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Show nda Viewpoint A4 A CLIPPER TODAY THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1999 Would like to see movie listings online Editor Its great to have the Clipper and Clipper Today online. Thanks for the investment of your time and money. Im sure we as lay people cant comprehend the amount of time it takes to put something of this magnitude together. As if you dont have enough to do, I have one request. How about including the latest movies showing locally and in what theatres? This would be very helpful for us who don't subscribe to any paper. I just tried to bring it up on your site and couldnt....perhaps Ive missed some- Nobody gets what they want, but everyone gets a concession It looks as if it isn't dead after all. New life has been breathed into the Legacy Highway earlier this month and the project seemed all but buried in September. The EPA was against it. the environmentalists were opposed, the Army Corps of Engineers wouldnt support it and the governor had been virtually silent for months. But the whole project was resurrected with the proposal of Option D and many people give State Rep. Kevin Gam the credit. Option D is really a repackaged Option "A", the one Davis County cities like the least because it comes to the closest to infringing on their territory. All that Option D does is follow the path of Option "A" except around the Bountiful landfill, where it shifts to Option "C. It also cuts heavily into Centerville's industrial park. The environmentalists still aren't wild about the idea, and several mayors aren't happy either, but this time the project is more likely to get a green light. That's due to several factors: The environmentalists aren't happy, but this new route is such a minor concession to the wishes of the cities that it's unlikely they will be able to engender a great deal of opposition to the route. Several cities aren't happy, either. But it's been such a tough struggle just to keep the highway from dying that any route is looking pretty good right now. The A.rmy Corps of Engineers won't be able to make a final ruling for a while but it appears they don't have a whole lot of problems with Option D. So the irony is that precisely because the new route doesn't appeal to anyand because it doesn't offend anyone too much it has one too strongly the greatest chance of success. Everyone's a little tired of the whole battle, and it's going to be hard to build up much steam against a proposal that is so little different from the most preferred route for some (although the least preferred route by the cities). The EPA still has to rule and is on record opposing the highway, but there's a chance that the new route won't provoke it enough for the EPA to not dig in its heels. So Option D" is looking pretty good right now because anyone really loves it but because it's just to hard to hate a lot. And that may be good news for Davis County motorists who have been more and more often. Monday's unfortubattling a desperately clogged nate accident that killed one and injured several more. Considering the safety risks to motorists right now. coupled with aggravating commutes, almost any Legacy option is looking pretty good right now. The route we could end up getting may not be pretty, but it will beat the ugliness and tragedy that we're seeing more and more of on " thing... Wallace R. Smith WallyCecilJuno.com Editors note: Thanks for the suggestion. There are a whole lot of additional features we will be placing online in the coming months, some of which will require a few technical andor software adjustments. Well keep you informed as we post these features on our web site. do-ab- le Make a difference and volunteer Saturday, Oct. 23 is Day across the state. The attention of lots of people will be focused on how to make that difference by volunteering their time, both that day and in the future. Utahns are known as a volunteering people. Many are willing to lend a hand whenever needed whether it be in times of flood relief, such as happened in Riverdale last July, or to assist a widow neighbor who needs her sidewalks shoveled. There are a plethora of volunteer opportunities. But often it's hard to know where to start even if you do have some time. As part of the Volunteer Fair to be held at the Layton Hills Mall from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, more than two dozen agencies will be shar-'in- g information about just what it is they try to do to make the community a better place. Agencies include Davis Hospital, Big BrothersBig Sisters, ARC of Davis County, Hill AFB Family Support Center, Your Community Connection, V.I.P., Girl Scouts of Utah, PTA. United Way of Davis County, USU Extension Service. Family Connection Center, Clearfield Job Corps, TURN Community Services. RSVP, Utah Foster Care Foundation. Exchange Club, Layton Community Action Council. Project Linus. CASA, Wasatch Humane Society, Layton Community Action Council. Clearfield Neighbor to Neighbor, Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center. These groups couldn't function without volunteers. They don't run on hefty because it is given in budgets, and what they do receive is carefully guarded the name of charity. In addition to browsing through the booths, and entering to win the free treadmill from ICON Health & Fitness or the mountain bike from Clearfield Neighbor to Neighbor, you might rest your tired feet a bit and do some actual volunteering. At Layton Hills, there will be opportunities to assist in preparing packets for the Clearfield Neighbor to Neighbor organization and the Layton Community Action Council. Both groups, though fairly new. are having a positive impact on their respective communities, improving the quality of life in non-prof- it various ways. At Five Points Mall in Bountiful, educational packets will be prepared for shipment to needy kids in Kosovo. And if you bring a commercially packaged food item, you can try a climbing wall for free. The Davis County Food Bank will also be gladly accepting donations at the Layton Hills Mall. Youth volunteerism is being particularly