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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS Opinion WEDNESDAY APRIL 1. 1W7 Dixie Speaks love to drive around the countryside, and take in the sights. The beauty here amazes me. When I was growing up, I lived next to a place called New Salem (right outside Springfield, Illinois). It was a lush, green, rolling hill area. The history of the settler's village there was astounding. Here, a very simple, actually ugly man, grew up playing, dating and reading the Bible. The simple man became one of our Lincoln. most important Presidents to see all world the over People would travel from where Abe grew up, and the Springfield courthouse where he later became an influential politician. They thought us lucky to live so near things of such important historical signficance. I visited it once. It wasn't that exciting to me. I took it for granted, it was just another part of the scenery. Many of us take things of importance or beauty for granted. If we could look through a tourist's eyes, maybe we'd appreciate them more. The last few weeks as I've driven around. I've been saddened by the amount of garbage and rubbish around. The shoulders of the old Kanab Highway (alongside Highway 89), is cluttered with bags of litter, dead animals and old appliances. Can anyone come up with a valid excuse for this sickening lack of respect for the land? Can anyone validate not reporting this kind of dumping? It's simply not that hard to get trash to the dump. I know in the past, the clean-u- p and beautification issue has been steeped in controversy. But the fact remains that we are responsible for the cleanliness of our surroundings. We applaud all efforts by those who are working toward this goal.. We need to make an effort this spring to show 'tourists that we are good stewards of the lovely land surrounding us. The condition of an area speaks legions of the people who live there. I ever-Abraha- m Letters to the Editor What is your opinion? This newspaper welcomes opinions from its readers concerning any subject. Anything of a libelous nature or defamation of character will not be considered for publication. Please limit your letters to 300 words or less. Letters must be signed and include your full name, address and telephone number. Thank you for your interest. Scott Fosters story Editors note-Sco-tt Foster, 15, of was Kanab, injured in a Febru- ary 27 freak accident outside of Kanab High School. The incident is still under investigation by the Kanab City Police Department. The following is the Foster's account of the accident and an update on Scott's progress. Dear Editor: We appreciate all the good people who are concerned about Scott, and who ask about him. We want his story to be known, because he was iryured doing a good deed. But for us, the story means remembering the story, and thats very painful So Ive decided to remember it one last time, write it down, then try to leave it behind. The Event: Walking out the school door on February 27, Scott came upon a much larger boy picking on a re-telli- ng smaller one. Snowballing him and putting snow down his back. Scott told him to stop. He put snow down the boys back again. Scott put snow down his back, to show him how it felt. He grabbed Scott and threw him with a wrestling hold. Scott got up, said Get away from me, and tried to push him away. The larger boy then grabbed Scott in a wrestlinghold called a cowcatcher, pinned both his arms behind him, lifted him into the air upside down, and drove him into the ground head first. Scott felt his neck snap, then couldnt feel his body. He said Get off me! I cant move. The larger boy got offhim. Scott said Go get help! Someone picked him up from behind by lifting his shoulders. His head dangling back, Scott said Lay me back down, I cant move. He lay helplessly in the snow, with more snow falling upon him, without even a coat to shield him. A J wfrxe-H4- has feeling but no movement. The Treatment: At the hospital, Scott was immobilized, pins driven into the d sides of his head, and a weight attached to stretch is neck. As he awoke, he vomited. A difficult t rick, when youre flat on your back and cant even turn your head. Tubes were put down his nose to drain his stom- - teacher came out to check on him, then called the EMTs. Scotts head gradually settled backward as the snow under it melted. The wrestling coach walked out of the school, and was told by a school girl You need to help that boy. He found Scott struggling to raise his head in order to breathe. The ambulance and EMTs arrived and took Scott to the emergency room. After emergency treatment and a CAT scan, Scott was sedated to the point of being unable to breathe on his own, then transported by ambulance to St. George. Just getting him there was a tremendous accomplishment, as it was snowing heavily, the roads were slick, and nurses had to pump each breath into his body as they traveled. He was then to the University Hospital in Salt Lake City. The Damage: Scott has two fractured vertebrae, C6 and C7. The disk between was compressed, but recovered. The spinal cord is severely bruised, and impacted with pockets of blood and fluid, but not severed. Ligaments in the neck are damaged. Scott has feeling throughout most of his body, which is very encouraging, but eveiything is paralyzed from the chest down. His arms work okay, but his fingers, thumbs, rib muscles, abdominal muscles, and everything below his waist is paralyzed. He is classified as incomplete quadriplegic, meaning he ten-poun- e'eWe- - AAA Deadlines AAA FRIDAY 1 PM See LETTERS, Page 5 L. 3X0 The Southern Utah News (ISSN No. 0049-165is published every Wednesday at 26 N. Main St., Kanab, Utah 84741 . The SUNews serves Kane County, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. Address communications to 26 N. Main St., Kanab. Utah 84741 , or Fax I telephone 801 Advertising rates available upon request Second Class postage paid at Kanab, Utah 84741. Newsstand price 50s per copy. Yearly subscription rates to Kane County addresses and Fredonia and Moccasin, Arizona, $22; others $30 (out of U S. $50). The SUNews reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement or submitted Hems. life-flight- ed &''' Southern Utah NEWS 9) -- 644-2900, Dennis and Dixie Brunner Publishers and Editor Sharlofte Brewer Production Staff Dillon Cunningham AdvertisingProduction Carol Sullivan Kanab News KfymaCex Glendale News Bart) Kimbsil Fredonia News Twill Cox Postmaster Send change of address cards 6 N. Main St., OrderviUe News Kanab. UT 84741 Feature Writer to-2- m m m 9 9 Barbara Pyles MI-644-29- |