For Pupils, the Walk Home Is a Matter of Principal

Six-year-old Joshua Olejniczak held elementary school principal Mike Reinert’s hand as he guided Reinert down mostly unfamiliar streets in his inner-city neighborhood, talking casually about his favorite television program, bullies, “the scary house” in the neighborhood, school and his teacher, whom he likes. “You start walking along and pretty soon they’re telling you stuff, little insights,” Reinert said. Reinert, 40, who is new to the Nicolet School in Green Bay, Wis., has walked a different student home each day since school began last week. He said the walks give him a chance not only to get to know the kids, but also to meet parents and show them he is personally committed to their children’s education. Fifteen minutes after setting out from school, Joshua was fishing the mail out of the mailbox and introducing Reinert to his mother, Judy Olejniczak. She was expecting him. But the first time Reinert walked a student home from school, Reinert recalled, the youngster’s mother was suspicious. “What’s he done now?” she asked.

--This month’s celebration of the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution has taken on a whole new dimension for Michael G. Bobkoff of Denton, Tex. Writer’s cramp. Bobkoff thought it was safe to go fishing when he was supposed to be on call for federal jury duty. “Whenever I called, they said my name wasn’t picked, so I figured a three-day excursion would be OK,” the 21-year-old marketing major at North Texas State University said. Wrong. Bobkoff, who missed three court dates, was offered a choice by U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders in Dallas: Spend 24 hours behind bars or pay a $100 fine and write out the entire U.S. Constitution by hand. Bobkoff said he has written about eight pages so far and figures he has about 20 more to go. According to officials at the U.S. Archives, the Constitution contains about 6,757 words.

--Since Glen Maxey was elected last year, he has lived up to his campaign promise. “I have done absolutely nothing,” the Travis County, Tex., inspector of hides and animals said. Maxey ran for the post last year after discovering it still existed even though it has been vacant since 1896. “The inspector only went out and inspected for ownership of cattle being driven to market to make sure they weren’t being stolen,” he said. He swept to unopposed victory after vowing to do so little in office that the position would be abolished. The Texas Legislature finally has approved a bill that does just that.