Arkansas Kid, Yankees, Consoldiation...Charity

[justmakeit2thebcs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2329694

[Hog_from_Tulsa]

Who would have thought that Steinbrenner was a real person......That's about as genuine as it gets

[pioneerhog]

That's a pretty good article. That boy made what had to be a hard choice for a 12 year old and to get a letter and invite to NY from Steinbrenner had to be pretty cool. I am glad that Midland is not gonna have to consolidate though. With Pleasent Plains being just down the raod from Batesville I have heard all about this. I just couldn't really see them putting them with another school, the bussing of the students would have been outragious. It is good to know that the Board of Education did something right this time.

[HogISH™]

it's called paying ahead.. what a great read.

HogISH

[RebelliousHog]

good read. Hafta think twice now when I refer to them as  the "damn Yankees"

[hogfan064]

Wow, what a great kid.  Very mature decision for a 12 year old. 

[hogsanity]

Wow what a group of well, not so smart people.  THey are gonna spend $400k to keep the district open for how long.  You think that magically the district will start running even?  THIS IS WHATS WRONG WITH THIS STATE.  IT isnt 1875, we dont need 300 districts. 

And as for the kid, what did he learn?  That if you do something nice, and someone rich finds out about it, you will get something in return? 

Hey, I know a family currently at Children's in LR.  Their 8 yr old had to have a kidney remved and the tumor may have been malignant.  The dad is self employed, that 400K would have been much better spent on people than on some hole in the road district that does nothing except let a few local people hold on to their "Midland pride".

[LA HAWG]

My response to you hogsanity would be that the people in Midland can do whatever they choose to do with their money.  It is a free society and if they want to save their school more power to them.  It is indeed a tragedy about the kid at children's but it is not the fault or responsibility of these people. 

Don't fall into the take away all the small schools and the problems will go away trap.  The problems will just be bigger.  By the way, every school that is smaller than your school (whatever that school may be) is too small.  But your school always makes the cut. 

Not trying to be disrespectful, just my opinion.

[HogISH™]

Wow what a group of well, not so smart people.  THey are gonna spend $400k to keep the district open for how long.  You think that magically the district will start running even?  THIS IS WHATS WRONG WITH THIS STATE.  IT isnt 1875, we dont need 300 districts. 

And as for the kid, what did he learn?  That if you do something nice, and someone rich finds out about it, you will get something in return? 

Hey, I know a family currently at Children's in LR.  Their 8 yr old had to have a kidney remved and the tumor may have been malignant.  The dad is self employed, that 400K would have been much better spent on people than on some hole in the road district that does nothing except let a few local people hold on to their "Midland pride".

another fine post, almost 3000 of them.

it's not about the state or the district. it's about a fine young man that did something that he believed in. and i am sure to say he did not do this for the attention or the free trip to Yankee stadium.

some of us wake up w/ a smile on our face each day and do not look at everything so negatively. take some of you hard earned money and donate it to the family @ children's (where my sister spent 8 months when she was 10)... maybe you can wake up tomorrow feeling good about yourself as i am sure this kid can do every day.

HogISH

[LA HAWG]

Well said HogISH

[hogsanity]

Look, I dont think getting rid of all the small districts will get rid of all the problems.

As for the donation.  I believe in making donations, whether to charity, church, or whatever, anonymously. 

I am glad the kid has seen that sometimes people with $$ and power see things that people do and reward them.  If the kid grows up to have the means, amybe he will retunr the favor someday. 

And yes, the people of the Midland district csan do what they want.  Continue to hamstring their kids by keeping yet another small school district open so that the kids can miss out on all the programs larger districts can provide. 

Keep in mind, i went to a small school.  19 in my graduating class.  Our Chem lab consisted of 2 burners and whatever our teacher could get donated from profs he knew at various colleges.  Our Computers were Franklin Aces that were 4 years old when we got them.


And, you can bet I will give to various things, and not one word will be put in the press about it.

[taintlint]

Wow what a group of well, not so smart people.  THey are gonna spend $400k to keep the district open for how long.  You think that magically the district will start running even?  THIS IS WHATS WRONG WITH THIS STATE.  IT isnt 1875, we dont need 300 districts. 

And as for the kid, what did he learn?  That if you do something nice, and someone rich finds out about it, you will get something in return? 

Hey, I know a family currently at Children's in LR.  Their 8 yr old had to have a kidney remved and the tumor may have been malignant.  The dad is self employed, that 400K would have been much better spent on people than on some hole in the road district that does nothing except let a few local people hold on to their "Midland pride".

