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Show Page A2 The Summit County Bee March 2, 2001 Mo About It To SQUEAky WhEEl by Leon Slmistcr We Utahns, known lor our quirks puzzling lo others out-sid- e our stale, basically. do have a ltd of common sense. One, we know that the wheel which squeaks loudesi pets the grease (on old Ilk-- wmn out I'tah homily). And. appaienlly, I'tah Highway Patrol members are not squeaking enough, causing our state legisla- tors to refuse lo grease them with a pay increase. Why so? (iovernor l.casitl recently a tour and-- a hall Billion dollar windfall lor our Utah school systems, and I have no reservations about tlie need (or it. But, in comparison tor services, as related to determining priorities, there are marked differences of philosophy wnh each decision. Why. first, dangle a carrot of sutticient money unseiled to grant the pay increase lor our I'HP Troopers, then replace it with just the 6 Merit Pay increase that all Utah (iovernment employees receive sorely-neede- annually? Ixl'x compare: Yes. I agree, 'tah tcai hers could use a pay raise (who couldn't?). So. much of the $4 and 12 I Billion goes to that. However, even though starting salaries are comparable, teachers and troopers have a great difference in the income gaps for comparable periods of on thc-jo- h time. According to f igures published the Salt iMkr Tribune last spring. Utah's teachers, upon gaining tenure," quickly attain an average of about 14 .000 annually for their 1000 in 1 hours of work. The troopers - for their 2000 yearly hours (and comearn an parable average of less than $30,000. The result? Many troopers have to moon light on a second joh. This has lo be a downer for them. I doubt if many taxpayers would . . disagree about paying good teachers what they're worth." hut that should also hold true for UHP members who. in comparison, are on call 24 hours a day. seven days per week, working not six. but eight hours per shift, week-end- s, nor holidays, no spring-breaks,time off for union meetings (they dont have a union - nor paid lobbyists!. are often exposed to bad weather, and who also encounter much higher levels of danger, stress leven performing virtual, techniques) than are lite-savin- g found in most other tax payer funded occupations. Yes. all troopers must be LMT certified as well. The fact is. whivver needs protection of the law, they are there, at the ready. The school systems use them, the legislators (individually and as a body), the (iovernor and all his administrators, and we citizens. as do all people in I'tah. w hclher residents or v isitors. We don't call any other of the aforementioned occupations when we need the law - quite the reverse, as all others call for the tnxips. It seems to me that with everyone seeking their aid, this calls for a Higher wages comes to mind. . . and not just the 69 . Getting hired is not a slam-duncither. The applicant (hcshe - yes. there are also female troopers, as well) has lev pass a physical assesspay-bac- ment, video assessment, background inspection, oral test, psychological and physical exam, polygraph test, drug test, and when accepted, they also must pass a ,14-we- ek Peace Officers Standard before hirTraining (POST) ing. Starting pay is a whopping SI 2.37 per hour (just a tad higher than an experienced Wal-Maemployee). After 10 years, they may then qualify as a Senior Officer and make $18.00 per hour, which means their income will rise to about $36,000 per year. Still too low, however. This amount doesn't even handle the normal increase in the index, and certainly does nothing to lessen their chances of getting shot by the guy with the snubnosed .38. lurking behind the darkened windows of the vehicle they just stopped. The Legislative Appropriation Committees timing for a rejection of their anticipated raise in pay is shockingly inappropriate, especially because there's a e for the Olympics, when we'll need all the rt cost-of-livi- troops we can muster. Only 3(X) uniformed troopers comprise the entire I'HP, and attempts to recruit more are iffy. largely because most police departments enjoy higher pay scales - much higher than these loyal troopers are UHP officials are convinced that 300 qualified officers may be an inadequate number for comfortable Olympic venue protection. and the training-lim- e window for new troops is rapidly closing. A solution could be fairly simple. Even though the Committee appears to have failed their priorities test, there's always the wink and nod" process - one which almost everyone tries to ignore and refuses to admit exists. Its the part where, during the last legislative session prior to dismissal, discreet changes are hidden within certain bills that are sure to gain quick passage while being hurriedly scrutinized. It has always been quite simple to shave a little here, a little there - enough to squeeze in just one more item - this time, by just -- . replacing one of many, camou- flaged pork roasts with die increase for troopers pay. Using customary, legislative-inspire- d cautions not lo Pam's PIace read too specifically, but only enough to insure that the right amount is appropriated." it's a plan with a good chance to show UHP Troopers we really do appreciate them. One final thought . . . It's O.K. to do this. It's always O.K. to correct a mistake. Moreover (according to discreet, and acceptable political procedure), it's entirely, legislatively ethical. Our legislators are quite perceptive, totally capable of long-standi- erasing