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Show Page Two - The Pyramid - December 14, 1994 Vandals spoil our Christmas Commentary Along Main Street Dear Editor: The true spirit of Christmas is that it is better to give than receive. Some seem to think it is taking lights off your outdoor Christmas decorations. Every year the lights cm Connie and Terry Ames fence disappear. Christmas Spirit? Dear Editor: "Thank You" for stealing our Christmas lights again this year. You are going to make our job much easier next December and save us a lot of money when we have no lights left to hang. Editors note: Continuing with the National Main Street Centers observations and recommendations for Mt. Pleasants Main Street project, the following is an introduction to heritage tourism. MT. PLEASANT The idea behind heritage tourism is simple: in an increasingly artificial and homogenized U.S., unique , identities of individual communities and regions are being lost. Some places have been able to hang on to their character, and , - now they seek to sustain it and prosper from it by inviting others to share in it. Heritage tourism isnt appropriate everywhere; individual communities must decide whether heritage tourisms benefits will 7 outweigh its costs. The National Trust has developed several principles that ; communities find useful to assess their heritage tourism potential. 1) Authenticity and Quality. Its authentic to promote real , products in real places. This concept makes heritage tourism unique; therefore, communities should provide an authentic message in a quality presentation. 2) Education and Interpretation. Research shows that while historic architecture enhances the appeal of the visitors experience, people generate the most interest among travelers. Names and dates dont bring about a sense of place, but human stories do, especially when set in the actual homes, buildings and towns where the dramas occurred. 3) Preservation and Protection. Special care should be made to protect resources, i.e., buildings, views, natural resources, etc., that attract visitors in the first place. Caring for the past can help safeguard a communitys future. 4) Local Priorities and Capacity. Strong tourism programs showcasing local heritage can be assisted and guided by national and state efforts, but are built through local effort. Tourism and local preservation should be part of an overall vision created and implemented by local leaders and residents. 5) Partnerships. As competition for tourist dollars increases, the need to develop effective partnerships becomes more critical. Business leaders, tourism representatives, preservationists, elected officials and other individuals must join together to take full advantage of assistance offered from state, regional and national entities. Next week: heritage tourism observations r This year a new set of big red lights were taken. Last year someone helped themselves to a big lighted Santa Claus by the steps on the porch. I dont know how they can enjoy Christmas and a happy New Year with that on their It takes a persons incentive away when one has to replace stolen and broken lights every single year because some people have not been taught to respect others property. To me, this takes away the Christmas Spirit. Connie Ames conscience. We would appreciate their replacement this year before Christmas, so the guilty party(ies) can be happy through the holiday and so can we. Louise Johansen Mt. Pleasant Mt. Pleasant WA News and Views ; by Christy King MT. PLEASAN- T- In a festive holiday spirit, the Fine Arts class entertained the entire school with performances on Monday evening. Jim Busbys choir sang a wonderful selection of music from medieval to contemporary tunes, with some outstanding soloists highlighting several of the numbers. Ed Heninger, the visual arts director, described the various arts displays around campus, which include pottery, jewelry, drawings, prints, beadwork and sculpture. Under the direction of Lisa Lewis, the dance class performed original choreography incorporating basL dance techniques and movements into a humorous dance accent of misbehaving students. Letters Later that evening, drama students, who found, produced and directed the selections with coaching from Michael Cimino-Hurperformed two short one-aplays titled "Same as it Ever Was and "Green Eggs and Ham". The first is a farce about understanding teenage gender roles and the other is a tribute to Dr. Suess written, at the time of his passing, by student Bena Kratochvil. t, MHS Counselors Corner by Natasha Madsen Students and parents have asked for clarification on graduation credits. Beginning 'with the 5 sophomore class, must comevery student plete one healthy lifestyles (PE) class. credit can be earned from another PE class or extra