American Fork Citizen New Utah - Thursday, May 13, 2004 - Page 2 Opinion Support our officers Since the Iraqi war began March 20, 2003, there have been 564 United States combat causalities. During the same period of time on the home front, another type of soldier has also had his or her life on the line - our United Unit-ed States law enforcement officers. offi-cers. Just short of every two days, a peace officer is killed somewhere in our country. Those statistics are not comforting odds. There have been more than 16,500 officer fatalities since the first law officer, New York Deputy Sheriff Isaac Smith, was shot and killed in 1792. California has the dubious honor of having the most deaths while on duty with 1,368 officers killed. New York and Texas run a close second. We have had 97 who have lost their lives defending our freedoms free-doms and fighting crime in Utah. Most of those officers have been killed in the last 30 years and that statistic has increased exponentially. expo-nentially. Already there have been 51 deaths for those in law enforcement enforce-ment in our country during 2004. These sad statistics don't stop at fatalities. There are an estimated esti-mated 58,066 officers who are assaulted each year in the United Unit-ed States, with 16,494 injuries stemming from those attacks. It is National Police Week through May 15. Tonight there Before it gets worse On the scale of childhood sins, it didn't rank very high - somewhere some-where between "boys will be boys" and "just wait until your father gets home." Which is probably why Bradley's mother didn't know what to do about the copy of Playboy she found underneath her 12-year-old son's mattress. Her first impulse was to scream and cry and throw up, not necessarily in that order. But the more she thought about it, the more she thought such a reaction reac-tion might communicate something some-thing unhealthy to her son. She had read somewhere about how repressed physical feelings turns boys into perverts, and she certainly certain-ly didn't want to do that. Besides, it was the 1 9fi()s, and everything was open, free and mellow. Still, she wanted to send a message mes-sage to her son that this was unacceptable. She didn't want to confront him, but she wanted him to know that she knew about the magazine, maga-zine, and she didn't approve. Bradley was a good boy - a good student, popular with his friends and never any trouble at home -and she was sure a gentle nudge in the right direction was all it would take. So she took out her scissors and cut all of the offensive photographs photo-graphs out of the magazine. Then she cut the photographs into tiny pieces 'taking care not to leave any identifiable body parts) and leaving the fragments in Bradley's garbage can. And then she placed what was left of the magazine on top of his bed. He would know that she knew - no doubt about it. A wave of nausea swept over Bradley when he saw the magazine maga-zine on his bed. At first he thought - hoped, actually - that he had carelessly left it out, and maybe no one had seen it. Then he saw the shredded photographs in the garbage, and knew that his cache had been uncovered - at least, part of it. He slipped down to the basement base-ment to check behind an unfinished unfin-ished wall to see if the rest of his collection - some 20 or 25 magazines maga-zines - was safe. He was relieved to find everything in place and -more importantly - uncut. So he went back to his room to await . . . whut? It had been such a long time Bince he had been will be a candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Offi-cers Memorial in Washington, D C. After the vigil there will be a reading of the newly-engraved names on the memorial wall for those who have died in service for 2003. Without law enforcement officers offi-cers who are willing to protect their communities, there would be chaos. Our peace officers discourage crime by their very presence in our cities. Drug traffic, burglaries burgla-ries and auto thefts are deterred by persistent and professional law enforcement departments. In most of our cities, we are fortunate to have city leaders who support law enforcement departments and provide necessary neces-sary funds to keep the best experienced expe-rienced and trained officers in our area. They also provide state-of-the-art equipment to help fight crime. It has been said that police work is 90 percent boredom and 10 percent terror. Because of this, it takes more than money to keep officers willing to protect a jurisdiction. It takes community support. Show your support by using a blue light bulb for your porch light this week. More important, thank an officer for putting his or her life on the line to protect our freedoms and rights at home and making where we live a safer place to be. mmz fx r-f) "-"""i punished for anything, he didn't quite know what to expect. There would be yelling, tears, lectures and quotations from the Bible (rnaybe an obscure passage from Revelations about the anti-Christ coming in the form of a Bunny). And perhaps he would finally find out if it really is possible to be knocked all the way into next week. He just hoped his parents wouldn't look at him sadly and tell him how disappointed they were in him. He hated that. He sat there, fiddling with his stereo and pretending to do his homework, for the rest of the afternoon. after-noon. Nothing happened. Nor was there any discussion of his transgression trans-gression over dinner, or during the rest of the evening. In fact, the subject sub-ject