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Show Lehi Free Press New Utah! - Wednesday, January 27, 1999 - Page 2 Opinion In a manner of speaking, language today is 90 percent bull Gravel pits won't go away The massive project, Utah's road building project, has put the demand for both resources at an e high. Even more will be needed for the upcoming construction interof the new Pleasant Grove and the change, subsequent improvements to local roads the interchange will require. Existing pits cannot be shut down without generating more problems than their closure will solve. If local pits are closed, gravel will have to be hauled in from more distant locations. at this sensitive location at the mouth That means more, not fewer, gravel of one of north Utah County's natural trucks traveling longer distances on treasures. our highways. It also means increases Ironically, the same geologic forces also which in the cost of some very public projects created the deposit-je-d canyon t costs that will be passed along to a rich supply of high quality gravel 4 at its mouth. taxpayers. A group of concerned citizens met How can the demands of growth be balanced with the needs and desires of "last week to rail against a proposal to local residents to have safe streets for expand gravel mining, as well as to their children? It's a tough question, place an asphalt batch plant and con-- J and one the Utah County Commission crete plant at the canyon mouth. will be called on to answer, since the I These residents are primarily con- land which is under consideration for cerned about safety, since many of their children must cross roads on the way to gravel mining lies outside of city limits. and from school that are also traveled At present, no one has approached the Utah County Commission with by huge gravel trucks. They are also worried about the environment, and plans to expand gravel mining at the about the impact new gravel mines mouth of American Fork Canyon. However, when such requests come, might have on their property values. An additional consideration is the they should be answered with conditional use permits that establish limits upcoming construction of a new vision truck traffic and mining activity, tor's center for Timpanogos Cave and which include firm requirements National Monument near the existing for reclamation of the area once mining gravel pit, as well as the proposed site of the Gibbons and Reed operation. ends. These limits will keep our roads safe These are all valid concerns, but the and our canyon entrance relatively problem is not a simple one. uncluttered while ensuring that the Gravel pits and asphalt plants play an essential role in modern society. We natural resources we need to continucan't build the roads and highways ing growing are available at reasonable costs and within reasonable distance. that are part of our country's transGravel mining cannot be eliminated portation system without them. Nor can we build homes, office buildings we need it too much. But it can be and government structures without the controlled. And that's the role county gravel which is a basic component of government will be called upon to play, nrvn proto . when the time comes. vvllvl lV, Members of the Utah County Com- -' mission need to do what they can to ; limit the impact of gravel mining at the mouth of American Fork Canyon. But realistically, such operations are essential to continued growth, and they are not likely to go away completely. What is needed is a compromise that allows enough mining to meet local needs, but which limits the impact . from huge gravel trucks driving down local roads, as well as proposed activities such as asphalt and cement plants largest-eve- r all-tim- -- peak and political correctness, it's nice to know that a few things still mean the same things. The other day, I happened to be in a city government meeting in another valley when one of the city fathers was heard to use such colorful phrases as "bogus government deals," and "10 percent What a refreshing change of pace to hear something articulated so clearly, rather than veiled in politi- bull$." cal rhetoric. A few days later, I happened to be watching a comedy program on television and saw a spoof of President Clinton's current scandal. In addition to some animation creativity, the writers used some actual television footage of Our Man in Washington. I was amused until I watched the real stuff, and then I found myself shocked that 76 percent of the American people still find this man popular, credible or worthy of the office. The footage showed our Commander in Chief trying to use the finest points of English usage to skirt his way around his disgusting activities. The cleverness of the television program quickly faded in my mind because I saw the president attempt to lie to the people he was elected to represent to the world. How amazing it is to watch seemingly learned people attempt to twist definitions of "obstruction of justice" and language arts re-empha- size Alpine School District student per- iormances m me iaiesi rounu 01 oai tests indicate that our schools are" doing well overall, but that result is ' tempered somewhat by language arts tests still producing the lowest scores across the board. District officials have taken a very attitude about this problem, and principals and teachers in every school have been designing and imple- menting programs to improve lan-- J guage skills in all grade levels for years ' - . '. I ; ! ! ; pro-acti- ! " now. Maybe it's time to ask why district pupils continue to struggle in this most basic of disciplines. ' Certainly school employees must continue to find ways to improve the teaching and evaluation of progress in language arts, but this is too big a task to be left to the schools alone. If we t really hope to make strides in improv-- J ing the language skills of our children, all District patrons need to get more involved in the process. ' Some students who show mathemat-'-, ical, creative or mechanical aptitude and their parents mistakenly believe that talent in these areas doesn't require them to learn to communicate. This is a view that may eventually cost them the very opportu- nities for which they're best suited. The fact is, learning to read and write is hard work, which is why most children naturally resist doing it. Many strategies are being tried by teachers to make the process easier, such as home and school sustained reading pro--; grams, stocking a greater variety of books with topics more interesting to children, and emphasizing language use in subjects