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Show the west mountain times. November 5. i98i. page mo Opinion and Commentary About those elections.... like a local election to separate the voters from the complainers in a community. Why is it those who complain the most loudly about local government are least likely to appear in local polling places? Its annoying to hear the same people year after difference year say Im only one person. What could my vote possibly make? But who in this nation gels more than one vote? That's the question left unanswered. In all the countless opportunities given to vote during one's lifetime, nowhere is the voice of a few voters heard more clearly than in local elections. With a local turnout of only 20 to 40 percent of voters, it often takes far less than a hundred votes Theres nothing to make a difference in the outcome. Local government often has a more direct impact cn its citizens than national government. Local councils rone the city, spend the citys budget, and assume responsibility for streets and city services. With the new form of government going into effect in West Valley City, citizens can have more input than ever before. But the people who choose to get involved, to participate, will be the same twenty to forty percent who appeared at the polls on Tuesday. Sure, therell be plenty of others who criticize, condemn, and complain. But city government will never be responsive to voices that are never heard, votes never cast. How do you rate? By Debbie Curry watched. Americans watch each other very carefully because of the obsession they have with ratings. Nowadays everything is rated. Football and basketball teams are rated. Cars, movies and restaurants are rated. Toothpaste, chewing gum and deodorants are rated. Even girls are rated (on a scale from I to 10). Whether we miow u or not, many ratings occur as the direct result of the choices we make as consumers. W'e have proven that just because something is rated Number 1, it is not necessarily the best. For example, if most of us buy a green toothpaste, it is rated Number 1. If most of us go to see a certain movie, it is rated Number 1. And if most of us turn on a particular television show every Tuesday night, it is rated Number 1. So what do ratings have to do with television? Everything! Our viewing habits are taken very Ratings are seriously by the television industry. the almighty authority of television and usually have the last word in the decision-makin- g process. Television ratings decree whether a program will live or be sentenced to sudden death. Basically, ratings indicate the percentage of people that watch a particular 1 V show. If a show gets a rating of 23 percent, that means that out of every 100 people sampled, 23 of them are watching the show. Anything from 25 percent to 35 percent is considered a high rating. If the figures seem small, remember that three stations gigantic networks and several independent are all battling for your attention. On a national level, one ratings point represents approximately one million people. So if a program gets a 23 percent rating, 23 million people across the country are watching it! If you have ever been asked to keep a record or a diary of the TV programs that you watch, chances are you were being employed by a research company. Ratings are gathered from research comthis type of panies which specialize in tabulating data. The, two major companies utilized by the television industry are the A.C. Nielsen and companies. Arbitron specializes in the diary method. Youre being Ar-bitr- People engaged in these samplings simply record what programs they watch. The A.C. Nielsen company uses a device known as an audimeter. This gadget plugs into the TV set and actually records what channel the set is turned to. Diaries are used as a back-u- p system. Both of these methods are highly regarded by Lie networks and are depended upon to determine the ratings of their television programs. Ratings are very important to the networks because the higher their programs are rated, the more they can charge for advertising. High ratings mean high profits. High ratings also determines the type of programming we will receive. Remember when the new television programs were premiered every September? We had a good nine months to pick through the new offerings, and reruns did not appear until summertime. Today there are new season premieres three or four times a year and some shows are cut so quickly, we never have a chance to see them! Like contestants in a beauty pageant, every season shows line up, hoping to be picked. You may have a favorite picked out, but if the ratings are not high enough you will probably never see it again. Ratings chart the top fifty (or so) programs. Out it is of those fifty, when a show makes the top-teconsidered a big winner. As these winners emerge, From we are saturated with copies and spin-offThe Mary Tyler Moore Show", we got Rhoda" and Phyllis. From "Happy Days, there came "LaVerne and Shirley, and from 60 Minutes, we got Prime Time Saturday, and 2020. Consumers have more power than they realize over television programming. Basically, our viewing choices determine the ratings and ratings determine TV programming. Shows receiving high ratings are interpreted by the the networks as what the people want to see. The next time you are dissatisfied with a TV show, change the channel or mail your complaints to the TV station. If worse comes to worst, we can always turn the TV set off and pursue the projects that are patiently off for so long or finally begin that jogging program. Maybe then we will want to rate ourselves a few points higher for using our better judgment. n, s. Disabled veterans paid price for peace national government turned responsibility The screams of the wounded and the for disabled veterans over to the individual of gunpowder surrounded Robert states and their Poor Law sistems. Richardson, a private in Americas ConLife was tough really tough for tinental Army, but he fought on until a Richardson and other patriots wounded in British cannonball struck his hand spike. It the struggle to free America from colonial broke in two, one end tearing his belly chains. Many were reduced to begging. open. The wind from the cannonball left his Things are better for the 214 million right arm useless. Richardsons blood had disabled veterans living in todays America. paid the price of peace and freedom. But, But, on veterans Day this year, its apfor the rest of his life, he was totally propriate to recall what happened to the disabled. disabled veterans of our Revolutionaty War. Continental For a while, the Congress provided thp Revolutionaty War veteran a, . What happened to them established a pat' tern that has, to some extent, been played disability pension of half his military salary out aftgLeach of our countrys nine wars a It helped, but Richardson was unable to pattern of forgetfulness thats playing itself