OCR Text |
Show More LOCAL news than any other source! For subscription or delivery problems call 375-5103 or 756-7669 See our web site at www.newutah.com 4 fgises M mQBSBBiOTJnnc-0M 307 W 2C0 S STE A00& SALT LAKE CITY UT 8A101-1277 Wednesday, April 25, 2001 50 cents a single copy j r n f n I Ionium j Vol. 23, No. 17 New gu ILDING FOR OLD BUILDING Developer finds new use for church By Barbara Christiansen City Editor A new use will soon revitalize an old American Fork building. Workers are busy tearing tear-ing out, rebuilding and restoring the former American Fork Third LDS Ward meeting house at 300 North and 200 West. It is on its way to becoming the Northampton Reception Center, with two reception recep-tion areas and related services. Dan Richards is developing devel-oping the center. "I am not the owner," he said. "It wasn't my idea, but it is a good idea." The owner is John Hawker, who owns Orem Floral and operates a reception center of the same name in Orem. He will move that business to the new American Fork location. ' Richards . recounted the history of the meetinghouse. meet-inghouse. "The original structure struc-ture was built in 1903", he said. "It was remod- eled in 1928 and they. added a scatST entrance and a cultural hall. In 1958 they added class-., rooms upstairs and ? changed the chapel. They - See CHURCH on page 12 m- 7 if- 'fy -TJ V " 1 T - ' - 1 i LTf fSi iT ill V'-''-h- l:j -;A r-: h - , i; '. , Photo by Barbara Christiansen Workers prepare to place wood over the windows at the former American Fork Third LDS Ward. The building is being renovated for use as a reception center. Downtown location probable City to select site for new fire station By Barbara Christiansen City Editor The waiting is probably coming to an end, as American Fork's City Council was scheduled to decide last evening on a location for the city's new fire and ambulance station. At a work session the previous week, council members looked at some of the top sites identified by a committee with a charge to research the locations and make recommendations to the council. Members had studied keeping the station on its same downtown site, building build-ing a new station just south of where it currently stands, or moving it to one of several inner city locations. loca-tions. The decision was not known at press time, but several council members indicated a preference for the current site or nearby. Council member Rick Storrs said, "I refuse as a City Council member after the bond election, and we have cut our budget to the bare bones, to buy any property prop-erty off-site." Storrs urged the group to come to a decision soon. "It is time for us to make a decision," he said. "The citizens voted for us to make decisions. It should be what is best for the city and not minorities and those with special interests." Keith, Blake, the City Council member who chaired the committee, urged caution. "This is a long-term decision," deci-sion," he said. "It is an important decision. This is the time to look at it and do it right." Council member Don Hampton offered to combine com-bine the two approaches. "I would encourage each member of the council to explore every option before next Tuesday," he said during dur-ing the work session. Some of the options they explored included the costs involved, and the timetables timeta-bles of the various plans. Architect Peter Moyes helped the group analyze the sites. If it remains at its same location on the northeast corner of the block where City Hall currently stands, the architects could design the structure now. However, See FIRE on page 12 "We should... lessen the impact and still provide a trail." Juel Belmont City moves closer to southside plan By Barbara Christiansen City Editor American Fork has plans for its south side, and this evening the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council members mem-bers are scheduled to review those plans. The planners have spent months of study to determine deter-mine what to recommend for a proposed update to the city's General Plan. Previous plans indicated a mixture of residential '. density, ranging from two to 'three dwelling units per acres, with lower densities toward the lake. Planning Consultant Rod Despain suggested that those numbers remain. He indicated that the city has received pressure to be more liberal. Despain noted that some potential developers cited studies that showed the land could support a higher density. Despain said he used the same studies, but elected a lower figure. "People are not necessarily necessar-ily entitled to everything that engineering will justify," justi-fy," he said. Along the shoreline, there is an area considered unbuildable because it is in a flood zone. Some ' . improvements have affected the flooding patterns, but representatives representa-tives indicated they may not havechanged things as much as many believe. "The two debris basins keep the debris and gravel," said Public Works Director Howard Denney. "It settles out and is trapped. It is not designed as a buffer as much as people think." Despain said the . city needs to be cautious about approving development in a potentially hazardous zone. "We have had a good lesson les-son in Spanish