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Show 2 Wednesday. August 24, 988 The Selling Sun 1 rmon The Saiina Sun Let's Letters to the Editor get the facts straight on whitewashing The SUN evidently did not have the entire set of facts in last weeks editorial concerning the S on the whitewashing of the mountain near Saiina. The task of doing the whitewashing had been performed by graduating senior classes at North Sevier High School, for decades. For the past several years the task had not been done, and the Saiina Lions Club has decided to take on the project to see that the S regains its status on the mountain. According to Principal Timothy Smith, of NSHS, the road leading to the S has become impassable. The S is located near the top of the mountain, and carrying the umpteen gallons of whitewash and getting the students safely there and back, became nearly impossible. The BLM (owner of the land) was contacted by the high school. The school wanted to use heavy equipment to construct a road that would be usable to the site. Gary Hall, of BLM, said that if the heavy equipment was to be used, that the school must submit an application to BLM. An evaluation would then have to be made, as BLM is delegated by law to see that any such road building does not disturb plants, wildlife species, or other quired to help with the expense of conducting the study and evalu- resources. The evaluation would take from six months to a year, depending on the work load of BLM at the time, Hall noted. A fee of $125 would be re job. TheClubplanstomakethefinal ation. if Hall said that if the school planned to fix the road without the use of heavy equipment, then no fee or evaluation period would be required. There would also be no fee. The president of the senior class last year allegedly tried to drive to the S site, but the road was extremely rough and he received minor damage to his vehicle. It was decided that it would not be worth the effort to try to whitewash the S under those conditions. So, the fate of the S is still pending. The Lions Club still plans to try to find someone willing to give the letter its new overcoat. If the prospects for ever getand keeping the S in shape ting are dim and continue to grow dimmer, perhaps a new home for the letter could be found in a place that was more accessible by students from the graduating NSHS classes. We apologize for any wrong impression that was given in the August 17 edition of the SUN. At press time it was learned that the Saiina Lions Club has had several offers from individuals and groups, including North Sevier High School to perform the whitewash decision concerning the issue in todays (Wednesday) meeting. Final decisions will be reported as they become available. No political signs on Utah rights-o- f way, says The Utah Department of advises political Transportation candidates and campaign workers that it is illegal to place campaign signs in the right of way on Interstate or any state highway. Under the National Highway Beautification Act of 1965 and the Utah Beautification Act of 1967 it is illegal to place signs on state highways without permits. Political signs of any type are ; not allowed to be, plpced on tele must be signed. We welcome letters to the Editor. Letters name. Unsigned letters All letters will be printed with as they are letters all will not be printed. We try to print is times at necessary. for length submitted but at editting notified and called will be writer the If editting is required "S" UDOT phone or utility poles, fences, trees or existing official signs located in t rights of way. It is UDOT policy to remove and dispose of illegally placed signs Time spent by on state roads. UDOT personnel removing signs during the past election years has been considerable and the Department is requesting the cooperation of all candidates in helping keep campaign advertising off highway rights of vayi. UTAH SURVEY Half of teens surveyed they have pre-marit- al Utahs families and the values they place on moral education and instruction for their children. According to the study, the other half of Utahs high school students do participate in sex. These young people are at an increased risk to contract AIDS, the plague of the 80s. Utahs state Office of Education has authorized two programs for AIDS prevention education in public schools. One is geared for regular classroom use, while the other is targeted for those students who are at high risk for contracting the disease - and whose parents want them to have a more intensive The controversial Teen Sex Survey ordered by Governor Bangerter has been completed. The final word is that Utahs teens dont experiment with premarital sex as much as teens in neighboring states do. Just over half of the 839 teens whose parents permitted them to respond say sex al to the questionnaire claimed to practice abstinence from sex. However, teen sex is occurring in Utah that makes that fact, along with the ever growing threat of AIDS, a frightening statistic. One in three teens surveyed admitted to having had a sexual experience; one is six said they were These young sexually active. are therefore risk for both at people early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Information compiled by the Governors Task Force on Teen Pregnancy Prevention shows that high risk teens share characteristics already familiar to their parents. Not much on this list comes as a surprise, but the youth who do have these traits have a ten times greater chance of becoming sexually active: They begin dating at an early age. They go steady. They hang out with ' r: kind of friends. alcohol or use drugs. They They profess 'no religious activity. Kids