JV Humphries – Grade 8/9 Writing

The grade eight and nine students at J. V. Humphries School have been doing some writing that we all thought might be of interest to a wider audience than just our classes.  The grade eights have written about what they care about; their opinions on things connected to their lives and environment.  You will quickly see that they have passionate, diverse, and humorous opinions on a wide range of topics.  The grade nines have chosen a number of forms to express their thoughts, everything from comics, to poetry, nature writing to opinion.          

Victoria McAllister (JV Humphries Teacher)

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    My Opinion                                                                        by Isaac

Picture the world as a map of ideas. The good ideas exist at the North Pole and the bad ideas exist at the South Pole. You travel down to the Antarctic and keep going until you see a big pole that says “south pole” on it. Then you look up and on top of the pole is this idea: the Kaslo Bay Estates. I believe that the Kaslo Bay Estates are a bad idea for a variety of reasons.

Reason #1: The Kaslo Bay Estates are practically within the Kaslo Jazz Festival boundaries and the new owners may not like the festival because of all the noise, crowds and litter that they will not be able to escape by going home.

Reason #2: The Kaslo Bay Estates might not all sell and then eventually the owners might just give up and stop taking care of them and then the buildings would just sit there rotting taking up valuable land for maybe fifty years until somebody finally has them removed. If this is the case, no good actually comes from it, and somebody ends up losing a huge amount of money because they decided to build condominiums when the already existing condominiums are almost completely empty.

Reason #3: There is somewhat of a housing shortage in Kaslo, and, contrary to what some people may think, the Kaslo Bay Estates are not actually helping. Because the prices of the Kaslo Bay Estates are so high, many people with families who need housing in Kaslo will not be able to afford to buy a condominium. What we need is more affordable housing in Kaslo instead of vacation homes for wealthy out-of-towners.

Reason #4: The people who end up buying the Kaslo Bay Estates will probably be wealthy people who are just buying them as second or third homes and will probably only spend a week or so in them every year. By only spending a week or so in Kaslo every year these people are contributing very little to the community. It’s just a bunch of empty houses sitting around wasting space. Take the marina condominiums for example, according to rumor there is only one person who actually keeps a permanent residence there. The rest (that sold) are owned by wealthy people who are using them as second or third homes and will only spend a week or two in them out of the year. I predict that the Kaslo Bay Estates will end up EXACTLY the same.

I’d like to acknowledge that there is the temporary employment that comes from building the condos, but I think the fact that the condos are barely used and they are taking up space where they could build houses for the people who actually need them (and all the other bad things about the Kaslo Bay Estates) outweigh the good things that come from the Kaslo Bay Estates.

All in all I think that this is a bad idea, I mean there probably is a good side to this, but I can’t see it from where I’m standing because the Kaslo Bay Estates are blocking my view.

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                  A Train for Kaslo                                                 By Tasha

           Many people visit Kaslo or Nelson quite often for either work or
pleasure purposes and because of this I believe that a very worth while
change in the Kaslo and Nelson area is to add a train between the two.
It would benefit many people, the community and the environment.
            I think that this would be a convenience to just about everyone for
these reasons:
           The train would possibly become a tourist attraction and bring more
people to come visit Nelson and Kaslo, promoting businesses and making
them thrive.
           Imagine how much more alive and healthy Kaslo would look and feel during
the holidays and throughout the year because of more people visiting.
            Once people come to visit they may fall in love with Kaslo and want to
come and live in our little town. Kaslo is quite small, but with more
people our population could grow. These days our village is the small
number of 1029 citizens.
             There are also quite a few people who commute either to or from Kaslo or
Nelson everyday, so it would save people gas money. Gas is up to 95.9
cents a litre, which is not it's all-time high but still tremendous! If
enough people rode the train rather than driving, it could reduce
greenhouse gases issued by the vehicles. Many people have been doing
what they can to aid the environment and this could help too!
               Last year I played on a Kaslo soccer team in the Nelson league. Every
Saturday for more than five months we would go into Nelson for a one
hour soccer game. Most of the time this was the only reason for us to go
in and we would drive one hour into Nelson, play soccer for another hour
and then leave to drive home. How much easier would it be if you did not
need to drive but could take a leisurely train ride in?
              Having a train would be a considerably big advantage to the people of
Kaslo especially. Parents, can you remember all the times your kids have
asked? Can we go to Nelson to go shopping?? and you have said ?No?? I,
being a thirteen year old know, and are dismayed by the fact that most
parents respond this way. Soon with your permission your pre-teens
and/or teenagers can travel to Nelson/Kaslo to have fun one day rather
than staying at home and playing on the computer or watching T.V.
              The train would have a small fee to cover repairs and the cost of building.
               It would hopefully make a profit which could be used for other benefits
to the city!
              This also would make a opportunity for several jobs. And many big
companies are dismissing employees to save money, so there would be more
people looking to apply for the available positions.
              Most places are going through an economic crises right now and this may
look like a waste of money considering the times, but I definitely think
that in the long haul it will be a benefit to everyone!

