Please give credit to the local volunteer and non-paid boards that try to maintain policies to keep the community that they serve prosperous, but also safe, through diligence and proper supervision.

It also needs to be noted that each board or authority has specific roles to play and to govern, and should have the same respect for other, similar groups, whichever they are representing.

This writer (age 66) bought a bottle of wine at a Sheetz store because it was exactly as advertised, a “convenience store” that was open and, yes, convenient.

Much to our amusement, the approximately 20-year-old cashier asked to see some identification, even though it was a cash transaction. He needed to make certain that the silver–haired man making the purchase was truly of legal drinking age. That is the company rule.

On any given morning, the cashier at the local gas station where he buys his coffee will have a line to complete transactions because the cashier has to check identification for age restrictions on buying cigarettes or other tobacco products.

The point is: there are legitimate safeguards in place for protecting kids and the community from the evils of alcohol and tobacco, and it doesn’t fall to entities such as school boards to do that job.

We understand the concern of parents and board members about addictive products being made readily available to our youth. But without question, more teenagers gain access to the “sin” products in our homes than manage to make purchases at the most brightly lit and closely monitored stores that exist.

The schools and even MHY would be near the proposed convenient stores. But if you check with those persons paid to administer policy at the schools, you will find they have stringent policies in place and the knowledge of how to manage it properly.

A more legitimate concern would be the traffic issues and the potential hazards created by finding shortcuts for motor vehicles.

There is no reason to dent a legitimate business from operating in or near the school district. Let the people we already have put in place to enforce these rules and laws do their jobs. They will prove to be much better at it than we would be.

Concern for the kids’ safety is paramount, but too many cooks can ruin the soup.

— RV