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About Sandy post. (Sandy, Oregon) 1938-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1987)
J - I A N O Y ( O « .) POST Thor». M n . 0, 19«7 (Sec. I) The SànttyPost Editorial & Opinion Scott Newton, editor Kimberly Nelson, advertising representative Youth Center succeeds despite some problems Few people in Sandy would argue with the concept behind the Sandy Youth Center, which was intended to have volunteers with a Christian point of view provide a drug-free environment for young people between the ages of IS and 19. But, recently, the picture has not been a ll rosy. People from three nearby businesses have complained to the chief of police about problems with loitering and vandalism near the center. One businessman has picked up beer bottles off his roof and swept up broken glass off the parking lot. Another business person has had to spend hundreds of dollars — maybe thousands — fixing broken windows and repairing other damage. I t was a problem that many people might have predicted. As video-game arcades have moved to various spots throughout Sandy, vandalism, loitering and drugs have followed. The parking area to the north of the Sandy Youth Center, which is at 38707 Pioneer Blvd., has been a recent problem spot. Sandy police officers patrol the area, also known as Pioneer Square, but they must patrol other parts of town as well. There is no single solution, but the Sandy Youth Center is moving in the right direction to try to solve the problems. Bryon Toile, who first organized the center, hopes to work out problems with the neighbors by having the adults super vise the parking area as well as the activities inside. Such supervision should go a long way toward preventing more problems, and such action is needed if the efforts of many individuals and organizations are not to go to waste. The center is funded by local churches, businesses and in dividuals. Toile is a member of a three-person board that directs the non-profit organization. The Youth Center, which has been open since Sept. 29, receives some income from its video machines and snack counter, and volunteer staffing has been steady. I t has been open four nights a week and serves about 150 young people a week. M any of the young people, Toile believes, would be hanging out on the streets if it weren’t for the Youth Center. What it comes down to is that a handful of people are trying to achieve extremely ambitious, and perhaps even unrealistic, goals. We should not make the mistake of describing the Sandy Youth Center as another video-game arcade. Something much more important is going on there. Teachers deserve decent benefits This letter is in response to the writer who believes teachers are really part-time workers being paid full-time salaries. I am continually amazed at the destru ctive m e n ta lity th a t has engulfed some of Sandy’s citizens. I feel it is time to both defend and offer positive ways to strengthen the educational system in Sandy instead on constantly criticizing it. The quality of our children’s educa tion cannot be d eterm ined by le g is la tin g ab s o lu te m in im u m classroom sizes or undermining a teacher’s professional worth. First of all, many — if not all — the benefits given to teachers are also given to other well-deserved profes sionals. Almost a ll companies such as electric companies, telephone companies and manufacturing com panies offer the exact same benefits to their employees. Certainly most fe d e ra l w o rk e rs re c e iv e these benefits, also. A community owes its teachers, firemen and policemen the best possible financial package with medical and retirement benefits so they can invest their energy, spirit and commitment back into our city. Why does the AEA constantly at tack our teachers rather than go after our state legislators who have the power to raise their own salaries and truly abuse our tax system? None of my children’s teachers have enjoyed a leisurely lifestyle. (Most have had to have a working spouse just to make ends meet.) All of my children's teachers have spent countless hours outside of the classroom grading papers and doing lesson preparations they could not complete during their full day at school. Our children live in a much more complicated society, which teachers are constantly challenged to ease. I would hate for any of my child's teachers to be docked in pay if one child moved away, causing the classroom size to drop below 25. Instead, I praise the situation in which my children enjoy a smaller class size and get a greater portion of the teacher’s attention. How many of the AEA people have ever actually tried to teach 25 students, six periods a day (150 in the high school level), and meet each