Fryeburg Academy graduation ceremonies were held four weeks ago, and on Saturday, June 22 (10 a.m.) it's Kennett High School's turn. Approximately 180 graduating seniors will be receiving diplomas. John Nicky Sullivan will give the valedictory address and Hannah Benson the salutatory speech. Kennett Principal Neal Moylan will be saying goodbye to the class that's been with him during his first four years at the helm of the school. "They're a very special group, I'm really going to miss them," he said. "I have no doubt they'll be successful in the next chapters of their lives."

This week's Tele-Talk: What words of wisdom would you offer to this year's graduating high school seniors?

Call 733-5822 Saturday and Sunday and leave your comments on our machine. You may fax your responses to 356-8360 or e-mail them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Comments can also be posted on The Conway Daily Sun's Facebook page. Results will be published Tuesday.

There were 30 responses to this week’s Tele-Talk question: “Do you think yoga pants are acceptable dress for high school students?” Seventeen people said they think yoga pants are acceptable;10 said they do not.

As far as the yoga pants, that could be yes, no or maybe, but the best place to start would be with the teachers and have them dress a little more appropriately. You know these kids come in and they see how the teachers dress and what do they expect.
I think they look great on girls and they should be allowed to wear them. It’s about being young and attractive. I see no harm. We need to lighten up and enjoy life. That’s my take.
They belong on the beach.
No. Yoga pants are for yoga classes, not high school classes.
There’s nothing wrong with yoga pants. They cover things up. They don’t show any skin. They’re wearing them appropriately around the waist and not having them slack down which already is part of the dress code for other pants. So I see absolutely nothing wrong with yoga pant. To attack them, those who disagree with me should wake up to reality, maybe go out shopping and see what’s available to buy for pants around here and see if anything is acceptable to you. I think it’s sexist to go after yoga pants. It’s essentially just something that females where and there’s nothing comparable to males to say that they can’t wear. So I think it’s sexist to go after it. This is America, not Saudi Arabia. And it’s New Hampshire. It’s Live Free or Die. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, and I am the father of two daughters.
I don’t usually call in for these things but I remember back in the fall of 1969 through 1970 back at Kennett High School, blue jeans were not accepted because they were considered provocative. Times have changed. If a person wants to wear these yoga pants, why not? Take a look at the skin-tight outfits they wear in skiing, dance routines, football pants without padding in them — guys and girls alike. Why not let these kids do what they’re doing. They’re not hurting anything. What we need to do is make sure every dollar spent in the education system is educating our children. They’re ready, willing, able to learn. Let’s just get some teachers in there who can make sense of this budget we are paying every year. Let’s not worry about the kids so much, as has been evidenced in past years with, you know, pink, yellow, green, purple hair coming up through the doors at Kennett. Times change. Let kids do what they want to do as far as that goes, within reason. I think yoga pants are fine. You see them everywhere. Why not?
Do you think yoga pants are acceptable under the dress code? No, not at all. They should not be wearing those yoga pants. They need to be wearing school uniforms.
Really, you’re worried about yoga pants? They don’t even enforce the dress code as it is. I’d be more worried about the skimpy clothing than I would be yoga pants. And I have talked to a teacher who says, “You try to enforce it.” Who’s the adult here, the teacher or the kids? “Well we’d have to send them home.” Well, send them home. Enforce the dress code instead of worrying about yoga pants.
Yes, I see nothing at all wrong with the girls wearing those yoga pants, for the fact that if you look at these young men — if you want to call them “men” — wearing their darn pants down to their knees so that they can’t even hardly walk and if they bend over you see their underwear, if not their butts. It is pretty disgusting that it has gone on as long as it has with this trend. What I’d like to do is go up to the person and say excuse me, and instead of “Your sneakers are untied” saying “your pants are down.” I think it’s perfectly fine until the boys stop wearing their pants down to their knees.
The consumption of yogurt does not require the wearing of yoga pants. I’m not understanding this question at all.
Yes, any clothes that are basically painted on ought to be banned out of that school, not just those pants but all the other stuff that’s basically painted on. It’s about time that kids started dressing half way decent. And then they wonder why they have problems. And can I add a P.S.? How about our local law enforcement officers enforcing the motorcycle noise rackets this year, the new ones that have been put into those laws? Because I know if I had a car that made that much noise, I’d be off the road in two minutes.
Yoga pants are definitely not acceptable dress for high school students and I’ll tell you why: Now I realize that the majority of them are black in color, but actually they’re a communist plot, as McLaughlin over in Lovell knows, that Obama is instituting red yoga pants, so that in the future, in the next year or two, you’re going to see women and girls start to wear red yoga pants, which is a communist plot, so consequently they’re not acceptable, I mean those commies, you know, next thing you’re going to see is all these girls wearing red yoga pants. Not good. Not good.
Who the heck cares about yoga pants when the Democrats in power are taking away all our privacy rights. Also, letting four Americans die needlessly in Benghazi and then lying about it as Hillary and Obama did. And how about going after only conservatives — the IRS doing that only to just conservatives? Folks, we have a tyrannical government that we should be concerned with, and yet this liberal paper, The Conway Daily Sun, wants us to talk only about yoga pants? Something’s very wrong.
We have candy police. We have cupcake police. We have soda police. Now we have garment police. Where does this stop? By his own admission, Mark Hounsell, the rules “expert” who violates the email rules,  doesn’t even know what yoga is, much less yoga pants. He then asks, “are they provocative?” How did this guy get elected to the school board? Are there that many walking dead in our town? Alarmed, Conway Village.