curricular sports, including drill team and cheerleading. No more than credit ; from extra curricular sports can ; be applied to the 24 credits for graduation. Student aides will be limited ! to senior students, but exceptions will be made as needed. However, only one aide credit can be applied toward graduation. Grading will be passfail. Students who are short graduation credits can use BYU home study courses or Snow College. Students and parents need to visit with the counselor about these and other options for correcting MANTI-- - 94-9- (9-1- 2) One-ha- lf one-ha- lf ed credit deficiencies. Sanpete's Leading Newspaper i (USPS Mt. Pleasant Utah, 84647 49 West Main Street Telephone: FAX: 34 462-2- 1 462-245- 9 Publisher Craig Conover Managing Editor Penny Hamilton Associate Editor Lynda Grover Sports Editor Shirley Christensen ' RATES SUBSCRIPTION year-5- 0( per copy $21 per year outside Sanpete County CORRESPONDENTS Manfi, Bruce Jennings 835-382- 4 ManfiEphraim 283-669- 3 Angela Rasmusson 835-51- Bill Willson Ephraim, Gunnison, Uledo Westlund Moroni, Barbara Gordon 283-503- 6 528-706- 2 436-876- 0 Fairview, Deanna Park 427-379- 5 Ftn. Green, Jessie Oldroyd Spring City, Phyllis Johnson 445-342- 2 462-385- 0 Snow College Reporter, Ray Truitt 6 Photographer, Hollee Anderson 462-3- 1 job-seeki- A random selection survey of parents was conducted. All students present Nov. 29 were surveyed and then a random selection was tallied. All teacher surveys were tallied. The report from the section for additional comments was complied and will be shared with readers. Students and parents who take a few moments to write concerns specific frequently ve articulate the concerns of others. One student wrote, We need classes to get us ready for the job market". Currently MHS participates in automotive and electronics programs at Snow College. MP Boy Scout slated Pow-Wo- w 31 MT. PLEASAN- T- The Mt. Pleasant Utah LDS Stake will hold their annual Merit Badge on Jan. 7, 14 and 21. merit badges being 24 There are offered and registration is now being accepted. For forms or contact information, further Susan Larsen, Pow-Wo- w 462-265- 6. Also, two shorter pieces were a short cutting from a Henry Miller play and die infamous "Whos on Base" skit by Abbot and Costello. Wasatch Academy will break for the Christmas holidays this Saturday, Dec. 17 and resume classes on Jan. 8. Following finals week, Friday, Dec. 16 will bring the traditional Sparkling Pudding Dinner, a special Christmas Service at the First Presbyterian Church, culminating with a visit from Santa in the auditoriperformed--- um. For one week of their Christmas break, seniors will take part in a "Senior Project" which is working with a career professional to experience hands-o- n what the chosen field is all about. This can be done in the students hometown, but other arrangements can also be made. Both the ski team and the snowboard team have completed their dryland training on campus and now train two to three times a week at Sundance for the skiers and Brighton for the snowboard-er- s. Competitions begin after the holidays. We also express appreciation to the North Sanpete High School Choir which gave an outstanding performance for our chapel service last week. Wordi By Penny Hamilton Tolerance should go both ways Recent attempts by a Salt Lake City high school student to suspend her school choirs Christmas performances because all nine selections of the groups repertoire contained songs about Jesus is shocking. Did I miss something? I thought Christmas was about the birth of Jesus. I thought we should expect to hear and sing Christmas carols and other songs depicting the nativity. Most popular musicians have made Christmas recordings, both secular and religious, and at this time of the year the airwaves abound with these treasured classics. Would she like to try silencing the airwaves, too? For a lot of people, this music is the most enjoyable part of Christmas. I cant imagine a holiday season without it. But this girl isnt a Christian and doesnt acknowledge Jesus as an important part of the season. In fact, she doesnt acknowledge Christmas at all. Theres no harm in that. Christians and have respected each others celebrations without having to endorse conflicting ideologies for years. The secret is respect. You have the right to do your thing and well do ours. So why has this compatible been suddenly shattered? Couldnt the student, who is a member of the choir, request a leave of absence from performances? If the student were just making a statement about something making her uncomfortable thats probably all that would be required. , But this student appears to have other motives; she is making a statement. And if ns shes trying to take Jesus out of the schools Christmas ! celebration not only for her- self, but