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Show -N E W S- Spanish Fork Covering what matters most WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2008 • A7 SF police focus on crosswalks Clair Jones STAFF WRITER On Aug. 10, the Spanish Fork City Police Department continued Operation Crosswalk Enforcement at the intersection of 100 South and Main Street from 12-2 p.m. Operation Crosswalk Enforcement, a program funded.by a $8,400 joint grant from the Utah Highway Safety Department and the Utah State Health Department, was launched on Aug. 27, 2008, and is part of a larger, state-wide effort. Through a series of enforcement dates and media coverage, the program aims to educate the public about pedestrian safety and Utah's pedestrian laws. The last scheduled enforcement date for the program will be Sept. 24 and will occur at the intersection of 100 S and Main from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. Plainclothes police officers will be posing as Spanish Fork pedestrians, crossing the sidewalk at intervals to ensure that drivers observe'Utah state law and bring their vehicles to a stop, allowing pedestrians to cross the street. Those motorists who do not stop will receive citations. 'The point of this operation is not to give tickets," Lieutenant Carl Johnston of the Spanish Fork Police Department said. "People think we get extra money, or that it's entrapment. But, if that were true, why would we be publicizing the operation so much. The goal of Operation Crosswalk Enforcement is to educate the public through media coverage of the event, so that people will slow down and be more careful," Lt. Johnston said. The community is also getting involved in the operation. "Today, we even had an elderly lady with a cane come out who want- "The goal of Operation Crosswalk Enforcement is to educate the public." - Carl Johnston ed to help us by walking back and forth across the street as our decoy," Lt. Johnston said. The Aug. 10th enforcement day resulted in a total of 27 citations and 4 warnings, though it lasted only two hours. "The follow-up is what is really important," Lt. Johnston said. "Most of the people who receive citations can then go to traffic school, in lieu of having points taken off their drivers licenses. There they can refresh their driving knowledge and hopefully learn to be safer drivers." Obituary Jodi Lynn Spencer Martinez Jodi Lynn Spencer Martinez, 40, Santaquin, returned to Jhe loving arms of her Heavenly Father and grandparents Wednesday evening, Sept. 10, 2008 at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Jodi was born on June 22, 1968 to Sterling and Paula Johnson Spencer. She grew up in Salem and Spanish Fork. She graduated from Spanish Fork High School in 1985. She married Gregory Martinez in 1985. They had two beautiful sons; Spencer and Zachary, but were later divorced. Jodi's sons were the joy of her life. She was so proud of her "Army Boys" and wanted everyone to know how wonderful they are. She was looking forward to being a grandmother and spoiling her little grandbaby. Jodi loved to spoil all of her nieces and nephews. She was so good to everyone and would help anyone in l need. She liked tofishand spend time outdoors. She was happiest when she was spending time with her boys and family. She is loved and her beautiful smile will be missed. "Jodi, we all love and miss you so very much. You will always be our little "Jodi Lynn Doll". You have made all of us very happy here on earth. Now go and make everyone ia Heaven smile. May God bless you, our dear daughter, sister, mother, aunt, grandma, and friend." " She is survived by her sons, Spencer (Fayetta) and Zachary; parents,. Sterling and Paula; grandmother, Phyllis Spencer; siblings, Rachell, Jared (Rachel), and Wes (Melanie); and 15 nieces and nephews. She is also survived by many aunts, uncles, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Paul Spencer of Spanish Fork; Afton Louise Davis Johnson and Russell H. Johnson of the Orem and Spanish Fork areas; and a nephew Colby. Funeral services will be held on Monday, Sept. 15 at 11 a.m. in the Santaquin 12th Ward Chapel, 90 South 200 East, Santaquin. Family and friends may call on Sunday evening, Sept. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at Walker Mortuary, 587 South 100 West, Payson, or on Monday moming at the church from 9:45-10:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be in the Santaquin Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family at: www.walkerfamilymortuary.com Steve Hardman / Spanish Fork News Rocking out at Boothe Bros. Christy Hardman STAFF WRITER On Friday, Sept. 5,2008, The Royal Theater on Main Street Spanish Fork rocked with the music of local kids from three different bands. Curt Gordon of Boothe Brother's Music, has recently begun a combo band program (CBP) for music students to learn how to play and perform in a band. Gordon acts as coach and teacher to the students, and he said he feels that so far the program has been both enjoyable and successful. The students in the CBP will learn four to five songs per quarter for a concert. "By the end of the year, they'll be able to play an hour and a half concert, to headline their own show," Gordon said. The CBP began the third week of June 