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Show Free Press - Wednesday, February 1 1, 1998 - Page 2 Opinion Caffeine, caffeine everywhere, and lots of drops to drink The rush to annexation For a state that holds dear the concept of individual choice and property rights, the current push to incorporate certain parts of north Utah County into local cities against the will of many property owners is out of character. Two current annexation proposals, one driven by fear and the other by profit, seem to fly in the face of the county's rural heritage. Now might be a good time to step back and take a deep breath before continuing with these annexations, which will forever alter the lifestyles of people who have staked a claim in their rural heritage. For example, the push to annex the Manila Township area into Pleasant Grove is driven primarily by fear. Much of that fear is rooted in an attempt 19 years ago by the founders of Cedar Hills to force the annexation of some of the county residents into the community. That attempt failed, but the distrust engendered in 1979 continues to this day. So while many of the residents of rural Manila would prefer to remain in the county, fear of future annexation attempts by Cedar Hills has driven the Township leaders to push for annexation to Pleasant Grove. Last week, Cedar Hills tried to pour oil on these troubled waters by issuing a proclamation that "Cedar Hills will never force annexation upon" the property owners in the Manila Township area. The city extends this official promise that annexations will only come at the request of individual property owners. A statement by County Commissioner Gary Herbert echoes this philosophy, explaining that as long as people want to live on their larger, rural lots, they are welcome to stay in the county or to annex to a nearby city according to the desires of the homeowners. Given those two statements, the attempt at the wholesale annexation of the Manila Township into Pleasant Grove, especially if it is against the wishes of any township members, should be aborted now. The other annexation attempt is driven by economics, as Lehi has its eye on a portion of the county property between its borders and American Fork. Once annexed, much of the property will be developed into residential housing. It will radically alter the lifestyles of individuals who now live in this rural area, and who have closer ties to American Fork than to Lehi. This annexation also would represent the expansion of Lehi at the expense of its neighbor to the south, and has alarmed American Fork officials. The annexation request has been denied by the Utah County Boundary Commission and the two communities are now negotiating definitive boundaries but odds are the request will return in a modified form in the near future. The rapid growth in north Utah County is creating tremendous stress for local residents who have embraced a rural lifestyle. It prompted a initiative in Lehi which was hotly debated in the last election. It has torn deeply into the social fabric of Hills communities. the Manila-Ceda- r With a truce declared by Cedar Hills, and a denial from the Boundary Commission for the Lehi Annexation, now would be a good time to reconsider this relentless drive toward annexation. The rural areas of north Utah County add a variety and richness to all of our communities. It would be a shame to lose that because fear or the desire for profit took precedence over a little common sense. Especially if it comes against the wishes of those who want to live in these unincorporated areas of the county. th Valentine's Day and beyond Spring is supposed to be the season of love, so I'm not sure who the holiassigned Valentine's Day to February. day of sweethearts Maybe they were hoping it would influence the groundhog to declare winter to be over. It didn't happen, at least not in Pennsylvania, but you could make a case here this year. Our local forecasters are saying our warm, El weather is supposed to last until May. I hope they're right, because if they aren't, our plants could be in a lot of trouble. Mine seem to have forgotten Nino-influenc- it's February and they're not supposed to be even thinking about comand, ing up right now, but they are I saw evidence Saturday that the buds on my trees are starting to break too. I won't believe it until May, but for their sake, I hope we are spared a late winter Arctic blast. On the other hand, I doubt even that would be enough to cool the ardor of my teenage son, who is devoting most of his considerable energy right now to planning a fitting Valentine surprise for his lady. I'm not sure if Walt Disney invent- - ed the term, but "twitterpated" comes to mind as I view his efforts with the detachment only maturing years can provide. The signs are all there: Wanting to check the voice-maevery time he comes in the door, even if he just il barely went out. Spending hours designing lavishly illustrated notes on the computer, to be by his brother, who fortunately shares a class with her. Developing a sudden interest in $16 bottles of cologne. Going to unusual lenghts to choose the right clothes and style his hair. He even volunteered (gasp!) to wash his father's car, including shampooing the upholstery. The boy has a bad case, all right, but when I called him that the other day, he assured me that he was way beyond "twitterpated." After what he's planning for Valentine's Day, if I were the lady in question, I, think I would believe him. hand-delivere- d On my way to a rehearsal the other night, I stopped at one of the convenience stores in Lehi to purchase libation. My mouth watered for my traditional Diet Coke, but my sense of propriety and good sense kept suggesting bottled water. And since I was driving the vehicle for which we have set the rule of not having food or drink, the water won out. I went to the cooler and found that there were a couple of choices in the water line. There was the carbonated and flavored variety, which I don't like, and there was the plain, garden-variet- y water. But there was also another option: a newfangled caffeinated water called ine ganne. The good health we derive from the bread is obliterated by the fat and cholesterol of the bread spread. One popular fast food establishment