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Show NVa l'i.:h V.v.i G:oe Review Lindon Kdttion New L'txh - Thursda. August . 2002 - Pace 2 Opinion r Keeping competition a positive experience The- hcjinnin of the school yc;ir means the renewal of competition com-petition anions our voting people peo-ple -- for grades, and in the entire rane of extra-curricular activities, from the arts to wrestling. It .seems a good time to take a step hack and remind ourselves of the purposes and limits of these activities. There is no denying that ours is a competitive society through and through, and success is often measured by whether individuals, indi-viduals, groups or companies etc. are perceived as '"winners." What constitutes a "winner" varies widely, however, depending depend-ing on who you ask. To make it even more confusing, confus-ing, opinions are frequently different dif-ferent even in the same set of circumstances. For example, success in the classroom is often measured in terms of high grades, especially by parents and college admissions officials. However, grades don't always measure how much a student has learned as well as they measure how carefully a student stu-dent has followed instructions. In addition, some students simply sim-ply don't take tests well, and their results may never fully reflect what they actually know. Effort is another matter entirely. Some students will labor long and hard to achieve less than perfect grades in difficult diffi-cult subjects, while others breeze through classes which don't challenge them, but earn them a higher GPA. Forward-thinking Forward-thinking colleges now look at the nature of the coursework as well as the grades; parents and teachers ought to do the same. Sometimes, parents also pres Something's fishy in Am. Fork I hope I'm not the only one who has had question marks written all over my face as I have driven around town. We are being invaded. Yes, that's right. Little green fish are taking over our city. American Fork's roads, particularly particu-larly in the central city, have had fish painted on them. Not artistically, artisti-cally, but just an outline or stylized styl-ized version of a fish. That's where the advantage of being a reporter comes in. Being naturally nosy is also good, but doesn't necessarily give you a license to ask questions. People, at least in most of the books I read, generally think that reporters are always obnoxious anyway, so we may as well live up to our image. So I went to some of my sources. That's the other advantage advan-tage to being a reporter. A regular citizen may be nosy, but not know who to ask. I have contacts who seem to know everything - at least until now. I checked with the director of the public works department, thinking it had something to do with some sort of road project. Perhaps the fish marked areas to be patched at some future date. Sometimes it seems that they delineate certain sections for work, like manholes which need to be raised after a repaving job. Good try. but no cigar. He told me he had been wondering won-dering about the little fish himself. him-self. If I found out. I should let him New Utah American Fork Citizen. Pleasant Giwe Reuev. Lchi Fre Press. Lindon New I'tah. Lone Peak New I tah 53 W. Main American Fork. UT S4003 An edition of The Daily Herald, a Pulitzer. Inc. newspaper USPS 01S-5S0 (ISSN: 1521-6S45) XEWSSTAXD PRICE: 50 cents SUBSCRIPTION RATE: 1 year - S26 (in county) S35 (out of county) (Thursday and Sunday pius Holiday deliveries 'Holiday delienes include delivery the week of Easter. Memorial. Independence. Pioneer. Labor. Thar.ksg:ving. Christinas A. New Year's. - ' sure teachers to raise grades when students don't merit the higher marks, just so they can keep up appearances or earn scholarships. This only teaches students how to manipulate the system, wears down good teachers, and is likely to mean consequences for the parents too when children chil-dren seek for solutions to other problems by looking for shortcuts short-cuts rather than working them through. On the playing field and court, the debate floor or the stage, competition can provide players with varied experiences that can help build character, but only if the whole business is kept in perspective When anyone coach, participant, partic-ipant, official, parent or spectator specta-tor -- can't maintain their self-control self-control because of what happens in a contest, everybody loses, no matter what the outcome of it is. Screaming, taunting, rude gestures, foul language and disparaging dis-paraging comments of any kind, no matter who they're directed to or how much provocation there is perceived to have been for them, are totally inappropriate inappropri-ate in any setting, particularly ones that involves children --even --even if they are 300-pound linemen. line-men. We hope that all members of our communities will examine their competitive attitudes and behaviors, and make a fresh