Letter to the Editor; Reader likes bridge-building creativity among local kids

Dear Editor,

I read the article on the front page of the paper today concerning children building bridges in the creek and skateboarding and riding bicycles on the sidewalk. I agree with much that was said in the article. It is important that we encourage safe activities for our children that do not put them or others at risk.

I do have a concern about the general tone of the article, because one of the things I love best about Odessa is the ability for the children of our community to play freely outdoors. When kids are playing outside they are much better off than when they are inside playing on their technology devices. Of course when they are outside playing they can be noisy and sometimes messy. They also can exercise their creativity, problem solving and teamwork skills to build bridges, build jumps to skate or bike over, to create a train involving bikes, skateboards, ropes and lots of kids going down main street together.

Of course no one should be skating, biking or boarding down Main Street sidewalks. It is dangerous for everyone. Picking up debris on the side of the creek and using it to build a bridge does not look that dangerous to me. From the appearance of the bridge pictured with the article I would guess the material used would have been picked up and floated down in a high water event whether it was across the creek or alongside of it and not used as bridge building materials.

I hope Odessa continues to provide a safe, welcoming environment for our children to play outside.

Suellen White

Odessa School Superintendent