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Show U t , f , : i, 1 -., Volume One Hundred Six (HUGS The Utah Taxpayers Association Associa-tion has announced support for significant education funding in the coming session of the Utah Legislature but the Association's Chairman Steve White says the money must come with strings attached. "We cannot simply throw money at the problem," White said. "The Taxpayers Association . believes that significant increases in school funding are appropriate, but increased spending must be accompanied by fiscal accountability account-ability and by market-based reforms. .Taxpayers want results," re-sults," Mr. White said. " In December, Governor Michael Mi-chael Leavitt unveiled his public education proposal which would provide a whopping 14.8 spending spen-ding increase this year. While student numbers have increased just 4.7 over the last ten years, if this increase is adopted by the legislature, state funding for education will have more than doubled, increasing 104.2 over ten years. During the last 10 years inflation, infla-tion, as measured by the Consumer Con-sumer Price Index has been 33.2. When added to the 4.7 increase in student growth this H 4 & f.;L . . . ... I'y I v .Vryfv- - f - ii .- j?Ln - n p -,v u,, ft J is:TKi Rn n f ftn r . A - .,.p, .-...,, ., ,j, ;-r ! RaK i. ;. fVi Q j-Im I I Altom Beck s4s !vrnDir's mmvi Governor Michael O. Leavitt presented Alton Beck, of Springville, Spring-ville, with the tenth Governor's Points of Light Award at a ceremony cere-mony held January 11, 2001 at the State Capitol. The Governor's Points of Light Award is an award given to honor outstanding volunteers throughout the state, such as Beck. After losing his son in a car accident, Beck decided to take action. Beck concluded that he could help troubled youth who, like his deceased son, were "in the system" to turn their lives around. Since 1993 Beck has been a regular fixture at the Slate Alton Beck of Springville didn't retire to his easy chair, he is busier than ever mentoring troubled youth at the Slate Canyon Youth Center. He was honored last week by Governor Michael Leavitt for his volunteer service. Beck received the tenth Governor's Points of light Award. -- ' i 1 M - . ' 1 would justify a school spending increase of 37.9. The association's first requirement require-ment for additional funding is that strict fiscal accountability be required for all school districts in the state. The Association pointed to the mishandling of current school tax dollars as disclosed in recent audits by the Legislative Auditor General. These audits reviewed the massive amounts of money which have been appropriated by the legislature and local school boards for class size reduction and textbook purchases. The common problem which both audits uncovered is that we really don't know where the money goes, because accounting and reporting requirements are so lax. Despite the statutory requirement require-ment that all school districts comply with standard financial reporting requirements and that the State Superintendent of Public Instruction report revenues and expenditures for every district by distinct spending categories in an annual report, the information is not aiways reported in a consistent consis-tent fashion. Because of this inconsistency, the data are much less meaningful Canyon Youth Center where he helps to mentor troubled youth. Beck helps them to realize that they are of worth and that at any time can they turn their lives around. His philosophy on how to help; just take the time to listen. The Governor launched the Governor's Points of Light Award on Oct. 20, 2000. Recipients Recipi-ents are selected from nominations nomina-tions sent in by Utah residents. For information on how to nominate nomi-nate someone for the Governor's Points of Light Award, contact the Utah Commission on Volunteers Volun-teers by calling 801-764-0704. ton Gli DM ' A v A 1 m YVfliY rlVfiT rftl - --; r-' ' . -a N if 11 .i A 1 -r f ' ..Hm - I SPRINGVILLE, UTAH than they should be. A few years ago this financial data used to be reported as part of the Superintendent's Superint-endent's annual report, but now. it's available only if requested-and requested-and few know to request it. Mr. White noted that both audits were critical of the State Office of Education for failing to provide the districts with more direction and uniformity in reporting re-porting the use of textbook and class-size money. The legislative audit on class-size class-size reduction spending showed that many of Utah's forty school districts are unable to account fgr class-size . expenditures.1 The legislature has allocated over $344 million since 1990 to reduce class size among the various school districts. Because 59 of class-size money has been comingled with other funds, it is impossible to be sure school districts have spent the funds as intended, despite the fact that state law requires districts dis-tricts to account for the spending. Citizen's Day at the Utah Legislature Citizen's Day at the Legislature Legisla-ture gives interested citizens the tools and information to make a real impact on Utah's legislative process. Participants will be able to catch up on legislative issues affecting low-income Utahns and have lunch with their legislators. Ii will be held Mon. , Feb. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the State Capitol. Meet in the Rotunda. To enroll, please call Utah Issues at (801) 521-2035 or toll free: (800) 331-5627 by January 31. Be sure to find out your house and senate district before enrolling (call your local county clerk). Seating and lunches are limited! limit-ed! Lunch is provided but donations dona-tions are warmly accepted. Shakespeare for Youth class in Springville Beginning this month, local youth ages 12 and up will have an opportunity to experience Shakespeare up close and personal person-al at the VIP Arts Academy. Shakespeare For Youth, an exciting excit-ing new class, will be offered as part of the Villa Youtheatre Program. Students will learn about the works of this great playwright in a workshop setting, emphasizing comprehension of Shakespearean language and tory telling as well as hands-on elements ele-ments like swordplay and performance. perfor-mance. "Our goal is to decrease the intimidation factor," explains instructor E. Scott Wells. "We're going to focus cn understanding the language." Wells has a Master's Mas-ter's Degree in theatre arts and r, r. o u Shown above is a photo of the Carnegie Library building right after it was built. It now houses the Daughters of Pioneers Museum and the Springville Ilistori- Mn Caa!ai KTa4-Saa tha Cniinni;Slla HnAro Umicn in Kn hart firm i nH nnw t h P Senior Citizens Center, and the Mendenhall Bank Building on the right. The DUP ladies are seeking a list of everyone who lived in Springville and Mapleton prior to and including 1900, and along with the names they would like histories, pictures, family group sheets and any other information available on these early settlers. See related article. Photo courtesy of Dick Wiley. 