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Show Letters to the editor The Iron County Record welcomes letters from all responsible individuals or groups. Letters should be typed or printed neatly, double spaced. Also, no letters will be printed that are not signed. However, if the writer requests, with good reason, that his name be withheld from publication that request will be honored. Misconception Editor: In reference to a letter printed last week regarding the restricted beer license at the bowling lanes, a comment classified the Elk's Lodge with local bars and lounges. I feel that the writer is grossly misinformed misin-formed ; as to the purpose of The Fraternal Order of Elkdom, and would , like to clarify this misconception. , The order of Elks is an organization 'founded over 100 years ago, dedicated to charity. Examples of this include, at the local level, Cedar City: 1. 52 food baskets (a complete meal) delivered to needy families in Cedar City, Minersville, Milford, Parowan, and Newcastle last December. 2. 2,500 bags of candy given to all Cedar City elementary students by volunteer Santas visiting each school. 3. Over 250 boxes of chocolates delivered to widows in Cedar City. 4. Visitation by Santa bringing candy and entertainment to the nursing homes in Cedar City and Parowan. Alone, this one month project represents over $4,000 donated by members. 5. $1,500 in scholarships given to Cedar High School students. 6. $175 donated to Little League Baseball. $150 donated to Little League Football. $50 donated to Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs, along with availability of a meeting place free of charge. 7. Use of our facility by American Red Cross during blood drive. 8. Countless man hours collecting and processing deer hides to be sent to the Veteran's Hospital. 9. Hospital equipment which can be borrowed by any person in the community, com-munity, free of charge. 10. Contribution of leisure time by members to organize the Hoop Shoot program for children in this area. This is a national recognized program. On the state level: The Elk's Lodge has spent over $60,000 for a mobile clinic. A van equipped with a brain stem audiometer for testing hearing deficiencies for all people ages three months and up. This van will travel throughout the state and provide testing to anyone free of charge. The State Association, through local lodges, provides weekly entertainment for the Veteran's Hospital. ; ' On a national level, the Elk's spend over $12 million annually for charitable, welfare, and patriotic programs. Total outlay for these purposes, since 1880, exceeds $360 million. The Elk's pioneered the observance ob-servance of Flag Day. There are over 1.5 million Elk's donating countless hours in service to their community and country. The above items represent only a token .: of the accomplishments of Elkdom Elk-dom over the past century. The members of Cedar City Lodge, through their accomplishments, are proud to say "I am an ELK." Meryl M. Arns A warm thanks Editor: The students and humanities teachers of Parowan High School wish to express our sincere thanks to Fred Adams for taking time to come to the 11-12 grade humanities classes and clearly and delightully telling us of our rich dramatic heritage in Utah. Learning of our rich performing arts heritage brought a dimension of reality to our . study of the westward movement. PHS humanities students and teachers Rate increase? Editor: Did you know that UP&L's electric rates are increasing faster than CPN's electric rates? The reason being that CPN is buying wholesale, power from UP&L and thus not having to build generators. This is the valuable position of the Southwest Utah Power Federation communities want to be in. The Utah Public Service Commission has ordered UP&L to (1) permit the Power Federation communities to purchase their own electric systems, including, (2) the valuable wholesale power supply and, (3) transmission capacity to deliver the power to the communities. Why is this a tremendous opportunity and concession that must be taken and not lost? It will give the participating communities com-munities a large block of wholesale power, including the right to always purchase wholesale power. This will provide the cushion to moderate or dilute any other higher priced power the Power Federation may have to purchase in the future. St George's electric rates are going up, but their large block of low cost power dilutes any dramatic rate increases that they may face. Without this "cushion" of wholesale power through your own municipal electric system, you are now faced with UP&L's retail power rates that are increaing 20 percent per year. CPN's retail power rates have only increased 17.8 percent over the last years, while wholesale power rates have only increased 0 percent over the same period. What an insult to the people of Southern Utah, for UP&L to write every customer, dropping the crumbs of an alleged rate decrease, while right now they have a $62.4 million dollar rate increase pending. Oh, and you senior citizens, the Utah Supreme Court has prohibited UP&L from giving you any electric rate relief. It is only through your own municipal electric system that any concessions can be made to you. See what happens when UP&L ignores the vote of you the people. Help us to keep you from being kicked from the frying pan into the fire. Carl L. Palmer, Vice President Southwest Utah Co-Operative Power Federation Thanks Editor: Thank you for sponsoring Leslie Peterson for the Miss Iron County Contest. We really appreciate your contribution to this event. The Pageant Committee Linda Cindy Ginette Jackie Golda Supports ERA Editor: Much has been written and said about ERA by both men and women in our state. And more will be said. The adage "never judge an Indian until you walked a mile in his moccasins" applies ap-plies here. Three years ago, I becane a second-rate second-rate citizen a widow, a single woman. My income was cut 100 percent, so I returned to work, making one-third of my husband's yearly income. My expenses were up 100 percent, I have to hire repairs and maintenance on home and autos. Along the Wasatch Front we compete with students and their wives from other states and countries, because they work for less, and it is hard for career-seeking persons to find employment em-ployment here. I am fortunate. On my one-third salary I pay property taxes on home and auto and buy insurance on both. My utilities are based on the same rates as the male wage earner in the same community. Inflation affects my purchases as it did his on the basic needs of life. Men control our destiny; they need not sign part of their retirement to us. If he doesn't, it is lost to the company on his demise. Have you read all of the Social Security laws and how they affect you? You indicate ERA will make me less of person. I don't think so. I can still be the Christian that I was taught to be in a home where compassionate service was taught by example: assistance to the poor, needy, widow and orhan. I can still wear a dress and be a lady; I can wait in line on an airplane to use a bathroom when the sign says "occupied," "oc-cupied," or ride on an overnight train where the bathroom (as those in my home) has no sign, but a good lock on the inside. If I was younger, I could serve my country, repaying it for the many freedoms that are mine. I can still be a loving, caring mother and grandmother and play the many womanly roles in my community. Please don't keep us in chains. Help us to be equal regardless of sex. Your congress has given equal rights to blacks and other minorities why not your sisters? Yes, how can you possibly feel for us until you have walked a mile in oar moccasins? Leah P. Johnson |