claims that its burgers are superior because of the method of cooking. But what do you hear when you patronize them? "Would you like fries with that?" Don't you think that a more healthful hamburger should be accompanied by some sort of more nutritious snack that is not deep fried? A competing establishment that offers both and reduced-fa- t sandwiches suggests that one may continue patronizing burger establishments, as long as the customer literally runs to the farthest such location in order to complete the exercise that would offset the great number of calories. Decades of technology have gone to waste in a way with the invention of the telephone and the subsequent advent of peripheral devices that "enhance" our service. Prior to Bell's successful tinkering, people had to rely on Samuel Morse's system of telecommunications, and before that it was just So when Watson heard his employer say, "Come here, I need you," the box that would become the telephone opened up a whole new door in our lives. But, just as some people need caffeine added to their water, some telephone subscribers needed more than just a telephone. Zip. Soda makers, who have been laboring for 3'ears to create the right concoction of drink that will win the highest market share, have taken out the sugar on some drinks, the caffeine on others, and in some cases, both the sugar and the caffeine. One even tried adding twice the sugar and twice the caffeine to give their clients a real jolt. But here was plain water, particularly healthful because the natural and man-mad- e impurities had been removed. Then someone came along and added caffeine to it. Doesn't this say that, somewhere along the line, people have really screwed up their priorities? In response to another health fad, bread stores (or cooperative displays in other stores) seem to be popping up everywhere. Bran and whole wheat are touted as virtual sources of health while preservatives of all kinds are being decried as pollutants and carcinogens. So we hop on the health wagon and purchase a loaf of Aunt Fanny's Zestful Life Bread, pop it in the toaster, then slather it with butter or mar- - fat-lad- All-Gra- w lecimuiugjr h cuie U quickly. So, if you want to talk to me, there is no need to wait. Simply press 19 at any time during the message. You know you are a Good Old Boy if Since last week's editorial calling attentions to the actions of the "Good Old Boy network," I have been inundated with calls from folks who wanted to know who these Good Old Boys were, and if it was them. That set me to thinking about what it takes to be a "Good Old Boy." For one thing, you don't have to be a boy. There are some good old gals out there as well. But I thought I should come up with some guidelines to help the Good Old Boys out there recognize who they are. One of my callers not only wanted to know if he was Good Old Boy, but if he should be offended by the editorial. So before I start, let me note right off that this is intended to offend no one, but it probably will. So, with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, let us proceed. You Know You Are A Good Old Boy If: ;ir you used to drive a tractor over the land where half the residents of American Fork now have their homes, including you. 'r your last name and your street name are the same. :jr you have an ancestor who appears in the first 10 pages of "A History of (your town's name here)." :ir you attended an elementary school with your family name on it. rjr everybody in a three-bloc- k radius is a relative. you refer to anyone who has lived in the community for less than 30 years (or his or her lifetime, whichever comes first) as a "comer." :,r you attend city council meeting in rrj to reach out and touch anyone they wanted also provided a way lor anyone and his or her dog to reach in and touch us in our own homes. company Hence, the telephone devised Caller ID so we could decide for ourselves with whom we would or would not speak, the premise being that since we do the same thing with our front door peephole, we should be able to maintain complete control on who we invite "into" our home via the telephone. I'm not knocking the system, mind you, I just think it's ironic because the people who were gladdened by the development of the phone would probably be amazed to think that one wouldn't be happy to have the opportunity to speak so conveniently with others. Another telephone-enhancin- g system is the computerized menu of options, many of which are prefaced by "If you know your party's extension, you may press it at any time." Most of the time, though, I don't know my party's extension, and I have to listen to the whole menu of options to get to the place I need to be. What I really hate, however, is when my particular goal is not included on those options. So usually I end up pressing 0 for the receptionist, who may or may not know any more than I do about which department can help me the most. When that technology is on the other foot, the situation is seen in a new light. We at the newspaper office have taken advantage of that menu capability, not only to make telephone calls more convenient for us, but to allow patrons who know their party's extension to get through to him or her more . . . History of (any other town but this one)." you didn't enter an elementary school in the area until you were in the second grade. rJir you don't know anybody who lives on your block, and you don't care. " you don't know that your bishop used to be on the city council. you don't know what a water share. " . 'lS. ... your coveralls'. you and your friends trade water shares instead of Christmas cards. you understand or wrote Utah water law. you are against pressurized irrigation because it means you won't get to take your water turn at 3 a.m. you call city council members, Chamber of Commerce officials and resident educators "brother" and "sister." rjr you run for office because you have property to develop. your parent's baby book includes their birth announcement clipped from the pages of the Citizen. Just to even things out, I thought I would add a section for the "comers," a term that is unique to Alpine but which describes all of us who were born elsewhere and moved here only within the last three or four decades. You Know You are a Comer If: you've never driven a tractor. you are unaware that anyone used to farm the land on which your home sits. rr you have an ancestor whose name appears in the first 10 pages of "A .,,,.. j'ou don't understand what pres-- , surized irrigation means. After all, isn't, there plenty of water for everyone? 