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Show s.g ------m - Opinion ii Commmtany ..s i Editorial tizens shou revive the Fitness Center Id help If the Orem Fitness Center was a hospital patient, it might be listed as being in "serious condition" and needing intensive inten-sive care. The Orem City Council was apprised of the Fitness Center's serious fiscal health condition in an Administrative Services Department report on January 25th. Under the City Council's direction, major fee changes were instituted at the Center last July, including raising the cost of a family pass to $295. Individual and senior citizen passes were also raised. Last year, 591 passes were purchased; pur-chased; this year, only 145 have been. Normal pass sales did not happen in December, one of the peak sales seasons. An increase in daily admissions admis-sions that was expected when a $2 entry fee was set, hasn't happened. Locker and equipment rental and group use of the facility are down. A physical count of people in the facility shows that patron usage is not approaching last year's numbers. What it all adds up to, according ac-cording to city officials, is a projected $187,000 deficit that will drain Recreation Department Depart-ment reserve funds, intended to handle some revenue fluctuations, fluc-tuations, but nothing this drastic. City officials are asking themselves hard questions, including in-cluding - why? Possible explanations, ex-planations, such as this year's mild winter and competition from other facilities in atmosphere atmos-phere and equipment, do not seem to have as much impact as the price increases. The big drop after the raise in fees seems more than coincidental. coinciden-tal. Recreation Department Director Jerry Ortiz said that the line of what people are willing will-ing to pay may have been crossed, causing the Center to reach a point of diminishing returns. Other questions city officials offi-cials are asking themselves include: in-clude: Where do we go from here? How much will the Fitness Fit-ness Center pay its own way? At what cost is it important to have the facility for the com munity? Councilman Steven Heinz was probably right when he said the Fitness Center will most likely never pay its own way, primarily because of the pool a nice, expensive amenity. The new spas in town do not have such a facility. Several council members argued ar-gued for subsidizing the Center, Cen-ter, but lowering pass fees sufficiently suf-ficiently to make it the "best deal in town". Orem residents, too, need to ask themselves hard questions: ques-tions: At what price would I support the Fitness Center? Is it important to me to have such a facility in the community? com-munity? If I have suggestions for improvements that can be made, am I willing to give my input? With such services as the police and library receiving 100 subsidization from the city, we feel that the Fitness Center deserves the opportunity oppor-tunity to be revived through future measures to be taken by the City Council and through the interest and intensive care of concerned Orem residents. For Warren Adams on His Sixth Birthday January 28, 1994 A shadow stalks a boy, beside the park; But Warren Adams does not fear the dark. Rather, he much prefers reflecting light From deep within his soul; and so, the night Is but another chapter of his day: And so, he never fails to kneel and pray! Cystic Fibrosis hovers, like a pall. Over that stripling, growing straight and tall. To challenge every single gasp of air He breaths. His mission is to get his share To fill his frantic lungs. The task is clear: To quench his need for breath for one more year! Each birthday marks a victory to earn, While Warren's loving family and friends, Assure him of their love and their concern. The truth is: no one really comprehends Why shadows threaten such a precious prince--What such a challenge to a child portends! Can there be secret, undiscovered hints That may disclose what remedys and mends? Another birthday. Warren has achieved. That must be, truly, seen to be believed! The ravages of time in history Do precious little to assuage the pain That comes in coping with the mystery Of why the doctors never can explain The illness of a child. A mother's heart Cannot believe when truth, at last, reveals The test results. Her loving counterpart, The father, learns how deeply, anguish feels! But when reality sets in, at length. They soon discover reservoirs of strength! For Mary Adams fortifies her boy, And, lovingly, she nurtures him with joy! While Haybron Adams is a sturdy Dad, Whose faith and strength sustain his little lad! The siblings with whom Warren well relates, All love him, and know he reciprocates! The halls of medicine are on the trail Of magic potions that may soon prevail Against the inroads of that dread disease. We laud and praise researchers, such as these! Meanwhile, we pray that time is soon revealing The ways and means for Warren Adams' healing. Another birthday, Warren shall achieve: We humbly pray; we earnestly believe! Letters to the Editor Clinton