Letters to the Editor, April 18
Public school system doing great work
David Bolduc denies the fine accomplishments of Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) and Kamela Patton, who as superintendent has overseen a dramatic increase in the standing of our school district. In the five years since she has been here, CCPS has risen from 33rd place in the state to fifth place with an A rating.
At the June 1 School Board meeting, Bolduc publicly slandered and defamed two textbook committee members (one holding a doctorate in education, the other a former history teacher and high school principal) as well as the Coalition for Quality Public Education (C4QPE), a nonprofit 501(c)(3)organization that supports continuation of excellent education in the Collier County public school district by stating they are “anti-Christian, anti-white, anti-American.”
Although CCPS advanced in the past year from 14th place to fifth place out of 67 counties in Florida, Bolduc, in a guest commentary, makes an absurd conclusion from his reading of U.S. News & World Report by saying “Chelsea High School” in Massachusetts “crushes Florida’s average.” No Mr. Bolduc, not accurate, although it is accurate that “every spring, U.S. News & World Report releases high school rankings complete with full pages devoted to test-score analysis on virtually every high school in America.”
Three facts make his statement unbelievable: In 2017, Chelsea High School is unranked in the national rankings; Chelsea is unranked by U.S. News & World Reports, and the Massachusetts state assessment test differs from Florida’s adopted state assessment test.
Patton and CCPS, keep up your great work.
Irv Povlow, Marco Island Founding member, C4QPE
Thank you from the nest
Marco Island, Collier County, and the rest of the world will soon be able to keep an eagle eye on Marco Island’s bald eagles, Paleo and Calusa.
Thanks to generous donations from the Calusa Garden Club of Marco Island and from many Marco Island Citizens, over $46,000 has been successfully raised to purchase and install a full nature camera program at the Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary located on Tigertail Court.
Marco Island VFW Post Commander, David Gardner, made an outstanding, generous donation in honor of his late wife Anne. Dave pledged and personally matched donations up to $22,500 for the funds needed to purchase and install the high tech cameras and equipment.
Installation of the equipment has begun and is expected to be completed and operable by Oct. 1, the start of the next bald eagle nesting season. The cameras will be camouflaged by trees and will not be visible to humans, and more importantly, not to the eagles either. Anyone with internet service will be able to view the Nature Preserve’s bald eagle nesting activities from anywhere in the world. The eagle cams will provide students, nature enthusiasts, artists, residents and tourists of all ages opportunities to enjoy close up, educational viewing of wildlife.
The objectives for the Nature Preserve are to preserve green space for future generations, protect the Preserve’s wildlife, and to educate the need for conservation and protection of wildlife. The preservation will include planting of additional native trees and plants to attract new bird species, butterflies, and wildlife. Walking paths will be installed for guided tours for bird watchers when the eagles are not nesting.
Raising funds for annual Eagle Cam operating expenditures will be ongoing. The Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary is a 50l(c) (3), non-profit, 100 percent volunteer organization.
Tax deductible donations for all Nature Preserve projects are always appreciated and can be sent to P.O. Box 983, Marco Island, FL, 34146 or charged to a credit card by visiting the Preserve’s website, MarcoIslandNaturePreserve.org.
The Marco Island Nature Preserve and Bird Sanctuary expresses sincere gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to David Gardner, the Calusa Garden Club and to all the citizens who contributed to the Eagle Cam project.
Linda J. Turner, Marco Island