Payson Roundup | Payson, AZ

Kudos to new PHS athletic director Don Heizer for telling it like it is during last week’s school board meeting.

Heizer, who has deep roots in sports — especially football and wrestling — told board members that co-curricular activities are as important in students’ lives as academic classes.

There are, however, those who don’t want to hear that, preferring to argue schools exist only for the Three R’s — reading, writing and arithmetic.

But Heizer knows better.

He’s a veteran public educator who has witnessed teenagers’ lives being changed through participation in co-curricular activities.

He knows well the story of the boy who would have long ago dropped out of high school had it not been for sports.

He also has seen the story unfold of a teen who is able to stay out of trouble with the law because of life lessons well learned on the sports and activities fields.

Those instances just don’t happen at some faraway high school, they occur almost daily on the Payson High campus.

Heizer’s public school experience has convinced him that participation in sports promotes bonding, responsibility and accountability in young people.

High school sports also develop school pride and increase enjoyment of academics, resulting in better grades.

Sadly in Payson, there are soothsayers who downplay the importance of co-curricular activities in the overall school setting and would gladly welcome cutting funding for afterschool programs.

While the doubters remain in the minority, they are often vocal.

Sure, times are tough, but if funds for co-curricular activities are cut, everyone loses — especially our young people.

Heizer has sat in the AD’s chair for only a few months, but he is the man with the vision, expertise and guts to build the PHS co-curricular programs and make them among the best in small-town Arizona.

He understands well that the future of our town’s most precious resource, our children, is at stake.

Eddie to attend

Eddie Duran has been released from a Valley hospital and is now rehabilitating in his Payson home and is expected to attend a special benefit dinner, raffle and auction to be held 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday Oct. 3 at Payson Concrete in Star Valley.

The benefit is the work of Eddie’s friends who, after he suffered an aneurism weeks ago, teamed up to plan a benefit to earn money to help the Duran family pay the medical expenses incurred.

The benefit group decided an appropriate way to earn money would be for Clayton Randall and friends to prepare an old-fashioned, down-home barbecue dinner. It’s sure to be scrumptious featuring deep pit cooked beef, cowboy beans and all the fixings.

The dinner will be served for donations.

Benefit organizers have also scheduled several raffles including one that has as a prize a full Angus beef, cut, prepared and freezer-ready. Friends of Eddie’s have also donated seven rifles, which will be raffled, and a gun case with etched glass.

Tickets for the beef and rifles will be sold for $20 each or six for $100.

Also, an envelope containing $1,000 in cash will be raffled. Tickets are $50 each.

Raffle tickets may be purchased at Bud’s Plumbing, Payson Concrete, NAPA Auto and Semstream.

Drop by Payson Concrete tomorrow to welcome Eddie back, have a delicious meal and enjoy a healthy does of smalltown camaraderie.