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Show Lakeside Reviow Lakeside Tuesday. April 30. 1991 3 Junior high sports teach principles Debbia Buckway John Parker It never fails. When a school districts funds are tight, the first thing to go is junior high athletics. For some reason, school boards, school officials and even community members, seem to view junior high interscholastic sports as a luxury. By eliminating it, that's exactly what it will Ralph Pollsek Viewpoint When funding is cut, something has to go. And this time it could be com petitive athletic programs at junior high schools in Davis County. Sajing budget and transportation constraints have forced them to study the issue, junior high school principals in the Davis School District are discussing cutting funds for track, volleyball. wrestling and boys and girls basketball programs. Some principals want to totally eliminate the programs in favor of a total intramural program by 1992-9- 3. The school board will make the final decision. The principals are concerned that fierce competition can hurt students d schools mentally and that could cause scheduling problems in athletics. Opponents say athletics are an important part of education and should stay put. In informal interviews, the Lakeside Review asked several area residents a three-paquestion: whether they believe junior high school sports should be eliminated; what should happen to year-roun- rt of the kids try harder to get better STREET TALK grades so they can be in sports. Every- one in school tries to participate and more people probably wouldnt drop out of high school." I feel Debbie Buckway, Sunset competitive sports helps prepare students for high school when they have them in junior high. I don't think junior high kids arc too young for that. I school because it promotes school pride think they're more mature now than and gets the children that would not be theyve ever been. I feel sports are good otherwise interested in studying to for them and leach them to stand up study because they know it helps their for themselves. You've got to learn that school and themselves in the process." you don't always win in life, you do to They should keep in it the seasons. lose, too, and you have to make the Every sport has its own season and I best of it." d schools should don't think John Parker, Farmington: I think affect sports at all." sports are something that are imporThe kids shouldn't have to pay to tant. Kids can learn good lessons from be in sports. They can use them. I think they are as important to they can use PTAs, they can use other the kids as are reading, writing and student committees to help raise the arithmetic. Properly manned, they can money to fund the sports." probably help as much as anything they I think do and I think they should be Mindi Woods, Layton kept. that we should keep them (junior high And. I think if it requires a greater exsports) because it brings a lot more penditure on our part to do so, then so school spirit into the schools and most be it. junior high school sports if all Davis County schools should become d schools; and if funding is cut more, which programs should be eliminated, if any. Erin Peterson, Layton There should be competitive sports in any year-roun- year-roun- fund-raiser- s, Andy HovhCll ins Court? e4 The thing I object to is when we don't utilize the monies that go into the school properly, we do things because they're more convenient for the teacher or the administrator than they are for the kids, and I think there are ways that moneys can be allocated and should be allocated so you've got a balance and a mix in the schools of all assets. They are important to the kids. Ralph Pollsek, Layton: I agree with the principals that competitive sports between schools should be eliminated because they can save money. They don't need to spend the money. I dont think kids need that kind of competition; it eliminates a lot of kids from participating in sports because they don't have comprehensive intramural programs. As far as I'm concerned, they can do the same thing in high schools, too, for the same reasons. I don't think the intense competition is worth the price we pay. The number of kids that can participate are minimal and I think the comprehensive intramural programs are a lot better for the kids." .4 become. The Davis School District middle level principals arc pondering recommendations that could lead to all intcrscholastic sports programs at the junior high schools eventually being replaced by an overall intramural program. Junior high football was axed in 1980. Some principals say cutbacks are needed because it is too costly to maintain intcrscholastic schedules, and sports on the junior should be high level. Some also cite the upcoming switch to schools as a reason to do away with sports. I have a philosophical problem with ending competitive team sports at junior high schools, because with axing sports, you may eliminate opportunities for some students. With the end of organized sports, kids in the - to age group will have to turn to community-organize- d sports like youth football and Little League baseball, and that costs money. Also, community youth leagues are mostly limited to the suburbs. What happens to the child whose parents can't afford to pay for him or her to play in a league? Or what about the inner-cit- y youth who has no group of Little League mothers to organize a neighborhood team? They have to wait until they are in the ninth grade before being exposed to organized team sports. For most kids who are serious about getting involved in intcrscholastic athletics, junior high is their first exposure to true coaching and actual competitive circumstances. Most community youth programs are coached by parents who don't have the background to teach the child the fundamentals of the sport. Also, in Little League or youth soccer, there are many rules in place to where all children play a certain amount of time. Junior high sports is a way of easing the child into the competitive world of interscholastic athletics. He has to try out for the team and compete with other kids for a playing slot; he has to learn to interact with a coach who isn't just out there because his child is on the team; he also has to deal with the pressure of representing a school when he plays. You take away junior high athletics, and you put off that exposure until the child is a