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Show -Wednesday April 29, 1987 Page 2 Orem-Geneva Times- by Bony McW7foms Postmaster Clyde E. Weeks ' . 11 P O T Wendover Postmaster Glenda Green was expecting a postal technician from Salt Lake City to visit her office. She was busy at the window with a line of postal customers when a man with a briefcase brief-case approched the counter, ahead of the line, and waited there expectantly. expectan-tly. "Help!" came a cry from the rear of the post office. "The chicks are loose!" The postmaster knew that her clerk was in the back of the office, giving a drink of water to a shipment of baby chicks which arrived the day before and couldn't be delivered to the customer until the next scheduled mail delivery tomorrow. "The chicks got out of their box ! " the clerk cried. The postmaster, busy with customers, could picture the scene' behind her with 200 baby chicks scattering scat-tering in all directions of the post office. of-fice. Seeing help at hand with the arrival of the Postal visitor, she leaned over to the man at the counter and pleaded: "I'll be with you in a moment. Right now, could you please step back to the rear of the office and help my clerk get her chicks back into in-to the box?" Surprised, but willing, the man stepped quickly back to help round up the baby chicks. When her line at the window had dwindled, the postmaster stepped back to greet her Postal visitor properly and thank him for his yeoman service. "I was glad to help," he said. "But I'm not with the Postal Service. I'm an insurance salesman seeking directions to a local policyholder ! " Red faces turned into smiles, and then laughter, when the three actors in this scene reviewed their comedy of errors. And the baby chicks peeped on... MISSING CHILDREN One of the greatest tragedies in this country is the alarming rate of missing and abused children. Therefore, it is heartwarming when a positive response is reported to the many nationwide efforts being made to solve this problem. Recently, a 13-year-old girl, missing for ten years, was returned to her mother because someone recognized her on an ADVO direct mailcard. Abducted at the age of three, the girl was told by her father that her 'mother was dead. A picture of the girl as a 3-year-old, alongside a computerized com-puterized photo of ho w she would look now, was circulated in an ADVO advertisement. ad-vertisement. A woman in New Mexico recognized the girl and called authorities. The Postal Service has been involved in-volved in the Child Alert program since May, 1985, when then Postmaster Post-master General Paul Carlin and National Association of Letter Carriers President Vincent Sobrotto State property chief to address GOP women The Utah County Republican Womens Club will hear from Bill Arseneau during the organization's monthly luncheon' on Monday, May 4, in the multi-purpose room at the Orem City Center. The program begins at 12 noon and is open to all interested in-terested women in the county. Mr. Arseneau is responsible for both state and federal surplus property proper-ty programs in Utah. He also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the National Na-tional Association of State Agencies for Surplus Property, (NASASP). The NASASP is celebrating its 40th anniversary an-niversary and recently voted to hold its National Convention in Salt Lake City. He also is a past president of the Western States Surplus Property Organization. Last year the Division of Surplus Property distributed more than 13 million dollars worth of Federal supplies and equipment within the State of Utah to local and state government units, universities, (rem-(Setrcua (Ettnefl (USPS 4U;70Q) Published each Wednesday fdr per year by the Orem-Geneva Orem-Geneva Times, 546 South State Street, Orem, Utah 84058. Second Class Postage Paid at Orem, Utah 84057. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Orem-Geneva Tpnes, r. O. Box 65, Orem, Utah 84057; announced that they would cooperate in the search for missing children. Since that time, there have been articles about missing children in Postal Life, Postal Leader, numerous local postal publications and the NALC's Postal Record. There have also been photographs of missing children in Postal Bulletins. These photographs are prominently posted in the lobby of the Orem Post Office for the past two years and are up-dated monthly. FOUND ALIVE The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that since January, 1986, of the 2,517 runaways reported, 1,935 have been found, all alive. Of 2,216 children taken by a parent, 821 were found and all are alive. Of 98 children taken by a stranger or non-custodian, 78 were found, but 26 were deceased. Of 585 taken by grandparents or under other circumstances, 181 were found and none were deceased. These statistics prove that a concerned con-cerned citizenry, aroused to action by one of the most traumatic kinds of family problems, can respond in a positive way. WORK AT HOME One of the most attractive kind of