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Show Wednesday, October 17, 2007 Vernal Express DOTI TOO OPINION AND WERE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS RELY ON READER INPUT, COMMENTS A6 Op ' sates By Khbi fcar ) j"' ' V in 'ii'mtlT tl'r Express Publisher Thank you readers and advertisers for a very successful suc-cessful first seven months after the Vernal Express was purchased in March. It has been a time of adjustment for both staff and readers. It has been a time where new software was purchased to not only simplify the process, but to offer better customer service. It has been a time when we have needed more employees, but, like most businesses, have not been able to find and customer expectation is not met. Overall, those of you sending in your comments and suggestions have been positive for forward-thinking. We welcome your ideas and your view of community newspapers in the future. We want to get across the point that we not only want but need these suggestions as we exist in an ever changing chang-ing market in a growth period that is very difficult to understand or prepare for. As we assess the changes, as subtle as some of them have been, we have tried to reach a balance of what people define in their own minds as positive and negative news. By far, the overwhelming news hole is filled with positive posi-tive news ranging from missionary and society news to school programs and donations. What we are taken to task with more than anything else, is our coverage of what is defined as negative news. And keep in mind that this is very hard to define. In some people's minds, any news concerning law breakers is negative news - until you talk to someone who just found out through a news article that a convicted child molester lives in their neighborhood. And then, what was considered bad and news that could be humiliating to some was just switched over to the good news side. Z. A lot of people have called and written in to tell us that they are watching to see if we can be "bought" or persuaded to not run certain kinds of news. And maybe not just certain types of news, but to see if some individuals or businesses might receive "special treatment" from the press. I admit that we have certain criteria and guidelines that we follow that determines what we print. But on the other hand, everyone will be treated equal, even though it may be embarrassing. We do not run police blotters because of the judgment that most people make concerning the guiltiness of a person when they see their name in the paper. On the other hand, we do run stories on those people charged with felony counts because prosecutors have deemed they have enough evidence to prosecute. People of today expect this much from community journalism. At times there are some who accused us of "trying the case" in the newspaper. On the other side, there are those who appreciate knowing the facts behind these people that are available up to that point. They complain that they hear so much rumor that they appreciate what is stated in the paper. Is this "bad news?" I realize that court news usually deals with negative topics, but it is news, and it is a news that is expected from our readers. Recently we have received calls hoping that we will run only the positive side of a losing sports program. I admit, that maybe we ran a little more truth than we should have one week and we are trying to do what we can to emphasize the good while still stating the facts surrounding the loss (the "bad, but at times you can see how difficult this becomes. -o.i.. :;-Te hav a "good newspaper, we have to present a variety of articles, that represent a broad spectrum of lifestyle that is now represented in the Basin. Not everyone is going to be pleased, and on a given day - not everyone would agree on what is good and what is bad news. But it is all still news. And all we can do is spread our staff out to cover as many meetings as possible and cover them as accurately as possible given the time and space constraints that exist with newspapers while inviting the public - you the readers - to send us what you have seen and heard. In the end, we put together a 32 page newspaper, that we hope depicts what has happened here this past week as experienced by us and given to us by the readers. It will never be a complete snapshot of what has happened, nor will it be always accurate in conveying how things transpired. But it will be a product that we have done our best to produce before the print deadline that has to be met to get it mailed on time. We do not tire of your suggestions. We are always in the middle of determining determin-ing what is needed and wanted by our readers and your input is considered invaluable. And just a note, we are not "out to get" anyone and we appreciate when the suggestions come in and we know who we are dealing with. You then become part of the process and solutions. When suggestions, threats or in-nuendos in-nuendos come in that are unsigned, then they are reviewed, but often receive less attention on our side. SO MANY ALARMING DEVELOPMENTS AND NOWHERE TO HIDE TERRORISTS? Public Forum - Letters to the Editor What is your opinion? The Vernal Express welcomes letters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions on contents, if in good taste and not libelous or vindictive. Letters may be edited for length. All letters must be submitted exclusively to the Vernal Express and bear the full name, signature, phone number and address of the writer or writers. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in this forum. Submissions may be mailed to 54 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal, UT 84078; faxed to 435-789-8690 or sent by e-mail to editorvemal.com The name or names of the persons submitting letters must appear on all published letters. Letters express the opinion of the writer or writers and are not necessarily the opinion of the Vernal Express. VOUCHERS ALL ABOUT CONTROL Dear Editor, Opposition to the school voucher proposal has nothing noth-ing significant to do concerning con-cerning money or teacher qualifications. That is just a smoke-screen to divert the debate away from the real reason - control. Think about it for a minute. The reality is chil-, chil-, dren are essentially Wards ' of the state, and parents have overnight, weekend, and summertime visitation privileges. Don't believe it? Try not sending your kids to school. It won't be long before someone with a badge will be knocking at your door. The teacher's union and its supporters know it must vigorously oppose any effort to weaken its monopoly grip on education policy. Otherwise, Oth-erwise, parents just might just start doing things to improve the educational quality and diversity for their children without permission per-mission of the union and the politicians they support. All too often a student will have a rude, uncaring, educationally