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Show 1 jj Community (fjJ. Comments The last month of the year has come (If anyone is wondering with the temperatures being what they have been the past week). The end of 1976 is at hand as the year passes faster and faster. On the 21st of November, winter officially arrived and Christmas Isn't far away. Through the years December has been a memorable month. A look" at Decembers brings to mind a number of items (some Interesting and some just to be useful as conversation pieces). On the 2nd, In 1823, President James Monroe promulgated the Monroe Doctrine (now largely abandoned); on the 4th in 1783, days after British troops had evacuated New York City, General Washington made his farewell adress to his officers. On the 5th, In 1782, the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, was born at Kinderhook, N.Y., descended from Dutch Immigrants bet you didn't know that. The 6th is the feast of St. Nicholas In Qreek and Latin churches. Little Is known about him but the Germans Identified him as Santa Claus and this has made the name well known In all countries. On the morning of the 7th, In 1941, Japan sneak-attacked Pearl Harbor and brought the United States into World War II. The 7th is also Delaware Day. Much more Important is the fact that the 7th 90 years ago was the birth date of Moab's grand old man of mining, government and philanthropy Howard W. Balsley, who will be honored with special birthday festivities next Tuesday. Mississippi, Wyoming and Indiana were all admitted to the Union in December for what that's worth. On the 12th, In 1799, George Washington died at Mount . . Vernon and on the 15th in 1791, the first ten amendments were ratified to become a part of the Constitution. -sjt- . That Moab has a serious potential of becoming trapped in the n'inverslon" mess that has caught so many cities In the west could be" doubted by few this week, as extremely low temperatures trapped smoke, dust and shmuck In the valley. A healthy contributor to the problem as viewed from a good vantage point on Kane Creek Blvd. and 5th West at 8 a.m. Is Moab's burning city dump, which will apparently go on burning, because a meeting of various "agency people won't be called because, as one city official stated, it would include "too many people" to get anything meaningful done. Move over, Salt Lake City here we come. sjt . It was altogether fitting that Smokey Bear was laid to rest with appropriate ceremony at the Smokey Bear Historical Park In Capltan, N.M. It was near Capltan In the Lincoln National Forest, that Smokey was found by National Park rangers clinging to a charred tree. His paws and legs badly burned by the fire that had just swept the area, the orphaned cub was nursed back to health by forest rangers and game wardens, and then sent to the National Zoo In the Capitol City. That was In 1950. From that time to his death on Nov. 9, Smokey occupied a big place in the hearts of young and old alike throughout America. Smokey quickly became the most popular attraction, not only In the Zoo, but In all of Washington. He entertained more visitors than the President. His name and picture, officially copyrighted by the Congress of the United States, appeared in thousands of publications. Over the years Smokey earned more than $1.5 million through the sale of novelties and souvenirs, all of the money contributed to the Forest Service's fire prevention program and the prevention of forest fires, of course, was Smokey's greatest achievement. Authorities of the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service calculate that as a direct result of Smokey's appeals and warnings to the people, forest fires caused by human carelessness have been cut at least in half. As Smokey passes from the scene, it is appropriate to note that an entire new look at fire control Is being taken by federal landlords. The National Park Service has adopted a policy of letting natural fires burn naturally. The Bureau of Land Management, and even Smokey's own National Forest Service, are also seeing that in many cases, the total stop of all fires in natural forestlands is causing problems that can possibly result - in complete denuding of the land In future years. Fighting forest fires is extremely expensive and is hazardous. In many cases, the costs in money and manpower can't possibly equal the loss, should the fire be left to run its course. This was a point we made last year with respect to fires In the isolated Dolores Triangle, and later in the remote Book Cliff country. Smokey did a great Job. And man-made fires should continually be guarded against. We laud, however, the open-mindedness of those agency officials who were willing to admit that In many cases, natural fire Is something that should be preserved. |