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Show (ttMMENTAftr OP INION Page 10 Times Newspaper Wednesday, August 19, 1998 Editorial k P0n . O to v A recent personal appearance appear-ance before the Orem City Council has led to a controversy over whether the city's animal population is out of control. According to city council minutes, Denise Devynck spoke to the council at the July 28 meeting about her concern with the number of loose dogs in the city. Devynck charged that very few fines are being assessed to owners who permit their dogs to run free. When Devynck contacted the city's animal control personnel about the problem, she said they told her they were understaffed. Devynck asserted that over the years Orem has seen an increase in-crease in the number of police officers employed because of Letters to Notes of appreciation Editor: My thanks to. the 40-year-old John Birch Society's dedicated volunteer vol-unteer workers for the unselfish service constributed to protect our ; Constitution, to help restore lim-. lim-. ited government to our republic, and provide exposure of an internationalist-insider conspiracy at- - tempting to create a planned world government of the United Nations. I express gratitude to the courageous coura-geous members of the society for their 35-year campaign to "Get US Out of the United Nations". Stiff opposition to the U.N. has begun - to develop in Congress, and more supporters are co-sponsoring H.R. . 1146, the U.N. Withdrawal Act. . . The John Birch Society's TRIM program deserves thanks. TRIM stands for Tax Reform Immediately. Volunteers in 435 congressional districts pay for and distribute TRIM bulletins in their districts so the electorate will know the voting record of their representative, Democrat or Republican. I Thanks for stopping the Consitutional Convention and its iwin, the Conference of the States. Thanks for showing the lies behind the term limits movement, in its hidden hid-den attempt to get a Constitutional Convention called. ; It was doubtlessly The John Birch Society's educational efforts that torpedoed President Clinton's nomination of Anthony Lake, an obvious security risk, to become the director of the Central Intelli- . gence Agency. Thank God for the society's efforts ef-forts to alert America to the bribery brib-ery and treasonous acts of President Presi-dent Clinton. The society's petition efforts to encourage Congress to impeach Bill Clinton is commendable, commend-able, as he continues to trade with our enemies information that improves im-proves their transcontinental missile mis-sile capabilities, helps them gain ports in the Americas, and gives them other advantages over his countrymen. Thanks for the Society's bi-weekly magazine, The New American, for stating the obvious, ob-vious, but unspeakable truth about Clinton's perfidious actions which (USPS 411-700) Published Weekly by Utah Valley Publishing Company 801-225-1340 Fax 801-225-1341 538 South State Street, Orem, UT 84058 PerkKHcal Postasa P8id ki Cresn. UT 84S53 Pcstmastsr send cfianga of sdress nottce to: Tfea GrcntCenova Tfcnss. 538 South State Strest Oreni UT S4SS3 Subscription in advance per year $16.00 Out of State Subscription per year $35.00 Per Copy the increase in population. Animal Ani-mal control personnel should be increased, too, she said, because Orem's animal control is now serving pther communities. An inter-office memo to City Manager Jim Reams from Director Direc-tor of Public Safety Mike Larsen was presented as a communication communica-tion item at the August 11 council coun-cil meeting in response to Devynck's July 28 appearance. "Ms. Devynck's main concerns seem to be the number of citations issued and the amount of revenue generated from fees and fines assessed to owners of animals found at large," the memo read. "She suggests sug-gests larger fees and fines would discourage owners from allowing animals to be loose and provide the Editor aid and comfort the Communists in China. Bliss Tew Orem A fun American Editor: A fun American... Asks guidance from and acknowledges ac-knowledges greater powers in hisher life, ("...one nation under un-der God..." - Pledge of Allegiance) Makes quality, fun time for hisher spouse and family. ("No other success in life can compensate compen-sate for failure in the home." -David O. McKay) Eats nutritional foods and drinks fresh beverages. ("An apple a day keeps the doctor away." - American cliche) Reads uplifting books, magazines, maga-zines, and other materials. ("Conscience, fulfillment, and love are fruits of a virtuous mind and lofty perspective." - Xerc Green) Involves himself in politics and other edifying community services ser-vices ("Ask not what your country coun-try can do for you, but what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy) Cares for the young, needy, and elderly. ("Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." - The Golden Rule) Answers the call to military duty ("...who more than self their country loved..." - "America the Beautiful") Nurtures the common good, security, and tranquility of society. soci-ety. ("We, the people..." - Preamble Pre-amble of Constitution) Merlin Ross Orem The first frogs appeared