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Show Mt. Pleasant Pioneer Association members will observe "Memo- ries of Sanpete Swift" with the 136th annual homecoming celebration Saturday, March 25, at the Mt. Pleasant LDS Stake Center. Pictured with the old D&RGW railroad depot (Mt. Pleasants Statehood Centennial restoration project) are board members: President Bert Ruesch; Dale Averett; Chesley Christensen; Lynn Poulsen; Gwen Poulsen; Marty Johansen; Mark Beck; Laura Beck; Elna McKay; Charles McKay; Alice Ilafeu; Esther Christensen; Dean Johansen; and Dorothy Willcox, all pictured; and Kathy Hafen, Peter Hafen, Alden Johansen, Barbara Ann Johansen, Louise Johansen, Roxey Washburn, Louise Seely, and Rodger Johansen, not pictured. g, ! A unw ; I r F ESc, AoN k 2'. Lv E C1T F41 i- i , 1 t FT' r 'r , - r fr ? C3 CENTENNIAL PROJECT DEPOT RESTORATION OF MONEV . LABOR ACCEPTED LDOMMIftVS 452-309- 2 H62-208- H ""T v MT. PLEASANT, UTAH Volume 103 v 4 V U 84647 - March 22, 1995 Number Twelve Price $.50 students walk out; protest teacher dismissal MT. PLEASAN- T- Most of the roughly 800 North Sanpete High Schoql students walked out last week to protest action taken at a recent school board meeting to not renew a high school teac- hers contract. The walk out, which took place before the schools second period, Thursday, March 16, was organized by students and peacefully staged. Students reportedly passed out notes, which explained the proposed walk out, to peers at the beginning of the school day. Students walked out together chanting "Save Mr. White", congregating on the lawn until all were out of the building, and then proceeded either on foot or in private vehicle to the school district office where student spokesmen confronted district officials while the chant continued. Two Mt. Pleasant Police officers were summoned to handle the demonstration and to quell unsafe passenger carrying on some student vehicles. Once students gained an audience with district officials they asked for an explanation for Mr. Whites dismissal. White is a (teachprovisional or ers do not have "tenure" until they have taught three years) AP history, speech and debate teacher in his second teaching year at non-tenur- the school. They also asked officials to reconsider board action and to allow them to voice support for Mr. White. Students cheered and made victory gestures when district officials agreed to hear their arguments at an emergency assembly which convened at the schools auditorium as soon as who protesters, immediately disbanded, returned to school. A private, more ' intimate meeting, organized by student representatives, was attended by high school and district officials after students determined that their concerns could not be made in an orderly fashion during the assembly which filled about of the schools auditorium. Students instructed their peers to return to class which they immediately did. The saga actually began the day before when a student, acting upon a rumor that Mr. Whites contract would not be renewed, began making calls first to the district office and then to board member Elna McKay. Students main concern was justification for the teachers dismissal, which district officials reported they were not at liberty to disclose. The student was informed, however, that dismissal was approved based upon high school Principal Courtney Symes evaluation. - two-thir- ds The student was also advised that a signed petition could be presented at the next schooL board meeting. Several signed petitions, with signatures in excess of 200, were presented to Superintendent Mower during that meeting. Students continued to collect signatures during the day. White, who students reported during interviews last week lacks just a few hours for his doctorate degree and "has more education than their principal or vice principal, declined to make a public statement and reportedly spent the day of the walkout in his classroom, "fulfilling his contract as a teacher" according to statements made by Mr. Syme during the assembly also refused reasons for recommending Whites dismissal to the school board claiming Whites right to privacy as the Principal Syme comment on his reason. Student concerns outlined in a written format included: was the district punishing Mr. White for what they were doing; was the fact that Mr. White his own children used when the principals evaluation was made; was alleged harassment from other teachers a factor; is the detail that Mr. White lacks six hours from his doctorate degree and has more education home-school- ed than the principal or vice principal