OCR Text |
Show DAVISrREFLEX-JOURNAL- t . i , Page MARCH 19. 1986 Davis lleflov-Jourii- al Ladies travel with students Published weekly by Clipper Publishing Co. Inc. 96 South Main, Bountiful, Utah 84010 Weekly newspaper published at Layton, Utah every Wednesday in the interest ot Davis County and colonies tormed by tor met residents Address all correspondence to 197 North Main, Layton Utah 84041 Subscription rate 25' per copy. $6 50 per year, mailed in county $7 50 per year outside John Stahle, Jr. are carefully screened before By JOYCE WINTERS -- Advertising Manager Newsi'Editor Sports Reporter e. Production Manager 544 9133 extending students opportunities to learn language and culture with an on hand experience for several years now. The tour lasts for IFaDEPuninm That the community might be informed about the scenes of daily life, we present the Forum, in aiding a more intelligent decision behind-th- hope around 30 days starting June 4 to July 3 and goes to the following places: Cairo, Athens, Rome, Florence, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, Black Forest, Paris, Caen and London. e of THIS TOUR is a study tour where students who wish college credit can receive it through San Jose State. In talking to Mrs. Skinner and Mrs. Beattie about the benefits of a study tour, they both agree the affect is far lasting in a students life, such as appreriation for people, customs, and culture, but also finding oneself as we learn about others. sign- ing up. Some students who have either gone on the tour or are going are Beverly Snell, Shelly Stoddard, Steven Hayes, Steve Ashmead, John and Michelle Sailor. When asked why they want to go, the common answer is "to follow up what I've learned in humanities out of books, to see for myself. Those who have been say the same thing. - A trip thats KAYSVILLE! easily referred to as an opportunity of a lifetime is available to students through a travel company called Travel Systems Abroad, Two local school teachers are the tourguides, Kathryn Skinner and Vivian Beat-tiThese two teachers have been Pres Manager Vice President Lucile S. Stahle Noel C. Stahle Tom Haraldsen Keith Duncan Martin Lee 2 WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES VIVIAN Beattie Kathryn Skinner help students understand their graphy classes with first hand experience. ONE HAS to admire teachers of the caliber of Mrs. Skinner and Mrs. Beattie, who work with students nine months, and are then and geo- willing to spend summer leave to work with them on such a close basis. They readilly admit, you become one family, and thus students "WHEN YOUVE had an outstanding teacher like Vivian Beat-ti- e or Kathryn Skinner to teach you language, art, music and history and then have it reinforced by seeing those works of arts and cultures for yourself, it is an experience of a lifetime and one you'll always remember." Some of the general feelings of participants have been increased gratitude for the little and big freedoms and conveniences that we enjoy in America that have been taken for granted before are now held in deep respect and awe. FOR MORE information call 1 or Mrs. Mrs. Skinner at Beattie at 546-486- 292-508- 7. viewed options library Layton The state superintendent of public instruction has called on teachers to temper their comments in the heated battle over school spending. Talk of a teacher's strike, he said, will "very likely engender an intemperate response from some quarters serving as a catalyst for a counter statement." That's bureaucrat lingo for "Cool it!". ..and it has some merit considering the babble of rhetoric coming from both sides of the dispute. If were a legislator, I would have increased the educational budget--bu- t not due to the ravings of Betty Condie, the president of the Utah Education Association and the mistress of the overstatement. Consider this Condieism: In regards to salary "teachers are tired of being on the outside looking in." Apparently Ms. Condie thinks a teacher's salary is comparable to the income of an unkempt bag lady or an unemployed Peruvian. The facts don't show it. ..Teachers don't live in an Appalachian hovel and they are not part of the poverty cycle, even though I would vote them more money. The average salary of a Utah school teacher exceeds $20,000 per year. That's hardly a healthy nestegg. but it's more than the average annual adult wage in Utah of $17,201. I know a lot of people doing less and also know making more money than school teachers-b- ut many making much less. The starting salaries of scnuoi teachers is comparable to the starting pay of many other professions: Accountants make more, but journalists usually make less. ..Engineers make more, but many business majors start much lower. The problem with teaching salaries is not the low beginning but the low ending. With salaries topping off in the mid $20,000 range after 15 years of experience, there is little motivation for teachers to improve, excell and stay. Career ladder bonuses once held promise, but have since fizzled out into a program of scrapbooks in w hich a majority of the teachers share equally a legislative pittance. (A teacher in northern Davis County had his career ladder dossier rejected since he had listed extra coaching classes. "But I was hired at this school to be a coach!" he said. "You're penalizing me for starting another successful program that took me out of coaching. The reply: I'm sorry, but...) Until a successful, experienced teacher has the ability to earn per year, teachers have a valid gripe. But Ms. Condie's claims of poverty (I last met her on a trip to Hawaii) are downright sill, proof that a college education does not make a person sensible. (And speaking of Ms. Condie, she is the same woman who wrote a column questioning