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Show AMERICAN FORK CITIZEN Page 3 ' Xjj d-rJ I It- 4 I , 4 1 jp uy uj Thursday, October 25, 2007 NEWS AND NOTES TO KEEP YOU ilissir.'F Caleb Warnock "ifiAILY HERALD The cost to be buried in AmericarFork may soon be on the rise. City cemetery crews recently asked the Council to allow them to begin charging for the removal re-moval and replacement of headstones head-stones during burial. Staffers said they would like to charge $150 for a large stone and half that for a smaller stone. Crews must move stones and replace them in order to access many grave sites with digging equipment, said Ray Garrett of the cemetery department. de-partment. The problem is that stones are being damaged by crews during the removal and replacement, and the city is forced to pay thousands of dollars dol-lars a year to repair or replace the broken headstones. Candidates Continued from Page 1 the death of Councilman Jimmie Cates early this year. She had previously served on the Board of Adjustments and the Alpine f " r School District Community Council. "The last six months I have gone to hundreds hun-dreds of hours of meetings, both Planning Commission and City Council" she said. "I have learned a lot, including zoning and things related to planning." "I love American Fork," she said. "I love kids and I am concerned con-cerned with that aspect, that things are beautiful and kid-friendly." kid-friendly." Her goals include the cemetery, cem-etery, parks and trails, and roads. "I am working with the Legislature Leg-islature and the state to acquire land for the cemetery," she said. "I would really like to see that through. We would like it to be a large piece of land so that it can be beautiful, even - bigger than our current eem& ' tery, with trails. I think people will be happy with it. v She said she favors Jetting aside funds for various projects, proj-ects, including the cemetery, so "the moneys are avaflable when the projects are ready.; Kramer has been .wof king to identify areas', particularly on the' sjbuth side of the fcity, for jfutluie parks and trails. H 1 ErStatStt Pleasant Grove V:- b.i ,- ? Fard Haddock 443-3268 ilfahvoiirrty Editor idcckheraldexfra.corn W Allred 443-3262 ; , 'lilt &ratogaS0ringsPl. 6rove lljdheraldextra.com i I" BarbOTa Christiansen 433-3264' fiSppcin Fork Al'pine, 'Cedhr tills ! 0ijl11feti9nsenhefaldextra.com 'b f 4 - MikeRigeit 443-3265 0&m; Vineyard -mrtbert heraktextra.com .Si " Beky Beaton 443-3267 sports:' M tjbaaheralcbxtra.com Josh Walker 443-3260 Advertising Account Executive jwalkerheraldextra.com . volume 134 iortfiCourtly Ssfe American Forte Gten Driv Herald Edition USPS 018-B80 a wei newspaper published at 399 E. State St,PteesaiGto,Utsh,84063 PeriooVtatagerMPIeasar Grove, Utah meiingoffices. PaatmaeNr: Send address changes to the AmencanrxACtaen,RO. Be 7, American Forte, UT 84003-0007. fuMsnecfThursdsys by Lee Publications, which is a oSvision of Lee Enterprises, Inc.' w. unrt bureau ot cremations RE-ELEC- "'v r CITY COUNCIL PROVEN EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP VOTELEQARQM.COM irk ceiroteiry costs likely to rise CALEB WARNOCKDaily Herald A pumpkin and roses decorate one headstone at the cemetery on 100 East just before dusk on Saturday. Council members took no action on the cemetery's staff proposal, but asked staffers to return in upcoming weeks with a clearer justification of how the fee should be calculated. "We would like to propose " We will have a really extensive trail system down there," she said. . She said she favors getting expert advice on transportation transporta-tion issues and was one who encouraged the recently -completed study near 900 West. "I have also been a liaison between Alpine School District and the city, getting some crosswalks and sidewalks in," she said. Jason Porter Porter is vice president of business development with a technology company. "My job is to find, nurture and grow business relationships," relation-ships," he said. "I would like to help the city grow properly, prop-erly, not just in revenue, but the population, maintaining the quality of We j that we "have learned to enjoy m American Fine- ;."I will work very intelligently to improve the educational experience ex-perience and safety for our children chil-dren going to and from school" he said. "Many of our streets still do not have completed sidewalks and adequate crossing cross-ing facilities. As a result we are running a risk of losing our greatest asset our children" Porter said he believes in listening to others, and that technology can make public opinion