on earth about 180 million years ago. CD $.50 funds to hire additional personnel." person-nel." The memo went on to outline the fees that were adopted in the most recent (1998-99) city bud- get: License fees - $5 for neutered, neu-tered, $10 for not neutered. For animals running at large - 1st offense: of-fense: $15 impound fee plus a $10 license fee if the animal is unlicensed; 2nd offense: $30 impound im-pound fee plus a $4 per day holding hold-ing fee; 3rd offense: $40 impound fee plus a $4 per day holding fee. "These fees are consistent with the statewide average for ' animal control operations," the memo stated. In addition to the fees, fines and citations may be issued to ' owners of uncontrolled animals. The offense of allowing ail ani AAA Utah to protect Motor vehicle theft has affected af-fected over 2 percent of households house-holds in the United States, according ac-cording to recent government reports. re-ports. To help motorists protect themselves in and around their vehicles, AAA Utah offers several suggestions to avoid vehicle theft and carjackings. The first rule to avoid becoming becom-ing a victim of vehicle theft is to use common sense. Most importantly, impor-tantly, never leave keys in the ignition, lock the doors even while driving, and park in a safe place. Recent statistics indicate four out of five stolen vehicles were left unlocked while 20 percent per-cent had keys in the ignition. , i( Drivers are most vulnerable to attack when entering or leaving their vehicles. Following are hints to keep drivers safe: Have your keys in hand as you approach your vehicle. Don't wait until you reach the car to search for them. Before entering the vehicle, check for flat tires, obstructions near the wheels or persons hiding hid-ing under the vehicle. Check the back seat before getting into the vehicle even if you left the doors locked. Carry a small penlight to examine the vehicle at night. Park in a central, well-lighted well-lighted place, preferably where there are attendants on duty or where people frequently pass by. Plan before you park. Anticipate Antici-pate what the situation will be when you return. Try to park your vehicle so you will approach the driver's side of the vehicle when you return. re-turn. This will protect you from someone who may be crouched by the door. Survey your vehicle from a distance before you approach it. If you notice a suspicious person per-son near your vehicle, walk in the opposite direction toward a public pub-lic place and seek help. To improve personal safety when driving follow these guidelines: guide-lines: Lock all doors and roll up the windows. Never pick up hitchhikers. Avoid short-cuts which take you through unfamiliar or unsafe ( areas. j If your car is rammed from behind and the hit seems to be ' deliberate, go to a safe, public spot and call the police. Never follow a stranger who ; offers to help you find your way ' on an unfamiliar road or street. Wait in your vehicle and ask for directions. Never allow anyone to drive you or get in your vehicle with ; you. If you experience mechanical problems be certain to: Lock yourself in and turn on the four-way flashers until the police arrive. Use a cell phone, not a CB, to call for help. ' Lift up the hood. Police officers offic-ers will pull over immediately 1 when they see this sign of dis mal to run at large is a class B misdemeanor," the memo continued. contin-ued. "Persons cited for this offense must appear in the Fourth District Dis-trict court and are subject to the fine schedule established by the court. The current judges usually assess fines in the area of $25 for this offense." The money collected is shared by the city and the state. The memo went on to explain department philosophy in regard to the issue: "Barring extraordinary extraordi-nary circumstances, animal control con-trol officers usually do not issue citations for a first offense of animal ani-mal running at large. This practice prac-tice is consistent with the department depart-ment philosophy of combining enforcement with education. Officers Of-ficers try to educate first time offenders of-fenders about the ordinance and offers tips motorists tress. Drive slowly on a flat tire to . a safe, public place to change it rather than stop in an unsafe area. It is dangerous to stop on freeways or in unfamiliar areas. Beware of anyone in civilian clothes driving an unmarked car -j who shows you a "police badge." J Don't roll down your window or get out of your car. Request a marked police car be called. , If you find yourself a victim of an abduction: Make as much noise as pos- , Never get in a vehiclewith an abductor or stranger. "Following these safety hints, planning ahead and keeping a cool head are the most practical ways for drivers to protect themselves," them-selves," said Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokeswoman-. AAA Utah serves more than 100,000 members with an array of automotive, travel, insurance and financial services. IRS Commissioner names Utahn to top staff Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles O. Rossotti announced several changes to its top management structure as well as its plans to make several key