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Show 63-83007.00 Utah Press Rssoc. A7 East 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 s - ii it i 1 1 "3 i 3 77 Closes Doors Volume 56 Number 21 May 29, 1986 PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS, U r52 Li i Original site of Veterans Planted Earth Floral Shop. Lovely building on 4CD North was constructed for Veterans but is now housing a private school and reception center. What Ever Happened To The Orem Veterans Memorial Building The year was 1945. World War II had ended and hundreds of thousands of war-weary veterans were returning home to pick up the pieces of their lives. Many of the veterans did not return, and many of them would bear the wounds of war for the rest of their lives. . Waiting for these veterans, along with their wives, sweethearts, friends and families were a number of veterans organizations which hoped to enroll them as members. These included such organizations 83 the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans Aand AMVETS. Patriotism was still high after the war and many veterans joined join-ed these veterans organizations to perpetuate the kind of fellowship they experienced in the war and to provide community service through a number of avenues. Following a pattern which has existed after all of America's wars of establishing various kinds of monuments and veterans' memorials, a number of citizens petitioned the Utah County Commissionto provide pro-vide funding for veterans' memorials in Utah County's larger cities. . With no public opposition the Utah County Commission established a tax levey on real property which could finance these veterans' memorials. At this point the organized veterans in the city of Orem aproached the City Council with the request to assist in funding the Orem Veterans Memorial. They had in mind purchasing an old home located at 445 South State Street which had been briefly converted to use as the Virginia Manor Restaurant. The Orem City Council agreed to contribute funds to the purchase of the building. Together with the funding provided by the Utah County Commission the Orem Veterans bought the Virginia Manor and converted it to the Orem Veterans Memorial Building. For over thirty years the Orem Veterans Memorial Building served as a meeting place for local veterans organizations, civic groups and various other community activities. The building was administered by representatives of the two veterans organizations which formed the Orem Veterans' Council. In the late 1970's a small group of veterans who were still active in the local veterans organizations approached the Orem City Council with a plan to sell the Orem Veterans' Memorial Building and to build a new facility which would better meet the needs of the veterans. The Orem City Council approved the sale and the Orem Veterans Council purchased property at 225 West 400 North Street in Orem. A new Veterans Memorial Building was built at this location. Initially, a number of meetings of the veterans were held in this building on an infrequent basis. In order to generate funds to maintain main-tain the building poritions of the building were leased to a number of private individuals and firms. Over the years the number of signs and identification markings were placed on the building to identify the various lessors of the bidding. At some point the building lost its identification sign as the . Orem Veterans Memorial Building. The following questions arise : 1. Has the Utah County Commission, which originally approved a mill levy to finance the Orem Veterans Memorial, been aware of the sale of the old building, the construction of a new building, and the present status of the Orem Veterans Memorial Building? 2. Does the title to this building still remain in the name of the Orem Veterans Council? 3. If the building has been sold, who received the proceeds from the sale? 4. Who authorized the sale? 5. Why have the transactions regarding the Orem Veterans Memorial Building not been made a matter of public record? , 6. Who has profited from the apparent disposition of the Orem Veterans Memorial Building and why? 7. What recourse do the veterans of the city of Orem have in the recovery of the property which was intended exclusively for their use, as a memorial to the military service of them and their fallen comrades? , , t ... These are only a few of the questions which may come to mind in considering the matter of the Orem Veterans Memorial Building. Other questions may relate to why such a building, largely financed by tax funds is not being used today by veterans. And if veterans organizations are no longer active in the community (as seems to be the case at the present time) why is the building not being made available for use by other civic organizations such as the Orem Kiwanis Club, Orem Women's Club, Orem Rotary Club, Orem Lions Club, Orem Sertoma Club, whose members are either veterans or members of veterans families? That this building should be turned over to commercial enterprises, enter-prises, rather than to civic organizaitons for who it could truly be designated a Veterans' Memorial is a travesty on the entire concept of memorializing those who have fought, served and died in our na-tion's na-tion's wars. It would be hoped that detailed and satisfying explanations and answers to the above questions coudl be provided by those who are in a position to do so. The taxpayers of this community and the veterans for whom the Orem Veterans' Memorial was established are entitled to know what has happened to their building and their dream. -J 4 Memorial Building is now the A building is only a place : a place made of concrete, mortar, bricks and some wood; a place has no personality or life of its own ; it has no emotions or feelings. So when a place dies, we don't mourn; we