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        Children and Toys                                                          BY HEIDI

        I think that parents shouldn't buy their children so many addicting electronic devices at such a young age. By doing so, they are depriving their children of the most significant parts of their childhood; exercise, social skills, and the type of freedom you only experience at young ages.
            According to the Assorted Gaming Statistics, in 2001 over 9.8 billion dollars were spent in the United Sates on video games. Also, video games are becoming methods of therapy, as they are present in 36 million Unites States homes for this reason. Dr. Orzack (Director of Computer Addiction Services at McLean Hospital) states that anti-social children or children with social issues often become addicted to video games. In addition to this, Elizabeth A. Vandewater reported in the February 2004 issue of Journal of Adolescence that the use of video games are prominently linked to children's weight status, something that is especially true for children under 8 years of age, but not nearly as relevant for the weight problems that occur in children 9-12 years of age.
            Turning 14 made me realize how much things change as you grow older. Lately I have been reminiscing a great deal about all the experiences I had as a child that could only have been as special as they were at the imaginative age I experienced them at. I remember playing house games, spending time with my family camping, sledding, ATVing, snowmobiling, and swimming at the beach. As I grow older, I don't get nearly as much joy out of these activities as I did when I was younger. Buying children video games, Ipod touches, cell phones, etc., just makes them not able to experience all those valuable things.
            I understand that working parents who don't have time to entertain their children want to give them something that will pass the time while they're gone, but something like a trampoline is so much healthier and just as enjoyable and diverting to kids. A trampoline allows your child get exercise and fresh air instead of spending all their time inside staring at a T.V. or video game screen. In some cases, it seems like parents are trying to buy their children's love by getting them these electronic devices, but spending time with your children is a much more fulfilling and pure way to gain your children's trust and unconditional love.
            I started realizing what children's youth was becoming in November last year, when my grade 8 English class replied to the grade 2/3 class' Santa letters. Nearly every child in that class asked for and Ipod touch, which opened my eyes to what was becoming normal around the developing world.
I believe that children who spend too much time on video games get the wrong idea of the world, have an unreal sense about things, and may become violent, because it seems so normal in the superficial world they enter when playing video games.
            To me, all these electronic devices children receive at young ages are spoiling their childhood and causing childhood memories to be of what level they advanced to in a game, rather than of house games that used creative imagination. I hope that parents will start to realize what they are doing to their children's youth by buying them all sorts of computerized, high-tech devices. 

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            Paintball                                                                      By Alic       

    I don't know why some people are against paint-ball. The military plays paint-ball to train them for war, to help them survive. Police officers use paint-ball to train for real life situations. Paint-ball also gives you an understanding of how easy you can get hit if you join the army. But the paint-ball we are playing in Kaslo is just for fun.
    Some people don't like the location of the Paint-ball Park, but it has been there for years. Before there was a paint-ball park it was a dump, so you would think it wouldn't be a big deal. Paint-ballers built bunkers using their own money, materials, and tools before there was a River Trail. Then the trails group made the River Trail and tore down all of the bunkers that took the paint-ballers time and money to make. Some people don't like the paint left over from games because it doesn't look good.
    Some people worry that animals will get sick from eating the paint, but the paint-balls are harmless. The three main ingredients in paint-balls are vegetable oil, food coloring, and gelatin.
    Paint-ball is a serious sport; it takes time and money. It also keeps kids busy and out of trouble. So why do people think paint-ball is a bad sport?
    I think it's a harmless sport that people like to play.

