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Show Page E3 tElfe Thursday, October 28, 2004 School Board Dist. 3 Write Ins Jim Webster Hillary Ward David Olsen Im Jim Webster, and Im Hi, I am David Olsen and running as a write-i- n candidate for Grand County School Board, District 3. (If youd like to vote for me, write my name and Grand County School District, District 3 on the outside of the gray privacy envelope, or use the sticker I am passing I am running for the Grand County School Board in the out to many of you who live in the district.) District 3 is located in two different areas of Grand County and Moab: 1) east of 400 East, and north of Mill Creek Drive, and 2) south of Holyoak Road and west of Spanish Valley Drive. Ive been involved in the Grand County schools as a parent for over 14 years. My children have attended public schools here since kindergarten. My oldest graduated last fall and is currently attending college. Over those years, I have been very impressed by the creativity, caring, and professionalism of many of my childrens teachers. They have truly helped inspire my kids. As a school board member, I would work hard to support that fine work of our teachers and administrators. There are some impressive things going on in our public schools that you may not know about unless youre a parent asking questions or going into the classroom. Some things I feel strongly about and will work for if elected to the school board are: providing opportunities for academic excellence for our students, including strong activities and programs; developing early reading skills; maintaining financial accountability through a publicly open process; being responsive to community concerns (my telephone number is providing for school safety and student and continuing to develop and retain a high quality teaching staff through focused recruitment actions. Achieving the 90 percent reading goal is a great first step in succeeding in school as well as in life. This goal is simple - children who can read at grade level by the end of third grade have much greater chances of succeeding in later school years. In the fiscal area, I think it is important that the school districts finances are an open book - make it clear what is being spent where, understand where that money is coming from, and making the entire budget process easy to understand by the public parents and taxpayers. Id also like to help the school board be responsive to parent input. Some examples of my involvement in the schools inextra-c- urricular 259-8037- ); well-bein- School Board Dist. 2 g; -- clude: working with principals, teachers, the superintendent and community emergency services leaders as a founding member of the Community Coalition for Safe Schools; having served on recent selection committees for High School and Middle School principals; serving on the High Schools Community Council, and my wife just concluded a term on the Middle School Community Council; being a founding member of Utahs only chapter of a national organization, Parents for Public Schools, where I currently serve as its president. non-prof- it I recently retired after many years of service in the public sector, and my most recent job was the Arches National Park Chief Ranger. I have the time, skills, and commitment for this important job. Please vote for me by writing in Jim Webster, Grand County School Board District 3. Thank you. Jim Webster 3rd District as a write-i- n candidate. I have served on the school board for the past seven years and I currently serve as the Vice Chair. My wife and I enjoy volunteering our time to help the students of the district. My wife serves on the HMK Community Council, she is a kindergarten classroom volunteer and she is an active member of the PTA. I help out with field trips! Although I have grey hair, I have a young family. Two of our children attend Red Rock Elementary and our oldest child attends HMK. They love school and they have (and had) great teachers. We read to our children, including to our daughter, before bed time. Our children look forward to the stories and tall tales where they are the main characters. Nothing can substitute for the lap time that we spend reading to our children and we support Governor Walkers Initiative and the communitys commitment to promote reading. I am impressed with the passion and energy district personnel show in doing their jobs. Teachers are doing their best to keep up with all the federal and state mandates, and most of them go well beyond the call of duty to help kids. Teachers throughout the district spend extra time and resources to assist students, and the school board is appreciative of their efforts. The school district has a very dedicated and wise superintendent that has caring principals and assistants working with him to help teachers and students one-year-o- ld achieve success. The classified employees also need to be thanked for how smooth and improved the school district is running. All district schools are making progress, and they have provided students with many opportunities to get involved with extra curricular activities. I also want to thank school board members in the past and present for their great service. They are out- standing individuals that I look up to with high esteem. It is always easier to build a child than repair an adult. Parents, especially fathers, should be highly involved with their childrens education. A U.S. Department ofEducation report shows that kids do better at school when dads get involved. The district should continue to focus on early childhood development and help parents and children develop skills that help them contribute to society. My hope is that the district continues to emphasize music, art, sports, play time acand other tivities that keep students motivated and physically healthy. The trained reading volunteers, the full day kindergarten, and the Monday early out teacher preparation and planning sessions are helping young students learn and do better at school. These improvements are part of a team effort that includes community involvement. It is important that the district and the community work together as a team to help students achieve and succeed. I would appreciate your write-i- n vote on November 2. pre-scho- extra-curricul- ar ol We live in a rapidly changing world. It is vital to prepare our children to live in the world that they will grow into and become happy and functional members of their communities. A basic, comprehensive, and progressive education is essential to this en- John Weisheit Married mother of three ages 10, 7 and 4. HealthP.E. teacher 3; 93-9- 4; Sixth grade teacher Stay-at-hom- e Mom framework of education children must be respected and celebrated for their unique gifts. Each of a childs individual needs must be addressed from the beginning of their education. If a child needs extra help learning basic skills, that must be provided. Likewise, a child who is gifted in a certain area must