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Show Magna West Valley. Taylorsville Kearns .West Jordan .South Jordan -- Riverton Bluffdale Youths Learn to Train Guide Dogs for the Blind 4-- H By Natalie Mayfield Tribune Staff Writer Training a guide dog for the blind requires time, energy, patience and a lot of love. stuCurt Myrick, a sixth-graddent at Eastmont Middle School, feels that his time and effort are well spent. He has been training program guide dogs through a since he was 9. Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc., a school in San Rafael, Calif., sends a member for a year or dog to a more of family living." The dogs are sent out to homes when they are 3 months old and after completing basic training at approximately 18 months, they are returned to the school for six months of intensive training. The school trains black and yellow Labradors, German shepherds and golden retrievers. All the dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club and are donated to the school. Teaching Schedule The dog is first taught its name, and then to lie down, retrieve, lead off to the left and sit. The dog is e also housebroken and learns to sleep on the floor of its master's room. The trainer grooms the dog every day, something the master would do. There are two such dogs in Salt Lake County and 16 in the state. Curt and his neighbor Michael Muth-reicare training the Salt Lake Zoro, a County dogs German shepherd, and Berna. a black Labrador. It's such a good experience for him, said Curt s father, Dan Myrick. He's learned so much and it keeps him out of trouble. Curt trained two dogs before Zoro. One of them, Kern, is now the family pet. Kern is what they call a return, explained Anita Myrick. Curts mother. About 50 percent of the dogs sent back for intensive training don't make it. After we found out that Kern wasn't going to become a guide dog, we decided to take him as a pet. We were so attached to him." Called a Return Kern is called a "return instead of a reject because of the positive h program used to dogs. The yellow Labrador reinforcement train the did not pass its intensive training because it was distracted by fire hydrants. On Doc. 1. Curt sent back his second dog, Spunky, a German shepherd. Spunky will now undergo six months of intensive training. "We hope he'll go make it through to graduation," Curt said He's a great dog, so he should." Once a dog is accepted as a guide dog, it has a maximum of eight After that, the to the trainer pet or another home is found for years dog is as a acceptance. either returned it. One of Curt's major jobs is to socialize the dog getting it ready to face the public and vice versa. Goes Everywhere' "A guide dog goes everywhere with his master," Curt explained. He has to go into restaurants and malls. He has to get used to stairs and elevators and cars." Although Zoro wears a guide dog it doesnt prepare people for seeing a dog in a place formerly reserved for people only. It's a necessary part of his training," Mrs. Myrick said. "He needs to get used to people and being around them. Its all part of his duties as a guide Jog. It's a state law that guide dogs are allowed in public buildings. trainee coat, The entire Myrick family is involved in the program. Tami, 17. is president of the Utah State Guide Dog Association, and Curt is the publicity manager. Mrs. Myrick is a committee member of the USGDA and the director of the Salt Lake County program. Planning Field Day We hope to have a field day in May, where all the dogs and their trainers come and participate," Mrs. Myrick said. "If more people we have the program, then maybe more will want to are aware that get involved." Membership in not required to just need a lot tience," according is the train program a dog. You of love and to Curt. pa- One of the hardest aspects training a dog is letting him go. of I get attached and then we have to return them," Curt said. It's hard to let them go." But Curt feels it is all worthwhile. know that somewhere a blind person could be needing the dog. and it makes me feel good to know that I I Tribune Staff Photo by Lynn Johnson Curt Myrick holds dog Zoro, a German shepherd that he is currently training to be a guide dog for the blind. have helped." Diploma Substitute Proposed Special to The Tribune A certificate of progress may be awarded SANDY to the estimated 100 high school seniors expected to fail d competency tests in Jordan School District this year if a proposal presented last week by Thomas Owen is accepted by the Board of Education. Dr. Owen, director of high schools in Jordan district, proposed that sfurients who complete the regular graduation requirements receive a "regular diploma to be called a "certificate of progress." He explained that those students would then have something to indicate they completed some, although not all, of the required work. They would then be instructed to attend summer school or classes at Valley High School, the district's alternative school which provides evening classes. The board will discuss the issue at their Feb. 8 meeting and is expected to make a final decision at their Feb. 22 meeting. State School Board Requirement The proposal evolved from a requirement issued by the state school board to withhold diplomas from students unable to pass the competency tests. Each district sets its own competency test requirement levels. Included in the proposal was an exemption for special education students from the competency test requirement. These students could graduate without com - state-mandate- Tr Ifcun tests if all other graduation requirements were met. These students would also receive a certificate of progress. Dr. Owen noted that there are 487 students in regular education and 80 in special education who have not passed the competency tests. He explained that the pass rate for retesting is 40 percent. Retesting is offered several times throughout the year. By the end of the year, he expects the total failures to be about 100. There are typically about 50 students who do not meet the regular graduation requirements each year. Site Plans Accepted In other business, the board accepted site plans and bid dates for three of four new schools. They are Rosamond Elementary School in Riverton, Columbia Elementary in West Jordan and a middle school on the Dirnond property in West Jordan. They accepted a site plan and bid dote for a fourth new school, Albion Middle School in Sandy, contigent upon an adjustment in the site plan agreed upon by nearby residents, architects and the Sandy City Council. Resident Robert Wonder, who lives just north of the site, requested that the school be moved closer to the southern boundary of the property: We're not opposed to the school, but when you look around at all the other schools in the area, none of them are as close to the property lines as this school." pleting the competency Stuff Photo tv Povell CoH Date' night performed by 164 Edgemont last Thursday. Elementary Stephen Cook and his son Joseph, 6, White City, get ready for the 23rd annual Daddy first-grade- rs Dad Night Lets Kids Show Off Folks By Shia Kapos Tribune Staff Writer He's the "bravest and the strongest," and the man they most admire. Youre a VIP! chimed 164 e pupils at Edgemont Elementary School Thursday night for the schools 23rd annual "Daddy Date Night". The program was performed entirely by tiie first grade students of the school for their fathers. The program was originated by A. Earl Cox, former principal of Edgemont Elementary for 13 years. first-grad- Make Parents Familiar "We first started the program in I960 in hopes of making parents more familiar with the school and their children," said Mr. Cox. Since it is usually the mothers who are more involved in the seems like you're at every one of these," said one father to another. "When do you run out of kids? and many fathers came for their first time. schools activities, Mr. Cox thought that the main objective of the program should be to "get the fathers active and aware in what is going on at the school. The program has continued every year since 1960 and according to secretary JoAnn Spencer "students as well as fathers would be disappointed if the program were to come to an end." Everyone Benefits' "The parents feel good about the school and the kids feel good about their fathers, so everyone benefits." said Mrs. Spencer. "I expected this program to be a success because it was so good for the school's public relations," Mr. Cox said. Many fathers have attended the It program more than once Kids, Dads Perform Dressed in costumes, the students performed before their fathers, grandfathers, brothers or uncles. And fathers performed their duty by flashing cameras in every direction. Before honoring the fathers with the song performance, the students and their fathers ate a dinner provided by the school cafeteria. The students were then honored by Jordan School District executives. The students were dressed as firemen. doctors, bakers, computer technicians, builders and policemen. CARPET REMNANT 12'x21' BEIGE Plush Reg. $18 yd. SALE PRICE $ kdHiMiafftk 10 yd. A Terrific Buy 12'xl2'& 12'xl4' Commercial Reg. $15 yd SALE PRICE A $8 yd. INTEREST 0thJ, TERMS AVAILABLE HOME FURNISHINGS 56 W. 7720 So. KBS MIDVALE 255-354- 7 Please make your reservations early A 1 . 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