Well if that don't beat all. Our first born has had as many unscheduled days off from school in June as she did in January.

First, Howard High is closed June 4 because of a power outage resulting from the wicked storm that passed through here, then the kids are sent home a half a day early June 9 because the air conditioning goes on the fritz (Raymond Brown, the school system's chief of operations, told me the problem was related to the aformentioned blackout). Marriotts Ridge High students also went home early June 9 because the AC conked out.

Back in my day, sonny, we didn't have air conditioning and we walked 10 miles to school, uphill both ways, through blinding snowstorms and desert heat, sometimes in the same day.

OK, maybe not. Fact is we did have air conditioning back in the 1970s. The other thing we had was something we're having again now: an energy crunch.

"Crisis" was what people called it in those days, but we don't use that term in 21st century journalism unless we're talking about Lindsay Lohan.

But while we don't have odd-even rationing yet, we've essentially got the same problem, only more so. And with median temperatures climbing steadily, our reliance on indoor climate control grows. With that comes more fuel use, and so on.

In the interest of the environment, economizing and the reality of the two-income family, school system officials ought to consider getting instruction time in via longer days in a shorter school year. Budget pressures and other factors already have prompted officials in other American school districts to look at having their schools open for fewer days.

Of course, the conventional wisdom of late has advocated the opposite approach, arguing for year-round school. That certainly would accommodate two-income families with young children when school is open. But the common model that would stagger attendance in a year-round school in a scheme in which any given student would be, say, four weeks on and one week off, would still leave those parents with day-care issues. They might actually be more complicated, since most providers require steady customers to be profitable.

Lucky someone didn't really break a leg

The lingering electrical problems resulting from the big storm last week have played havoc with a production at the Drama Learning Center on Red Branch Road, in Columbia.

Owner Stephanie Williams said the teen performers in the DLC production of "Little Shop of Horrors," had been split into two casts. While one cast got through its rehearsals and performances without a hitch, power problems plagued every rehearsal of the other cast. Then, during its first performance over the weekend, the electricity went out in the middle of the show. Power failed yet again for the Sunday matinee, forcing cancellation.

In order to make it up to the cursed cast, the center has scheduled an additional late-night performance for 10:30 p.m. on Friday the 13th.

Horrors, indeed.

Additional performances are set for June 12-15 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, the 15th at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 410-997-9352 for reservations.

---

user comments (0)