Show V r r- 1 ' Wednesday December 24 2003 7) A4 The Herald Journal m citntui mbki Nostro Special message Spirit of giving alive in Cache Valley Editor's Note: The ' following anony- : mous note was delivered to The Herald Journal this week In the spirit of the season the newspaper decided to overtook a general policy that all letters to the editor be signed by the author v I want to say “Thank you” to all of the Sub for Santa volunteers who worked so hard to help make this a wonderful Christmas for my family It’s tough being a statistic: and when my husband lost his job nine months ago we never imagined we’d still be jobless at this time While wondering how we ' were going to provide Christmas three this children gifts for our year I heard bn the radio that applications were being accepted for the Sub for Santa program I figured 1 had nothing to lose so I submitted an application From the beginning the volunteers were courteous helpful and put me at ' ' ''case s '' : m v - ': - Your view f V When I went to pick up our I receive to a gifts was grateful box with a couple of items for each of the kids I received a call the next day saying we hadn’t been given everything that was there for us When I arrived at the location I was handed two pick-u- p bags full of gifts for garbage large the kids I held on to mycompo- sure until I got to the car and then cried all the way home V V While we have tried to shield our childrcn from our worries and ' concerns they have also dealt with challenjges anddisappoint- ment Knowing that they will dis- - 7 cover lots of wonderful things ' tinder the Christmas tree means more to me than I can express in words! hope that all of the Sub for Santa volunteers as well as ByThad Box thbse who haye made donations to the program have as happy a hoi- - 7 his year I wasn’t trampled iday season as they’ve helped my 7 to buy a $29 CD player at a : trying family to enjoy That’s because Christbox store big mas Eve is the day I do my serious shopping Wandering the streets of downtown Logan! poke around in book stoics and jewelry shops I match personal items to specific peoand them all them of we value ' help ple 'Z' '' value themselves whatever their tal- " is Our Christmas shopping mostly enls and abilities (Wow is that ever done at the Alternative Gift Market liberal thinking!) Yet it has ineftas-y-ing' Grandkids are conditioned to getting Seemed to rite that in our great or laying hens The zeal to improve the state of education a picture of a pig animals real are to families in given arid make all conform to certain stanPeru or some African vilCambodia dards we are losingsight of some of lage Friends are no longer shocked 7 these important values 7 to ' get a card It seems that in 1937 the Soviet we saying Union put the first man in space in have donated their Sputnik Program and there 7 i seed to a ' began tobe a panic of sorts to Belize fanner improve education in America Since in their then as the world has changed and gifts I Let the bells (and giggles) ring - ly To the editor j ' I attended the concert the night '' before the bell concert I’m sure the same special needs girls were there with their friends They were sitting in front of me Yes they were laugh- -' : ing out loud: Why1! Because they were happy The music makes them ' : happy Was I annoyed or offended? No! In fact my heart was deeply l touched because they were so happy !' felt around me Iam sure everyone 7 technology has improved that : buy in Logan: the same way' l have a special needs in momentum hasinercased “panic” I’m sad sbn of my own It’s probably a good I embraced then and have always iWo thing I wisii’t with him that night or embraced the idea that we heed to books isclos- nie tried to escort have would they give our citizens the best education ing: I'm happyTen Thousand Vil- -: out of the Tabernacle 1 think some-- 7 v' we 'can possibly give them Citizens' (ages brings handicrafts and art from one Owes four people a humble apoldo needlo be to be ' all over the world to our town — : : well as ogy for the actions that night able to function in our increasingly and that profits go to diarity here as a public apology I’in grateful our complicated world and abroad I’m sad so many of die - ' Lord and Savior Jesus didn’t walk I have become increasingly con- ' old stores now are offices! am r- - past or ignore the special needs peo-- v V ' cemed that politicians business men ' happy that there is a group planning pie in his lifetime What a beautiful intellectuals and the public in general rehabilitation of downtown Decern- ' example he has' set for us all May become “instant have'seemingly her 24 I’ll do some shopping but - God bless us all this most wonderful experts” on what heeds to be done by mostly I’ll swap greetings and yams 'time of year of improving our schools All with' store owners and shoppers ' way too often it seems that people “on the used to go to the Royal Bakery ' Allan Wolford the educators have firing line" Christmas Eve In a couple of on Providence: been leftout of the thinking and '7 hours you could see most everyone scapegoated for all the perceived from mayors and clerks university ' failings of education presidents and janitors contractors I commend Rep Loraine Pace and and laborers editors and letter writothers of our state legislators who ers The waitress asked if you’d like have recently spoken put to basically v a little Christmas cheer in your oof !' ''To the editof: v This letter is in response to the ! 