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Show Free Press - Wednesday, February 4, 1998 - Page 2 Opinion Them good old boys need them good young girls Buckling up the kids We're doing better. But we're not doing enough. still Utah parents are buckling up nearly 69 percent of their children. This is a 15 percent increase in the number of Utah children under age 8 who are restrained in cars since the Utah Safety Council started stressing the importance of children wearing appropriate seat For Love restraints. And while the increase is saving lives, it is not saving enough lives. Almost one third of the children who are passengers in this state are still not restrained or improperly restrained. The results are tangible. Motor vehicle crashes are still the number one killer of our children. Most such deaths are unnecessary. Seventy one percent of deaths could be prevented with properly used child seats. If all the children in Utah were property restrained every time they rode in a vehicle in 1995, 31 children who were killed would still be alive today. Here are the Utah Safety Council's recommendations: All children weighing 60 pounds or less should be restrained in an appropriate child safety seat. All children 12 years old and younger should be buckled up in ; at with the Utah license plate number and the approximate date, time and location of the observation. The individuals won't be cited, but the Utah Safety Council will send the vehicles owners lifesaving information regarding their children, along with tips on keeping children entertained in safety seats and a list of where to obtain loaner or discounted seats. Such a move might not change the behavior of everyone who insists on driving without using restraints for their children, but it is worth the effort if such action saves just one young life. An added benefit is that using seat restraints trains children to use belts and helps develop the habit of buckling up that will preserve lives for years to come. Next week is Child Passenger Safety Week. It is a good time for drivers to remind themselves that using seat restraints properly saves lives of the young and old alike. the back seat. Re-appointm- All vehicle occupants should be buckled up at all times. Each of us can help make sure our passengers and ourselves use our seat belts or car seats. And we can do more. Those who observe unrestrained children in a moving vehicle can make a difference. Call Buckle Up was a betrayal ent American Fork residents who were looking forward to an investigation into the American Fork Police Department were betrayed last week when Mayor Ted Barratt Police Chief John Durrant without batting an eyelash. This is the same Mayor Barratt who promised such an investigation during his election campaign and who exclaimed at his swearing-i- n ceremony that both he and Durrant would demand such an investigation. At the time, it seemed logical that a thorough, independent investigation would precede That is not to be. In making the appointment prior to any investigation, Barratt has j'sent a clear message that he has no intention of taking a very close look at the serious allegations leveled at Durrant and his department. In fact, . i the appointment precludes the possibility of an adequate investigation ever taking place. After all, a city appointment, by its nature, is a vote of confidence in the performance and abilities of the individual in question. The appointment process takes place in Utah cities every two years, giving mayors an opportunity to make necessary changes in department heads without upsetting any apple carts. Making such changes in the middle of the year can prove difficult at best, as American Fork witnessed last year. If any serious scrutiny were planned for American Fork's police department, the best method would have been to reappoint Durrant for a period, and to hold the investigation during that time. A permanent appointment that followed that type of process would carry the weight of serious deliberation and subsequent vindication. Instead, this appointment before any investigation has taken place has all the earmarks of a whitewash. The net result ultimately affects the police department, the residents of American Fork and city government 90-da- y as a whole. How? them a chance to find out if their fears are justified or not. It marks a return to the "good old boy" politics that dominated American Fork for decades, where actions are taken with little input from the public. Last week's appointment process was a major disappointment to anyone who was hoping that the questions raised regarding American Fork's Police Department would be answered by a serious investigation. Unfortunately, an independent investigation is still seriously needed to restore the community's trust in those individuals charged with enforcing the law. The question is, will it do any good? their birth their parents started setting aside money on a regular basis to pay for their education. Many of us enjoy good health because scientists have spent time in laboratories researching and finding drugs and medicines that improve our health. The list is endless, but the question is if we ever take time to write a note, make a phone call or otherwise express appreciation to those who bought our pleasures and luxuries with their own sacrifice? You would be amazed at the response you will get if you do. The recipient of your compliment will be delighted, and you will feel even better than the recipient. Give it a try, and I'll see you at the top! No. 8750-4669- ) (U.S.P.S. No. 309-500- ) A alleged affair(s), although I am growing weary of the daily accusations that fly in all directions from the floozy du jour. Personally, I don't really see that a president's personal affairs necessarily make him or her unfit for office, although the corresponding lying and cover ups that accompany such actions may be an indication of the person's moral character, which would certainly sway many people at election time. But what really got to me was that Hillary said that her husband would tell the truth, that justice would prevail and that the "system" would provide the