Letter: Will extra time mean extra trouble for kids?

I have had the misfortune of having to make numerous trips to Meeker over the past several months in order for my son to appear in court. Every time we have been there, I have noticed that we are not the only ones there representing Rangely. This past Friday, there were five other high school and junior high kids from Rangely, all waiting their turn to stand before the judge. That in itself should set some alarms going off in people’s minds that we’re not doing something right here. I can only imagine how full that courtroom will become if our school system does manage to convince people that a four-day week is a good thing. The Rio Blanco court system and the local attorneys are going to be making lots of money off the citizens of Rangely. Has me thinking about going to law school …
I’m afraid there will be sad times ahead for the parents of Rangely. I mean, really, do we even have enough alternatives in this town for kids to do besides get into trouble? I have a sad notion that drug use, criminal mischief and teenage pregnancies will all be on the rise if we give our hormonal teenagers the whole day off once a week to “do their homework” and “spend more time with their families.” Sorry, but as far as I know, I haven’t heard of any of the local companies and businesses offering their employees a four-day week in order to support this wonderful plan. Seriously.
Tammy Dahle
Rangely