Fork," he said, referring to recent problems residents have had about construction over a landfill. Recent changes in American Fork's plan have included the addition of a resort or marina area near the mouth of the river and a shift to more commercial and industrial areas on the east side of the zone, near the- new freeway interchange, inter-change, now under construction.. Miss AF pageant plans workshop There will be a . workshop for potential . contestants in this year's Miss American Fork, scholarship pageant. pag-eant. It will be held Thursday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in City Hall, 31 N. Church Street: Anyone who is interested in running or wants further information infor-mation about the contest con-test is invited to ' attend the workshop. Contestants should be between 17 and 24 years old and must have lived in American Fork, Highland, or Alpine or have worked in one of those communities commu-nities for six months. The pageant will be held on June 9. Citizens comment on trail plan By Barbara Christiansen City Editor The first segment of the American Fork River Trail is one step closer to having steps taken on it, following a public hearing on its design held last week. ' Area residents attended to ask questions and make comments on the section of the trail which will run along the river from 300 North to the north side of the Art Dye ball park. Russ Brown was on hand to present the proposal and answer questions. He outlined the proposal which includes a multi-use trail, 10 feet wide, with four feet of shoulder. In most places, the natural vegetation could be maintained. main-tained. One area of concern is a section of the trail which runs behind homes fronting on 400 East. The deeds to those lots indicate the properties prop-erties run to the river or even across it, according to Brown. "Why can't you move the gabions out instead of taking tak-ing 16 feet out of our back yard?" asked Terry Gasser, resident of one of those homes. Brown said there was a chance those gabions (wire baskets with rocks designed to prevent erosion) could be moved. He indicated the trail could be at a lower elevation eleva-tion than the back yards and that the city could install some type of fence to allow more privacy for the home owners. Council member Juel Belmont said the owners would have some say in the plan. "If they don't want to sell that property we should decide some way that would lessen the impact and still provide a trail system," she said. Council member Rick Storrs agreed. "We have to work with the property owners and See TRAIL on page 12 Good vibrations UK native Boyer completes circle from brass band to Utah to new band By Barbara Christiansen ' City Editor ; J Vibrations are an important - part of Alan Boyer's life. t In his work, he helps produce 'instruments which measure vibrations and acoustics, cutting down noise pollution and making appliances and instruments run more efficiently. . In his avocation, he deals with music, conducting the Utah Premiere Brass band, which practices' prac-tices' in American Fork every Saturday morning. The Highland resident explained his work as a vice president pres-ident of Larson Davis, an international interna-tional company based in Provo. "We design and manufacture test and measurement instru ments for acoustics and vibration," vibra-tion," he said. ."Anything that makes a noise or squeaks or rattles rat-tles - we can measure it." He gave the example of a computer com-puter manufacturer measuring the hum of the machine to determine deter-mine how best to minimize that and make it operate longer. Measurements are useful in household appliances, to the military, mili-tary, to government use. "It is one of those low profile industries that affect everything," said Boyer. He reported that the company works with NASA and all the . motor vehicle manufacturers, and produced instruments for the government gov-ernment for use in the Gulf War, "We have stuff stuck in places that you wouldn't want to hear about," he said. Unlike less sophisticated devices, their instruments range from $1100 to $1 million in price. Vibrations of a different sort are of the desired variety, and Boyer works to achieve those with Utah Premier Brass, a group of dedicated musicians who have recently joined to form only the second brass band in a state rich in a history of such groups. A citizen of England, he earned a degree in education with a speciality spe-ciality in music- He also studied psychology. He was born in a coal mining area, which had a lot of brass bands associated with it. Boyer the film 'Brassed Off," which is based on life in the collieries and its bands is representative of his growing up years. "I started in music when I was 11 years old," he recalled. "I started start-ed playing the coronet. I had some great opportunities presented to me. I was a member of a junior band that was founded. I was invited to Carlton Main, a very high power upper level brass band when I was 13 years old. "I had some great opportunities and played in many of the major See BOYER on page 12 ; t. 1 , p ' it ' .'vv.rt a - K , Photo by Barbara Christiansen Alan Boyer conducts a rehearsal of Utah Premiere Brass. i ICOPY V'- i IT |