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Show It ' Lehi Free Press New Utah! i3& .2 Wednesday, April 14. 1999 - Page 2 Opinion teeth in, Marie, Keep your Sprucing up for spring There's no doubt it's spring dumpsters are breaking out all over. Over the next few weeks, local communities will join in our individual efforts at some old fashioned spring cleaning. It is a welcome opportunity to spruce up our homes and yards, as we begin the regular ritual of mowing, pruning, clipping, cultivating On my way out of the house the other day, I glanced over at the television, which was tuned to The Donny and Marie Show." When someone made a reference to age, Marie, acting horrified, said that they spell the word With Donny and Marie being the same age as my wife and I, I wondered if that classification also belonged to dumpsters, or trash is poured onto a full dumpster only to pour out again onto the street. It doesn't help anybody, especially a clean-u- p effort, if trash is simply moved from one location to another. If the dumpsters are full, don't us. dump your trash. On the other hand, the cities organizing this clean up effort must make certain the dumpsters are and planting. We also have the best opportunity emptied regularly and often. It's disthis spring will offer to get rid of the couraging to make the effort to haul trash to a dumpster site, only to trash and worn out articles that find there's no more room. tend to clutter our yards, as our cities place garbage dumpsters at Second, if what you wish to discard isn't suitable for a dumpster, strategic locations, saving us a trip now known as to the local dump virtually every city offers free passes for residents to take their trash the transfer station located at the directed to the North Utah County site of the landfill in Lindon. Solid Waste Transfer Station at This is an offer we shouldn't 2000 West 200 South in Lindon. All refuse. clean-u- p e loads to the transfer station must be True, these efforts aren't as easy as they used to covered. Call your local city hall for more details. be. It wasn't long ago, dump truck And finally, some organic materiand front end loaders went from one als lawn clippings, leaves and end of town to the other, collecting such are better suited to recytrash our pruning and from our curbs. cling than simply adding to our landfill. But the communities have grown The Timpanogos Special Service so much recently that this kind of e District has a compost heap for such effort is no longer practimaterials. It is located at 5050 W. cal or cost effective. 6400 North in the county. CompostThat puts even more responsibilied material is available from the ty on the shoulders of the individual district for gardening purposes. home owners. But the strategically In addition to being an individual placed dumpsters are the next best effort, cleaning up our homes and things. There are some important considyards every spring is an occasion to demonstrate community pride. And erations everyone should be aware of. our north Utah County communities have a lot to be proud of. First, the dumpsters can only Let's all get involved over the hold so much and once they are next few weeks to help our commufull, they have to be emptied before nities look their best by making our they can be filled again. This seems own homes and yards look their elementary, but every year large discarded items are stacked next to full best. Since then some minor health problems have made me wonder if my body has started the degenerative process. For example, for the past 15 years, we have, by choice, been sleeping on the floor on a Japanese bed called a futon. We have always felt that it was very comfortable for sleeping but the getting up process has become more arduous with each ensuing year. I find it hard to imagine the day when my wife and I, as part of our daily ritual, each take out our teeth and put them in a glass of water and set them by the side of the bed. It's even harder to imagine Marie doing it. Do you find it interesting how our minds affix images to people and places with which we are familiar. As I was reading a suspense novel recently, I came across the name of a e friend of resident of Lehi, a mine. Unfortunately, the fictional character in the book was a weasel and every time I read his name my mind city-wid- over-size- d long-tim- city-wid- full-fledg- although many concerts of popular "artists" are played at such an level that hearing the music is it's the crowds I almost impossible can't abide, along with the traffic and behavioral excesses that accompany them. However, when I heard that Billy Joel was coming back to Salt Lake, the temp- ear-splitti- Mnf tnn ctrnncr frr toHnn favorite peronly is he one of my e formers, I had heard from a lot of people through the years that he really put on a show that was worth seeing. So, we parted with some of our hard- earned cash (several months ago) and joined the throngs headed for the Delta Center last weekend to welcome the Piano Man back to town. He did not disall-tim- ; appoint. We went early to get a good parking spot, but the start of the concert was ; delayed by the late arrival of at least half of the packed house. We passed the time by trying to guess the function of the var- ious pieces of equipment surrounding ; the stage and watching the stage hands climbing up and down a metal suspen-- " sion ladder to a catwalk hanging above. By the time all the technicians were I in place and the lights went down, the crowd was restless and ready to get going. Unlike most headliners, Joel act and takes no employs no warm-uintermission, so once he got started, we were all treated to more than two solid '. hours of entertainment. And entertaining it was. numbers alternated with soulful ballads, interspersed with often humorous ban- ter by Joel and spotlights on members of his incredibly talented band. His com-- J mentary helped explain the context which produced some of his lyrics. ', Whenever he started a new number, J he teased the audience with intros obvi- ously inspired by other musicians, from classical geniuses to folk singers. I There would be a breathless hush, as J everyone strained to hear the first famil-ia- r notes, and when they came, the audi- ence roared in recognition and approval. Nearly all his concert selections are included on his "greatest hits" albums, but he occasionally threw in a lesser- known song he liked. They spanned his entire career, which has surpassed three . decades now; he made reference to his approaching 50th birthday. p Hard-drivin- g Wm Press There were moments when age's toll upon his voice came through, but they were few and far between. We found it remarkable that he and his entire entourage could still perform with such energy, since he told us they had been on tour since January of last year. He had no less than four keyboards scattered around the stage the piano up front rotated as though it were "on a barbecue spit," he said and he shifted his position constantly to face different segments ofthe audience. The ones down front even got handshakes and autographs. We didn't know what was happening until we arrived, but the show pulled us all along until it got to the focal point Joel's personal survey of rock and roll. He started with a Sinatra standard and worked his way forward decade by decade. Along the way, he and his fellow performers did some pretty fair imitations of Elvis, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Sting, complete with mannerisms and a twirling nuke stand, which he dropped once, laughing at himself He then swung into his own "We Didn't Start the Fire" retrospective from the "Storm Front" album, and without a break, ended the rousing set with "If s Still Rock and Roll to Me." By then, everybody on the floor and a lot of people in the stands were on then-feeand when they finished the first farewell number, the fans sustained the sound level of a playoff game for an incredibly long time before he returned to do a couple of encores, endwhat else? "The Piano ing with time-honor- t, Jazz-Bul- ls Man." Endurance alone does not necessarily mark great artistry the Rolling Stones would top the list of exceptions who come to mind but Joel has survived because he has made his music and its themes always a bit raw and unfailingly honest, and he has never been afraid to reinvent himself A truly gifted performer and composer with the soul of a genuine poet, Joel's perhaps final tour showed why he is so much more than another "oldies" act trying to endlessly cash in on the baby boom generation's obsession with nostalgia. It's no wonder that the audience included everybody from graybeards to teenagers. He has something to say to all of us. over-the-hi- Published weekly by NewUtah! (ISSN No. (U.S.P.S. No. 309-50- A member of NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION ll Publisher jewtahjews w oww ii iii wiiii aii 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 In an unusual move last week, Utah County attorney Kay Bryson released a three-pag- e letter responding to criticism of the way the county, and particularly the way Bryson s office, handled the recent Movie Buffs trial. It is unusual, because normally county attorneys are smart enough not to get into spitting contests with the media. Most understand this is a contest they cannot win. The media has all the room it needs to tell its story, and then gets to edit the other side of the controversy to fit available space. Also, the media always has the luxury of getting in the last word. It is unusual because it is very long the letter would have run 41 column inches in our newspaper. That's at least twice as long as anything you'll read on this editorial page. We just don't have room for it. I am making Bryson's letter available on our web page at www.newutah.com, for those who want to see the entire text. But I don't have room to run the letter in the paper. But Bryson makes some valid points in this letter, and I wanted to point those out and comment on them. Bryson makes the distinction between asking the jury to set a community standard, which he says the media reported inaccurately, and "asking the jury to recognize a Managing Editor City stan- dard already established in Utah County by a citizenry overwhelmingly possessed of strong moral and family values." In attempts to simplify the story, perhaps the media this issue. But the fact is the prosecution was asking the jury to come up with a yardstick that would allow a business proprietor a means to deter- over-simplifi- recalled the image of my friend. What we read or hear often stays with us and can be recalled quickly especially if we are not trying to remember it. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... from Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, or "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country from a speech from John F. Kennedy are just two examples of memorable phrases that can easily come to mind. With our interest and experience in theater my wife and I often recollect lines from our favorite plays in our everyday conversations. Hardly a day goes by where we don't use one or more lines from one or more plays to pepper our speech. Another powerful image relationship can be found in music. On the radio station that I have been listening to lately, I have heard Billy Joel's For the Longest Time on several occasions. Each time I hear that song, I think of my nephew, who really enjoyed that song. It seems like he was only about 10 at the time it came out and his boyish enthusiasm for the lyrics were so istics, (with the exception of the amount of hair) or, knowing some of their children, could see the traits that they would pass on to their future posterity. It was also interesting to see the class romances that blossomed into marriages. I wondered, though, how many of those couples had no interest in each other at the time. A walk down memory lane doesn't take much effort at all. I think I might even look forward to the accumulation of memories I will have when I start taking my teeth out at night. iimmmmmmmm i..u,i,juli.j.i soul. He also condemned news reporters who refused to watch the material shown at the trial, and then characterized the material as basically "R" rated movies. This material was not the same as an "R" rated film. It was much more graphic, intense and oriented strictly toward the lengthy depiction of sexual acts with little concern for plot, characterization or II ' y- -' story line. mine if material he or Bhe was selling was in line with the community standard or not. In recognizing this standard, the jury would have, in effect, established some guidelines. The sad fact is, neither jury in this case was willing to recognize these If the County Attorney had stopped here, his letter would have been a powerful statement about his goals in prosecuting the Movie Buffs trial. But he didn't. Bryson then lets his letter deteriorate into a diatribe