emphasized. However, those young people involved will be rewarded with a continental breakfast if they come to the 9 a.m. kickoff, and with a barbecue lunch later in the day. Of course, there are the rewards that come from doing for others which hopefully will become a part of the lives of these giving young people. Many other groups will be doing volunteer efforts, from a Girl Scout group in Roy that will include North Davis girls, putting together projects to benefit Kosovo children, to a variety of other efforts. Whether you have time to volunteer on Saturday or not, please look into giving some time, no matter how little, to helping one of the many agencies that needs it. After all, in the end, we all benefit from such efforts. Thanks to all those generous people Editor, Thank-You- The real facts about teacher salaries The views play in society? expressed in this column are the opinion of the Probably but most people feel their job is stressful and helpful to society. Let's compare a teacher with a writer and not necessarily those of the ownership or man- agement of this Teacher salaries made their annual, shrill appearance in the news last week. During the Utah Education Association convention, teachers shook their fist at Gov. Mike Leavitt and muttered threats about a walkout. Meanwhile, Sen. Howard not the brightest bulb Stephenson in the Utah Senate continued his tired and belligerent act of slapping the educational establishment, accusing teachers of lackluster results and eliciting calls to talk shows that teachers are unproductive and lazy'. The controversy over teacher Published by Clipper Publishing Co. 197 North Main Layton, Utah 84041 Office hours: 8:30 a.m. 0 Phone: Fax: 547-980- Clipper Today residents of - 547-137- is 5:30 p.m. 4 Monday thru Friday eztalkclippertoday.com published every Thursday and distributed to Kaysville, Fruit Heights, Layton, Clearfield, Clinton, Syracuse, Sunset, West Point and South Weber. The views expressed in the letters and columns on this page are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the ownership, management or staff of Clipper Today. Total circulation in excess of 38,000 copies. Publisher: R. Gail Stable Editors: RolfD. Koecher, Tom Busselberg Sales: Martin Ehman, Aaron Glauser, Judy Hammerschmidt Display advertising deadline: Friday, 5 p.m. Camera-read- y ad deadline: Monday, 5 p.m. Classified advertising deadline: Tuesday, 10 a.m. than benefits. teacher's performance (or lack of it) certainly has more impact on people than that of a college-educate- d better-than-avera- Dont teachers in other states earn more than Utah teachers? In most cases, yes. In addition, teachers in other states teach far fewer students. On a basis, Utah taxpayers get a bargain, even though Utahns are the 15th highest per-pup- il taxed in the country. what the lowest-pai- d r teacher earns. Shouldn't they be paid more due to job stress and the important role they nine-mont- Let's do something I really appreciated your recent article about the problems, dangers, and concerns around the 15th South and Highway 89 area. To the families of Woods Cross High students, this area has been a high priority topic, and the object of many failed attempts to create a safe and reason- able passageway for our students from the east of the highway, to the school. Almost exclusively, our solution has been to transport the students by vehicle, which brings up another major safety concern. It is a VERY FRIGHTENING, and VERY UNSAFE experience to make a left turn, northbound, from 500 West onto 1950 South without a left turn lane on the highway. This intersection is not very far north of the large turn and descent under the 200 West overpass, and is somewhat of a blind spot to those who are cruising along, almost always, at speeds in excess of the posted limit. With the continual increase in traffic volume on the highway (500 West), and the continued growth in businesses and people using 1950 South, there is no way this danger is going to go anywhere except worse. I would really appreciate it if your people who are in the know. about who belongs to what in this area, teacher ($26.4(X)) but works three months longer. Few would argue that a cop's life is free of stress or that a policeman doesn't play an important role in poverty. Beginning teachers in Davis County earn about $24, (XX) between salary and career ladder money. When calculated on a h a contract and eight hours per day, that equates to about $16 per hour. It's quite common for veteran teachers to earn $28 per hour. In addition, all teachers receive How do teacher salaries compare with those of similar jobs? It's difficult to find a similar job. Teachers obviously make less than doctors or lawyers, but typically earn more than college-educate- d retail managers or journalists. To me, the downside to teacher pay isnt the current paycheck but the limits on what a teacher can ever earn. Other professions have wide pay ranges. A college educated business major may start out at less money per hour than a teacher, but he or she has the potential of working smart and hard to earn $1(X),000 pier year. That's not Editor Complete North Davis coverage from Kaysville to Sunset earns slightly more salaries complete with misinformation and hysteria, and buffoons like Sen. Stephenson muddy the waters even more. As a former teacher in Davis, allow me to answer some common questions and I'm pretty sure neither side will be satisfied. Are teachers underpaid? Some are and some aren't In my view, about 10 percent of teachers deserve to have their salary doubled; another 10 percent should receive minimum wage and they'd still be overpaid! The other 80 percent fall somewhere in between; some should earn more for their performance and some should earn less. How much do teachers earn? They haven't taken an oath of before disaster strikes ClipperToday Davis County Sheriffs deputy. A beginning officer newspaper. true of teachers. No matter how effective or a teacher can never do much more than double hard-workin- g, first-yea- would investigate the possibility of something being done about this con- cern BEFORE the catastrophe which is