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Show I Review Editorials Water, Water, Everywhere A4 August 25. 1966 WMI Challenge is a Review feature which explores our times and our community through the views of citizens living here. Its purpose is to stimulate thought; and, hopefully, action on vital issues. The views expressed may or may not he those of the editors of the Review. This week's contribution is by Mrs. Eugene - L. Bliss, president, League of Women Voters of Salt Lake City. She is the wife of a professor of psychiatry at the University of Utah Medical School. Her interest in water resources began as a member of a committee on capital improvements for the League in 1969. She served four years as water resources chairman on the League State Board. Bat This One Around A While subject to contamination as a result of Mans carelessness. Unless well water quality is tested frequently there is no assurance that pollution does not exist. Each well that is dug beneath the Earths surface is comparable to a puncture in a mans skin; the danger of infection, through the puncture, is increased. Wells can be contaminated if they have been improperly constructed, if domestic wastewater or chemical or radiological wastes are disposed of too close to the wells, or if polluted surface water makes it way into underground aquifers through uncapped test holes or Heres a quick little statistic you can toss off to amaze and stupify your friends at social gatherings. Tell them that the total property tax take for Salt Lake County government functions (including schools, cities, county etc.) for 1965 was $62,420,000. Thats correct to the nearest thousand. Then ask them to guess what it was in 1946. Most will say oh about 25 million. Then slowly reel off the true figure - $10,702,000! It was about 8 million in 1936, 31 million in 1956, and will climb somewhere near $64 million next year. The population hasnt quite doubled - the cost of living has gone up about 60 percent -- yet the tax bill has increased 600 percent in these short 20 years. We keep asking for it -- we keep demanding more services, we keep voting for it. Yet isn't there a point somewhere where we should start talking about limits? Not only in terms of the politicians favorite term "waste in govem-- : ment - but simply by asking: Can we afford everything we want? In addition there comes a need for management in discussing this kind of money. There is a crying demand for ; , j , I cold clear logical thinking. The exhibition of our county commission - which passes an increased mill levy one week - then revokes the budget requests on that same mill levy two weeks later - is hardly an example of cold, clear, logical thinking. In the light of this staggering cost it seems reasonable for all of us to ask ourselves: When will we grow up to our community' governmental responsibilities? Who Ever Heard Of Wobblies? . ' It is like reading history.... and not too good a history at that....to realize that Salt Lake City government for the first time is being faced NOW with the prospect of its public safety employes affiliated with a labor union. There's something hick town about the prospect of a metropolis of half a million people facing seriously and Initially the prospect of what Jim Barker Wednesday called a policeman's right to be represented within God-giv- en the law. It's a fact that, by moralizing law enforcement vs. rights. Salt Lake City has for decades frightened i policemen and firemen from enjoying the benefits of those g rights as they preferred to enjoy them. Barker said what union men long have known, what policemen no longer will ignore bankers, municipal v officials, every other group has formed "unions" by what to. t"' interests. uyy gWndeir It would be infantile for Salt Lake City to imagine that we can, at this late date, continue to maintain a modern uniform police or fire fighting force in the old high-coll- ar rushing to the scene of trouble in a cart drawn by a brace spavined mares. g , of We 14 have, in Salt Lake City, vigorously resisted efforts to make the police department professional H by this continued resistance (partly overcome with the newly ' Programmed Cadet Corps) we have compelled public safety officers to consider themselves one of the trades. The battle cry of the Wobblies has finally reached the ears of our cops and they are echoing that cry: Workmen. Arise! Fight! . . , God-giv- en - ii . Many Moods Of Will Lucas Panic Panic Panicl! Tour un- divided attention please.... A petition has been Local item: signed by 225 residents of southeast Salt Lake City and presented to the State Ice Cream Control Commission opposing the opening of a new ice cream store at 1615 Foothill Drive (1960 East). High Mogul Mix H. Puffin of the Monumental Pack 9th, Post Hole, of the Royal Order of the Mythopoetic headed a delegation of about thirty persons who supported the petition. We do not believe that an ice cream store should be established in this residential area, Mogul Puffin said. "The location also is objectionable because it is close to many health spas and slenderizing salons, he said. y 'Many middle aged businessmen and senior citizens would pass the store daily, he said. : He pointed out further that parking space on the Lamplighter square adjoining the proposed ice cream store is limited and that many ice cream Mono-stomou- ss, cm the west side of Foothill Drive, adding to ingestion... or rather congestion. Three