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Show Community Comments This week congratulations from this corner are extended to six outstanding citizens in the Moab area. Obviously, the first three are the successful candidates in the city election: Mayor-elect Harold Jacobs and Councilmen-elect Keith Peterson and Jim Wiseman. The second three, perhaps just as obviously, are Ken McDougald and Ev Schumaker, who received joint honors from the Chamber of Commerce as Citizens of the Year for their work on the Mill Creek Project, and Howard Shields, who has just been named Grand County (Senior) Citizen of the Year by the local Council of Aging. These gentlemen, while they may have been active in a number of very divergent areas, share a commendable trait, and that is a desire to be of service to fellow mankind. While it is easy to make such a lofty and sweeping generalization, it is also important to note that public service is not always an easy thing to be involved in. What one person believes to be in the current public interest may not be what other people think. Because of this human quirk, we have bumped heads with Jake a number of times over the years, the main issue being the dump. Jake, and others, felt differently than we about the immediate necessity of making some changes there, and over the course of this disagreement some feathers got ruffled. Well, we've made our peace with Jake on that one (mainly because some changes WERE made), and it's nice to be friends again. Of course, that's not to say we won't find ourselves on a collision course somewhere else down the pike. But I must admit, I had to hide a grin in my sleeve one day last week when Jake admitted he had dragged his feet on the issue. Foot dragging or not, Jake, and the other men mentioned above, have made an inestimable contribution on a long-term basis to make this area what it is today. While there will always be controversy, and sometimes hurt feelings resulting therefrom, it is important to be able to reconcile and go forward with the work that is always there to be done by those few people who are willing to do it. To Jake, Keith, Jim, Ken and Ev, congratulations. You have your work cut out for you. To Howard, congratulations. You've been working longer than most of the rest, and deserve a rest. But you probably won't take it. Congratulations also to all of the candidates in this city election. You campaigned well and on solid issues, and there was no dirty play. Yon may not have won, but your interest and efforts are appreciated and needed, aft - |