wants to shuffle, not cut, federal indebtedness! Dear Editor: We hear a lot of talk about the federal government cutting spending. And we're led to believe that whatever cuts are made will lower our nation's huge national debt. But Pres. Clinton has recently showed his true colors. He's not in favor of reducing the national debt and its horrendous interest burden; he wants to cut some programs only to earmark the savings so that his socialized medicine scheme might seem less costly. The President and his un-elected un-elected spouse are committed to having government take over America's medical system. And they're willing to cover over its cost by shuffling around some federal funds. What they're not interestedin doingiscuttingback the size and cost of government. This contention was dramatically dramati-cally proven when the President and top members of his administration ad-ministration went all out to defeat the Penny-Kasich deficit reduction package. This modest measure, named after Representatives Repre-sentatives Tim Penny (D-MN) and Josh Kasich (R-OH), would have trimmed federal spending by $90 billion over the next five years, a mere one percent of projected federal outlays. When it looked like the measure would pass, the President, Presi-dent, Mrs. Clinton, numerous cabinet officers, and top leaders of the Democratic Party pressured Congressmen to vote against it. The scare stories even included Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala insisting that the measure would cut funding fund-ing for feeding programs for women, infants and children. I also not that President Clinton Clin-ton took time away from his November summit meeting with Asian leaders in Seattle to condemn con-demn the Penny-Kasich bill because be-cause it would "make national health care reform impossible." He was echoing similar claims made by his wife at a meeting on Capitol Hill with freshmen members mem-bers of the House of Representatives. Repre-sentatives. Administration pressure pres-sure succeeded in having the measure defeated on November 23 by a slim 219-213 vote. The American people are already al-ready forced to pay $300 billion per year for interest on the national na-tional debt. The Clinton plan isn't aimed at reducing this staggering burden. The President is committed com-mitted to having government control con-trol everything. The name for that kind of government is totalitarianism. John C. Paulson 1672 Hickory Lane Provo, Utah 375-1157 Common sense in ail uncommon uncom-mon degree is what llie world call! wisdom. Samuel Taylor Coleridge Concerned with homeless situation Dear Editor: My name is Cori Green, and I am a senior at Orem High School. I am writing you to voice my concern about the homeless situation that we face. During the Christmas holiday, I was able to go to one of the many homeless shelters that our community commu-nity has and stock all the recent donations of food. After shelving at least two hundred cans of tuna fish, I realized how tough it must be for the homeless. home-less. The shelters provide cans of food, but how do they prepare it? I mean, they're homeless. It really made me grateful for my own house and food. But, being thankful isn't enough. We can't just stand on the sidelines, saying how grateful we are or saying, "I feel so bad for those homeless people." I know that we can make a difference, but only if we really want to. In 1987, the Urban Institute estimated that between be-tween 500,000 and 600,000 people in the U.S. were homeless on any given night. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that the shelters shel-ters they have would only house about half the amount of homeless people. But where do you get the money for more housing? Taxes should help cover these important costs and forget about the unimportant ones. I feel that we, as American citizens, have a duty to our fellow countrymen. There are many organizations organi-zations that do assist in the homeless problems, but we could do much more. Our country is a free and equal country, but it's not fair when some people won't share with others what they have. Many of the homeless children may have homes, but the Children's Chil-dren's Health Fund says they are living in "endangered "endan-gered housing," which means livingin squalor, transience, tran-sience, overcrowding, doubling, or tripling up with families already poor. There is so much we can do: visit the children on a weekly basis, have a neighborhood neigh-borhood cook-off and donate the food to a shelter, make and send clothes and quilts, remember the homeless at times other than Christmas, include yourself in community fundraising, the list goes on and on. I want for these Americans to feel accepted and loved as I do, and I know that if we, as a community, really want to stop the homeless problem, it's definitely defi-nitely possible. Thanks for listening, Cori Green 508 E. 600 S. Orem, Utah Youth volunteers to be honored by United Way Local youth will be honored for their outstanding volunteer contributions to the community through United