2008, and this was their first performing concert. Gordon said the concert was so much fun that he was grinning from ear to ear throughout the entire night. Three bands participated, a beginning, a moderate and an advanced. The bands chose their own band names, the Amazing Chandeliers, Band From Everything, and Doc Rogers and the Rock Dodgers. Some of the students from the Amazing Chandeliers said the concert was really fun for them also. TV Singerman, drummer, said, "It was great to rock out for an audience." Gordon said he's been playing with the idea to do a band program for a couple of years. His good friend Dave Wilbur, from the Modern School of Music in Orem, who Gordon says is one of the premier music instructors in Utah, has had a running band program for several years. "When we first started doing Blues Jam, he said 'You should try something like this.' It really seemed like the answer for students who know how to play, but need opportunities to perform. It really takes them to the next level," he said. Gordon approached coowner of Boothe Brothers, Steve Boothe, about the idea. "He finally said just do it, try it, see how it goes," he said. The first thing Gordon had to do was to compile some bands. He already had many students in private lessons, and he said about half of them joined the CBP. Gordon had to match the students with comparable playing skills into the bands. He said the response from the students and their families has been very positive. SCHOOL OF ROCK: Above and top, students in the combo band program get a chance to perform. James Hardman from the Amazing Chandeliers said that playing in a band has given him more incentive to practice. "It's tons of fun playing with other people, and it makes you want to be as good as you can," he said. Gordon said some of the students hadn't really caught the vision of how fun it really was to play until they got up there on the stage in front of an audience. Jan Hadlock, mother of Jonah Hadlock from the Amazing Chandeliers said that they've wondered whether or not to continue with the program because of Jonah's busy schedule. Jonah had so much fun at the concert, however (he particularly liked the screaming girls in the front row), that he really wants to keep playing with the band. Gordon said there is always room for more students. "We can accommodate anyone who is interested in doing this, so long as they have a basic knowledge of how to play music. My youngest student right now is 10, but anyone with a basic knowledge of open chords, notation and bar chords can do this. From there we can start teaching them the songs to play in a band." Gordon meets weekly with each of the bands. Through the summer, the sessions were two hours each, and during the school year they last an hour and a half. James Hardman said Gordon is a great teacher. "He's open to every suggestion, and he has fun with everyone during the practices," he said. Besides choosing their band name, the students nominate songs they'd like to play. Gordon said he has to sign off on every single song. "The songs have to be musically appropriate, lyrically appropriate, and fundamentally appropriate," he said. Gordon said students in the program have to be able to commit to 80 percent attendance. "Attendance was more of a problem in the summer. The advanced band had the worst attendance, and they had more work at the end to pull things together for the concert. The other bands were more steady, and they progressed steadily toward the concert," he said. Gordon said that getting asinger for each band was the biggest challenge. Most of the students are comfortable playing their instrument, but few of them have had experience singing for an audience. "When you sing you don't have anything to hide behind," Gordon said. "I'm primarily a lead guitarist, and if you ask me to do a song when I'm supposed to sing, I turn bashful and self conscious. Singing ended up being huge focal point." Gordon said that teenagers are especially vulnerable to insecurity, so pushing past that and singing for an audience with a band helps them surpass that. "They realize they can conquer their fears," he said. Gordon said he wanted everyone to sing a song, but it didn't turn out that way with all the bands. "I couldn't get all the students to do it, partly because some of them were working hard on learning their music and they didn't have capacity to do both." Gordon said the first three weeks of practicing was a challenge, but then the students had some experience and it became very fun. "I could see they were catching on to it," he said. "At first we had to cut the song after 15 seconds to go at it again, but after about the fourth week we didn't stop until we finished the song. By then they knew what they needed to change. Its fun for the kids to see their own progression." Gordon said anyone interested in joining the CBP should call Boothe Brothers Music and they'll get them signed up. The cost is $60 a month, and the students need to provide their own instrument. "It's been a fun and a learning endeavor," Gordon said. HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING • Service • Furnace Replacements • A/C Add Ons ° Green Sticker • Financing OAC bryant 9 Hutlng A Cooling Systwna WHATEVER IT TAKES |