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Opinion Piece: Younger Kids Getting Jobs.                                                         Tianna

            I personally think that people should be able to get a job at a younger age, so that they can be more mature and experienced for a job when they graduate in the future. I think that some people treat younger kids like they can't do anything responsible or mature, but I think that if kids want to do something responsible, then they should be able to do it. Also I think stores would get a bigger selection of potential employees.
            Some people think the complete opposite of my opinion. Some think that kids aren't responsibly developed and cant handle jobs that are not easy things like raking leaves or being a paperboy, etc. A lot of kids want to have jobs to make money, and that money can also be saved for a later use, like a car or college money. Some people think that kids shouldn't get too focused on money, but be more focused on school. But kids can get summer jobs where they would get money and not have school to worry about. Also a lot of stores choose kids based on their age, when they actually should choose kids based on how they act.   

So that's why I think that kids at a younger age should be able to get jobs if they want to, so then they would learn to be mature and get money.

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Opinion Piece                                                                                     By Liam

            I believe that our community should raise money for a pool in town.
Kaslo can make it like Nelson's pool, with a water slide. It would be hard to
start off with because Kaslo doesn't have enough money to make a swimming
pool (they cost close to a million dollars). I think a group of interested local adults
may be currently working towards getting a pool.

I think that the swimming pool would be a good place for adults to relax
while watching their kids. It would be a safe place for teens to hang out with
their friends. The school can also take field trips and have classes there.
Kaslo could also have a swimming team and be able to compete with other
towns and cities. The pool would be a safe environment for toddlers and for
swimming lessons.

Kaslo will attract more tourists with the pool and more teens can get
jobs being lifeguards and doing maintenance. People from all ages can get physical
activity because it is such good exercise.  More money for the restaurants and other places that sell food would also be a side benefit because people will get hungry after swimming for so long.
            A potentially bad thing about getting a pool would be Kaslo would be that much closer to becoming a city.  We like our small town because it is safe and not rushed. I worry that there would be a lot more tourists.
            I think the good things are more important than the bad things.  If Kaslo had an
indoor pool we could swim without freezing, get exercise, not have to go to Nelson for lessons and the teens would be safe there.

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Kids Shouldn't Have Homework Unless It's a Big Project.            By: Cassandra

             I believe that kids shouldn't have homework unless it's a big project. Sometimes when I have homework I just might be busy doing things such as going to sports practices, helping my family around the house, or yard, or maybe my parents made plans for the night and I have no time at all for homework.
There are many times when someone has homework and they try their hardest to get it done before they do anything else for the rest of the afternoon. Sometimes they will get it done, but most of the time they don't have any time to get it done. There are also times when the teacher, who is giving out the homework, doesn't give the students very long to do it.
          Most of the time a student doesn't have enough class time to do their work. That usually happens when a teacher has a lot to discuss with the class, or the teacher's students just don't know how or when to keep their mouths shut. Or, maybe the students spend all their time fooling around instead of doing the work that was given to them.
          There are also times when a teacher gives out homework for the holidays or weekends. I say there should be no more of it! It's like getting a new puppy, but you're forbidden to play with it. There are a lot of people who make plans for family outings, but can't enjoy them until homework assignments are complete. Homework can always ruin a kids weekend or holiday.
          If the homework assignment is a big project then I think that it's ok. Most people try to get the project done in class, but a lot of the time there isn't enough class time to do it all. The best way to fix that problem is to bring the project home as homework every night. If you do do this then you have more time to work on it.If you're one that plays on a sports team then do some of the project before practice, or game, and do some more before you go to bed. That way you could possibly get the project done and not worry about it being late. And, every kid knows that homework can be a big burden on their shoulders.
          Give kids some credit for what they do outside of school.  Do you have homework?

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      Kaslo's Own Sports Store                                                                              By Jo                                                                                                                                                  

I believe that Kaslo should build a sports store on main street. Kaslo has hockey teams, soccer, baseball, basketball and sometimes men and women’s rec league. Equipment brakes in sports and Kaslo does not have a sports store with gear.                   

