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Show THE ZEPHYR DECEMBER 1993 PAGE 2 "New York, New York. W hat a wonderful town. The Bronx is up and the Battery's down." Because of a remarkable and unexpected turn of events, I found myself on a plane to New York City a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't been there since I was a kid, and since I have spent the better part of my life trying to avoid big dties, I had to wonder why I jumped at the chance so eagerly when the opportunity arose. Picturing me in New York, I could only think of "Jed Gampctt Visits the Big Apple." I was terrified. I felt I sorely lacked the sodal skills necessary to Mr. Willie d and (if not survive in such a place. My attorney, the manners...he and course on crash a Flocko attempted to give me explained the ettiquette to much difference between a shrimp fork and a salad fork and told me how tip the doorman, but still, I had doubts that I would survive the week. Trece Binford and I landed at La Guardia without incident, and hailed a taxi to take us to our hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The cab driver, a man whose name, if memory serves me, was Provolone Fazio, was somewhat taciturn but never rude. His grasp of the English language was limited to the names of New York Gty streets and "The fare is 22 dollars plus the toll." It was all he needed to survive in New York Gty and I think he may be a very lucky man. We arrived at the Peninsula I Iotel at 55th Street and 5th Avenue. Flocko had explained to me that I should tip five bucks for hauling the luggage to the room, but when put to the test, I wasn't sure just who was wha..everyone seemed to be involved in moving the luggage. First the doorman removed the bags from the cab and hauled them to the top of the steps. I gave him five bucks, and then he told me that the bellman would deliver our luggage to the room. We checked in at the desk, and Niels, who I guess would be called the deskman, personally escorted us to room 1804 (on the 18th floor). On the way up I observed to Niels, "We don't have elevators where we come from." He looked concerned . Nevertheless!, Niels showed us all the many conveniences the room offered and I gave him five bucks too. Ten minutes later, the bellman arrived with the bags and I gave him five bucks. It was a good thing I had all those fives. The bellman seemed like a friendly sort, and as I handed him the bill, I said, "I want to leave you with one thought...Do you see this woman standing here?" The bellman nodded. "Imagine this," I continued. "If this lovely woman hadn't streaked Robert Ful gh urn's commencement speech in Moab, Utah three years ago, we would not be here today. Trece cringed. The bellman said, "Huh?" "Nevermind," I said. It was dear then, as it is now, that there was no possible way to explain that statement. I thanked the bellman for his kindness and almost gave him another five bucks just for the opportunity to confuse him. But I was running out of fives and we were anxious to get out on the street and see the Gty. well-travel- Editor's prologue: The above photograph is only intended for those who should go away.. .Everybody else is urged to stay. Thank you. subscribers who are wondering how the local November For the benefit of our 3 elections were resolved, here's a quick review: All six of the county council members who faced recall were easily retained, with an average 6040 margin of victory. Mayor Tom Stocks won an unprecedented fourth term as mayor, Paul Seibert and Jeanne Lambla won seats on the city council, and the hospital sales tax proposal was soundly defeated. With the election now a month behind us, I'm not sure if anything else needs to be added e debate that dominated conversations at coffee shops across town in the days to the But it is dear that a fundamental change in the way the dtizens of this county vote. the following their view government and the way they want their future shaped has occurred. The change of government vote in 1992 was not an anomaly; those opposed to the change have lost four consecutive elections. When you're 0 for 4, you've got to wonder if your view is the view of the It's not. And I hope the hard core group of dissenters at the heart of this "recall community. movement" can now display the dass and dignity of good losers and allow this government and this county to move on. As for the council, what was meant to be a recall election and a repudiation of their performance and their approach to government has, instead, turned into something of a vote of confidence. Each of them added several percentage points to their margins of victory from last February ...ironically, the coundl critics have probably given the council the sense of community support to move forward in areas they may have previously shied way from. It must now make hard decisions on foe future of the hospital, planning and zoning, possible consolidation of some dty and county services, foe threat erf increasing property taxes, budgetary constraints, and a community that seems to be growing and changing at a speed not seen since the uranium days. And that broader concern, uncontrolled and unlimited growth, is the council's greatest values that make challenge. Can the coundl...will it be able to help maintain the small-tow- n south north to take to and Is a it action Moab such special place? highway 191 from keep willing turning into nothing more than another "Strip of fast food chains and modular motels? Is it Does the council have the willing to protect home grown businesses from invading a such in to