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Show 2 Ths Magna TimasWaat Valley News, Thursday, May 25, 2000 EditoFialGovemmemt Selective Service releases first-evAgency announces partnership with education community to inform young men of responsibilities, opportunities initiative. new agencies of Selective Service Week, a series WASHINGTON. DC (May 17. 2000)-Th- Selective e System today released its Service first-ev- analysis of registration compliance data, and announced a series of partnership efforts with the U.S. Department of Education and key education orgae nizations to bolster registration. On average, the rankings show that nearly one out of five young men in the United States turning age 20 this year will fail to register, putting themselves at risk of losing out on important Federal opportunities linked to registration. New Hampshire ranked highest among the states with 95 percent of eligible men registered by the time they turn 20, while Hawaii was the lowest with 73 percent of young men born in 1980 registering before or during 1999. Federal law requires that virtually all young men living in the U.S. register with Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. late registrations are accepted through age 25, and many men register late. The names are gathered d by the agency in the event of a national crisis that would required a military draft. A prime concern of the agency is ensuring that any such call-u- p would be fair and equitable. Over the past three decades, many reforms have been instituted to ensure fairness, and nationwide some ,000 volunteers in virtually every community in America have been trained in the procedures necessary to conduct a fair process. In state-by-sta- on-tim- civilian-controlle- 1 1 equity" requires the addition, highest compliance rate possible. To reinforce the requirement. Congress has made Selective Service registration a requirement for obtaining a number of federal benefits, including student loans, job training, government jobs, and citizenship for male immigrants. Under Federal law, young men who do not register by the time they are 26 may never receive these benefits. Additionally, although rarely prosecuted, failure to register is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Many states and localities also link additional opportuni-ties-suc- h as student financial aid and state or municipal employ-ment-t- o Selective Service registration. "The American people, through their elected representatives, have made it clear that they believe Selective Service plays a vital role in ensuring that our country is pre MAGNA TIMES USPS 325-58- 0 Second class postaga paid at Magna, Utah 84044 8980 West 2700 South Magna, Utah 84044 J. HOWARD STAHLE Publisher BONNIE STAHLE Advertising Manager Office Manager MIN0Y HAVIQ Production Manager Lead Computer technician KEITH LOBDELL Editor GARY R. BLODGETT Editor ALAN BLAIN Staff Writer KENT GOBLE Sport Writer 8. DEAN LEDBETTER Staff Writer DALE SIMONS Sports Columnist TIFFANY MANSFELD Advertising Copyright, Megna TlmeaWeet Valley Newa O. All rights reserved. Reproduction, reuee, or transmittal at aH matter herein It prohibited without prior written pennle-elo- n by Ate publisher or editor. The Magna Ttonea and West Valley Newt ore published eeeh Thursday Bubaortptlofl tH per year $21 par year out of state Poeimaater; Send change of addreea to: Magna Times 8880 W. 2700 So. Kagna, UT 4044 or (SOI) 250-MS-S (801) 250-588-8 FAX magwsotxmsionom The Magna rtmee a hwiMed iwwaptyw Member o (he Utah Press Asacofettori pared for national emergency, said Selective Service director Gil Coronado. Therefore, many that are important to every mans future have been linked to Selective Service registration. Our goal as an agency is to both ensure that we have registered every eligible man, and to ensure that we have done all we can to inform young men of the opportunities they are forgoing if they fail to register. Coronado said that it is in this spirit the agency is reaching out to under represented populations, the very men who stand the most to gain from these opportunities. The agency is forbidden by Federal law to purchase advertising, and so relies on a number of strategies to build awareness, including public service announcements, direct mail, and direct outreach. On the whole, were very proud of our record considering the enormous challenge we face of the U.S. education community to help raise awareness of the registration requirement and to support the school and compliance report card State-by-Sta- te er d community-base- awareness activities to be launched in the fall. Our research has consistently shown that the biggest barrier to young mens compliance is a simple lack of awareness, Coronado said. It is tragic to see young men potentially missing out on future opportunities because they just do not know that they are required to register. But even more tragic is reaching the more than 5,000 young men in this country who everyday, Coronado said. However, we are fully committed to doing more. In announcing his agencies support for the outreach effort, U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. turn that our experience shows the young men most likely to miss the message are those form poor and 18 Throughout the Riley commented, history of our nation, our school-house- s have been more than just children learn their where places Three Rs. They are places where young people learn both their rights and their responsibilities as citizens of a free society. In addition to Riley, expressing support for school based outreach efforts were Mickey Ibarra, White House Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, and education associations and organizations, including representatives from the American School Counselor Association, the Center for Civic Education, the of' Association Registrars American Collegiate and the of Association National Secondary School Principals, and the National Admission Officers, Association of State Boards of Education. The partners that wc have gath- ered here today represent the beginning of what we intend to be a growing outreach effort over the next several years, Coronado said, and the numbers we have released will serve as a baseline to measure our effectiveness. With the sapport of these partners, with our plans to increase our outreach into other communities, and with continuing efforts on the state, local and responsibilities and benefit from all of the opportunities due them. and Cook votes to reform military health care Defense bill will improve quality of life for service men and women WASHINGTON DC Congressman Merrill Cook (UT-2- ) voted May 18, 20(M)for a defense bill that improves readiness and quality of life for military personnel and also funds military equipment and modernization programs. