Karla's Kolumn

It’s one of those weeks where several thoughts are running through my mind. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t trained any of the dogs to sleep until the alarm goes off and lack of sleep makes the mind wander a lot. Or, perhaps it’s because there has been a lot going on in our community and in the world today.

Whatever the reason today, you get thoughts on a couple of subjects.

First, last Thursday the Washakie County School District No. 1 Board held a meeting about an idea for grade-level schools instead of neighborhood schools. The proposal was not necessarily a cost-saving measure, but rather for efficiency as the district is facing some financial cuts and will likely have to cut one section in each of the second, third and fourth grades.

I was asked after the meeting what my thoughts were and I was honest, with no children in the system (only fur children at home) I had a different perspective. I understood concerns of parents about having siblings in the same school, walking to school together, riding a bus and more.

But when the idea of a grade-level school was first mentioned at the school board meeting I thought it was a great idea. Growing up in Thermopolis and then living in Lovell for 16 years and then Basin for six years, most of my life has been spent in communities with one elementary school – a grade-level and a neighborhood school all in one.

There were comments last week that changing to a grade-level school would hinder the feeling of community, while someone else said grade-level schools would actually increase the feeling of community.

That’s the side I lean on. If students all go to the same school they get to know students from the entire community, not just their neighborhood. There was talk about transition to middle school – middle school when they are all thrown in together. In my opinion the transition becomes easier because starting at the kindergarten level they have had the opportunity to get to know all the students in their grade and one grade higher. There’s no adjustment needed when you’re no longer with your “neighborhood” classmates because the community has become your neighborhood, just as in smaller schools with only one elementary.

Superintendent David Nicholas said he likely won’t recommend it to the board unless there’s at least 66 percent of the staff in support. Right now, he does not have that, but I hope it’s something the district continues to consider. I think grade-level/community schools would be better for the students, the district and the community, than neighborhood schools.

And now, taking a completely different turn, let’s for a moment, talk giraffes, specifically April and Oliver. At this writing, the watch continues for April to give birth to her fifth calf, while Oliver awaits becoming a father giraffe for the first time at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursvile, New York.

A few of us at the Daily News began the watch on Thursday. I don’t think any giraffe has gotten so much attention, not just for the live webcam, but also for the protests that led to the video being taken down by YouTube for a few hours on Thursday.

Someone marked the video as having nudity and sexually explicit content, not because there was such content, but more because they were “animal rights activists” opposed to zoos and animal parks and just wanted the video taken down.

That leads me to my final random thought – is 2017 the year of the protests where we protest everything. It started with #not my president, which, by the way, President Trump as president of the United States is president of all citizens of the United States. But those protests have spurred a lot of spoofs of protests such as #notmysuperbowl for those who didn’t like either team in the Super Bowl or who didn’t like the outcome. There were jokes after the ice jam flooding that maybe there should be protests — #notmyflood or #notmyMotherNature. I guess for those opposed to April the giraffe’s video we could have #notmygiraffe.

Maybe if I don’t like what my husband fixes for supper I can protest #notmysupper or when I desire control of the remote I can protest #notmytvshow.

Yes, that’s correct. I agree everyone has a right to their own opinions and to speak out on their opinions but do we really have to protest everything.

For some, I guess they do, but for me I have too many things to do, like a full–time job, taking care of my home and my family and just relaxing and enjoying life because life is too short to be angry about everything all the time.

And that relaxation may include checking in on a New York giraffe – just because I can, besides, it provides a slight break from work and provides a glimpse to something natural and wonderful that I can’t see every day in Worland.