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Show Free Press - Wednesday, September 11, 1996 - Pape 2 You Editorial to record levels. That push in turn has prompted municipalities to increase the fees that accompany such construction in order to pay for the services these new residences will demand from the city pushing building costs higher inside the city boundaries. Utah's unincorporated areas have e It's a good philosophy, one which has kept Utah County free of widespread and haphazard development in areas outside of city boundaries. That, in turn, has kept Utah County government out of the business of providing the types of services that cities are created to provide such as streets, sewer and water, garbage collection and public safety services. It also allows our county officials to focus their attention on the matters which can be managed better on a centralized, county level items like criminal prosecution, property assessment, elections, remained relatively free from large building projects, thanks to zoning requirements that require large amounts of acreage for each home. But that doesn't stop all development. The area west of Utah Lake is one of the prime locations for future development. And the threat of development adjacent to Alpine was a prime motivating factor in annexations into that community, where city officials said they preferred to have growth in the any residential-typ- e area under the control of city government. And pressure for building urban-typ- e developments in unincorporated Utah County is going to grow. County commissioners should continue to resist this type of development. The to provide any county is municipal-typ- e services for such development, and often nearby cities bear the brunt of the growth without the accompanying increase in revenues to pay for it. As Utah County updates its general plan, it should continue to promote the philosophy of keeping urban development inside of city boundaries, and out of the unincorporated areas of the county. managing jail facilities. Attention to this philosophy has enabled our county government to avoid the kinds of problems that besiege Salt Lake County government, where unbridled growth in unincorporated areas of the county have created tremendous bureaucratic problems for both county and city governments. But this philosophy is under siege in Utah County, where developers have their eyes on several pieces of "prime" property that are part of unincorporated Utah County. Several economic factors are driving this push to build subdivisions in the unincorporated parts of Utah County. The state's robust economy has generated a demand on housing short-ter- It m takes all of male-femal- By MARC HADDOCK lem. Nowadays nobody is raising many of our children. Mom works. Dad works. Often, Dad doesn't live at home, and Mom isn't there much either. More and more, the members of the village are too busy to care, and those who are doing the actual raising are members of a whole different village. Who raises a child today? Television. The models on Melrose Place are role models and the people who make the decisions about what will and what won't be seen are motivated by numbers not nobility the program that attracts the most view- ers can charge the most money for commercial spots. No wonder they pander shamelessly. Who raises a child today? Mario and Luigi and other video buddies who can occupy a child's mind endlessly with different variations of the same theme. Who raises a child today? Gangs, which prov ide the sense of belonging kids used to get at home but can't find there anymore. Who raises a child today? Nobody. And that's why so many kids are growing up with no sense of family, no sense of self worth and no sense of direction. And that's why this simple truth has captured the imagination of both parties. Maybe that's what we ought to focus on, rather than on petty differences in interpretation. Of course, it takes a family and a village to raise a child. It takes people who care and the more people who care, the better. That's a theme we can all agree on, isn't it? Dick and teach. It is presumed that once we teach the how to read, everything else will fall into place. As I see it, however, we may need another million volunteers to insure that every' fourth grader will be able to add and subtract. Once the teachers find out that there are millions of people just waiting to do their work, they may slack off in areas such as math. The president has set a goal of every being able to read by the year 2000. Of course, if this doesn't happen he won't be around to take the blame, as the year 2000 would be his last ... unless people come to their senses before then. The million volunteers would be assisted by 30,000 AmeriCorps students who are Daly Planet By RUSS DALY relationships thing is when one of a group of women will say (with the appropriate amount of either whine or spite) something like, "I hate it when all men do such and such." I have found that the "such and such" in discussion usually doesn't apply to me, and I will let it be known that I'm not among that vile group. At the same time, however, I feel that I must defend those of my gender. In all truth and fairness, I must admit that men are guilty of the same thing, so it might justly be said that such statements are probably made when in the company of others of the same sex. Perhaps we, being