one of their emotional and educational needs? Teachers should receive extra pay for extra duty. There are many other areas of employment that do pay overtime. While I agree that poor teachers should not be teaching I also feel that greater parent support and involve ment in a child's educational process can make a fa ir teacher try harder. I urge patrons of this district to realize that negative, inaccurate in formation is tearing our community apart. I f we don’t block the AEA's bandwagon our children's educa tional opportunities will be severely diminished. Carl Collins (P a rt of the 52 percent that voted yes) Sandy Ridge Riders say thanks The Sandy Ridge Riders would like to thank the community for its sup port in our sale of Christmas swags. The outcome was pretty good and hopefully we w ill have another fund raiser soon. Newspaper donors, keep those newspapers coming. Charlene Kasch Sandy Thank you, angels o f mercy To the angels of mercy of Alpine Ambulance: Thank you for saving me and the children from our disaster on the mountain on New Y e a r’s Day. I appreciate your help and kind ness more than words can say. Pat Lucas and the Corbett Youth Group Corbett Policy on letters Letters to the editor should be typed, double-spaced and signed. An address and telephone number should also be provided, although on ly the name of the letter writer and the city or area he is from will be published. We reserve the right to edit letters to conform to style guidelines, for le n g th or to rem ove lib elo u s material. Letters should be 300 words long. © M T I BPNá/oo AHDAN A< Labor bureau also helps boss employers with all the information they might need to stay abreast of the law and avoid liability. That kind of employer support is The Bureau of Labor and In- economic development in its purest dustries helps both workers and form: we’ve helped employers save employers. money - money that can be used to In 1985, Oregon boasted 54,309 nurture and develop their businesses. small businesses employing nearly 1 And we th in k w e’ve helped million workers. Many of these employers build responsible working employers provide employment in relationships with their employees. small towns and feel far from state Cooperation between labor and a s s is ta n c e in ru n n in g th e ir management is the hallmark of a businesses. The Bureau of la b o r and company that can go toe to toe with Industries helps business people the competition. We think fair treat throughout the state with “ Technical ment enhances that relationship. Assistance for Employers." When we began developing the When I was elected Labor and In te c h n ic a l assistance u n it, we dustries Commissioner in 1978, one of surveyed other states to see how they m y firs t requests of the 1979 provided information to employers. Legislature was that the name We were surprised to find that our “ Bureau of Labor” be changed to program was unique. Today, we have “ Bureau of Labor and Industries." I developed a fine model for other wanted employers to understand that states seeking to work positively with the bureau existed to serve all Orego employers. nians — from blue collar workers to To really find out how best to help top management. employers, several years ago we That first year we began to develop developed a marketing plan for th e T e c h n ic a l A s s is ta n c e fo r technical assistance. As part of that Employers unit from a fledgling pro plan, we sent a survey to 12,000 gram to one that could put on a three- businesses statewide. day conference for employers as we We learned that employers wanted did recently. more information about wage and Our goal over the last eight years hour laws, workers' compensation, has been to provide the state’s injured workers, overtime, minors fey M A R Y “ W E N D Y ” ROBERTS Commissioner of Labor and part-time employment, and hir made seminar can hire the services ing and firing. of the technical assistance unit on We help employers get that infor site at their business. The unit will mation and more through three ser provide the employer with a list of vices: topics so the employer can build a • The first is a telephone hotline program to suit the needs. that answers employers’ questions Last year, the technical assistance on wage and hour matters and civil group provided seminars to more rights, to the tune of about 1,200 calls than 3,000 Oregon employers — a a month. Through the telephone ser record for the bureau. vice, we are able to give educational One of the aspects of the unit that I tips that help sm all employers am most proud is our ability to quick businesses solve their own personnel ly bring changes in the law to the issues. employers' atten'lon, and rapidly • The second is a unit that