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Show A2 Opinion and Commentary Wednesday, March 19, 2003 PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What It your opinion? The Express welcomes letters from Its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions as to contents, if not libelous or vindictive and of reasonable length (two typewritten double spaced pages). Letters must be submitted exclusively to tee Express and bear the writer's full name, signature, phone number and address. Letters for the ole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may 0 at or through be mailed, faxed at dltorOvemal.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. All letters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of the Express Editor. 789-869- T Matter of convenience Dear Editor, I believe that teachers can teach as well in neighborhood schools as we can in the current form. Many of the advantages to one form or the other are matters of convenience for either parents or teachers. One issue that appears to hold no more importance than others quickly becomes the greatest because it involves money and I have noticed that money usually decides these issues. This is the issue of class size. If you believe low and equitable class size is important for our elementary children then you need to understand that maintaining even class sizes will cost more in neighborhood schools than it does currently. You can look at the district financial records if you need verification. Our district has been able to provide a good education for our students, equal to that anywhere in the state, without the voted leeway moneys that other districts utilize and I believe that is largely due to this money saving configuration. But let's take a good look at the advantages and disadvantages overall, paying closer attention to the issues for children. Ive identified three advantages of neighborhood schools. The first is less time on the bus for most children versus up to an hour going to and from school each day. This issue is major for children. No one likes long bus times but I believe it must be weighed in the balance for it also has another side below. The second advantage is time to develop continuity and establish traditions within the K-- 5 school. Teachers get to watch the kids grow up in the school and have time to develop a greater rapport with them. The other aide to this is perhaps that a student or parent may welcome the fresh starts they get when they change schools more often. Third, schools are closer to home providing easier parent involvement in the schools. There would be one elementary for all the kids in the family rather than having the family split up into as many as three different schools. 1 feel this is more a matter of convenience. I have identified seven advantages of the current configuration. First is the financial issue abdviF In neighborhood schools, uneven class sizes often cant be predicted and have to be dealt with after sc'hool starts. Remember when temporary buildings were brought in and additional teachers hired during the first weeks of school? Second, it provides a greater stability in school for children who have parents that move around town one or more times during the school year. This is not the child's fault. As a teacher I have really noticed this greater stability for all but especially for the very children I have worked the hardest to nurture and bring up to grade expectations. Most of the time when a child tells me about an approaching move heshe is also able to happily declare, "But I dont have to change schools! I believe it is safe to say that there is far less school hopping coinciding with unfortunate apartment hopping. Third, the current system provides for the inclusion of all socioeconomic classes rather than creating one or two schools situated in the part of town with the highest transient population. This population has the highest percentage of students with special needs. I wonder if many have thought of how the current configuration desegregated our community in this way. Do we believe in doing our best to give better access to the American Dream for all? Fourth, our current system fosters a sense of belonging to the larger community over pettiness and competitions between schools. You may remember some jealousies about newspaper coverage that were perceived as unequal or maybe some other inequities in past neighborhood schools. I remember real estate agents steering clients away from the center of town in favor of attending better schools." I dont believe that the lovely renovations of several homes on Vernal Avenue would have occurred if those families were buying before we reconfigured. Fifth, currently there are from seven to nine teachers per grade level for parents to prefer versus two or three formerly. You may not feel you get to prefer teachers anyway, but in the seventeen years I've taught, principals have always listened to parents and considered preferences that were reasonable. Most have invited parents to privately state their top three choices. That flexibility will vanish. Sixth, please consider that less time on the bus also means more unsupervised lime at home for many yours? Do you go to work when your children leave for the bus? Are you ready to stay home longer and be home to r to an hour earlier every day meet your kids a or provide adequate supervision? Did you know that when something serious occurs while elementary-age- d children are unsupervised or supervised by sitters under the age of twelve that the parents tire in suspicion of neglect? So I have been informed by police officers. This is a real child issue even if its not your child. If we go back to neighborhood schools Connections will be all the more important. Seventh, judging from the days before the current configuration, school boards will have to bite the bullet and make hard decisions about boundaries every three to five years in order to deal with fluctuations in the population. This task was extremely unpopular, especially with those whom it affected and was so hot an issue that it was often put off by the board in power and deferred to