Did you ever stop and think that there might be more than one dimension to this story? Have you? Have you thought maybe for half a second that maybe there might be a single mother whose only income is at risk of being lost if that school district is removed? There are a million things that should be taken into consideration. But that would be too hard for you. You would rather run your mouth without thinking about anything deeper than surface level. As touching as your "Children's" story was, guess what? Their are starving kids in Ethiopia and mentally challenged kids in Conway. What does that have to do with this story? Assh.ole

[HogISH™]

taintlint, i hate when i have to applaud you

HogISH

[hogsanity]

Anytime ANYTHING gets hurt.  Did you read where the midland school is going to cut over $300k in personel expenses?  Translated - people are going to be let go. 

Look, there are 2 things here that really jacked my jaw this morning. 

One - consolidation is long overdue. 

Two - I hate it when people make donations and it gets in the press. 

And, one other thing.  how long is this 400K going to keep this district open?  The rest of this year?  Part of next?  I dont see why people are so opposed to consolidation.  It is not a cure all, but it is not harmful either.  Inconveinent, maybe.  Harmful, no.

[HogISH™]

do you really think a 12 year old did this for the press?

HogISH

[hogsanity]

do you really think a 12 year old did this for the press?

HogISH

NO!  I have no problem with the 12 yr old.  I admire the fact that a 12 yr old had saved $1,000.00.  The 12 yr old is the only redeeming thing in this whole situation in my opinion. 

[nwarazfan]

Wow what a group of well, not so smart people.  THey are gonna spend $400k to keep the district open for how long.  You think that magically the district will start running even?  THIS IS WHATS WRONG WITH THIS STATE.  IT isnt 1875, we dont need 300 districts. 

And as for the kid, what did he learn?  That if you do something nice, and someone rich finds out about it, you will get something in return? 

Hey, I know a family currently at Children's in LR.  Their 8 yr old had to have a kidney remved and the tumor may have been malignant.  The dad is self employed, that 400K would have been much better spent on people than on some hole in the road district that does nothing except let a few local people hold on to their "Midland pride".

I thought the same thing sanity.  Great story about Steinbrenner and the kid but it just illustrates the backwardsness of this state.  And the actual schools themselves don't have to be closed so the bussing arguement doesn't fly.  Bus where it makes sense.  But admin's and staffs have to be reduced.  Its stupid for every little school district ie like these in Independence County to have their own seperate admin.  Our state is wasting hundreds of thousands yearly on these small districts.  And as far behind as our state is in education and as underfunded as we are in our schools, I'm amazed with the number of people that want to keep these tiny districts open.

I've been on 167 many times and I don't see an issue here with bussing to Bville SS, BK or Bradford depending on where the kids live if the school would have to close.  The road is a wide four lane.  Its not like its the middle of the Ozarks and would take an hour or more one way to get to the next school on a narrow two lane highway.  Ridiculous waste.

[RAZORBART]

Regardless of what some thought about this story, I found it very commendable on the young mans part to take a stand and make a commitment even at the sake of losing something he had saved for a very long time and wanted very badly. No matter how you see his plight, one should respect his efforts and applaud his action in pursuing them.

[HogInaStrangeLand]

Okay there are many things I find disturbing about this whole thread.

1) I have to applaud Taintlint

2) I, a true Braves fan, must give Steinbrenner some credit.

3) Anyone reading the story and is critical immediately overlooked the 12 year old.

Nice article.

[HogISH™]

+1 on the post and i already +1'd Taintlint

time to go to hutchs for a brew!

tomorrow is a new day, let's all wake up and be greatfull that we WOKE UP!

HogISH

[Adam Stokes]

  I didn't know Steinbrenner had any extra money with that team salary of his.  Nonetheless, a touching story on both sides, Steinbrenner and the boy.  I know it would be VERY hard for me to do something like that.  Kudos.

[jkstock04]

Good story, good for that kid.  I'm sure thats been quite a experience for him...

[hogsrule44]

though I needed a hanky to dry  my tears this is so touchyfeely.  My god how heartwarming.  How can the mean ole state do this to little kids!!!!!!  Its a sad day when teachers and admins use kids as pawns and go to LR to  cryin front of the BOE.   I also saw where Wilburn will go 21 miles to Concord to HS instead of 10 miles to Heber Springs. So dont give me this we care about the kids busride.  One more reason Ark. high schools will never produce  enough FB,BB,ect. players.  Eudora is going to Lake Village.  Watch out for LV in the future.

[hogsanity]

IT is also one reason we will never produce enough highly skilled people that want to stay here because we cant get the high tech jobs because we dont produce enough highly skilled labor.