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Show (JH v 10 fUr uCA'vuw. . i ww i uuli i cx ( yoo By DONETA GATHERUM LAYTON This is a strange story because it is being told by an uncommon chronicler in an informed but uncustomary way. I have lived on a hill in Layton for 77 years. I remember when the roads were unpaved and the fields were filled with grains, hay and vegetables. The air was still. Layton was an open valley. 1 have never moved away from my spot on the hill but my life has been changed drastically four times. I AM not a person. I am a building. I am not human and yet I have tasted many human experiences. I have known growth, decay, sorrow, happiness and change. I started in the October 1905 when men dug into the earth on the David Craig farm and poured a foundation. 1 remember the day Levi S. Heywood set my floor joists. Charles Poll walked over the hill from South Weber to make sure my proportions were right and my roof was so steep the heavy winter snow would slide off. One day a dog ate Mr. Heywoods lunch. The Craig family invited him to eat with The spanking new Layton LDS Ward building was built in 1908 for $12,000. Located at 367 E. 1000 N., it replaced a frame structure built 23 years earlier. NEARLY COMPLETED them. I WASNT cheap. The people of the Layton Ward paid $12,000 for me. How proud I was the day LDS Church President Joseph F. Smith dedicated me. The entire town turned out to inspect my chapel, wings and vestry. I was glad to be the Layton Ward House. I vowed to do my best to serve the congregation. THINGS MOVED along smoothly until about 1930. 1 became too crowded. Layton Ward was growing. More space was needed. In 1936 the people met inside me and made plans to build a new church. I knew my days were numbered. What would happen if I were aban- doned. I didnt have much time to ponder my fate. On the evening of July 24, 1936 a lightning bolt struck my steeple. Within a few hours all the wood in my interior was gone. There I stood, charred, black, desolate, friendless. THIS CONDITION didnt last long. Carl Craig, the son of David who donated the land under me for a Church, stopped by and made arrangements to purchase me. He was so gentle and kind. I knew nothing bad would happen. Work started soon. My whole top was removed. One wing was taken off. My insides were com The old church is seeing some remodeling, again. This time, the residency has been purchased by Vernon Williams, Carl Craigs grandson. newly-remodel- pletely changed. Some improvements were made. An electrical system was installed. I was equipped with hot and cold running water. ness inside me but occasionally there was sadness. I learned about illness and death. THE YEAR 1944 was important in my history. Beth returned home. She had left when she married Verl Williams. He was in the service and stationed out of Utah. Carl traveled down to Provo one morning to pick up Beth and a surprise. She brought her baby boy, Vernon back home with her. For 2 'A years I watched Vernon grow from a newborn into a toddler. When they moved away, I knew someday they would return. SOMETIMES I wondered if the workers would ever finish. Four years seemed like four decades. Finally in 1940 Carl moved his family into me. I was no longer a church. I had progressed beyond the ruin stage. I was a home. I remember it was June when the Craigs settled down inside me. Besides Carl and his wife, I was to house three children. lone who was 20 didnt stay with me long. Beth was 14 and Jay was 11. They brought warmth and life to my walls. MRS. CRAIG passed away in April, 1951. This sober event brought the Williams family back to me. They lived with Carl until their own home was ready in 1952. 1985 was another landmark year for me. Carl became ill and had to IT WASNT long before Carl had the grounds near me landscaped with lawn, trees, flowers, garden and orchard. A horse, a dog, some sheep and occasionally a cow were always nearby. I enjoyed their company. They would stand near me when the wind blew or the weather was extra cold. move away from me to live with Beth and her husband, Verl. Again I felt aprehension. Would I be sold , demolished, or left to decay? AGAIN, I didnt have to endure the suspense long. Vernon, the boy I sheltered 40 years ago, wanted to buy me. His wife, Sue, always Being the Craig home helped me appreciate human feelings. There was also much laughter and happi liked older homes. 1 would be per- fect. It hasn't been easy. I am 77 years old. I can't stand much more remodeling and changing. First my roof came off then my garage wing was dismantled. Finally, my inHow will terior was people recognize me, I questioned. CARPENTERS started immediately adding a top to my open ceiling. I would become a two-stor- y building once again. Other changes followed. Today I am nearly finished. How grand I look. By November I will be the home for another family. Three young people will again fill my rooms with vitality. They won't BURNED This is the state of affairs for the church after the interior was gutted by fire caused by lightening July 24, 1936. be named lone, Beth and Jay although they will be about the same ages as the first three youth I housed. I will have to remember the Williams children are Guy, 20; 15 Chanin, and Brittanie, IM GLAD the 12. family will be set- tled in by Thanksgiving. I have many things for which to give thanks. I have sat on a hill in Layton 77 years. I have had three lives, dmg REMODELED Few return