Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 5

REPUBLIC FINAL B3' 0 The Arizona Republic Sunday, August 30, 19W 7 Jerry Foster to the rescue: 'Institution' saves family of 3 i Dick Rose Aviation -'X I Wt mC IMit 4 Ski John Willard Republic retiring from the Phoenix Union High School District in June because of an eye ailment. John Hughes' face reflects many hard years in life, but his eyes show no bitterness. The former educator spent his last nine years as a counselor at Trevor Browne High School before Charles Wachta, 20, his wife, Janet, 19, and their son, Charles 14 months, are alive today because of a helicopter and a dedicated man. The story began Aug. 22 when the Wachtas left their Phoenix home on an overnight outing.

They carried enough supplies for a two-day stay but did not tell family or friends exactly where they intended to go. "They were lucky," Maricopa-County Deputy Sheriff Ralph Pen-dergast said. "Had it rot been for a neighbor who remembered Wachta mentioning the Seven Springs area and another friend recalling something about the town of Strawberry (about 100 miles north of Phoenix), we would have had no way of organizing a search." The beautiful and rugged mountains were more than the Wachta family had planned for. Their off-road car got trapped at the bottom of a canyon. Pendergast said 50-foot Cottonwood and sycamore trees in the ravine made it even harder to see the site.

After two days, relatives reported them missing. Maricopa, Yavapai and Gila county sheriffs offices organized a search. The area to be covered stretched from Carefree to Camp Verde to Strawberry, about 600 square miles, an area impossible to cover quickly with ground-search procedures. Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Hill said his search coordinator called the Department of Public Safety for help, but all three of its helicopters were grounded for service and repair. (The sheriffs office does not have a helicopter.) The chances for success in finding the family hinged on use of a helicopter, so Pendergast called Jerry Foster of KPNX-TV.

Foster and Chuck Emmert, his partner-photographer, were in the air in "Sky 12" first thing the next morning, doing the 6:30 a.m. news- Retiree cast on Channel 12 while en route to the search scene. Foster began covering the route he thought the lost family might have followed. The terrain is so rugged that it was hard for him to believe a car could have gone into the remote; canyon areas, but he continued to search. After about two hours, Foster recalled, "I was about out of fuel and ready to break it off, but there was one canyon that I somehow felt I should check.

As we got closer, I saw that it was so rugged that no car could ever get into it but something deep inside said keep going. "Thank God. "When I saw that mother holding her baby down in the bottom of that canyon, it had to be one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. "I don't see any way they would have made it if we hadn't found them because they were really in a terrible place." How is it that Jerry Foster has assumed the role of community servant? Some people who know him say he is an "institution." Others think he is arrogant or egotistical. I have know him for many years, and I believe all of the above could be true, depending on just what time you happened to catch him.

His greatest pride of accomplishment is a successful search. He feels there often are far too few that have happy endings. five years as a government teacher and coach. The television course was an experiment It was sent to seven classes at various high schools and was available to the public "I have seen the wheel reinvented about 15 times," Hughes said. "I've seen every educational fad and fancy about 15 times.

Schools were concerned then, as now, with attendance and discipline. "I rememeber when a 2 or 3 percent absentee rate was horrendous. But the (Phoenix Union) district would gladly settle for that now." Hughes refers to his early days in the Phoenix Union district and the system's "salad days." He said it was much more vibrant and conservative then. "Teachers had grounds duty and unlimited class loads," he recalled. "But they fought for their rights, and correctly so.

Students and people in general became more concerned with rights. I can remember when we measured hair and checked mustaches. Doesn't that sound ludicrous? would rather work, but when there are no jobs, the best way to keep kids invisible is to make sure they stay in school. "What is the great American public going to do about the kids who are not in school?" he asked. "It's a community problem to provide opportunities to work.