destructive, bored teacher during a critical criti-cal time that destroys that person's desire to learnt JuBt try to fire that teacher no matter how deserved (New York has hundreds of them who no longer teach but get full pay to sit and do nothing because they cannot be fired). It is all about control. For parents, it is their right to decide for their children - not the teachers, their unions, or the politicians they support. Vote "Yes" for vouchers. Bruce A. Daniel, DDS Vernal COUNTY RECREATION FOOTBALL NEEDS FIXING Lob Humbbot CwtnrwMTi . Copley News Service I sealed my doors, boarded the windows and hugged my children in anticipation an-ticipation of the big storm. We waited and waited. : After a few hours, we went outside and beheld a bright blue San Diego sky. What happened to the storm the newspapers and television were forecasting? I canceled trips, didn't go to a Padres game and called my friends, warning them to take the appropriate precautions. To tell the truth, I ended up feeling ridiculous. - A friend called me. He was enjoying a carne asada with his family in nearby Rosarito, Mexico. z: "Didn't they warn you of the storm in Mexico?" I asked. -"Sure they did. It was on TV and the newspapers, but we didn't believe it." In the afternoon, I watched a program on the History Channel about an "imminent" "im-minent" tsunami that's supposed to lash the Eastern seaboard. They even 'showed virtual images of how Boston would look after an enormous wave wiped out several million inhabitants and left the others homeless. It's a good thing I live in San Diego, I said to myself. Z Then I watched another program about the San Andreas fault and the "imminent" mega quake that sooner or later will destroy Southern California. Again, digital images showed Los Angeles in ruins. ., I thought of moving to Nebraska, but I remembered a program I saw the ..week before about the "imminent" danger the planet faces of being struck Jbyacomet. - Geez, I don't want to hear anymore about calamities that might happen. hap-pen. Here are just a few things that are scaring the nation: terrorists (they are among us), germs (we must kill them all!), aliens (terrestrial or otherwise), global warming (the polar ice is melting!), bird flu (look out, two turkeys died 'in Turkey!), Catholic priests (no wonder we don't go to confession), trans-fats trans-fats (we didn't know they existed; now, they're killing us), people who are Afferent (why, oh why, are they like that?), lead in toys and candy (it comes from China, it comes from everywhere!), the economy (it's the best in the 'World, but ... ). It seems everything is against us. And if the media says so, it surely must be true. '" I'm surprised we still venture outside our homes. ' Let us close our eyes and pray. . '' The end of the world is near. Orisit? Just for one day, I've decided to ignore the Apocalypse. For 24 hours I won't believe in sudden climate changes or the doom of the Padres and the Chargers. I'll kiss my kids before putting them to bed. Then I'll pour myself a glass of wine and put on some music. The only thing imminent on my horizon will be my. internal peace. I'll be . the calmest man in the country ... until the following morning, when the terror begins anew. Luis Humberto Crosthwaite writes for Enlace in San Diego. Visit Copley News Service at www.copleynews.com. Dear editor, Have you ever been part of something that made you a worse person than when you started? I have, tackle football. First of all talk about not being organized. They sent out schedules before be-fore the pads were in so we had to start a week later. We had no referees and when we did they didn't know all the rules, which in turn caused fights between be-tween the coaches because they weren't calling all the infractions. The players got hurt because they were doing do-ing illegal plays. I know of two broken arms, a broken leg, a fractured frac-tured hip and bruises under the chin where players were horse collaring. That is not allowed in this age group. . None of the games started start-ed on time. Some of the coaches were not letting kids play because they had missed a few practices. After a whole season of this I went to Uintah Recreation Special Service District for some answers. They told me, "That is how football is ... We have had a lot of complaints thisyear ... We can't do anything about HONEY COULD'MT YOU AT LEAST LET MY GRANDSON WEAR A COSTUME THIS YEAR FOR HALLOWEEN? 3 nuif in -r-L-a it." Do they mean to tell me that if you let your kids play football they will continue to get hurt, we will have no referees, and if you don't make it to all the practices your kid will not get to play? We live in a big enough town that this should be taken care ofand I shouldn't hear, "We are doing our best." If the people I paid can't do anything about it then who can? They need to do a better job. We put our kids in these activities to teach them sportsmanship, how to follow fol-low rules, and commentary. If we can't reach that goal maybe we should let them stay home and watch violence vio-lence and chaos on TV Kimberly Young Vernal Bertha Butterbeah Where the deer and the antelope play Guest Writer When the cot-tonwoods cot-tonwoods outside my kitchen window win-dow turn bright yellow, yel-low, I realize that it can only mean one thing. It is time for the deer hunters to get out of town and head for the hills. They do this by the truckloads. They get their binoculars, their orange or-ange vests, and their dutch ovens and they climb into their pickups. They drive far away from convenience stores looking for deer. I think there is amistak-en amistak-en notion among hunters that deer live in the higher elevations away from places inhabited by people. Well, I have been conducting my own survey on the subject. I don't suppose that I know as much about it as the Deer Population Incidence Division, but I am probably older than it is, and have talked to more people who have met deer firsthand or front fender. , Deer hunters, listen up. I will tell you where the deer x o0: : XK xxX ) if x x xyjf lis X i M xx VW- 7 x r LEGEND X deer I I busy road I hunting trail O mountaintop B Butterbcan family car P Butterbcan pickup vegetable garden E expensive ornamental tree and the antelope play better yet, I will show you (see map). I think I heard that it is illegal to shoot deer from vehicles or within, I don't know, 30 feet of the road. (Maybe that rule was for cutting Christmas trees.) Apparently the deer know that, or they are just like we are- they like to watch a good parade. I don't know why they like to get into the middle of them though. Flirting with danger I guess. I think that biologists have experimented with deer crossings, but that didn't seem to catch on. It's not that the deer can't read the signs; they can. They just seem to prefer the challenge of jaywalking. - Come to think of it, perhaps the deer hunters have irrational preferences |