The winners and the losers

• Loser: Eagle Mountain Mayor Brian Olsen admits it was a terrible mistake, and he's right. This week, Olsen acknowledged he had lied about earning a master's degree in public administration. The lie, which he said grew out of a misunderstanding, was printed in campaign materials, ads and news stories, and he even made the claim during a candidate's debate in 2003.

What Olsen did do was earn a public manager's certificate while working for the Utah Highway Patrol. That required a six-month course offered by the state, not a university. Voters ultimately will have to decide the severity of this deception, and whether it should keep him from retaining the public's trust should he run again. Meanwhile, the mayor is undoubtedly learning a lot about tangled webs that, once woven, can be difficult to undo.

• Winner: Anyone who worries about the quality of the rising generation needs to visit Olympus Junior High. That's where students have been raising money to help a custodian and his wife with medical bills and with an implant that will help the custodian hear well enough to pursue a career in communications. So far, they have raised an impressive $20,000. As a story in this paper noted, they have been collecting autographed copies of collectibles from celebrities — just by asking nicely — which they plan to auction later this month at www.Help-Terry.org.

Obviously, these kids already have learned far more about life than what is available in text books.