other than English. These are all worthwhile efforts, but there is still no substitute for actual, daily, persistent practice, and school assignments just can't provide enough. That means it's up to parents and other interested adults to encourage and when necessary, insist that our ; young people spend at least as much time developing their language skills as they do punching the buttons of video games, lying in front of the television, or pursuing sports or other hobbies. First of all, children must have i access to books. Some families choose ; build a home library, but this isn't ;'pecessary; every family can get the ;same benefits by taking out a library card and using it regularly. Second, make sure time for reading js set aside and used daily. Children ! I ! J ; ', . J short-sighte- d ; ; ; ; ; ! I ; ; ; ', , ,' y ; I -- will gain an instinctive feel for language if they are exposed to a variety of styles and subjects. Most parents read to their children when they are young, but do it for your teenagers too, if that's what it takes. Third, give your children frequent opportunities to read aloud. This is important all the way through school, not just in the early grades. Fourth, as soon as your children start being assigned essays and reports, encourage them to refine their work with multiple drafts. Offer to proofread and make suggestions. Teach them how to use a dictionary, and don't allow them to rely too much on computer spell and grammar checkers these aren't foolproof. Fifth, provide them with opportunities to write. Letters to grandparents, other relatives or friends are great practice. Thank-yonotes for gifts or attention teach gratitude as well as language. Writer's workshops and community education writing classes are other possibilities. Elementary children often enjoy writing and illustrating their own books" provide them with paper and crayons, colored pencils or markers and let them have at it. This is an especially good activity for summer or holidays. Sixth, encourage children to keep diaries or journals. This can be started as easily as gathering the family after a vacation or special outing and having each one in turn talk about the experience and then recording what they said. A parent or older sibling can act as scribe for those not yet old enough to write. Lastly, don't buy the popular but d idea that "creative expression" is all that matters, and grammar and sentence structure etc. aren't important. This approach has some merit in the early grades, but should certainly be nowhere in evidence by the time children enter junior high. If your child's teachers don't insist on it, then you better. No college professor or employer is going to care how creative someone's ideas are if he or she can't present them in a way that will make them understandable to and usable by others. non-scho- ol u wrong-heade- Published weekly by NewUtah! (ISSN No. 1521-685(U.S.P.S. No. 309-50Amemberof NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION mTTRie 0up 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 & Circulation Publisher Managing Editor City Editor daughter is the lonely an upper division Medieval History class at BYU Hawaii. She's intrigued by the subject matter, but is understandably timid about speaking her mind especially when the semester has onlyjjust in a,!- begun. She was a little dismayed that many in the class seemed to find the medieval world view somewhat comical. Apparently that view sees God sprinkling manifestations of himself throughout the world, i.e., the rose is red to remind us of the blood of Christ rather than rose evolution. It reminded me of an honors class (some 20 years ago) where I was the only student who seriously questioned the theory of human evolution and its irreconcilable differences with my understanding of scripture. It resulted in an extensive research project that left me all the more convinced that my original belief was correct. As with all matters of faith, believing is seeing. And whether one believes in God, or the God of random chance, there is no way to escape this mortal requirement of living by faith. For example, I recently listened to a Truman Madsen lecture wherein he pointed out that if one believes the universe came about by chance (although the possibility of that happening is almost one in infinity), one must also accept the possibility that some random intelligence could, by chance, overcome the conditions of natural death and become immortal with the power to create, or, in other words, become God. It's impossible to not believe in at least the possibility of God. My point here is that belief governs the evidence we accept or that which in our American citizenship and thankfulness for the blessings we enjoy." All I can say is, "Wow!" across a list of movie titles or someMy friend's "10 percent thing similar, and found a remark- was never more clear to me than able number of works that included thinking about how Miss Smith's noble efforts would be unacceptable the word, "gay." Even when I was a kid, which I some 60 years later. With the powers that be so helllike to think was not that long ago, the word still meant happy and care- bent on eliminating even any sugfree, although by that time it had gestion of religion in public settings from school prayer to Christmas fallen out of fashion for young people to use it in colloquial speech. displays on government property Amazingly, the change in usage those records would have been histoeffects. has ry the minute they were opened. No governor of today would dare Although nothing can really alter the books and movies of the past acknowledge that he or she had The Gay Divorcee, Gay Paree, etc. received such a gift, not only because we have had to adapt other songs. of the issue of separation of church When the Primary children sing and state, but also because of possi"It's Always Fun When Grandpa ble allegations of improper use of Comes," they have to sing new one's office. On the other hand, misuse of the words, because when Grandpa be in can no we comes, gay longer public trust in office has been the world's eyes. Now when grandpa thrown out the window, along with comes, the kids just have to shout any serious efforts to try to inspire "hooray!" pride in our country. I was listening to a recording of Perhaps it is time to forget "politKate Smith and wondered what sort ical correctness" and just work on of reception she would get today if basic human "correctness." The people conducting the govshe were to sing "My Old Kentucky Home." ernment meeting I attended started The