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Show Page A2 School discipline Continued from Page A I consistent high Bs or A s, low he said Tlie superintendent gives the district a Be for its course offerings to other districts of simicompan-lar size and for its teachers takd ing continuing education classes. But as far as meeting the nissls of some of our more challenged students -- students who havent dveloped the same love of education, Ferguson gives the district a Cr or R . The higg-s- t problem he sts-- s in the district is a disprosrtionate numls-- r of families is ho move into tlie district, stay a short hile, then leave Having such a transient population sometimes compromise the continuity of the education program, he said John lluitt, newly hird this year as aswriate pnncistl at Grand County High SI nil, said that wls-he amved List fall, la asked teachers what they saw as the biggest problem at tia sdsol Met pointid Huitt says hes laen to truarM working on tla prolik'm and tliat a new truancy policy appears to be s working Tla policy nxjuirvs certain actions after a student's truancy count rei rlies fixed numlsrs parents an nntifiixi, students are given 10 tlasi finidly refemxf to juvenile court if tfa problem isnt (Livssu-ipiLsio- solvid Overall, Huitt gives the district high marks. I dont think we have serious problems," he said. Overall, anyone who graduates from Grand County is going to get a (uahty education. Ive sen some very giaal education going on here, I nally have" Huitt, whose chief nsainsihil-itis to oversea discipline at the high school, discounts critics who sny the district has a discipline problem. I think it's pntty dose to any other school, he said. Discipline Issues Margaret Hopkin, who has served as principal at thrce Grand County tchools and is now the principal at Helen M Knight Intermediate School, disagrees. She says student discipline is a significant issue. "It feels like, for a small town... we've got a high percentage of kids with severe problems she said. Hi illustrate her point, she how she struggles when assigning students to classes at the of the term. Her aim in building classes is to keep the number of kids with y identifid discipline problems low 10 or 15 smnt be- of any indi- vidual class, a level that most teachers can manage, she says. If that difficult group constitutes a higher percentage, they can lsgin to swamp the boat, infecting the entire class with an unruly attitude. In the past few years its been nearly impossible to keep those fXTcentagi within her manageable targets In some classes the rventage now n irs 25 jx'rcent. The root of the problem, she hi Ms, is a generalis'd anti authoritarian" attitudi in Grand Ccsinty students, which sis wsS as stemming from the parents and tls community at large. Sis views Moab as linving more than tls usual share of xople with tluit attitude. Many of those interviewid for this article agreed with her, but opinions differed widely on what it means for Grand County education. All our kids are more worldly-wise- , and they probably reflect the thing they're excised to in the tnislia, Superintendent Ferguson said Like Hopkin, he too sics a connection between student attitudes and the attitudes of their parents. Tlun' an definitely some strong willed people here. This whole town is fillid with strong- - willed people I don't know if thats a plus or a minus Td agree," high school teacher Donna Brownell, "I tut I don't necessarily thunk that's all bad. I think thats what makes Mi nib a little bit more cuMnopohtan." Third grade teacher Andrea Stoughton also agrees that more Moab students and parents have attitude. an "Absolutely. Thats why people move to Moab, isnt it?" Parents for Public Schools Attitude was also a key complaint of parents who are pushing to raise expectations within the sch'sils Parents for Public Schools (PIS i is a local group applying for chapter status within the national PPS organization. Joel and Catherine Tuhy, parents of two boys age JO and 15 and longtime volunteers in the schisils, joined PPS bcause they feel the biggest problem in Grand County education is the community attitude. There seems to be an entrenched attitude that education doesn't matter, Joel said. That attitude gets transmitted to students from their parents, then peer pressure transmits it to other kids, even kids who might otherwise seek high levels of achievement. But the root of the problem is the parents many parents, over many generations, Joel added. PPS organizer IJsa Sweeten sxs the biggest problems in the district as attitude and communication. Tls school board and administration nexd to have the attitude that our students can excel , she said. I think it also encompasses our entire community. We need to have the attitude that education is important," which would manifest in numerous ways. The community has to get involved in tla schools. We need more volunUxrs in the schools," she said. Pixiple mxd to go to the scliool board meetings. It takes time to be And parents nix'd to go to parentteacher conferences. TTioHe are some pretty simple things, but thats where we mxd to start." Swixten also sees a need to 0xn up lines of communication between district leaders, teachers, parents and students. We need to get better about talking to one another," she said. High school teacher Brownell shared some of Sweetens concern about community attitudes. Overall, our community needs to put more emphasis on school being a student's number-on- e job." She gave examples: employers need to avoid pressuring kids to work during school hours, and parents nped to encourage students who want to get involved in activities; parents mxd to schedule things like vacations and shopping trips around school-relateactivities, not But Brownell doesn't agree with Tuhya assessment that peer pressure keeps some students frum achieving at as high a level as they might otherwise. That myth has lieen around forever, but that's all it Is, a myth. Despite it, individuals want to do well." That's not to say some students dont fall back on it, for time to time, she adds. But its a crutch, an excuse for lack of ability or motivation." e Sonya Daw, parent of a student and school volunteer, joined PIS afler working for several years on a school district curriculum committie. One of