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Show ETDtc EfLTQLMI Free Press - Wednesday, June Vote for bond shows confidence in kids Voters in the Alpine School Dis- badly-neede- d in the district. The $98 million bond presented to the public on May 24 represents a The flag While it was down, we were made more aware of our emotional commitment to our country as we honored a former president, even one who many scorned during his administration. It was exciting to see people put aside their grudges for a time, joining in the family of man to pay respect to someone for the good that he was able to accomplish in his lifetime. Duringthe funeral services, it was thrilling to see other presidents and their wives in attendance - a gesture of solidarity despite differences of individual opinion -that stirred in me a feeling of hope for an increased sense of brotherly love. Not being one to openly show emotion, nor necessarily agreeing with our current administration, I was surprised to find myself weeping when President Clinton made his remarks. I watched the flag stay down a few extra days when Jackie died, and I pondered about her life and her contributions. Unfortunately, with the assassination occurring just two days before my fourth birthday, I cannot fully appreciate those contributions, except as I see news footage and commentary by others. For millions of people throughout the world, her death brought an introspection, if not a profound sense of loss. And again, the family of man came together in a com- vestment with returns for everyone, whether he or she has a student in the schools or not. The senior citizen benefits as much from a younger generation as do the parents of that generation. Modern technology plays an important role in education. A high school graduate who cannot operate a computer today is akin to a graduate who couldn't read 20 years ago. Adequate, modern labs are necessary to teach chemistry and biology concepts that are a must for this era's high school graduates. The same holds true in virtually every discipline taught in the schools. Good schools help make good students, who then go forth and become productive adults, improving the quality of life for everyone. d schools with crowded classrooms and inadequate facilities are a recipe for disaster and skimping in these areas will result in an ill trained work force and young adults who are unprepared to face the world. The current conditions in our high schools create tension and stress which hamper the learning atmosphere. The new high schools will relieve some of that. In approving last week's school bond, Alpine voters have shown that they understand this fact - you can build schools to solve the problems created by overcrowded schools or you can build prisons to house the problems created by overcrowded well-educat- -- Under-equippe- y mon cause. With the flag back to the top of the staff, I have discovered another freedom the material represents - the freedom to go on. Jackie's death made us reflect on President Kennedy and "Camelot," a time people may view as a bright period in the history oT -- -- over-crowde- In this business, you get to witness the judicial system from all sides. Last week, for the first time, I got to see it as a witness when I was summoned to give a deposition. For a long time, I thought I would avoid this particular court case, since my involvement was peripheral - as is usually the case with a newspaper reporter and photographer. Normally, no one is interested in our view of a case, because they can get information from eyewitnesses or law enforcement experts who are on the scene before we are. But in this case, I wrote a column, expressed an opinion, and attracted the attention of the individuals who wanted to sue. The incident in question happened three years ago in August when a car driven by an older man ran the stop sign at the intersection of RedwotfdvRoad and Cedar Valley Road (SR 68 and $R 73, to be technical). He was hit broadside by a car traveling on Cedar Valley Road and the impact threw the man's car off the road. He was killed. Two of his granddaughters, ages 8 and 9, were thrown from the car and also died. Two other children in the car were injured. I arrived on the scene after the ambulance had taken the living children to the hospital. EMTs and police officers were sorting out the accident and starting to deal with the bodies. The older man's body was still in the car; the bodies of the two dead children were lying where they had landed, covered with blankets. I talked to some people, took a lot of photographs trying to capture the hum an tragedy represented by the accident without photographing anything graphic and went home, heartsick and shaken. It was such a waste of young, human life. The accident prompted a column, written that night or the next morning, talking about the accident, the feelings it created, and the dangerous nature of this particular intersection. I took the UDOT to task for inadequately warning motorists driving on that stretch of Redwood Road that they would soon have to come to a stop. Two weeks before, another woman had been killed at the same place under similar conditions. I wanted to see something done better signs or flashing lights - and I said -- shall always be grateful to my father for jllllllll - By TOM GRIFFITHS V tion. They say that just when a man child is born a little fairy comes down from heaven to kiss him. If she kisses him on the forehead, he will grow up to become a great philosopher, or scientist, or poet. If she kisses him on the cheek he will be a man and probably become a great actor. If she kisses him on the mouth he will be a great orator, or singer. On the foot, an athlete, or a dancer. If she kisses him on the anatomy, he will become a politician. good-lookin- g If you've been wondering what ever-increasi- ered to have a "misplaced" surgical sponge lodged in his stomach. Another vet, because of misdiagnosis, ended up paralyzed. A third, known to be psychotic and suicidal, killed himself in the parking lot after waiting four hours without service. And a father of two died in heart surgery when a technician misread his vital signs. Paul Harvey Product Inc. 1994 For the Cato Institute, Robert social- ized medicine would be like in the United 70 years. Governmentalized health care got a rocky start in America. As with all government bureaucracies, the temptation for graft and greed was great, and the first program director, received his fill of both. Forbes ended up in Leavenworth, and hiscompatriot, Charles