persons appeared before the commission favoring the ice cream store location, the property owner, his attorney and one consumer of ice cream who said he did not want to have to drive to town to buy his ice cream. J. W. Ace, Ice Cream Commission Chairman, said hundreds of persons had told him they wanted the convenience of an ice cream store in that area. purchasers would park Mr. Ace noted that a tropical green house was going to be built there in the same area.. ..for the growing of maryjane, poppy and a variety of Mexican cacti, and a model airplane store was almost completed.... And there were no petitions against the addition of a John Birch Society bock store in the same business complex so Mr. Ace gave his decision cm the Ice cream store be established at 1615 Foot- "P Amen. hill Drive. political comment wells. . Although Salt Lake County is presently attempting toe make an inventory of all private wells within its boundaries it may take years to complete the task because the County is so short of trained personnel. Those who are qualified to make an educated guess, suspect that there may be several hundred wells, capped or uncapped, artesian or pumped, that have not as yer been surveyed and analyzed. It is possible, too, that illegal cross lave been made, either through ignorance or design, between the public water supplies and the private wells. Except for Deer Creek water, which is brought into the valley by pipeline around the Point of the Mountain, the snows on our mountains are the chief source of our water supply. As the snows melt, the water either flows down into tiie valley in surface streams or seeps down beneath the surface and recharges our underground aquifers. Since our watersheds play such an essential role in our water supply it is of the utmost importance that we protect them from contamination. Although surveys of the Wasatch Mountain watersheds have been conducted by the U.S.P.H. in 1941, 1944 and 1945, and again by a Board of consulting engineers in 1950and 1958, no economically easible method has yet been devised for removing sewage from our recreation areas except by collecting it in closed vaults and hauling it out by truck. This unsavory solution to the problem has been a limiting factor in the development of our winter sports areas. Except for the technique described above for hauling sewage off the watershed, sewage disposal facilities have been greatly improved during the past decade. The creation by the 1953 Legislature of the Utah Water Pollution Control Board for purposes of setting and enforcing standards for pollution abatement, has encouraged municipalities and industries to face their pollution prob uouDie lake by Jim Baldwin of the press when they watch Con and Somebody gave me this little booklet.. -- subdued conver"How to Conduct A Municipal Council Brack begin other-th- an The booklet is a service of sations amongst themselves while a Meeting. the Utah Municipal League. distraught citizen appears before them utmost the with a grievance. for the respect Ive got It is particularly disturbing to some Utah Municipal League and for its mencitizen tor, Bennie Schmiett who keeps the of tiie press, when the distraught to make he when attempts and a for in squelched is running order; League lawyer named Ferro, who writes more issue of Qw rudeness of some members of the city commission during his prelaws to help municipalities than municipal officials ever bother to acquaint sentation of his grievance. In those whispered conversations, themselves with. About what it says in the booklet...it however, Jim Barker begins to talk.,., this little and Jim doesnt seem to care that the isn't that way at all. From has press might hear him. Because Jim booklet, it would seem that Bennie talks loud, the rest of them, given a never been to a City Commission meet-ing...maybe he has, and that's why sort of psychological impetus, begin also to talk a bit louder they printed the booklet. The Council will ....it is at this point that Lou Holley Says the booklet; come to order, the Mayor is supposed notes that things are getting hot Lou walks over to the corner and turns on to say. Brack walks in, his head tilted a the air conditioner. They put the air conditioner in only a few weeks ago. It little backwards. He scans the cavis used mostly when the commission is ernous vacancy of the commission chambers. He acknowledges the presence of beginning to disagree, and it is so noisy that the press cannot hear even much that any and all of those present. the Commission and die Mayor would like to see in print Brack With Puckered Eyelids .or Wheres the Prayer? He sits in the middle chair on the dias. ally, the U.S. Public Health Service would He sizes up the gallery of spectators rule Salt Lake City off limits as a source Back to the little booklet. . . .the booklet with eyelids puckered. Did you ever see of water for interstate commercial carWatch that a praver by one of the council 'their eyelids? says anyone pucker riers because of the failure of our water his eyelids members should be give after the meet Lee Brack. puckers Mayor to meet U.S.P.H. standards. supply when he's sizing up a situation. He fag comes to order. Furthermore, Salt Lake City was about They get out of this one easily puckers his eyelids, "too, when hes dumping thousands of gallons of raw some reason, the City Commisboom on someone. For to the lower into the Lake Great Salt sewage dally Theres nothing more expressive