the parent group's biggest tasks, she says, probably will lie addressing community attitudes through an outreach program of some kind. But at this early stage, the organization has yet to solidify its plans. Sext week, in the final in i tall men t, parent call fur railextra-curricul- visa-vers- a Xhf JimesOhxbfprnfcent Tram Continued from Page A 1 county to approve a conditional use permit for an eatery on the upper portion of the tram site at the top of a cliff. The county council voted 3 to send the issue back to the Grand County Plaruiing Commission, which had recommended approval. The base of the tram, k sated at the intersection of Highways 191 and 128 adjacent to the Colorado River, sits on land zoned commercial, which allows the construction of a tram. But on top, where the developers originally said they wanted to build a restaurant, the land is zoned grazing. The grazing zone allows outcinr recreational use, commercial" as a conditional use. 4-- In rejecting the original tram proposal, the council said it was nervous about setting a precedent for other ridgeline developments restaurants. In order to allay that fear, the planning commission during its second crack at the resolution, added stipulations to the permit, spcifically stating that food service at the Mountain House upper tram terminal) shall be strictly limited to a drink and snack bar with counter service only, no personal table service shall be provided." The final version that the council approved in November, vote (Susanne 1999 by a Mayberry being the only no), added language that clarified any possible ambiguities: Restaurant' as defined by... the Grand County Land Use Code, is not a permitted use." The resolution also included a requirement that the tram owners post a reclamation bond so that if the company went bust, there would be sufficient funds to remove the tram from the highly visible hillside. It did n4 specify the amount of the bond, but instead included language that it be enough to return the site to a natural state." At the time, some council members said the whole issue put the county on notice that it needed to tighten its control over ridgeline development. Construction on the project began in March, 2000, but ground to a halt four months later with Jewett and Schellabarger deadlocked over financial strategy. The gondola pylons, cable and terminals stood on the gateway hillside, but approximately a quarter of the project was left unfinished. Initially, county officials said the community was protected by the reclamation bond, but several, weeks later they discovered they had no evidence a bond had been 5-- 1 posted. Staff immediately re- quested the partners submit evidence that a bond had been posted. Later, some county officials said the bond was not required until construction was complete that the resolution re- quired the reclamation bond be posted only prior to issuing an operating permit and that earlier statements had been based on a misunderstanding. Other officials said the county had made a mistake in not requiring the bond prior to construction. Work on the project resumed in January of 2001 after Jewett Thursday, April 1 8, 2002 bought out partner Schellabarger. But by March, as construction neared completion, Jewett had yet to post a bond When he asked the county to issue him an operating license, county officials insisted he first post the bond. ing the educational bar," but teacher tee thing differently. Historic pictures of Moab and Grand County Jewett initially proposed posting $25,000, saying that amount would be sufficient to remove the pylons and cable from the hillside. But county officials pointed to the natural state language in the conditional use resolution, saying it required that the upper terminal be removed as well. Jewett disagreed. Later, he increased his proposed bond amount to $31,500, but he continued to claim that removal of the upper terminal would cost him $10 million and therefore, was " An initial estimate a by a county enginer pegged the cost for complete reclamation of the upper site at roughly $700,000. Later, the council discussed settling for a bond amount of between $100,000 - $200,000. But Jewett and the county remained at odds over fundamentals. By late April, 2001, they were still deadlocked. On April 23, Jewetts attorney wrote a letter claiming that unless the county relented and issued the operating permit within the next few days," Jewetts business would quickly fail." non-start- weeks later, Jewett submitted a written cost estimate A few of $4.4 million for complying with the resolution. Meanwhile, some council members began to question whether a second building on the upper site, a mining equipment exhibit, complied with the projects permit. Asked at the time whether he was considering suing the county over the issue, Jewett stated that a lawsuit would take too long, and meanwhile, he would still be unable to open his business. He repeated previous claims that he was under extreme financial pressure and time was running out. In a June 13 letter to the county, Jewett agreed to a reclamation amount of $66,500, which had been suggested during a meeting between Jewett and a county engineer. But instead of a bond, Jewett proposed a promissory note for that amount, which would grant the county the right to file a lien against the projierty. Barrett advised the county tliat any promissory note would nix'd to lie in first position ahead of other creditors. But Jewett maintained that was impossible due to existing contracts with Since the first of July, 2001 the county has maintained it has been waiting for a reply from Jewett rrganling the posting of a $65,000 bond. The has made numerous attempts over the past few months to contact Jewett for his comment. Jewett has not replied. It is unknown what financial situation Moab Mining and Tramway Company is in, and several local officials have wondered if Jewett s claims last year of financial hardship might mean the company was in trouble. A nationwide search of electronk bankruptcy records last week tumid up no files on the company. first-grad- tome adminlitrolon and A Look Back in Time Pilt funding Continued from Page A 1 again," Tbwnsend said, adding that the county has already applied $200,000 from the fund balance toward this years budget. The only