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Show Comment Free Press - Wednesday, April 25, 1990 - Page 2 Community suffers when system is circumvented Recent events in Lehi City provide some insight into our system of government and what happens when that system is , circumvented, for whatever reason. Lehi is in the middle of a power struggle between its Mayor, Guy Cash, and the members ofthe city council. At the heart ofthe issue is the future home of Lehi' s city offices. Plans have been in the making for a few years to build a new city administration building for offices for the city employees who now work in the basement of a remodeled LDS ward house. It would be constructed in conjunction with a new library and senior citizens center and a new public safety building both of which have already been constructed. The police have just moved into their new offices. The bid for the new administration building came in over the estimates provided by the architect Nevertheless, the city council voted to award the bid and build the new building completing a block of city buildings. Across the street from the new buildings lies the Lehi Memorial Building, a unique city structure and the first building completed in the United States which honored World War I veterans. Over the years, the building has served many purposes. It was at one time the city administration building, until the city offices moved to the former church they now occupy. It housed the city library until recently, when it was moved across the street to the new structure. Up until just a few weeks ago it housed the police department. But one by one, the entities that occupied the Memorial Building have moved out to more modern facilities and with no occupants, the building is starting to deteriorate with stucco i ' noticebly falling off the outside of the structure. About the same time the city was deciding to build the new administration building, an architectural firm from Salt Lake submitted, at the city council's request, a cost feasibility study for restoring the Memorial Building. The cost came in about $120,000 less than building a new administration building. , Herein lies the issue. The mayor has determined that Lehi City will be better served by renovating the Memorial Building than building a new administration building despite the council's decision to build the new structure. And so he refused to sign the paper that would have completed the process awarding the bid - and held off doing so until the low bid on the new administration building was withdrawn last government Mayors have not been given the right to pick and choose which council directives they will follow, they must follow them all. ' If they refuse to do so, the city council can simply appoint a n and move ahead with city business whether the mayor mayor sits in his seat or not But it is a messy step, and in this case would probably only serve to complicate the matter further. . The philosophy behind our form of representative democracy is simple people elect officials and then those officials act to the best oftheir ability to run our government And when the matter ; comes to a vote the majority rules. By refusing to act on the council's direction, Mayor Cash has circumvented that system. True, he believes he is doing it for the good of the community. But under our system of government, this decision is not his to make. Whether the Memorial Building is renovated, whether Lehi City gets a new administration building, whether it moves its city offices into the Memorial Bidding or leaves them where they are all remains to be determined. Regardless of the outcome of the controversy, Lehi City has ' lost something in the process. The community has been polarized, the will of the city's v elected representatives has been circumvented, and the relationship between the mayor and his council has been damaged.; ".'I If the new building is built, it will now cost Lehi more than it would have had the original bid been accepted. The hidden costs in this situation may trouble the community for years to come. - . - - - -- week. Since bid, a , the Mayor's refusal to sign the contract awarding the has erupted in Lehi, with citizens groups to banding together save the Memorial Building and a frustrated City Council thwarted by a Mayor who has opted a power he doesn't have the power of veto. Utah cities with Lehi's form ofgovernmen- t- and that includes on the premise that the most of North Utah County collective decision of the city council is the ruling factor in city free-for-a- ll ; - I'm getting my jokes ready for in need of humor. After covering citizens and council meetings for the past two weeks, I need the levity a few old jokes provide. Wife to Husband: "Of course I spend more than you make...I have great confidence in you!" W:y :i::v:B tfYMIfflAW'w', My wife was having a hard time following her diet until I explained to her that there were at least twenty pounds of her that I wasn't married to. The forbidden fruit is responsible for many bad jams. in the yard as big as a horse! Be careful of the words you say, i "Now, now," said his mother. "If Make them soft and sweet. IVe told you once, I've told you a You never know from day to million times....don't exaggerate!" day, which ones youll have to eat! Trying to squash a rumor is like trying to unring a bell. Doc Larsen: Your husband must have absolute rest and quiet. Here There is no such thing as a are some sleeping tablets. mother. JoAnn Brown: When must I give them to him? Judge Worthen: Tell me, young Doc: Oh they're not for him, man, how on earth did you come to they're for you. I; get so completely intoxicated? Young man: Well, it's like this, Kip: Paula, for the last time, if your honor. I got into bad company, you don't hurry we're going to be There were four of us. 1 had a bottle late for church. of whiskey and the other three Paula: Be patient! I've told you refused to touch the stuff. j a. for the last hour that Fll be down in a minute! As we plan our vacations, here are a few famous last words for vacatiopers: "No, I didn't lock the back door. 1 thought you did." . "Who needs sun block: I never ; ' burn. ; Older Couple at Ticket Counter at Airport: Husband: "is it at all possible to get two seats that are not together?" Every year it takes less time to fly around the world and more time to get to work. and ordered