appointments. Commissioner Rossotti named W. Val Oveson as the National Taxpayer Tax-payer Advocate. As Chairman of the Utah State Tax Commission since 1993, Oveson initiated re-engineering efforts that significantly improved im-proved the agency's customer service ser-vice operations. His work also resulted in a streamlined appeals process and a new mediation process pro-cess to handle disputes, focusing on alternative dispute resolution . practices. Previously, Oveson directed di-rected a high-level council in Utah that provided outreach and advocate services to small businesses. busi-nesses. "These changes are part of our effort to place the right people in the right jobs to help move us toward the creation of a new, tax payer-focused IRS," saic Rossotti. Rossotti named more than ten new top-level management positions posi-tions and said that these changes will ensure the highest level of management focus on IRS modernization mod-ernization and service to taxpayers taxpay-ers while maintaining the necessary neces-sary attention on operations. Most changes will be effective by September 15, 1998. the reasons for its existence." After they pay the impound fees and received educational information, in-formation, most animal owners are responsible and do not continue con-tinue as offenders, the memo declared. de-clared. The department prefers this approach to "heavy-handed blanket enforcement for all offenses." of-fenses." Summarizing, Larsen's memo said: "The fees assessed by the City of Orem for animal licenses and enforcement action are rea- sonable and consistent with other agencies throughout the state. Our enforcement practices hold animal owners accountable without with-out placing undue burdens on them. The Department of Public Safety will continue to perform animal control functions with the Timpahogos Green CfyU & Iticck ft OLD EPHRAIM: America's Largest GrIZZly Bear: Killed 7B Yara Ago, August 22, 1923 There are no graves of grizzly bears as large As Old Ephraim who chose to chase and charge. The mighty maverick of the Logan hills, His reputation hailed his hunting skills. Vivacious and voracious, as a cub, viiiP That grizzly was his mother's cherished child. She taught him, well, the way to filch a fish From mountain streams. She showed him how to rub His back against a stolid stump: as wild A creature anyone might want to wish. Old Ephraim was the boldest of his bunch. He even squandered squirrels for his lunch! The grandeur of the grizzly knows no bounds; His ears become attuned to forest sounds. , The circling of a hawk that holds his eye Portends delicious dinners darting by. The salmon or the trout that tries to splash Is all a grizzly needs to lap his lunch. The movement of a marmot in the brush Pioclaims a meal. In just a fluent flash The growing bear makes dinner of his hunch, And jams his jaws in quite a cruel crush. Old Ephaim was the tallest of the tall. His ten-foot stature towered over all! It mattered not how much the grizzly ate The weeks before he hid to hibernate. The fat that filled his hale and hairy hide, For months sustained the giant, grown inside. In Spring the growing grizzly slunk from sleep. The hollow hunger of his stomach groaned, And sent him out, considerably thinner, To find a meal. The bleatings of some sheep Produced a growl. A shameful shephard moaned And fled, as Ephraim killed and ate his dinner. Old Ephraim trumpeted his tender lamb: That Cache Forest's terrible UI am!" Magnificent in stature and in mien, He was the greatest grizzly ever seen. Eleven times, he bit a 12-inch log, Transforming it into a capsuled cog. Defenseless sheep were bounty for the bear, And Ephraim always robbed his royal share. A dozen years, he roamed the forest wallows: That predator of all its hidden hollows; The bold behemoth of the bear, most feared. When someone sought to shoot him, many cheered. Frank Clark, in August, Nineteen twenty-three, With dog and gun, made grizzly history! He found the forest king, entrapped and chained, Advancing toward him, growling: ten-feet tall! Enraged, and quite precariously pained, The bear took Frank's six bullets, all in all. ' The Logan grizzly era saw its end, ' As sheep herders, regaled their trusty friend. The massive grizzly skull is on display In Logan's university, today. The rest of Ephraim, which they could save, Was buried in a Logan Canyon grave. Stone monument that rose eleven feet, Made Ephraim 's memorial complete. Throughout America, that bear is billed: The largest grizzly monster ever killed! The last time Ephraim was still alive and free, Was August twenty-second, Nineteen twenty-three! best interests of the community commu-nity in mind and within the scope of available resources." Devynck addressed the : council about the issue again on August 11. She said a "strong arm" enforcement approach ap-proach works. Teople take it more seriously if you show you will enforce it," she said. Leniency gives the wrong message, and owners act like they are still "down on the farm". As the council meeting concluded, Devynck promised prom-ised to meet with Larsen and to return to the next meeting. Will there be another chapter in this ongoing drama? f i A. r V i |