opportunities being offered these days is the opportunity to work at home and make money. Each year thousands of people answer offers of work-at-home employment, thereby helping unscrupulous promoters pocket millions of dollars. The sad truth about these work-at-home schemes is that few profits are realized from them, except by their promoters. Although the individual in-dividual monetary investments are small, the number of victims and the total money lost are great. The most common schemes are those offering employment at home stuffing envelopes or mailing circulars. cir-culars. The promotions are usually aimed at the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed and people wanting to supplement their incomes. Such fradulent work-at-home schemes are usually advertised under un-der "Help Wanted" or "Business Op-portunites" Op-portunites" sections of newspapers and magazines, on matchbook covers, through telephone solicitations or direct-mail advertisements. adver-tisements. But most of them have the same come-on: "Earn $400 or more per month in your home - no investment necessary - choose your own hours" and so on. Be wary if an ad asks you to send money - for any reason. I have yet to hear of any work-at-home promotion that ever produces the promised income. in-come. With rare exceptions, any legitimate employment offers to pay you, rather than requiring you to pay them. Better safe than sorry. school districts, hospitals and other public non-profit organizations. Arseneau has been involved in local and state Republican Party activities ac-tivities for several years. He was a member of the State Reagan Committee Commit-tee from 1976 to 1984 and served as Utah County Chairman for Reagan in 1980 and 1984. He was elected a national na-tional delegate representing the Third Congressional District to the 1980 and 1984 Republican National Conventions and served on the convention's Rules and Order of Business Committees representing Utah. . He also served several times as a county and state delegate to Republican conventions and is currently cur-rently a voting district chairman in Orem. He also is a board member of the State Republican Party Key Club.-Arseneau Club.-Arseneau was Congressman Nielson's Top Aid during the congressman's con-gressman's first term. fclr&G C(s!iklo)lr Dear Sir: As you must know, on the front page of the Orem-Geneva Times April 22, is an article about Orem being interested in-terested in a program "to improve its image and community relations." This is truly needed. I was told by Orem's Fire Department representative represen-tative that in February over 1100 Orem sites were selected to send notices to, to clean-up their weeds. In an agricultural area? Doesn't this smell of a make-work project? And why should not Orem develop an improved im-proved image amongst its own citizens before going outside? Orem's Ordinance, Article n, Sec. 13-2-1 says: "It should be the duty du-ty of the City Fire Marshall to make a careful examination of the growth and spread of injurious and noxious weeds (In February?), and of garbage, gar-bage, refuse or unsightly or deleterious deleter-ious (hurtful and pernicious) objects." ob-jects." I do not think a reasonsable person can take exception to that. But there appears to be a conflict between this and what Orem City is doing through its Fire Department Specialist. The warning notice I received says: "It's a City Ordinance that requires all vacant property to be cleared of weeds for beautification." Where does it say that? The Ordinance Ordin-ance does not deal with ordinary weeds in an agricultural area, and it should not. It specifically cites "injurious" "in-jurious" (perhaps poison ivy) and "noxious weeds" (some weeds tending tend-ing to cause injury or health problems). pro-blems). Why does not Orem be honest about this? The Ordinance does not treat with ordinary benign weeds at all. With this kind of subterfuge, no wonder Orem needs to improve its image. I was visited by two from the Orem Fire Department. I presume they were Mr. Byrnes, Orem's Fire Prevention Specialist, and his assistant. assis-tant. From the evidence it appears to me that these men are abusing the intention in-tention and purpose of this Ordinance and unjustly imposing and harrassing some 1100 Orem property owners. Directly across the street from my home is an accumulation of "gar Oveson discusses current issues While observing Captial-for-a-" Day activities in Provo and Utah County with Governor Norman H. Bangerter, Lt. Gov. Val Oveson, formerly of Orem, spent a few minutes in the Orem-Geneva Times office to renew acquaintences and chat a bit about upcoming legislative issues and past decisions. Among issues to be looked at during dur-ing the special legislature in May is the correction of the income tax bill. "If we don't do something we will lose about $38 million in exemptions," said Oveson. "If the bill is corrected it will mean about $50 million in revenues." Oveson said Utah governor is supportive of the 65 mph bill but