Posted by Sarah Navoy, KIMA Action News at 2/9/2012 12:00:00 PM
UNION GAP, Wash. -- Ten students in Union Gap are now published poets. The eighth graders submitted poems they wrote in class.
The ten winners will be published in the nationally-distributed book A Celebration of Poets.
Student's say they're excited and honored to be published.
"I like to read a lot and when I write I just like getting out ideas and possibly writing something that I would like to have read," said Samantha Gordon, a published poet. "When I'm reading poems I just like the words to flow together."
Some of the poems were written about veteran's day. Others were about various subjects of interest to the students.
Bullying cases nearly cut in half in Yakima schools
Posted by Tony Silver at 10/3/2011 5:35:00 PM
UNION GAP -- It's the heartache you hope to avoid and the words you never want your kids to hear.
"They start picking and saying you're fat and stuff," says parent, Laurie Snider.
Snider's 11 year old son is a student here at Union Gap school, and is one of the many bullying victims in the county. But, a change made two years ago is what has changed her son's life.
"Before uniforms, we did have a lot of problems with bullying and he wasn't happy," says Snider. "But since the uniforms, he's night and day."
And Vice Principal Si Stuber is seeing those drastic changes first hand. He says black, white and gray shirts have leveled the playing field and reduced competition between the haves and have-nots. Especially since these shirts are free of logos or brand names.
"That's been used to help classify people or use as a status symbol, so we don't allow that," says Stuber.
That no tolerance policy has almost cut bullying cases in half. Not all students are thrilled about dressing alike, but Stuber says those protests have inspired some creative writing.
"Kids still complain about it," says Stuber. "If they're doing a persuasive writing piece they'll use that topic cause it's easy and fun to write about."
"All the kids are the same, you know?" says Snider. "No one has something a little more special than the other."
But what takes away some individuality, brings more smiles and more confidence. And, hopefully more success stories like Sniders.
We also contacted the Yakima schools with uniform policies and found they too have seen a decrease in bullying cases. Both Yakima and Union Gap schools also report seeing a decrease in gang violence in schools, as well. As uniforms prevent kids from wearing gang colors.
UNION GAP -- As part of a transportation improvement plan, Union Gap secured funds to add a number of school safety projects.
Those will include more speed detectors, crossing flashers, sidewalks, and signs lining the streets.
The projects will be in various locations city-wide, and people we talked to say the new additions can't come soon enough.
"It would be nice to have a light there, because there are a lot of people around here," says Walter Canatsey. "Especially when school gets out, there are cars all lined up trying to get through here."
The school safety projects will cost a total of about $250,000. $200,000 from state funds and $50,000 from local funds.
UNION GAP -- Gary Malner minds his own business most days, but the yelling on Ahtanum road, got his attention.
"Everyday I would hear them upset, hollaring at someone," he explains.
Gary lives just down the street from Ahtanum, where cars would speed, and children were not safe to cross.
"There have been several close calls with pedestrian and motor impacts," says Dennis Henne.
But, that was before a new traffic light called the HAWK moved into the neighborhood. It's a hybrid between a crosswalk light and a normal traffic light. It works by alternating a flash red and yellow, and solid red. The HAWK is the first of its kind, this side of the Cascades.
"It's an accomplishment for this little town of Union Gap," Henne says. "It puts us on the map!"
It did more than put Union Gap on the map. The Police Department says it has drastically reduced speeding and increased safety.
Crystal teaches at Union Gap School and also helps as a crossing guard. She tells me the kids are now able to cross more quickly and get to class on time.
Henne says It offers a sense of security for the crossing guards and kids, while keeping cars moving along.
"I would guess a 90-95% drop," Gary says. "It's been a dramatic change, and we are very appreciative of it!"
The HAWK light was paid for by the 2009-2011 Capital Budget Direct Appropriation Project with a lot of help from Senator King. Union Gap hopes to add more of them to the city -- possibly on Valley Mall Boulevard -- in the next few years.