the disappointment that these troopers and their families have experienced, and with which they are trying to cope, and can also remember. . . they have never staged a walk-oyet. Forget ut ... the lack of squeak. Grease the wheel. Thought for the day: There is nothing wrong with making a mistake. Just don't respond with encores." Anonymous. time-fram- Wo w ! what a week this one has been and to top it all off, I had my column finished and decided to trash it and start over. This week's paper includes a victim's body, located at the bottom of the Echo Reservoir spillway. an avalanche death and an internet sting about pornography. That is just a little depressing! Mixed into the middle of this are a few uplifting articles such as Ms. Padfield taking her coaching position seriously and leading her team to another victory. The school news is usually bright and the fill in articles alert us to events or timely health messages. While I was thinking about all of this on my way lo work one early morning, the sky was filled w ith clouds and I thought even the on-goi- world is crappy this morning." Then, out of the middle of the Letter Editor: clouds the sun peaked out and suddenly the brightness made me grab my sunglasses. Or. in other words To tMe EcHtor rctd with interest the two articles about the bookmobile in The Park Record (Jan. 31. 2001; Bookmhilc Needs Rewrite, and Bookmobile, Next Chaptet ). I feel the need to respond to correct some misinformation and dispel the false idea that bookmobiles are a thing of the past. I luuLler when I read antiquated words like antiquated. extinct, languish, endangered species, disappearing. and dinosaur used in the same sentence as llic word bookmobile. I have an interest in this because I was the first bookmobile librarian hired to establish bookmobile xei vice in summit county in 1974. 1 currently operate the In toiiniv Bookmobile in Sevier. Juab, and Wav ne counties I nvently spent two weeks in sum-m- u c minis helping irain Bob Richins. the new librarian Die bookmobile service is a thriving, progressive program, not unit in I !tah. but throughout the United Stales, where there arc over 1.000 bookmobiles in service. Contrary to the comments in the articles, bookmobiles arc not disappearing. Last year at the national bKk mobile convention in Columbus. Ohio the three largest builders of Nxikmobiles said they are constructing as many txxikmnbilcs as they ever have with no sign of change in sight. I tah has 14 txxikmohiles serving 22 counties. Counties are not dropping out of the program. The only county to drop out in the past 15 years was Morgan county several years ago. The txxikmohilc is rxrt a tiny truck." It is a large truck that holds 4.500 - 5.000 books, audio tapes. CD's, and videos, (if the demand is there). These brxiks arc rotated in and out daily from a collection of 20.000-23.00They consist of adult fiction and nonfiction, youth fiction and and children's picture txxiks. We always have most of the current available. Over 1.000 new hooks, tapes, etc. are added to the collection each year, and patrons have access to hundreds of thousands of other fxxiks through the y Loan service at the State Library Division. The bookmobile dix-- s not nprraic on an antiquated concepi of sporadic visits." Our schedules are carefully planned and followed so people will know exactly whrrr we park and when we will he hack in 14 days. RikA mobiles, public libraries and scIkkiI libraries can and do In the three counties I serve I visit six ncIkniIs and fixir libraries. The schcxil princi 1 0. non-fictio- best-selle- Inter-librar- co-exi- when things begin beating you down there is always a ray of sunshine somewhere lo lift you up. The uplifting message I received this week came as I was busy at my desk on Tuesday evening trying to finish the stories for this weeks edition. Over the scanner came a call to respond lo Henefer and my ears picked up. pal. teachers, librarians and students are excited to see the bookmobile come. It is not viewed as a threat, but rather a welcome and valuable supplemental resource to their own libraries. I have four city binaries in my counties and a good relationship with all of them. We pick up and drop off books for each other. The city library and bookmobile actually bolster each other. 1 find that my most avid readers are the same people as the city libraiy's most avid readers. No one's circulation suffers. In Sevier county the town of Salina has a library, and it contracts with the neighboring towns of Redmond and Aurora for library service. I have stops in all three towns, and circulate 5400 books a year. The city library circulated 15.41 7 books last year. An increase of 4 .29 over the previous year. This was with a population base of 4.700 people. Are the tax dollars being well spent?" A resounding YES! The bookmobile is circulating about 3500 hooks per month. That is about $1.90 per hot circulated. Compare with Park City library. Operating cost is $490,051. Books circulated was 87,518 (1999 statistics!. for a cost of $5.60 per hot circulated. When Boh improves the service to 60.000 per year, which I have no doubt he will, the cost will he about $1.50 per IxxA. The slate average is $2.46. and the national average is $3.47. Money well spent. Latf year Utah's 14 bookmobiles circulated over 1,000.000 hots. Libraries, including btxikmobiles are circulating more books than ever before and txKstores are selling more books than ever before. Summit county has a chance to have a new bookmobile