Now some problems would be maybe there would not be enough business or it's too expansive or not the right gear. There really is a need ofr a sports store though.  For instance, skate boarders are always breaking braking boards and air soft and paint-ballers are always breaking their guns.  Wouldn't it be great if they could be able to walk down the street and get the stuff they need? Hockey players brake sticks and soccer players lose or pop balls, where do they go? Nelson! Nelson is one hour away. It’s a waste of gas and time. If Kaslo got a sports store it would be right down the street and you could save gas and money.                                                                                                                 

From personal experiences I had to drive to Nelson because I broke my stick and had a game the next day.  I would have like to support a local store and save time.                                                                                                                                    

If there was a store built and not enough money came in that would be sad, but I think that would not happen.  I think this because we are a town of sports people and we think a lot about supporting local businesses. 

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The building of the Condominium and Sub-division in the Kaslo Bay area. By Ryan

            I'm not a big fan of what is happening in the Kaslo bay area involving the Kaslo Bay Estates and condominiums. In my opinion I think they are a waste of time, money and effort. It takes so long to build them, I mean they haven't even finished the first one yet. I am a fan of small towns, like Kaslo, and I don't want Kaslo turning into a small city like Trail or Nelson. The work that is happening in the bay area is going to change that. I like knowing everyone in the town and I believe the condos will change that. If I wanted to move into a bigger town I would, but I don't.   

The Kaslo Estates are also really close the annual Jazz Festival site in the bay, which is one of Kaslo's biggest events. That property is used as camping sites for visitors from out of town that come into town for the Jazz Fest. When the Estates are finished where will people camp? The Kaslo campground is full, the hotels and motels are full.

You could also use that property for recreational use, so the whole community and tourists can use it too. Another idea is another hotel or motel, like a small Super 8, Prestige , Best Western, etc. It would still be kind of an eye sore, and the campers would have to pay a little to stay there, but it could accommodate a lot more people.   

The kind of people that buy the condos are usually people who have a little more money than most and just use Kaslo as a summer get-away and only stay here for 3 months or so a year. I don't want buildings with a lakeside view, easy commute to town and beautiful scenery just sitting there empty for 8 or 9 months, while they take up space in our town. That area could be used for something else. I know the guy who owns all that property is going to make a good deal of money when they do get built and good for him, I just think it could be used for something else.   

But I'm just a 14 year old kid who likes the town he's living in and has an opinion on what's going to happen to it. My opinion is that we should use that property for something else!

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Self-esteem and the Media                                                               By Rosemary

      I absolutely hate the way that the media can affect normal men and women on a day to day basis. The disgusting pictures of the "ideal" or "perfect" man or woman can take an average persons self-esteem and brutally drop it in one quick look. The media, by putting the perfect person on ads or billboards, are saying that airbrushed, toothpick or macho muscled people are truly beautiful. However my opinion is much different. Everyday when I see a magazine with a supernaturally beautiful woman, I try to think what I could do to look that nice. I, being a fourteen year old girl and very impressionable, am very tired of fighting against myself to improve the way I look, because of the media. Living in a small town the effects of the media are not as bad, compared to urban cities. However when I go to cities and see these woman who are airbrushed to look so perfect on billboards and ad campaigns, I start thinking of how I should loose that extra flub that I gained over Easter.
     The average day to day woman's weight is around 15-20% lower than what is considered healthy. There are so many forms of beauty that how the media considers only one form actually beautiful is astounding. People go to drastic measures to get the "Barbie Doll" look, which is actually not possibly anatomically achievable. Dieting, pills and surgeries are just some ways that people have resorted to trying to change their appearance. Some people have actually even gone far enough to have surgery, to remove their ribs by their waist to give them the ideal hourglass look,(that is seen all over the media.)
      The pictures put on magazines and T.V. of women and men by the media are not actually real. Their bodies have been distorted by being airbrushed (digitally removing cellulite, wrinkles, spots, evening uneven skin tones and making hips smaller and legs longer.) Researchers have found that women and men who have or are suffering from anorexia report that they found the onset of sickness by 20 years old is 86%.Girls between the ages of 11-15 say that they have reportedly been getting sick with more colds more often, is 33% and a sickness or illnesses between the ages 16-20 years old is 43%.The recent music videos that are being put out by the media are strong examples of how the media exploits women's bodies.
      I hope that the media realizes what they are doing to many people, and how they can destroy one persons self-esteem that had once been so high. Changes in society, and the way that people take in the media will hopefully change, and that the way they advertize and exploit people and their bodies will change as well. I hope that they figure out that everyone is beautiful in their own way, and that everyone is unique, and that they should have the rights to their own body. The way that the media has been corrupting men and women's minds alike to only appreciate one form of beauty should be stopped. Some companies such as Dove body care products, are trying to support women and girls in ads for their self- esteem. I think that other companies and manufactures should do the same, and help the next generation to love their bodies and to except that they are who they are and that they should be happy for what they have, not to be sad about what they don't have.