groups of either men or women, bring out the worst in each other when we get together. Despite the intricacies, the interaction of males and females is an interesting phenomenon to observe. Two experiences in particular come to mind. First, I think back to the dances sponsored by the junior high when I was a student there. I don't know how dances of today work, but back then, the teachers had the boys line up on one side of the gym and the girls on the other. After facing each other across the way, the two groups were ordered to turn and walk toward the boundary line at the end of the gym, then turn toward the center, to be paired up with the girl who occupied the corresponding position in the other line. We soon caught on, and eventually many of the boys, and perhaps some of the girls, too, started visually counting down the line to see the person with whom they would be stuck for at least the first couple of dances. The idea was that no one would be denied the opportunity to participate at in the male-fema- le me. We were visiting friends in Elko a few weeks ago, and he really hit it off with the other couple's daughter, who is about his own age. While we were at their home, my son played the typical "young man" activities with the next oldest child, the couple's only boy. But later that night, when we returned to our hotel room from being out with the couple, we found Adam on the phone to the girl, discussing the typical teen things such as school and homework and whatever else people of their age talk about these days. It wasn't the actual discussion, though, that captured my attention, it was the manner in which he was talking. He used a softer voice, peppered with unspoken words that said as much as what he did vocalize. It was his demeanor, too, that made us realize that he was talking with her differently than the way he talks with his buddies at home. Friends have warned me that this growing up thing "will only get worse" as they get older, and perhaps they are right. For better or for worse, there is no stopping it, though, so we must all get through it as best we can. Like everyone else, my son will look to the examples of those around him to try to learn the fine art of the relationship between the genders, an art that may not ever be fully understood. Letters to the editor Editor: Your editorial of Sept. 4, 1996, is unfortunately in error. You incorrectly state "in all likelihood, this centennial year will end with a whimper..." Nothing could be further from accurate. It is also regrettable that you have failed to notice that the celebration of Utah's statehood marks far more than, as you so wrongly observe, the "political failures and triumphs that successfully ended Utah's forty year battle to attain statehood." Utah's Centennial Year is much more than that. It is a statewide celebration by the people of the spirit of Utah, and honors a century of extraordinary accomplishment by its citizens. It has been a recognition of our unparalleled history as a state and a reawakening of personal appreciation for our precious heritage. It has also been a time of citizen recommitment. In celebrations in virtually every community in Utah, the amazing achievements of one hundred incredible years have been commemorated. Books have been published, films and documentaries produced, plays written, music composed, works of art created, curriculums expanded, and thousands of other lasting accomall by the people of Utah plishments in honor of this place we call home. Dozens of important Centennial activities continue. For example, in an average year maybe five foreign ambassadors will Why does Bill Editor: I recently heard that the Democratic National Committee has announced it is going to give $50,000 to Bill Orton. This surprises me because we keep hearing from Bill Orton that he is "independent," Jane volunteer er third-grad- was a necessary "man thing." She didn't seem to buy that theory, and the idea that it was a "man thing" was initially offensive to me until I realized that it doesn't matter because there is no way to reconcile the difference between the genders. I overhead a friend's wife tell my wife about her shopping expeditions during the three days immediately prior to our visit. I made no judgment about her activities until I heard her question an authorization he made to their credit card for a monthly computer service. The golden rule must apply at their house: Whoever has the gold makes the rules. A few weeks ago, someone in the office circulated a listing of seminars for men, such as You Too Can Do Housework, How to Fill an Ice Cube Tray and Real Men Ask for Directions. Despite the fact that the list was accompanied by a list of seminars for chicks (their word, not mine), I was not amused, even with such gems as Dr. Laura Schlesenger is Not Really a God, P.M.S.: It's All in Your Head and Compulsive Shopping: Twelve Dozen Pairs of Shoes IS Enough. e The Mars-Ventheory of relationships is just not enough. The guy who wrote it probably ought to consider making a revision to say Men are from Mercury, Women are from Pluto. At your house, perhaps the toilet seat issue is her pet peeve, while the toothpaste thing might be his. Both parties might be a lot happier if they realize that the other party may be averse, or even unable to change lifelong habits. In fact, it just might be easier for her to learn to plan on an