Show Eagle Scout project gives kids ‘their own set of wheels’ Off the Wasatch By Roger Baker By Looking for a Wasatch home GUNNISQN— Michael Oliver of Gunnison is riding high after finishing his Eagle Scout project which gave children in his community their own set of wheels A visiting philanthropist noticed the growing of Hispanic families work on the many to coming farms in the valley Many of these families had small children who didn’t have much more than the clothes they brought with them from their native Mexico She Gunnison numbers noticed the children didn’t have much to play with and rather than providing toys she decided she wanted to give them bikes Her friend’s donation toward some bikes got Jensen thinking Jensen knew several of these Hispanic children because she works with them as a resource counse- are nice and out of die price range or behind locked gates Step two was to zero in on die neighborhoods that seemed affordable Ironically these are located in my old Salt Lake neighborhood Now comes die difficult part as if mondily payments aren’t difficult enough low do you tell something about a neighborhood during Of course there are die usual signs like neat yards and a gardens and houses dial seem to be in good repair but there must be other signs of friendly neighbors a low crime rate and safe streets For example does a plethora of burglar alarms and window bars indicate an unsafe neighborhood or a super safe but impenetrable neighborhood? lor and coordinator at Gunnison Valley Elementary She knew the donation wouldn’t be able to provide all the children with bikes She approached her bishop Dr Dwight Inouye and asked if he knew any young men who needed an Eagle Scout project Oliver Sane signs of trouble aren’t particularly subtle They decided early in the search to avoid neighborhoods with yards dial include every car the occupant has ever owned especially if some of diem are ‘53 Chevrolets that have been on blocks since ‘63 Somehow die yards don’t have the charm of die old tractor graveyards that some Sanpete residents have for landscaping Cars in driveways are a good however Does one prefer an SUV neighborhood a minivan community a lailey log lavcn or beater Vol vos? After some thinking about die problem they decided that a Subaru neighborhood would be comfortable especially if die Subarus had bike racks and Wilderness Coalition bumper stickers and didn’t seem to be too new Clean Subarus were a bonus Other signs of trouble are subtler Should the yards in the neighboihood be lush green caipets neatly spotted with shrubs and flowers or is the neighborhood best that has xeri scaping with drought resistant cactus and sage to save water? Their conclusion was that xeriscape was a good sign but not in a neighboihood that is returning to the primitive state in which die pioneers found it Yanis landscaped with cheat grass tumble weeds and Canadian thisde were scratched off the list The campaign season provided especially good fodder foi mak- By Karen Buchanan Staff writer EPHRAIM— TTie Snow College Home School of Music is establishing a new piano program at its “All Steinway School" with neighborhood judgments You just don’t want a neighboihood where clones is a dangerous possibility If two people a group of dunk exactly the same one of diem is redundant The key is to find some signs of Democrats and democracy in action University of Utah professor Vcdrana Subotic at its head When the Snow orchestra toured Europe in 2001 director Libor Andrus asked Subotic to They think they’ve found it They are equidistant from a Catholic and LDS church Close by diere is a small branch hbraiy a senior care center and no They are near a private school and a public school People in the neighborhood use push lawnmowers and put political signs in their lawns There are two bus routes in easy walking distance and easy access to a park and golf course They’ve almost found another Ephraim except they don’t have a or a Mavenk close at hand and Ephraim is lacking a golf course Maybe living on die Wasatch Front wouldn’t be so bad "give something away” Jensen purchased bikes from Deseret Industries and asked Oliver and his fellow Scouts to look them over and decide what supplies they needed to fully them She then purchased the remaining items needed and made a list of the children who needed bikes As the assistant scout leader Oliver’s father helped him and the other young men in his troop woik on the bikes all summer Coincidentally Dr Inouye repaired bikes while going to school and had acquired all the The boys worked in his shop used his tools and increased their skills in learn- tools they needed ing the mechanics of bikes Oliver’s mother says the young men would test the brakes and gears and shine each bike before they gave their final approval Early on the group decided to give a bike to every child in the household not just one child Each child would also receive a helmet At the end of August they were able to deliver 24 bikes to some happy children “Every kid deserves a company them She was recommended to him by a colleague Later she was invited by Mark Amnions then director of the orchestra to come to Snow to develop a new piano program ‘To develop such a program said Subotic “I put profession” myself through college accompa- - ii UEll C Oliver says he really knows how a bike woiks now and he says the Scouts would race while fixing them to see who could fix theirs the fastest Although they spent many hours together fixing bikes they had fun he says It wasn’t until the day they deliv ered the bikes that he realized it was moie than just a fun summer job Oliver saw their