by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — Five Cueball thoughts for May 4, 2014…

1. Right decision…

The Wellington school board made the right decision the other day by not separating the June 24 USD 353 Security and Safety Room Bond Proposal into two questions. At a special meeting last week, the board contemplated whether or not to divide the question up. One question would be for the safety rooms, the security measures, the roof repairs, and the middle school parking lot. The second separate question would address the middle school auxiliary gymnasium only. They ultimately decided to go with one question and lump all items together (see story here).

Good decision.

It reminds me of a 1996 golf movie called “Tin Cup” in which this character Roy McAvoy would rather go all out and either win a golf tournament outright or lose it completely, than do the safe thing and get the tie. If there is a need for an auxiliary gym, go for broke. In the board’s eyes, one school improvement should not be less important than the other.

A few bloggers on this site have also unfairly accused the board of calling the electorate stupid when citing “voter confusion” as a reason not to separate the question. No, what the board was saying, that not every voter going into the election booth is going to be informed. Some would interpret the two questions as being either-or or pitted against the other as opposed to a proposal and another additional proposal.

The key to success of every retail business is keeping things simple for the masses. Ballots are no different. If the ballot isn’t simple, it ends up in voter chaos. Just ask President Al Gore, who won the 2000 Presidential Election by narrowly carrying the state of Florida.

2. Lots to think about…

I hope no one thinks the previous Cueball thought is a ringing endorsement of the bond proposal.

Truth be known, I have some serious questions myself and am firmly in the “undecided” category.

For one thing, I seem to be swimming against the tide of conventional wisdom. A large proportion of people say they would be for the safety rooms and security measures, but not anything else.

I’m just the opposite.

If the question was only about the auxiliary gym and repairing that awful, embarrassing, grotesque middle school parking lot, it would be a slam dunk “yes” for me. I know what I’m voting for.

The questions surrounding security measures and safety rooms are much more ambiguous.

The question is not whether we want our children to be the safest and most secure possible. Of course we all do.

The question is whether this is the best plan for USD 353 to take.

On the security issue, my questions are numerous. What are other school districts doing to address security? Is re-constructing the buildings the best way of going about it, or are there more practical and cost effective methods? Is Wellington tackling an issue that may eventually be federally mandated, thus taking the expense out of local taxpayers?

The storm shelter question bothers me because I had the benefit of covering both the 2001 new high school bond question and the one today. And the dialogue has changed.

While it is true, the Wellington school board  went to the voters on three different occasions from 1999 to 2001 in hopes of building a new high school, people seem to forget that they also brought three different proposals to the voters.

The first proposal failed due in part because storm shelters were not part of the original plan. The board added the construction of safety rooms in every USD 353 building except for Roosevelt and Eisenhower in the final proposal to the voters. Roosevelt, at that time, was the location of the sixth grade which was to be migrated into a new Wellington Middle School and the alternative school, now at Roosevelt, was located at the now railroad museum in Sellers Park.

The school architect determined that the huge foyer in the middle of Eisenhower Elementary was considered an adequate storm shelter room, and felt building another one was not needed. That was why Eisenhower never got a safe room built while other schools did.

The construction of the safety room and the donation of land at the high school were key tweaks to the overall proposal that pushed it over the top with voters. I can’t believe I’m saying this now because at the time I was so mad when the bond issue failed the first time around. Thank goodness voters turned the first two proposals down, because the third one was a much better plan.

Sumner Newscow will be delving into the safety rooms-security bond proposal as the election approaches with a series of in-depth stories.

3. Mob mentality…

Donald Sterling

The Los Angeles Clippers Donald Sterling controversy is repulsive on so many levels.

Sterling’s racists remarks were offensive and indefensible. He deserves whatever punishment is coming to him. I wonder if this clod realizes just how much chaos he has created for his family, his organization, his players, and the fans who paid good money to watch his pathetic basketball teams over the years?  Justin Bieber must be attending the “Don Sterling School of Public Relations.”

But it doesn’t stop with just him. His girl friend’s tape recording the private conversation, whether Sterling knew he was being recorded or not, was a direct assault on privacy.

So all you V. Stiviano defenders out there comfortable with the fact that your private conversations can be recorded and put on the Internet?

Then there is the political posturing. The NBA players were threatening a walkout if Sterling wasn’t suspended indefinitely. Well that’s fine and dandy, but what about the fans who pay thousands of dollars to live vicariously through your team? Are you saying the season doesn’t matter?

The TMZ people are weasels. ESPN always has to make it into a morale crusade. Everyone seems to have an agenda. The further away we get from this issue the better. And with that, I’m done talking about it.

4. Mad Magazine… 

Before there was The Onion, The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live, or even the late night comedians we know today, there was this magazine called “Mad Magazine,” that mocked the establishment for the phonies they were like no other. Last week Al Feldstein, the publisher and soul of Mad Magazine during its heyday of the 1960s to 1980s, died.

Mad Magazine may have influenced me more than any other publication growing up. For one thing it appealed to my anti-establishment argumentative nature. It was also funny as hell.

Don Martin was one of my favorite cartoonists. I loved Spy vs. Spy. The movie satires were better than the movies themselves. “The Lighter Side of” was great stuff. Alfred E Neuman, the gap toothed cover boy for the magazine, brought everything together and set the tone for everything that was inside.

To this day if I’m at the grocery store and pass by a magazine rack, I’ll grab a copy of Mad Magazine and thumb through it. You are never too old to laugh.

RIP Feldstein. Heaven is a funnier place with you there.

5. Quinn’s thoughts….

Run for your lives, Quinn is thinking again.

by Quinn McCue

I’m introducing Topics To my thoughts.It’s just a main subject my thoughts are based around. This weeks topic is ME.Leave a topic idea in the comments!

1.There’s a cat right by my feet.

2.Fun fact i despise celery. I’m serious even the smell triggers a gag reflex.

3.I really want a go pro.Just the endurance is pretty cool.

4.My favorite colors are orange,purple, lime green,band white.

5.Yesterday I was playing dodgeball at redline and BOTH times I was the last man standing, so I did pretty good. Also at redline i was playing Just dance 2 and I ROCKED IT! I named out to Tick Tok by Kesha, Toxic by Brittany Spears, and When I Grow Up by (I can’t remember).

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