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4205, The Fiscal Year 2001, an addition of $4.5 billion to the Presidents request and consistent wiih the budget resolution. America needs a well-equippe- d, military to defend our nation in any crisis, at any time. We have an obligation to well-prepar- Kasich Congressman to (R-O- require our European Allies to share more of the burden of the Kosovo and Bosnia operations. make sure that our service men and The U.S. shouldn't be shouldering all of the burden and cost of conflicts in Europe. Our NATO allies need to step up to the plate and live up to their promises. If not, I believe we should withdraw our forces. Why should our serviceman and women be put in harms way and the American taxpayer forced to pay the cost for a conflict the Europeans evidently dont believe is important or necessary, queried Cook. women have the training, equipment, and support they need to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. We need to give them the health care system they were promised and reasonable wages that will let them support themselves and their families. This bill goes a long way toward reaching these goals, Cook said today. Cook voted for an amendment sponsored by Congressman Steams to further improve the milihealth system. He also suptary an amendment by ported (R-F- In addition, the Fiscal year 2001 defense Authorization Bill: Funds approximately $4.4 billion of the unfunded requirements identified by the service chiefs and defense agencies for fiscal year 2001. Provides a 3.7 percent pay increase to continue to close the gap between civilian and military pay. Enhances healthcare benefits for active duty and retired military per- sonnel by including policy . and funding initiatives designed to remove barriers to an effective TRICARE system, generate sav- ings that can be redirected to pay for future health care benefits, restore pharmacy access for all mentation in 2004 of a permanent health pare program for military retires over age 65. Adds $30 million to increase housing' allowances for military families in high cost areas. Raises the military standard of living for the most economically challenged personnel (principally those living on food stamps) by establishing a targeted subsistence payment (up to $500 per month). Ensures that military personnel live and work in quality facilities by adding over $400 million to the Presidents underfunded military construction programs. military retires, and create a strategy for the imple Medicare-eligibl- e Deceased Veterans are Msrnorial Day services scheduled Fort Military honored at State Capitol p.m., A special ceremony memorialized Americas military veterans on May 22 in the Utah State Capitol rotunda. The 2000 No Greater Love Veterans Remembrance Ceremony, professionally conducted by the U.S. Marine Corps and Utah State Office of Veterans Affairs, was part of a nationwide patriotic campaign to put Memorial back into Memorial Day. Keynote speaker Don Bush, Utah State Representative from Clearfield said, I am honored to represent veterans in paying tribute to those who have lost their lives defending our country. Bush continued, As my generation of World War II veterans passes on, the torch of patriotism and commitment to our country must be carried by those who follow. We need to keep alive in our memories those who have made it possible for us to enjoy the freedom and security we have. If we forget our history, we ernment employees, and tourists, were in an audience of 112 attending the special memorial ceremony. Utahs No Greater Love memorial ceremony was one of 51 held on May 22 in all 50 states and the territory of Puerto Rico. A special display highlighting veteran sacrifices from the American Revolutionary War era to the present will be available for public viewing in the state capitol rotunda for one week, including the Memorial Day weekend. Univ. of Utah Research Park, Veterans State Utah Memorial Cemetery, 2 17111 South Camp Williams SLC; Road, Bluffdale; Douglas -- -- Memorial Day will be patriotically observed across the Salt Lake Valley on Monday, May 29 with decorated graves ahd many services to remember Americas Cemetery, 10 a.m., Wakara Way, military dead. Memorial Day activities are intended to pay Sandy; -- Lake Hills Memorial Park, 10 a.m., 10055 South State Street, Sandy; -Valley View Memorial Park, 10 a.m., 4335 West 4100 South, West Valley City; Historic Holladay Memorial humble honor to all men and women who have laid down their lives in service to our nation. A partial listing of 2000 Memorial Day services scheduled on Monday, May 29 in the Salt Lake Valley follows: Redwood Memorial Estates Cemetery, 9 a.m., 6500 South -- 1 SLC; Sandy; STAFF WRITER Redwood Road, SLC; -- Mountain View Memorial Estates Cemetery, 10 a.m., 3115 East Bengal Blvd. (7800 South), ' Larkin Sunset Gardens, 10 -- a.m,, 10600 South 1700 East, Memory Grove Gold Star -- Hill, 2 p.m., 375 North Canyon Road. (54 East), SLC; Lakeview Bountiful 3 1640 East Cemetery, p.m. -- Lakeview Dr., Bountiful This year marks 132 years for Memorial Day across the United States. The first National Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1 868, in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Decoration -- Park, 10:45 a.m. 4900 South Memory Lane (1900 East), Day is another name for Memorial Day in some states, Holladay; Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 11 a.m., 3401 South -- and is so named because graves are decorated with American Highland Drive, Holladay; -- Salt Lake City Cemetery, 12 noon, 200 North N Street, flags and flowers to memorialize the dead. Tjl will make the same mistakes again. During his address. Bush also related some of his wartime experiences, he is a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and Korea. Liberty, hope, and remembrance were symbolized as Utahs Remembrance Candle was lighted by Medal of Honor recipient George Wahlen. S. Dean Ledbetter of the Utah State Office of Veterans Affairs, read a special Utah Governors proclamation remembering valiant deeds of soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen whose decorated graves dot the globe. Ledbetter also delivered a patriotic speech tracing American Memorial Day history. He has organized the Utah "No Greater Love memorial for three years. Program emcce was U.S. Marine Reserve Major T.L. Bmning. A ceremonial color guard from Charlie Company, 4th Light Armored Recon Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve of Riverton, Utah honored veterans at the ceremony. U.S. Marine color guard members were Sergeant M.P. Reel, Corporal W.J. Sivert, Lance Corporal M.D. Putikofer and Lance Corporal L.A. Jenson, under the supervision of Marine First Sergeant L.F. Wiikerson. The memorial invocation was given by Mark Allison, University of Utah senior chaplain. Randy Knight, Utah American Legion state adjutant, led the audience in the pledge of allegiance. 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