has vetoed it twice for technical reasons. Still to be determined is where to raise the limit and where to maintain the current 55 mph. Oveson said he expected the lower limit to remain in effect in the urban areas, or from Springville on the south to Ogden on the north. He said the state would lose no federal funds by revising the speed limits for Utah. He said drunk driving laws also will be made more enforceable and also indicated there would be more speed laws enforcement along the' Wasatch Front. Regarding the recent number of retiring educational leaders, Oveson bage, refuse and unsightly and deleterious objects," that have been there some two years, plus a lot of new and old weeds, surely in violation of the Ordinance, and they were given no notice from Orem to clean it up. When I called Orem's representatives attention to it, I was told, "there was no violation because that is not a vacant va-cant property. It has a house on it." But my property about which I am warned, has a house on it too. And no where in the Ordinance do I find the words, "vacant property." We then went to the rear of my property, an old alfalfa field. It now has grown hundreds of clumps of green, healthy, growing alfalfa, about 6 inches high. Surely this cannot be classified as "injurious or noxious weeds." Grass or other weeds have not yet grown up around the alfalfa. If it does, and I do not eradicate that, or control the benign weeds, and Orem sends someone onto my property proper-ty to do it, will they molest the benign alfalfa, and on what authority or jurisdiction? And if they do molest the alfalfa wouldn't that be a violation of my Constitutional Rights? See Amendment Five, Section 2. Doesn't the Federal Law say: "It is not competent by legislation or ordinance or-dinance to bring into existence and establish against a party a demand which previously he was neither legally nor equitably bound to recognize or satisfy?" It is one thing to establish fire prevention, etc., regulate garbage and unsightly conditions, and quite another to unjustly and unlawfully to have to clean some 1100 properties of ordinary weeds. I suggest the City Officials Of-ficials and their Fire Prevention Specialist re-read their own ordinances, or-dinances, and that they make a reasonable and fair interpretation of them. Because Orem City is harassing me and many others with this ridiculous interpretation of their own ordinance, if they presist they can expect ex-pect legal action. Who wants to help? Sincerely, G. T. Harrison 836 West 600 South Orem, Utah 84058 said the precentages came out better than hoped. "We're just trying to shift money to the teachers." He said decisions deci-sions regarding education have been extremely difficult. He said the consolidation con-solidation of school districts along with administrative retirements should alleviate some of the budget problems. Regarding the major boost in cost of cigarettes (11 cents a pack more) Oveson said the tax increase will help fund prevention programs and other health programs directly affected by smoking. The Utah Department of Health will receive $150,000 to initiate a Smoke-Free Utah campaign. About $13 million go for prenatal clinic services, ser-vices, crucial to pregnant women who smoke and $1.7 will go to other health services. In addition legislators used about $8 million of the anticipated revenue for cigarette sales to balance general departmental budgets as of July 1. Unique sea snake The yellow-bellied sea snake is the only reptile in the world that spends its whole life in water, according accor-ding to Ranger Rick magazine. These sea snakes are so suited to water that if they wash up on shore, they can't even crawl! Utah Foundation Reports: . State budget problems may continue Even thought he 1987 Utah Legislature authorized the largest tax in--crease in history, the state still could encounter some added budget-balancing budget-balancing problems in the future. This point was emphasized by Utah Foundation, Foun-dation, the private tax research organization, it its fiscal summary of the 1987 legislative session. Under the budget plan adopted by the Legislature, appropriated expenditures ex-penditures will just about balance against projected revenues. Foundation analysts warn, however, that the financial problems that have plagued the state during the past two years could return if Utah's economy continues to deteriorate. Total appropriations authorized by the Legislature for the 1987-88 fiscal year totaled $2,764,423,537. A substantial portion of these expenditures will come from restricted funds, such as federal aid, department collections, bond proceeds, local taxes for the minimum school program, and special taxes and fees earmarked for special purposes. Utah's nonhighway activities are financed mainly from general fund and uniform school fund receipts. Combined general fund and uniform school fund revenue was estimated in the budget at $1,374,245,000 for 1987-88. According to the Foundation, this permitted an increase of 3.2 