OCR Text |
Show Guardian of Your Community News Sentinel WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 • A7 SF gets 'clean Photo of the Month opinion' on FY 2009 audit Namon Bills EDITOR Main items of business at Spanish Fork's city council meeting Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 included a financial audit report for FY 2009 and a follow-up report on concerns regarding homes flooding in Lynnbrook subdivision. Other items covered included the Ensign-Bickford boundary adjustment with Mapleton and Suncrest's request'to lease a fuel trailer at the airport. Kent Clark explained that the city is legally required to be audited by an independent auditor outside the city. He reviewed the budget report for FY 2009, explaining that despite declining revenues from sales taxes and interest rates, the city had remained under budget because of budget cuts in all departments. Russell Olsen of Larson and Rosenberger LLP presented the opinion of the auditing firm, explaining that no problems were found. "It's a clean opinion," he said. "The financial statements are materially correct. We didn't find any problems." One issue the auditors identified is that the city's general fund exceeds end-of-year levels set by state guidelines-.-plsen explained that the city's general fund balance exceeds 18 percent of the overall general funj| Clark explained that where this would normally look like the city is. hoarding money, in Spanish Fork's case the funds are earmarked for future project. residents are worried that the homeowners association (HOA) was not doing due diligence in keeping the area properly maintained. Second, some residents believed the ponds, which are higher than their homes, could be leaking and causing the flooding in their yards and homes. Heap explained that the HOA had agreed to clean and mow the open space around the ponds three times a year. He said usually this has been done by the local ward or Scout troop, instead of the HOA, but the area was never intended to be a park and when he visited the area it seemed to be in relatively good condition. Heap's larger concern with the area is that the ponds may not be draining properly, which could account for the flooding of homes and lawns. He described the soil in the area as a tight clay that doesn't allow water to seep in. Homeowner Kayla Walker said they've had problems with their house flooding since the summer after they moved in, three years ago. "I just want the water to stop coming in my house," she said. "We've tried everything we can think of." Heap said he plans to meet with the HOA to identify poterflial solutions. In other business, the council opened a public hearing on plans to allow Mapleton to annex the Ensign-Bickford property. While a hot topic in Mapleton, there was no public comment at the meeting in Spanish Fork. The public hearing will remain open until Feb. 16, 2010, in conjunction with Mapleton's public hearing period. "In the situation you're in, there are plans for that money and the solution is to make a transfer to a capital projects fund," Olsen explained. The council also apCouncilman Jens proved a lease on a fuel Nielsen asked Olsen to trailer at the airport for gauge how Spanish Fork Suncrest. Councilman is doing, financially in Richard Davis explained comparison to other cit- that Suncrest, who operies. Olsen responded that ates a number of helicopSpanish Fork "has done ters at the airport, wanted very well to prepare them- another fueling option in selves for being in the addition to the fixed base economy we're in." operator already on site. City Engineer Richard While the fuel would not Heap followed up with be sold to others, the city concerns from the last has a fuel flowage fee at council meeting regard- the airport of five cents ing homes flooding in per gallon, which will apthe Lynnbrook subdivi- ply to the fuel trailer. The sion. Issues center around fee helps offset the costs three ponds located in the of running the airport, exneighboring Black Horse plained City Attorney JuRun subdivision. First, nior Baker. n signing Christy Hardman will be at Maceys Saturday, Dec. 12 from 12-2 p.m. to sign copies of her book • "Santa's Secret.". ' Written with Phil Porter and based on actual events, r "Santa's Secret" ^shares Porter's 1 story as a man who plays Santa and his dilemma about how share that : with his own ' :son. Chad Carter, www.cartsphoto.com / The Sentinel DECEMBER! Spanish Fork 17 has selected their December Photo of the Month, and the winner is Chad Carter of Carter's Photography. This photo was taken next to the Pioneer Cemetery in Spanish Fork Using a Canon 40D camera, which was mounted on a tripod. It was taken in late October. Chad's website is www.cartsphoto.com. If you are interested in entering Spanish Fork 17's Photo of the Month contes please e-mail a copy of your picture to photo@sfcn.org. Pearl Harbor: bunkers hadn't had anything yard with barbed wire because they expected ground to eat," she said. Chenchick said some landings. "We had to cut it to get of the other wives wanted to conserve the food they back in," she said. Chenchick remembers had since they didn't know when more supplies would that the civilians were issued gas masks, and the be able to come in. "I told her, these soldiers military implemented a curare here to protect us, and few. She said the woman we're going to feed them!" she was staying with was The first night after the scared Chenchick would go attack, Chenchick said ev- into labor after dark. "You couldn't get out on eryone on Ewa Beach was called to stay in one of the the road in the middle of the night," she said. lieutenant's homes. In spite of Chenchick's "In that time the officers and the enlisted people were wish to get away, no one not ever together," she said. was allowed to leave the is"You never even