Page 12
The INDEPENDENT, April 21, 2005
Join youngsters from WGS in Turn Off the TV week, April 25-29
Brittney Paden and Rebekah
Young from the Washington
Middle School Leadership
Class have some reasons for
the readers of The INDEPEN-
DENT to participate in Turn Off
the TV week, April 25 - 29, with
the students of WGS.
◆ Did you know the average
American watches over four
hours of TV a day? This aver-
ages out to be around two
months of TV a year!
◆ Also, the average time per
week an American child, be-
tween the ages of 2 - I7 watch-
es 19 hours and 40 minutes of
TV.
◆ The time per week parents
spend in meaningful conversa-
tions with their children is only
around 40 minutes.
◆ Children see an average
of 200,000 violent acts on tele-
vision by the age of 18.
◆ 73% percent of Ameri-
cans believe television and
movies are largely responsible
for juvenile crime.
◆ 5% of children were seri-
ously overweight in 1964. Com-
pare that to 1994. 13% were
overweight.
◆ 39% of Americans know
all the names of the Three
Stooges and only 17% can
name three Supreme Court
Justices.
◆ The rise in childhood dia-
betes is linked to obesity and a
sedentary lifestyle.
◆ Sitting and watching TV
uses no muscles and takes no
real imagination. Even the most
educational TV shows are not
as beneficial to children as go-
ing outside to play, cultivating a
hobby, learning to play an in-
strument, or participating in
family conversations.
◆ By watching excessive
TV, females are likely to devel-
op coronary artery disease.
These are sad, yet revealing
statistics about how television
can damage the physical
health of our bodies, and nega-
tively affect us intellectually. So,
instead of watching TV this
week, why don’t you try these
fun activities:
➤ Go for a bike ride or a hike
in the woods.
➤ Learn to do something
new, like playing a new instru-
ment.
➤ Write a fun story or a cre-
ative poem.
➤ Prepare a healthy meal
for the family.
➤ Exercise by playing sports
or jogging.
➤ Bird watch. Go to a park
and look at all of the cool birds.
➤ Call a grandparent. Make
their day by just saying I love
you.
➤ Write a letter to a friend or
a family member who lives far
away.
➤ Come to the sixth grade
play on April 28th at 7:00 p.m.
in the WGS Gym.
➤ Have family time. Just
hang out and talk about your
days.
So please, take the time to
turn off your television during
the week of April 25 –29. En-
courage your child to partici-
pate and sign the slips that
were provided for you.
Our goal is to have all of our
students turn off the TV at least
one day. Try it, you just might
like it.
See page 22 for a related
article on TV and attention
deficit problems in pre-
schoolers
Gwin/Williams to wrestle in Japan
Some interesting quotes on TV and its affect on us
In many families the televi-
sion seems to substitute, rather
than facilitate dialogue among
people. A type of ‘fast’ in this
area could also be healthy.
—Pope John Paul II
during a speech calling for a
40-day TV-Turnoff
history. As they grow, these
children will run increased risks
of heart disease, diabetes, and
other health problems -- unless
they turn off the tube and be-
come physically active.
—US Surgeon General David
Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
I really didn’t like TV-Turnoff
Week except I did notice that
my grades went up and I was in
a good mood all week.
—Drew Henderson,
2nd grader, Donora, PA
The one function TV news
performs very well is that when
there is no news we give it to
you with the same emphasis as
if there were.
—David Brinkley
Given our national television
habit, it is no surprise that we
are raising the most sedentary
and most overweight genera-
tion of youngsters in American
The remarkable thing about
television is that it permits sev-
eral million people to laugh at
the same joke and still feel
lonely.
—T.S. Eliot
I had a great time, and my
only question is: If this is so
great, why don't we turn off the
TV for the other 51 weeks of
the year?
—Benjamin Loxley,
2nd grader, Lewisboro, NJ
Television enables you to be
entertained in your home by
people you wouldn’t have in
your home.
—David Frost
VHS 40th reunion
The Vernonia High School
class of 1965 will hold its 40th
reunion on Saturday, August 6,
at 2:00 p.m. (after the Jam-
boree Parade). The potluck
picnic will be held at the home
of Darlene Welch McLeod in
Vernonia.
For more information call
McLeod at 503-429-4508, or
Janet Hult at 503-429-0803.
Travis Gwin of Vernonia and
Josh Williams of Banks wres-
tled their way to a trip to Japan
this year. They will be joining
eight other young wrestlers and
two coaches in an eleven day
trip to Japan in June.
The Oregon Wrestling Asso-
ciation’s Cultural Exchange
program has been sending
wrestlers to other countries
since the 1960s.
Coaches for the team will be
Lonnie Eggert, head coach at
Tillamook High School, and
Jamie Dixon, former head
coach at Nestucca High
School, who is currently coach-
ing at Tillamook High.
Team members are advised
to take along dozens of gifts to
give to competitors and host
families, plus gifts for children
Left, Travis Gwin of Vernonia
and (above) Josh Williams of
Banks. Both are slated for
wrestling trip to Japan.
they meet. The wrestlers will be
considered celebrities in Japan
and will be meeting mayors
and/or dignitaries in four or five
cities.
The wrestlers are responsi-
ble for paying their own way on
the trip. Donations to help
Williams with his expenses can
be made by calling 503-324-
0270. Gwin will be holding a
multiple fundraiser on May 14
with a car wash from 11:00
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Pihl Log-
ging, a pop can drive (call 503-
429-4310 for pick-up), a rum-
mage sale from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. at the Washington
Grade School play shed, and
firewood for sale at $100 per
cord (call 503-429-4310).
WE HAVE YOUR PROM DRESS HERE!
Dianna’s Formal Affair
Kelly Lindsley
Independent Beauty Consultant
www.marykay.com/klindsley
503-429-0920
New Arrivals – Great Selection
Best Prices & Don’t Forget
We Rent Tuxedos, too!
33555 E. Columbia Ave. Lorelei Village,
Suite 211 Scappoose 503-543-0291
Hrs: Tues-Fri 10-5:30 Sat 10-4
www.diannasformalaffair.com
TUXEDO RENTAL, FORMAL & CASUAL DRESSES, JEWELRY & MORE