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Show i BULLETIN FORUM. cNjpw High School Discussed t ' BY J. A. NORDEN. Feb. 4, 1929. To the Editor of the Bingham Bulletin i A very Important question of great public concern is before the peoplo of Bingham at the present time. Apparently, Ap-parently, funds, to a very substantial amount, are available this year for the construction of additional school buildings in this community. The problem which confronts us seems to be whether or not certain additions shall be made onto the present high school building, or whether there shall be constructed a new and adequate ade-quate school to be located on the new town site at the mouth of the canyon. This, however, does not seem to the writer to be the entire Issue. From our observation, it is very apparent that Bingham needs, not only additional addi-tional high school facilities, tut there is a far greater need for adequate grade school facilities. The old Central Cen-tral building, which is dark and gloomy, dirty, and entirely out of date, does not serve our school noeds at all The upper floors of the Gymnasium Gym-nasium building, which are the only rooms that receive ' adequate light, are entirely too high up for the little children to climb to four times each day. On the other hand, the present high school building is an Admirable structure, clean and reasonably well lighted, and if this were available for grade school purposes our needs along this line would be fairly well met Alsoa in this case, the old Central building could be razed and the site used for a playground, which Is so badly needed for these small children. Considering the question before us with the above in mind, what we really real-ly should have Is an entirely new high school plant, adequate in its capacity ca-pacity to meet all modern requlre- the principal argument which Las been advanced is thai the removal of the high school from Bingham will tend to depreciate property values. In the opinion of the writer, the location loca-tion of a high school within a radius of three miles of any community can have but Ittle effect upon the property proper-ty values. Most of the children of this state are In the habit of traveling travel-ing at least this distance to attend high school, and this Is generally true of the school shlldren throughout through-out the country. The appreciation or depreciation of property values in this town will be effected by far more deep seated causes than the location of a school building. Property values will be and are being effected by the general un-deslrabllity un-deslrabllity of this community as a place to make a home, either permanently per-manently or temporarily. The handwriting is plain on the wall for all to see. With each succeeding suc-ceeding year Bingham is becoming less desirable as a place to Uve. Dwellings are being allowed to fall into ruin, no repairs are made, nothing noth-ing is painted, and empty spaces are convenient receptacles ' for all trash and rubbish. In addition to this our great mining operations are continually continu-ally expanding and demanding more room, vegetation is cut from the hill sldes gulches are being filled with waste rock, and generally the needs of Industry must be served. The result of this combination of conditions is that this canyon does not present the desirable features of fifteen or twenty pears ago to the man seeking a home for his family, and the advent of the automobile and good roads has made it possible for hundreds of our workers and their families to live outside of the canyon where home surroundings are more agreeable. ments, and the point then arises, should this be located on or near the old site or should It be located at Cppperton. In consideration of a problem of this sort there are, of course, a great many things to be said on both sides, but after all, be real Isbu is, r what will be of greatest benefit to our, children for the greatest period of time. Truly our present school site is far from an ideal one when the welfare of our children is considered. There are few schools in this country, and certainly none in this state, that are operated under the difficulties Incidental Inci-dental to the operation of the Bingham Bing-ham school. The children are denied many of the common privileges of the ordinary child who attends other schools throughout ; the state and throughout the country. Consider carefully the advantages to be gained ' by locating our high school outside of the canyon. Consider Con-sider the wondefrul setting for & school which is available there, with parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, acres of grass, trees and flowers, and best of all, abundance of sun light all day long, and freedom from the dirt and smoke that we must contend with in the canyon. Under such an Improved environment one would naturally na-turally expect better work not only1 on the part of our children but also on the part of the teachers. Oa the other, side of this question Our greatest industrial enterprise has given due recognition to this condition con-dition of affairs, and, therefore, has undertaken to build up a model community com-munity at a reasonable distance from their plant, where , their employees may enjoy a more abundant life! This community will grow, the Utah Copper Cop-per Company will continue to build there, and the other mining companies com-panies will undoubtedly follow this splendid example, and, therefore, it seems safe to predict that within the next decade a great majority of our people, I. e., people with families, will find homes in the vicinity of Copperton. There is no doubt that if sufficient homes were available there now they would find ready occupants oc-cupants of most all of the people of this town. So this question before us is not one to be settled with only the thought of present expediency. We must build for the future and at least we must look Into the next few years., Shall we take a big step forward as progressive pro-gressive citizens, a step which will brng lmraedate good to our chldren, or shall we become reactionary and stand pat, and simply ssy it was good enough for the 'old timers," therefore. It is good enough for us. This is a new era, an era of progressive progress-ive thought and action, so let us get In step with the times, and ceratnly let us not fall in our duty to posterity. |