sing no funeral dirges; we give no eulogies; we shed no tears - except for a school. True, a school is only a building, a place, made of the same materials as other buildings; but somehow a school is different. It was at school that we first met someone outside of our family who cared about us, cared who we were and what we could become; it was at school that we first started to see ourselves as others see us, as part of the group; our first true friends were made at school; and it was at school that we began that lifelong battle for dignity and self worth, the battle for human literacy. A school then, is more than a place, more than a building or institution. It carries with it human elements; a personality, a character all of its own, and memories -memories of friends and teachers, memories of challenges and frustrations, glad and sacred memories. And so when Spencer Elementary closes its doors for the last time, it will not be closing of just another building; it will be the end of an era. And for the literally thousands of us who walked her halls and studied in her classrooms during her 103 year history, her closure will, in fact, mark the passing of a friend, a close and honored friend. Spencer had her beginning as a one-room log school building in 1833. In February of that year a three-acre piece of land was purchased for the price of $48. In the early summer the structure was completed on the southeast corner of 800 South State Street. The log schoolhouse is described in the Manuscript History of Alpine School District. A further outline of Spencer's early history is presented in It Happened In Orem, Education," By Charles Tate and Alma Burton : "Spencer's first teachers were . William K, Henry and Ada John. At' first only grades one through five were ' taught, but gradually enrollment expanded until eight grades were represented in this one-room one-room log schoolhouse. "In 1890, a two-room brick building was built near the log schoolhouse to provide additional classroom space. "In 1900, the log schoolhouse was torn down and two more rooms were added to the brick building in front of the original rooms and to the west. Eventually, the roof was removed and a second story was added. In 1912, a two-story eight-room brick building was built in front and west of this building. The new construction constitutes the present Spencer. School building. The school was named Spencer School because a group of young married couples referred to a night class they were attending at the school as 'going to Spencer.' The textbook they were studying was written by a professor Spencer. When ideas for a name for the school were needed, their teacher, Irving Pratt, suggested the name that was already being used. Thus, it became known as Spencer School. "Some of the teachers at Spencer School during its first years of existence were: W. K. Henry, Ada John.Sadie Talmage Patten, Samuel Bunnell, Mr. Chalmer, Minnie Noble, W. K. Nielson, Nora Young, Gertrude Thurman, Florence Rogers, Irving Pratt, Frank McGraw, Hanna Belle Smith, and Ray and Bora Chase, Henry Aird, Ray and Lillie Wentz, Delia Green, and Rialla Hiatt. Most of these teachers were not required to have special training. They simply met with the Board of Education for an oral examination. The questions were whatever came into the minds of his examiners. The subjects taught at the school were: reading, writing, arithmetic, history, drawing, nature study, and spelling. "Many students only attended school if they weren't needed at home. Most did not start school until the fall work was done, and stopped coming when spring work began. Many children came from poor families, so it was hard for them to buy their notebooks and pencils. Nora Young, a teacher during the 1837-1808 school year, had each of the children bring a nickel to school. She then bought their notebooks at the bookstore in Provo. Because she bought in large quantities, she was given a few extra notebooks. These extra ones she gave to the children who couldn't afford to buy their own. Even though notebooks were available, most schoolwork was done on slates. Spencer was closed in 1965 and Cczised a Back page ih: Old Spencer School at 811 South State in Orem has been sold to DeCoursey & Associates for $750,000 and will be torn down to make room for new construction. Although occasionally condemned and empty, the school has been filled with elementary students the last several years. ublic Hearing Set June 3 A public hearing June 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers will give citizens an opportunity to see how the City proposes to spend $24 million during the next fiscal year. That's how much is in the tentative budget which includes a 20 percent increase in water rates and an increase of .7 percent on top of the current 2 percent franchise tax on utilities. The budget is pared down considerably from the initial proposal which called for tie franchise tax to be raised to 3.5 percent which would have cost taxpayers an average of $80 per year. Under the current proposal it will cost taxpayers about $1.73 on their monthly utility bill. This brings an average water bill to $8.64, still less than the county-wide average of 112.47, according to Phil Goodrich, Administrative Services director. rem Set At Marriott Center On Friday, May 30, 1986 at 5 p.m., Orem High School will hold its 1985-1986 Commencement Exercises. The graduation is to be held in BYU's Marriott Center, Provo. The program will be conducted by Richey Gibbons, OHS Stubent Body President. The Senior Class President, Gordon Jesperson, will deliver an address of welcome, prior to the five scheduled graduate addresses. The graduates to speak are Scott Jacob, Paula Hansen, Amy Green, Christine Hall, and Brian Webb. Address Ad-dress given by Jacob, entitled "Steps of Life" and Hensen, entitled "The