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Show Pleasant Grove L.ibran 1251 """"""N. rXX f) Pleasant Grove. I) T 84062 8 fi 1. AA3 - U A,V ' $1 PER ISSUE , ' '" - j . PRSRT STD --l, ' lvyJii JrikLV J ' J nJiJ iyj .J.yyJi.lLiUJ I L7 uta h VOLUME 2 NUMBER 060 WEDNESDAY, November 10, 2010 ww w.timptimes.com AT A GLANCE f i ( ;" i FAGE 2 LIFESTYLE Pleasant Grove BLAB Life's Moments Thoughts From The Garden. . . "Good Neighbors" BIRTHDAY'S PAGE 3 OBITUARIES Colleen McCormick "Chris" Christiansen John Hilton SOCIAL Senior News PAGE 4 SOCIAL Renaming SR 92 Murdock Canal Enclosure Begins EDUCATION Viking Clubs "Trick or Treat" PGHS Students Get Politically Involved Valley View Elem. Honors Veterans FAGE 5 EDUCATION Central Elem. Students Make a Difference Lindon Elem. Rise Above Infuences OCJHS to Present AIDA PGHS School Calendar FAGE 6 CITY RG. City Calendar C.H. Council Meeting Cedar Hills Wins Award PG Council Discusses "The Grove" Near 5 PAGE 7 CITY RG. City Approves Two Agreements PUBLIC SAFETY PG Police Beat Lindon Police Beat PAGE 8 SPORTS Lady Vikings Take Second at State Tourney Austin Heder Cedar Hills Offers Ski Bus for Youth V ' j i ..;'v - Bike Lanes, Are They The Right Fit For Pleasant Grove? K ! I by Geri Taylor Whether one walks, drives a car or motorcycle, or rides a bicycle, safety should be a priority in getting from point A to point B. Sadly, the reality of our busy, distracted lives suggests that the destination is more important than the journey and safety is a concept more than a practice. From the time we take Driver's Ed, it is ingrained in our minds to be aware of who or what is on the road and to look both ways when pulling or backing onto a road. What are we looking for? If not otherwise preoccupied, we see cars, trucks and sometimes motorcycles, but bicycles and pedestrians are too often blocked from our radar screen because of their size. What does this have to do with the proposed bike lanes in Pleasant Grove? Actually, quite a bit when we factor in safety from different points of view. While researching the pros and cons of bike lanes, it was apparent there are many elements that should be taken into consideration before making a bike lane decision. The arguments on either side can be seen as conclusive evidence and so the most important question is whether or not our community needs justify the expense of striping andor widening roads for bike lanes. A general consensus from national studies, indicate that marked bike lanes contribute to the safety of bicyclists and motorists. Findings such as this would appear to seal the argument for striped lanes, but again, there are a number of realities to consider. Without a comprehensive and expensive study of our unique community, it would be impossible to determine not only who would benefit from marking lanes, but who actually would use these lanes. Most importantly, how would it be ascertained if the safety of bicyclists could be assured. Seeking unbiased opinions, I interviewed Pleasant Grove and Cedar Hills bicyclists on how designated lanes would impact their riding experience. The results were surprising. Lee Nitchman has been bicycling for more than 20 years and is considered an expert in his field of competitive cycling. Having been hit from behind while riding to work on Geneva Road, I expected him to be an ardent supporter of bike lanes. In general he is, but for PG, he and other serious cyclists have a different wish list. While striping may indicate n designated hike lane, it doesn't ensure safety for the cyclists. In fact it signals potential hazards such as pot holes and road debris that could puncture tires or cause an accident. He feels money proposed for striping could be put to better use by maintaining I.ee Nitrhman hiked the 300 Warrior Race which went from Park City to Snowbird. the shoulders by sweeping andor adding a couple of feet where reasonable. Nitchman also advocates making 2000 West the main connector road for bikers. Another avid cyclist is Cindy Carson who did five Century races in one year. Her concerns included her own "Bikes" continued on Page 6 The Price of Freedom is Not Free 4 f I '' - J by Geri Taylor The tragedy of 91 1 brought the realities of war to our shores for the first time since Pearl Har-bor. We came together as a na-tion, awakened by our own false security of safety and peace, and for a time our precious freedoms were not only valued but took precedence in our thoughts. As is the nature of man, when prosperity flourishes, it is our inclination to take our liber-ties for granted, with forgetful-nes- s that someone must tend the gates of freedom. And while the blood of pa-triots continues to be spilt on foreign soil, it is easier to expect our independence than learn how it came to be and how to keep it. Supreme Court Justice Fe-lix Frankfurter said it succinctly, "We have enjoyed so much free-dom for so long that we are per haps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights." Have we also forgotten