at sion meeting never comes to order. under the mistaken notion that the high of our city commission meetings Quite frequently, the meeting fa never one concentration of salt in the lake would The madder folks get. the than the Mayor with puckered eyelids. orderly. take care of all their bacteriological You get to know that the puckered eve-li- ds more disorderly. When someone shouts ' problems. dont mean quite this same.. ..its angrily, the Mayor shouts back. Jim Except for a handful of deeply conto begin taking notes....when Brack Barker can shout louder than Brack time avercerned, knowledgeable experts the his eyelids and drops his chin Lee.. ..particularly when he is shouting puckers age citizen was blissfully unaware of the mast as though he were gawking back at Brack. to half , serious threat both these situations posed at the ceiling. George Catmull and Lou Holley have to the health of their environment, satis'Hello and walks in that their quotes become learned Lou says Holley fied to maintain the status quo and out when they shout; so they dim t and to passes maybe everyone, hopeful that taxes could be kept at a low shout much anymore. passes to a baseball game. level. When shouting becomes really bitter, Hello, Fellas, Lou says to his colSince that time, tremendous strides you can see, by watching closely, a leagues on the dais. 'Hello, Fellas, have been made in upgrading the quality controlled shudder wracking the frame he says to the press corps. of our water supply and improving our and in walks Harrison of Con Harrison. Con begins to read all Con quietly very sewage disposal facilities. Much credit he the headlines and tiie All the dais. the ascends sedately, Very Is due the aforementioned experts who seats himself at the right hand of the time Brack and Jim and whomever continued to work for improved standards Mayor. Its only Cons presence, Im among the spectators are involved... All but considerable credit should also be sure, that gives a quiet mood to city the time theyre hollering you can see paid to the citizens of our valley who, commission meetings. Everyones noisy the wheels grinding under Cons curly when supplied with the tacts, have shown until Con gets there. The Jokes are a tresses. their willingness to pay for clean water He Con is the Great Compromiser. bit more risky. Everyone partakes and supplies and adequate sewage facilities Con comes in, quiets everybody by coming alive with a But when and at participates. the Polls by turning up voting no one quite knows all that goes on brilliant solution tiat accomplishes nothfor increased mill levies andbond issues' ing, except to put the squabble off until anymore. designed to solve our water problems. George Catmull comes in wondering they can all get together in the sane The League of Women Voters likes to if Jim Barker is going to investigate security of Bracks office and decide think that they contributed to this imanother part of his department It what they wont fight about anymore. proved picture by collecting the bets was Jim who triggered investigations and helping to convey them to the Public No Time For Minutes into Georges street paving practices A recent survey erf water resources iems. and procedures; into Georges dusty and sewage disposal made by the task Bennie Schmletts little booklet tells ashphalt plant which adds to the air committee cm Environmental Health as a The largest single Improvement has about of the into reeding the minutes. The decl valley; part of a Salt Lake County Community been the building .of, the Salt Lake City u pollution -- problem ousXityLCommissicn are timeHealth S:idy;'give us reason- to be .Wastewater-Treatmen- t f Georges stinky sewer treatment planV- sices ofSalt Plant. This plant S'vhieh-4w'-iBLake City has no minute, less. aroits share putrid .went 'into, operation faifeax and termfeasor hiarourrprcffrraiinffrth have minutes, they never if Ml with' and Idle the 'tnattes ditches Or, they at reason to no decade but feel all past inated, at long last, the dumping of Salt Jordan. And, its Jim who has been have time to read them; or, if they Lake Citys raw sewage into the Great smug about our present situation. ' read the minutes, they never bother The committees report begins by Salt Lake. looking into Georges unattended gasThere are still some unto X who oline and the approve of them. There is nothing uses Mr. of the pumps Salt Lake solved problems in the operation of the importance explaining in the minutes to be disapproved. citys gasoline. Valley's geological, meteorological and plant but attempts are being made to Our city minutes attest to tiie quiet, historical aspects; Geologically, Its lomeet the standards required by the tient excellence of our City Recorder, Catmulls Springtly Air cation within the Great Basin which has State Dept, of Health and the Water erman Hogans en. Minutes once read no outlet to the sea; meteorologically, Pollution Control Board. of its dependence on the winter accumulaIts Oils kind of ay that has soured should be corrected, and I dont know County residents are served by nine our in Commissioner a or a commison entrances his into Mayor tion of snow on the Wasatch Mountains sewer districts and six municipalities George sion meetings. for its water supply; and, finally, the who provide sewage treatment facilities. George, before the recent history who would ever be sc as to assume that Hermans historical forces still at work in the Salt Lake County