chassis and box worth over $100,000 and continue to receive $1 15.615 worth of State Library administrative and support services at no additional cost to the county. With Paul Honin' prolonged illness and a parade of temporary drivers, the service has been down, but it will rebound and be a vital pan of the county's library service. I circulate over 81.000 books each year to a population base of 28.000. Does this sound like a program going the way of steam trains and electric trolleys?" I don't think so. The bookmobile was never merit to be all things to all people. It has limitations, but it can and should be a vital pan of the county library serv ice. I didn't leave the office right away, but waited to hear more information about the patient. BUT, when I heard a call for d to respond as well as hack up EMTs I Air-Me- took off for home. Arriving at Grumps store I found interested citizens, and a very busy EMT crew trying to revive a man from Ogden. Details were few but the 1 patient had been fishing, his vehicle gol stuck and he began walking into town. Someone came along and gave him a ride to Grumps at which point he complained of having chest pains. The store clerk knew of some younger folks in town who had been taking EMT training classes and called one of them. Thinking it was probably a joke and she would end up Liking someone's vitals for fun, Michelle Anderson nevertheless responded and found the man ill. Shortly after, another person taking the class arrived to make a purchase and Tyler Rowser found he and his involved in doing CPR on the man. er Ambulance personnel were called to the scene and a defibrillator was put in motion, bringing in needed electrical charge's to bring the patient back. After stabilizing the patient, he was transported to the University of Utah hospital where, Wednesday morning he was reported lo be in the cardiac care unit with a good prognosis for being able to walk" out of the hospital on his own eventually. Melanie Bosworth, an EMT at the scene commented that having the first two responder's present was an instrumental part of saving the man's two gave the patient the extra time he needed. life-tho- sc She also commented that in her 23 years of service as an EMT, this was the first time she had brought someone back." To receive a call from Air Med stating "that was a good save" really gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you feel proud to serve the community. 1 am a firm believer that everyone should learn CPR, because you never know when you may need it First response is so important to a victim" said Melanie. Personally I must admit that .this is something I have wanted to learn. Although I have had basic classes teaching the concept I have never really got right into the project and learned it well. Perhaps that is my lesson I should learn the proper method and procedure, (guess we all should). I am so glad to know that there are willing people from the younger generation who are show Di le Summit County Bee community. The next step is acquiring an ambulance down in our neck of the woods or at least some lifesaving equipment to be placed in our fire station for such emergencies. My personal thanks to all those who respond to the needs of the residents of Summit County. Well, enough said on that! Moving right along During the night the mother heard Gods voice telling her While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but die children you love, you seem to abuse. Go and look cm the kitchen floor. You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise. You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes." The mother got out of her bed and walked into her son's room. She knelt by his bed, woke him up and asked him are these the flowers you picked for me? He said yes. I found them out by the tree. I picked them because they are pretty like you. I knew you'd like them, especially the blue. She then apologized and told him how much she loved him. The story ends with Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter - of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss the rest of their lives. And, come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into our work than our own families-a- n unwise investment indeed, don't you think?" See ya next week Armede Moley Tan Cart Pcsape Paid m Coalville, UT 84017. POSTMASTER; Send addles charges to Tile Summit Canty Bee. P.Q. Bo 7. CoaMDe, UT 64217. Jon Muir Production a The entire contents of this news- Jay Provo paper Dan Carina Copyrights 2000 -- RandiCsUe Jama is The Summit County See andor Wave Publishing, Inc All rights reserved Fanana Doma Harmon Doran North KanHartng KarfMoFet DaoaHumtXoa Ed Bfflutman Cody Hotrods The Summit County Bee (UPSP 525-64puhluhed wrekb fra $16 yes m Summit Counry, Senior Corn Ifecnum, $13 ai county; $21 jr h Howard R. Petersen Bookmobile Librarian Dove Godhoy No part of this publica- tion may be reproduced in any form without the Mitten consent of the Managing Editor or Publisher. rubSshtng Jhc., 165 Sou. 100 Heher Cay. UT 64232. Penndicah j I came I across a story poem that, as a mother hit me right between the eyes this week. It tells of a mother meeting a stranger and being extremely polite as they run into one another but later in the day finds herself snapping at her young son as he stands behind her as she is preparing dinner. He then quietly walked away. Staff Mona Clyde Graphic Deeiga ing an interest in learning the EMT techniques required to assist in the 1 |