the sacrifices made to maintain the sovereignty which ensures our peace and safety and pro-tects these "rights". Those who gave their lives have received the love and respect of family, friends and the nation, but what of the men and women who lived? From the beaches of Nor-mandy, the jungles of Viet Nam, or the deserts of Iraq , the brave and courageous have served their country then returned to the seeming normalcy of daily life. While it is easy for we, who benefited from their sacrifice, to forget their remarkable contri-bution, the experiences of war are indelibly ingrained in their memories and their lives. These are the men and women we revere and honor on this day of remembrance. Their service and example must never be forgotten lest "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." As the "greatest genera-tion" slowly fades into history, only their stories and deeds are left to remind America that freedom comes at a price. For one Pleasant Grove Veteran, that price included the loss of friends and comrades on a small atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Tarawa was considered the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region. The Marianas Islands were need-ed to set up air bases capable of supporting operations across the mid-Pacifi- c, but the heavily defended islands could only be secured by land-base- d bombers. The Marshall Islands, northeast of Guadalcanal, was the nearest area that could be used as a gar-rison, but these islands were also heavily entrenched by an elite Japanese force. To secure this area, in order to launch the offensive on the Marianas, the battle would have to start far to the east at Tarawa. The Japanese Admiral, who commanded the garrison on Be-ti- o, boasted, "it would take one million men and one hundred years" to conquer Tarawa. He spoke from experience since his rikusentai or Impe-rial Japanese Marines had been "thoroughly trained and admi-rably proficient with their en-tire range of weaponry. (They were) skilled in camouflage and concealment and imbued with a fierce fighting spirit." (Col Jo-seph H. Alexander) They also had the advantage of trenches that connected all points of the island, allowing troops to move where needed under cover. What the Japanese Admi-ral failed to recognize was the "identical combat qualities in the ranks of the amphibious force rumbling toward them." This mistake cost not only thou-sands of lives, but the loss of the Marshall Islands to the Ameri-can Forces. The 2nd Marine Division had left New Zealand with Amphibious Assault Vehicles which they later found didn't have enough armor to protect them from even the smallest artillery, machine gun bullets. This left the soldiers open to enemy fire when they got stuck on the reef, after misjudging the tide. Cliff Wadley was in the second wave that came ashore, and was responsible for firing 60 mm mortars into the hills un-der the direction of his captain. These are the men the Japanese Cliff Wadley served in the Pacific Theater during WWII. would pick off first, and so they became walking targets for the enemy. Being tall put Wadley even closer to death's door. Leiutenant W.D. Hawkins was his platoon leader for a short time, but he chose to lead a scout-snip- er platoon during the two-da- y assault on Tarawa. He led attacks on pill boxes and installations and even after be-ing seriously wounded twice, he continued his advances until he was finally killed. He was in-strumental in knocking out one the Japanese strongholds which helped turn the tide of the battle. Another hit that confused the Imperial Japanese Marines came from a Naval ship during the first assault on the island. A shell hit the bunker where the Japanese Admiral, who boasted they could not be defeated, was stationed. He and all his men were killed and the command was then disrupted. During the mop-u- p opera-tion, soldiers made a line across "Freedom" continued on Page 3 Veteran's Day Program Featured on Thursday gp w- - p r S ' Pleasant Grove City will present a Veterans Day Pro-gram on Thursday, November 11, at 11 a.m. at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery Memorial Gardens. The flag ceremony will be performed by the Pleasant Grove Fire Department and Scott Darrington, city manager, will be conducting. Mark Bez-za- nt will be the featured speak-er and a musical number will also be presented. This year's program is again under the direction of PG City's Leisure Services Di-rector Deon Giles along with coordinating assistance from Betty Memmott. Last vear itianv veterans wore uniforms and military patches that sym-bolize their service and personal sacrifice to our country and our freedom at PG City's annual Veterans Day Program held at the Pleas-ant Grove Cemetery Gardens. Pholos courtesy of Timpanopos Times 'pleasant grove n WEATHER Today H - 43 L - 29 Snow Showers Thursday H - 43 L - 27 Sunny Friday H - 47 L - 31 Partly Cloudy Saturday H - 46 L - 33 Partly Cloudy Sunday H - 47 L - 29 Partly Cloudy V J |