against the "radio personalities" who, he says, standards, The. - first jury failed '"earn their living by the sweat -of their " (because one juror felt it was inappro- - tongues." If you've read about the letter, this priate for him to dictate what someone else's standard should be. brief paragraph was likely the part The second jury didn't really rule you heard about. And that's a shame. on the issue of whether the material Radio personalities serve a valuable was pornographic or not, but indicafunction in promoting public distions are that not every juror thought course. And they serve that function the material exhibited at the Movie whether we agree with them or not. Buffs trial was pornographic It's much Hke this column, or the editorial I write each week for this although most did. The inability of either jury to come to newspaper. I seldom expect everyone a definitive decision about what is or to agree with the opinions expressed. isn't pornographic is troubling But I do hope that sometimes these especially in an area where the feelings of writings prompt people to think, to the vast majority are so obviously clarify their own opinions, or to conagainst letting more explicit sexual sider other ideas or options. material into the community. It obviThis free flow of ideas is crucial to ously frustrated Bryson, who saw many our society and our freedom. To critipotential jurors dismissed because their cize it in its modern form simply feelings about pornography were so because we don't agree with the opinions being expressed is folly. strong. He's not the only one. It is a poor way to develop a comBryson's opinions are obviously munity standard when only people heartfelt. He cares about keeping the who have ambivalent feelings about filth out of our communities, and vows pornography are allowed to serve on to keep enforcing the obscenity laws the jury. when they are violated. n It's a shame that one part of this Bryson has some words to condemn pornography and letter takes away from the important its devastating effects on the human message he is trying to deliver. - , ; well-chose- Reader's Forum the First Amendment. People who are "users" try to use the first amendment to serve themselves and their own Editor: The "Movie Buffs Trial" began purposes. Since we live in a society that often because a child was exposed to pornogblames Criminals victims, it isn't a surprise that take of raphy. advantage peaceable, innocent and even ignorant the City of Lehi was blamed. The jury people. We need to become active and believed that since the city issued a informed. There are crafty, cunning business license to Peterman, that the and deceptive people who dwell among criminal activity of circulating pornous. They prey on our children. graphic material was excusable. Lehi During the recent Larry Warren is not blameless, but how naive are Peterman Movie Buff trial, citizens we? Could we honestly believe that were saying, "They would not have Peterman thought his videos were served on the jury if asked, because within the law? The second convincing argument they didn't want to watch the videos in that the jury bought was given by the question." U of U psychiatrist. The doctor someof kind that is Perhaps thinking part of what set Peterman free. The how convinced some of the jurors that decision may have been left to a few the videos had value to people with Neither argument jurors, who really didn't mind watch- dysfunctions. stands in the war against He was free. set Peterman and strong ing. others hke him are calling themselves pornography. After attending the Peterman trial winners. Will we allow them to continI could see that when wrestling in the ue in their mischief? We love freedom and the rights of mud we may get a little dirty but if our intent is good it washes off. Sounding the war cry Deadlines Telephone Number Advertising & Circulation News 1521-685- fun to watch. That music and that nephew are indelibly linked, even after more than 13 years. I heard a song by Anne Murray the other day, and I immediately recalled my honeymoon, when my new bride and I bought a cassette tape by that artist to listen to as we traveled. We don't have one particular "song but the sound of Ms. Murray's voice brought that memory. I had the opportunity to peruse some vintage Lehi nigh fcchool yearbooks recently. As I looked at each of their faces, I not only saw the young person in the photograph, but I could see the adult each had become. It was as if I was in two generations at once. Many of them possess as adults, roughly the same physical character- Comment taints Bryson's thoughtful letter For Billy Joel, it's still Rock and Roll You could say that I'm not a regular at rock concerts. In fact, until Saturday night, I had been to only two events of that kind, both of them when I was in which was a very long high school time ago. ;j I' I It isn't that don't enjoy the music you're not that old 9 3 Brett Bezzant Marc Haddock Editor.......... RussDaly Subscription price $24" per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork, Utah POSTMASTER: tend tddran change to S9Wtat Main, American Fort, Utah W003 Classified Advertising Display Advertising News .............. Missionaries Weddings Sports Judy Price Cemetery sign thanks Editor: If you have driven up to the main entrance of the Lehi Cemetery lately Fm sure you have noticed a beautiful polished granite stone that says "Welcome to the Lehi Cemetery." This beautiful piece of granite was donated to the city cemetery by Walker Monument Company. Our thanks go out to a fine young man by the name of Nick Cutler, who as part of an Eagle Scout project was able to arrange for this new addition to our cemetery I wish to express my thanks to this young man, as well as Walker Monument for being sensitive to the needs of our community. Marie Hutchings We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must Include the author's name (printed AND signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. .Tuesday, noon . . . .Monday, 5 p.m. . It's time to sound the war cry. Our children's Uvea are in danger. . .Monday, 2 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. HOW TO REACH US .Monday, 2 p.m. ...Monday, 10 a.m. By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 Community Calendar . .Monday, 10 a.m. Letters to the Editor . . .Monday, 10 a.m. Obituaries , .Tuesday, 1 1 am In ' By Fax 756-527- Person 59 W. Main, American Fork 4 By editor newutah.com POOR t . |