The following responses were posted on The Conway Daily Sun’s Facebook page:

Really? I guess I never realized that yoga pants are so offensive. But then again, maybe I’ve just been busy concentrating on other things ...
I think this is all ridiculous. They’re kids; let em wear what they want as long as the crucial bits aren’t actually showing. I can’t remember my education being affected by my own or my classmates wardrobe at any point in my life. Seriously, they have bullying and drugs and SATs and teenage pregnancies to contend with. Who the heck cares how tight or loose their pants are?
What’s the big deal? Yoga pants are comfortable. For as long as the kids have to sit in school all day, they should be allowed to wear something that feels good and isn’t offensive.
In all my years of schooling, I can’t remember a single time when what anyone was wearing mattered to me in the slightest. Conway is not an inner-city, so it’s not like you have to worry about gang clothing or color wars, which is half the reason schools in the cities require uniforms. If it’s comfortable, let them wear it.
I can’t imagine that yoga pants are a problem. Girls wear skinny jeans, they wear leggings. What’s the problem? Seriously, the school board should have more important things to consider other than the comfy pants that kids want to wear. If I was getting up for school these days I’d definitely roll out of bed in yoga pants. If you want a real dress code be a private school with uniforms.
See Bannister v Paradis, 1970, the court ruling on this. Banning these pants is in violation with the 14th Amendment.
I think there should be a “pinch an inch” rule with pants. If you can’t pinch an inch of fabric, they aren’t suitable for school. That applies to any pants, jeans or yoga pants.
Three questions in regards to yoga pants; Are you going to a yoga class? Have you just been to a yoga class? Are you a yoga instructor? If the answer to any of these question is no, leave the yoga pants at home. This applies to everyone, not just students. P.S. I teach yoga.
I don’t think they are that bad and I feel we should focus on more important things than if kids wear yoga pants!
Take this a step further: Is this intended for both male and female students? I agree with many that have said get on with what is important.
In my daughter’s middle school they cannot wear anything “revealing” — no yoga pants, skinny jeans, jeggings, off the shoulder, midriff baring, spaghetti straps … nothing ripped or torn. At first I thought it was silly but now, I’m fine with it. As my daughter “grows up” I’m finding I’d be OK with a modified uniform!
“Don’t these schools do enough damage making all these kids think alike, now they have to make them look alike too?” — George Carlin
Some Conway Daily Sun “reporter” had a vendetta against someone in my class and wrote several articles about a shirt that said “pimpin’ ain’t easy,” then stereotyped him and went on (in several articles I believe) about how he would objectify women for the rest of his life. These people need to relax, cover important small town news and realize that times change.
I think students should learn to dress for success. What will they be wearing to job interviews or to their college interviews or new jobs?
No. Whatever happened to dressing respectfully? The dress code should be very simple and to the point so there will be no confusion. School is not a fashion show , it should be a place of learning. It would be nice to see the kids and parents fight as hard for a great education . It seems all priorities are out of whack.
No.

Yoga pants sparked concerns among teachers at Kennett High School to the point where the sung-fitting pants became a topic of conversation at the last Conway school board meeting. School officials raised concerns about whether such formfitting clothing is a good fit for Kennett High School's girls dress code. "Certain teachers are telling kids they shouldn't wear them," Conway School Board member Rick Breton said. He suggested the board's policy committee review the dress code to see if these pants fall within acceptable or unacceptable criteria. "They're not anymore provocative than skinny jeans the kids are wearing today," Breton said.

This week's Tele-Talk question: Do you think yoga pants are acceptable dress for high school students?

