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Show Another svory abouv f he school bond issue By Steven Wullis News Editor Not another story about the bond election! It seems that since the Uintah Board of Education decided nearly three months ago to bond for a new high school and auditorium for West Junior High, the media had been over flowing with articles arti-cles and news stories about the issue. There is good reason for all the fanfare. One of the major complaints about the last bond election for $10 million in 1980 was that there was not enough information informa-tion so the public could make a decision. "It was too much like approving a blank check," as one school board member put it. Well this election is different. Learning Learn-ing from sad experience, the board has been very aware of the inportance of getting get-ting the information to the public. One of the reasons for retaining the ar-chitectual ar-chitectual firm of Dana Larson Roubal and Associates over two others considered, con-sidered, was its program for getting information in-formation to the public about the bond The district has retained the firm for -$1,0J0 for its promotional efforts. If the bond doesn't pass, that's all the firm will be paid. "Of course its a gamble on our part, but that's part of our business," comments com-ments Merle Rambo, architect for Dana Larson, Roubal and Associates. Every three years since 1977 the school board has proposed bonding for new schools and twice the bonds have been turned down at the polls, but the board's openness about the current bond is being relied on as their "ace in the hole" for swaying more votes than the last elections. At least it has convinced the teachers. In an ad to appear in next week's Vernal Ver-nal Express the Uintah Education Association have come out in support of the bond. In past bond elections the teacher's association wasn't in support of the bond election, in fact some teachers openingly campaigned against the bond. Of course some teachers are against the bond issue, but for the most part, they are supportive. Public involvement in this bond election elec-tion is at a higher level than years past. There are the Community Council, the Steering Commitee, PTA and PTSA who are all involved in the election. One of the "last week before election" techniques the board is expecting is the idea that ' ' If you have any questions, no matter how insignificant vote no." This was the campaign of those opposed oppos-ed to the last two elections and rightly so. People have to have a certain amount of information about a bond before they will support it. The difference this time around is the facts are there there is enough information informa-tion and will be enough information for an intelligent person to decide whether they support the bond or are against it. Hopefully everyone will get out and vote. Oh yes, by the way, there will definitely definite-ly be more articles and storties about the bond election, after all "people have a right to know." |