Cramer, committed suicide. Unfortunately for the veterans, that was only a foretaste of things to come. In 1931, angry vets rioted in Washington. Duringthe Depression, VAhospitals floundered under an patient load, and after WW II, the influx of pushed the system toward extinction. "In the clinic," recalls former VA physician Robert KMoxon, "chaos was endemic.'' But did the confusion end with the States, we've had it...for Planet By RUSS DALY our country. His assassination could be viewed as one of the greatest tragedies of our time. His successor had to live with the stigma of having to follow someone so popular and well-love- d. Eventually, the news coverage waned, even after the vengeful murder of Kennedy's assassin, and the country moved on. Things may not have been perfect, or even good, but we did go on. The Vietnam War became a critical issue, and millions were, and still are, affected by it in various ways. But, although the tragedies of that war may be unfathomable, our country and its people collectively did go on. Even most of those who may have experienced personal loss one day decided they had to go on with their lives. President Nixon was remembered at his death for having brought about the end of that conflict, but fell from grace with the Watergate affair. Although we were shocked or saddened at the situation, and either fascinated or disgusted with the media coverage of the investigation, we finally moved on. Nixon's resignation may have mollified many, but the presidents who followed had their own unique struggles in running the dom to go on. government's outlay of billions to resurrect the program? Apparently not. Dr. John T. Lord, testifying about the VA's inefficiency before Senate committee just last year, described the system as "archaic." When we look at recent statistics, its easy to see why. According to a 1993 study put out by the General Accounting Office, 55 veterans wait up to threehours for routine examinations, 11 percent wait the same length of time for "urgent" examinations, and nearly all of them are delayed three months to see a specialist. Even then, only one trip in seven results in treatment. And what treatment. One patient having abdominal pain for thi ufe weeks after surgery was discov per-cent- another angle The Editor's Column By MARC HADDOCK At the time I heard from members of the family of dead man who considered suing the state because of the dangerous conditions of the road. They made copies of my column.and apparently asked for copies of my pjetyrfs although I don't remember that. After three years, frankly, I didn't remember very much. So when I started getting letters from the Utah Attorney General asking for "all documents, photographs or papers" I had relating to the accident, I was at a loss. I searched for the negatives of the accident photos, but I never found them. I turned in copies of our article about the accident, with the photo, and my column, and figured I was done. I was wrong. A few weeks ago I got another letter from the Attorney General's office, telling me to appear at the law offices of the Utah Attorney General, Office of Recovery Services, in Provo. You don't ask someone who is divorced to appear at the Office of Recovery Services without provoking a negative response. Then I read that the letter concerned the UDOT law suit and calmed down. I called the AG's office and confirmed that the meeting was Wednesday at noon. On Monday I got a call asking if I could appear at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning I got a call from an fellow telling me he had a subpoena for me regarding an accident I was involved in Salt Lake. Again, my heart started pounding until I realized that it was related to the same accident. He said he needed to serve the subpoena and it would -- . official-soundin- g include a check for my witness fee. I told him where to reach me, and I was served my subpoena about an hour later. The law is a laborious process. When I showed up for the deposition, I was met by two lawyer types and a court reporter. After I was sworn in the questions about the accident started coming fast and furious. Most of the questions revolved around my opinion on the intersection in question, and about how dangerous it was. Was that my own opinion, or had I talked to other people? What other people? How many times h ad I talked to them? What was my opinion based on? How often had I driven that road? What could I recall about the intersection. In all, I gained a great appreciation for Ronald Reagan and the questions raised by the investigations. I said, "I don't recall," more and more often. I used to drive to Cedar Valley regularly. I don't any more. I used to drive along Redwood Road regularly. I haven't been there for a few years. When I wrote that column, I was intimately acquainted with the intersection in question. I'm not any more. And three years is a long time to remember the details that are so precious in courtroom testimony. The attorney for the family also produced copies of all my photographs - apparently I had lent them the negatives just after the accident. I didn't remember lending the negatives out, either. After the experience, I'm inclined to be more forgiving of a President who can't remember, more sympathetic of another President who is asked to reconstruct financial transactions that are 15 years old, and concerned about retrying Ron Lafferty with witnesses who must deliver testimony that is now 10 years old. I've seen the court system at work as a reporter and a juror. I've been a defendant and a plaintiff and even helped present my own case in sm all claims court. And now I've experienced it as a witness. I'm happy to go back to being a reporter, thank you very much. Iran-Cont- ra -- - -- so. Socialized medicine - the 70 - year lesson In 1921, a government bureau was created tohandle veterans'affairs. Ayear later, it was given the responsibility of meeting their health needs. And in the seven decades that have followed, the U . S . Dep artmen t of Veteran s Aff air s ( VA) has grown to include the largest health care system in American - the Veterans 100 percent governmenAdministration t-owned and lOOpercentgovernment-operated- . Daly A look at the courts from a gift he possessed. He had a sense of humor. Life was not easy for him, trying to raise a large family on a small wage earned at the colliery. But he learned to smile at adversity and learned to tell stories. Many a cold winter evening we would sit around the fire in the fireplace and he would entertain his family. Some were