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Show JO UTAH ioi-iz77 ii -700 & .,-r 307 SAl- i an e d ition of The Daily Herald Online: www.HarkTheHerald.com 50 CENTS Vol. 24. No. 2 THURSDAY, MAY 23 , 2002 i I T AH F'Rtb A006 BA Fire station plan is sent back for council review By Andrea Ludlow The American Fork Fire Department and Emergency Emer-gency Services have watched city officials toss around potential designs and locations for their new fire and ambulance building for years. And despite the recent City Council approval of a site plan at 90 N. Center Street, they might just have to keep waiting. At the city planning commission com-mission meeting May 15, commission members passed a motion to return the design to the city with the suggestion that it be completely revamped. And although they were at odds on other agenda items throughout the meeting, meet-ing, commission members seemed to agree that the one-story fire and ambulance ambu-lance building and parking lot designs were insufficient. insuffi-cient. "I think it looks like the biggest mess we've ever seen," said commission member Keith Richan. Alan Christensen , another member of the commission, com-mission, agreed. "It really just seems contrived," con-trived," he said. The current design plan was chosen because of dollar dol-lar constraints, but according accord-ing to Richan, practicability and efficiency should not be sacrificed because of budget restrictions. "Fifteen years from now, everyone who was involved in this is going to be the laughing stock of American Fork," he said. For Jay Christensen, g ; ? h j r iff. 5" .I ) ft; (ft jj '"'' " flwi f ) K. ... ..i.l -ur .t...., tt.i--yl:.. fi . .t- - t I .... ... .. , f j .. ... Photo by Megan Wallgren Citizens join hands to help shut crime out of American Fork. Members of Bikers Against Child Abuse met with Phyllis Crookston of Neighbors in Action and American Fork Police Chief Terry Fox at a rally last Friday. Citizens pledge to fight against crime By Megan C. Wallgren At the Neighbors in Action sponsored spon-sored Stop Crime Rally Friday, May 17 in Robinson Park, participants held hands forming a symbolic barrier bar-rier to keep crime out of American Fork as music blared out the message mes-sage "Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back no more." Forty to fifty people joined Neighbors Neigh-bors in Action organizers in sending this message to criminals in American Ameri-can Fork. The group Bikers Against Child Abuse came in a show of support sup-port and the event was covered by several media groups. Judy Price with Neighbors in action chaired the event. It was organized in response to a rising crime rate with the intent to educate edu-cate people on how to keep crime out of American Fork neighborhoods. "The path we're headed down is one we can't tolerate," Price told those gathered. Concerning crime in American Fork, she said, "I was naive. Things happened to my family fami-ly and I toughened up. Now its time to fight the war and comfort those who fight with us." Several law enforcement officials, NIA members and civic leaders gave brief remarks at the rally. City council member Juel Belmont Bel-mont praised Neighbors in Action for the great things they've done in American Fork and talked about her own experiences with growing crime in American Fork where she has been a lifelong resident. "I have seen so many positive things happen in the neighborhoods. neighbor-hoods. I've seen people with different differ-ent life situations and interests come together to make a difference," Belmont said. "By all coming togeth- See CRIME on page 10 American Fork director of emergency services, the news of the commission's decision to send the site plan back to City Council was frustrating. "I hope we can get it settled set-tled and the site plan going so we don't lose another year for construction, because we have plans we want to implement," he said. "And without a new building, it's hard to initiate any new programs." The delays in building the new station, he said, have not only inhibited new programs, but have also caused additional expenses for both the city and taxpayers. tax-payers. "Every ambulance we've had to purchase since '92, See FIRE on page 10 City considers property tax hike By Megan C. Wallgren A tentative budget for the fiscal year ending June, 2003, was considered by the American Fork City Council at the May 14 meeting. The budget includes an increase in property tax revenue rev-enue for in the amount of $225,000, a 15 percent increase. This would increase the certified tax rate for the city by .00031. Of the money raised, $70,000 would be applied to tort liability insurance insur-ance and $155,000 applied to genera operations. The budget also