never came up again. Never. I'd like to be able to tell you that Bradley learned his lesson and never dabbled in pornography again. Unfortunately, that isn't true. At that point he was already immersed- in an addiction with which he would struggle for many years. It affected his life and his dearest relationships, and not in positive ways. I can't help but wonder won-der what might have happened if his parents had chosen to confront him directly, and to look more seriously seri-ously at the early stages of what became a gnawing source of pain and unhappiness later in his life -no matter how unpleasant that confrontation might have been. Is there a lesson here for us as a nation? We're going through a period of unpleasantness as we consider the inappropriate actions of a few of our countrymen and women. There are some who would prefer that we ignore these actions as a normal part of war, and others who will seemingly not be satisfied with anything less than the reinstitution of the guillotine guil-lotine for all involved. I'm not smart enough to have the answers, but I do believe that if there is any kind of a problem -even if it's just a small one - it's probably better to confront it and deal with it. Before it gets worse. Thanks to community I just got back from my lunchtime walk with a co-worker. While we were out, we ran into an old friend, who was returning from taking two children to play on the new playground equipment equip-ment in Robinson Park. Last Saturday, I had the chance to be at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility. I also got to watch people of all ages planting trees in their neighborhood neigh-borhood parks. Several asked me if I had brought my shovel. My snappy comeback came to me about the third or fourth time I was asked the question. "No. I brought my camera instead. My job is to take pictures of people who are actually working." work-ing." They didn't think it was funny, either. As I visited the different sites I was certainly impressed with the number and quality of volunteers and their enthusiasm. They were not professionals, but they were even more qualified for the posi- CEDAR HILLS There is an opening for a volunteer volun-teer to serve on the Parks and Trails Committee, for any interested resident. resi-dent. Further information and applications appli-cations can be obtained at the city offices at 3925 W. Cedar Hills Dr., or by phoning 785-9668. CEDAR HILLS The agenda for upcoming City Council meetings will no longer be posted in the newspaper. However, it is posted on the City Web site at www.cedarhills.org and at the following follow-ing posting boards: 3925 W. Cedar Hills Drive, 4393 W. Cedar Hills Drive, 3959 W. Cedar Hills Drive, and 9814 N. Dorchester Drive. CEDAR HILLS The City Council approved a location loca-tion change for the Deerfield Elementary Ele-mentary School marquee at its May 4 meeting. The lighted sign will not be at the street as originally planned, but placed on the wall of the school. The City Council also required the sign be turned off from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. CEDAR HILLS In line with recent State Legislature Legisla-ture changes, the City Council approved the Municipal Telecommunications Telecommu-nications Tax on May 4, which will eradicate the previous telephone business franchise tax, and tax both land lines and cellular users at the same rate, which is 3.33 percent. Previously, residents were charged a five percent tax on their land line uses only. CEDAR HILLS A volunteer is needed for the position posi-tion of parade chair for the Cedar Hills Family Festival. Any interested resident may contact Jennifer Gools-by Gools-by at the city office, 785-9668. HIGHLAND A representative from the Alpine Country Club, Lenna Learned, appeared before the Highland City Council on May 4 to make sure the city's new ordinance concerning non-profit businesses did not change the club's ability to run its pro shop, food services or catering. Learned was assured the country club, which has been in Highland before the city was incorporated, would be allowed to continue with its present level of activity. Learned, in turn, assured the council the Alpine Country Club held a valid non-profit status with the state. However, if the country club ever wants to expand to include tennis or swimming the new ordinance will require a conditional use permit from the city. HIGHLAND The Highland City council approved a solicitor's license for Chris Webb to operate a window washing and landscape mainte wmnmm ii in n iniimn iinm tion - they were the ones who would use the parks in years to come. They will sit under the shade of those trees and eat picnic pic-nic lunches; they will bring their grandchildren and tell them about "way back in 2004" when they were little and helped their parents plant the trees. Since that morning I have heard some of what went into the day of volunteerism. Like the "Murphy's Law and Other Truths" poster states - "every project will take twice as long as you anticipated." The city ordered 110 trees for the planting. They were to have arrived early Friday morning, but were delayed. Some came late Friday while others did not come until the wee hours of Saturday, nance business. He had originally requested a building maintenance license also but it was limited to landscaping only. Conditions of approval include hours of operation not to go past 8 p.m. three days week. Once rejected by a resident, the solicitor is not to return and is to by-pass any residence with