readily accessible. His goals included safety, Phone:756-7669 Fax:756-5274 ' '! HERALD PUplASHIMQ CO. si ' 13 Jennette Esplin 756-7669 Office Manager Julia Fullmer 344-2570 Project Coordinator, DesignerCopy Editor Megan Carleton 344-2570 DesignerCopy Editor Ashley Franscell 344-2585 Photographer Issue 93 INFORMED AND charging a fee for the headstones head-stones we move during funeral situations," Garrett told Council Coun-cil members during a recent meeting. "We remove 75-80 stones per year." Fees would go toward build tradition and beautification. "I would like to make our city a safer environment," he said. "We have one of the . highest rates in Utah of violent crime. It is alarming to me. I want to bring the small town environment back to American Fork. Through my leadership and my business savvy I can do ( that. I can attract the right busi-' busi-' nesses and work with the Police Department to be more effec-, effec-, tive in fighting those crimes." "I want to build upon the traditions that make American . Fork great," he said. He considers American Fork one of the most beautiful areas in the state, but said there are pockets which need to be improved. im-proved. "We need the attitude that we are proud to be in American Ameri-can Fork and we want our homes, sidewalks, streets and parks to be the best," he said. ' .., ' 1.V.V- -. " ' rtv '"'-V'. i -' '- s I -t"t tlWi "' '"' Shirl Don LeBaron LeBaron is completing a term on the City Council. He has served as Mayor Pro-Tern, been on the Library Board and the Chamber of Commerce Board and the Planning and Zoning Commission. He is an attorney. He serves on the city's Finance Committee, Parks and Recreation Rec-reation Committee, Commit-tee, Fox Hollow Golf Course Committee, and the City Celebration Committee. "I am still new enough that I Two evenings of nonsense We went from the ridiculous to the even more ridiculous over the weekend, week-end, with a glimpse into the present and future of theater in Utah County. Saturday night we were treated to Frank Ferrante's one-mamshow "An-' Evening withpr.oucJK)"kttoyb,si.' new Covey Center for terts;vi,;! -r The show was great but tSftyeriue "' turned &ut to be a bit of a asappoiht-ment asappoiht-ment , Jf- . Then on Monday; we went to the opening night of the SCERA's "The BFG: Big Friendly Giant," a play designed de-signed for the younger set. t was all about fun. ; Sharon was surprised i'hen I expressed ex-pressed interest in "An Evening with Groucho." But I thought it looked like the perfect opportunity to see Provo's new multi-million dollar theater. And "Lydia the Tattooed Lady," one of Groucho Marx's signature tunes, is one of my favorites. Ferrante was another big draw, one I thought would appeal to lots of people. He's been interpreting Groucho Marx's material for 20 years, with successful shows in New York and in London's West End. His performance perfor-mance of "Groucho: A Life in Revue," portraying portray-ing the comedian from age 15 to 85. It was his first appearance in Utah. This is just the kind of theater the new venue should attract. , The show was greatiThe iwmls serious . about errtertaining people as one of the most unpredictable performers of all time. And he pulls it off weU, mixing Groucho's one-Hners with his best known songs, and effortlessly ad-libbing with the audience. - He worked hard to entertain the fairly sparse audience of about 200. Most of us had grey hair or no hair, although there were some young Marx Brothers fans in the audience, too. Ferrante had an uphill battle, but it wasn't his fault that he was booked into the new theater the-ater the same day BYU played a home football game. His was the first out-of-the-area performance perfor-mance in the 670-seat Covey concert hall, and the turnout had to be disappointing. The theater didn't even charge for admission, just trying to fill the seats. The theater is beautiful but stark. For example, exam-ple, there were no concessions. You had to go INVOLVED ing up a $7,000-plus fund to pay for future damaged stones, he said. Until now, the city has moved and returned the stones at no cost. Private cemeteries charge as much as $300 to remove and replace stones, he said. Increasingly, Increas-ingly, married couples share one headstone which must be removed and replaced when the second spouse dies, another reason the stones are moved. Moving statues and other larger monuments costs up to $10,000 at private cemeteries. Mayor Heber Thompson said fees may be appropriate if a headstone is moved at the behest of a family, but if it is the city that needs the stones moved, fees would be