commitment to changing whatever what-ever needs to be changed so that our children, and others in attendance, can enjoy a friendly spirit of competition and all the healthy outcomes it can provide. L know. A suggestion to check with the police department also brought no leads. Not only didn't the chief know what the fish were for, he had been spending a lot of time in the office and not on the streets, so he hadn't seen the fish. Another dead end. I tried one more source and checked with a friend in the engineering engi-neering department. There was no answer for me, but he at least had seen the little invaders and had taken more careful note than I had. Apparently Apparent-ly the little fish have numbers painted on the inside of them. Perhaps Per-haps they were for some bike rally or other similar event. Participants Partici-pants would select one to ride to, then hope it was the winning one for some prize. We haven't found out the answer yet. I wish I had, so I could report it to you. Then those of you who are as curious as I am could get to sleep at night. This is a plea for anyone with information to contact New Utah at 756-7669. ext. 12. I'll be waiting for your call, so I can relay it to the public. SEWS: We welcome news tips. Call 56-669 to report a news tip or if you have a comment or a question. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must include the authors name (printed AND sigr.ed) and a telephone number. We reserv e the rieht to edit letters . anv tcric. Life always gets better, someday Two weeks before school started, start-ed, we had a son enter the LDS Missionary Training Center, the MTC. Immediately, his sisters wanted to begin redecorating their bedrooms bed-rooms and at the same time go school shopping and get registered for school. Both parents suggested this might not be a good idea. As expected, they listened and then proceeded to make a plan of attack. We set a budget. Which explains why, while we were picking out hues and shades of purple and blue satin sheen interior paint; they were at the same time asking friends where the best deals on jeans and tops were. It was tiring and chaotic. During this period of stress, at work we temporarily lost a journalist jour-nalist with the Pleasant Grove Review and the editorial staff was madly trying to find an adequate replacement in time for the next city meeting. We were also able to welcome three other journalists on board to help with the Lindon Edition and Pleasant Grove news and features. fea-tures. It was at the same time, the Towards a fitting legacy Like most things in life, having a sense of community has both positive and negative sides. On the plus side, when we care about where we live and the people peo-ple around us, we are more likely to be participating citizens, better neighbors, and more involved parents par-ents (that is, more involved with other children besides our own), creating a safer and more supportive support-ive climate for all. We generally take better care of our property, have some regard for the property of others, and feel obligated to help maintain public facilities as well, creating a living environment that can be enjoyed by everyone. Our schools tend to be superior because we demand them to be, and we're not afraid to put our muscle and other resources to work, when necessary, to see that they meet our expectations. Crime tends to be lower because we watch out for one another. Also, adolescents who may otherwise oth-erwise be tempted to do something some-thing wrong, whether on a dare or just out of sheer boredom, may resist if they know a report of "'Jo Pleasant Grove library thanks businesses for support h Editor: Oarr! staff: Sumo n Gardens On behalf of the Pleasant Pleas-ant Grove City Library staff and the families of the children who participated partici-pated in this years summer sum-mer reading program, I would like to express thanks and appreciation to the businesses who donated gift certificates and coupons for the kids this summer. These businesses were Arctic Circle, Daylight Day-light Donuts, Bank of American Fork, Hogi Yogi, Purple Turtle, Winger's Diner, Water DEADLINES Classified Advertising Tuesday, noon Display Advertising Monday, 5 p.m. News Monday, 2 p.m. Missionaries, Weddings Monday, 2 p.m. Sports. Letters to the Editor Monday, 10 a.m. fl-ir .Mlrirv- niiT-.'nnrirtn Mrtj 3n-? (!fm IT! 1 1 FIT TV falprirlar . v hL..,uiiuv.i. '-"- na j - jwuiLuics Published Thursdays by Pulitzer Newspapers. Inc., 59 West Main, American Fork, Utah S4003. Periodicals postage paid at American Fork, Utah. Postmaster: Send address changes to 59 West Main. American Fork. UT S4003. Member: Audit Bureau of Circulations i a- , - ivy v : - water stories were breaking in Lehi and Alpine City. Dad had to pitch in and help with back-to-school and redecorating redecorat-ing errands. We couldn't use the living room or the family room for two weeks, because of all the furniture furni-ture and clutter stored there. Those rare moments when home, I would collapse in a chair and moan about life. It took a new seventh grade student stu-dent writing to her "Elder Heath" at the MTC to remind me that life "as it is" could always be worse. After all, I should be thankful we have the money to buy the paint so the girls can get it on the carpet, the furniture and maybe, just maybe, the walls. The fact that I have a fiscal limit hasn't occurred to them yet. For this, I am not thankful. Here's her letter: Hi, Elder Heath. Getting back in school has its ups and downs. My locker is not cool, I carry my books around all day. And my math teacher is completely com-pletely evil. I've gotten lost a thou ...,. - , .