who abstain from pre- marital sex say they do so mostly because they were taught abstinence as a value. This is a compliment to course in AIDS education. Dr. James Moss, Utahs SupL of Public Education, warns that AIDS is not a my th, but is a reality in todays world, even here in Utah. We are all vulnerable. AIDS can invade any family, or any age group. It is not curable. Prevention is the only key. AIDS is spread primarily through homosexual contact and intravenous drug abuse, but statistics show that itis steadily moving to the heterosexual population. Our young people need to know that sexual activity, even with just one person, exposes them to every sexual contact previously made by that one person. Just like teenage pregnancy AIDS can happen to good kids from good families. But unlike a teenage pregnancy, which might one day ultimately have at least an endurable ending, the penalty for contracting AIDS is death. ' the-wro- 1 , Boyd Keisel reported that two families in the district who had stuadditional dump, summer quarter,1 dents in the Special Ed program one half price; Group II Schools, through South Sanpete School DisMonroe, $25 per month per bin, one trict at Gunnison Elementary dump per week, $5 additional dump, School, went on record as objecting summer quarter half price; Richto having their children continue the field Sanitation Service, Group II program. They want their children to Schools, Saiina, June through Auattend home schools in the District. and $80 Keisel said this will cause difmonth, per gust Sept, ficulties for the District and will crethrough May, $160 per month. The coal contract to Richfield ate an extreme financial challenge to needs of these students in Coal and Oil and Sunbeam Coal of meet the student program. the regular Saiina were. A meeting was set with South inNew personnel approved State Office of cluded Raylee Curtis as Chapter I Sanpete officials. Education personnel to work on the assistant at South instructional problem. Sevier High; Bonnie Nay half day Blackwell asked if there is a kindergarten at Ashman Elemenwide requirement for parents District tary; Leila Newby resource teacher student accident release at Monroe Elementary; Terry Chris- - , signing was explained that it is not forms. It tensen as math teacher at Red Hills Schools, Richfield, $25 per month per bin, one dump per week, $3.46 Studies prove that a employee is 3 A times more likely to be successful than one hired by conventional methods such as personal interviews, education, and previous work experience. d Request the test from . Job Service it works! Ca 896 - 6491 . . JOB SERVICE revised figures indicate that the Sevier County property tax loss to 1987 property taxes would based on be $120,716 instead of $196,786. The reason for the lower figure is that the County reduced its property tax rate from 0.002638 in 1986 to Budget is their 0.002160 in 1987. The impact of the reply: Following Dear Mr. Ricksecker: tax reduction, of course, depends This is in reply to your letter of upon the point from which the reducAugust 12, 1988 to the Saiina Sun tion is measured. regarding the Utah Foundation on Sevier School Disk 347,826 1988 County Budgets in Utah. Apparently, the confusion stems from the fact that the report covered two separate subjects: l)an analysis of the 1988 county budgets, and 2) an analysis of the impact of the tax limitation proposal on county finances. Water Dist. The $196,786 loss in property tax revenue from the Peoples Tax $510,254 and Spending Limitation Initiative cited in our report was computed by In addition , we at Utah Founthe Utah State Tax Commission in November, 1987, and was based on dation have calculated that passage rollproperty taxes charged in 1986, the of the other initiative (the tax would the back is It time. reduce, the initiative) latest year available at mathematical cal- amount of state aid that Sevier a straight-forwar- d culation of the impact of the proCounty and cities and towns in posed initiative on 1986 property Sevier County receive for local road taxes. This sum was equal to 18.95 (B&C)purposesby$179,715. Thus, of the total property taxes levied by the total impact on revenues for all Sevier County in 1986, and 6.3 of local governments in Sevier COUnty the total operating budget approved would be $689,969 based on these by Sevier County in December 1986 latest 1987 figures. for the 1987 calendar year. ObviI hope that this explanation ously, these percentages would be will help restore some of the confisomewhat less if they are related to dence that you had in Utah Foundathe higher budget approved for tion. Sevier County for 1988. Sincerely Within the past few days, the Allan J. Witt Tax Commission has updated the tax Executive Director Utah Foundation impact of the property tax initiative using 1987 property tax figures. The In the last issue of the Saiina A1 Ricksecker, of Monroe, Mr. Sun, questioned the figures stated in a recent Utah Foundation story concerning the 1988 Sevier County Continued from The next time you have a job opening, ' Request the Test" from Job Service. With this new testing program we send you applicants who will learn faster, produce more and stay on the job longer. And we can test for more than 12,000 different occupations. . Utah Foundation replies School Board ready Page Well help you find out which one. possible. Middle School; Randy Andreason Vocational Agriculture teacher at North Sevier High. Sixteen requests for home school were approved. A policy review committee was formed and will include Mr. Blackwell, chairman; district office staff as needed; three school administrators, one elementary school principal, one middle