provides provide information on new subjects free reports on topics such as over of concern. time. We have more than 20 of these When employers began asking publications a v a ila b le . We also questions on employees and AIDS, publish wage-and-hour and civil- the unit was ready with answers. rights handbooks for $5 each. When companies needed to know • The third program provides their rights and liabilities in drug seminars on employment laws. The testing, the unit helped them look at seminars cover a wide range of sub the whole picture. jects, such as "W riting a company If this kind of service sound attrac policy that really works," and “ How tive, call the bureau at 229-5841. to hire the right person.” We target There are other places to call for In seminars to special employer groups formation: workplace safety, Acci also, recognizing that different com dent Prevention Division, 378-3272; panies have different needs. For ex workers' compensation insurance. ample, we’ve developed seminars for W orkers' Compensation D e p a rt health care professionals and nurs ment, 378-3302; withholding of state ing hom e a d m in is tr a to r s , ta x e s , Oregon D e p a rtm e n t of restaurants, wholesalers, transpor Revenue, 1-600-452-2838; unemploy tation and communication. m e n t, E m p lo y m e n t D iv is io n , Employers who want a custom- 378-8420 Magna Carta has great significance by SEN. BOB PACKWOOD Oregon has recently been host to a very special exhibit: the “ Magna Carta: Liberty Under the Law ,” which displayed the original King John Magna Carta and original drafts of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The special emphasis on the Magna Carta is part of the celebra tion of the bicentennial of the Con stitution of the United States. The of ficial bicentennial commemoration will occur on Sept. 17,1987. Until the writing of the Magna Car ta, there was no control over the English monarchs' power. King John, whose reign began in 1199, was a tyrannical monarch who demanded increased m ilitary service from the feudal class and raised taxes without the consent of the English barons. Court cases were decided accor ding to his wishes, not according to the law. The rights of individuals were virtually nonexistent. In 1215 the English barons finally forced King John to agree to the 63 articles contained with the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta made great strides toward establishing a con stitutional government in England and emphasized individual rights for all. This document forced the king to adhere to the law, and defined cer tain individual rights. O f trem endous relevan ce to Americans today is the fact that the concepts of liberty and individual rights in the Magna Carta were the inspiration for our U.S. Constitution. One example of the influence of the Magna Carta can be seen in our Bill of Rights with regard to individual liberties. Our Bill of Rights states that "No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law .” More than 600 years earlier, the Magna Carta established this right by saying: “ No free man shall be seized or imprisoned or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled or deprived of his standing in any other way . . . except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.” There are many more examples from English history that we have adopted and incorporated into our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Sdntfy Post (U S P S 481-180) M IM IO Where to write S ta te R e p re s e n ta tiv e Bob Shiprack, D-Dist. 23, 22610 Forest P ark Rd., Beavercreek, Ore., 97004. 631-3817. State Senator Bob Kintigh, D-Dist. 14, 38865 E. Cedar Flat Road, Springfield, 97478. 746-1842. Sen. M ark Hatfield, R-Oreg on, 711 H art Building, Washington, D.C., 20610. 202-224-3753. Portland 0 -.» o - N . . , W , , A t ,< K .« l,o n N a l.o A a l N . - . p o p . , A , , o , . o l „ n . M U S M. M - M A I , t h v r t t f c , , b , ' » • O u tlo o k o* 9or*dy Oregon U n d , O 'o y o o t t « » lv k u > « A - «— — ' - n t > l l l l , M | | 668-554« office phone 221-3386. Sen. Bob Packwood, R-Oregon, 259 Russell Building, Washington, D C., 20510. 202-224-6244. Portland office phone 221-3370. Rep. D e m y Smith, R-5th Dist., 1213 L o n g w o rth B u ild in g , W a s h in g to n , D .C ., 20515. 202-225-5711. Salem office phone (toll free) 800-452-7889. SUBSCRIPTION RATES •" Clock om et County ger V— * 89.00 810.00 811. SO Multnerttgh County H oew here In O regon Nt N orth w e« t end Perth« Cooat Itotoe Outatde O regon ger yeer O ut».4e North woe t e nd P ecidi« Cooat Ito to a ger yoor Sandy So«», Sondy, Oregon 97055 Bobcats 814.00 817.00 No t Jan. I , 1987 by Adam Kraft PuT you. PROMj5Et> SCOuTy HOSOB THAT rou. .WO u l DAÍT'