upright seat and for him to buy his own tube to squeeze in his own way rather than to continually harp on the partner for those little annoyances. One of the things that really gets to me The Editor's ;fpHrj There's still plenty of bang left in Centennial the Utah privately Column that the park child-rearin- The president is looking for a million volunteers to make sure that every third-gradwill be able to read by the time he or she heads into fourth grade. Years ago, these volunteers were known as Mom and Dad, but nowadays, Mom is busy and many don't know where Dad is. If we have a million volunteers teaching our kids how to read, will these people be treated as scabs by the teachers union? This brigade of literacy will no doubt free up our teachers to do other things besides The world. A told us that her husband had applied for a concealed weapons permit. To convince her that the class, as well as its attendant $50 fee for the certificate, us to raise a child "It takes a village to raise a child." That's the phrase that's being bandied about as the presidential campaign heats up. Democrats are promoting the idea that raising a child can be viewed as a community activity. Republicans are responding disdainfully with a slogan of their own: "It takes a family, not a village, to raise a child." In one sound bite, they reaffirm their belief in the family unit and display scorn for the administration's propensity to find government solutions to family problems. But the first time I heard the phrase, some time last year, was in a column in the Pleasant Grove Review by E. Mark Bezzant, who explained that the saying is actually an African aphorism, which, as all good aphorisms, encompasses a universal truth. Mark is one of the most conservative folks I know, and a firm supporter of the Republican Party. He saw the phrase for what it was, a simple acknowledgment that the community plays an important g role in as a support, not a substitute, for the family. Men and women from all walks of life have an influence on our children usually for the good. Teachers, scout leaders, police officers, neighbors, business owners can have a positive effect everybody on the children of a community outside the confines of a family. This kind of support reinforces values taught at home by demonstrating that they are shared in other homes. It's a great concept. It's just too bad that the idea has fallen prey to election-yea- r politics. If we were to rephrase the statement just a little for Utah, maybe it would find broader acceptance. How about this: "It takes a ward to raise a child." Few good Utah Republicans would take issue with that. Kids aren't raised in a vacuum. You open your eyes and your ears in this world and you are influenced. A good village is a and nowadays families good influence need all the help they can get. And that goes to the heart of the prob- - See either gender who are simply out of this that has pushed residential building point Unfortunately, the good intentions of the teachers were thwarted by us teens who were placed not only in the awkward position of having to dance with a girl, but the even more awkward position of having to dance with someone who we perceived as being substandard in some way. For that reason, I think that girls' choice dances are important, because it empowers the females, while at the same time creating in boys an awareness of how a whether they admit it or not young lady feels when asked by someone they perceive as substandard in some way, or when not invited to the dance at all. My second thought about the relationship issue is the observation of the development of my own teenage son. Perhaps we don't expect our infant children to ever grow up, so the teen thing is really new to some Men may be from Mars and women may be from Venus, but there are those of County should shun urban development Throughout Utah County's history, county government has operated under the philosophy that urban-typdevelopment should take place in cities, rather than in unincorporated areas of the county. can't change a spouse who's on another planet Dick Boland r" s'rif. 1996 Creators Syndicate, Inc. involved in community service by working their way through college. I cannot imagine a million people stepping up to this challenge, which is aimed primarily at inner-cit- y schools. Perhaps he is thinking of making this endeavor part of the work-far- e program. Once again, we see no blame being pointed at the school system.-Instead- , we will have a million volunteers to blame if Dick and Jane turn out to be illiterate. At the same time, the president came idea, he also up with the pledged to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act so as to allow parents time off million-volunte- for doctor's appointments and, get this, r conferences. It would seem that these parents and teachers who require volunteers to do their work would have very little to discuss. Clinton seems to be embracing the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. Where on earth could he get such an idea? By making this proposal, the president is telling us that our educational system has fallen apart. This is not news to anyone who has a child in school. Rather than making any substantial changes to the system, he is looking for volunteers to fix a multi-billio- n dollar blunder that we call the public school system. It is akin to General