Editor:

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the rabid fox article ("The Battle of Orleans," Sept. 8) it is unfortunately not the only, or most important, battle playing out in Eastern Humboldt right now.

There is currently a public service announcement playing on the radio from the Humboldt County Office of Education. The message is a reminder to parents and students about the importance of school attendance and how missing even a few days of school can lead to problems for student learning and achievement. It is a reasonable message.

The same message becomes heartbreaking when put in the context of the Klamath-Trinity School District. When driving the State Route 96 corridor through Willow Creek, Hoopa and Orleans, one is witness to missing roofs, torn up parking lots and, most importantly, empty classrooms. The beginning of school has been delayed for three weeks due to delays in repairing the neglected, mold-infested infrastructure of the entire district ("Mold School," May 12).

Many students of Klamath-Trinity are among the most vulnerable in the county. I would like to ask the Humboldt County Office of Education what message it thinks these students are hearing?

Chris Hatton, Orleans