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Show l. Piggott elected mayor in wrd on the strest states be allowed to abolish sweeping recall election Should the insanity defense people "Besides the petitions, the phones By PAUL CHALLIS News Editor havent stopping ringing for days. In an unpreceBOUNTIFUL dented move in a sweeping recall election David Piggott has defeated Mayor John Cushing in a landslide victory and will be sworn-i- n as the new mayor on Monday, April 4. According to anonymous sources, Piggotts first official action will be to hire a new city manager. The sources claim the new city manager will be former councilw'oman Renee Coon, who lost a bid for last fall. The special election held Tuesday, March 29, followed a week of unheard of turmoil at the city gov- ernment level that even shocked e employees of Bountiful. long-tim- The votes were finally tabulated early Wednesday morning revealing the shocking news that Cushing will be replaced by Piggott. Council members of the old regime had not decided at press time whether to keep their seats on the citys governing board or to resign. Dozens of petitions came pouring in to city hall last week forcing City Recorder Arden Jenson to take quick action with the recall election. TOAD continued from front evacuation, may prove necessary. "We have to do what we have to do, Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson John Hopper, who said expressed indifference to the plight of of If residents west Farmington residents. and developers think they can ride roughshod over the these poor defenseless creatures and push them to the brink of extinction, theyre all wet. City officials are aghast at the federal edict, vowing to take the issue all the w ay to the United States Supreme Court. "When the choice is between people and frogs...well. the frogs and the federal government can go take a flying leap, said one outraged city official. The land in question is located between Clark and Glover lanes west of Interstate 15. Possible developments city officials have proposed for the area include an industrial park, several rural, re large-lo- t subdivisions, and a recreational park. Those plans have been put on hold until the city decides how best to respond to the moratorium. But outraged citizens in the affected area are not so patient. Longtime resident Pamela Gray is spearheading a petition drive to rally support for the city. She and several hundred supporters are k also maintaining an the outside vigil Army Corps of Engineers Bountiful office, carrying placards with slogans like Hell no we wont go and We will not be moved. But federal officials are not moved by the protests, vow ing to stay the course. They are supported by the Sierra Club, Wetlands R Us, Greenpeace another environmental around-the-cloc- When picketers (Piggotters) wouldnt allow city employees to cross the line to come to work, we realized that drastic measures had to be taken, said a spokesperson. We had no choice but to set up the recall election and give the people what they wanted. The residents had worked themselves into such a rage d and a pitch of anger, that for our own safety something had to be done to satisfy them. high-fevere- The voice of the people has been heard and we will abide by g their decision, a government official said in a reluctant interview after the surprising events took place Wednesday. In all of my years in city government I have never seen anything like this. Its like a bad dream or something. I high-rankin- cant believe it happened. One clerk said the last time he saw the people this upset and angry was when the city tried to remove 66 maple trees on Bountiful Boulevard near the Maple Hills condos. Condo owners said they had a big enough sidewalk and didnt want to lose the trees or see them moved to a different location just to make more room groups concerned about the fate of the toads. Dr. Dick Sands, head of the Marine Biology Department at LDS Business College, said the Wasatch Front was once teeming with Great Basin Striped Toads. The w'hole area literally resonated with the sounds of their wonderful matSome scholars ing calls, he said. believe that it w as the glorious sound of the toads, which could be heard far above the valley floor, that led Brigham Young to declare This is the right place. But the onset of the Great Depression and the unbelievable popularity of haute cuisine in the 1930s d spelled doom for the amphibians. Unbridled development and the states rapid population growth has only exacerbated their march toward extinction. Even with their endangered status, few knew about the plight of the toads. Even fewer cared. But that changed with the discovery in 1992, by golden-throate- University of Michigan genetic researcher Mau Dong Lai, that the amphibians genetic code may well hold the key to curing 37 different strains of cancer. Now the Great Basin Striped Toad has become the cause celeb of scientists and celebrities around the globe. Saving the toad has become a national priority. Farmington wetlands are the toads last place of refuge and the worlds best hope for preserving the species. Rather than focusing on the loss of tax revenues that growth would bring, Sands is telling Farmington they have an unparalleled opportunity to put their city on the map nationally and interna Sounds of Silence Davis County Commissioner J. Dell Holbrook on his status as token Democrat in Davis County. for a bunch of joggers and walkers. Piggott allegedly led the charge or rebellion when he vowed to return the S30 million surplus budget held in the city coffers to each family (with registered voters) in Bountiful if he was elected mayor. Each household will receive about $1,000 just in time for summer vacations. As for Cushing, it appears to be simply a case of being in the wrong place at the right time. "He is just a victim of circumstances, said one observer. A spokeman in the mayors office said he was shocked by the recall election but he wont fight the will of the people. One jubilant voter said he was pleased with the election. City government is finally back in the hands of the people. You will see a kinder, gentler administration. As an example of the different style of the new administration it is rumored that Piggott will hire former mayor Bob Linnell as the night janitor. Linnell reportedly told friends recently that he missed for accused of committing a crime? dont think there should be I at cases insanity defense. where it has been used and maybe half are legitimate and the other half are garbage. There are too many people getting off who dont deserve it. Our court system is too weak as it is." Dave Ghizzone Farmington of baloney for people to say was insane at the time (of the crime) but Im not think its a bunch I now. The insanity nt be allowed. defense should- people are insane they are insane not just when they commit a crime." spending time at city hall, especially on Wednesday nights. If Marion Hammons Fruit Heights April Fools! tionally by sacrificing growth and future tax revenues for the sake of the toads. People shouldnt be able to plead insane because think we all could plead insanity at one time or another. That is no excuse, and that is not a reason to get out of being ' If survival of the species does lead to a cancer cure, he proposes honoring Farmingtons selfless sacrifice by naming the cure after Mayor Greg Bell. But Sands proposal has stirred a veritable firestorm of criticism. Whats a Farmington? I punished for your crimes. asked Trouissant Cancer Institute Director Pierre Jean Claude Durrant from his Paris office Wednesday. Why should a Bell and a bunch of country bumpkins be honored? Get rid of them. Such inflammatory rhetoric has added fuel to an already inflamed populace. Dead toads have begun turning up nailed to fenceposts and road signs in the area. Police Chief Jeff Jacobson said the priceless amphibians are being killed late at night by roving hit squads armed with flashlights and fishw ackers. I understand residents concerns, he said. But frankly this is just overkill. Lets give the system a chance Lydia Kofford Kaysville Im for the insanity defense because there are people who are totally insane. But dont think they should get out of serving a prison sentence or the hospital if they are found competent. They still need to serve time whether they are sane or insane the crime has still been committed." I Drew Elkins before we leap to action. Federal marshals have posted a Farmington $5,000 reward for information leading of anyone harming the toads. Jacobson has also increased the number of police patrols in to the arrest and conviction the area. I dont know how much longer we It depends on the case. Some use excuse; others are jus- it for a good can control this situation. People are already simmering about it. If an evacuation order is given, all hell could break loose, he said. National Guard in Davis and surrounding counties are reportedly on emergency standby, ready for deployment and to restore order if called upon tified in using it. But who really knows whos to judge. Chris Edgington Farmington by the governor. April Fools! . Never Can Say Goodbye Bridge Over Troubled Water Utah Congressman James Hansen President Bill Clinton Wizard of Westwood Utah State Senator Lane Beattie on what he wants to hear from the press. an Look on term limitation. on Whitewater. BYU basketball coach Roger Reid on getting into the NCAA Tournament. |