Show The Moab Story BY ELLIS FOOTE City Administrator When I came to Moab in the late summer of 1954 the city consisted of an upper room in ina ina Ina a corner of the Grand county court house Moab City was wasa a newly-born newly and awkward calf an object of mild mUd scorn at best a thing of not much consequence to anyone The Mayor and Council had just made the most reach far ing commitment of all time timeto to have the towns town's garbage and trash picked up and hauled off offin offin offin in a regular and sanitary man man- ner net Debris from that decision derision flew in all directions and for months afterwards Some 2 odd 20 odd regulatory ordinances ordinances ordinances or or- had been imposed things were stirring ring and particularly particularly particularly par par- a few of the tim old ers were being stirred It became became be be- came almost unsafe for anyone anyone anyone any any- one associated with the city to visit in certain quarters Cries of Russian tactics were heard on every hand I stepped in the door just as the home folks let fly with the worst vegetables To some extent this has pas been my most useful function tune tion as assistant to the mayor and council Along with the regulatory ordinances or or- which nobody liked many positive steps were taken taken tak take en resulting in increased water water wa ter tel and sewer facilities facUlties and the possibility of many new homes Better police and fire protection were provided aswell as aswell aswell well as Improved streets and street lighting and we saw the beginnings of some much needed needed need need- ed recreational facilities facUlties here in Moab Not much has been accomplished plashed by br any anyone one person but much has been done by many and you Moab I people ople happened to have In that crucial time a Mayor l and Council who ho were tremendously prepared for the rigors ordeals ordeal and challenge challenges of public service I would like to give them credit here They were Mayor J. J W W. Corbin and Councilmen K E. E McDougald G. G U. U Foote M M. E. E Robertson Robert E. E Mohler and L. L L. L Cotton Robertson Leadership and the event coincided coincided co co- co- co melded and you as a city of people not only escaped corporate corporate corporate cor cor- bankruptcy and probably ly numerous plagues but the whole die of the future of Moab was then and there in the hammering and toil and weariness weariness wear wear- ness of many midnight meetings meetings meetIngs meet meet- ings of the council forcibly and inalterably cast Today your leadership is still in excellent hands But the situation situation situation sit sit- is somewhat changed You the people your ideals and combined strength your co are needed as never before It is easy to demonstrate able leadership Ina ina in ina a crisis It is far more difficult in a confused and situation where nobody seems to know just what the problem is or where the answer lies Moab is now faced with the biggest problem of its history and it is this how much pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure from inside ourselves can we exert on our outward circumstances cir ell circumstances Put Is another way happened to Moab several years ago How Ilow much can happen INSIDE Moab today It is a matter of inner and spiritual resources as beIng being be be- ing the probable determiners of Moab's perpetuity and fu future fu ture lure growth Theres There's likely to tobe tobe tobe be no second overwhelming the thelong thelong thelong boom for Moab except long and increasingly louden ing lug boom of its Inner strengths and struggles Hope is in the air in Moab Progress is evident everywhere Optimism enthusiasm and a What are we waiting for attitude prevail at city council meetings chamber luncheons luncheon and gatherings of civic clubs The mood generates across and up and down the valley Old fences are torn tom down A new park is left to grow Weed patches are becoming less and less Paint sales are in gallon 5 lots What is a city except the idea of comfortable and gracious gra claus cious living in a place where folks care caro more than just jus a damn about their neighbors It ft is a grea great honor to have been even a humble part of this development de |