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Show Cyan Magenta Yellow Black A4 Sanpete Messenger/Gunnison Valley Edition TO News THE EDITOR... FOR LETTERS-TO-THE-EDITOR POLICY GO TO WWW.SANPETEMESSENGER.COM, CLICK ON ‘OPINIONS’THEN ‘LETTERS TO THE DITOR’ Don’t compromise education at Academy After reading the articles on the financial status of Sanpete Academy, I found myself slightly annoyed with various statements and implications that were made. First off, why should neglecting to replace Mr. Olmstead during his military service in Iraq put such a crucial piece of the county’s school system in jeopardy? Why was this issue even ignored in the first place? Secondly, I would like to ask all involved in the decision(s) at hand if they have considered what Sanpete Academy is doing for the students in attendance there. How many of these students were causing significant distractions? How many were violent? How many were using or even selling drugs on campus? Some students found themselves too mentally or physically ill to attend a mainstream high school successfully. Some were just incredibly bored and not being challenged enough to even bother attending a regular high school. The operative word there is were. There are a myriad of students at the Academy who have encountered struggles similar to these and are now focusing on completing their high school education. Sanpete Academy has a very low student/teacher ratio. Because the amount of pupils is not overpowering to the faculty, a certain bond is allowed to occur. Students learn to feel like an actual person, someone who matters, not just a name on the role. Teachers can, and do, adapt teaching methods to fit individual students, rather than simply fitting a time schedule. They also have a stronger relationship with their students, creating a unique trust. This trust is imperative in identifying potential problems before they become serious issues. Because some of the students attending Sanpete Academy are physically or mentally ill or otherwise considered handicapped, it only makes since that there would be a special education program in effect there. How else are we going to give these students an education that is tailored to fit their specific academic needs and further assist them in attaining requirements for graduation? I was lucky enough to attend Sanpete Academy for the majority of my junior year and the entirety of my senior year. During my enrollment there, I felt I had a safe place to attend school, I felt I had a reliable support network, and I finally felt like I could make a difference. This is a remarkable school. The atmosphere is one of peer acceptance and appreciation. We were all there for a reason. We wanted to graduate. The teachers were ready to help anybody with just about anything. They didn’t stop at school related issues. The unity we experienced as a school was indescribable. Is it really worth everything at stake here to let what apparently started out as a lack of communication result in compromising the education of the students that could potentially be affected? I, for one, will never be convinced that it is. Autumn Bodenstab Murray Preserve Ephraim library I am from England although I now live in Ogden. While in Ephraim I noticed that there was the question of whether or not to spend money on the library there, to provide wheelchair access, etc. In England, they make it a point of preserving their beautiful old buildings. In a time of such change that is going on within the world, I hope that Ephraim will continue to hold onto and preserve all it can. I love your town and the people remind me of when I grew up in England. It feels like being home, with so many kind and friendly faces. I hope the library continues as the treasure it truly is. Dianasue Holland Ogden Wednesday, September 28, 2005 Sanpete Valley Singers rehearsing for Christmas MT. PLEASANT—The opening rehearsal for their 2005 Christmas concert series on Sunday, Sept. 18 marked the fiveyear anniversary of the Sanpete Valley Singers. The group, founded in fall 2001 by Director Steven J. Clark, has become widely known as Sanpete Valley’s allcommunity choir. Participating members come from all over Sanpete County. Choir membership is open to singers 15 years or older. Clark said when he began the choir he had two goals: to provide a top-quality musical experience for choir members and a rich cultural resource to the community. Clark says the group has succeeded in achieving both goals. “We are a performance oriented choir,” Clark said. The group generally performs six to seven full-length Christmas con- certs each year, including performances in a number of communities in Sanpete and other counties. Additionally, the choir performs two Christmas concerts each year at Temple Square in Salt Lake City and an annual Christmas concert at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison. In summer 2003 the choir produced and performed a special concert-style production of “Les Miserables” at the Moroni Opera House. Response was so great that they performed two encore performances beyond the three originally scheduled. The choir is planning a