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Show THE WEST MOUNTAIN TIMES. JANUARY 14, 1982. PAGE TWO Opinion and commentary Corrections plan unwise Although residents of West Valley City have raised some valid arguments opposing the planned construction of two new correctional facilities, they have been virtually ignored by the Board of Corrections for the Despite holding hearings, it appears that members of the board made decision vance their in ad- of any public discussion. The board ex- plains that it face would similar op- position from residents anywhere it planned to build a correctional facility, but since the state must provide certain services, it has the authority to place such an institution in any location, regardless of local sentiment. Correctional facilities are needed, but we believe placing three such institutions within a radius of two miles is unwise. A new adult community correction center, more commonly called a halfway house, is to be built at South 2560 West. This proposed site is less than miles from an existing adult facility at 1 141 South two West. 2250 mile away from the new Approximately one-ha- lf adult halfway house, the board intends to erect a maximum security youth correctional facility near 2800 South and 2300 West. Assigning youthful offenders who have already demonstrated antisocial behavior which would have constituted felonious criminal behavior had they been adults in such close proximity to a center housing inmates making the transition from prison life to community life is only asking for trouble. One board member claimed studies have shown that 59 percent of the youths who would be incarcerated in 2365 the center are from the surrounding area and therefore West Valley City would be an ideal location for a correction center. However, if these statistics are accurate, it would be wiser to assign them to another location where they are less familiar with the area and away from contacts who may have had a bad influence on them in the past. We encourage continued opposition to the proposed correctional centers by the new West Valley City council, local businessmen and residents. Outsider views Utahns Every outsider has something, good or bad, to say about Utahns. The advantage to having an in at a newspaper office is that its easier to get ones observations into print. And today, Ive decided, is my chance to speak my piece to Utahns about Utahns. From an outsiders vantage point, youre a nice bunch: easy-goinfriendly, cordial and brimming over with smiles. And youre interesting: politically d conservative yet environmentally concerned, with but public generous monies but thrifty on the home front. Paradoxes make Utahns worth watching. On the other hand theres paranoia. A in Utah is bound to feel some cultural while learning a new vocabulary (stakes paranoia in sticks the ground and wards arent foster arent just and children) adapting to strange customs (B.Y.O.B. to fancy restaurants, and prayers before city council meetings). But the social paranoia is worse. Theres a sort of here that defensiveness among many one the cohesiveness produces alienation, rather than minority. expects of a here are expected to prove themselves such, by drinking, smoking, going to bed with jokes acquaintances, laughing raucously at Mo-m-o and criticizing the Church from every conceivable angle, including the Utah practice of referring to it as the Church. want It strikes me as though some the Church to have a corner on virtue. g, sucess-oriente- down-to-eart- h, non-Morm- long-standi- Non-Mormo- Ive been in the minority before: lower-middle-cla- ss Scottish-desce- nt an left-hand- ed male-dominat- ss meat-mark- et Spencer Kimball. There is a kind of satisfaction in this kind of loneliness. But outsiders whove been here a while say it wont last. They say outsiders find their friends among outsiders, almost exclusively, and that takes time. Meanwhile, Ill cough up a chortle at Mo-m- o jokes, and Ill go to Relief Society if theres something good cooking, and Ill recruit a male escort every time I feel like going to a bar with the girls. self-impos- And Ill try not to develop re Child home after All Katie Beckett did was go home. But Katies homecoming was heralded by a present from the President, a phone call from Mrs. Reagan, and news coverage by countless newspapers and numerous TV stations. paranoia. whos three and a half, went home after spending three years in the Katie, Jew at town, a Scandinavian, Lutheran college; a woman in a still field, a liberal in a world oriented to the right in more ways than one. But Ive never felt that minority status as keenly as I do here. Not that I feel rejected by either group both are actively seeking recruits. Nor do I feel intimidated, the feeling many newcomers complain of. Maybe Im just better acquainted with both sides, having a Mormon stepmother, friends, and two brothers who exfill missions, as well as to pect friends of all degrees. In Utah, I feel more alone because Id