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Show Utah Press Association Arinda Guttierez 1521 East 3900 South Suite 100 Salt Lake City, UT 84124 AN E D I T I O N O F P R I D E & STD US POSTAGE PAID SPANISH FORK, UTAH PERMIT NO. 2 P R O G R E S S The Spanish Fork News M l O C A L L Y O W N E D A VOL. 3 / NO. 20 N D O P WEDNESDAY, E R A TMAYE 14,D 2008 50* SPANISH FORK, UTAH and P.A.N.I.C. visits prison group how the Con-Quest program works. Inmates — referred to as residents — "Happy Mother's Day!" have to apply to take part in they said. It was almost a the program, which is housed group cheer from thefivemen in a facility called Promonsitting on the other side of the tory, separate from the rest table. They were just like the of the prison. The facility guys you see every day — at can accommodate 400 resithe ballpark, at the restaurant, dents in eight groups of 50. at the grocery store. But these Kimber said the program has guys weren't in any of those been going on for three years places — they were in prison with no major disturbances, — all on drug-related charges. because the residents take And the mothers they were ownership of the program. Residents can graduate talking to weren't their mothers. They were members of in as little as 12 months, but Parents Against Narcotics in most take longer. They're the Community (P.A.N.I.C.), expected to teach other resiwho traveled to the Utah State dents, write, and conduct rePrison in Bluffdale on Thurs- search and seminars. They day, May 8 to speak with a have to go through a final panel of inmates participating interview process prior to in a substance abuse recovery graduation. program called Con-Quest. Five residents, whom Kimber referred to as "the cream Con-Quest Lieutenant Chuck Kimber SeeRA.N.I.C. • A10 explained to the P.A .N.I .C. Namon Bills EDITOR Andrew Wilson / Spanish Fork News CELEBRATION: The Spanish Fork Fire Department celebrated their 100th May 10. For more photos, see Around Town, A9. Fire Dept. reaches century mark Andrew Wilson STAFF WRITER On the morning of Saturday, May 10 citizens of Spanish Fork lined both sides of Main Street in anticipation of the parade celebrating the Spanish Fork Fire Department's 100th anniversary. Fire departments from neighboring cities were invited to come and participate. Scores of emergency vehicles from all over Utah Valley turned out for the occasion. There was even a helicopter flying over the area. The blasting of horns and the wails of sirens could be heard up and down Main Street as spectators watched vehicles of all shapes and sizes roll by. The Spanish Fork emergency vehicles were at the end of the parade. When they passed they were met with applause from the citizens of Spanish Fork. After the parade, a ceremony was held at the Spanish Fork Sports Park to honor the Fire Department. The ceremony was conducted by Councilman G. Wayne Anderson and included music by the Tuckett Brothers Quartet, awards presentations, and remarks by Fire Chief, Brent Jarvis and Mayor Joe Thomas. General themes of the speeches included gratitude and a celebration of volunteering. Fire Marshall Joe Jarvis, brother of Chief Brent Jarvis, said, "We would like to thank the citizens of Spanish Fork for their support." "This is a celebration of 100 years of volunteerism and dedication," said Marshall Jarvis. Mayor Joe Thomas said, "It's just a milestone of a great community. The firemen are a shining example of volunteerism." The mayor also complimented Spanish Fork Fire Department on being a volunteer fire department. "There's talk about a paid fire department. I personally think these guys are phenomenal. I honestly cannot see how a paid fire department can do any better than what we have. I hope the volunteerism continues indefinitely." After the speeches the mayor awarded a plaque to the fire department from Spanish Fork City Council. He also presented a few less serious gifts which included a toy fire truck and a toy Dalmatian fire dog. The Fire Department returned the favor by presenting a plaque to the City Council. The current and retired members of the fire department were then honored individually by the City Council. As the ceremony came to a close, the Tuckett Brothers sang happy birthday to the Fire Department and the fire trucks honked their horns and sounded their sirens once more in celebration of the event. North Park future uncertain Jen Allen STAFF WRITER The North Park issue is one that most residents of Spanish Fork are aware of. Though all the finer details of the complex's plan are less known, the big player. Home Depot, is the only one