84663 - January 1 7, 200 1 Consequently, the auditors said they could not identify where $147.9 million of the $344 million mil-lion went. Mr. White noted that the audit on textbook spending showed that nobody knows for sure whether school districts are complying with the state requirement that 5.5 of school funding be spent for textbooks and instructional supplies, because some districts don't account for it properly. In fact the audit revealed that despite an earlier audit in 1996 calling for the standardization of reporting,. the-Utah State Office of Education has not enforced correction of this problem. The audit showed that one district reported $36,000 cheerleader cheer-leader and drill team uniforms as an instructional supply. Many districts were found to spend less of their own budget on textbooks in the years when the legislature appropriated supplemental supple-mental monies to the districts for textbooks. In other words, the legislature's attempts to provide more money for textbooks were actually sabotaged by some of the districts. Mr. White said the Taxpayers Association also wants accountability account-ability of textbook prices to ensure that schools are not paying too much for books. The association associa-tion is concerned that some districts dis-tricts pay much more than they should, depending on where they choose to make the purchases. The association's proposal to end the diversion of school property prop-erty tax dollars through Redevelopment Redevel-opment Agencies (RDA's) would end the loss of approximately $24 million in school taxes annually. RDA tax increment financing, which began in the 1960s, allows city councils to take some of the funds taxpayers think are going to schools and use them to entice developers to build retail stores, office space and industrial facilities facili-ties in their communities. The association urges legislative legisla-tive support of a bill to end or seriously curtail this practice. has acted professionally with Pioneer Theatre Company for three years. He has toured nationally na-tionally with productions of "Godspell" and "Man of La Mancha" and has acted and directed di-rected in the U.S. and Europe. He serves on the VIP Arts Board of Trustees with his wife Lara and is currently directing the "The Odd Couple," playing at The little Brown Theatre through Feb. 12. The class will produce "Twelfth Night." Tuition is $35-month. $35-month. Class sessions will be held on Saturday, 9-11 a.m., at the VIP Arts Academy Building, 239 S. Main, in Springville. Registration can be completed by calling 489-3088. Price 50ji CCOIMlifclliilDlfy Local school boards must also exercise their statutory authority in voting no to the proposals when they come before the local taxing agency councils. In some cases school representatives have not even showed up to vote on these school tax diversions and when they do attend, they nearly always vote yes. "When educators outside Utah comment on Utah education, it is common for them to observe that we are the state that focuses our education resources on building magnificent school buildings," Mr. White . saidThe Governor has proposed to increase state support for fast-growing districts with limited property tax resources resourc-es by $10 million, from the current $28.3 million to $38.3 million." "While the Taxpayers Association Associ-ation supports this aid of these impacted school districts, we believe that lower-cost construction construc-tion and standardized school plans should be required for districts to qualify for these funds. Currently, there is no limit to the expensive construction of school buildings in Utah," Mr. White said. "The Taxpayers Association supports school choice such as the tuition tax credit bill proposed by Rep. John Swallow as a way One hundred years forJoCollett Josephine McCarthy Collett, lovingly known by her friends as "Jo," will be one hundred years old on January 23, 2001. She was born January 23, 1901 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Peter Hugh McCarthy and Junietta Ellison, the middle child of seven children. Her family is planning an open house to celebrate her 100th birthday on Saturday, January 20, at her ward building in Springville. Spring-ville. at 860 E. 200 North, from 2 to 5 p.m. All who would like to wish Jo a Happy 100th Birthday Birth-day are invited to attend. Please come with a thought or memory of Jo that you would like to share. Jo married John Thomas Collett in September of 1923 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They had four children: June Mercedes, Merce-des, John Lawrence, Roger Dean and Colleen Anne. Colleen died at the age of 18. Jo lived in Salt Lake City, Lehi and moved to Springville 1934. She has lived in Springville and in the same location for 70 years, and lived alone until a few months ago when Mercedes felt she shouldn't be alone and brought her to live with her. Jo was a visiting teacher for over 60 years and still teaching until she fell, while shopping with a friend, and fractured her pelvis in June of 1998. As a member of the LDS Church she has been active and held many positions including a teacher in UTAH PRESS ASSOC 3(57 W 00 s SUITE 4006 SALT LAKE CITY UT 84101-177 Number Three of reducing costs by controlling growth in student numbers. This proposal could actually eliminate the coming boom in student numbers at about half the cost that would be incurred if those Continued on page 2 RSVP for Chamber The public is invited to attend the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce awards banquet honoring the 2001 Business and Citizen of the Year on Saturday, January 27, at the Springville Museum of Art. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner served at 7. If you are interested in amending, please RSVP to Teddy Anderson at the Chamber Cham-ber of Commerce office, 489-4681, 489-4681, by Fri., Jan. 19. The cost is $15 per person or $30 per couple. Primary, MIA and Sunday School, also leadership positions in all the auxiliaries. Although she has lived in the same home for over sixty-five years, she has found herself in several different wards and stakes. Because of her love of people and desire to serve, she had made friends wherever the boundaries have placed her. Jo has twenty-two grandchildren, grandchil-dren, over fifty great-grandchildren and at last count, about ten great-grandchildren. K Yj H t j 1 ir. 'A Josephine Collett banquet 7f ) COPY -.X |