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Show AMERICAN FORK CITIZEN Thursday, December 20, 2007 Ml Mil III -- NEWS AND NOTES TO KEEP YOU INFORMED AND INVOLVED Pagt2 Annual Jazz Bear Christmas Megan C. Wallgren NORTH COUNTY STAFF Picture crazed shoppers running around stuffing their carts with everything in sight. It sounds like a typical Christmas shopping day at Wal-Mart, but these were no ordinary customers. "I can't believe I get Pirates!" said 6-year-old Marianna Anderson as she threw the popular DVD in her cart. She was accompanied by three Lehi High School students who helped her spend $100 on gifts for herself and family as part of the Bear Hugs for Kids program. pro-gram. The program to help needy children have a Christmas is in its 13th year. It is run by Fireman Fire-man and Friends and the Jazz Bear Foundation. One hundred and five American Fork elementary kids were beneficiaries in the program this year. They were accompanied on their shopping sprees by over 300 Lehi High School students who volunteered volun-teered to be there. The kids arrived at the American Fork Wal-Mart around 8 a.m. on Saturday. They came by bus and fire truck. They were greeted by the Jazz bear and got a hug from Santa before heading into the store. Alpine School District Administrator Ad-ministrator John Burton said the high school students were coached to make sure the younger kids first purchased any warm clothing they needed. Connector Continued from Pagel the entire construction project, good news for commuters, he said. The project would add two lanes in each direction from Bangerter Highway to Payson, and rebuild or revamp every intersection of the freeway free-way in Utah County. The goal of building the road is to ensure that in the year 2030, traffic on 1-15 is about the same as it is today, maybe slightly heavier, according to Dupuix and UDOT documents. Larry and Barbara Guercio's home in American Fork is next to the freeway. Their property is being studied, UDOT officials of-ficials told them. It is unclear right now whether any, all or part of it will be needed for the freeway rebuild. NorthCounty NIWSPAPERS ' 399 E. State St. Pleasant Grove Marc Haddock 443 3268 North County Editor mhaddockheraldextra.com Cathy Allred 443-3262 Lehi, Saratoga Springs, PI. Grove callredheraldextra.com Barbara Christiansen 443-3264 American Fork, Alpine, Cedar Hills bchristiansenheraldextra.com Mike Rigert 443-3265 Orem, Vineyard mrigertheraldextra.com Beky Beaton 443-3267 Sports bbeatonheraldextra.com Josh Walker 443-3260 Advertising Account Executive jwalker heraldextra.com Volume 134 A(TwFortCiwDeyHanEJUSP01MXavw Saw S, taxQnM lMi 64063 Panodcals Postage Paid at Pleasant Grova. Utah 84062 and additional maangoffoaa PijaUnaaaar Sand aettess cJiargas id t rwcan Fort Otian. PO Box 7. American Pert. UT 84003-0007 Puttshad TKradays by Laa Pubkamons. htti a dwoonof LeeEnterpnaM.lnc. :AurkiaauoOfcueoria ' rr. .. r r , wal3'T I r. W f 4 -- ,. WW -- ' - f mm - - 'irrn . - f 91 'J Cathy AllredNorth County Marianna Anderson pulls down Pet Shop for her shopping cart as Maddie Tilley, 16, reacts to the six-year-old's exuberance. Marianna was so excited to go shopping during the Jazz Bear Christmas, her Lehi High School buddies had trouble keeping up with her. Johnny Holdaway, age 10, was excited to replace his duct-taped duct-taped shoes with a new pair of Heelys. "My friend let me try his and I've wanted them for a while," he said. After the clothing needs are taken care of, kids can then hit the toy section or look for other gifts. Holdaway was going go-ing to look for some music for his sister. "Its amazing the number of kids who will get something for Mom or Dad," Burton said. The couple said they are in limbo. They want to stay in their home, but are afraid UDOT will move the freeway too close. There is no sound wall in front of their home and the noise is already a problem, they said, but even more concerning are the cars that wreck, ending up in their driveway. The couple said if UDOT takes too much of their yard, they will be forced to move. i There is about 100 feet from UDOT's property to the front door of their home, they said. "We are just wondering if they are going to take our driveway, and how close the freeway is going to be to our home," she said. The good news is that UDOT may put up a sound wall to block the noise from their home, they said. Phone: 756-7669 Fax: 756-5274 DAILY HBBALD PUBLISHING CO. 2 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 101 'AW ' Sometimes their purchase grand total is a little over the allotted $100. "We've seen high school kids pay for it. They'll pull $ 15 out of their own pocket," pock-et," said Burton. Legacy Elementary principal Gary Gibb said the younger kids love it, and not just for the shopping. "They get excited to be here with the high school kids and to meet the jazz bear," he said. One of his students told him, "This is great, we get a police Gerald Kammerman of Saratoga Sara-toga Springs came to Thursday Thurs-day night's open house because he is tired of using the back roads of Lehi to avoid Lehi Main Street traffic. "I avoid downtown Lehi as much as possible," he said. "I would like a better connection between Saratoga Springs and the freeway. I am pleased with the work they are doing. I sure would like things to move ahead but I know things take time and money. We can do the most convenient thing, but in 20 years is that really going to meet our needs? We need to do long-term planning." Carl Mellor, owner of the historic Lehi Hotel, and the Mellor Hidden Meadows Reception Center, came to encourage UDOT to build a noise-reducing wall along the freeway where traffic noise An empty Christmas nest hristmas for empty nest-ers nest-ers is a relaxed