milk. By mistake Miss Lehi to Chad Smith: Offi- g the bartender served him some 'milk cer, this man is annoying me. punch." After taking a good long By BETTY FOWLER Chad: But ma'am, he isn't even 4 drink, the holy man lifted his eyes s to heaven and was heard to say, All . our ; P r: visitors, are, . looking at you. welcome...Some - more than others; CT Miaa Lehi: I know, that's what's j i "Oh Lord, Whaftacow!" s i so annoying. t , A real friend is someone who Well, folks, so much for irreverA mother sent a note to her son's ence. takes a winter vacation on a sunOne more, you ask? drenched beach and doesn't send a teacher: "Georgie is very sensitive. If he needs disciplining, please do postcard. Okay. Here goes. As I approach not slap him. Slap the boy next to my birthday Fll recite a poem: A man went to four stores to see him and this will frighten Georgie I have now reached the "Age of what he could get for his wife. And into doing right." Metals" My hair has turned silhe didn't get one offer. ver, My teeth are partially gold, A small boy ran into the house. And, IVe got lead in my pants. Sign on a roadside shop: "We Alright! I quit! "Mom," he yelled, "there's a dog out buy junk and sell antiques." -- Two-heade- the editor's column d 3 two-head- By MARC HADDOCK 1 mail-delive- hand-deliver- - ry We have developed the most comprehensive computer listing of mail delivery in our respective cities - with each address coded by ' delivery route and delivery order. That way we could provide the m ail carriers with the papers in the order they were to be delivered. But over the years, as you well know, mail delivery has become handful at first, with 500 papers hand delivered that first week. Then we surveyed to see how our readers like the method. Gradually we added more hand deliverers, and we kept asking our readers how they liked the new system. The results? "It has exceeded our highest expectations," says the publisher. This morning, more than half of our American Fork newspapers will d be and available to you to be read with breakfast. In Lehi and Pleasant Grove, 40 percent will be delivered by hand. We still rely on the mail for more than half of our 14,375 newspaper deliveries but we don't expect it to stay at that level for long. And that's good. Because our surveys indicates that most of you you prefer it. ing. Our readers like getting the news - - close-to-hom- e earlier when it's fresher. n This has truly been a situation. Our only drawback has been the shortage of carriers in some locations especially in the center of Lehi and Pleasant Grove. Anyone interested in delivering newspapers every Wednesday morning in these areas is welcome to come to our American Fork Office (59 West Main) and fill out an application. (Bring along your social security number.) When I started working on weekly newspapers conventional wisdom said you couldn't make work on a basis. It has been fun to prove conventional wisdom wrong and to provide our readers with more timely service as well. If you're not getting your paper you can probably look forward to the service in the near future. It is a change in the way we do business that seems to benefit everyone. win-wi- - hand-deliver- y , There's no need to bring? ; personalities into controversy - ' . . - factors. g r, Most deliver between 80 and papers each Wednesday morning before 8 a.m. It takes them less than an hour, and they average almost $4 an hour $17 a month. We give them incentives to sell subscriptions; one carrier made over $30 in a month by getting 12 new subscribers to the paper along with his deliveries. They don't worry about collecting or keeping track of who subscribes on their routes we use the same computer billing system as before to handle the paper work. ' A few drive to the dispersed routes, but most carriers walk. Some make newspaper delivery on Wednesday morning a family affair and use the experience to teach their children the responsibility and the rewards that come from work- The success is due to a lot of Dorothy Loveridge, our circulation manager, has spent months sweating blood to make the conversions to hand delivery and to get the system organized. And Brett has developed a system that works very well for our more and more expensive. And much area. Barbara Christiansen, our of the burden of increasing mail classified ads manager and a recosts has been given to second and porter, has helped organize the third class mail the bulk mail routes as well. rates we are charged to deliver out. But the backbone of the system ' newspapers and shoppers. Ztt is our carriers. The original hand Last year, third class mail took ful has grown to 7 1 and keeps growa tremendous hike. Another increase ing. We've had some who didn't get looms in the near future. up, or who didn't get all their paThe result is it's just getting too pers delivered. But for the most expensive to mail you our newspa part, our carriers have performed pers. And so our publisher, Brett extraordinarily well. Who are these new deliverers of Bezzant, decided we would have to find another way to get our papers the news? They range in age from into your hands. He turned to the 10 to adults -- many of them memmethod that has been successful bers of the same family. They have for daily newspaper for years routes designed for hand delivery. delivery where possible, with deWe started using young newsliveries at every home a newspapaper carriers Inst October - only a per for subscribers and a shopppr -- ' . : like hand delivery, and many of GRIFFITHS God-give- n 100 - B3 TOM , for hand-delivere- M many-colore- d Hand delivery of papers proves successful in light of increasing postal rates One of the common symbols of the newspaper business is the paperboy - you see him a lot in old movies, the dirty, ragged waif on the street corner hawking newspapers with sensational headlines that advance the movies plot: v man "Extra! Extra! terrorizes Tinseltown!" Well, a lot of things about the news business have changed since the 1940s. We don't do many extra editions any more. Television made them obsolete. And paperboys have become "paper carriers" as young women have joined the work force. They don't sell their papers from street corners, either. And monster stories are most commonly found in the tabloids near the check-ou- t stand at the grocery store. And in the past, the newspaper carrier was associated