League City’s acting city manager, Rich Oller, was suspended for a week for saying the N-word at work. Oller apologized but said the comment was taken out of context. Oller was in his office telling two senior executives about a news report on the college football national championship game, he said. The news story was reporting about a racial slur being directed at a football player, Oller said. Oller said he spoke the word himself while expressing how appalled he had been by its use. “I was appalled at the story and that was the point that I was making,” Oller said. “I could not believe that this was going on in this day and time. My point was, here it is prevalent in 2012 and you got children playing a game and this is taking place.” Oller said if he could go back in time, he would not have used the actual word.
An Apology Won’t Mend Some Things
I do not believe League City’s acting City Manager Rich Oller’s apology was sincere. The only time you have a slip of the tongue is when you are a frequent user of a particular word.
I find the N-word to be the most offensive word in the English language. I am a six-decade African-American, and whether you end the word with “-er” or an “-a” it is still offensive to my ears.
I welcomed the new year in at the same function with Mr. Oller, but after reading the newspaper article, I lost a lot of respect for the man and his position.
There are some things an apology won’t mend. If one breaks an expensive irreplaceable vase and apologizes to the owner, that vase is still broken. That’s how I feel about his apology.
Joyce Bell
La Marque
An Island Paradise Is Lost To All Of Us
When Hurricane Ike traversed Galveston Island, it decimated the Galveston Yacht Basin, where I live.
At that time, all of us — tenants and management — endeavored to rebuild.
On generators for months, we dug out and cleaned up, showering on docks in pitch blackness, in cold water and primitive conditions.
Thank God, I grew up in “Almost Heaven,” W.Va., uniquely qualified for such hardship and harsh conditions.
And although the storm destroyed the marina, it was the Sealy-Smith Foundation that destroyed a culture, a community — so many vessels gone or departing, I can’t even keep count. Extraordinary to most Galvestonians, a paradise is lost.
Even the likes of Ernest Hemingway would sob and attest to its demise. This is a ghost town in the making and on the water where promises are fast, and those promises are as hollow as those who speak them.
A patron of the yacht club since 1981, I suppose attrition is a natural part of life, as we are all losing something from the minute we are born. Still, it is heartbreaking to witness this collapse.
Michael Alan Basham
Galveston
Austin Middle School celebrated its selection as a National Blue Ribbon Award recipient by welcoming NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. The National Blue Ribbon Award is annually awarded by the U.S. Department of Education to the highest performing schools in the country.
Isle Has Reason To Be Proud
Galveston, I have some good news to share with you: On Thursday, Feb. 2, I watched as Austin Middle School students stood, spoke, led and welcomed NASA astronaut Scott Kelly at their Blue Ribbon Ceremony.
These young people — Isabella Campbell, Leon Warnaqulasuriya, Jonathan Lee and Maddie Mallia — were well-spoken, mature, intelligent and capable.
The Austin Middle School band performed flawlessly, a positive music video was shown representing the No Place for Hate campaign and the students listened attentively, asked intelligent questions, and gave me such hope for the future of Galveston Island.
Paving the way for these great students is great leadership — Superintendent Larry Nichols, Principal Kathy Van Ness and Assistant Principal John Hayman.
Behind these great students are great parents and family members who are involved, supportive and encouraging. It could not have made me more proud of our schools, our families and our island.
I believe there was one thing left off the “101 Things to Love About Galveston County” list published this year (The Daily News, Jan. 8) and that was the Galveston Independent School District.
Galveston, we have a reason to be proud and it lies within each and every one of these exemplary students.
Johnny Smecca
Galveston
Mayor Promised Not To Ignore Poverty
Mayor Joe Jaworski said “no more projects.” The Galveston Housing Authority Board is pursuing legally required rebuilding of the low-income homes through scattered-site and mixed-income development. That’s the opposite of multiunit projects.
He promised not to ignore poverty. The mixed-income plan not only gives eligible residents incentive to kick it up a notch, the board created a point preference system that ranks veterans, seniors, disabled people and heads of household who work, train or study 30-plus hours a week high on the waiting list.
Folks who work in our restaurants and hotels, change the beds at the University of Texas Medical Branch and mow the esplanades can live here. Their families can populate our churches and Little League games, buy groceries and live life here rather than somewhere else. Working people will live in these homes.
Finally, he promised more accountability. The board makes stringent eligibility requirements for tenants, goes after slumlords abusing the Section 8 program and delegates operation of more than half the required units to a national leader in mixed-income management. You might not agree with the mayor about GHA, but that doesn’t make him a liar. Alas, we can’t always get what we want. Accepting that is part of being grown.
Alice Melott
Decatur Ga.