Mountain View Graduation Friday Might At Marriott Mountain View High School's sixth annual commencement exercises are set for 8 p.m. on Friday, May 30, 1986, at the Marriott Center. Theme of the program will be "Live for today, Learn from yesterday, Dream for tomorrow." The public is invited. The program will be conducted by Steve Conlee, studentbody president, Jed Morley, senior class president, will give the welcome address. Speakers include students Karen Langford, "Dreaming Reality"; Christopher Lane, "A Combination of Life"; Richelle Sumpter, "To Live Canyon Road Needs "Take it to the governor." That was the concensus of Orem City Council after an hour work session and another hour listending to interested parties and . state Department of Transportation officials on the proposed Provo Canyon highway improvements. Unable to come to a firm decision Council members requested UDOT official Skip Anderson to give Governor Bangerter the message that Orem City is opposed to the four-lane four-lane highway proposed unless a divider is added. The Council felt a divider was necessary for the safety of the canyon and felt a four-lane highway would increase speed and traffic. The motion was expressed by Councilman Richard Jackson. 1 i ; ts . - i 4 k r 1 1 i ' 't I i - I i 1,11, The increase will raise about $465,000 per year. An unexpected windfall of $380,000 in federal funds eased the pain of having to deal with the projected loss of $740,000 from the government phase-out of Federal Revenue Sharing. The City knew they would receive $417,000, leaving a big shortfall but the notification of the additional funds means they will be dealing with a shortfall of only $360,000. Capital improvements cost about $700,000 a year. Council members dealt harshly with the proposed budget voting down a proposed citizen information program saving 20,000 and also voted against a proposal property tax increase of 1 mill which would bring Mgh Graduation Journey" will be followed by Orem High's award-winning Symphonic Band. The group took first place at Region and second place at State competition this year under the direction direc-tion of Lynn Poulson. The band will perform "Rocky Point Holiday," a rather difficult piece by Ron Nelson. Next, Green will deliver a tribute to parents. Following will be Hall with an address titled "Hold Fast to Dreams." Webb, speaking on "Initiative "In-itiative and The American Dream" will deliver the final student address. Carol Ottens, Senior Class Historian, will give recognition of the Intensely"; Diane Adams, "Who Are You?"; Rebecca Thomas, "When Life Begins." Sharolyn Schaefer will give a tribute to Parents, and Sue Robbins, senior class historian will present the Recognition of Class Project. Other participants include Andrea Jensen, senior class secretary, Pledge of Allegiance; Douglas Hancock, invocation; and Diane Thomas, benediction . Presentation of Class will be by Jennifer Roberts, senior class vice president, and Aaron Ashcroft, Bret Burningham, Debbie Hadlock, Julie Lewis, Ronald Mortensen, Councilman Keith Hunt amended the motion to include a request that UDOT "hang on to" the funds now set aside for the improvements. The vote was 4-2. In other Council action approval was given for Fred Meyer to install a sign that will reduce the height of the current (Grand Central) sign to a height of 34 feed with 248 square feet, the same size as the existing Smith's Food King portion of the sign. A request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow a wrecking lot in the M-2 Zone at 1050 North Geneva Road on about an acre of ground was denied when the Council and the requesting party, Loveland Investment, could not agree on 'It), in $200,000 to pay for about 700 new street lights. Even without the mill levy the city can install about 100 new lights, says City Manager Daryl Berlin. The budget allows hiring six additional employees. Four will be hired in the city's engineering Environmental Protection Agency requirements for the city's newly expanded wastewater treatment plant, and on new building inspector to meet the growing needs of the city.. The recommended budget approved by the city council cut wages and compensation from the proposed $750,000 recommended by the Hays consultant to $500,000. The City was asking $600,000. This gives employees a 4.5 percent raise. class project, after which Orem High's Principal, Berdean Jarman, will deliver his remarks. Jan Lewis, Board of Education member, will be the concluding speaker, just prior to the presentation of the Class of 1986. Orem High's renowned A Cap-pella Cap-pella Choir will end the graduation program with two numbers. "Morning "Morn-ing Star" will be directed by Lane Johnson. Vonda Skousen will direct "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which the combined Orchestra and Symphonic Band will accompany. Commencement is open to the public. Janette Moon, Chris Pendray, Kelly Spencer, Denise Sproul, and Bruce L. Stokes. The Orchestra and Symphonic Band will perform under the direction of Robert Bird. The A Cappella Choir will sing two numbers with Dale W. Sessions, director, and Diane Thomas, accompanist. Remarks will be given by Dr. Clark L. Cox, Alpine School District Superintendent, Dale H. Price, MVHS principal, and Richard Johns of the Board of Education. Divider limiting the number of cars to be placed in the yard. Councilmal Paul Washburn said the Planning Commission approved 15 cars. The business representative said they misunderstood, it was to be 50 cars. The use of the additional property would be in conjunction with the Blue Ribbon Auto which sells new and used auto parts at 1635 West 960 North. The Council had determined earlier after visiting the area not to allow more wrecking yards even though what was proposed was determined to be better than what exists there now. |