with daily newspapers, while most folks expected to receive their hometown weekly in the mailbox. Well, that's changing, too. And there's a good chance if you are reading this colum n on Wednesday morning, you've benefited from the changes we are undergoing at the newspaper as we move from to and turn over the job of getting our paper to your doorstep from the letterxar" rier to the newspaper carrier. This is no slight on our local letter carriers. They do a marvelous job delivering our mail and getting our papers to everyone who subscribes to the paper. And over the years, weekly newspapers and local post offices have developed strong relationships. After all, we have been their best customer. Every week, week in and week out, for decades this paper has been taken to the post office for delivery. After we started the shopper, we provided a weekly delivery for every home in the city. browsing pretty well known name." The boy looked pleased. "Yes, sir, it should be," he replied proudly. Tve been delivering groceries around town for two years now." Testament So, what's in a name? The exI wonder what he was thinking of when he gave me a New Testaai j perts might say that a name can w influence our lives; 'but I say there mi ment and an Old Testament name: are many more things can affect is second , after he name My Joseph, our destinies than a name. coat. of the As I write this bit of nonsense Then he gave me my first name, Thomas. What was my dear old there is a thunderstorm going on rain dad thinking of when he gave me outside.. Priceless, this nam- e- for the Thomas of the is falling. Thunder ; is echoing New Testament was known for one through our valley. One cannot escape having a feeling of grati- thing, a characteristic to doubt. I realize that first names in some tude. I must walk outside and feel the rain on my face. As to the thun-- , instances can affect our lives. der: y I have written about my boyWhen I was a young boy I was , hood friend whose parents named him Chumley, All of his life he was afraid of it. One time when there called Scrummy, and the name fit was a particularly bad thunderstorm going on I went to my mother his personality and physical ap" for comfort. I can't but think pearance. help "Mam," I said, "What is thunder that if his parents had given him some sexy or glamorous name it and why does it frighten me?" Her answer was not the least bit would not have changed old but I have thought about scientific, , Scrummy. I once had an acquaintance with it many times. "My son," she said, "thunder is the name of Algernon. With a name like that you would expect to see a the method by which God talks to little gentleman, but Algernon was the wicked people. First comes the the meanest, toughest kid you ever lightening from the heavens to show his power, then he speaks with a saw. , loud voice." Now, was it the name his parShe went to a cupboard and ents gave him that shaped his perout the family Bible. She brought faor was because his it sonality to turned Psalms 18 and read: ther was a boxer and loved to visit "The Lord thundered in the the village pub and quaff the ale? There is a possibility that a first heavens, and the highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. name can give you confidence. To illustrate. A young boy was Yea, he sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he Bhot out applying for a job. and discomforted them." lightnings "What's your name?" asked the "So, see," she said, "If you you store manager. not wicked there is nothing to are "Ford," replied the lad. be afraid of when it thunders." "And your first name?" inquired The hills and trees are washed themanager. clean. Therain drops drippingfrom "Henry." the trees look like tears of joy. "Henry Ford, eh," said the Indeed the world is good even if manager with a smile. "That's a you do have an odd name. i loonThe bishop walked into,, the sa- - . . Well, folks, another expert has been heard from. He is Leslie Alan Dunkling, a former teacher and now one of the great experts on names. He makes this statement, "Our first names are not merely names. Frequently they act as our ambassadors, representing us to the outside world. They are a part of our personality as others see us often as we see ourselves." I have always believed with Shakespeare who wrote, "What's in a name," but now I must change my thinking. For example, my father was a religious man. His oldest son he named after an Old Testament prophet The next two he named after leading lights in the New non-worki- Husband to wife: "No, we're not in debt. We can still pay our VISA with our Mastercard." i First names are more than just a name Time to lighten up with some good humor you better believe it the next Old Folks Party. Tin much - pro-ter- once-a-wee- ; k Editor: Recently some controversial political issues in Lehi have developed into heated debate among city officials and private citizens. While I appreciate differences in opinion, and believe discussion of such is good, I am dismayed at letters to newspapers from persons living in Lehi denigrating and falsely accus- ing our newly elected Mayor, Guy Cash. Mayor Cash is one of Lehi's finest citizens. His moral character is of the highest quality, his personal demeanor that of a real gentlemen. He is by those who truly know him, and was a and publicly responsive member of our city council prior to being elected Mayor last fall-, On more than one occasion he voted in accordance with public opinion, and against his own inter-- . " ests (and sometimes was the only ' Council member interested in the people's voice). In a day when "representative ' government" represents little of the people and much of its own inter- - ; ' ests, Mayor Cash is a fine example of a public servant, desiring to know and represent the people's will And isn't this, after all, the real essence of democracy. Political issues aside, Mayor Cash is a personally generous, kind, tolerant man who speaks well of all-ethose who publicly slander him. He has willingly imparted of his own resources-bo- th personal ven well-respect- well-inform- . , . hand-delivere- - . and finan'cial-tohe- lp others and to improve our community. He ii gentleman deserving respect I hope Lehi'. citizens will all remember this, and try to work out difference of opinion in a more kind and cooperative manner. "David H. Brown .. Mary Elk Brown ' ! " ' |