to Rishabh Pant, who has warmed the bench all tour thus far, in the final encounter. They could also bring in Manish Pandey, who made the most of his opportunities in the T20Is, but hasn’t been given an opportunity in 50-over cricket.Pandey performed well in India’s 5-0 thrashing of the Black Caps in the T20Is and is likely to replace Kedar Jadhav, who was below par in the first two ODIs. Following the defeat last Saturday, skipper Virat Kohli had said that ODIs will be of the least focus for India this year, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come out firing and seek to end the series with a win.In fact, Shardul Thakur, in the pre-match presser on Monday, said that team will look to come out with positive intent and go for the win against in the dead rubber.“Every match is important. Just because we are 0-2 down, this does not mean that the final match is not important. Every international match holds a key. We are 0-2 down. We can express ourselves and we will play with freedom,” Thakur told reporters on the eve of the third ODI.From New Zealand’s point of view, it would be about avenging the whitewash in the T20Is and they would be desperate to go for the kill. For the injury-riddled New Zealand, Kane Williamson’s return will be a welcome one.Tim Southee bowled through an illness in the second ODI and, depending on his progress, the hosts might want to rest him to keep him fresh for the Tests and bring in Scott Kuggeleijn.Their batters, especially Ross Taylor, has been in great touch and the hosts would once again bank on him to make the most of the batting conditions which are likely to be on offer at the Bay Oval. The last two ODIs at this venue both featured India, during the 2019 series, and if those games are anything to go by, this should be a good batting track.India won both their last ODIs in Mount Maunganui and thus would love to replicate that success in order to avoid a clean sweep. IANSAlso Read: Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner join New Zealand squad for 3rd ODIAlso Watch: Assam Police destroyed Opium poppy plantation in South Salmara once again