Sewerage Improvements er?!itvWae n commission Insulting would minutes stand correction. with a more chambers which of 1 sprightly air; water District equate ownership has recently been established valley Without tongue in cheek, without a always with a confident smile. Now, rights with power and which emphasize for tiie purpose of providing service individualism as a virtue. George doesnt know if he should smile whit of facetiousness, Herman Hogansen for the first time to some of the com- is the only city official I know In Salt or be mad. Both these forces tend to encourage m unities in the southern end of the Lake City who never stands corrected, a feeling of neighborhood sovereignty county. By nature, George is But now, he spends a large part of his because he manages always to stand and slow the inevitable process of conThere are still areas outside the correct. time looking about quietly with a spesolidation which takes place in large and special sewer dismunicipalities Meanwhile, no one every learns anybrand of hatred. cial, quiet metropolitan areas. tricts that have no facilities; as these Jim Barker has a habit of being fate, thing at City Commission meetings. Just Following this general background, the inareas about everythlng....6xcept the wrangling I think, personally, that theres somereport continues with some interesting dustrialdevelop into residential or dissections, sewage adequate facts. Did you know, for instance, Chat thing political about this. For Jim, and the investigations of Georges deposal systems will have to be provided there are still 33 water distribution sysevery entry fa a grand entry. Whether partment... .is in writing. The Mayor Much has been written in the past and the commissioners read the writing or not it fa with deliberate Intent betems in the Salt Lake Valley? Furtherfew about the unspeakable pollucause hes fate every entry seems to be and mark It with a check mark if they more, only 22 of these systems have tion years of the Jordan River, that once a grand one.... every ime has dallied wait- dont object been approved by the Utah State Dept, noble stream which flows out of Utah Its when they disapprove of the writof Health. ing for Jim. Lake and, 55 miles later, dumps it When Jim strides the length of tiie ing that the whispering begins. Of these approved systems, 10 serve accumulated wastes into the Great Salt city commission chambers with confiabout 90 of the populat The Salt Lake. Due to the coordinated efforts of dent strides.. ..hes much like a matador Prayer Can Be Sacrilegious Lake City system, alone, serves about County Health Dept., State Fish and Game bored with the prospect of an onslaught two thirds of the people in the valley Dept., the Utah Water Pollution Control Bennie Schmletts little booklet also from a lazy buU....When Jim takes his but there are still more than 9000 Board, many other agencies at all three place in tiie arena, someone might ask; tells how a Mayor adjourns a meeting residents of the area who are drinking levels of government, and an aroused Which one fa that? 'That one is Jim when there fa no further business. unapproved water. public, considerable progress las been But not how its dime in our city comsomeone else says, and no one Barker, The water distributed by these 33 made in ueanng up the pouufi.cn. who the rest of them are....anly mission meetings. asks systems comes from surface si Higher standards and enforcement of the one whos fate. Only oo occasion will Mayor Lee have standards are going to be essential if the springs and wells, both artesian a chance to say; 'Well, I guess thats pumped, and 61.7 of tiie available supply Jordan River is going to be suitable for it. Is there anything else? You folks Barker for U. S. Senate from Deer Creek reservoir, brought In recreational purposes, as has been sugwant to say something to tiie commisby the Metropolitan Water District. gested by the County Planning Board. At any rate, Jim Barker enters and sion? I guess thats It. Brack gets to say that little speech production begins. Jim Barker would With the completion of the new water Salt Lake valley residents should realmake a great U. S. Senator one day. so seldom that it sounds new each time treatment plant in Parleys Canyon this ize that even if, by some miracle, all All are present, but the Mayor does he says it. standards for water purity and pollution summer, all surface water contributing not say: The meeting will come to For a long time, no one could tell, to our water supply now is treated. abatement were to be met today, our order. After all, they didnt give Brack really, when the meeting had adjourned. Although their are some wells unproblems would not be solved. Both a crack at Washington, so what need has The meeting would go along like nothing our water supply and our sewage dissuitable for use because of excessive to worry about Someone started talking he for Roberts Rules of Order. mineral content, our ground water resposal facilities arlll have to be conCon whispers something toBrack; Lon about how a friend of his had the same both source meet of to our in the order and stantly improved ervoirs, springs whispers something to George. George problem; or a problem made someone wells, naturally produce good quality challenge of our growing population and think of a new risky Joke that was going whispers something to Brack. Con obwater. Wells, though, are constantly increasing industrialization. serves that the