The following letters to the editor were part of an assignment in Melissa Fite’s class at Pittsburg High School:
Dear Editor:
Pittsburg has access to many great athletic and intramural facilities, including: PSU Track and Field Stadium, PSU Student Recreation Center, the Weede Athletic Facility, updated basketball and tennis courts, new bike trails, and Wilderness Park. However, Pittsburg High School is lacking a suitable running track.
Pittsburg is well noted for their Cross Country and Track teams. During Cross Country season, PHS combines with Colgan, creating a unique bond between schools. Unfortunately, practices have to be held elsewhere due to lack of appropriate facilities. PHS’s head track and cross country coach, Gary Ausemus, said, “I have been coaching for 19 years and the track has been basically the same since they built the school. PHS hasn’t held a home meet since 1994 or 1995 because schools refuse to run on it and we still have to.” PHS’s track is made of asphalt, large cracks are now covering it, and the paint has drastically faded with weather and time. Track season often comes with many leg injuries due to unsuitable facilities, which damages the team’s ability to perform at peak levels.
Pittsburg has done a great job of upgrading their facilities, such as: Hutchinson field, new concession stand at PHS, Megan Mallatt center, and remodeled Pittsburg schools. Pittsburg has done a remarkable job of supporting academics and athletics. If we could bring the same energy, focus, and determination into building a new track and soccer field, it would benefit many. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Jacobi Spresser
Dear Editor:
Pittsburg has great recreational spots for young children, such as many parks spread throughout our city. There’s also Kiddie Land and Lowe’s Skateway, which serve as a great hang-out spots for kids. These are a great way to keep the children of Pittsburg in a very uplifting and clean environment. Although there are plenty of places for young kids to go and have fun, I feel like there isn’t a place for the teenagers to hang out.
Pittsburg has a great YMCA and Golf Course. One thing Pittsburg lacks is place where early teens and adolescents can enjoy themselves, and be with friends outside of school property. I know teenagers would really appreciate being able to hang out with their friends in a fun and energetic atmosphere.
It would be really nice to having something similar to The Bridge, in Joplin, be built here in town. I know the students would enjoy a gym area where they could work out. A lounging area with a small café would also be an excellent addition. Many students don’t have a great home life and with this in town it would be a great way to let them get away from their issues and just relax with friends. This would be an exceptional attraction to Pittsburg students. I appreciate your time; thank you.
Sincerely,
Elida Hernandez
Dear Editor:
I’ve been a resident of Pittsburg for most of my life, and it is a beautiful place to live. Anywhere you go, you feel at home and will often see friends, family, teachers, and local businessmen. As a college oriented town, Pittsburg has a lot to offer the public that many towns in our area are not fortunate enough to have. One example is our stadium. We also have a large number of schools, local businesses, and parks. Even simple things like having a grocery store that is open twenty-four hours a day is terrifically convenient. Yet while Pittsburg possesses these great conveniences, it seems they are often taken advantage of by some of the individuals in our town.
I was driving yesterday down Fourth Street when I saw a middle aged man nonchalantly toss an empty pack of cigarettes out of the window of his truck. I was disgusted with the man’s actions and wished a police officer had seen what I did so the litterer could have been punished. I didn’t stop my car to pick up the man’s trash, but later regretted not doing so. For the rest of the day, I found myself spotting pieces of trash in more places than I’d imagined. I never realized how much garbage lies on the streets of our town.
By finding time to take our garbage to a trash can or Dumpster, we can all help eliminate the problem that some are creating. The Rotary Club and Pittsburg Beautiful work hard at keeping our town clean. We even have “Adopt a Street,” where a club, group, or organization adopts a street and maintains its cleanliness by making sure trash doesn’t pollute its sidewalks. These are all excellent organizations, but they can’t do it all by themselves. By simply waiting to throw our trash away until we get home, or tossing it in a container along the way, we can help improve Pittsburg and make it ever better than it already is.
Sincerely,
Johnny LeBoeuf
Dear Editor:
Jaycee Ball Park in Pittsburg, KS, is an extremely nice facility. Jaycee has a new field, its own bathrooms, a concession stand, and stands that have a roof that protect the people from rain, foul balls, etc. However, the softball fields are not nearly as nice.
I have played softball in Pittsburg for ten years now. We have fields that are decent enough to play on, but hardly compare to Jaycee. Our high school practice field was at Wild Red Berry until it was turned into another baseball field. Every day when we go to practice, we have to find the holes in the ground for our bases because they were moved back for baseball, and there is a baseball pitchers mound now that we have to work around during our practices. Now since Wild Red Berry is a baseball field, there is actual dirt instead of cat litter and the field seems to be taken care of a lot better.
Don’t get me wrong. I am extremely grateful to have fields to play on, but I do believe that softball teams are just as important as baseball teams and that this community needs a softball complex as nice as Jaycee.
Sincerely,
Kurstin VonFeldt
Dear Editor:
I love living in Pittsburg. I love all the diversity, not just of ethnic backgrounds but also of age differences. I have met many people older than I who have given me great insight. I have not only learned about the past bout about my future. I feel lucky to have met these people. Having gotten to know some of Pittsburg’s elderly, I am shocked by the number of residents there are in retirement/nursing homes versus the number of helpers.
Having worked in a nursing home, I know the shortage of help that they have. There are never enough workers to get things done. Nurses and CNAs are in short supply, but nothing is being done to fix this. I feel as though the youth of today are forgetting these people. I know that not everyone enjoys giving a helping hand, but it is the kind hearted thing to do.
My solution to this problem is for more volunteer opportunities. There may be ways to volunteer, but I personally have never been made privy to these chances. I hope that the retirement/nursing homes in our area could make public the ways that the people in town could get involved and help. I know that many people will be reluctant to give up their time, but I believe that Pittsburg hold many kind hearts that are willing to give of themselves.
Sincerely,
Chelsea Sponsel