-. their misdeeds is very likely to get back to their parents because someone who knows them will find out. Then, there is the other side. We get more upset about intractable community problems, because they affect our daily lives directly. When long-time friends are found on opposite sides of civic issues, the consequences often go far beyond the matter at hand and create difficulties for other mutual acquaintances. There are other examples, but perhaps the hardest thing is when the loss of some member of our community really hits home. In the wider world, we can maintain some distance from the reports of death and destruction which happen in faraway places to people we don't know. It's not that we don't care; it's just that for most of us, these things don't penetrate our emotional defens- Reader's Forum Cinema 6, and tificates. Western Community Bank. These businesses donated thousands of dollars worth of coupons for free food and merchandise mer-chandise for our use as rewards for the reading efforts of the kids. This summer 1,000-plus 1,000-plus children participated participat-ed in the summer reading read-ing program, reading over 550,000 minutes. We can't number the times parents and kids have thanked us for these coupons and cer Repeatedly we have had parents talk with me about how their children and grandchildren have gained a love and excitement excite-ment of reading as a result of the summer reading program. These businesses played a role in this success and we would like to say THANKS to each and everyone of them. - Carolyn Corry, children's librarian, April Harmer, director and the Pleasant Grove 1 uunuay, iu a.m. luesdc Jay, 1 1 a.m. sand tiniest ,Va,. ...l . ups? Hope you are havinV time than I am. Lore, Jcni. Life does get better. Jeni j. able to open her locker even? she needs to put something ? take it out. Next, she jUst h learn to bring the books home the weekends in order to d I homework. 0 ' She is keeping a journal onh evil math teacher's antics She he laughs like the Tasmanij Devil. I m hoping after a f, weeks, she will discover -V Smith" just has a very colorful n sonality. As a teacher, he at U has her attention. The girls' rooms are aW done and order is beginning return at home. At work, I'll d my fingers crossed that our n writers will hold up under dea line pressure, criticism and tj unknown. And me? Well, my son ju offered a bribe. He'll send mo MTC photos, if we'll send a ca package. I don't think so. The la photos he sent were of a closet i empty bed and an MTC walkwaj' Next he'll be asking for mo film. What nerve. Cathy Allred can be reached callrednewutah.com. , v.; AICIl es because we know there's litt -at or nothing we can do abo ol, them. , Her It's different when an accide A m takes our daughter's best frien n when cancer claims a still-youi im' father, or when our teacher sir-' 1 denly is gone after treatment foi '' medical condition we didn't ew know she had. jf j Such events are always j lowed by shock and sudd (r) ( uncertainty, but shared mourni can draw a community even ell U er together, even as painful as '-is. '-is. ' 11 Trt nini V4- Vinf urn mica x lie vcij iav.b tiiau departed member is all the e1 .. dence we need that their life, ho1 m ever brief or long it was, d -forn indeed count for something, -1 b nowhere else but here. ;'inc At such times, we often gain ' ! new appreciation for all the mai ffx,, people and things we tend to tal j, for granted. '-an I think we honor our depart 'fet loved ones best when we recoma -'.the ourselves to doing all we can - 1 nr. moll AS ' ant improve ourselves, ao .-.. , rt( make our communities a bett . place to live for all of those th left behind. Williams, Diaru Waters, Linda VI Eaton, Andrea Thurlo Emily Sumner, Deal Stanley, Ashley Schu Tammra Salist Margie Newtt,MaW Mecham, Di"5 Kammi Lyman, L Kukahiko.RuthHu Lyndi Hatch, -J Hansen, Michelle WJ ley, DeeAnn W Natalie Calder, M Boyer, Cindy Bj gaard, Bonnie Jean Drane) Linda Bette 'If Sire Subscriptions & Delivery Serjj.CgjJ News & Advertising 756'76 Fax 756-5274 E-mail . . . .nueditornewutah.corj , PG City Editor Cathy Allre Lehi City Editor Cathy All" AF City Editor . .Barbara Christian; Lone Peak Editor . . . .Beky Beatoj |