words to that old favorite, a talking about disasters and the state song no less, say that "'tis sum- efforts to provide equipment that could ease someone's conscience in mer, the darkies are gay." Talk about a multiple whammy. case of a potential emergency. The song offends at least four groups One man suggested that, of all the in just that one line. items provided to the community, a In 1939, Miss Smith did another simple plastic sheet might deliver thing that would be unheard of the greatest relief. "Tape yourself in and kiss your body part goodbye." today, too. She sent personally autoMy friend was right in his langraphed copies of a recording of her n d and rendition guage usage, but wrong in his calcuof Irving Berlin's patriotic "God lations: it's not 10 percent Bless America" to each of the coun school to "inspire pride bull$" far-reachi- well-know- well-love- bull$. Samaritan. I had never thought that parable as an allegory for the atonement of Christ. Though I had heard with my ears and read with my eyes, I had not heard nor seen its deeper meaning. "5 t As the explanation on the t jacket of 1.,- ...; the video points out, if you read again we see as true; we generally fail to see in Luke 10:25-3you will see that the evidence of anything that contradicts man traveling down represents all Good about 7, our beliefs. Indeed, no new truth can be internalized unless it confirms what we already believe or our beliefs change to accommodate the new truth. Hence, "no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6) and "he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe." (Alma 32:22) According to Moses 6:63, "all things are (indeed) created and made to bear record of (God)," but without the prerequisite of belief, we may never see the hand of God in anything. (See also Mosiah 26:14; Alma 33:18-2Alma 30:40-4- 4 and D&C 59:21) In Volume 9 of The Work and the Glory, author Gerald Lund quotes President Joseph F. Smith: The hand of the Lord may not be visible to all. There may be many who cannot discern the workings of God's will in the progress and development of this great latter-da- y work, but there are those who see in every hour and in every moment of the existence of the Church, from its beginning until now, the overruling, almighty hand of Him who sent His Only Begotten Son to the world to become a sacrifice for the sin of the world." (from Conference Report April men descending into mortality. He is beset by Satan and his angels and left spiritually dead. The Priest and Levite are men of good will who desire to help, but are nevertheless mortal men and haven't the capacity to do so. Only the Good Samaritan the Savior himself has the power to save the beaten man from spiritual and physical death. He purifies the man with wine of His sacrament, anoints his head with oil (symbolic of the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit), then sets him on His own beast to the shelter of an inn. The Savior charges the innkeeper at the inn, or the Church, to take care of the man until He comes again. In the final scene, the lawyer, who gives the Savior the answer to his own question is told: "Go and do thou likewise" a charge to all mankind that they should not only help those in need, but become like Christ. For those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, the Lord and God of the universe has given us "a pattern in all things" (D&C 52:14) and confirms all things by an holy ordinance (see Moses 5:59). Like fish, we live in an ocean of spirit with endless and eternal possibilities, but if our hearts are 1904, p. 2) A good friend recently loaned me a hardened by unbelief, the last thing wonderful little film (by Fusion we may "see or think about is this see spiritual water. Nevertheless, it is all www.creativeworks.byu.edu) about the around us. 2; Film-work- s, Reader's Forum Thanks for fire help Editor: We, the family of Steven J. Strong, wish to thank all of those who helped both physically and emotionally during and after the fire at our home on Jan. 14. This is an experience most of us never get to have. But we would like to thank those who have helped us through this difficult time. I will not use names, because I will either forget someone, or use the wrong name for that person. Thank you for the alert neighbors who noticed the smoke and called the fire department. Thank you, Deadlines 9 3 Brett Bezzant Marc Haddock Russ Daly Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah Mnd iddreM changt to WHt Utah, Annrictn For Utah 84003 POSTMASTER: misde- My oldest Subscription price $24" per year 59 and that the song be sung in every Believing is seeing that all things bear record of God Telephone Numbers Advertising News mT crimes "high meanors" in a futile effort to say that this man really didn't do anything wrong. Doesn't plain old moral character count for anything anymore? I was reading in my new 1999 almanac the other day and came freshman Let's try's governors, with the request In a time of bureaucratic doubles- Classified Advertising Display Advertising News .. .Tuesday, ... .Monday, noon 5 p.m. ........... ....Monday,2p.m. Missionaries WedcSngs Sports Thank you police, power and neighbors who called us, our families and watched for our children other city and county people for who were coming home from school. helping protect our belongings and Thank you Lehi Fire Depart- us after the fire. ment. Thank you for your quick But, mostly, thank you people of response. Thank you for your pro- Lehi and Lakeshore for the calls, fessionalism in handling the fire, the countless offers of clothing and but keeping the water damage to a shelter. The friends of our children bare minimum, and by not ruining have been very supportive of our anything more than what was kids. Thank you everyone! You know absolutely necessary. Thank you for who you are. We hope that we might the way that you handled the issue return a portion of the kindness you of the family dog that was killed in have shown us. the fire. Thank you for educating us in what to look for to prevent furSteven, Sara, Stacee, ther problems. Thank you for comElizabeth, Megan and Shaelynn ing back three times, just to make Strong sure everything was okay. 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. .Monday, 2 p.m. Monday, 2 pm. Monday, 10 am. Community Calendar . .Monday, 10 a.m. Letters to the Editor . . .Monday, 10 am Obituaries ;. .Tuesday, 11 a.m. HOW TO REACH By Mam. P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In Person 59 W. Main, American Fork US By Fax 756-527- 4 By editorOnewutah.com |