the next school board to handle. This was the greatest cause of uneven class sizes throughout the district another child issue. Finally, I would like to recognize parents who provide so much volunteer help in our schools regardless of which configuration exists. These parents and grandparents are the ones who know that while they primarily come to the school to help their own children, they are always available to assist any child who needs them. They are the true believers in one for all and all for one." These fine individuals consistently ease the lives of teachers: Davis PTA President Jamie Whiting and her board, also Keri Bowthrope, Corinna Serfoss, Brandi Urban, Heather Neal, Amy Majors, Sherry Washburn, Pat Conn, and Cathy Hall to name a few. With the help of community-minde- d people such as these, teachers can teach wherever the public requires, but my desire is to convince you that the balance of benefits weigh more heavily on the side of the curp iit configuration. LAURA S. FOLEY, M ED. Teacher at Davis Elementary and citizen (ISSN 0892-109- 1) PubMwd tvwy WadnMdcy tof 824 p yai In thopping area and 06 par yaar out o( chopping tree within atata and 09 par yaar out of ttata within USA by tha Vamal Expraaa Pubtwhlng Company. 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vamal, Utah 64078 Padodtcala poatage paid at Vernal. Utah 4078. POSTMASTER. Send addreee changee to VERNAL EXPRESS. PO. Boa 1000, Vernal Utah 84078. Steven R. WaHa Edrtor and Publisher Feature Writer Public Notices Virginia Herrington R Patrtcfc Bostic Richard Hanlngton Tom Levsrton Terri Black Circulation Tethe J. Robinson Advertising Advertising 6 Classified Ads Advertising and Layout Phone: FAX. W stake www vamal oom edhorOvernal.com DEADLINES Dwphiy Advertising OaesiSed Advertising. nWC NOKM Monday 12 noon Monday 5 pm. Monday 5pm ..Monday 3pm HIS DO Or, DIDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER YOU half-hou- a dead horse Beating Dear Editor, For some reason every school board we elect seems the decision to make comto have a need to bined grade levels in the elementary schools. Every time they plow through that decision they reach the same conclusion, that there just isn't enough money, without raising tuxes in the district, to go back to neighborhood schools. I am amazed that bus routes and purchasing buses would be part of that discussion. If money were saved in transportation, it is separate state funding and can only be used for busing. The decision should be about what is best for kids, and about learning, not about buses. There are lots of good reasons for leaving the elementary schools the way they are. Grade level schools eliminate older bullies harassing younger students on the playground. Younger children are not exposed to inapit propriate language, dress, games and harassment when they are with kids thjr pwn,ag. There are many unexpected .academic benefits that, have come from grouping students. Grade level activities such as fairs, assemblies, field trips, guest speakers, DARE training, are easy to coordinate when students are grouped as they are. It helps focus the whole school on the same academic goals when students are the same age. The present situation helps to insure that all students in the same grade are using the same books, methods and approaches to learning. Our present system helps all teachers who work with students of the same age because they are able to plan and organize together. Utah schools are famous for large class sizes. In our district, principals are better able to balance class loads and give parents more choices of teachers when they place students for the year. Changing back will guarantee that some students will be in bigger classes than they are now. The bottom line in Uintah County has always been about money. The initial move was made to save money. There is less money in the district now than there was then. The district has had to trim the budget back drastically the last two years and this may be the worst year to reconsider this decision. It will cost more money to move kids back to neighborhood schools. Just tearing apart the school libraries and combining grade level books and moving the materials back to K-- 6 media centers, will cost a great deal of money and time. The taxpayers will have to pay for more staff, because the district will have to hire additional teachers. When parents come to rally the district to change back to neighborhood schools, they need to bring their checkbooks because it will cost money. I hope parents and grandparents are willing to pay for the kind of school they would like to have. Let's quit beating this dead horse and focus the school energy on student learning and school improvement. JOANN COWAN Vernal Repercussions Dear Editor, My name is Lance Knutson and I am writing in regards to an assault I witnessed on Friday, March 14. Let me start by saying that I am a student at the UBATC. Exp, EVER SAID THAT MAN'S BEST FRIEND IS WHO That day I was walking out in the parking lot to look at this car and two young men were driving slowly through the lot. I saw two young ladies walking from the school and when they got into the parking lot the passenger leaned over to the driver side window and pulled up a pistol, took aim at the girls and shot, I heard him shoot the weapon and the girls took cover behind some cars. I wrote down the license plate number and got a description of the vehicle and reported the incident to the office. The police were notified by the office. About an hour later, I saw the two young men drive by the school and there were four of your officers sitting there, when the two drove by the officers, the one who shot the pistol waved at the officers. So I went out and told the officers that those were the two individuals I saw shoot at the young girls and I was told that they already found them and confiscated the weapon. In other words, all they did was slap the boys on the hands and let them go. This is absurd. The passenger committed an assault on these two girls and nothing was done about it. I would bet you that if these were your girls you would want something more done to these two individuals like receiving the punishment that fit the crime. I mean, come on, this was aggravated assault with a weapon. So docs this mean that if I was EVERY SPRING j Do you t.