Biblical stories, but many were human interest stories he had learned during his life. His motto was, "Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep andyou weep alone." With this in mind I would like to tell a few of my favorite stories that could make you laugh. Politicians came in for some razzing. A political friend, after his defeat in an election, swore he would never again address a gathering. But one day he was approached by a woman who sought to have him speak at the Ladies Protective Society. "I can't," he explained firmly. "I have burned my bridges behind me." The woman looked slightly surprised, but came to the rescue nobly. "Oh, in that case," she said, Til lend you a pair of my husbands." In Ireland they have a quaint supersti- - The leadership of the land. That tenacity occurs in our own lives on a regular basis as we learn to accept changes and challenges and continue to grow. Last week's graduation ceremonies caused me to reflect on my own passage from high school, especially as I listened to the speakers allude to the rite as a doorway into the future. The Class of 1994 has completed one of the first phases of their lives, and now they must get on with the phases to come. It won't always be easy, and it won't always work out the way they hope and plan, but I'm sure they will go on, no matter what. Since their challenges will not cease, they will have to learn to cope with situations that many others have experienced. Sickness, loss, disappointment and death come tous all, and we develop ourown ways of coping in order to go on. There will also be mistakes along the way, challenges of our own making. But, as many of the graduation speakers said, not daring to make mistakes is much worse than trying and failing. I've seen businesses fail and people go broke, but somehow, these people learn to go on, usually wiser having had the experience. To me, that is one of the greatest freedoms that we enjoy today. We're not encumbered with the problems that many other countries face, although we have our own set of challenges. But I think we're also better equipped to cope, and we need to be grateful for that. Think about your emotional commitment to your country the next time you see the flag, and remember, you have the free- d I'm grateful for my father's sense of humor I country. Each time, we have gone on, learning to accept, and maybe even embrace, the at the Post Office is back to the top. major commitment by Alpine District patrons. Nevertheless, 63 percent of the people voting in the bond election were in favor of the bond to build two new high schools and four new elementary schools, as well as funding needed improvements to existing schools. Construction on these new schools will begin immediately - and that's not a minute too soon. In the wake of the bond election, there is plenty of grumbling by people who feel the bond is excessive, or and that the district is inefficient. In fact, Alpine District has a good record for efficiency and one of the lowest administrators-per-pupi- l rates in the state, while turning out some pretty good students. And funding of structures as expensive as new schools cannot be done cheaply, nor with existing funds. The Alpine School District operates on such a tight margin that to expect it to pay back bonds on $25 million high schools and $9 million elemeneven tary schools is unrealistic with the new growth the area is experiencing. Only through bonding can those funds be raised - and only with those funds can adequate schools be built. Perhaps the tax increase we have schools. We can be proud we chose the just agreed to adopt can be best acwe schools consider if in former. an cepted top-heav- Page 2 Celebrating the freedom to move on Editorial trict are to be commended for putting their money where their kids are into new schools 1, 1994 - Bauman's research reveals that 90 percent of American veterans opt for private health care. Nine out of every 10 veterans choose to pay for private health care rather than entrust t'.emselves to the "free" governmentalized system. Americans, our vets are trying to tell us: If the current VA medical centers can't properly care for a 10th of our veterans with an operating budget of nearly $16 billion per year, how is the government ever going to care for you? The answer should be too obvious to require elaboration. No matter how big we want to make government-controllehealth care, no matter how much money we're willing to spend, a casual stroll down the shadowy corridors of any VA hospital will reveal what "government medicine" is really like. d Thanks for help Editor: in finding ring On May 14 1 discovered my weddingring that I had placed in my pocket while making bread was missing. I backtracked through the things I had done that day and found myself at Kohlers store. Someone with an honest heart had found my ring and turned it in at customer service in Kohlers. I wish to thank whomever it was for their honesty. I am truly grateful. I also want to thank those who worked at Kohlers that day and held it for me until I caught up with it. -- Suzanne Christofferson Teens need an activity center Editor: I am currently a freshman at Lehi Junior High. As a young teenager, I like participat-ingi- n social activities, and wish there could be some kind of activity center for teenagers to go to. Crime is becoming more of a problem in Lehi and some kind of activity for theyouth would help m inim ize the problem by having more kids in an activity center instead of on the streets looking for trouble. It could also be a helpful way for the Lehi City Council to earn extra money for things they would like to buy. I think having some kind of activity center would be a great idea for the youth, and a good idea for raising extra money for the community. Allred Lehi's roads in poor shape Editor: I am writing to express my opinion about the streets in Lehi. The streets here in Lehi are awful. Lehi is always tearing up the roads to do things, and then they fix them and make them work or else they don't fix them and then there is a big hole in the ground. You are more likely to get in an accident in Lehi than you are anywhere else just because of the roads here. We need to fix up the roads in Lehi before it becomes too late. Parker Policy on letters to the editor We welcome letter to the editor. All letter should be typewritten and double (paced. Letter mutt alio be signed, and mud Include the writer' name and telephone number. Please send letters to Editor, Newtah News Group, P.O. Boi 7, American Fork, Utah, 84003. mm |