of the companies known to have a contract with the city. However, May 1, Home Depot announced that the chain would not be opening 50 stores that were in the works, and additionally would be closing down 15 stores that were under performing. Within just a few days after Home Depot's big announcement, citizens of Spanish Fork are starting to become unclear on the future of North Park. All that is known at this point, is that work on the North Park complex has come to a stark halt. Jay Birch, who lives near the North Park complex said he hadn't heard anything about the development. "Nothing ... It's like talking to a fence post," he said. Birch wasn't the only one who felt in the dark about the progress. Blanch Adams and La Verne Hoseinyzad, neighbors who live across the street from the former park, also admitted to not being aware of what the current sta- Kirsten Reimschiissel / Spanish Fork News FIELD OF DIRT: Work on the North Park development has come to a halt. tus was. Mayor Joe L. Thomas had this to say about the certainty of the park. "[Home Depot's decision] may affect us, but I don't know that for sure." Mayor Thomas stated in the last city council meeting that other big box retailers are also taking six, nine and 12-month pauses in construction. Mayor Thomas said completion of the North Park development "is not a question of if, it is a question of when. ... It would be under way right now if not for the wetland issue." But Adams says that the council was warned in advance they'd have this problem on their hands. Nonetheless, structures on the 59 acres were torn down, sod was ripped up and given away and crews came in to flatten out the land, fill in the pond and lay down back fill. But that is where the project has stopped. No crew people have been seen in weeks according to some neighbors in the area, and the wind has been doing a number on the back fill. Neither the neighbors nor citizens of the rest of the community seem to know when the site is supposed to reach completion or even what the original schedule called for. In addition to the question about time frame for completion, a big concern is the children out playing in the neighborhood. Neighbors of the empty construction site now complain about all the particulate matter in the air. Hoseinyzad asked of the 59 acres "Do we have any assurance that this will be built at See PARK • A7 SF auction closes doors Matt Hargreaves EDITOR, UTAH FARM BUREAU NEWS Tears were shed and memories shared as the Utah Livestock Auction closed its gates for the last time in Spanish Fork last month. This was according to Brent and Mary Kelly, owners of the Utah Livestock Auction for the past 30-plus years. A visitor unfamiliar with the news of the auction's closing would have had no reason to suspect anything but a normal day at the market. Bids were flying for merchandise ranging from lead ropes to riding helmets. The auctioneer was navigating the proceedings in probably the same manner he always has. The office was busy processing the orders of the day. Perhaps it was a fitting close to more than 60 years of operations — business as usual. That attitude typifies the way many in agriculture have to go about things. Farmers and ranchers do not have the luxury of altering their manner of business just because of circumstances. They can't take a day off after hiking 20 miles to the ranch house because their truck broke down. They can't take sick leave after getting bucked off a horse. The closing of the Utah Livestock Auction won't mean that the livestock industry in Central Utah will shut down. Ranchers will find new markets to sell their animals. But some couldn't help but lament the fact that Utah County was losing its last livestock auction. "We've had some very sad reactions," Mary Kelly said. "People have been coming here for 30 or 40 years. It's been a part of their lives since their childhood" Kelly said that while some told her they might get out of the business, she encouraged them to keep See AUCTION • A10 Best of SF/Salem Ifs that time of year again, time*tq*make your voice heard in selecting who and what is the; best in Spanish Fork and Salem. Will last year's results remain the same or will there be some upsets? Everything is up to you, the readers. Our best of area survey is on A8 in this week's paper. It will also run in the paper the next three weeks: Completed surveys are due:'. to J-Mart, 280 North Main Sty Spanish Fork, by 6 pirn, on Fri- • day, May 23,2008. Everyone whoS completes a survey will be entered^ in a prize drawing. Results will beT lished in a special section in June. |
