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Show UINTAH BASIN STANDARD. December 24. 2001- - Pace Possible Pluto mission excites U.S. scientists responds to legislative audit on adequate controls UEA The Utah Education Association agrees that'school districts should comply with the Utah Constitution regarding the use of public hinds to support education, said UEA Presi-den- t Phyllis Sorensen. But, sheadded, tunities for new and experienced teachers (including preparation for National Board Certification). As8ociations train employees how to solve problems at the source, helping school districts avoid costly legal in keeping with the Utah battles. (Davis Education AssociaLegislatures call for local decision tion) ismaking power on schoolj-elnteMany associations and school dissues, school districts should also be tricts are now involved in able to determine what is going to InterestBased Bargaining, a process benefit their students at the local that fosters collaborative negotiat ions level." between teachers and their employSorensen made her comments folers. (Salt Lake Teachers Associat ion ) The UEA provided "Human Dylowing a legislative committee meetnamics training for administrators ing in which the Utah Legislative Auditor General released the results attending the Principals Academy. k The UEA has a Special of an audit pertaining to education Force whose members have association leave in Utah school districts. The audit says 16 of (lie 21 been working on issues related to school districts that were a part of the IDEA ftinding (the ultimate goal of audit "lack adequate controls over which is to secure more federal eduassociation leave." Districts should cation binding for special education, be clear about association leave rules thus freeing up state money for the and maintain accurate records," general education program). Sorensen said. Sorensen said teachers are the At the same time, Sorensen took most knowledgeable and credible issue with the Auditor Gcneral'sallc-gatio- n sources regarding education and student learning. "Their participation that school districts ure subsidizing association expenses. with districts in addressing these isWhen school districts enter into a sues should be valued, not chalcontract with a finunciul advisor, arlenged, she said. The teachers in chitect, or insurance broker, they are this state, the members of the UEA, buying a service that will benefit the continue to subsidize public educadistrict. They are not subsidizing the tion on a daily basis. business. The same is true of agreeThey provide free training, work ments made between the district and countless hours outside of school time local education associations, on student prqjects, and spend their Sorensen said. "This audit report fails own money on school supplies. Why to recognize the importance of teachisnt there any legislative interest or an investigation of educators subsiers who are working in cooperation with their school districts to serve dizing public services? Sorensen noted that when the UEA requests children and public education." Sorensen gave examples of how time off for an association leader, local education associations and districts are given specific reasons school districts are good partners in for the educators absence from the providing important services that classroom. "In fact, she said, whenbenefit students, teachers, and the ever possible, association meetings district. For example: are held after school or on the weekend to ensure that teachers remain Associations provide mentoring with their students." andprofessionul development oppor 1 1 Educa-tionTas- Congress has set aside $30 million to begin planning for a robotic j)cok at one of the great oddballs of the solar system, the tiny planet Pluto. Serendipitous!; discovered 7t years ago, Pluto is I lie smallest and most distant planet, a world unlike any other in the sun's retinue, its eccentric orbit cuts inside that of neighboring N eptu lie, its surface has contrast than uny more light-dar- k other planet, and its inoon Charon is so large by comparison to Pluto that some astronomers consider them a double planet. Although the appropriation this month by House and Senate budget negotiators still faces hurdles before getting into next year's budget, proresearch conponents of deep-spac- e sider its inclusion u good sign. "Mostly we have just u lot of mysteries about Pluto, said Bruin.1 Bel ts, director of projects for I he Pusadena, Calif. based Planetary Society, a group that encourages space exploration. It would be our first good look at t lie only unexplored planet in the solar system. An unmanned mission to Pluto, 30 times as distant from the Earth us the sun, would push the edges of -- last night when you asked me what my deepest darkest fantasy would be?...Well, I know what it is now. "Remember I i fDfi want to be able to park my ear in our garage." I'D $.$&, know you live in the Uintah Basin You when . . . 1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway. 2. "Vacation means going to Salt Lake for the weekend. 3. You measure distance in hours. 4. You know several people who have hit deer more than once and you duct tape your headlight and pocket the insurance money after hitting a deer because you know youll be hitting another one soon. 5. You often switch from "heat to "AC in the same day. 6. You can swat a fly from six feet away. 7. Your grandparents drive at 65 mph through 13 feet of snow 8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at Bocial events. 9. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. 10. You think of the mqjor food groups as elk meat, beer, fish, and berries. 11. You carry jumper cables in your car and your husband knows how to use them. 12. There are seven empty cars running in the parking lot at ALCO at any given time. 13. You design your kids Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit. 14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and Balt. 15. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and flannel pqjamas. 16. You know all four seasons: winter, winter, summer and construction. 17. It takes you three hours to go to the store for one item even when you're in a rush because you have to 8 top and talk to everyone in town technology. Merely powering such a spacecraft is a challenge in the region of space where the sun is little more than a bright star in the endless night. But over the past decade, interest has grown in examiningthe outskirts of the solar system as the Hubble Spuee Telescope and more powerful Earth-boun- d optics have begun re--' vealing small planetoids and potential comets ringing the sun in a distant region called the Kuiper Belt Pluto is regarded as the gatepost of these objects, which are believed to be primitive remnants of the solar system. In August, European astronomers announced discovery of a rock about half the diameter of Pluto orbiting the sun at a dis- tance of fou r billion miles and bigger than any known asteroids in the Kuiper Belt. "There ure hundreds of thousands of these objects we know nothing about, said Mike Belton of Tucson, Ariz., who heudsaNationalAcademy of Sciences group takings long-terlook at spucc exploration. Whenever you go to a new object in the solar system, you always make new discoveries. - CHRISTMAS PROGRAM The finale at the Neola Elementary Christmas program held Dec. I1) at the school. The studentbody of the school participated by singing and reading, .us grades. Christmas music and other songs they had learned. For the finale, all of the students sang a couple of songs with the assembled parents and guests joining in to sing "Let There be Peace on Earth. Man arrested for domestic violence A South Dakota man was charged jwith digppfttig.yioJence and alcohol-- . d related charges oiler police were to the motel he was staying in with his girlfriend. According to sum-mone- Roosevelt Police reports, motel guests called for help when they heard the man threatening the womans life arou mi 1 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 18. Mrs. SalTords Roosevelt Middle School students filled bags and boxes with food they GENEROUS CLASS brought from home to contribute to the school 's annual December food drive. Safford's class. Together, the students in Mrs. Saffords and Mrs. Johansen's classes donated more food goods than the entire school combined. Arrording to officer Henry McKenna, when police arrived they found the woman scratched up and bleeding from the mouth. Michael R. Slakbold, 26, was taken into custody uud charged with misdemeanor counts for intoxication, disorderly conduct and domestic violence. Sluklxdd was in the area working at a job location. His girlfriend, also GINGERBREAD VILLAGE Parents and students look at the "Cracker Towne" with a population of 148.This display of student work where the students of Neola Elementary built a gingerbread village irom donated supplies. The students worked on the project usingcruckcrs. liostinu. candy and other supplies to make the buildings, train, etc. Ibr thi display i hie group build a replica of the twin Trade Towers as ofSept 0. A II seemed to enjoy the building and opportunity to look at the work. from South Dakota, told police she wou id not press charges against him . The victim hoarded a bus and left town shortly after the incident, according to police reports. A background check showed that Slakbold laid served five years in prison on a manslaughter conviction, said McKenna. Stakbold was booked inm the Duchesne County jail. Preparation for the MAT (Miller Analogies Test) EDUC 5560 The former computer lab at the USU Uintah Basin classroom building is being UNDER CONSTRUCTION remodeled to serve as a Childhood Development Lab. Students who are earning their degrees in Early Childhood Development will be able to gain valuable teaching skills while working in the lab with young children. Pictured are USU Uintah Basin campus Physical Facilities workers and labdirector Shirlene Law mapping out plans to make the room kid friendly." T&Vf. 5 i- j- " wav v " rV C jr ftps .li X" B i . lv..- - Apprehensive about taking the Miller Analogies Test? h Basin is offering an eight-wee- k course providing practice with strategies and skills essential to success on the MAT. The couse will meet on Monday evenings from 5:30 to 8:00, January 7 through March 4. 4 For more information, contact Dr. Alan Blackstock, USU-Uinta- -- " - X - 1 722-229- Students in Mrs. Johansen's 6 grade class at Roosevelt Middle School were at the IT IS BETTER TO GIVE ... top of the list w hen it came to donating food items to the Duchesne County Food Pantry. The enure school participated in the food drive. (e-m- ail alanbext.usu.edu). |