OCR Text |
Show Lehi Free Press New Utah! - Mrat..7iirSB L. r Opinion never knew ,...J ....fm...t.rT...:.. Restrict new drivers ence. After that minimal training, young men and women are handed full legal authority to operate a motor vehicle on any road, at any time of day or night. The results have been disas- trous. Utah's teen drivers have an accident rate that is four times that of adult drivers. A full half of those accieven though dents occur at night only about 20 percent of teen driving takes place after dark. The solution is a graduated licensing system, which requires young drivers to get more supervised experience behind the wheel before they are licensed, and which places restrictions on night driving for beginning drivers. Such a system would mean safer roads for all Utah drivers, fewer accidents, and fewer deaths. Utah's current driver education laws were tailored for different times, when there were fewer cars on the road and when young drivers often participated actively in the operation of the family farm or other family business. But traffic along the Wasatch Front had become challenging for experienced drivers even before the reconstruction program started. And they aren't likely to get any bettraffic-relate- d Things you Smith? Would you like to know more? So would we, but she is more elusive than we ever imagined. Our daughter was assigned to do research on a heroine for a presentation in her fifth grade class. Because of the similarity in their abbreviated names, and because of their mutual interest in music, she was persuaded to select Kate Smith, the rotund singer who immortalized Irving Berlin's patriotic hit, God Bless America. We checked the almanacs, as well as a book on notable women of the twentieth century and found little snippets about her, enough to whet our appetites, but not enough to make any substantial progress on the report and presentation. So we turned to the Internet, thinking that we would find a plethora of information. First we turned to the popular search engines, where one types in a keyword to obtain all information that contains that word. Naturally, we started with the words "Kate Smith.'' While the Internet can be very useful, informative and entertaining, it can also be risque, to say the least. The words "Kate Smith" invoked not only information on the singer, her recordings and her filmography, but it also brought up any naughty things that contained either the word "Kate" or "Smith." In fact, the first listing was for a site that included naughty pictures of a model or actress whose name is Kate. multi-med- scribe to a mailing list called "News of the Weird," which gives me the strangest stories as reported in general circulation newspapers from around the world. ia At our house, we have a special filtering program that looks at both the keywords and the actual words on the pages and lets us know that something is inappropriate by placing a large STOP sign on the screen. Not only does it put up the stop sign, but it also takes the user back to the original listing. If the user tries to go into the site again, the program captures, or takes a picture, of the questionable screen in question and stores it so that a parent can actually see what his or her child has been attempting to peruse. We did not want to look at the naughty sites, we only wanted to help our daughter do legitimate research. Because of the number of naughty sites under this listing, however, we couldn't even look at something clean. Despite the naughty bits, the Internet can be a wonderful tool. Not only can we read this newspaper, but several others in Utah and around the country. One site will even scour the classified advertisements for me and send me listing the information for which I would otherwise have to search myself. I subscribe to several mailing lists, where I can read and share ideas with others, such as one devoted to marketing. For sheer entertainment, I also sub Unfortunately, the kind of news that was once considered weird or ofibeat i$ sometimes considered normal nowa- - j I days. In fact, the author of that column will even run updates to remove items from the "weird" category to a section he says the event that was once considered ! weird is now so commonplace that it must be considered mainstream news. ! My wife and I both look at sites decbV cated to our respective missions, looking for former companions and friends who ! have looked at the site. , i We can look at the actions of our state ! legislators and glance at the informa- tion our federal legislators allow us to j see; for the latter group, we can even to them, or even to the send White House. Even among our government, though, there are some limitations with the filtering software we have on our computer. While I have always felt that the activities explained in Ken Starr's infer mous report were indecent, my computer tells me that they are even naughtier than I had thought. I have no trouble following the computer's instructions when it tells me to "STOP." Obviously, the Starr report, unlike ' the information I was seeking about Kate Smith, is much more than I everJ wanted to know. ( ! I j . Both sides of shooting story should have been told Any way you look at it, the death of David Walker was a tragedy. Walker is the young man who was killed by police officers in front of his on mother, sister and brother-in-laDec. 