a no soliciting sign. Insurance was also required. HIGHLAND Residents of the Stone Creek subdivision asked the Highland City Council to install a stop sign at 5500 West at 11250 North because the long street had become a raceway in their neighborhood. The City Council then voted unanimously to put the stop sign at 11250 North. LEHI Lehi High School juniors Rebekah Whitney Pulham and Kiersten Lee Gray were chosen to represent Lehi for Girls State at SUU during summer sum-mer break. Patrick F. Hooley, Timothy Timo-thy Spencer Rich and Caleb Nyle Cox have been chosen for Boys State, also at SUU. The American Legion Post 19 veterans sponsor the nominees for the program. LEHI Today, May 13, from 4 to 6 p.m., friends and patrons of Sego Lily will have a chance to say good-bye to Glenn Martin who has been the principal prin-cipal of the school for the past eight years. An open house will be held in his honor in the new commons area of the school, 550 E. 900 North. All present and past families who have worked with Martin are especially invited to attend the event. He will now begin the process of starting up the new Saratoga Shores Elementary Elemen-tary School. LINDON Low Book Auto Sales wants to open a dealership in Lindon across from Wal-Mart at 600 N. State Street. Lindon doesn't allow car sales in its general commercial zone and the five presently there were there, before Lindon amended the land use table to stop the city from looking like State Street in Sandy. The Planning Commission told David Nielson and Jared Clark April 28 they'd meet resistance from residents resi-dents and City Council. LINDON With Larry H. Miller's Lexus of Lindon open and operating the company com-pany wants to put in a Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz dealership next door. Linden's Planning Commission recommended recommend-ed April 28 the Redevelopment Authority approve the dealership and subdivision. Lindon planning director Kevin Smith said in March that Miller has room for another dealership deal-ership next to the Mercedes, and another west of Lexus of Lindon. volunteers just shortly before they were to be put in place. That's enough to give ulcers to the volunteers, but add to that the stress of lining up the music and speakers for the ribbon cutting, cut-ting, finding volunteers willing to commit to the cause, planning donations of food and sufficient chefs to prepare it for the breakfast break-fast to raise funds for the project, making sure the planting places were all marked, arranging for equipment to be used most efficiently effi-ciently in several locations, and so much more, and those in charge of the project could have justifiably been lining up for tranquilizers. tran-quilizers. Almost every week, somewhere in our community, there are projects proj-ects similar to this one going on. Some are in schools, others are in churches, still others are in neighborhoods. It doesn't matter what venue. The spirit of volunteering is alive and well in American Fork. It's what makes our community great. NORTH UTAH COUNTY Tri-City Golf Course almost doubled dou-bled its revenue for the first quarter, $80,032.14, compared to the first quarter of 2003, $43,616.07. Open 31 days in March, compared to 25 last March, the course took in $3,236.26 more. Manager Rick Roberts told the board April 26 the -$25 18-hole with cart special and the discount range card had added , a lot. The special continues through -May. The board will discuss extending extend-ing it through the summer. PLEASANT GROVE Children in grades K-6 are invited ' to come to the "After School Special" - at the Pleasant Grove Library, 50 E. ; Center St., on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. : During this free, hour-long activity, children will enjoy stories and games - based on the theme, "What is a ; Hero?" : SARATOGA SPRINGS In the Saratoga Springs city coun- ' cil meeting April 27, Deputy Terry ; Orton announced Jeff Cornell as the '. new detective in the city. Cornell has been with the Utah County Sheriff's : Office for seven years and has been a detective for one year. SARATOGA SPRINGS Young Family Dental is hosting its grand opening celebration on ' Saturday at the new Saratoga Springs office, 1376 N. Redwood Road at the Crossroads Shopping Center, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The business is giving away child identi- : fication kits for finger-prints, dental charts and DNA samples, balloons for children, hot dogs, drinks and prizes. 'Some of the free prizes include Sonicare tooth brushes, one-hour teeth whitening kits, Stadium of Fire tickets and more. There will be an entertaining clown who will make balloon designs and juggle for the children. The office will additionally offer grand opening specials - a free exam, consultation and x-rays, $100 off extraction of four wisdom teeth and $250 off of-a one-hour teeth whitening. SARATOGA SPRINGS New Civic Events Consultant Mandy Johnson presented an agenda for the upcoming Splash celebration in Saratoga Springs at the April 27 City Council meeting. Saratoga Splash is usually set for mid-June, however; because of Father's Day and other city celebrations, celebra-tions, the council asked if they could move it to July 16 and 17. Eagle Mountain's Pony Express Days is mid-June as well and Lehi's Roundup Week is the last full week in June. The council also suggested to Johnson, because of the weather, weath-er, to have plenty of shade for citizens. citi-zens. More information will be released and a final date set soon. 1