a factor; did having the principals daughter in his class have any effect; did Mr. Syme give Mr. White a ticket for parking in the teachers parking lot like rumors speculate? Students were also concerned that teachers and other faculty members who supported Mr. White would not come forward because they were afraid for their own jobs. Most teachers did not attend the assembly. One unsubstantiated rumor even intimated that Mr. Whites dismissal might be making room for a teaching position for a member of Mr. Symes family. Attempt to contact Mr. Syme Monday at the high school to obtain his comments were unsuccessful. Some students comments and to school referred questions district administrators is included m a separate story, "Students question, comment on NS school board decision," page 8. MT. PLEASAN- T- "Memo12:15 p.m. Saturday to allow the of the Sanpete Swift," the counting of ballots for announcerailroad which connected Mt. ment at the p.m business Pleasant and the rest of Sanpete meeting. County to the world, will be the focus of the 136th annual Pioneer Ballots will be available at the Day celebration, Saturday, March meeting for those wishing to 25, at the Mt. Pleasant LDS vote; there are no proxies alStake Center. lowed and no absentee ballots. A luncheon will start at noon Only those attending may vote, with a program to begin at according to the newsletter. p.m. "Sanpete Swift was a local According to a Pioneer Day nickname given to the Denver newsletter, this years theme was and Rio Grande Railroad branch chosen partly because restoration line constructed from Thistle of the old D&RGW railroad Junction to points in Seyier station south of town has been County. established as the citys Statehood The first tram, which traveled as far south as Manti, arrived in Centennial project. Mt. Pleasant Oct. 20, 1890. The Pioneer Association members following year the branch line 80 years old or older will be extended further south. honored guests at the celebration, Webb Green was the Mt. and recognition will be given to first railroad agent; Pleasants the oldest members attending. Mrs. and Abner Crane and Mr. The Relic Home, the Assodaughter, Mrs. Ed (Annie) Wall, ciations pioneer museum, will be claim recognition as the first open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. passengers going to Salt Lake everyday this week through City from Mt. Pleasant. Saturday, March 25. As guests of Superintendent Nominations for Association Welby, the Greens, who were the four-yeboard of director seats include: Dail P. Averett, Laura only passengers, boarded the train late in the afternoon and Beck, Mark Beck, Chesley R. arrived in Salt Lake City at 2 Christensen, Esther Christensen, a.m. Alice Hafen, Peter Hafen, Kathy With the coming of the railHafen, Dean Johansen, Charles new enterprises were orgaroad, Johansen. and Louise McKay, nized including the Wasatch at close will Saturday Voting ries 1 ar air concerns over the dismissal of a high school teacher. Most of the entire student body, nearly 800 students, walked out of classes to protest. Popular LDS Performer, Kenneth Cope, will appear in concert March 31, at 7 p.m. at the Snow College Activities Center. Tickets are still available at the Ephraim Institute of Religion and at the Mt. Pleasant, Manti, and Gunnison Seminaries. Contact Local Seminaries or the Ephraim LDS Institute for further information. Sanpete Swift remembered 1 North Sanpete students cheer and make victory signs at the district office last Thursday follow- ing their successful petition for an audience to W. W Mercantile Company organized in 1891 by Abram Johanson and Erastus Koffer, who later built the Wasatch Block (still standing on Main Street). The arrival of the train also brought rail delivered mail During the earlier years it had been brought from Nephi with packs and later by buckboard by Henry Mower or Lenardire Smith. -- Those attending Saturdays Pioneer celebration are asked to their written bring Sanpete Swift memories to be displayed at thp restored depot as part of the proposed visitor information center. Recollections of Sanpete Swift already recorded include: "Putting pennies and railroad spikes on the rails so the train could run over them" (Peter Hafen); "Meeting the train after Sunday school and seeing the Drummers on the hack" (Alice Hafen); "Watching Fred Rasmussen operate the telegraph" (Charles McKay); "How, as a little girl she was scared of the tramps" (Roxey Washburn); and "Stories of people picking up coal from the side of the tracks where the tender spilled some" engine (Barbara Ann Johansen). |