support himself on this meager allowance. out again today, just six years after the last Even this pittance ended shortly after the American was killed in Vietnam, our most War of Independence when the new stench wrote a weekly column about school activities for The Green Sheet. h At the University of Utah, reported on and photographed campus activities and intercollegiate athletic events for the Daily Utah Chronicle, the campus newspaper, while completing work on a BA degree in journalism and mass communications. Following one year of graduate study in journalism, Fairdough joined the staff of the Gallup Independent, a daily newspaper in New Mexico, editing the sports section. He returned to Utah three years ago, accepting a job on the city desk of the He later Ogden Standard-Examinefilled an opening on the sports desk. After working on the staff of two established daily newspapers, it will be a real challenge to get this new weekly off the ground, Fairdough said. We intend to provide residents of Kearns, Hunter and Magna with news and information about their communities which are usually overlooked by television, radio and other newspapers, he said. The Fairdough is married to the former Beverly Sharp of West Valley City. They are the parents of one son, Nicholas, 2. Fair-doug- r. W. Glen Fairdough, Jr. West Mountain Times names new editor and reporter ld A new editor and repor- terphotographer have been hired as e staff members of the West Mountain Times. W. Glen Fairdough, Jr. is the new editor and Regina Coats is the new KEARNS full-tim- reportcrphotographer. Fairdough, 3325 South 4300 West, is a native of West Valley City. Fairdough attended Granger High School where he edited the Times, the student newspaper, and Tri-Col- or Serving Kearns, Hunter, end Magna Li PHOTOGRAPHERS: flJSPS 125 Kearns-Hunter-Mag- AMATUER grand-daught- er OR PROFESSIONALS Publisher JOHN RANDOLPH SENG Editor W. GLEN FAIRCLOUGH, JR. Assistant Publisher Reporter Join the and buy Kodak Film REGINA COATS Published on Thursdays, with offices at 4140 West, 5415 South Second-clas- s Kearns. Utah 641 ig Telephone (801) 966-444postage at Magna, Utah. AH nghts reserved Mi Yearly subscriptions ere 58, 510 outside Utah. Advertising deadline 5pm Monday for the following Thursday edition. For rates call (801) 9664444. Send correspondence to Bos 248, Magna. Utah 84044 News items from clubs, churches, and other organizations are welcome The deadline is 5 p m. Monday for the following Thursday edition. Call (801) 9664444 lor freelance pay rates Not responsible tor unsolicited pictures and news. On Veterans Day, 1981, we must ask ourselves a very basic question. Can we do too much to guarantee a square deal for a sailor whose arms were crushed when a Nazi torpedo smashed through the hull of his ship.. .for the pilot whose body was burned and desfigured when his plane was shot down over Korea...for the Marine whose legs were blown off by a Viet Cong booby trap in the Mekong Delta...or for the World War I soldier who lost his sight in the Battle of the Marne? Every American owes these people a debt that can never be repaid. Matheson tabs Nov. "Utah Futures Week" SALT LAKE CITY Governor Scott M. Matheson officially proclaimed the week of November 1981 to be Utah Futures Week in a formal ceremony held this week at the State Capitol. The proclamation was issued to honor Westminster College and the World Future Society: Education Section for their involvement in bringing a 7, national futures conference to Salt Lake City Nov. 5, 6, and 7. The conference theme, Topics for A Human Agenda, was selected by Westminster to support the Governors request earlier this yaer for an agenda for the 1980s to deal with Utahs future problems. The wording of the Governors official proclamation reflects this agreement in purpose and vision. At the signing, Westminster President C. David Cornell said We are specially pleased with the 1-- 7 recognition of the Colleges 106 year commitment to educating for the future, today. Topics for A Human continues this tradition by Agenda bringing to Salt Lake City some of the he worlds most eminent futurists, added. Keynote speakers for the three-da- y national event, which will be held at the Hotel Utah, are: economist Robert Theobald; author Marilyn Ferguson; psychologist Jean Houston; and social scientist Jay Ogilvy. They will be joined by more than one hundred presenters on four main themes: Corporate Con-cern- pci lull All film is processed on Kodak paper "For a good look For details on these savings call s; Futures Education; Futures Research; and A Human Agenda. Local educators and individuals may obtain registrationprogram mation 484-765- 1, from Westminster Ext. 219 or 232. infor- College, Letters Your opinions matter Dear Reader: 5101 WEST MOUNTAIN TIMES DEBRA CURRY Coats, a 1979 graduate of Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Com munications and an emphasis in newspaper journalism, is not only qualified but exdted to be working in the area. This is a progressive area, and we will be seeing a lot of growth and change in the next few years, said Coats. The West Mountain Times will be expanding to meet the needs of this area, and I am thrilled to be a part of the action. of Coats, the Raymond and Ethel Coats, 3845 W. 4700 S., Kearns, is also looking forward to working in the area where her father, Clyde N. Coats, was raised. Our family moved to Rupert, Idaho, from Murray when I was very For years we young, said Coats. have been coming to Kearns to visit my grandparents, and I have a lot of good memories associated with the people in this community. Coats returned in September from the Missouri St. Louis Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints. Prior to her mission, she worked on the staff of the Daily Universe, the BYU student newspaper, as well as for her hometown paper. The Minidoka County News. Coats is 24 years old, the second of seven children. In addition to writing, her interests include snow skiing, softball, raquetball, piano, drama, and good food. recent war. Perhaps thats understandable. When wars end, people want to get back to normal, peacetime life, leaving the turmoil and anxiety of war behind. Tliis space has been reserved for you, since the letters section of a newspaper belongs to its readers. Tell us whats on your mind, and well help you tell the rest of the community. There arc no restrictions on subject matter or length, only on taste. Type or print neatly on standard-size- d paper and send your letter to The Editor, West Mountain Times, Box 248, Magna, Utah 84044. Included must be a telephone number for verification and a signature. Names will be withheld upon request if a reason is given. We hope that not only will the Times let you know what s going on, but that you will let each other know whats on your minds. Take advantage of the space weve provided for your thoughts. All it costs is the price of a stamp. 487-854- 4 The Editor |