for everyone, then ; thats not fair. The scenario reminds me of a person who complained a few years ago, "I get so tired of hearing Mormon prayers." My tactless response was to merely ask her why she had come to Mormon territory if, in fact, she was offended by the things Mormons did, like praying. After all, Utah has always had a predominately Mormon population and I think she; knew that when she moved here. The irony of Mormons, however, is their tolerance for and willingness to share Utahs valleys with a religiously diverse population even if that population poses a threat to something as important as prayer or the observance of Jesus birthday. Which brings me back to the West High School student. There are probably more people who appreciate traditional Christmas music than those who dont. Trying to tell these folks they cant have their music because someone doesnt like it is like trying to tell the Mormons to quit pray1 ; . ing. We live in a society where religious tolerance is important from both directions. If individuals, such as the one I encountered or this West High student, lack the tolerance to respect established lifestyles and customs, they need to either adjust their expectations of those around them or find another place more suitable to their beliefs. NS District warned of possible violations i9 Send change of address to The Main Street, Mt Pleasant, UT 84647. Second class postage paid at Mt. Pleasant, UT and additional mailing offices. Pyramid, 49 West IT 1,1 Dean O'Driscoll 445-332- POSTMASTER. holarships, offer workshops or computer prep help for testing, and introskills (interduce viewing, resumes, etc.). Parents defined their views by listing: help students to understand the value of personal responsibility and good work ethics and demonstrate methods to avoid drug and alcohol problems. Teachers supported helping students understand the value of good personal responsibility, work ethics and describing the relationship between good school habits and success in the world of work. Methods of implementation of recommendations will be considered. Students receive both high school and college credit. A few students choose to enroll at Sevier Valley Tech. Also in the future the "School to Work Opthe portunities Act" now in imwill developmental process pact students. Does it seem at age 16 we worry about what other people think about us and at age 60 we discover they havent been think' ing about us at all? (In Advance) $18 per The Advisory Committee for Guidance and Counseling Center met Dec. 6 and reviewed the needs assessment survey results. Students felt the counseling center could best assist them by: helping students to find sc- the one-in-fi- 365-58- 0) Published Weekly at ct one-in-fi- THE PyRHdliD A Pennys Editors note: The following is a copy of a letter, dated Nov. 28, which was sent to North Sanpete School Board President Elna McKay regarding possible violations of the open and public meetings act and is printed with permission of Jeffrey J. Merrill Ogden & Calvin Hobbes have been accused of being lucky. Thats a pretty serious allegation to someone who questions the existence of what is called luck. Emerson said, "Shallow men believe in luck. On second thought, maybe I do believe in luck. I certainly wouldnt want to be considered by anyone as something other than shallow. The dictionary defines luck as "the seemingly chance happening of events which affect one." Life is full of events seemingly chance-drive- n which affect us for better or worse. The author of the popular book. The Celestine Prophesy, submits that these events in our lives are not random. It is purported that a force orchestrates our lives to provide us with opportunities for learning and progression. Hold on here! This is getting way too serious. Im in danger of leaving shallow water if I continue in this vein. The reason Ive been called lucky this week is based on thq winning of $1,000 on a radio station contest. I listen to several stations depending on the time of day and my mood. I happened to be listening at the right time and had coworkers who happened to know what should be done in regard to the contest. Competing against what had to be hundreds of other callers, my call got through and was the designated caller number ten. Penny Mickelsen of Temple City Insurance asked me about the methodology of winning. I told her what I knew-t- hat part of the conversation took about 15 seconds. (Had she asked I about roulette, I could have had a long, unscientific visit with her about my theories on that subject.) To cut to the chase, lightning struck Manti twice. Penny won a thousand bucks on the same deal. So far, Sanpete has copped 10 percent of the $20,-00- 0 being given away by that radio station. People say that we are lucky to live here in