29. We reported on the incident in ter. our Jan. 6 edition a full week after It only makes sense to require that the event. Walker was killed Tuesday after our newspaper had evening been sent to the press. Weekly newspapers labor under a tremendous handicap when it comes to timely coverage of these kinds of events. Most of the time, we can do est of my classmates. Besides, but bide our time,rgather nothing getting '' and coyer the eyerjt long jfifSrmaf6n' OAir side is on ckool the northern la after news and tle daily television Editor: Qhicagp,. about six milfrom the In my eighth grade tial. studies ..JoYg&jtown, area (The Loop) We have newstfepfers have explored the subject class in Chicago, we are '"Studying' about "100 'Students in the eighth By the time we could write about United States history. One of our grade and about 1000 students in our this story, it wasn't the same story. The Most of our students assignments is to write a research building focus of the events had shifted from and are either immigrants or children of paper about a particular state Walker to the officers who were how it relates to the history of the recent immigrants. We have students involved in the shooting. While we Mexcountry. I have chosen Utah as the from many parts of the world recounted the events that led up to the I to of like would research. ico, Bulgaria, Korea, Nigeria, India, my subject learn about individuals from Utah, or Bosnia, Vietnam, Guatemala, the shooting, most of our story was writevents that involved Utah or occurred Philippines, and many other places. ten around a press conference by the in the states that played an important Most of the students have not lived Utah County Sheriff's office, which was investigating the officers' actions. U.S. in outside Chicago. history. part We included a photograph, showing I would very much appreciate if you I was born in Chicago. In vacations of the investigators demonstrating one be of could send me items that would I like to go to Mexico and visit my faminterest. Post cards, newspaper with ily. I like to play soccer and chill with how the officers had described Walker's actions just before he was shot. unique products from your region, or my friends. I like to study in the We ran an editorial lamenting the other items that might help geogra- library. My favorite food is pizza. and asking the public to wait incident I look forward to receiving mail phy and history to come alive in my classroom. We are to present a report from you. Thank you for your interest for the investigation to be completed before condemning the officers. to the class and anything especially in my education and your kindness. What we didn't do was interview interesting would make my report the Alejandro Mayo, Room 403 the victim's mother, who had witbest in the class. Please help me learn 2701 W. Foster Ave. nessed the death of her son. Mrs. about your state and spark the inter- Chicago, IL 60625 Walker's version of the shooting of her the horror and the pain of watching1" my own child killed in front of me. About that, I pray she is correct. I cannot imagine the anguish of that event". But as a parent, I can imagine that the ' , w Reader's Forum Student seeks info ' know to wanted you What do you know about Kate young drivers get a healthy dose of experience with their parents or other qualified adults before they are handed unrestricted driving privileges. One bill under consideration would require that parents certify a young driver has spent 30 hours behind the wheel with supervision before he or she receives a provisional license. Night driving privileges would come later. The hope is that the added experience would prepare the young drivers for the challenges of driving after dark. These kinds of restrictions make sense. Driving is, after all, a privilege, not a right. That's why would-b- e drivers must prove that they understand current laws and that they understand the basics of operating a motor vehicle before they can receive a license. After all, anyone can master the ability to turn the key, start a car and press down on the gas pedal. And anyone can learn the meaning of the different shapes of road signs. But only experience can teach a driver the essentials of safe, defensive driving. These skills must be acquired over time. That's the only way a driver can learn to judge distances, what to expect when he or she must stop quickly, and how to keep an eye out for children darting into the street. While some teens might feel placing added restrictions on obtaining a drivers license is designed as a punishment, it is not. It is simply common sense. Placing added restrictions on our beginning drivers is a move designed to enhance public safety for everyone including those new drivers. It is time for Utah to pass this important legislation. The Utah Legislature is considering a couple of proposals which will place greater restrictions on young drivers. It is high time for such measures. Under the current law, youths in Utah can qualify for a driver's license upon completion of a high school class that includes as little as six hours of actual supervised and only a part driving experience of that has been actual road experi- Wednesday, February 3, 1999 - Page 2 every-onefnjo- maikf .. kf , thigrd$ (K-8- ). impact would be cataclysmic. On Monday the Utah County Attor-- ' ney issued an opinion in the incident including a nine- - page report which, exonerates the officers involved. Mrs!?! Walker expected that; so did I, but; ' son was quite different from that probably for different reasons. related in the press conference held by In my experience, local police offi-!the Sheriff's Department. She had a cers are not trigger happy. They sen dom fire their weapons under any cir- story to tell, and we didn't tell it. ' We should have. She deserved to be cumstan'ces. heard. The fact that two officers from two , Mrs. Walker called me last week, different police departments perceived and in an emotional conversation let the events of the evening of Dec. 29 me know that what she had seen and the same way at the same time, and what we had reported were two differ- drew their weapons and fired, verifies ent events. She also said we had no the assertion that the officers felt ar?J right to report on the death of her son implied threat, and responded as they"' until we had talked to the witnesses had been trained to respond. ",3 who had seen it, and who had witUtah County Attorney's Kay1 nessed a very different event from the Bryson's opinion, as well as the evi- one being reported by the press. dence he presents, pretty much backiJ She said David never acted in a the officers in most of the areas wher threatening fashion, and that instead their statements conflict with the of moving towards the police when statements of Mrs. WTalker. But that won't change what MrsT" they fired their guns, he was threatenWalker says she saw and heard and ing to cut his own wrists. She said her family had trusted the felt. Her version of this regrettable police until the events of the night of incident got exposure in other newspaDec. 