-- know your community? T0- .ZtirL. r, y tv- - . weeks Your Know Community picture was a grist mill burr that is in the yard of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum. Those who correctly it are identified Brickman Kalen Williams, Wanda Williams, Staley and Alyx Lawson. Do you know your community? Prove it by correctly identifying this teepee in the Vernal area. Call Last 1 the Vernal Express at by 5 p.m; on, Monday,. March 24., If i 789-351- you are correct your name will be listed with other citizeliS" who know their community. Speech... Continued from page A1 Some dont see the connection between years of attacks around the world on the United States, and the need to do this war. We must. We citizens of Vernal need to do everything we can to support these men and women. Nobody wants to see our Vernal men leaving on a I dont see that he has any bus. other choice. A lot of people dont agree, but if we were to wait for the UN to make a resolution, France would still say no. to take a pellet or paintball gun aim out of the window of a moving vehicle and shoot at an unsuspecting individual that all I can expect to receive for punishment is to have the weapon confiscated and to get a slap on the wrist. I dont think so. I would have been thrown in jail and received a fine. Did this individual get any punishment? Do you think that this will stop him from doing something like this in the future? This is why kids act the way they do because they are not punished for their acts. I hope that you do not take this lightly because there was a serious crime committed that day. If one of those girls had been hit in the eye they would be blinded for life or even worse, they could have been killed. I find this frustrating and worrisome that a crime of this nature can be done and have no repercussions on the individuals. LANCE KNUTSON Vernal Helping a stranger Dear Editor, On Wednesday, March 12th, I did as I do most Wednesdays, I went across the street to get the mail and newspaper, and to bring in the trash can. The only thing different this day was that back problems have required me to use crutches. I must have been struggling more than I thought, as two young ladies who were passing by stopped and pulled into my driveway. One got out and said, Let me take that trash can in for you Do you recognize this teepee? If you do, call the Vernal Express at 789 3511 by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 24 and prove that you know your community. support President Bush. have a son, Calvin, in the sand box serving in an Air Force hospital as an anesthetist in a tent, already. Theres him, a lady officer nurse, some surgeons, and specialists. Another hospital is a few miles away, run by the Brits, and they visit back and forth. I cant say exactly where they are. I hope we can be as quick and successful as we were in Kuwait. Some dont see the connection between years of attacks around the world on the United States, and the need to do this war. We must. We citizens of Vernal need to do everything we can to support these men and women. Nobody wants to see our Vernal men leaving on a bus. In a time when you learn so much about young people getting into trouble, it was so refreshing to have this young lady, who I didnt know, just stop to do her good deed for the day. I was so impressed I had to share this with you. I hope these two young ladies got as much good from helping a stranger as the stranger got from their help. God bless you both. GARY SMITH vehicles appearing in the old cobblestone service station painting that appeared in your newspaper. Artists are sometimes criticized for working from photographs but it is quiet necessary when accurately depicting buildings and specific people. My style of drawing and painting has been more photorealistic since a little boy and for many years before owning a camera. One hundred artists can be painting the same subject at the same time with the same lighting and every painting will be noticeably quite different; yet not a single one will exactly look like the actual scene. This is especially true of Richard Schmid, one of the most famous artists and outspoken critics of working from photographs. All artists work from their photographs. The implication is that the artist has not yet matured with a distinct structures personality of his own, is lacking in self confidence while flowing aimlessly like a parameci-urA major satisfaction to painting is the constant necessity of showing improvements in ones personal style and technique while also responding faithfully to the inner spirit and emotions evoked from viewing the subject at hand. I am sometimes asked why I dont paint more loosely like other artists but I am not like other artists. With landscapes, I am quite particular about the film used and time of day. Organizing the scene as best I can with the camera, my landscapes do not look exactly like the photographic reference but like a Garth Harrison painting. GARTH HARRISON, K.A. I I Vernal Art display Dear Editor, Thank you, Mr. Wallis, for the fine article you published with color regarding paintings I have done for Drs. Richard and Robert Jolley. Credit should be given to Lawrence and Rhoda DeVed for making the photographs available from the Thome Studio of the oxen being led by George Heber Luck down Main Street in Vernal with a wagon load of lumber from the Ruple sawmill. This and other historical paintings can be seen in the Jolley dental clinic. Your article dated this scene from 1919, but I have just learned from Mrs. Eldon Luck that her grandfather, Joseph Ebeneezer Luck was only age 1 6 when sitting on the load of lumber, and this would have dated the scene to 1907. He was bom in 1891 and died in 1983. The staff of the history section of the Uintah County Library have been most helpful in finding photographic references for these paintings. Ralph Wood is also appreciated for confidently identifying the dates of manufacture and names of a. Vernal r S Min.tiinjMuiitep m POOR |