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Fast Food                                              By Jessie
                                                                          
      Fast food, obesity and heart disease go hand-in-hand-in-hand. According to CBC News, 21% of heart attack patients in Canada die every five years, and in the U.S. that number is 20%. Those numbers are partly why I, a thirteen year-old girl living in a tiny village, believe fast food chains should clean up their act and drastically alter menu options. McDonalds is the largest fast food chain in the world and is one that has slightly altered menu options, adding snack wraps and a salad to capitalize on consumer interest, but even that is not nearly enough. McDonald’s serves an average of 47 million people every day, usually serving them overly greasy, overly fast and overly cheap “food” items. I personally think that is disgusting. I feel so fortunate to live in the small community of Kaslo where there are virtually no fast food chains because I think that people would be a lot larger and less fit if there were, I know I would be.
      Hardly any fast food chains use real lean meat. Many mix their meat products with fat. Most times it is animal fat, with contributes to plaque build up on arterial walls which minimizes blood flow and maximizes heart attack risk. Obesity is a serious medical condition where you have excess body fat to the extreme that it has negative effects on your health. In St. Johns, Newfoundland the obesity rate is 36%. The number of fast food outlets per 10 000 people is 3.5. These are some of the highest numbers in Canada. Obesity is most common in areas with most large fast food chains.
      I don’t think that fast food chains can shut down all together because so many people just love the convenience and, especially in tough economic times, are tired after a hard day of work. They like the appealing price not realizing how bad the food must be to be selling it for so little. I know I have gone to Nelson for soccer and have been tempted to get a cheap bite to eat so that I could spend money more on clothing, among other things. However, fast food restaurants don’t just have to sell massive quantities of burgers and fries. I think they should focus more on fresh garden salads, fruit salads, pastas and quality meat products and decrease the amount of burgers and fries and also the fat content in them.
     I think people should be more aware of how easy it is to cook a healthy meal. Believe it or not it takes about the same amount of time to make a healthy meal as it is to get a take out order. It’s so easy to take five minutes and throw some lettuce, cucumbers and carrots into a bowl and suddenly, you have got a yummy healthy salad, I have done that countless times. I wish people would realize that apples and similar fruits in the fridge are constantly ready to go. Fast food is repulsive and I hope there will soon be a different approach to quick meals.

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The Restoration of Heritage Buildings                                By Biarki

     Some people think that the restoration of an old building is a waste of time and money. Whereas there are many other people who believe that the restoration of the Kaslo City Hall (and other heritage buildings) is a good thing. One, it brings tourists to Kaslo, therefore bringing more business to the motel, hotels, bed and breakfast and the restaurants of Kaslo.    

     As we all know the heritage buildings and structures (examples, the S.S. Moyie, Langham and The City Hall) of Kaslo are a major tourist attraction all over North America so why not take the time and money to restore them. I think that now would be the best time to restore heritage buildings is right now because the U.S.A. stock market is in a depression at the moment and the forest industry has collapsed  There are many workers who are in need of jobs, so why not give them a job at least for at least for a little while. In response to so many people needing work that you can hire people for cheaper than usual to do work as good or better than someone who is asking for hirer wages.               

     During 2009 the B.C. government has been handing out grants to different towns and cities that have heritage buildings and structures that they need or want restored.  Some of the reasons the B.C. heritage buildings and structures are a major tourist attraction are that they're  beautiful, historical, educational and a great source of information. The heritage buildings and structures everywhere in B.C. also help people locally and nationally understand how people lived in the past. I believe the restoration heritage buildings and structures is a good step towards making B.C. a more beautiful place to live.

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