future Grand even the or vision, way? This is what foe County County's right shape 10 look like in even or must we dedde...what Coundl 20, may very well be determined in years I the next two. don't envy them one bit. out-of-to- post-gam- Wal-mart- s? "All the news that causes fits." THE CANYON COUNTRY ZEPHYR P.O. BOX 327 MOAB, UTAH 84532 (801) 259-77- political specialist & features Ken Davey contributing writers Jack Cambell Jane S. Jones Cherie Gilmore T. Scott Groene Mary Yates I lank Rutter Herb Ringer food editor Willie Flocko Roving Reporter Robert Fulghum production & circulation assistant Jennifer Rodocker well-rea- well-bre- d) his all the symptoms of a mind gone berserk." Isaac Singer As we stepped gingerly into a moving mass of pedestrians on 5th Avenue, I wondered why had given up the safety and security of the Colorado Plateau for all this frenzied madness. Yet what surprised me was that I quickly grew to like it. Amidst all this chaos, confusion, and unusual odors. I'd never felt happier. We walked five blocks south to Rockefeller Plaza...Trece "Are you wanted to see the skating rink and actually wanted me to put cm a pair of skates. nuts?" 1 said. "Look at these people watching.(There were hundreds erf onlookers watching the skaters) I don't know how to Bkate...I'd make a fool out erf myself." "God, Stiles," Trece said. "Sometimes you're so..jnal." Just then an old man approached us. He was bald, with white electrostatically charged sidewall hair, a week old beard, and wearing an ancient and tattered letter jacket that reminded me of my own. We obviously had the same taste in second-han- d stores. I Ie walked to all with us the enthusiasm and youthful joy of a New York Gty tour up I Ie first the on stood before his raised us with hands job. guide's day quizzically, a broad smile on his face and dancing eyes that seemed to say, "Hey kids! You look like you need some directions. What can I tell you?" Trece, the Gregarious One, said, "Hi!" The old man's smile shriveled to a snarl. His hands slid to his side, and as he hunched his shoulders and walked slowly away in utter disgust, he muttered unkind things under his breath. "Was I supposed to give him five bucks too?" I speculated. "You know what I think Stiles?" said Trece. "I think we're in New York." What we learned in the next few days was that nothing, absolutely nothing that happens in New York should ever come as a surprise. It offers, in one remarkable view, the very best and the very worst of our civilization. On that same first night, we walked a mile up 5th Avenue, along foe eastern edge erf Central Park. What first appeared to me to be a pile of rubble along the park's stone perimeter wall was, in fact, a conglomeration of boxes and crates that was home to an assortment of people who had nowhere else to go. Across the street, the tenants of exclusive apartments ventured across 5th Avenue with their pets in search of a tree. Die poodles paid more attention to the homeless than their owners did. But the sight of so many people, sleeping in the doorways and steps of so many stores and churches, wrapped only in newspapers, boxes, and thin ragged blankets, became so common. I'm ashamed to say I found myself getting used to it too. What is the answer to all this misery? I could not begin to tell you. I 73 publisher & editor Jim Stiles historical photos "New York...This metropolis ed Karen Downey photographs 6 art are by the publisher unless noted otherwise. The Zephyr, copyright 1993, all rights reserved The Canyon Country Zephyr is a monthly newspaper, published eleven times a year at Moab, Utah. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of its vendors, advertisers, or even at times of its publisher . SBB "New York makes one think of the collapse of civilization , about Sodom and Gomorrah, the end of the world. The end wouldn't come as a surprise here. .Many people already bank on it." Saul Bellow We came to see as much of New York Gty as we could in five days and we gave it our best shot We walked miles and miles, to Grand Central Terminal, to the top of the Empire State Building, to Times Square, across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, end to 357 shoe stores where my pal Binford pursued the Ultimate Shoe...she never found it; she left New York with the same 14 pairs erf shoes that she brought to the dty. We walked to the Ed Sullivan Theatre on Broadway, the home of "Late Show with David Lettennan," where I saw Da Carrera, star erf "Wayne's World" walk out of the theatre and climb into a stretch limo with the robo-bab-e Lennie Dykstra. Lennie Dykstra? With Tia Carrera...I wonder if they chew Red Man together, late at night And I swear that cm a traffic island in the middle of 6th Avenue, the Avenue of the Americas, I saw a live tomato plant growing out erf the asphalt and loaded with green tomatoes. I thought one of them showed signs of ripening but it turned out to be a rust fungus. On Wednesday night we saw Fulghum do his stuff at Carnegie Hall. Just two weeks earlier, I had seen him at Star Hall in Moab, and though Ids support group was bigger in New York, his the was same as and memorable. I have always known that Fulghum is a great message just I man, but never knew how brave he was until the afternoon prior to his Carnegie Hall engagement. That is when I learned he'd been a guest on "Live! With Regis & Kathie Lee," two erf the most insufferable morons to ever slither across the TV screen. Fulghum endured their mindless banter with charm and grace. Had I been in his place, I may have been tempted to slap them both silly. |