September 2002

Wolf Tracks • by Nick Wolf

Political Kids

I spent one Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago helping Peter Franchot's campaign put up signs. It was a fun day. A number of kids from Takoma Park got together, along with a number of adults, we decided what neighborhoods we all were going to, grabbed a cold drink, a donut and hit the streets.

Now there are a number of rules I found out you should follow when putting up campaign signs.

First, it is of course required that you get permission from the owner, to put a sign up in their yard. Nothing like doing your candidate real damage by putting a sign up in someone's yard who does not agree with their politics. Peter is a Democrat, so there wasn't much of a chance I was going to run into too many Republicans in Takoma Park. But then again you never know. Crazier things can happen I guess.

Next thing, is to make sure you know something about your candidate and that you support them. Some people do take the opportunity to ask a few questions and when a kid can give some decent answers, they take notice. I had one lady ask me. . . "Well what has Mr. Franchot done for you?"

Well I was able to say he helped the Takoma Park Nursery School move to Flower Avenue, and although I am not in nursery school, I did go to it years ago. He worked to get a traffic light put up by the middle school where many of my friends go, and he was able to get funding for the Food Co-op, which provides me with some great bagels.

Well I wanted to throw in that he has a very cool dog named Cody, but I figured that really wouldn't sway her one way or another, unless she was a real dog lover. The point is, that it was pretty cool being able to help out and to know a little bit about politics and the election process.

I think it stinks that parents cannot bring their kids into vote with them. When I was little, I could walk in to the booth with my mom, but now that I understand the process, I can't. What kind of sense is that? No wonder no one votes in elections these days. I wonder how else we are suppose to learn about how the process works? After the Florida mess in the presidential election, I think the officials ought to talk to kids. We take so many standardized tests, we know how to fill in the dots and put the correct answer.

I guess the point of all of this is to remind the parents and to encourage the kids out there to get involved in this year's elections. They are very important. Lots of very important issues will need to be addressed. We have global warming, gun control, Bush's "war" on terrorism, the budget deficit getting bigger and bigger, the problems in the mid-east, not to mention problems in funding the schools, the pollution in the Chesapeake Bay..well you get the point.

The problems are enough to make a kid not want to grow up..but we are growing up and I think it is high time, the adults listen to us for a change. I don't think some of them are doing such a good job right now! So kids, get involved and lets see if the candidates running on September 10th will ask us for our opinions! I imagine we have some good ones!

See Scalies for September!

Members of Troop 33 complete CPR Training

CPR Instructor Jim Jarboe of the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department pictured with his students (from left): Josh Henkai, Jimmy Lowe, Leo Peters, Patrick Cummings, Orion Peters, Lewis Wilde, Peter Myers, Elon Feinstein, and Scott Lavon. Fire Department Staff member Mary Vorhies (far right) helped teach the course.

911 phone simulator a big hit at the fair

Members of the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department were on hand at the Montgomery County Fair to give children hands-on 911 phone experience and understanding of how the system works and the caller's responsibilities. Over 1,000 persons visited the fire safety awareness table. Special thanks to Charles Prince, Stan Herrmann, Deanna Stewart, Dave Hooker and Bob Jarboe.