from the original 1986-87 proposed expenditure and 6.9 above the amount actually actual-ly available after all the cutbacks and reductions were made during the year. Utah established a special one-time retirement option for state and local employees who have at least 25 years of public service with the system regardless of age or meet other minimum service and age qualifications. This incentive provides bonuses ranging form 27 to 43 for employees with more than 25 years of service who accept early retirement. In accepting accep-ting this higher benefit, however, the retiree must agree to forfeit any other retirement stipend offered by the employing unit. The early-retirement option was offered as a way of reducing the state workforce without resorting to layoffs. The Foundation study notes, however, that a number of concerns have arisen concerning the plan: 1. The long-term added retirement cost of those who take advantage of this early-retirement option may more than offset any short-term savings sav-ings resulting from reduced payroll costs. 2. No comprehensive actuarial study was made to ascertain the added add-ed long-term added costs that may be incurred by the plan in the future. 3. There is no assurance that payroll costs actually will be permanently reduced. Many of the vacated positions eventually may be filled by new employees. 4. The plan could create a staffing problem for school districts, and other agencies next year if a large percentage of the employees decide to take advantage of this option. 5. Since this early-retirement option is available for only a two-month period this year, it may be viewed as unfair and discriminatory by those who retied in the past or will retire in the future. There may be demands to extend this option to others. 6. There are chances for abuse under this early-retirement option. 7. If sufficient savings in personnel costs are not achieved, there will be a demand for increased appropriations to pay for the added retirement costs. 8. The plan could leave a serious shortage of experienced and knowledgeable personnel in some agencies and local school districts. 9. Under Utah law, benefits received from the state retirement system are exempt from state and local taxes, such as the state income tax. Private and federal retirees are not provided with such a blanket exemption. 10. Little advanced planning and discussion was held regarding the long-range implications and consequences of the proposal. A Time to Shed By Jillyn Smith Science Writer Utah State University It's spring and we all should be feeling great, right? Wrong. I'm in a terrible mood. My cat has shed enough little lin-ty lin-ty underhairs to make two new cats, and I hate daylight savings time. If we're saving time, why am I staying up too late and sleeping in? My body is trying to tell me something: Daylight saving time is unnatural. My body was just getting happy with having some light in the mornings mor-nings - better to see the stray cat hairs in my coffee - and now it's dark again. Why do I feel I've fallen back rather than sprung forwarwd? The Uniform Time Act created this monster in 1967, says my almanac (it doesn't use those words, exactly), so we've been living with it for 20 years. I'm sure there was a good reason for it: Summer picnics can last into the evenings, for instance. Play Softball Sof-tball a little longer. Have seconds on the potato salad. To me, the energy-saving benefits seem flimsy. We may not have to turn on the lights as early in the evening, but we have to turn on the lights earlier in the morning. Of course, I could be wrong. I'm just speaking from my own experience, not the nation. But I think the sun's schedule is the same regardless of what clocks read. Isn't it? Some places exempted themselves them-selves from this crazy Uniform Time Act: Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Also Arizona, where in the summer, residents can't wait for the sun to go down in the evenings. And part of Indiana, says the almanac. It doesn't say which part. A pocket of midwestern sanity, apparently. ap-parently. What are we saving it for, anyway? The hour I lost two Sundays ago in the middle of the night when 2 a.m. suddenly became 3 a.m. (is that how it works?), was apparently critical: deep, rapid-eye-movement sleep. Necessary for one's daily well-being. well-being. Trying to recoup it is making me late for work. And grouchy. When it's still light at 8 p.m. I feel I need to DO something, rather than kick back and start thinking of the sack. Last night, it was the bank statement. Before I knew it, it was 11 p.m. Whoops, Id better get to bed, my mindsaid.Notmybody. This morning it was a different story. Just a few more minutes, my body said. Please, I'm not quite ready. Oh, to be in American Samoa. Or part of Indiana. The cat - a pocket of sanity? -doesn't get up until I leave for work. Hj stretches. A puff of hair engulfs him. His aura. He sneezes. Serves him right. But he doesn't have to wait until October to catch up on his sleep. |