inappropriate. inappro-priate. If couples choose to share a headstone, they should be made aware when they make am bringing some new ideas, energy and enthusiasm, but I am not so new there has to be a learning curve. I know what the issues are. I am seasoned but not stagnant," LeBaron said. ' "It has been a plus to have a lawyer on the council," he said. "It is another pair of eyes to look at issues in addition to the city attorney and his staff." His goals include traffic and roads, cemetery property and parks. .,. "We are addressing roads and traffic with the transportation transporta-tion committee. We have commissioned com-missioned a study of 900 West. We are in the process of preparing pre-paring to extend 1 120 North to the west. We are replacing aging ag-ing curb, gutter and sidewalk and putting some new ones in." "We have got to find additional addi-tional cemetery land," he said. "That is a high priority." He said he favors planning parks and recreational property, prop-erty, especially south of the freeway. "If had the funding, I would like to spruce, up, clean up and finish Art Dye Park," he said. "I don't think we should increase taxes, though." Ricky Storrs Storrs has served on the City Council for 16 years and has served on every committee in the city, he said. "I am a good listener, and I believe in integrity, being honest," hon-est," he said. "I'm not afraid to tell it just like it is. 1 also believe in family values and Marc Haddock THE EDITOR'S COLUMN 3 :) it was magic. You forgot he was an actor, and not the real deal. The SCERA experience was, of course, . completely different. The theater is broken in. You can buy all the candy, popcorn and soft drinks you want, and eat them anywhere. "The BFG" was fun, with creative effects that include using live actors and puppets to create the giant. It was silly, just like the Roald Dahl book the play is taken from. The actors, mostly in their 20s, were good, but lacked the experience and professionalism professional-ism of Ferrante, who has been interpreting Groucho Marx about as long as most of these kids have been alive. We took along some grandkids to see how they would react, and they loved the show, especially the 8- and 6-year-old boys. I expect the hundreds of grade schoolers who attend this show with their classmates will have that same experience. Groucho would have gone over well with this audience too. Especially those who watch Bugs Bunny. I'm not sure which of these theaters has the brightest future. The Covey theater has a lot of bookings. From now until Christmas there are concerts, "Messiah" sing-alongs and the Utah Regional Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker," which should sell out every night. The Allison Brown Quartet is booked for a Nov. 2 concert. That should be interesting. The theater is beautiful but it wasn't much fun. their initial arrangements with the city that the stone will need to be moved when the second spouse dies "and the city ought to collect the fee upfront," Thompson said. "That ought to be a part of their fee for the plat. And if we remove it (a headstone) for landscaping or whatever, I don't think those people have any cost responsibility." responsi-bility." Councilman Shirl LeBaron and Councilman Dale Gunther said they were concerned the proposed fees may be too low, or simply arbitrary. When staffers said they had not taken into account the cost of labor and depreciation of equipment, LeBaron and Gunther said the fee should be recalculated. "Another option is to not do it, and let them hire someone privately," LeBaron said. I've worked to support those through the years." His goals include filling transportation needs, acquiring land for cemetery expansion and a permanent home for the arts. He added senior citizens and youth to the goals. "The top of the list is public safety," he said. "I've always been committed to making sure public safety is provided. "I also want to make sure all our water needs are solved," he said. He said funding was important impor-tant to meet the transportation needs. The top needs he identified identi-fied were 1120 North, 900 West and 546-560 West. He said he was encouraged about the possibility pos-sibility of funding. "I think we are coming a long ways on revenue from the city," he said. "The Meadows Mead-ows is bringing in a lot more revenues than anticipated. We are going to have the bonds paid off four to five years earlier ear-lier than we though. That will bring in extra revenue." "I would encourage economic eco-nomic growth in the city and economic development of the downtown," he said. "That's : how we can solve a lot of our money problems." "This is a great city," he said. "I'd love to work for the people another four years. I've enjoyed every minute of it. I'd just like to make the town even better." outside to chew a piece of gum. It's the first theatrical production I've ever been to where you couldn't buy a candy bar or a cup of ice cream, and couldnt consume anything in the lobby. The plastic on the seats added to the impression of being inside the home of a fussy aunt who doesn't want anything to get soiled. To be fair, the plastic is there because be-cause the red dye on the seat cushions cush-ions rubs off, The city 'and contractor contrac-tor are working on resolving this. Still, it was a show about one of the zaniest performers ever in one of the most uptight venues in the county. But when Ferrante sang "Lydia," UDOT Continued from Page 1 considered" by regional planners plan-ners "and they felt 100 East was an essential part but we do see that 500 East is an essential es-sential part as well." Councilman Dale Gunther then became impassioned. "If you do this, there is no alternative that I can see but destroy our downtown," he said, noting UDOT must come up with a new plan that preserves American Fork's "environment and culture and history" as well as relieving re-lieving traffic. UDOT must consider stopping the project at 500 East and routing State Street traffic from 500 East to Pacific Drive. To do otherwise "is the height of stupidity as far as my opinion goes," he said. "I don't like to use those kind of words, but I don't know how else to say it. I strongly urge you to look at the larger impact to our city." "It does not make sense at 100 East," said Councilwom-an Councilwom-an Sherry Kramer, and moving mov-ing the terminus to 500 East "will save our downtown." Gunther said UDOT and the city must work together to study not only State Street traffic issues but also the city's downtown issues. "Why not solve the prob lem now and deal with the whole issue," he said. When Jorgensen said there was nothing on regional planners long-range plans to deal with the city's historic district, Gunther was unhappy. un-happy. "They are going to wait for me to die before they do it," he said. "Why are we bearing the brunt?" said Councilman Shirl LeBaron of UDOT's plan to route traffic through American Fork. "Why isn't Highland biting the bullet with 4800 West. Why are our neighboring communities heads in the sand regarding this. I think there are some questions that need to be asked of those communities." The study looks at ways to widen State Street "to a consistent seven lanes, three lanes in each direction with a permissive median," accord ing to a statement on UDOT's Web site. The study will be completed in the fall of 2008, but widening will not begin until funding becomes available avail-able and agreement is had on how and where to find the land necessary. For information on the study, visit udot.utah.gov statestreetes, e-mail StateS-treetEShorrocks.com StateS-treetEShorrocks.com or call 763-5280. Donation Continued from Page 1 at a recent meeting of the congregation and spoke to them about homelessness and poverty issues, saying the contribution comes at a vital time when the Family Shelter Program is "very stretched." -i' "It was an honor to personally per-sonally address the congregation congre-gation at the Community Presbyterian Church," she said in an interview. "We are so thankful for the $3,000 gift. It will make such a big difference for many homeless home-less families." The program provided 150 homeless families (525 people) with temporary shelter shel-ter during 2006; 113 families and more than 200 children sought assistance from the Family Shelter Program During the first five months of 2007, and it is estimated the year total will add up to nearly 250 families. Laws said she appreciates that Community Action does more than "just put people in motels for a few nights. They follow up and try to heir) -families solve the problems that led to their homeless situation." , The Historic Commu- , , nity Presbyterian Church of American Fork is located at 75 N. 100 East. Services are held 1 1 a.m. on Sunday. To help families, Com- ' munity Action is in need of further donations from the public, Dutton said. "We are especially in need of paper goods and hygiene items at this time," she said. "Donations of toilet paper, disposable diapers, soap, ' toothpaste and other hygiene items would be tremendouslv helpful." For information or to donate do-nate to Community Action Services, call 373-8200 or visit CommunityActionUC org. t COPY 1 |