other thing we can do is increase taxes. And no one wants to do that," she said. The National Association of Counties is lobbying Congress to keep TILT payments at exjiected 2002 levels, Tbwnsend said, and Western states, which received the largest percentage of TILT funds, are hopeful e the effort will be successful. Right now, its a situation. Its still unclear how this will affect appropriations, Tbwnsend said. The county also receives PILT money from the etate of Utah, which funds a number of special service districts including the hospital district, solid waste, and recreation. Funds for those districts are not expected to be impacted by the Bush administration proposal, Tbwnsend said. wait-and-se- Quite a grand home ... Millers home Castteton, Utah, taken This is a photo o( Charles about 1 900. Charles Miller is on the left and his wife, Luelta Miller, on the right. This was on Mam Street in Castteton. The cliffs on the background are on tt east side of Castle Valley in front of Miners Basin. Mider operated a store and post office out of Ns house tor a couple of years before he built a separate structure to serve that need. Photo courtesy Harvey Coonts, Eckert, Cokx , . in Facilitator helps water board address good, bad by Lisa Church staff writer Members of Grand Countys water boards and the Grand Water and Sewer Services Agency (GWSSA) discussed the positives and negatives of the agency during a public meeting on Wed., April 10. GWSSA officials said the meeting was intended to bring new board members up to speed on the background and history of the agency, aa well as to help dispel any misunderstandings that might exist regarding the agency's purpose and scope. The agency, was created in 1998 as a sort of umbrella body to coordinate the resources of the countys other three water districts - the Grand County Water Conservanry District, the Grand County Special Service Water District, and the Spanish Valley Water and Sewer Improvement District. It has recently come under fire from some board memliers who have suggested that GWSSA usurps the authority of individual districts, and spends money collected from taxpayers in each district on projects that may not benefit those residents. Through the GWSSA, all districts share staff and office space, set budgets for each district, and help wasecure funding for district-wid- e ter and sewer development projects. r The agency has a opseven-memlie- erating committee, comprised of members from each of the boards. Facilitator Russ Donoghue, executive director of the Rural Water Association of Utah and a former Grand County teacher, complimented agency board members on their dedication, and said the GWSSA is one of the most complicated water agencies he has ever examined. In my experience, I dont know of an entity nationwide that provides everything you provide," Donoghue said. He encouraged the board members to learn from one another, explaining that GWSSA ie experienc- ing the same "changing of the guard" that all organizations and hoards eventually experience. "Its a disservice if those people that are leaving the board do not share their experience and their knowledge with those that come in the future," he said, adding that new board members must also be willing to learn from those who have served for years. It's healthy for organizations to step back, take a look at their situation and see where things are going," he said. You've got an awesome, relatively complicated organization to learn and to run as board members." Donoghue led board members through a series of exercises to examine the strengths and weaknesses of the agency. Most board members agreed that the agencys strengths come from the conservation of money through combining staff and services for all districts, and the agency's ability to maintain a ho-liic" look at water in Spanish Valley and throughout the county. Having the umbrella agency also improves the countys ability to secure funds for expansion and improvement projects because the three districts can apply for funding as a unified entity, board members said. But board members also cited numerous weaknesses, Including, the agency's board size, the of the three district boards through the agency board, and the fact that some board members and many Grand County residents have difficulty sorting out the agency role and authority in managing water issues in the valley. Several board members said the structure of the GWSSA board amounts to "a voice without a vote." A few board members and some private citizens at the meeting suggested dissolving the agency board. At the meeting's end, Donoghue asked board members to use the night's discussion as a starting place for resolving their differst ences. Have we solved anything?" he asked. Heavens no." But he said that unless the original reasons for establishing the agency have disappeared, the board is worth saving. I would not destroy it. I would work to fix it," he said. Cyclist injured on Gemini Bridges Trail A old man, Arno Serold, from Highland Ranch, Colo., was injured Tuesday when he lost control of his ihountain bike on the Gemini Bridges Trail near Highway 191. Michael McNutt, a friend with whom Serold was riding, said the two were traveling at about 20 miles an hour along the Gemini Bridges Trail about three miles in from highway 191. Serold lost control of his bicycle and crashed sustaining serious bead injuries. He was transferred to Allen Memorial Hospital via ambulance and later flown to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., via helicopter. 58-ye- Century 21 Red Rod: Real Estate proudly presents: Jon Schmidt New Age Classical Pianist Campaser "Extraordinaire" "Community Enhancement Series" 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at the High School Auditorium Jon Schmidt has quickly become well known in the Salt Lake area, where he consistently performs to sold out audiences in major performance venues along the Wasatch Front. As a teenager, Jon was inspired by the early albums of Mannheim Steamroller. "Because of them I took license to blatantly mix ele -- ments from my classical piano training with rock and roll, says Jon. Judging from the remarkable diversity in the age and background of a typical Jon Schmidt audience, his show amazingy seems to appeal to everyone. rr-- 'POOR |