labors ! fleeted in the surprised faces of the children as they took to their bikes lor the first time He says! he notices them in town riding to’ the paik or to school with their' helmets on le says "It gives me such a good feeling to know I helped fix that bike for that kid and now it’s his” 'U I ' KENT LARSEN of Sanpete County where all his children have attended public schools Wife teaches in the public school system FAMILY MAN Married to Camille Johnson Parents of five children (three of whom make their homes in Sanpete) and eight grandchildren EXPERIENCED 8 years as Manti Mayor and two separ ate terms as city councilmember VOCATION ORIENTED Has definite interest in the impact of agriculture on the county and has been involved in agriculture most of his life nymg” The school is also planning a new preparatory program for younger students "1 love to teach the children" Subotic said only on Mondays Subotic would like to feel that she is part of tins peaceful community that she has learned to love Bom in Yugoslavia (Croatia) Subotic began piano training at the age of 5 with the state music conservatory there She graduated at 5 and in 996 she came w ith her or two ears family to America her father was a nucleai phsicist with the Michigan Slate University ' RESIDENT David Porter and his wife Vedrana Subotic Subotic head the new piano program at Snow’s music school would like to hold workshops for local piano teachers Although she lives in Salt Lake C ity w here she teaches at the University of Utah and is at Snow fe LIFELONG bike” says Jensen Many of these children live lar away from other children and they will be able to use their bikes to visit each other Subotic is also eager to "bring the community to Snow” for music enrichment In the futuie she mmi A 'V Michael Oliver and companion fixing bikes that will go to needy children In the community is a unique opportunity" Subotic said “There are many exciting things we want to do” The new program will not only include lessons and training for music majors but for as well Students must play a recital every year "We want to develop a piano program that will be nationally competitive" she said "We will enable (our graduates to audition for advanced schooling at any school of their choice" A program will also be designed to train accompanists “Piano accompanying is a neglected c Sanpete County Commissioner r Foreign flavor spices up Snow Music Department ing U0YE 0 and friend of Elizabeth Jensen of its value is nice but I wouldn't take my own home as a gift if it were worth millions and located under the perpetual smog inversion on die corridor Their first strategy in die home hunt was to cruise die neighborhoods Of course die car naturally gravitated to the parts of town dial ' took to the idea right away He said he always wanted his project to be something where he could Darlene Agren Staff writer My son and his wife are looking for a starter home on the Wasatch Front They would prefer Sanpete County but there isn’t much demand here for doctoral students in journalism and public health search administrators The first dung they noticed in titeir search of Wasatch Front homes is that home prices probably double as j'ou cross over die Sanjiete County line going north They assure me that my Ephraim home would be worth a half million dollars if it were in Salt Lake The assurance of : r FAMILY VOLUNTEERISM Recognizes the value of voluntecrism Council and has served on the Snow College Institutional Private Industry Council Sanpete Community Training Center Board Central Utah Correctional Advisory Boaid Rotary and Exchange Clubs and numerous other committees and organizations Was the recipient of the Yule Candle and the State Aw ard PEOPLE ORIENTED "I hehev e in the people of Sanpete County and recognize a strong work ethic Our communities are beautiful and generally well kept not because of government mandates but because our people care I want to lie a listening ear and a positive respondent to our needs" PAID POLITICAL ADVfRTIStMf NT 1003 foi her doctorate While at ana she met violinist David will Indi-- J For- - ter They were married June 3 1996 After their mairiage they! moved to Connecticut where she! taught at the Hartford conservaN tory and attended Yale Univep sity Porter played with the Connecticut symphony orchestra She was visiting her niotbef in Italy when hei husband told hetj that he had “won” a job playmgj violin with the Utah Symphony then under the direction of Joseph Silveisiein When they looked up I 'tih m the woild atlas Subotic' mother's first reaction was “That's iri die middle of a desert' She does get hoinesic k foi home in Croatia on die beautiful Adriatic Sea coast where there 300 islands Subotic and Portei will per rm t igether in a pianov lol in ducj recital next Monday in die fxcle physics department While in America she studied w ith Ralph Votax-who was the first American to win the international Van Chbum piano competi- Outer tion She returned w ith her family to Yugoslavia for a short lime where she won the National Piano The entire c immunity is come” Subotic said She is espe-dally eager dial children come “We can't start txi young to help children to leam to love music” Competition When she was 17 Subotic came back to America and enrolled at Indiana Uroveisity where she earned her artists’ ploma arid then went on to study - SaV7 Concert Hall at 7:30 p in Admission is free however dona tions are welcomed and will go t the Home School of Music schol-1 arshipfund Subotic will perform in an other duo recital Dec 6 with Urn versity of Utah pianist C onner 71 Messenger com (YOU iaiuiks' |