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TEG MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016 V V V PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895 V V V Good Evening VVV Buckle up for safety! WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM NTHF INDUCTEE HONORED WITH POSTAL SERVICE STAMP By Jessie Wagoner [email protected] Jaime Escalante, a 1999 inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, will be honored on a postage stamp to be released later this year. Escalante spent 33 years as a classroom teacher, nine years teaching in Bolivia and 24 years in the United States. Over the years he amassed a large collection of awards including a Presidential Medal for Excellence. Escalante’s work with inner-city students was the subject of a 1988 film, “Stand and Deliver.” Known as a charismatic educator with incredibly high standards, he challenged his math students. Because of his teaching style and encouragement more of his students began taking and passing the Advanced Placement calculus exam. In 1982, his students became EPD OFFERS CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY CHECKS the subject of an Educational Testing Service investigation. All 18 of his students that year achieved the highest score of five on the AP calculus exam, but 14 were accused of cheating on the exam. Of the 14 students under investigation, 12 retook and passed the exam. “Today, I continue to enjoy successes which I can attribute to one powerful lesson I learned from Mr. Escalante: ‘You can do anything you want to, its easy, the hardest part is that you have to believe you can do it, the rest is a piece of cake,’” Steve Robles, a former student, said. Roy Betts, spokesman for the United States Postal Services says that Escalante’s legacy makes him an ideal candidate for a postage stamp. “He is, without question, a very deserving subject,” Betts said. By Cathryne Scharton [email protected] Please see Stamp, Page 3 COURTESY IMAGE Beloved and charismatic California educator Jaime Escalante used unconventional methods to inspire his inner-city students not only to learn calculus but also to pass Advanced Placement tests in the subject. With his colleagues at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, he proved that supposedly ‘unteachable’ students could master even the most difficult subject. COURTESY PHOTO The stamp art features Escalante in a digital illustration that resembles an oil painting. It is based on a 2005 photograph taken Jaime Escalante was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in 1999. He is now being honored with a postal stamp. Pictured by Jaime W. Escalante, in a classroom where his father formerly taught. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with from left to right: Ronald W. Poplau, Dorothy K. Kittaka, Vicki original art by Jason Seiler. Swartz Roscoe, Dr. Debra D. Peppers and Jaime Escalante. The Emporia Police Department remains a certified Child Passenger Fitting Station by the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office.  In January Emporia’s police department, which is the lead agency for Safe Kids Emporia, was again recognized as a certified location to have child passenger seats inspected by safety technicians.  “Safe Kids Emporia is an excellent and free resource for child safety in the Emporia and Lyon County community,” said Lisa Sage, administrative sergeant for the department. Safe Kids Emporia has 12 members who are Certified Child Passenger Seat Technicians and they conduct four seat-checkup events a year where the public can get car seats inspected, or installed if needed, for free. The coalition checks about 30 seats per event and 150 seats annually. Car seat checks can be done at the police department, the Emporia Fire Department and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. Sage recommends calling ahead to make an appointment to ensure a technician will be on duty. A seat check can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the type of vehicle and car seat.  In December 2015 Safe Kids Please see Safe Kids, Page 3 LOCAL LEGISLATORS TACKLE THE ISSUES AT LEGISLATIVE DIALOGUE By Jessie Wagoner [email protected] Local legislators tackled a myriad of issues at the Legislative Dialogue held at Presbyterian Manor Saturday morning. Representatives Don Hill and Peggy Mast attended. Senator Jeff Longbine and Representative Ron Highland had previous engagements and were unable to attend. Both legislators discussed the ramifications of the tax bill passed in 2012. The state continues to see a loss of revenue each month in spite of last year’s increase in sales tax and consumption taxes. Hill and Mast say it is unlikely the state will lower taxes this year. Those in the audience expressed concerns about the revenue. JESSIE WAGONER/GAZETTE Rep. Peggy Mast and Rep. Don Hill participated in a Legislative Dialogue on Saturday morning. They discussed a number of issues the Legislature is confronting this session.  “Coming back this year, sales tax has been below projections almost consistently for quite some time,” Mast said. “I don’t think we are going to have enough willpower in the body to get a tax passed this year. Our option is go- ing to be probably to make some more cuts.” “There are a lot of references that have been made to the income tax reform bill that was done in 2012,” Hill said. “... the fact that Please see Dialogue, Page 3 KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE Attendees talk after the registration for Race the Chase at the Dirty Kanza Headquarters on Saturday. The race will be held on Sept. 24. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR RACE THE CHASE By Jessie Wagoner [email protected] JESSIE WAGONER/GAZETTE VOL. 124, NO. 188 Presbyterian Manor hosted Saturday’s Legislative Dialogue with Rep. Don Hill and Rep. Peggy Mast. A number of individuals from the community attended with questions for the lawmakers on top