'Jr you didn't know your community had a hometown newspaper, like the Citizen. These are just a few. Any suggestions ' for other entries would be appreciated. Just mail them to me at P.O. Box 7,. 4 American Fork, 84003, fax them to or them to me at " 756-527- newtahaol.com. Just so you know how deeply these feelings go, Betty Fowler, our longtime ' Lehi Free Press editor, once told me how a story she had written in the paper had elicited a negative response from some-- . one who suggested that Betty just to American Fork, the city of her! birth. Never mind she had lived in Lehi ,' for over 50 years and her blood ran pur- pie, not red. Nevertheless, Betty is a Good Old Boy in the best sense of the word. She loves Lehi and defends it fervently. You see, there are good Good Old Boys ' and bad Good Old Boys, just like every-- " thing else. I just hope there are Good Old Boys out there who still have a good! sense of humor. ( Family relationships: rarely easy but always worth it I'm sure most of you have seen the movie; everyone has to talk about it the tragedy is all too real. I came away would be able to face death thinking of others first. And then I hear the hopeless pathos in the music and it all comes back. Lately I've let the music remind me of two great lessons: First, what happens to the "Heart of the Ocean" symbolizes that all the wealth of the world is nothing compared to the love in our marriage, family and other relationone of ships. Second, after the greatest human tragedies of all time, the writers and producers felt compelled to include the hope of eventual reunion. So it is with mortality; without our hope in Christ, the resurrection, and an eternal family, we have all booked passage on the Titanic. Since my wife and I have been teaching a parenting class, we have become increasingly grateful that we hoping I have such good kids. At least for now, they make us look much better than we really are. We have our fair share of serious problems and we keep trying to do better; we just hope we don't mess them up too bad before they grow up and move out. Thus being forced to think about what we do as parents, I put together a very preliminary list of good parenting principles. (Remember, this is free advice and it's worth every penny.) 1. Always nurture and preserve the relationship because all behavioral problems are relationship problems. 2. There is no substitute for time with spouse, time as a family and time with each individual child. Date nights and Family Home Evening are some of the planned times we use to accomplish this. Anything of lasting value, takes time to build. What we do with our time is the single most effective way we teach what is Published weekly by (ISSN No. (U.S.P.S. No. 8750-4069- A ..Tie ) 309-500- ) member ol NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION NATIONAL iewtalijews I roup 59 West Main American Fork, Utah 84003 important to us (our values). Among other things, children remember tradi- tions and family vacations. 3. Regular Father's interviews (guided by consultation with Mom) are critical for preventing family tragedies. Such interviews reflect a priesthood pattern of living. 4. God never gives up and neither can we. 5. There will be many times when we should sincerely apologize to one or more of our children. 6. The greatest teaching moments are usually serendipitous. Be smart enough to show up. 7. Without my family, the earth, its creation, my entire life, would be (for me) totally wasted. (D&C 2) 8. Have fun and laugh together. If we don't enjoy each other's company now, why would we ever want to live together forever? 9. Live the golden rule. Deadlines Telephone Numbers Advertising & Classified Advertising Circulation Display News Publisher .Brett Bezzant Managing Editor Marc Haddock City Editor Subscription Russ Daly price S24: per year Periodicals Postage Paid at American Fork. Utah POSTMASTER: Mnd address change to 59 West Mala American Fork. Utah 84003 Advertising News Missionaries Tuesday, noon Monday. 5 p.m. .Monday. 2 p.m. Monday. 2 p.m. Weddings Monday. 2 p.m. Community Calendar .Monday. 10 a.m. Letters to the Editor . .Monday. 10 a.m. Obituaries Tuesday. 11 a.m. 10. To change a relationship, I must change first. 11. There is no escaping the law of the harvest. If you sow anger, you reap it; if you sow peace and harmony; you reap it. But results are rarely immediate. (Remember, anything of lasting value takes time.) 12. President Harold B. Lee said, "A happy wife is worth a 100 books on child development." I guess that's why our last class was on the importance of a strong marriage. It occurred to me that God (or becoming like God) requires a unity rarely found in this world. To be one with God, we must be one with his chosen apostles and prophets, pne with the saints. However, our hope is vain if we can't be one with our spouse. It is in that sacred relationship that we are more like God than in any other. For the same reason, it is nonsense to hold a debate about praying to a Mother in Heaven. When we pray as t we are instructed, we get the whole package. God our Father and God our Mother are one so much so that its I rather absurd to even mention them I separately. One thing my wife and I do that! seems to strengthen our marriage is! designated cuddle time. We wrap up ; real tight on the bed and... talk. We try j to do this before it gets too late so I can ! stay awake. Sometimes it becomes ; romantic and we talk of out hopes and J dreams. I may draw her close, kiss her passionately and say, "Kelly, I hope... ! you wrote in your checks." Tenderly ; she kisses me back and says, "Oh, I Brett, you're such a dreamer!" I also hope you and sweetheart your will share a wonderful Valentine's Day. J 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. a MOW TO REACH By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In Person 59 W. Main, American Fork US By Fax 756-527- 4 By newtahaol.com 1 POOE |