reflected an increase in garbage fees, requested by BFI. The three percent increase will amount to 30 cents per residential res-idential customer. An increase in sewer rates will amount to $4.95 per residential customer and an 18 percent increase for other users. The additional addi-tional revenue will be used to fund general operational expenses. New expenditures include $25,000 for publishing publish-ing costs for the history See BUDGET on page 10 Memorial Day offers honors By Barbara Christiansen City Editor Citizens will have a chance to stop from their labors and honor those who served and in some cases gave their lives for our country and the freedom it represents. American Fork City will hold a Memorial Day program pro-gram on Monday, May 27 at 11 a.m. at the city's cemetery, ceme-tery, at 600 North and 100 East. Guest veteran speaker will be Walton Farmer, an American Fork resident who overcame amazing obstacles to join the Marines in World War II. He was rejected by recruiters because of an injury to the small finger on his left hand. One tendon had failed to heal after an injury when he was four years old. Farmer discovered that if his finger were amputated, he would be able to pass the physical exam. He paid approximately $30 lor the operation and lost two weeks of work while his hand healed before he was accepted for service. Korean veteran Ted. H. Pierce will serve as Master of Ceremonies and also will call the honor roll, corn- See MEMORIAL on page 10 New Utah has early deadline The offices of New Utah! will be closed for Memorial Memor-ial Day on Monday, May 27. News submissions for next week's edition of the paper need to be turned in by Friday, May 24 at 2 p.m. This includes weddings, missionaries, and the community calendar. The same deadline applies to display advertising and public notices. The deadline for obituaries will remain Tuesday at 11 a.m. and for classified ads it is Tuesday at noon. Firemfighters to serve breakfast on Memorial Day The public is invited to have a good breakfast, join their friends, and help some good causes. The annual Memorial Day Firefighters Fire-fighters Breakfast will be held at the American Fork Fire Station, 98 N. Center Street from 6 to 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, May 27. Traditional fare will be featured with ham, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, pan-cakes, coffee, milk and juice. The cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children under 12. Funds raised are donated to the University of Utah Burn Center and the Muscular Dystrophy Association and to support activities of the American Ameri-can Fork Volunteer Fire Department Relief Association. Firefighters thank sponsors, including includ-ing Smith's Food and Drug, Albertson's, Albert-son's, Lehi Roller Mills, North Pointe Business Park, Signs Now, Wal-Mart, Costco and Sam's Club. Getting a lift Am. fork man gets help from BYU students By Megan C. Wallgren After 40 years an American Fork man will be on the road again thanks to a group of BYU Engineering students who custom designed a wheel chair lift for Ray Anderson's truck that enables him to drive independently and take passengers. The students were participants in BYUs Senior Capstone -Program which gives students the opportunity to work on real projects proj-ects that require the engineering of both product design and manufacturing manu-facturing process design. The students enjoyed working on the project though they put in long hours. "Its nice to do something practical prac-tical instead of just sitting studying study-ing books," said Kurt Fackrell a member of the six-person BYU team. ( Anderson, who lost the use of his legs in an industrial accident, said the students were excellent to work with and did a great job. Anderson knew BYU seniors often took on engineering projects to finish out their schooling and made a proposal to the university for help designing a wheelchair lift for his truck after finding nothing satisfactory on the market. mar-ket. Anderson has a van with a lift that he drives independently, but wanted something for his truck which he prefers to drive. "I looked at everything out there. To use the ones that are on the market you have to take the seat out so you can't take passengers," passen-gers," Anderson said. "I also wanted want-ed something where you didn't have to take the lift in and out all the time." Matt Taylor, another student on the project, said it was tough com-ing com-ing up with the right design. See LIFT on page 10 1 u 0 o o o U 1 BYU Capstone project team members Charity VanDusen, Matt Taylor, Tay-lor, Kirk Fackrell and faculty advisor Mike Miles pose with Ray Anderson in front of his truck. COPY! ' ' ir'mli n'liirt'jirti'jrt'.Bl'.i |