Lacking that, it must provide an opportunity to go to school "We in education are to blame, too. For a long time, we boasted that we could be all things to all people, and we couldn't We've oversold education on all levels. The political, economic, educational and people scenes are all interrelated. We've told kids all they have to do is get a high school diploma or college degree, and they've got it made. But they don't" Hughes said schools cannot assume the responsibility of the family or the community but should educate kids and broaden them by teaching self-reliance and survival skills.

Hughes still has faith in public education and says most of the criticisms of it are based on myths. "We sent kids home for dress-code violations. Athletes had to look like monks to get on any team. But kids are persistent They sensed before we did that appearance didn't matter unless it truly interfered with the educational process." Hughes said he would like to see the community a large do more for the nation's youth, and he expressed concern for public education in the 1980s. "The most significant factor is the collapse of confidence in public education," Hughes said.

"I'm not sure the country is as dedicated as it says to free public education for all. I don't think things look good for education and people programs in the present political climate. "Education is one of the institutions that control the labor force. There are more kids in school percentage-wise than 30 years ago, and more are dropping out percentage-wise. But 30 years ago, a lot of these kids would not have gone to school." Hughes said he believes people Continued from Bl He chose an early retirement because an eye ailment that required surgery cut his effectiveness in carrying out that dedication.

"I didn't think I was doing the job for the kids that I was capable of doing," Hughes said. "And I was gun-shy that I would make a mistake that might cause a kid not to graduate. Since I've retired, I miss the daily interpersonal contacts with my coworkers and the kids. I will be doing some substituting." Tbe3o8ton-born Hughes has seen good ijmes and bad times in education. He has been an administrator as well -as having taught classes on television.

The final nine years of his career were spent as a counselor at -Trevor Browne High School. He also taught in the Roosevelt Elementary School District for four and was at Camelback High for Rookie LOUDEN LETTER Continued from Bl OBSERVATIONS ON PATCO Save more man memories. The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) seriously misjudged President Reagan and Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis. Incidentally, I have the privilege of serving on the Republican National Committee with Secretary Lewis and have found him to be a bright and effective member of that group. PATCO totally failed to accurately assess their own position.

By most accounts, the skies are at least as safe now as they were before the illegal strike. We have been told by pilots that the controllers still on the job are more pleasant, more helpful and less arrogant than their pre-strike predecessors. The strike is even showing signs of having some significant long-term benefits. The FAA now seems motivated to make long overdue improvements in the equipment, procedures and management of the air traffic control system. An air traffic control supervisor told a newly assigned military controller that 60 of the strikers would have been fired anyway, if the merit system had not made it so difficult.

Most law abiding taxpayers seem to feel that the illegal strikers are getting lt irOM wrist tney aeserve. we most certainly aaree. LONDEN, CHAIRMAN "More and more jteachers are held responsible for what's laptfening in the classroom, and rightfully so," -Hughes said. "We have 4r responsibility to chil- people are demanding! that children learn Certain minimum skills get along in society. As professionals, we al-ways-will be held accountable for our factions, and we must be ble to show the growth A illative of Ohio, JlugheV describes him-elf asupragmatist and -an optimist He said public education is in a Estate of uncertainty because -of the public Clamor- for teacher accountability and the questioning of teaching methods.

"I am aware it will take a while before -things, -change," Hughes said. ''But they can be Ichang'ed, and they will get better with dedi-cated' people. We have 'to make sure that cer-. tain, skills are learned and not just taught" was one of recent graduates required to take the Arizona Teacher Examination for certification. He said the test was easy for him and; didn't really mea- sure his teaching skills.

Hughes, who has faith tin piblic education, said tax credits for pafeftts who send their children to private 'schools would be a slap in the face to the public He will be paid for his labors during he first year but adds he didn't get into education for the monetary rewards. LONDEN INSURANCE CBOUF 4808 Nwtk tlU StrMt PhMah, AHmm 85011 (Mt 957-1850 BUY DIRECT FROM THE BUILDER COMPLETE SWIM READY DIVING POOL '4 lAAtJcf'l 18Ft-x32Ft- pLLLZl. KY 400 Sq. Ft. 80 Per.

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