rather be alone than be part of what I see and hear around me. If thats stuck up, so be it. Im just as uncomfortable in bars listening to Mo-m-o jokes as in the stake center hearing the latest revelation of in a rich government , hospital. It wasnt simply her homecoming that drew all the attention, and it wasnt even that she went home at Christmastime. It was how she got home. Katie suffers from the side effects of viral encephalitis, and her treatment costs thousands of dollars a month. Her parents cant afford to pay that much, so they applied for, and were given, federal health assistance. The problem is, federal regulations require anyone who receives that aid to be in a hospital or rest home. Katie needed the treatment, not the hospitalization, but because her parents needed the assistance, Katie stayed in the hospital for three years. Then President Reagan, playing as great a hero as he ever played on the silver screen, stepped in. He mentioned Katies case as an example of overly rigid federal regulations in a November news conference. In the ensuing public clamor, the Department of Health and Human Services exempted Katie from the hospitalization rule, her friends in the hospital threw her a party, and 'she went home. Its a great story, and it makes a great case against inflexible federal rules. Ive heard of similar cases many times before, especially in our committees work on a bill I introduced that would do for many what President Reagan did for Katie let them go home. Not everyone, of course, can get absence three-ye- ar adequate health care at home. Some need to be hospitalized. But the point of this bill is that those who can stay home people like Katie Beckett will have that option. stitutions also added to the support of the bill. Numerous witnesses at several Senate hearings spoke of the psychological and physical benefits, particularly to the elderly, of letting patients live at home. Other testimony, offered by health care experts, covered the cost and treatment of home, not inadvantages stitutionalized, health care. Worries about the rising number of older people in our society and the fairly constant capacity of our health care in- - SALT LAKE CITY A report on the legislative activities and outlook of Sen. Orrin Hatch is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14 at Salt Lake Citys Cottonwood High School, 5715 South 1300 East. Hatch will discuss the accomplishments of the 97th Congress in his fifth annual "Report to Utah, an event he uses to keep the lines of communication open between himself and the people he repiesents. "1 feel that one of my prime responsibilities as a Senator is to let my fellow Utahns know what Ive been working on and to hear their ideas and concerns," he said. Report to Utah provides a great opportunity to do that. So, too, did Katie Beckett, who looked cute and happy as she walked with her parents out of the hospital that had been her home for three years. The home health care bill was passed by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee in December by a 51-- 1 vote, and it will next be considered by the full Senate. It is the first home health care bill ever to make it to the Senate floor; with a lot of work and the continuing support of Katies friend in the White House, it will become law. lhe event also gives Hatch the benefits ol getting feedback, personally and via a special questionnaire, from It means a lot to me those who attend. to be able to visit with those Utahns who are concerned enough to come to an event like this on a cold January night, he said. The Thursday night meeting also features music by the Granite School School District Combined High Choruses Iron seven area high schools. Hatch will also present the "American Spirit Award to a Utahn who operates outside of federal channels, and independent of tederal subsidies, in or addressing a a problem resolving challenge. Alien objects to 'earthling' red tape By Karen E. Hill Spei tul to the limes Imagine a scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A space ship lands. This time, however, instead of in a mountain, it has settled in front of a U.S. Post Office. People gasp and stare. Have, we been invaded? No, it is only a legal imigrant coming to Till out his Alien Address Card. This is a fantasy played out every year in my mind. Its something Ive always wanted to do, because every year in January all legal immigrants (and that includes me) were required to go to the post office and fill out an address card. But 1 missed my chance. This year the Department of Immigration has dropped the program. All that is required now is to notify the 1 Serving West Valley, Magna, and Kearns WEST MOUNTAIN TIMES usps sao) Publisher JOHN RANDOLPHSENG Assistant Publisher Editor W. GLEN FAIRCLOUGH, JR. DEBRA CURRY Advertising Manager RANDY PETERSEN Reporter REGINA COATS Published weekly on Thursdays, with offices at 4140 West 5415 South in Kearns, Utah 84118. Telephone (801) All rights reserved. 