Editor:
The wild success of children’s free swim lessons at the MAC pool this summer is due to the generosity, flexibility, perseverance and good will of a number of individuals and organizations.
More than 45 students –– most of whom started as true beginners –– learned skills in the pool that will serve them for the rest of their lives. Plus, they’ve had a blast.
The following people made the free lessons financially possible: Robert Baldwin and Paul Echart, Adam Bork, Clark Childers and Adam Walton, Marella Consolini, Keller Doss, Stephen Martin, David Marwitz, Ashlyn and Dan Perry, Rob Sherrard and family, Charline Von Heyl, and the Marfa Parks and Recreation board. Kendall Craig got our fundraising off to a great start.
The Marfa Education Foundation and Marfa ISD were likewise critical facilitators in terms of
handling the logistics of the monetary donations. Coach Linda Ojeda was instrumental in rallying and recruiting lifeguards and our swim supervisor.
Getting the word out, creating schedules, and the calling of parents and caretakers fell upon my colleagues at the Chinati Foundation, Molly Bondy and Angel Pastor. Their organizational skills and attention to detail ensured the program’s success.
The Big Bend Sentinel helped keep interest high.
A big shout out to City Administrator Mandy Roane, the city council and Mayor Manny Baeza
for being receptive to hosting summer lessons, all the way through the eleventh hour, when everything suddenly fell into place.
So much gratitude goes to the lifeguards and pool manager, who’ve taken on jobs of value and consequence. A million thanks to our instructors June and Wayne Schröeder, whose compassion, easygoing adaptability, masterful teaching, and mojo with Marfa’s children is deeply appreciated.
Finally, thank you to all the folks who donated the funds necessary to make swim lessons happen for the first time in a long time. We live in a generous town. So many people have stopped me, or written or called to make sure we had enough in our coffers. It’s gratifying to see, once again, how much our community cares for one another. Thanks to that giving spirit, Jade Martinez has officially conquered her fear and now dives happily and confidently into the deep end.
Michael Roch
Chinati Foundation education director and Summer Shake Up organizer
Marfa
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Dear Editor,
Statements in a recent BBS article made by Dr. Michelle Rinehart, superintendent of Alpine ISD, and Graydon Hicks, superintendent of Fort Davis ISD, bemoaning the lack of new state funding for public education were disingenuous at best and outright deceptive at worst. As quoted, both officials suggest that both Republican and Democrat lawmakers are responsible for a “dereliction of duties,” when in fact the blame for the destruction of public education falls squarely on Texas Republicans.
Despite living in Far West Texas, surely both officials are aware that Republicans control both the House and Senate in Texas, so that what results from a legislative session is their fault. Surely they are aware that during the session Democrats unsuccessfully fought for a $15,000 across the board pay raise for teachers and 25% pay raises for school support staff, and that Democrats continually fight against Republican efforts to support charter schools at the expense of public schools.
The hard truth is that Republican politicians could care less about the children of a majority of Texans. Their policies ensure both that public schools will continue to deteriorate, if not entirely collapse, due to lack of funding, and that Texas children will continue to die as victims of mass shootings if they even have a school to go to.
As public officials, Rinehart and Hicks should face and speak these truths even if likely uncomfortable for them and many of their constituents. Until blame is placed squarely where it belongs so voters are informed and can remove Republican derelicts from state office, nothing will change.
Kent C. Anschutz
Austin/Marfa