the value of homework. The teachers I know shivered when they read her they weren't shivering because they couldnt pay their utility bills!) Those taxpayers who are are also foolish. The letters to the editor column always includes some imbecile who says teachers make too much money since they only work nine months of the year (and teachers respond in kind that they only receive nine months pay spread" over 12 pay periods). The nine months argument is silly. Since when is a professional person's worth judged solely on the number of hours worked? Teachers are not hourly employees and shouldn't be judged as such. We don't begrudge Sylvester Stallone for making millions for a short work year; his salary is based on his success, not the number of hours worked punching out Russians and shooting up Viet Cong. And the same goes for others in positions of responsibility: If press reports are true, school teachers work much teachers spend more longer hours than Ronald Reagan--an- d time grading papers at night than Kenny Rogers spends on stage. Teaching is not an easy job, especially if it's taken seriously. Sure, the amount of hours spent teaching, advising and grading varies drastically from teacher to tcacher-b- ut the responsibility doesn't vary. Few people have the impact on society a teachc has. ..and if we expect excellence, then we should be willing to pay for it. Let's not quibble about the number of hours spent "on task"; let's look at the actual job performance. As I wrote in a previous column, some teachers are overpaid and some are underpaid. The battle over educational spending in the meantime our public is hasn't aduicssed this issuc--an- d churning out children and creating zealots on both sides. I doubt the teachers will strike. ..and I also doubt the taxpayer will face up to responsibility of educating our large families. Teachers are not forced to cat Spam. ..but excellent ones should be able to order lobstcr--aneven fly to Hawaii to 1 ! college-educate- d $35-$40,0- anti-teach- anti-teach- er er his-h- cr d order it. Hollow auditions set - for Try-out- s Hollow Summer musical "The Student Prince" will be held 2 March by contacting representatives in your area, who are: Fruit Heights Stake, Richard HarCrestwood Stake, vey Kays-- ' Dwight Pinnock 'V Sciith Stake, Robin Lewis Kaysville Stake, Colleen Bobo Kaysville Hast Stake. Crladys Mavficld IK YOlkK not sure of your KAYSV1LEE Happy 17-2- 544-436- 544-489- 544-o:n- 544-299- 544-999- wistaygg area, contact any of the above, for all residents are invited to audition for the following parts: The Prince, a tenor; Larntz, a first tenor and young man: Vonasterberg, a second tenor; Lucas, a bass; Katy, the lead soprano; Gretchen, a soprano: Princess Margaret, a sopraroles include no. The The Duchess, a middle age woman; man; Lutz, a comic middle-ag- e and Dr. Huburt, a midc1. non-singin- g Ingle, a middle age i roldernun. jw By DONETA GATHERUM LAYTON - What is the best possible way to bring a quality library to Layton? Should Layton -- build? Should they buy an existing building? Should Layton join the county system? Should one of Davis County's largest cities remain independent? THESE ARE five complex questions that the Layton City Council will be discussing in April. Pressure to have a library in Layton has consistently been expressed by citizens even before the Layton City council voted to separate from the Davis County Library System in December, 1981. According to Lynn Wood, former Layton City Councilman who made the motion to withdraw from the County Library System, the fact that Layton had no library was the primary reason Layton left the system. "We (Layton) had a Commitment from the county commissioners that a special capital improvement assessment originally set up for the jail would be given to the county library system for a new central bianch library in Layton. THE CITY set aside property on THE HERITAGE MUSEUM in Layton is one of the possible sites for a new extension of the county library in Layton. Another being discussed is an abandoned grocery store. Hawthorne Street and Lancer Lane for the library. The land was to be a donation from the city to the county," Mr. Wood recalls. Instead of using the capital improvement fund for a library, the county commissioners decided it was needed for a second story jail expansion program. That's when the Layton City Council decided the city would be better off out of the system. A library mill levy would be collected and the money would be placed in a special interest-bearin- g account labeled for library use only. As of February , 1986 there is in excess of $670,000 in the Layton library fund. The fund accumulates an estimated $237,000 each fiscal fiscal year. So far in the 1985-8- 6 year, 93 percent of the anticipated library fund revenue has been collected so the actual amount received before June , 1986 will exceed the $237, 000 estimate. 