Way Volunteer Center's Youth Service Awards. Everyone is invited to nominate a young person or group of young people, 17 years old or younger, for an award. Nomination forms can be obtained ob-tained at the United Way of Utah County office, 148 North 100 West, Provo. The nomination forms must be post dated Friday, Feb. 4 for the nomination to be considered for the 1994 awards. "The Youth Service Awards is a way to honor young people who have made a difference in our community this past year through volunteer work," said Lile Lavaki, volunteer center director. Lavaki said it seems negative stigma are continually attributed to today's youth. The Youth Service Ser-vice Awards is one means to highlight high-light the good deeds our youth are doing in the community. Call the United Way Volunteer Volun-teer Center at 374-8108 for more information concerning the 1994 Youth Service Awards. Gives concerns with violent crimes Dear Editor: My name is Justin Finlinson, and I am a senior at Orem High School. I am writing to voice my concern over the recent surge in violent crimes over the entire nation. Murder, rape, assault, abuse, and all other aspects of violent crime have increased dramatically from just a few years back. I don't believe that there are any simple or overnight solutions solu-tions to our nation's violent crime problem. However, How-ever, I think that if we focused some of our time and energy in bringing back the very values that this country was founded on, we could reduce the violent crime rate considerably. About 23,220 murders, 108,730 rapes, and 1,114,600 assaults were committed in 1992. These numbers are expected to rise again this year. Fourteen Four-teen percent of African-American men age 15-34 will be murdered, and eighty percent of these will - die from gunshot wounds. The numbers are sickening. sicken-ing. Miami's crime rate is so high now that it is destroying the city financially. It is sad it took the killing of so many innocent people, like Barbara Jensen Miller of Berlin, Germany, who was beaten and killed in front of her children after getting lost in the city, to bring the enormous problem to light. Miami, once a major tourist attraction, is now a place tourists are very hesitant to even drive through. Adults are not the only ones committing the crimes. Perhaps you will remember last year when four children attacked an 87-year-old woman while she was carrying groceries into her house. After they hit her with bottles and spit on her, they ransacked h er house. The group of children was led by a ten-year-old girl. As you can see from the statistics and stories previously listed, violent crime in the United States is a serious problem, and not one to be brushed aside, and worried about later. The longer we wait, the worse the problem gets. Perhaps there is nothing noth-ing we can do, but I believe if we once again restore the. values that our nation was founded on, by promoting pro-moting the family unit, not only in the government and the media, but especially as individuals, we can reduce significantly the number of violent crimes committed. Thanks for you time, Justin Finlinson 317 E. 400 N. Orem Has concerns about new hospital Dear Editor: The City Council has agreed to participate with the cost of certain cer-tain improvement projects for the new proposed HTI Hospital. I have gathered from newspaper articles reporting on the zoning commission meetings held concerning the new full service ser-vice hospital to be built on 800 West and 800 North, that this is already a done deal even though the City Council has not officially authorized the construction. It seems to me that they are getting the cart before the horse and rushing things just a little bit. I live in close proximity to this new hospital complex, and I understand un-derstand my neighbors concerns in opening up 800 West through to 1000 North. This will undoubtedly undoub-tedly create more traffic flow into our relatively quiet neighborhood. neighbor-hood. I am not opposed to progress, but only to the way that it is handled, hand-led, and if there is taxpayer money or additional tax increases involved. The Anderson family have a right to sell their property and make a profit. Progress is inevitable in-evitable and somethingis going to be built on that property sooner or later. The Orem Community Hospital Hospi-tal is located only four blocks away, and I am concerned what effect a full service hospital will have on their continued operation. opera-tion. We have a full service hospital hospi-tal in American Fork, and another one in Provo. They do not enjoy full room occupancy themselves. them-selves. If this new hospital is already a done deal, then I believe the neighborhood shouldbe protected with a 7-foot high cement wall as a buffer zone on 1000 North, on the east property line, and also on the west property line from 1000 North to at least 900 North. Curb and gutter should be installed on 1000 North and on 800 West for students waking to and from the . Orem Junior High School. Bob Wright 1010 N. 700 W. Orem, Utah 226-0862 |