inevitable at this very busy intersection with these very unsafe circumstances. Thank you for your help. B. Robinson btaylorrjuno. com New dipper web site is appreciated Editor. As a long time Clipper fan, congrats on the web site. It's very sharp. Kevin Jorgensen Kevinwse-inc.co- Population milestone is time for reflection Editor On October 12, the Earth's population reached six billion. This milestone should invite serious reflection. We should take stock, contemplate, and discuss the quality of our lives now and in the future. The number of people is not the real story. The real story is the quality of life of every one of the six billion. Worldwide population has gone from 1.7 billion in 19X) to 6 billion in a 252 1999 increase. The Greater Wasatch Front population in 1900 was 187,088 and in 1999 is 1.7 million an 809 increase. Utah's growth is also higher than the nation society. On the other hand, a accountant or restaurant manager. How should Utah get more money for education? I havent a clue. The obvious three sources are a lottery, head tax or a significant increase in personal income taxes. None of these three are going to happen with a Republican legislature. How about getting rid of bureau- ! Thank-You- Certain administrative functions are mandatory or fundamental. But even if 50 percent of the Davis County administrators and staff were eliminated, the average teacher would still only get a e raise of about $100 per month. Eliminating administration is not a solution. Isn i there someone wise enough to make important decisions regarding teacher pay, teacher performance and tax fairness? Only Cyclops. If he were put in charge and given dictatorial powers to solve the education crisis, he could annoy all sectors of the population one-tim- equally. al average. Utah's growth is 2.6 children per couple, the national average is 2.0. The difference seems small, but the impact is great. At the current rate of growth, Utah's population could reach five million by 2050! So. w hat can you do? You can voluntarily reduce consumption buy less, consume less, waste less. You e can participate in planfor ning, particularly open space, long-rang- parks, wetlands, and agricultural You can encourage and support development of compact and diverse communities that integrate work, play and shopping, and to minimize motorized travel. Most importantly, for the most impact in the long run, you can voluntarily limit family size, AND, you can discuss your opinions and concerns with family, friends, business, religious and community leaders, and government officials. The question should be: What number of people on Earth, and here in Utah, will give the greatest number of people the highest quality of life? It's a very difficult, complex and emotional question. Not confronting it will not make it go away. Steven Purhonen Salt Lake City lands. PurhonenaoLcom Enjoy Clipper writers, especially Adam Olson Editor You have some pretty good writers these days. One in particular is Adam C. Olson. We've enjoyed his articles. Frank Eddings eddingsaros.net Thank-Yo- u! Please find alternative to preserve wetlands Editor My scout troop has recently visited the area where the legacy highway would be built, at the bottom of Parrish Lane in Centerville. I feel it is not right to tear up the wetlands. I realize that we need more highway space and that building the highway would be beneficial. When we visited we noticed that it is also a spot for some recreation. We noticed people riding horses, people on bikes, people walking etc. I'm hoping someone can come up with a possible alternative. Ashton Jensen j J Troop 1857 crats and administration, and giving their salaries to teachers? ! When I wrote to you three months ago I never thought you would publish the letter. I am so glad that you did. I received responses from some very generous people. I would like to thank Mrs. Zelda Tidwell, Bob Christensen, Caryol Welch, Charles & Loma Miller, and Aaron Richards and his sister Sheila. I am so happy that there are still people like you in the world. Thank you, Marcie Pierce Greer mgreerefortress.com Disappointed by many events in W. Bountiful Editor As residents of West Bountiful, we were interested to read the article about the failed annexation of the Smith property to the west of our city. We were surprised to read the quote from West Bountiful's mayor, Jim Child, saying that this would be his biggest disappointment during his term. West Bountiful had a shortfall of over $200,000 at the end of the first year of Mr. Child's term, as quoted by the mayor and Council member Don Lilyquist in the Clipper. Not a disappointment? Taxes were raised by the mayor and council, and we all are paying the highest allowable franchise tax. Not a disappointment? Mr. Child fired the police chief, and the criminal activity has been on a steady increase ever since. City residents wait for months for police attention and are dissatisfied with the competency of the force. The reputation of the force in the county is disgraceful. Not a disappointment? The new Legacy Highway will chop our city into pieces under the watchful eye of Mr. Child and the City Council. Not a disappointment? Mr. Child and the City Council are under investigation in the county attorneys office for misuse of public funds. Not a disappointment? Mr. Child and the City Council canceled the primary election for our city even though was have six candidates running for office. Not a disappointment? We voted for Mr. Child for our mayor. But after less than two years in office we have to say that the biggest disappointment for West Bountiful has been the election of Jim Child as mayor. James and Audrey Toltnan West Bountifid Editors note: The primary election was canceled because of the late pidl-oof several candidates, making the election unnecessary. With respect to the investigation by the county attorneys office mentioned above, it is in response to a complaint ut received by a resident. Deputy County Attorney Bill McGuire said his office currently is checking out the validity of the complaint to determine if there are indeed grounds for an active investigation. V CC |