1 1 MS. JEANNE Layton, Davis County Library head, explains the decision not to build a library in Layton. "The funding didn't come through. At the time we were making plans for a new library, the county was in a period of recession. The plans were placed on the back burner by the county commissioners because they were cautious about spending in a period of slow growth," she said. Ms. Layton also explained the decision to build a library in Layton was made after a feasibility study determined downtown Layton was the best site for the next regional expansion of the county system. Skcmatie drawings were made, soil studies were conducted and the county was pleased with the Hawthorne Street site. WHEN LAYTON withdrew from the county system, an agreement was made that allowed Layton residents who desired to use the county libraries the right to hold cards at no charge. The county billed Layton and the money was taken from the city library fund collected through the mill levy. Bookmobile service was also paid for out of the mill levy money. Ms. Layton says many Layton residents have taken advantage of the free library cards. The number of Layton users has increased steadily over the past five years and today the North Branch Library in Clearfield is used almost as much as the South Branch in Bountiful. She predicts that even after a library is located in Layton many people will prefer the North Branch because it is closer to their homes than the downtown area. OMA W ILCOX, Chairman of a Layton Citizens Library Committee that has functioned for about 27 years, claims that Layton City should move cautiously towards a library committment with the county. She notes that Layton residents have library services--th- e same services as citizens in other Davis County communities. Mrs. Wilcox said two years ago the Library Citizens Committee met with the City Council and re- commended that Layton stay out Mayor, reported at a city council work meeting that he. Jeanne Layton and Com. Saunders "went through Tom Winegar's old store with consideration of it as a library site. They were pleased with it. The Mayor recommended that the council authorize $1,000 ernest money payment to Tom Winegar for the purchase of the building I . with the following stipulations: structural soundness; 2. Purchase price of $350,000 or appraisal whichever is less; 3. Approval by city Council. The council agreed to the ernest money payment. Mayor McKenzie says Toms Store at 280 E. Gentile sits on Vi acre. If the existing building were converted into a library, it would Layton Library Facts Layton pays the county $25 for each family library card or $12.50 for each single card issued to a Layton residence. The number of cards issued on a monthly basis from July 1985 to December 1985 aie as follows: July August 185 September 189 October November December 191 90 184 88 families families families families families families of the county system until one million dollars was accumulated in the city library fund. The committee suggested that the county commissioners prepare for that time by setting aside a sizeable amount of money also." This goal could be reached in two more years. THE LAYTON council agreed with the library committee and while relations with the county were friendly, the city made no committment to rejoin the system. "I haven't seen any preparations by the county to meet this one million dollar goal," Mrs. Wilcox stated. "The state allows a library assessment of 3.75 mills. Davis County's library mill levy is about 2 mills. Layton should be very cautious until the county adjusts the mill lew to cive more to libraries. ON FEB. 6. 1986 Richard McKenzie, newly-electe- d Layton 19 single 19 single 82 single 80 single 25 single 14 single be 4,000 square feet larger than the one the county had planned for the Hawthorne Street site. Although studies by the city and the county have not yet been completed, Mayor McKenzie says one advantage to renovating the store would be cost. It might be that we could save between $300,000 and $400,000 if the existing building was used. There would be an additional bonus of 4.000 square feet," the Mayor stated. IF TOMS store were converted into a library, Layton city would own the building and the property. The city would be responsible for the renovation and the facility would be leased on a long-terbasis to the county. The county would stock the library and provide the professional staff. Another possibility for a library in Layton was. cxploied by Dr. Kent Day, curator of the Layton Heritage Museum. Dr. Day stated in a letter to Mayor McKenzie that was endorsed by the Heritage Museum Board that preliminary architectural plans were prepared when the museum was constructed for a library-museucomplex, constructed on an open, modular plan that permits expansion in any direction. A library-museucould also contain facilities for the performing arts, exhibits, public lectures and other public meetings. "THE LOCATION in Layton Commons is attractive, accessible and away from commercial establishments, the letter stated. "It is a way from but accessible to major traffic arteries. This is an important consideration for Senior Citizens and for the safety of school children." Mrs. Wilcox endorses the idea of having a library incorporated into the Layton Commons Park area at either the museum location or the Hawthorne Street site. She said, "A library belongs in the city complex area. It ties together so nicely and the setting is conducive to m m reading, learning and asthetics especially for children." EVERYONE involved in the Layton library issue agrees in one main area. It is important to get a library in Layton. Mrs. Wilcox says, The sooner the better as long as it is the best possible structure in the best possible location." Mayor McKenzie says he hopes to develop two viable options, make a comparison and then choose what is best. MS. LAYTON is optomistic. practical measures, the county and Layton are together and still looking at what is best foi the community. It shouldn't be too long before a decision is made," she stated. Ms. Layton was cautious. Getting a building is only one part of having a library. It will take about a year and a half to collect a minimum of 25,000 volumes and to hire additional, professional staff so that a library can be operational, she said. The cost for the "For all collection would be about $300,000 not counting processing, cataloging and staff. "Im willing to start working on the collection and the hiring of additional staff as soon as the city and the county reach an agreement," Ms. Layton concluded. dmg |