Sanpete. I believe that a good case can be made for that proposition. Our quality of life here, compared to so many places on the planet, is phenomenally terrific. Even so, we sometimes feel like if we didnt have bad luck wed have no luck at all. But time is the great leveler, and brings good and bad to all. If youre not getting any bad in your life, its time to worry. As Uncle Remus (Joel Chandler Harris) said, "Watch out wen youer gittin all you want. Fattenin hogs aint in luck." ...Merrill Is there a football team in all the land that can beat the San Francisco 49ers? I dont think so. Now, os going to win the Super Bowl, but do you know who is going to lose? I love the Christmas season... the sound of Christmas carols coming from Simmons Hardware store... all the great decorations in Country Cousins... the parades with lights (Anybody go over to Helper to THAT light parade? see WOW!)... the really neat card you get from your insurance agent... all the free calendars! Watch for Mexican food coming to Manti: Jennies. ...Calvin Hunt, at the law offices of Kimball, Parr, Waddoups, Brown & Gee, who operates the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline. To date, The Pyramid has not received a response, from the School Board, nor was the matter set on the agenda for their Dec. 13 meeting. Dear Ms. McKay: This firm operates the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline, which provides free legal assistance to Utah journalists seeking access to government records, meetings, and proceedings. In that capacity, we have been asked by Pyramid Publishing, Inc., publisher of The Pyramid, to render an opinion as to the legality of various "work session" meetings held by the North Sanpete School Board. Based on the information provided to us, it is our view that such meetings are subject to the notice and public access requirements of the Utah Open and Public Meetings et "Act"), Utah Code sea. The purpose of this letter is to explain the basis of our opinion and to request your assurance that the Board will conduct future "work session" meetings in fuH compliance with the Act. It is our understanding that the Board has held several such "work sessions" with administrative and other district personnel for the purpose of explaining and soliciting comment on the districts School Improvement Plan. We also understand that a quorum of the Board was present at each meeting. The Act defines a "meeting" as the "convening of a public body, with a quorum present... for the purpose of discussing or acting upon a matter over which the public body has jurisdiction or advisory power." Utah Code Clearly, the meetings held by the Board to discuss the School Improvement Plan are "meetings" subject to the Act. Simply label- ing such meetings "work sessions" does not change this fact. More importantly, the "work sessions" conducted by the Board would seem precisely the type of meetings, of which the public should be given notice and the opportunity to attend. The educa Act-(th- 52-4-- 1, tion of our children is an issue of vital concern to most parents, including those in the North Sanpete School District. In declaring the public policy underlying the Act, the Legislature stated that, "It is the intent of the law that their (public bodies actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly." Utah Code (1994) (emphasis added). The Boards failure to treat these "work sessions" as public meetings subject to the Act violates this public policy. Moreover, I can think of no legitimate reason why the Board would desire to exclude the public from such meetings. I have enclosed a copy of the Act for your reference. As you can see, the Act provides citizens with the right to seek judicial relief to compel compliance with or enjoin violations of the Act. Plaintiffs who prevail in court may be awarded their attorney fees and court costs. It is The Pyramids hope the Board will take correction action on this matter so that judicial action will not be necessary. The Pyramid respectfully requests a statement of the Boards position with respect to whether future "work sessions" will be properly noticed and otherwise in compliance with the Act. You may direct your response to myself or Martin Conover at The Pyramid. Thank you for your consideration of our views. I look forward to your response. Jeffrey J. Hunt 52-4- CPR demonstration EPHRAI- M- A free, half-ho- ur resuscitation (CPR) demonstration will be offered to the public by the Ephraim Rotary Club at 12:30 p.m., Dec. 19, at Chads City Cafe, 350 N. Main. According to a press release, Ephraim EMT Lynette Olson and EMT instructor Gwen McGarry will present the program. Those with prior CPR training who would like a refresher course or who would like to observe are welcome. cardio-pulmona- ry yqQLi A i -1 KUUC!-- |