school princi- pal and one high school principal; a PTA representative from each atten- -' dance area; one teacher, SEA president; one support service area per- -' son; Classified Employee President; two students reps, one from high schools and one from middle schools in the district The August 25 meeting will include more discussion on the stu- dent dress code. Christensens Department Store was thanked for their contribution of $650 to the Sevier District last year. The store had sponsored a program where a percent of sales to patrons in the Sevier School District Attendance area was given to the schools. , a district requirement as the district has liability insurance with the State Risk Manager, and their office does not require signing of student accident release forms by parents. Ruth Jackson reported on the AIDS conference she had attended on August 10. She said it was recommended that all Districts have an AIDS policy in effect. Daryl McCarty has been hired as a lobbyist to represent rural schools of Utah for the next legislative session. President Ross Marshall said the Saiina Lions Club needs a work project and wants to help finish the North Sevier High School Football field and Track complex. The Football field and track complex at Richfield High is behind schedule, and should be completed this Fall. The District is working in cooperation with Sevier County Commissioners and other county organizations regarding the tax initiative. A citizens group has organized to work to defeat the initiative. have furnace converted to natural gas Elderly may Elderly and handicapped residents living near the new natural gas pipeline corridor in central and southwest Utah may be eligible to have their oil burning furnaces converted to natural gas through a new Utah Energy Office program. The Utah Energy Office has allocated $176,000 to convert about 170residentialfumaces. Themoney is from funds the state of Utah received from the federal court settlement of the Amoco oil overcharge case. Court guidelines specify it must be used to conserve energy, provide restitution to the public and reduce the consumption of oil. After the furnace conversions are completed, energy costs are expected to be cut on the average of $191 per year, per home. The program is targeted for elderly and handicapped residents living on fixed incomes. The furnace conversions will be free of charge in most cases. Two types of conversions are available. Oil burners will be replaced with high efficiency gas burners, or new efficiency gas furnaces will be installed. In cases where substantial duct, gas piping or chimney work is required, we will work with the homeowner, but the owner will have to bear that part of the expense, Utah Energy Office Wcatherization Program Manager Michael Johnson noted. The program is being offered in Sevier, Sanpete, Piute and Iron and Washington counties. The Utah Energy Office has contracted with the Five County Association of Governments and the Six County Commissioners to operate the program at the local level. Local contractors will perform the actual work. We are pleased that the prohas been approved, said Utah gram Energy Office Director, Richard Anderson. Many residents in the new natural gas corridor are not able to afford the expense of converting from oil to natural gas. This is an opportunity to help them reduce energy costs. It will also infuse money into the local economy through the use of local contractors, he said. For more information contact your local government association. Viewpoint The Way It Looks From Here Carol L. Jensen I can feel it in my bones. Even though daytime temperatures soar to the 100 degree sizzling stage, I can see that Summer is just putting on one of her final displays before she begins her journey into Fall. Everything looks the same on the outside - but is it? The taste of Autumn in is the air. The world is full of ripeness. Its everywhere, in the scent, the color, and the feel of things. But early mornings and evehint of chill days to come. The nings The gifts of Summer are evethe of trees is not quite so green now. Elderberries and rywhere chokecherries in purple clusters dot assertive. And somehow, with apthe hillsides. Flowers of every color prehension, we may feel that the paint the meadows, and back at height of the woodpile is not quite as home, gardens and fields begin to high as it should be. Man sometimes boasts tat he is yield up their precious harvest the most a beautiful intelligent creature on world. Its Days are fair. Mornings are fever bright. earth. Yet I believe that Man reAutumn is already peeking around sponds to Natures rhythms more the comer, and Summer is gathering than he may realize. Why else does her treasurers, ready to tiptoe away. he struggle to plant, tend and proudly The cooling nights have slowed the harvestthefruitsofhis garden? Why pace of growing things, and the restthe compelling urge to store away less flight of birds all remind us that the bounty and see that he has all he Summer has little time to linger. needs to survive the cold winter Its amazing how short, our ahead. All of the creatures on the memory can be sometimes - isnt it? earth do it. Is Man so different? We forget so easily in August what Meanwhile, mysterious forces January really feels like. Try reare at work in leaf and stem. Autumn membering how cold you were as practices herpenmanship, preparing you shoveled the snow from your car for the day - not far away - when she window or driveway, and how your will brazenly emblazon her name in fingers numbed as you split firescarlet and gold across the valleys wood for the morning fire. Ill wager and mountains we call home. you cant do iL |