The Catoosa County News published a letter from Travis Henry, candidate for school board District 2, in the Sept. 4 issue. In his letter, Henry makes remarks concerning his opponent, Jane Everett. In an effort to be fair, we are publishing this letter on our website, something we usually would not do, so that Everett can respond to Henry’s remarks before the runoff elections this Tuesday. Otherwise, her response would not be pubished until the day after the election.

Dear editor:

My mama taught me long ago to refrain from giving credence to falsehoods and half-truths by making a response.

However, given the inaccuracies about me in my opponent’s letter to the editor which appeared in this week’s The Catoosa County News (Sept. 4 issue), I am both amused and offended that my opponent is so intimidated by my qualifications and experience to serve on the Catoosa County Board of Education that he has attempted to lessen my abilities in order to give himself credence.

I’ve often taught kids about criticism with this example: if two people are carrying a stick and one thinks that the other stick is larger, and he can’t make his own stick bigger, the only alternative is to whittle away at the larger stick. That’s what my opponent chose to do in his letter.

I have full confidence in the voters of District 2. They know qualifications when they see them. They will know that no matter how hard my opponent whittles, the stick still stands, and it’s mighty tough to make a pile of shavings from my stick. I stand on my record of service to the families and children of Catoosa County.

Jane Everett

Candidate for school board District