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Sept. 16, 2022 | Vol. 3 Iss. 37
Director of Office of Equal Opportunity draws on his own experiences with discrimination Auld takes position created as part of DOJ settlement
Come to the South Davis Emergency Preparedness Fair on Sept. 17 to get tips on what to do in a disaster. See special section inside, page 9.
NEWS BREAK
By Becky Ginos becky.g@davisjournal.com FARMINGTON—When Ken Auld was a senior in high school his teacher walked around the room and predicted what everyone would do with their life. When he got to Auld, he said the best thing he’d do is work in a factory or go into the military. “That felt like I’d been kicked in the gut,” said Auld. “To think he thought so low of me and that I’d never make it to college. It was a hard hurdle because I’d had no positive experiences in school and then to have a teacher say that.” Auld started later in life to go to college because he still believed he was not good in school. “Then I had a professor at Weber State who was African American and he told me ‘you can do this,’” said Auld. “This was the first educator who thought I could be successful. He was great. On the first day he met with me and helped me have the confidence that I could do anything. Education became an avenue for me.” Now Auld has two master’s degrees and is starting a PhD program in Administrative Leadership. He was recently appointed as the Davis School District Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, a position created as part of the settlement with the Department of Justice. “It’s been challenging but exciting,”
ARE Y? D A E R U O Y
Falling petroleum prices giving Democrats some optimism
KEN AULD WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED as the new Davis School District Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, a position created as part of the DOJ settlement. Auld dealt with racism and discrimination in his own education.
Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
he said. “It’s a great experience starting a new office and trying to have training for administrators. The settlement said all 10,000 employees in the district need to be trained.” It’s been a lot of work, said Auld. “The superintendency has helped provide training to address discrimination and report it. It’s critical that they know what harassment and discrimination are so they know it when they hear it or see it.” The role of his office is to investigate
complaints of discrimination or harassment and determine whether district policy has been violated, he said. “We address their concerns and communicate with the parents and students. If we determine there has been a violation we decide how to work through that and how we can change it in the future so that students of a protected class are not feeling unwanted in school.” The district has created the HDRS Please see AULD: pg. 5
DAY OF SERVICE AT THE FOOD PANTRY
Weeks of falling gas prices are dulling what had previously been a sharp Republican weapon, giving Democrats another glimmer of hope ahead of the midterm elections. Months ago, sky-high gas prices were a major reason why Democrats’ prospects looked bleak. But as candidates hit the homestretch ahead of the Nov. 8 midterms, the lower gas prices are giving reasons for Democrats to think they can be more competitive. Since hitting a June peak of $5.02 on average across the country, U.S. gasoline prices have fallen by $1.28 and are averaging about $3.74 per gallon as of Friday. That’s still relatively high and up about 56 cents from a year ago.
Holiday spending could be reduced this year Persistent inflation – consumer prices increased by 8.5% in July over last year – has reshaped how we are budgeting for everyday necessities and occasional indulgences. Prices are up for everything from groceries to clothing, shoes, stationery items and more. It’s also forced many households to tap into their savings or rack up more credit card debt just to keep up with the higher cost of living. Over the past year, credit card debt has jumped by $100 billion, or 13%, the biggest percentage increase in more than 20 years.What does all this mean for the upcoming 2022 holiday shopping season? Less. A lot less.
Republicans can flip House with five key victories in November
Community members volunteered to help load large metal containers, called Gaylords, as donated food was brought to the Bountiful Community Food Pantry during Saturday’s National Day of Service. See more images inside on page 4.
Photo by Tom Haraldsen
Democrats had a summer they never thought possible. It still may not be enough to keep the House. Politico reports that a month of special election upsets and improved standing in generic ballot polling have narrowed a House battlefield that seemed to be expanding for the GOP into some heavily blue districts. The shift has lifted some Democratic incumbents out of immediate peril and made some Republican members squirm after feeling safe earlier this year. The battle over abortion rights upended the political landscape, juicing up the Democratic base and giving them an opening with independents – datapoints that are now reflected in private and public polling. In a couple dozen of the most competitive swing seats, Democratic operatives are more optimistic than ever that their members will run far ahead of President Joe Biden, whose approval rating hovered in the low 40s, or sometimes lower, throughout much of 2022 but has ticked up recently.