'say: “Wait a minute Let’s slow down fee In later years The Jtahan Place and take a second look at what we and Baskets Etcetera had Christmas article Some Valley Schools Left Eve eggnog and treats with similar Behind in the Dec 16 2003 Herald - are doing” Perhaps the “No Child " ' and some its Act” of Left Behind bias Journal Let me state my gatherings of people who make up ' absurd provisions and absurd results : Logan home front 1 have two degrees in educa- ns as reported locally will cause Those kinds of gathering places tion from Utah State University was rethinkdo some to are important Historian Will Bagley important an elementary teacher for 30 years in ' Utah California arid Alaska and am ing I hope soj Alsp not stated in this wrote about informal communication article was the fact that this act has that made Salt Lake City special For V now retired y not been fully funded by Congress years the president of die LDS ' Way back moire than half a century their 1 the publisher of the Salt have NOT Church education money pirt They theory ago when took where their mouth is: My message to ) Lake Tribune and the director of the courses it Was drummed into us that' ! Chamber of Commerce - as human had breakfast Congress and the executive branch beings we nil have basic ' is: national of our govenunent “Hey together once a week Lawyers physical 'social and psychological bankers civic leaders shakers needs in common but we also are an guys why don’t you ask the people movers arid grunts lunched at : lines the to on children The' front lot diverse help figure you 'amazingly ' Chill Communities are Lamb’s out?” this we teach will have varying talents differat learn will lilies stronger when their people break--brea- d andabi they LulaC E)e Valve together They are more likely ent rates and may not ever excel in ' to be sustainable when folks gather ' Logan everything but it is : ! v name-Persona- ' ' well-educat- ed -- ’ : f 'Are we leaving education behind? i ' citi-vze- - : v ' : ed above Tomorrow Christians celebrate the birth of one who taught to love your : feed the hungry turn die I used to the Royal enemy go other cheek walk the extra mile Bakery on Christmas Eve Maybe we of all faiths should by In a couple of hours you loving our neighbors as ourselves not as religious doctrine but as a tool could V most everyone in the search for sustainability Peace on Earth Good Will tow ard from mayors and clerks Men Christmas carols drown out university presidents and ' love your enemy! Headlines shout " janitors contractors and body counts from Iraq Flag draped ' arrive home Body parts aril laborers editors andJet-- coffins burned buses litter the ground where V'-ter the Prince of Peace once trod There can be ho sustainable society where 7 ’ people reject peace refiise to turn die other cheek and embrace frequendy at the watering hole " 7 ' Tins Christmas season I have war — a lot We stack ephemeral gifts under about sustainability diought of plants animals nations towns1 severed trees Dead needles drop on families industries lifestyles The: blonde dolls made in China: Giving future tor my grandkids depends is not just pawning our watch to buy a lover’s comb It is about loving upon four conditions that usually exist in sustainable communities even those different from ourselves! Feed die hungry is not just about bethey biological social or eco-' : food It is giving ideas visions the ''7' :tnomic': Hist there must be equity and fair- good life to people who hate us! It is ness in the current generation There about every person having kbowl- - ' may be gaps between rich and poor edge available through education biit no one lacks essentials for life and freedom to act on that knowl- - : ' education or health A1 have poten- edge'-"-' tial fora good life 7 Sustainability depends on our7 i Second fruitless and equity are ' transferring die good life to those yet 7 unborn hoe and in countries we passed to future generations The r good lifefor offspring is guaranteed ' bomb! Our country’s current policies transfer of: by turned friends into enemies squan- resources' and culture There is gen--: dered our surpluses and run up debts national promise from the dying to for future generations to pay Such a ' dime taking their first breath nation is not sustainable ' : Third the community values long- -' i sustainable society cannot be : tom productivity over short-terbought with borrowed money gratification This is akinto living engraved “In God We Trust” Fear off the interest of an investment and selfishness keep us from applyrather than dipping into the corpus ing our faith’s most basic teachings Fourth the present generation ' So maybe we should quit claiming works toward environmental to be religious and work on practical enhancement That simply means 7 things: be fair in this generation each generation leaves the world bet transfer resources to the next generater than they found it tion curb excessesofour lifestyle Last week I bought a dozen eggs at live off our income leave the world " store Long a betto than we found it lines of people shopping carts : If we do there tilings we may be bulging backed up at each check-oable to change our chances for a sus-- stand Baskets were heaped with tainable society fnnn “no way” to electronic gizmos clothes and toys And in the process we Can “maybe:” ' ' Plastic reigned made in to discover loving our nejgibor hope supreme Most customers charged has some practical value! It is the purchases They will pay later season for hope Merry Christmas Earlier that morning I read about three million Americans out of work Thad Box is a Logan resident He is personal bankruptcies at an among a number of Cache Valley freehigh our trade deficits at record levlance writers whose columns appear in els our environment degrading The Herald Journal as part Of an effort nuclear waste storage and our hunger to expose readers to a variety of comfor luxury goods increasing Clearly munity voicire He fe rtf an employee our current lifestyles are not sustain- of the newspaper He can be reached able They violate ell conditions list at tboxOccusuedu by to -- see : writers''' : ’ : : ! -- 7 'J- ' ‘ ' ! trans-generatio- - - m -- ! : ut : 7 : all-ti- 7 7 ail Neii TU£R£ fMff 'UKtWT Bt£AU-- l)fc CUT fjcondumimeBltoUgatfimtofa ' America JilS7Z-i961- ) 1 |