be provided a chance to excel from the time they are very young. We are fortunate in Moab to have many exceptional teachers. Like their students, these teachers must be supported and challenged. They must also have adequate training to keep up with the face of techin our communities. It nology is vital that we do all we can to help our teachers perform ever-changi- their job. Perhaps more than any other member of our community, the future rests in their hands. ever-so-critic- al Clearly all these demands on our schools require funding, and unfortunately school budgets across the country are being cut each year. It is essential that we make every dollar count in our schools. This must be done in two ways. First, every penny must be carefully allocated to put it to the best use to serve all of our children as a group and as individuals. We must carefully study which areas can be trimmed back and which need our growing support. Secondly, we must hold all people receiving these precious funds fiscally responsible for them. Moab is a fantastic community. We are large enough to have diverse and 94- - 99; RockTots Preschool Each child is an individual. Within the basic We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, ra- Deb Hren, 35 years old. deavor. The basics of education are necessary for all children. Each child upon leaving school needs to have a framework of skills including reading well enough to understand everything going on in the world that touches their lives, from world events to operating of household appliances, writing well enough to make their opinions and needs heard and understood, and performing math and sciences to the degree that they can manage basic personal finances and be active members of a technology driven society. Ideally they will leave school with much more than that: an appreciation of art and music, an interest in continuing to participate in athletics and exercise throughout their lives, a thirst for continued learning, and a desire to help build a caring and compassionate society. These should be our primary goals in educating our children. Continued from page E2 Deb Hren 92-9- 99-rese- H.S. volleyball coach 93-9- 5. have been actively involved in the education process with my three children. I volunteer in their classroooms. I assist with copies, cutting, coloring, skill development, grading, bulletin boards and help createplan holiday parties. Because of all my involvement in the schools, I am familiar with many challenges current legislation pose for our schools. I understand the need for English as a Second Language (ESL) and would like to see this grow into a cultural program for all. I can foresee a great sharing of backgrounds. As a board member, I would like to see how I could get involved and alleviate the pressure put on teachers by this No Child f I Left Behind. valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or reusing all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbal ance the drive for short-terprofits by assuring that eco- cial, sexual, religious, and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of m nomic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies to future generations that will inherit the results of our actions. 11. QUALITY OF LIFE Our overall goal is not merely to survive, but to share-live- biodiversity. 9. PERSONAL AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY We encourage individuals to act to improve their perg sonal and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with s that are truly worth livWe believe the quality of ing. well-bein- our individual lives is enriched by the quality of all of our lives. We encourage everyone to see the dignity and intrinsic worth in all of life, and to take the time to understand people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet. 10. FUTURE FOCUS AND and appreciate themselves, SUSTAINABILITY their community, and the Our actions and policies should be motivated by longterm goals. We seek to protect magnificent beauty of this world. John Weisheit Tune In to the rebroadcasts of the League of Women Voters annual Candidates Forum Channel 6 at 7 p.m. Oct. 29; Channel 21 at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 & Nov. 1 This legisla- tion is unfair. It expects teachers to bring all students to one level together, rather than at the different rates children naturally de- St.UPius X Catholic Church velop. I would also like to explore the possibilities of an day care facility 39th Annual ELECTION DAY DINNER Tuesday, Nov. 2 - 8 p.m. in-hou- se at the high school. This could be free or reduced childcare for school district employees and teenage 5-- Adults $10.00 Senior citizens $6.00 Children 312 $5.00 Immediate Family $30.00 moms. These children could then become part of the child development curriculum. Most of all, I want to hear the concerns of par- Tickets available from parish members and at the door. Once again the members of St. Pius X Catholic Church are proud to present the community their annual Election Day Dinner. A real community gathering with good food and all the trimmings. ents, teachers and adminis- Don't forget to VOTE...then head on down to the Hall for the Election Day Dinner. trators and all community members. So please vote for me! -- Deb Hren i Pius Parish See You There! NOTICE OF ELECTION The General Election for Grand County will take placeon Tuesday, November 2, 2004. POLLS WILL OPEN AT 7:00 AM. AND CLOSE AT 8:00 P.M. For assistance please call Grand County at (435) 259-- 1 321 Office will be open by 7:00 a.m. . VOTING POLL LOCATIONS MOAB PRECINCT NO. COURTHOUSE 1 DISTRICT COURT LOBBY 125 East Center - Moab -- GOLF COURSE CLUB HOUSE 2705 So. East Bench Road Moab MOAB PRECINCT NO. 2 - GRAND OASIS PARK OFFICE Moab MOAB PRECINCT NO. 3 - 400 N. 500 West FIRT BAPTIST CHURCH RECREATION HALL 420 MiVida Drive - Moab MOAB PRECINCT NO. 4 -- CIVIC CENTER 450 East 1 00 North MOAB PRECINCT NO. 5 -- - Moab multi-talente- d resources yet small enough to care about individual needs. As we teach our children it is crucial to give them all that this community has to offer so that they are prepared to lead us into their future, a future full of hope, vision, and compassion. Hilary Ward - THOMPSON PRECINCT NO. 6 No polling place all voters vote absentee Thompson, Utah ELGIN PRECINCT NO. 7 No polling place -- - all voters vote Green River, Utah CASTLE VALLEY PRECINCT NO. 8 LDS CHURCH Castle Valley, Utah COURTHOUSE 125 East Center MOAB PRECINCT NO. 9 Vr A, TL&r Election Day absentee - MOTOR VEHICLE -- - EPISCOPAL CHURCH 250 So. Kane Creek Blvd. MOAB PRECINCT NO. 10 LOBBY Moab -- - Moab 'i&r Open House and Live Election Coverage by KZMU Radio from SPANISH VALLEY WATER 3054 E. Spanish Trail Road MOAB PRECINCTNO.11 -- 10 p.m. SEWER OFFICE Witness my hand and seal this 20th day of October, 2004. s Fran Townsend Grand County Clerk Auditor tElje 3ItmeS'(3lnbepenbent Tuesday, Nov. 2, 8 & Published in The Times-lndepende- Oct. 28, 2004 |