Layton surveys By DONETA GATHERUM survey was taken just before the bond election at which voters Although the number of responses to a recent city- approved funding for a new swimming pool. Because Layton is not part of the county library system and because there are no library facilities in Layton, citizens would naturally be concerned in this area. was Too many apartments the most serious problem facing Layton, according to 120 respondents. Complaints centered around apartments being too near LAYTON -- - wide printed survey was disappointing, Layton City officials still feel there is much to be gained. THEY PLAN to periodically conduct other surveys using the same format to determine citizen appraisal of the job the city government is doing and the direction the city should be moving. The surveys were mailed to over ,000 households in Layton. Only about 833 were returned. Information gathered has to be viewed as a representation of a limited number n of people and not as a of the sentiments of all Layton citizens. single family homes, drawing "un- desirable newcomers to Layton, in the leading to schools and increasing crime. Some citizens felt their tax dollars e famiare subsidizing over-crowdin- g lower-incom- lies. THE CITIZEN concern over apartments tied in closely with another concern - that of zoning. Seventy-thre- e -- citizens complained about the zoning practices in Layton which, citizens believe, ignore aes After the fire, Carl Craig purchased the church and remodeled it into a residence. His family moved in four years later. thetic and practical aspects. Apartments, storage sheds and convenience stores were the primary sources of citizen complaints. Recorders attend meet RESTORING confidence in city government was a problem area that concerned 93 survey respondents. Again, the concern of apartment building in Layton appeared in this area, dmg Fruit Heights City Recorder Belva Provost and Kaysvil-l- e City Recorder, Linda Ross, met with other city recorders from throughout the state during the week of Sept. at the city recorders institute held at the University of Utah. THEY RECEIVED instruction from University professors and state officials, providing them with up to date information on all aspects of their duties. It was a busy, but rewarding experience, said Mrs. Provost, me One hundred three respondents expressed concern with growth and the implications that come with rapid expansion. 16-2- 0 1 1 cross-sectio- THE SURVEY was two parts. The first page asked people to evaluate the performance of different parts of city government as good, fair or poor. The second part of the survey invited citizens to write what they considered to be the most serious problem facing Layton in the next one to three years. City parks ranked number one in the good category, 86 percent of the citizens responding to the survey rated the parks "good. The good rating was applied to the public buildings and grounds by 74 per- cent of the respondents. Other areas that received a "good citizen rating were shopping parking, 73 percent; garbage collection, 71 percent; fire protection, 69 percent; emergency response 69 percent; city museum, 60 percent; traffic law enforcement, 59 percent; recreation department activities, 57 percent; water pressure, 53 percent and crime prevention 52 percent. LOW MARKS went to the present swimming pool, public library and control of nuisances. Fifty-si- x percent rated the swimming pool and public library as "poor while 44 percent placed control of nuisances in the poor category. The Building Dept, busy LAYTON - The month of August was busy for the Community Development department in Layton. The end of the month report indicates 92 building permits were issued fora value of $5, 883, 946. The department made 563 inspections. -- TOP OF the building permit list was single dwelling permits, with 49 issued. The value of the single dwelling permits was $3,649,998. Four single dwelling remodeling permits were given out in August. The city issued permits for two and one There were five new commercial permits given and three commercial remodeling permits. The remaining permits were in the areas of garages, swimming pools, fencing, signs and "other. mm mmm Candidate Four Year City Council LAYTON CITY BRIEF RESUME: Raised in Davis County and educated in Davis County Schools-- 1 962 Davis High graduate; of Bachelors 1969; Masters Business Administration; Utah State University; 1972; Married Karen Clark of Layton; Air National Guard; Honorable discharge-Ut- ah Three children; Thirteen years successful experience in administrativeoperations management and sales with emphasis on full P & L responsibility, asset management, general accounting, personnel management and sales and dmg degree-Clniver- Dancers WEEKDAYS 3:30-6:0- 0 p.m. sity marketing; Active in my church; Hobbies include: active in sports; Northwest Coast Indian Art; MAJOR CAMPAIGN STATEMENT AND OBJECTIVE: believe that through hard work, quality management practices and building on a commitfor other ment to professionalism, Layton City can become a city and a cities throughout Utah. 1 first-cla- ss MAJOR CONCERNS: Comprehensive city planning and development Quality management practices Fiscal accountability and responsibility Interface with city departments, with county and state government within and without Pride in city govemment-bo- th Just North of West Gate Pak) political advertisement by Hansen for City Council- - role-mod- el |