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Show , .-.TC-01& BUILDING COK' E YA R D DttttufBcrttld EDITION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 50 CENTS 3 OfEWi IlMES SCHOOLS: local Bgh school students tee tlie latest TOWN HALL: limp. Hospital ready to expand SPORTS: Remember the Titans coach speaks BUSINESS BEARING IT ALL FOR CHARITY IN OREM Fire Dept. gets ready for change Fire Station One remodel is underway Michael Rigert NORTH COUNTY STAFF As land development and change continue to alter the face of the city, Orem's fire division is adapting to meet those demands. One project underway is a $549,000 remodel of Fire Station Sta-tion One at 300 E. 1000 South. Constructed in the mid-60s, the facility isn't up to par with structural struc-tural seismic codes, said Richard Manning, Orem's assistant city manager. He said the city secured a Homeland Security grant for a seismic upgrade for up to $ 100,000 in a 7525 split. For every $25 Orem spends on construction con-struction to bring it up to modern seismic standards, the federal government contributes $75. Manning said the primary benefit ben-efit of the overhaul is obvious. "With the seismic, of course, it would remain standing," he said. Yet a second reason for the reconstruction may be equally important. With the city's fire division now (comprised of both male and female firefighters, the old building's unisex bunks and rest room facilities couldnt provide pro-vide the privacy required of an integrated work force. "Since it was first built, a lot of things have changed in America," Manning said. "Before, we couldnt station female fire- See FIRE STATION, Page 2 1 t - " If mi &0&&&k ' ' ' J- r :i--''-ri MICHAEL RIGERTNorth Courrly Orem's Fire Station One is closed for remodeling including bringing the building up to 'Current seismic code until later this year. LONG LIVE THE KING Jf j y 1 7 IT ' v pnotos courtesy Robert Starling On the set of Tears Of A King (left to right): Kels Goodman, director of photography, Rob Diamond, screenwriter director, Matt Lewis (Elvis), and Bob Conder, first assistant director.; Elvis and The Book of Mormon? New film explains Community Briefing POLICE SEEK BIDS FOR SEMI-AUTOMATIC WEAPONS Aiming to better prepare its officers for modern emergencies and threats. The Orem police division is requesting bids on military-type semi-automatic rifles. Orem Police Capt. Steve Clark said the department depart-ment is looking to use about $1 0,000 m grant money mon-ey to pay for the semi-automatic rifles. He said the new rifles would not be "day-to-day" weapons and would be placed in the trunks cf patrol cars not racked like shotguns as a precautionary measure. "These are assault rifles that will equip police with the same level of protection as the bad guys," (he said. Hunting rifles are Clark's primary concern. He said that if police were to get involved m a long-distance standoff, their Clock 22 handguns would be outmatched by a high-powered rifle. "We're trying to equip our officers with the best tools so they can protect the public and go borne at the end of the day," Clark said. Officials from the Provo Police Department and Utah Department of Public safety said AR-15s are usually reserved for SWAT teams, tout Trooper Jeff Nigbur said some road officers are authorized to carry the weapon. "We believe there is a need for them," be said. "They basically help with distance. If you try to shoot a 50-yard shot with a handgun, you might not hit anything, ft increases accuracy and distance." dis-tance." Orem requires a formal bidding process for any purchase over $5,000. This is the second time the department has requested bids for these weapons. Clark said no purchase was made after the initial request because no satisfactory bids were Bubmrt-ted. Bubmrt-ted. Bidding closes Sept. 25, but so far, Clark said no bids have been received. Kent Allen, purchasing manager for the city, said the number of rifles purchased would be "price driven." Clark estimated the rifles could cost anywhere any-where from $700-900 each. Aaron Talk PETROGLYPHS TO BE PRESERVED IN PARK Etched in a small red rock nestled in a hillside overlooking Cedar Valley is what appears to be three dancing human figures, a drawing that the 'Utah Rock Art Research Association say dates back H ,600 to 1,800 years, probably done by Fremont Indians. It is the oldest rock art rn the area. Larry Franciose of Eagle Mountain Ranch LLC, who is developing the land where the petroglyphs are located, said that the original number of houses planned was reduced to allow 35 percent of the area to be open space. In one area of the open space, the petroglyphs will be accessible by a side trail that branches off the main trail system. Michael Rigert NORTH COUNTY STAFF The King may be gone, but his spirit and thoughts on his spirituality will live on, in part, through a new film shot in Orem. 'Questions about Elvis Presley's personal beliefs and his reported exposure to the IDS faith are the topic of a new feature film shot in the last couple weeks on an Orem sound stage. Rob Diamond, a Salt Lake-based actorwriterdirector, actorwrit-erdirector, said he wasnt a fan of Presley one way or another. Yet when the husband of one of his acting students invited him on a tour of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints office building in Salt Lake a couple of years ago, he stumbled upon a story he found extraordinary. "Early in the tour he sat me down, put on white gloves and handed me a copy of The Book of Mormon," Diamond said. "He said 'Elvis read this.' I was like What?' " The book was filled with hand-written notations nota-tions that are believed to have been made by Presley. Diamond said that with pen and pad in hand, he spent the next three to four hours scribbling down every single note. According to Diamond, Presley read a lot on spiritual topics and was given the copy of The Book of Mormon by a fan named Cricket who had joined the IDS Church After the musician's death, the book was returned tothe woman who later gave ft to musiciancelebrity Alan Osmond who passed it onto an IDS official of-ficial who placed it in the church archives. Though the handwriting has yet to be authenticated, au-thenticated, Diamond said he plans to have a handwriting expert analyze and verify that the notes are Presley's. "I do have my personal beliefs" about the legitimacy of the handwriting, he said. "I wouldn't have made the film unless 1 f eh strongly about it." Diamond served an IDS mission and said The Book of Mormon literally "changed my life." To know that Presley had also read the book and considered its teachings was an epiphany for him. Prior to filming, Diamond said he heavily researched every aspect of Presley's life during a six-month period. That was the genesis for "Tears of a King," a new film Diamond wrote the screenplay for and directed with the assistance of several other film partners. He was already making a short film titled "Propensity," yet the idea for the Presley film kept tugging at him in the back of his mind. The copy of The Book of Mormon purported to have been owned by Elvis Presley and held in IDS Church archives. "1 said H we dont do it, it will never be done," Diamond said. He said the movie is about the Presley the man, not the musician. "As a storyteller and filmmaker ... I'm very drawn to stories about people who struggle and reach out to their Maker," he said. 'UVe made mistakes in my life and 3 f eft 1 was the right guy to make it from a non-judgmental See avis, Page 2 ill vp-'vJr" t I W1ARIO RUIZDaily Herald Stewe Manning of the Utah Archeological Research Institute explains to visiting media characteristics of Fremont Indian petroglyphs found on private land in Eagle Mountain. BUDDY WALK TO PROMOTE DOWN SYNDROME SYN-DROME AWARENESS - Get out your running shoes because Up With Downs will be hosting a Buddy Walk on Saturday to promote Down syndrome awareness. This year's one-mile walk will start at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Orem Community Hospital walking track located at 331 W. 400 West. The Buddy Walk is open to anyone and everyone. every-one. Registration will be at 9 a.m. on the grassy area on the southeast side of the track during which there will be a performance bySparkly Pals, a local group of dancers with Down Byndrome. 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