Outstanding students honored
Dear Editor: On Monday, May 13, the faculty of the Fayette County Area Vocational Technical School hosted the 16th annual Student Awards Banquet. Approximately 180 honorees, parents, family members, faculty, administration, staff, board members, local superintendents and guests attended the event.
The students honored were chosen as outstanding for a number of reasons. They have realized the value of education, and they have used that realization to prepare both academically and vocationally for their lives after high school. They have demonstrated the ability to work hard in their chosen field, served as models for their peers and contributed to the communities we serve through individual and shop projects. They truly are talented students, committed and dedicated to our communities, as well as their futures.
In the field of education, it is the goal of every individual who comes in contact with students to prepare them to become active, productive members of society. Just by the very nature of life, at times it is not always easy.
But we push and we pull and hopefully along the way we educate, inspire and motivate.
It is evident by the young men and women who were honored as well as numerous other students at FCAVTS that we are indeed achieving our goal.
We at the Fayette County Area Vocation Technical School sincerely applaud our students, their families, and all the individuals who have helped bring them to this point.
Donna M. Heintz
FCAVTS teacher
911 operators want raises
Dear Editor:
I currently work for the Fayette County 911 Center and have been for the past six years. Although a portion of “your” $1.25 (collected through telephone bills) is used for equipment, the rest is used for tele-communicator’s wages.
I have a 1999 National Wage Study conducted by the National Emergency Number Association. The typical hiring wage for a tele-communicator in a county the size of Fayette at that time was $11.77 per hour and the actual average pay was $14.44 per hour.
After six years, I’m currently receiving $1.36 per hour less than the national typical hiring wage was three years ago.
Our contract expires at the end of this year and we will be conducting contract negotiations shortly. Since the citizens of Fayette County basically pay our wages, it’s tim e you let the county know we deserve a substantial raise and you want to give it to us.
We are here to serve the public when an emergency arises in every way we can. It’s time we focus solely on that, our job, instead of worrying about if it’s all worth it because of the wages receive.
A lot of people don’t realize that we are in operation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. This means every weekend, every holiday, every minute of every day someone has to operate the phones and radios. If you should come see the operation of the center, you will understand everything this job demands of its employees.
Robert W. Means
Uniontown
Show of patriotism
Dear Editor:
The United War Veterans Association of Uniontown will be holding its annual Memorial Day Service this year at Sylvan Heights Cemetery on North Gallatin Avenue at 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 27.
The host post this year is the Catholic War Veterans Post 1669 and the Master of Ceremony is Commander Paul W. Kochis Jr. of the United War Veterans Association of Uniontown.
The guest speaker will be Lt. Col. Bob Zangas, USMC; Staff Sgt. Stephen LaRose, USMC, will read Logan’s General Orders; and Leo Kaputa will recite the Gettysburg Address.
Every man, woman and child owes this country continued, dedicated service in return for the blessings of liberty it has bestowed on us.
Let us show that we, the American citizen, will sacrifice a portion of valuable personal time to display the patriotism burning within each one of us by attending this year’s Memorial Service.
James R. Smith
Hopwood