high school freshman, and then the impact is greater because there will be more kids trying out for fewer slots. year-roun- d 1 well-meani- Some may say, because of this pressure on the child, this is exactly why competitive sports should be eliminated. Well, competition is everywhere we look in our world, and sports can help a child prepare. Personally, I feel Little League baseball puts too much pressure on 8- - and I think 11 is a good age to be exposed to competition. By eliminating junior high sports, the Davis district may eventually see a in its high school sports when it drop-of-f comes to state competition. School districts that have junior high programs will always be competitively two years ahead of Davis. Two years is awful hard to make up when youre talking about teenagers. LETTERS Hill payroll clerk asks to be treated with courtesy To all employees at Hill Air Force Base: When I transferred to HAFB in 1981, the Payroll Office had full control of your pay check. In 1985, we began testing the BS System, with Personnel interfacing. Then in June 1987, we switched to the and it has been a trial new Time-Sheto all, especially the Payroll Office. In October 1990, Tasys interfaced with the new HK System. As a result of all these changes. Payroll has lost much control and we depend largely on Personnel and Data. We audit and correct Personnel interface and we wait on our products from Data. At times the information we key into the computers has simply been lost down a hole. We have had frequent occurrences where Data has been so late running our products, only a miracle, (the hard work of the payroll clerks), has pulled it through. We have sections that forget to turn in on Monday. We have their absolutely crazy Tuesdays, and on Friday we try to survive the phone calls, many of them full of sneers, snide remarks, disbelief, and condemnation. We have gone through six years of major changes but we are still GS 4 and 5 clerks, stuck in a dead-enposition. During this testing period there have been relatively few errors, yet we have received no awards and verv little eredit , et Time-Shee- ts d We ate caring and dedicated. We are overworked, underpaid and stressed oat. The only good part of working in Payroll is the rapport we payroll clerks have with each other. We are proud of the excellence of our performance during this period of changes. We are a service organization. We are here to serve you. However, we maintain the right to common courtesy in re- turn. Shirley B. Jorgensen Roy County burn plant came with unwanted costs Eliminate burn plant service. Layton City wants to increase revenue and cut services. This is truly a citizens dream and can be accomplished in two steps: 1. Eliminate an unnecessary duplicating bum plant that pollutes and bums $5.9 million in tipping fees. 2. Return landfill to rightful owners (citizens) and we will pay $ 3.7 million annual bond fees district politicians forced on citizens. The remaining $2.2 million, citizens will turn over to the district cities. Landfill truck fees will pay landfill costs. Unburned money will result in less franchise taxes, home taxes, water increases etc. It will eliminate the 150 percent increase in litigation and legal fees estimated for 91-at $2 million also a suit for $4 million by Katy Seigers and alwavs future problems 92 It will eliminate incojning infectious medical waste, better air quality, save 22,900 gallons daily water and 2,900 gallons of sewage waste. Unburned paper saves trees, one tree value per year $3,000. Burn plant value: yearly operational costs with landfill, revenue loss, plus cities taxation resulting from landfill revenue loss, mistakes, fees, conservatively $15 million district yearly deficit through 1990. The used excuse There is no landfill was and is a lame one. I can spot 150 s, years close proximity without Dick recognized as the garbage king, proposed 3,000 acres of landfill, also a very good plan. For crying out loud, quit loading it on the citizens! Here's a political opportunity to unload a small part of what was forced on us. Take two steps which are fair, sensible, and follow exactly cities and county political request: 1. Cutting a duplicating service. 2. Collecting Brae-ger- un-bum- ed dollars. These sad little guys were transferred to the National Institute of Health. Two soon died, and until 1986, the remaining 15 were housed there. Alex Pacheco was promised by the NIH the custody of the monkeys. Alex had arranged a permanent sanctuary, so they could live out their lives in freedom, without pain and cages. But, the NIH reneged Quietly at night, (3 a.m.) the monkeys were shipped to the Delta Primate Research Center, in Louisiana, for still more torture. PETA spent many thousands of dollars and hours to save these n creatures. But, the little NIH lied and blocked every move. Thousands wrote letters for the monkeys release. Other than five (sent to a zoo) one by one the primates were experimented on and killed. This was NIHs ploy against animal defenders. Clearfield Sadly, the little primates suffered and died. They lived 10 to 15 years in agony and fear. They could have lived 40 years in freedom and joy. Ten years ago, someone inside the Silver Springs, Maryland laboratory reported to the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, of the horrible treatment perpetuated upon the primates there. found cruelties beyond belief: Lakeside letter policy outlined near-huma- Ken Reed Primate experimentation resulted in pain, torture PETA filth, rusty cages with protruding wires, etc. Alex Pacheco of PETA led the police on a raid inside the laboratory and 17 deliberately crippled monkeys were removed. Recently, our government increased research monies 14 percent, increased to $76 BILLION yearly. The torture goes on. Rest in peace little monkeys. Your pain if finally over. Leigh Engelbrecht Bountiful ' The Lakeside Review encourages readers to submit letters to the editor. Content of letters should address issues of interest to our readership ' throughout north Davis County. , Letters should be typed, doublespaced, and must include the name and telephone number of the writer for verification purposes. Libelous material will be deleted. With few exceptions, letters must be accompanied by the writers name when published. Send all letters to the Lakeside Review, 2146 N. Main, Layton, Ut., 84041. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |