Dogs Go to School. See Them Learn.

Story and video by Michael Orton

©2011 ImageProviders – All Rights Reserved

filed elsewhere and used by permission

Salt Lake City – 

Like lots of kids, George and Jack went to school today, but they had to have prior, special permission to do it. They are dogs with Intermountain Therapy Animals whose mission is to provide companionship to young readers, to build reader confidence and provide incentives for specific and individualized learning. Today that was as easy as "A...B...C..." In their service, they are called-upon to offer interaction, activity or specific therapies with screened and trained handlers, all free of charge to clients and other program providers who enlist their help.

ITA dog handlers are trained to recognize situations where a dog works better than a person. Both George and Jack are Reading Education Assistance Dogs® who use their trained, kind and gentle nature, coupled with books including canine themes, to assist other learners acquiring fundamental skills. They are frequent visitors at area homes, hospitals and of course, schools. Working for the Utah-based ITA, they also have chapters in Montana, Idaho, Nevada and as far east as Kentucky.

Though participating dogs like George and Jack cannot read themselves, their handlers admit that they certainly understand language, because the handlers must routinely spell words that they don't want them to recognize immediately. Words like "Walk," or "Treat" or the name of a special and favorite friend. In this way, they are quite similar to other learners acquiring literacy skills. 

Wednesday's "Reading Buddies" effort included a visit by Utah's first lady, Jeanette Herbert, who is a dedicated booster of reading and learning. She came to visit the children and the dogs, with some experience and books to share. VIDEO:

GEORGE and JACK GO TO SCHOOL – video and story by MICHAEL ORTON

©2011 ImageProviders – All Rights Reserved; Used by Pernission

Recent research indicates that "lap reading" is the most significant predictor of future literacy in children, and new evidence also suggests that it even works well when the roles are reversed: If you were reading to a special friend like George or Jack... or even to the governor's wife, you learned that today you were as important as anyone else in the state. 

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For more information about Intermountain Therapy Animals, their numerous programs for adults and children, they can be reached at:  Area 801 - 272- threefourthreenine

Dabakis Addresses the Power

by Michael Orton
Video licensed through ImageProviders
©2011 All Rights Reserved

SALT LAKE CITY –

It became a rhetorical contest by two smiling cobras determined to advance the interests of the people of Utah. One was the president of the Utah state senate, the other the chairman of the state's democratic party. At the end of the day, most declared it all a stalemate.


During the most recent meeting of the Utah redistricting committee, state democratic party chairman Jim Dabakis charged republicans with doing the public's business behind closed doors and said that when this has occured in other states, "democrats have walked out, stopping the process." He added, "That can't happen here." While democrats on the redistricting committee were quick to acknowledge the cooperative efforts of their republican colleagues, Dabakis asked that there be "no more closed meetings where maps are bickered over and fought over internally. It doesn't do the state any good; it doesn't do the citizens any good." He said that to have the entire redistricting process reduced to backroom negotiations in one night by a dominant political party, "is 'sausage making,' but it's the public's sausage," referring to the often distasteful and divisive aspects of public policy efforts by various party leaders.

Because of additional and shifting census information, every ten years the nation's representation in congress must be reconsidered. This year Utah gains a seat in congress and it is the congressional boundaries that are now in play, largely determining where and how the parties will be able to advance their influence at the federal level. Democrats are charging Utah republicans with steamrolling the process and excluding the interests of democratic and progressive voters. They say this keeps people from the polls when people feel that their votes don't matter. VIDEO:

Testimony of JIM DABAKIS, democratic party chairman for the state of Utah

video by Michael Orton for ImageProviders - ©2011 All Rights Reserved

Dabakis said that it has come down to "raw, political, brute force" on the part of a dominant party that is now operating behind closed doors and attempting to convince the public that they are all being served by this partisan effort. This prompted a response from Waddoups who said that since the chairs in the statehouse and in congress were determined by all of the people of Utah, that the seats went to the best candidates.

But the debate about congressional redistricting has recently become a controversy even internally amongst the republicans, many who are now reassessing their candidates running, or about to run, for the new congressional district that is being defined by these very legislators. Utah Representative Gibson said that the doors were closed because there were republicans fighting with other republicans over how the boundaries should be drawn and presumably, for whom. "If I have a fight in my house, I'm sorry but all of the visitors are going to have to leave."

GRAMA Sub-Committee Commentary

by Michael Orton
licensed through ImageProviders
all rights reserved




Salt Lake City --

During the 45 days that the Utah legislature met in its normal session this year, a legal caldera erupted when lawmakers rushed through revisions to Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act, known simply as GRAMA. It was widely believed by the public and by media interests that lawmakers were attempting to exempt their instant messages, text messages and e-mails from public access and accountability. Due to journalistic diligence and an immediate public outcry amplified by social media, HB477 was subsequently repealed earlier in the year, but only after the regular lawmaking session had adjourned and with significant procedural juggling between the executive and legislative branches of Utah's state government.

What followed was an agreement by all parties to meet during the legislative interim to study the aspects of GRAMA that needed to be updated, since some communications technologies hadn't been anticipated ten years prior when the first GRAMA rules were adopted and enrolled. The "Working Group," consisting of Utah's media interests, lobbyists such as the state's Tea Party and media coalitions, technology experts and public interest organizations, all joined with Utah's senators and representatives to determine necessary and appropriate recommendations.

On Thursday, June 16, 2011, the Working Group's sub-committee responsible for drafting the legal text met to discuss and finalize new statutory recommendations. Those attending were Jeff Hunt, an attorney representing media interests and who was responsible for the original statute; Laura Lockhart, assistant attorney general for the State of Utah; Michael Wilkins, a former Justice of the state's supreme court; State Senator Stuart Adams (r) Davis County; and State Senator Curt Bramble (r) Utah County, who was the original bill's sponsor. Observing the proceedings were archivists, reporters and public interest group representatives.

After the session, which met for more than two and a half hours, the following comments were made by Sherilyn Bennion of the League of Women Voters and Jeff Salt, an activist with Great Salt Lake Keepers (see video).

 FLASH VIDEO - Commentary on Utah's GRAMA Statutory Sub-Committee - June 16

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Ms. Bennion expressed her concern that the legislators would still attempt to exempt correspondence from being subject to retention and revue. Mr. Salt indicated that while emerging technologies were being adopted that would allow for printing and archiving of mobile phone text messages, the lawmakers needed to consider the public's right to know and to understand how elected officials were conducting the public's business. Lawmakers continued to express concerns about constituent privacy, a provision which was also included in the ten-year-old statute. At issue during the public outcry when HB477 was rushed through the process last spring was communications with lobbyists who were attempting to privately influence legislation and appropriations. During the 2011 session, the Salt Lake Tribune uncovered lawmakers' ability to communicate with lobbyists using PIN identities which do not go through computer server hubs and therefore are not able to be recorded, requested or recovered. PIN addressing is available with Blackberry mobile phones, many of which are seen in use on the chamber floors.

The entire Working Group will meet tomorrow morning at 9am, June 22, 2011 in the Senate Rules Room of the Utah capitol and will discuss and adopt final recommendations to forward to the entire legislature.