commu- land for a few months. This nicated with them. It was was even more of a conthe first time we were ever . cern to Chenchick being six months pregnant with all of around officers." During the night there the supplies cut off. "The stores had nothwas another air raid alarm, and she said they all thought ing. Everything that came the Japanese were coming into Hawaii was shipped in. back, but it turned out to be I didn't have anything for a baby; they didn't have a American planes. "Our planes were trying single diaper. They weren't to come in, and they had an shipping any of that stuff to air raid alert, and we tried to Hawaii." shoot down our own planes. Finally in February, That was something else," Chenchick was able to she said. leave. She went to the chapChenchick said when she lain, and told him her cousreturned to her own house in was the commandant of the next day, the army had the Marine Corps. been there and'encircled the "He was a distant cous- From CHENCHICK • A l rageous that day," she said. "It was bedlam. It's been 68 years, and I still remember it vividly," she said. Chenchick was so scared by the attack that she was determined to leave the island right then and there. "I had everything I owned packed up, but I didn't actually leave until February," she said. Chenchick said that the houses being shot up are part of the story that isn't often told. "There was a lot of stuff like that; girls were hit in their houser. There was a tennis court out in front of our house, and that's why we got so many bullet holes. I didn't like that at all — I was leaving!" Chenchick said there were beaches along the front of her house, and there were bunkers built along them. "Me and the other wives, we went into the house and made sandwiches. We fed all the soldiers in the bunkers, I'd say about 20 of them or so. It was somewhere around noon and one o'clock that Sunday, and the men in the in," she said, "but it was enough to get me out of there. I told him how you couldn't buy anything for babies. I told him, 'It's been two months, and my baby is due,' and he put me on the next ship." The chaplain was Howell Forgy, the man who first said, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Chenchick said that the military issued orders before she left that they were to tell no one the extent of the damage the Japanese had done. "They didn't want it to get back to Japan how vulnerable America was," she said. In 2001,film directorMichael Bay invited Chenchick to watch the premier of the movie "Pearl Harbor." Bay asked Chenchick to tell him her story. "He was the only one who really showed how low those planes came in," she said. She said Bay gave her "VIP treatment." "We were aboard a big aircraft carrier, and Ben Affleck gave me a kiss on the cheek. It was really nice that he did that," she said. Benefit concert: From TIFIE * A 1 cember concert will help to fund their projects in the Democrat Republic of Congo (DRC). She said Jackman heard about the efforts of TIFIE Humanitarian in the Congo, and approached them about doing a concert to donate to the cause. TIFIE Humanitarian currently has two enterprises in the DRC. One is a trucking company and the other is a brick making company. They are also working to establish a water drilling facility. "Theyjustdon'thaveclean water there," Sezink said. TIFIE Humanitarian also owns an orphanage in Kinshasa, which they took over about two years ago. The trucking company funds the overhead for the orphanage, as well as providing a needed service and jobs to stimulate the economy. "Before we took over the orphanage, the children were sleeping on mats on the floor and didn't have regular meals," Sezink said. Now the orphans have bunk beds, healthy meals, accessible latrines, education opportunities and wellness checkups. Sezink said the bricking company is partnered with schools in the city of Mosabo, and the bricks from the bricking company help to supply and remodel education initiatives there. According to the TIFIE Humanitarian website, the brick company has provided over 50 jobs in seven months. The brick company began in January of 2009, and since then they have, "grown from 2,000 units to over 25,000 units per month with consumer demand at over three times current capacity." Sezink said one of the greatest things about TIFIE Humanitarian is how it establishes enterprises that are self-sustaining. "These are large donors that start out these macro businesses on a large scale, and put many thousands of dollars into their economy, providing jobs for workers, transportation for farmers' crops, with initiatives for the people to take care of their own needs," Sezink said. er-King and has won Best of State in the choreography category for 2007 and 2008. The performances are Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 12th at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the American Leadership Academy in Spanish Fork. Tickets are available at the door. Choreographer Jennie Creer-King says that this Nutcracker production will be an evening that will be enjoyed by all ages. "The Nutcracker is a fun Christmas tradition for many families. It is a great way to introduce children to the fine arts, and with the animated music and colorful costumes, audiences are always entertained," CreerKing said. - Nutcracker: From BALLET • A l all over the country. Keeno says that she dances for several hours a day, including technique class, rehearsals, and other dance classes. "This is my second time dancing as Clara in the fulllength Nutcracker," Keeno said. "My favorite part is doing the grand pas de deux with the prince." Other activities Keeno enjoys are her bi-weekly singing lessons, and she has done tumbling and gymnastics as well. The Classical Ballet Academy's performance of the The Nutcracker is choreographed by Jennie Cre- |