Motors asking for a million volunteer mechanics to fix a defect in their automobiles. All of us would like to see able to read, particularly in our inner cities where signs like "no loitering," "no smoking" or 'no anything" seem to go ignored. If the deficiencies in our school system are as severe as I suspect, it would seem that the way to eliminate the problem would be through major change and not through the addition of a million volunteers. Even know you get what you pay third-grade- third-grade- for. Centennial Commission. funded Centennial The International Gateway will be comas a fitting entrance for pleted by year-en- d travelers to Utah's capitol city. It will welcome the nations of the world to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Thousands of volunteers continue to be involved in worthy efforts all across the state, with all of this chaired by Stephen M. Studdert, an unpaid volunteer from your local community. These volunteers are devoting devoted countless hours and to this very significant resources Centennial. There is no "whimper" in their dedication to Utah. To suggest that the Centennial will "end in a whimper" is a disservice to these remarkable volunteers, the impact of whose extremely significant contributions will last for generations. It also fails to recognize that lives and attitudes are being changed in countless ways that will enrich Utah for years to come. And it has all been done without any appropriation of tax dollars by the Legislature. All that has been accomplished is through the financial generosity of the good people of Utah. And, of course, the exciting Centennial Finale will occur as this year of reflection concludes. We hope the Pleasant Grove Review will take note. - Maura Carabello Centennial Program Director -- keep running as Democrat? and "represents no particuideology." Orton just "votes his conscience." If this is so, I wonder why Bill "non-partisa- lar Orton keeps running as a Democrat. Why doesn't he just run as an independent? The fact is that the Democratic National Committee just doesn't give $50,000 to candidates who are "indepenand "represent no dent," particular ideology." They give large sums of money to Democrats who play on their team, who go to their national convention as Clinton delegates to help Bill Clinton and who share their get Democrat ideology. Bill Orton clearly fits ""non-partisa- parent-teache- v. visit Utah. This year, as a Centennial Commission effort to tell story to world, as many as 75 foreign ambassadors will visit Utah, one at a time. Nearly four dozen official ambassadorial visits ' are ' scheduled to occur in the remaining four months. The National Capitol Christmas Tree in December will be a Centennial gift from Utah. The Centennial Big Game Hunt auction will be held, raising funds to create wildlife habitat. These are just a few examples of what is yet to occur. Utah farms Nearly 300 family-owne- d and ranches are being honored this fall because they are at least one hundred years old, have been in continuous operation since statehood or before, and have been in the same family ownership for at least one hundred years. The importance of agriculture to our Utah economy, culture, history and our future cannot be undervalued. The Centennial Legacy projects are nearing completion in all twenty-nin- e counties. The state Centennial Legacy project, This is the Place State Park, is continuing with construction of nearly twenty historic buildings, all financed through funds donated by Utah citizens, families, civic and religious organizations and business corporations. The not insignificant sum of nearly ten million dollars has been raised in Utah for this Centennial Legacy gift by the devoted efforts of the their mold. clear that the Democratic National Committee considers Bill Orton to be a loyal and partisan Democrat who shares their philosophy and votes with Bill Clinton the majority of the time. They obviously believe that the money they invest in Bill Orton will create a generous return. No doubt, big eastern labor unions who have invested in Orton feel the same way. Both the Democratic Party and big labor unions expect a payback which will be at the expense of the people of Utah. I want a Congressman who represents Utah and Utah values not the values of Bill Clinton or big labor. Dean Hawker This generous donation makes it quite Provo Cannon is our best hope Editor: Chris Cannon is the best hope we have had in this congressional district since former Congressman Howard Nielson left office. Cannon represents Utah values. Chris Cannon wants to reduce the size of government and lower taxes. He believes that education should be in the hands of the parents and local school boards not the federal government. He that welfare should be managed by the states. He believes that it takes a not a village. He family to raise a child is honest and forthcoming about his politnot evasive and vague. ical convictions Cannon is the kind of man who will represent Utah the way we should be represented. It's time for a change. Let's elect Chris Cannon. G. Larsen believes We welcome letters to the editor. All letters should be typewritten and double spaced. Letters must also be signed, and must include the writer's name and telephone number. Please send letters to Editor, Newtah News Group, P.O. Box 7, American Fork, Utah, 84003 or through email at Newtahaol.com. |