real story. If any of you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. Neither the justice "system" nor government itself is meant to work that way. Our Founding Fathers may have thought they were creating a system of government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but either through gross negligence or through repeated corruption, I believe the "system" is a mockery of those early ideals. Government, at all levels, seems to be built on a premise of secrecy. Many elected officials give the impression that the American people shouldn't know what's going on because those elected to office are imbued with all of the knowledge and the ability to discern right from wrong. When I worked for an agency of the Department of Defense, in addition to not discussing the specifics of my job, I was told that I should not even tell TieT But The Canyons, the ski resort near Park City that has gone by different names over the past several years (Park West and, most recently, Wolf Mountain) has found a way. What the resort has done is offer free season ski passes to any high school or junior high school student who made the honor roll. I'm not kidding. They put out the word in local schools that if you made the honor roll, you could ski for free as long as you kept up your grades. Now that's an incentive. When you consider the cost of skiing, it's amazing anyone can afford it. And a season pass is out of the question for most high school kids, especially those who fund their extracurricular activities by flipping burgers or filling tacos at the local fast food restaurants. So an offer of a free season pass is, in a word, remarkable. The response has been phenomenal. Honor roll students from throughout Utah have lined up to have their picture taken for a season pass. One high school from southern Utah even brought a school bus loaded with honor roll students to get their passes and ski The Canyons. For us, it hit home in an extraordinary fashion: our high school senior, a kid who never aspired to earning an A in any class in his lifetime, brought home a 3.74 the last term of his secondary school career. Jeffrey didn't just chance onto the mi Homeschooler rights Editor: Utah's State Superintendent wants d to ensure that children are being educated properly by admins, istering yearly tests. Why are with children now numbering an estimated 25,000 in the state, protesting? Homeschooled children learn when they are ready, not on a regimented schedule, and they may have attitudes or beliefs that are different from the secular ideas now being pushed in home-schoole- home-schooler- public schools. Private and home schools obtain far better results than public schools, but each child has a different field of knowledge at any given time so what would be Managing Editor City Editor Brett Bezzant Marc Haddock Russ Daly Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah 59 West Main 84003 POSTMASTER: lend addreu change to 59 Weal Main. American Fork. Utah 84003 m Deadlines Classified Advertising Subscription price $24 per year r'rr .TirwnifMifraf American Fork, Utah er ; -- state legislature, and, although I expect it year after year, I continue to be dismayed when one elector sponsors a bill that is provident for his or her county, yet detrimental to another. Pork barrel politics Vieed not be limited to the veteran congressmembers in Washington when Washington County may have its own agenda, as do the other 28 counties. So Hillary, don't you believe for a second, as I don't believe it either, that your husband will tell all of the details about Gennifer, Paula or Monica, and don't count on the "system" to spread those details to the people. Unless you are in the GOBN, it just doesn't work that way anymore. of their scholastic labors in a timely honor roll, either. He worked at it. He (gasp!) did his homework! He went to class! He did extra credit assignments! He vigorously pursued grade changes after his report came out and left him a few hundredths of a point shy of a 3.7 GPA. This required that he actually speak with teachers after class. And he did! Finally, he got up early on Saturday I mean like at 8 a.m.! I morning don't remember Jeff ever getting up at 8 a.m. on Saturday all by himself. Then he went to a day-lon- g wrestling meet, earning those last few points of extra credit that would push him over the top. Now that's a motivated kid. And all for a season ski pass. The reward was a trip to The Canyons last Friday, after Jeff had the final print out which showed he had made the honor roll, to get his pass. I also took along his little sister, who always makes the honor roll. It was a fair reward, and the only day a parent could accompany the two of them to the resort to collect the fruits fashion. We had a great day discovering The Canyons. I have to admit I was Impressed. There's a lot of new ski runs in them there mountains, with new runs, great lifts and plans to expand and expand and expand. The resort caters to snowboarders, with a variety of jumps and hits to make the boarders happy. The gondola makes the best part of the hill immediately accessible, without having to ski the lower runs where the snow is of poorer quality. And the owners have preserved the best of the old resorts, as well. The day we went, lift lines were nonexistent, the lifts were fast and the snow was fine. Jeff and I skied until our legs could ski no more. At least not that day. I warned him that since he has demonstrated an ability to earn a 3.74, we would expect a similar performance for his final term of high school. He made no promises. And while the irony of missing a school day to get the pass he earned with his best-evreport card was not lost on Jeff, he was proud to hand over the written proof of his accomplishment and stand to have his picture taken for his season-lon- g lift ticket. The Canyons deserves public praise for this program which gives kids a worthwhile reward for doing their best and in the process helps them learn that their best might be better than they ever thought it could be. ' er Reader's Forum Telephone Numbers Publisher jewtalijews vi other people the agency where I was