press is anxious to hear the rounds 12 years ago and fanow being whats being said, and Con puts his hand revived because dirty minds today have to his face to direct all sound waves at so little originality. The press edges closer to the dais to Brack and none toward the press fable. old Joke. A couple of the more Its a fact....posslbly 60 of what is hear the members of the commission get said at city commission meetings fa not discreet up and walk out and they dont have heard by the press or by any other interested citizen. Some of what fa said by a quorum anymore and the meeting Just it about fifth hand, and from no-o-ne race a young man by the name of Lane some of the commissioners, in fact, fa isnt anymore. who has reason to know. Crenshaw 'Rotmow is running against an older man The real reason they appointed Lou not heard by all of the commissioners. denies to and Pm it of inclined believe name him. the Oscar Hanson, Jr. by of the press, some of the Holley to fill the vacancy on the com- -. Unlike .some out to worked hard was find Hes the ins and the original choice Mr. Hanson commissioners sometimes dont care mission was because Lou can see the outs of county government and while his of an inner-par- ty Republican selection that they dont know what fa being said. clock at tiie hack of the room... And when committee fast spring. This gives him experience offers little to get excited the clock nears 11 a.m., and the talk about I a the some edge. The fact that had predict victory for him in dies down, and all the writing has passed heard of Lane Ronnow until 5 minutes primary. along for all the check marks, Lou slaps Two other races offer some special before filing helps Mr. Hanson as well the desk before him and the meeting is the commisa Sometimes, fact its Interest. GOP For county attorney Clyde has announeed for fa being said adjourned. what care dont sioners Gordon Christensen is running against Mr. Ronnow - but despite this, at this citizens who come before them. It Sometimes, at some of those meetings, Bernard Tanner another contest of by early date -- 1 give a slight edge to Mr. to several members a prayer would seem sacrilegious. is very disturbing Tanvs. Hanson. experience flaming youth. Mr. ner garnered a big edge In the convention In the two year county commission race Phillip R. Blomquist fa running - and looks like hes off to a flying start. Rocky The Republican sheriffs race offers against Mills L. Crenshaw Mills Crenshaw is a hustler and is almost as hot a contest as the Demr ocrat's. Ferris Andkus is a good 'experPhil Published mrf Thursday 1if Great working hard to get elected. Entered aa seccmd chat matter at Western News, Inc. the Post Office al Salt Lakt City, Blomquist was the choice of the inner-par- ty ienced man on the force - well liked and Utah under the act at March 9, 1971 selection committee -- and expected respected by deputies - but his quiet un224S South West Temple, Salt Lake this to mean more to him than it has. assuming personality gives a certain City. Utah Ml IS phene: Subscription $5.20 per year At Oils Blomquist. is off to a fate start. A lackluster to his campaign. rumor campaign has started around point this race fa a tossup. Member: Utah State Pres AssociRosenblatt about Mills Crenshaw's allegiance to Has anybody heard anything about ation represented by American and Managing Editor the Birch movement - but Ive onl7 Ronald H. Rohner? Hes an independent - Normas Rosenblatt Newspaper Repreemtatlrea heard it from people who have heard running for county commission. . -- ing sub-hea- ds. ' - - by-pl- good-natur- ed. Dont Forget The Little Man Who Wasnt There , by Norman Rosenblatt widespread notice. . Two weeks ago I wrote The headabout the county mill-lev- y. line read "Jenson-Larspad budget with next year's dollars. Apparently the headline or perhaps the story peeved Mr rv a bit. For some strange reason our circulation department had been sending him a compli-menta- ry copy of the Review. This didnt give him a chance to cancel his subscription as he did with the Deseret News, but he did send us a certified letter this week asking us to stop sending the complimentary mailed copy. I hope for Mans sake that the Tribune doesnt get mad at him - thats all hes left with. Of course he can still switch on the TV and if any of the TVstatloas should happen to say anything uncomplimentary about Mar? (unlikely) he can still switch the nasty dial without anyone knowing about it. Since this Is Mary's own private form of protest against the Review - I feel it only fair to give it on f 5? P is I a lead story The opening sentence of that story went 'Would you believe the Democrats are running for election? This week its appropriate to ask "Would you believe some Republicans are running for election, at least in the primaries? , In case you havent heard primary elections are 18 days off. Except for a few illegal posters on telephone poles and some billboards here and there, hardly anyone is paying attention. Except imoag political enthusiasts tiie measure of the dullness of a dinner party these days is when the group is discussing the primary elections. The dormant coals will warm up though within a few weeks but due to Utah's silly new party-registrati- on law interest will remain low. In fact therell prob- ably be more Interest in that law than in the primaries themselves. There are a few Republicans running In the four year commission though. no-o- ne Mountain mm s . |