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Show THE ZEPHYRSEPTEMBER 1995 PAGE 26 Somewhere Left of Right j. rrv. 0 4 M ., Har JtSr I7 V v By Jane S. Jones BIG BROTHER WAS AT THE CELEBRATION Imagine being on a family outing, ready to enjoy some good fun: fireworks celebrating our country's freedom. Imagine leaving home with snacks packed, prepared to park the car and wait patiently for the festivities to begin. Imagine our surprise when we can't turn off the highway at the Equestrian Center because the cars are stopped in front of us. Peering over our shoulder, we hope a big truck wouldn't run us down. As traffic begins to back up behind us we wonder what's the hold up? It must be an accident of some kind. We inch forward and at least get off the highway onto the driveway. We look frantically for some explanation ahead and then we see it: businessmen we recognize, standing with pocketed vests, deliberately stopping each car one by one, casually visiting with car drivers, pointing out the difficult choice of either this parking lot or the other one, and then taking money. We look at each other; what kind of insanity is this? All of the first roads into the parking lot are barricaded, everything organized so no one can avoid the bottleneck. We yell at the fine Chamber of Commerce businessmen, "Someone's going to get run over. Why are you holding up traffic? Why won't you let us park?" They seem confused by our anger, unable to comprehend they are doing anything wrong, like, being incredibly stupid and endangering people's lives. Apparently it is all necessary for their higher purpose: to try and collect more money! The high taxes we pay are never enough! Certainly not enough to give the community a public fireworks display! Did 1 use enough exclamation marks to convey our anger? My husband finally We got out of the just pulled over into the bar ditch and went around the like else but do wanted to because couldn't way quickly, everyone they've got a "follow directions" mind-se- t. We drove into the parking lot and parked and sat -and tried to recapture our peace of mind. It's such a simple concept: people watching fireworks. Our family gets upset over these things. But the rest of you apparently do not. How could anyone have purposely planned to impede traffic getting off the highway? How can there be any suggestion of a charge for people to gather and celebrate our country's freedom? Will there soon be a person holding a hat at the Courthouse entrances? Can I expect a "small donation please" request the next time I go to vote? I cannot understand it. Why didn't all of you punish them verbally, just like read riot the act to any child wrho tries to act like a bully? If everyone had you'd cursed the idiots, they'd learn not to act this way. Parents know they have a toll-taker- s. - a Who responsibility to keep their kids in line, to teach them what's right and wrong. in here live will remind grownups of what is right and wrong, if not you adults who Moab? I'm ashamed of those who came and meekly waited in line. I'm ashamed of American citizens who grumble, but never back it up with action. You complain loudly at the coffee shop, but your silence when it counts is unforgivable. THE SPORTSMEN'S CLUB DEBATE I have little criticism of the County Council's decision on this controversy. They want to sell the 40 acres in question and split the proceeds with the Sportsmen's Club. The issue has been widely discussed and a full range of opinion was present on the Council. The Council chose a solution and I support them in making a fair decision. It is clear that the Sportsmen's Club was promised the land in question. We have a former commissioner to vouch for this and I trust his word. And we have a Sportsmen's Gub still obviously in existence. Promises should be kept, even when some don't like what was promised. I don't like these kinds of deals either. The Commissioners back in '58 probably shouldn't have done it but since they did, the agreement should be honored. I'm amazed by so many who have no regard for a verbal promise. Money is the only problem here. To me a deal is a deal and keep the lawyers out of it. Maybe I should have it in for the current County Council, since they didn't make me happy with the big chunk of wilderness they recommended to the Governor. It broke my heart to see all that good land being set aside for tourists to have for their "solitude experience." Therefore, I should probably "recuse" myself (new word learned from OJ trial) from passing judgment on the Council at all, because I might be prejudiced against them and therefore wouldn't be fair. Let's remember, this is not a Grand County Council by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps everyone who has it in for them should "recuse" themselves from comment for a while. Of course, that would end all the fun of jumping on the recall bandwagon. Moabites who go and give opinions at Council meetings but don't act as judge and jury? Don't hold your breath. "good-old-boy- AND YET MORE CRUMBLING ON A LIGHTER NOTE Driving north toward town on Highway 191, 1 can't help seeing that new THING at the entrance to the Old Spanish Trail Arena (alias the Equestrian Center). You can't read what this darkish mass says from the south side. It's barely readable from the north. The advertisement at the bottom is the only thing legible. I've become a danger on the highway, trying to observe it from every angle as I drive by. But, hey, I know what the big pink building is, so who needs a sign anyway? I've pondered the decision-makin- g for this particular edifice you know, the make to work (if you don't have a committee meeting and planning something make a plan, it won't be right, don't you know). It had to go something like, "Let's can find the Arena. How about see, we want a large attractive sign so dark red dark on brown stained wood?" putting lettering A dull but practical suggestion: rub some Gorox on the wood right next to the lettering, maybe bleaching the wood to a lighter shade to provide some contrast for the dark lettering. - i th NOW TO WOMEN'S RIGHTS Why do I see school girls in Moab still being molded as "young ladies," preening themselves as sexual objects, wimping out at sports, shying away from not liking math or science, etc.? Yikes, it's the same way it was when I was in school in the 50's and 60's! do mothers still prepare their daughters for a career, but with the understanding it's just to mark time until they find the right man? Women's rights is not a particularly entertaining issue. And if that's why you're Why reading this paper, to be entertained, my discussion of women's suffrage in June was probably unappealing. I went through the dry history of women getting the vote, hoping perhaps a few Moab mothers would read it and stop to think again about a Division of LeGrand Construction Co. SERVING YOUR ASPHALT, NEEDS GRAVEL, & READY-MI- X in-dep- full-streng- th SOUTHERN PAVING ! s" i Attention Future Civilizations with time travel capability, examining this newspaper as an historical document. Meet me at the following earth coordinates September 20, 1995 UPM MDT and get me out of here. j j i i j SOUTHERN PAVIN G...259-580- 9 READY-MIX...259-22- 62 LATITUDE 38 DEGREES, 34 MINUTES, SECONDS NORTH... LONGITUDE 109 DEGREES, 5-2- ! 2 32 MINUTES, 27.11 SECONDS WEST, i |