employed. The first Sunday we lived in Maryland, we went to church prequespared for the usual first-timtions. As soon as I said "Department of Defense," our new acquaintances nodded with agreement and said, "Oh, you're at XYZ Agency," knowing exactly what the generic term meant for people who attended that particular ward. Since I would be working with highly sensitive, Top Secret material, the employment process included a background check. The system of secrecy was so great that I was not even allowed to know whether I was a successful candidate. I telephoned to inquire about the status of my being hired, but I was told to just concentrate on my studies and complete the requirements for graduation. In fact, the only way I knew anything had been done was that my piano teacher of nearly a decade told me that she had been drilled about my integrity. I never really did know whether I had been employed, even when I was making arrangements with the moving company to take all of our earthly possessions across the country. Actually, I never felt at ease until I was actually issued a badge that allowed me past the security guards. So I guess I wasn't too surprised at our local city council meeting last week when the group started discussing "The Hole." No details were given, since "The Hole" is not a valid legal entity within months. The city attorney hinted that other ' government organizations might be ; unhappy if they knew that "The Hole" was being used, especially when some members of the council suggested that ' if private citizens were to avail them- - ' selves of "The Hole," perhaps the city could receive some revenue for the privilege. No one said where "The Hole" is '; located, although I have a pretty good idea. I was surprised that they slipped and mentioned the name of one of the users. The discussion, accentuated by ' furtive looks and knowing glances, also intimated that one particular user had been granted both previous and future uses at "The Hole." This led me to believe that the Good Old Boy ' Network (GOBN) had been responsible for the situation. Have we not seen the GOBN hard at I work in other city governments refer to Salt Lake's Giftgate debacle in in our state legislature, particular and of course, in our federal legislative and executive branches of government? The daily newspapers carry results of the wheelings and dealings in the Ski pass can be a great motivator Advertising 4 Circulation News member ol NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION of her husband's long-ter- "Treat your friends as you do your paintings. Place them in the best light." Jenny Jerome Churchill Published weekly by (ISSN matter the city, although there has been con- siderable activity there in recent It takes a lot to motivate some kids. It jeopardizes any chance of an effective examination of the department being carried out. It makes it impossible for Durrant to clear his name and the reputation of his department in an objective, independent investigation. It does not give residents who have lost confidence in the police and there are many of department The price is high In the days of yesteryear, a Chinese rice farmer was working high atop his hilltop farm. He saw the ocean swiftly withdraw from the shore, much like a huge animal crouching just before it pounces on its prey. He instinctively knew that a huge tidal wave would quickly follow. Seeing his neighbors working in their fields by the seashore and knowing their only means of escape was to run to the hills, to warn them he set lire to his rice field and then furiously rang the temple bell. From the seashore, his neighbors saw the fire and rushed to help him. From the safety of his hilltop, they watched the water as it swirled over the fields they had just left. They knew their safety had been bought at a price. Do we ever reflect on what has been bought for us at a price? Our freedom was bought at a price. Lincoln paid for the freeing of the slaves with his life. Many of us enjoy things today that were bought at a price. d Some of the people in America today are so because from Hillary Rodham Clinton's impassioned interview on Good Morning America last week could have sent even the healthiest person into major insulin shock. When her face appeared on my screen, I took note, wondering just what she might have to say on the Display Advertising News Missionaries Weddings Community Calendar Letters to the Editor Obituaries . .Tuesday, noon .Monday. 5 p.m. Monday. 2 p.m. p.m. Monday. 2 Monday. 2 Monday, 10 p.m. a.m. .Monday. 10 a.m. Tuesday. 11 am. on the test? We need to know the reasons why so many parents are pulling their children out of public school in the first place. They are worried about safety, social environment, biased and inacvalcurate texts and curricula,-"new- " ues replacing traditional beliefs, emphasis on psychological and attitu-dintraining rather than academic achievement. They fear an government dictating curriculum and job choice. They don't like teachers and school psychologists pressuring them to put their children on Ritalin or Prozac. They don't want Medicaid-fundeschool-base- d clinics like they already have in Pennsylvania, where 30 sixth grade girls were herded into a locked al d, room for genital exams without parental notification (the excuse was to uncover possible sexual abuse). When abuse or neglect is found, it should be remedied, but requiring all families to "check in" with the government each year, just in case they are criminal, is constitutionally invalid. Our government was established to serve and protect, not to dictate. If the state wants to offer free testing on a voluntary basis, they will get a better response; forcing all to be tested is a technique used in countries, where government pushes its agenda on the children to train compliant citizens. Ruth Lehenbauer Logan We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must include the author's name (printed AND signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. HOW TO REACH US By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In 59 W. Person Main, American Fork By Fax 756-527- 4 By newtahaol.com POOI |