There were 26 responses to this week’s Tele-Talk question: “Do you think there is enough support in Mount Washington Valley for a pool complex?” Fifteen people said there is enough support; nine said there is not.
Think about this for a minute: Last winter we couldn’t even raise a few thousand dollars for an outdoor skating rink. And now, all of a sudden we’re going to raise millions and millions of dollars for a swimming complex? Think about that.
Well there probably is. We’ll probably spend $8, $10, $12 million on this new complex yet we can’t even raise enough money in this valley to educate our children.
Our family is definitely in support of an aquatic center. We will use it and support it.
Yes, I think the community can support a pool, as shown by 120 children now in the swim program as well as the 50 or so adults using the pool at the New England Inn. With the help of the White Mountain Aquatic Foundation’s board, this dream hopefully can come true but needs the continued support of parents, children and all the surrounding communities.
I think that there’s definitely enough support in the Mount Washington Valley for a pool complex. My children have all done swim  lessons with Maury and one of them is on the swim team. It’s a place where people can get together. We often use the pool just for recreation during mud season when there’s nothing much else to do and it’s such a great thing and I hope the Mount Washington Valley will come together for a pool complex.
There is plenty of support in the valley. The ground ranges from solid rock to fine soils. It could support a complex the size of Lake Chocorua, as long as it’s not near open water, rivers, bogs or environmentalists.
Of course the town can support the center. I think it’s great. People will exercise. Just like we support the Ham Arena, it gives diversity. And it’s really important to teach people how to swim and it’s good exercise and I think it’s a wonderful idea. And I think that the town and the people should rally around and support this. I think McKinney has done a wonderful job and hats off to him.
If this swimming pool complex has to be funded by taxpayer money, up to maybe 50 percent of the total cost, I think you’d get a lot of hesitancy on the part of valley residents supporting this. However, there’s no reason to do that. I believe every penny can be paid by not using taxpayer money. Let’s have the town clerk or selectmen, for instance, get ahold of our two Congresswomen, Carol Shea-Porter or Ann Kuster or Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Now they could certainly call the White House and get some Obama money. When you think of all the waste that has been thrown everywhere, down  the toilet, it’s a disgrace, and the least we can do for having elected these three Democrats is to do something for Mount Washington Valley. Now, for instance. Sen. Shaheen, on her taxes last year, declared that she is worth between $49 and $90 million. Now even if she can’t get any Obama money, she can certainly contribute some of her own funds, as well as the very wealthy Ann Kuster with her luxurious summer home in Jackson and of course the dour Carol Shea-Porter. So let’s knock on the doors of these politicians. All they seem to do is line their own pocketbooks. Let them do something for the people who have voted for them and get some of that Obama money.
A full size pool is needed in the Mount Washington Valley for both the youth and the elderly. Ask any doctor and he or she will tell you that swimming and water aerobics are the best things one can do for their heart and general good health. With an increasing aging population the need for year round swimming is important. High Schools should have swim teams so they can compete locally and statewide. Mothers with babies need a pool to introduce their young to the water. A nice pool facility would add one more valuable asset to this community which would benefit everyone. I think there is enough financial support within the valley, along with grants, for this project to move forward. Dave Mason, Fryeburg, Maine
The following responses were posted on Facebook:
I think a lighted skate park is what’s needed the most. Kids need someplace to ride their bikes, skate boards, and scooters instead of on the roads. Unfortunately, this town seems to worry more about people who don’t live here (a.k.a. the tourists) than the locals.
What we need is a Woodwards ... an indoor skate/bike park with trampolines, foam pits ... fun for all ages. Their is one in Truckee, Calif. and they make a killing year round. Parents can drop their kids off for day camps.
We have one... It’s called the Saco River!
Right on. A pool? Another dumb idea.
I sadly doubt there is enough support locally, but I think there is definitely a great need and a pool complex would be a perfect addition to the Valley’s amenities. Year round swimming is a great form of exercise, suitable for all ages and abilities! Swim lessons, therapy sessions, water aerobic classes, leisure open swim, birthday parties, regional swim meets and so many other benefits! I hope they could build both an Olympic sized lap pool (which we don’t have anywhere local) as well as a recreational pool in the facility to cater to as many people as possible.
I thought there already was one called the Saco River.
The Saco is great but only for a few months of the year. A real indoor pool would be fantastic!
Why do we even need one?! We have lakes and rivers right here! Plus we have all the fitness centers (which cost money to begin with, and I imagine the pool complex would cost as well), which have pools! How about taking taxpayer dollars to fix the roads that are falling apart?
What is the park at the Red Jacket? Isn’t that a pool with slides? Or sneak in at Grand Summit. That’s what we used to do?
There is a huge need for something (else) to do in this area. Not everyone skis, outlet shops or hikes. A municipal pool would be a wonderful addition to this area! Just give the poor locals a cost break. We are gouged at the gas pumps and supermarkets already.
Yes.
Are the tourists asking for that type of attraction? Lord knows that by and large the locals don’t need such a thing. Seems a bit silly, come to the mountains and sit by a pool.
A pool complex would be nicer than spending money on a new community center. The old community center in north Conway doesn’t get used much; no point in spending money on a new one.
Yes! I’m surprised that Fryeburg Academy doesn’t have a pool but in the Valley that’s a no brainer!
It would be nice and bring some money to valley, just watch out for floatees.
I think having a (indoor) pool available to residents and tourists, alike, that is not associated with a hotel/inn would be a great addition to the Valley. It is difficult to find a location to take a dip, especially in the winter, without having to purchase an overnight stay or a (costly) membership.
Yes.