29. Now, she said, she doesn't feel pers and on the television news, but ' safe calling the police for anything. not here. s run-inDavid of a had On Mrs. the Walkei's Although history telephone, with the Orem police, she said no asked for an apology, and she deserves other members of her family had ever one. In this instance, we didn't do all ofi had trouble with the law. our homework. And for that, I apolo And she told me I could never know gize. 'i'y T . --'''- 1 1 Nice things happen when people wait their turn As I left a packed field house at Lone Peak High School after a basketball game last week, I realized I had parked in exactly the wrong location to make a quick exit. In the first place, no one can deny that the Lone Peak parking lot could not have been more poorly designed. There are two outlets midway along the single feeder road, which is nearly (but not quite) directly across from Cedar Hills Drive, the major entrance to that town. How the architects could have thought that this was a sensible way to do it is beyond me. One of my colleagues suggested that to do anything different would have required the district to work with the city on the design, which apparently isn't done. Either way, this is a problem that's going to have to be addressed at some point, especially when you consider the school's growth projections. Last fall, PTSA parents and students appeared before the Highland city council and requested that an flxlji 3m ftrcss corridor be constructed through the newly purchased park property that bounds the school's with how the patrons impressed handled things leaving the parking lot the other night. I was in the easternmost row, west side. There are a lot of reasons why this which meant I had to get in line in seemingly simple solution will not order to to get in line at one of the work, not the least of which would be outlets to get in line to turn on 4800 the objection of homeowners on the West. There were at least eight cars in front of me on my row alone other side of the park, the topography, and the destruction of a subalready, so that's why I resigned stantial portion of the park, which myself to being there awhile. would also be contrary to the purI wasn't. To my surprise, the drichase agreement with the state. vers in every line took turns allowA couple of short-terpossibiliing someone in, first from one side, ties could include having gated out- then the other, to get to the outlet. lets on the south side of the tennis Drivers on the feeder road did the courts and football field running to same thing, allowing a vehicle from the park access road, or connecting the outlet line into their line every the parking lot with the road that other spot. And all with no direction from presently runs around the school so that at least there would be a second police officers, who were there but exit onto 4800 West. busy making sure the opposing stuIf either of these were built, they dents didn't extend contention on should only be used when really the court into the parking lot. needed (hence the gate), but they My first thought was to commend could help ease a difficult situation, all of those who resisted the urge to at least a little. ride bumpers, cut in line or otherIn the meantime, though, I have wise act like road hogs. to admit I was pretty stunned and My second was to be excited at the east-we- st m Published weekly by KewUtah! Circulation Managing Editor City Editor member of ruMUrNMBM 59 West Main ASSOCIATION & Publisher (ISSN No. 1521-685(U.S.P.S. No. 309-50A Telephone Numbers Advertising News American Fork, Utah 84003 Deadlines 9 3 Brett Bezzant Marc Haddock Russ Daly Subscription price $24" per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah tend addrsta Changs to Watt Utah, American Fork, Utah 84003 POSTMASTER: 59 .. .Tuesday, Classified Advertising Display Advertising News . . . Missionaries Sports Obituaries .Monday, 5 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. Weddings Community Calendar Letters to the Editor noon . . . .Monday, 10 a.m. .Monday, 10 a.m. Tuesday, 11 a.m. possibilities if people were to act in such a civilized manner all the time. Just think of it. On the roads alone there'd be no more maniacs weaving from lane to lane to get to their destination two seconds soonif they make it there at all. No er more accidents caused by No more unprintable hand tail-gater- s. gestures. No one shooting the mirror off my husband's car because he couldn't move quickly enough for them, flanked by two In fact, no more road rage at all. At the supermarket, post office, bank and other places we all must sometimes wait, there would be no more jockeying to get in first. No more fingers drumming on whatev-er'- s close at hand, or tapping feet impatiently on the floor. (News flash: No sane person likes to wait in line, but waiting with visibly andor verbally impatient people is always unpleasant and sometimes nearly unbearable. Get a grip since you have to wait anyway, why not make the best of it? And please, ...,.,.,.., .-.- a-.,,, J don't take it out on the clerk. They're usually doing the best they can.) There wouldn't be anything like what we experienced in California, when grown people shoved my little children, who had (at least there) been waiting Datientlv in a Ion? line for their turn, aside to get on the tram at Universal Studios first. With the new patience we'd all develop this way, there would be other improvements in our lives. Heck, we might even plan a little better so that we allowed enough time to do what we needed to without hurrying. More patience could really reduce verbally cutting someone down because they hurt our feelings or, even worse, because we're just plain out of sorts. There'd be no more striking a child or anyone else in anger. The benefit to our families alone is beyond calculation. Yes, our world could be a much better place, if people were just willing to wait their turn. 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 756-527- Person 59 W. Main, American Fork J By Fax 4 By editor newutah.com 9 POOR ( |