966-444- 4. Application to mail at second class postage rates is pending at Salt Lake City, Utah and additional offices. POSTMASTER send change of address to 4140 West 5415 South, Kearns, Utah 84118. Yearly subscriptions are $8, $10 outside Utah. Advertising deadline: 5 p.m. Monday for the following Thursday edition. For rates call (801) Send correspondence to 4140 West 5415 South, Kearns, Utah 84118. 966-444- News items from clubs, churches, and other organizations are welcome. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday for the following Thursday edition. Call (801) for freelance pay rates. Not responsible for unsolicited pictures ai.J news articles. 966-44- Your opinions matter Dear Reader: This space has been reserved for you, since the letters section of a newspaper belongs to its readers. Tell us whats on your mind, and well help you tell the rest of the community. There are no restrictions on subject matter or length, only on taste. paper and Type or print neatly on standard-size- d West Mountain Times, send your letter to The Editor, 4140 West 5415 South, Kearns, Utah 84118. Included must be a telephone number for verification and a signature. Names will be withheld upon request if a reason is given. We hope that not only will the Times let you know whats going on, but that you will let each other know whats on your minds. Take advantage of the space weve provided for your thoughts. All it costs is the price of a stamp. The Editor department if you have moved. In the letter you should include your registration number as well as your old address and your new one. 1 wont really miss the program though. 1 didnt object to registering. It took only a few moments. What 1 did object to was being called It made me feel like an alien. should have webbed feet and pointed 1 ears. Ive often wondered where the card name. I bet some guy sat up got nights thinking up such a ludicrous title. It is another example of government its jargon. immigrant who worked diligently for three months to gather all my records, including photograph and fingerprints. These things were essential before 1 was allowed to enter the country. 1 was a good citizen in my native land and I expect to be the same in my adopted country. Id like to be referred to as such. The "address part was also inaccurate. The card asked not only where the alien lived but where and when he entered the country, his registration number and whether or not he was employed. The The only part of the name that was accurate is card. It was indeed a com-putsize card. The kind were not supposed to bend, staple or mutilate. You marked all the squares and then mailed the card. Very simple. But why call us aliens? Im a legal Reagan administration has promised less red tape from the government. This is one program that wont be missed. My only regret is not having the courage, just once, to paint myself green, don flippers and antennae and flap over to the post office to report. Letters printing and publishing fee. 1 was born in Magna in 1954 and in 1960 my parents and I moved to Georgia. My parents were divorced later and I lived with my mother untill she was killed in a automobile accident. My father disappeared after the divorce. I was then placed in foster homes untill I was 17. I have never had a chance to come back to Magna to visit and try to locate some of my relatives. This is why I need this letter published is to try to locate some of my relatives. I feel sure some of my relatives or families friends still live in or around Magna. If there is anyone reading this and they think they know any of my relatives or families friends I hope they will write me. I have never felt so much alone in all my life. A letter means so much to a person from a relative or a friend. Im a 27 year old, white male but loneliness Howard E. Short, chairman no certain age. Kearns Crime Council picks Ill answer all letters from anyone who thinks they may know my relatives or anyone who would like to be friends but please enclose a stamp because I have no Dear Editor, I am writing in hopes and prayers that funds to buy stamps. John W. Cox you will find it in your heart to publish EF 123430 this letter in your newspaper. 1 am in L-- 3 G.S.P. prison and Im unable to pay for the Reidsville, G.A. 30499 Dear Editor, would like to have anyone interested in improving their own neighborhood security attend our next meeting Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Third Precinet Courtroom, 3931 West 5400 South. I feel that it is time for people to stop feeling sorry for themselves about problems in their neighborhoods and to get involved in Neighborhood Watch" and do something about those problems. Most people accept things as they are, hoping that someone else will do something about it. Well 1 think that it is time that we all got together and do something to prevent crime in our neighborhoods. By joining together as a crime prevention group we can assist law en by helping ourselves become a better neighborhood. I nt |