similar production in 2006. Clark said audiences would see changes in this year’s Christmas concert program, including a new co-director, Ruth Olson. “Ruth is widely experienced and has a great musical talent,” Clark said. “She will contribute a great deal to our choir.” When not directing, Olson will be one of the choir’s accompanists, along with Judy Anderson of Mt. Pleasant. Another change will be in the songs. “Of the 19 songs in the program, we’re only keeping about six that we’ve traditionally performed,” he said. “That means over two-thirds of the music will be entirely new. This year our choir is going to have a completely new look, and our concert program is going to have a completely new feel. It’s all very exciting.” Clark invites interested singers to join. Because so much of this year’s music is new, Clark said it’s important for people to come to rehearsals early in the season. Rehearsals are Sundays at 6:30 p.m. at the Mt. Pleasant Stake Center (yellow church) located at 300 South State Street in Mt. Pleasant. For more information call Clark at 436-9707. Planning recommends Fountain Green RV park stay time be extended By Suzanne Dean Publisher MANTI—The Sanpete County Planning Commission has voted 2-1 to recommend that the maximum length of stay at the Burns Brothers RV resort near Fountain Green be extended from 30 days to nine months. The recommendation goes to the County Commission for a final decision. The RV park, which has been advertised as a “horse motel” where people can bring horses and camp, has been operating under a conditional use permit that limited stays to 30 days. However, owners Fred and Kris Burns asked for an extension of the limit because the Temple View Resort north of Manti, the only other RV park in the county, is not subject to camping limits. Temple View has escaped county regulation because it was operating before the county zoning ordinance was passed in 1981. Under the “granddaddy” concept, it is not required to have a conditional use permit, which can put conditions on an RV park’s operating practices. Planning commission member George Bench moved to cut the nine-month limit to three months. But his motion died for lack of a second. Bench said permitting longterm camping could put a burden on schools, and health and welfare agencies. He said children under 18 who live in RVs are considered “homeless,” and school districts must follow special regulations in serving them, including providing transportation back to their “home” districts when school starts. Judy Zumwalt, who lives across the street from the Burns resort, also objected. In an email sent following the meeting, she said, “I do object to the RV park becoming a de facto trailer park. I lived in Rock Springs-Green River, Wyoming during the oiltrona-power plant construction era in the 70s, and I’ve seen what happens to communities when too many people are dumped into trailer parks.” She said she believes permitting an RV park to become a de facto trailer park “is both a violation of the zoning ordinance and detrimental to the best interests of county residents.” As for replacing the grates, Stewart says that’s an expensive option. Also, council member Rodney Taylor fears Main Street business owners might reject that idea. During a council meeting discussion, he said that business owners never bought into the tree-planting project in the first place. “You’re going to raise a hell of a lot of ruckus with this with the businesses,” he said. Or, the city could replace the trees. But if that happens, should the trees be replaced with the same kind of trees or different ones that might be less hassle? “We’re all up in the air about what we should do next,” Stewart says. Council member Lori Nay said perhaps the tree issue could be addressed in the context of a larger Main Street beautification plan, such as the one Manti started work on last week. Trees (Continued from A1) Stewart. Originally planted to enhance the city’s beauty, the trees have become somewhat of a nuisance, she says. Many of them have outgrown the metal grates at the their bases. Because of the kinds of trees they are, they w e e p s a p i n t h e s u m m e r, which attracts bees. They have had aphid infestations. As they have grown l a rg e r, t h e y h a v e b l o c k e d business signs from view along Main Street except from the sidewalk directly in front of them. Business owners have complained. “ I t ’s b e e n a n o n g o i n g topic for several years,” Stewart says. “We’re getting close to the point of having to do something.” One sign that the city is indeed reaching that point is that it recently hired an independent consultant to examine the problem. A c c o r d i n g t o St e w a r t , that consultant, an urban forester from Richfield, looked at the trees and made some recommendations. Councilwoman Jerolyn Young, who oversees beautification efforts in the city, reported on the recommendations at a recent city council meeting. The recommendations included treating the trees for aphids, replacing the old grates with enlarged ones to provide for better water absorption, and training city crews to prune and maintain the trees. |