affair. There is no sleepless anticipation on Christmas Eve, and no hours of assembling as-sembling toys based on instructions written by people who speak English as a second, or in some cases, a third language. You get up when you feel like it's time for breakfast. Then you exchange a few presents, wish each other a Merry Christmas and start preparing for the visitors who may or may not drop by during the day. Clean up takes about a minute. About two years ago I even went back to bed after exchanging presents, pres-ents, but that proved to be not such a good idea, and I won t do that again. Real Christmas for empty nesters comes in the days before the actual holiday, in the guise of the family party. For years, these have been pleasant affairs, with a nice Christmas message mes-sage and some warm family fellowship. We would provide dinner. Often we would unwrap the individual pieces of a large, porcelain por-celain nativity my wife had painted many years before. Each child or grandchild would take out a character and talk about his or her role in the Christmas story before placing that figure in the scene. Then we sang some Christmas Christ-mas carols and let the grandchildren unwrap a present. We played with their toys for a while, kissed them good night and sent them home. When we only had two or three grandchildren, grandchil-dren, this was simple. But it gets more complicated compli-cated each year new grandchildrea This year we had 15 kids over Sunday night, the oldest age 9. Three of them were new, added to the family when Steven and Bonnie married last month. It all marked a shift in power, because for the first time the kids outnumbered out-numbered the adults. It was mayhem. The plan this year was to take photos of scenes from the Christmas story to put in a picture book we could hand out to all the grandkids. It would be something they would cherish for years. But with 15 actors and limited roles, we had to make some compromises. For example, all the granddaughters wanted Merry Christmas. helps those in need escort and everything." Seven-year-old Presley Richards Rich-ards described her favorite part. "The jazz bear squirted me with silly string," she said. "It's fun 'cause I've never been with teenagers shopping," said Holdaway Gibb had eight children from his school participate. He looked for students he thought would benefit. He then sent a letter home which encouraged them to think about what they wanted to get before getting to Wal-Mart. "They were just thrilled. Some woke up at 4 a.m. they were so excited to come," he said. COMMUNjTY NOTES Employee of the month Jose Cortes was named Employee Em-ployee of the Month for American Ameri-can Fork City. He received the honor at the City Council meeting meet-ing on Dec. 11. He is a groundskeeper in the Cemetery Department. "You have demonstrated your fine ability and artistic skills in many city areas," Mayor Heber Thompson wrote in a letter to him. "The flowers and landscaping at each building, build-ing, cemetery and park strips . are beautiful throughout the year but especially during the summer seasoa You never complain, are steady and loyaL and do it all with a smile on your face. You are humble but very worthy of high praise for your excellent work." sometimes interrupts the atmosphere atmo-sphere of the reception center gardens, located at 900 N. 100 East in Lehi. He wasn't encouraged. "When they double the freeway, free-way, it is going to double the noise," he said. "We own about 1,000 feet of property adjacent to the freeway but since we are a commercial business, they don't feel we meet their standards for a sound wall" Paul Schramm of Highland said freeway traffic "is a nightmare." night-mare." He came to Thursday's meeting to find out how UDOT plans to improve it. He said he encouraged UDOT officials at the meeting to extend Redwood Road to Santaquin and allow traffic to move off 1-15 in Utah County. This needs to be done while there is still open space west of Utah Lake "rather than wait Marc Haddock THE EDITOR'S COLUMN cultural nail. City offers relief from utility bills American Fork City will again offer relief from city utility bills to those serving in the active military. Those who wish to use the program should contact the city at 763-3000. The city has offered the relief for more than four years. Annexations approved At its Dec. 11 meeting, the American Fork City Council approved six annexations of property into the city. The combined amount of property is more than 100 acres, and is south or west of the freeway. The Main Street Investments annexation is at 1000 W. 150 North and includes land on which the freeway is located. One potential use for the property prop-erty is for an equipment lease company. In the Binch et al annexation at 725 W. 200 South, most of the property would be used for housing, as would the Fenn Properties annexation at 350 S. 570 West. The Skidmore annexation would be placed in the residential resi-dential agricultural zone and would be for one home. The Ruben Adams annexation annexa-tion of 17 acres at 75 W. 1500 South would be placed in the Marina zone, one of American Fork's newest zone designations. designa-tions. It would include storage for boats. The Williamsen annexation, a little less than three acres at 1125 S. 500 East, would be placed in the Planned Industrial zone. for years down the road," he said. "I do know we need to do something, there is no doubt about it. All the new people coming in have put a heavy impact on us." UDOT officials said the Legislature Leg-islature is likely to spend some time in the January session addressing how to pay for the project, which Dupaix said will be the most expensive road project ever undertaken in Utah. The best case scenario is that work could begin in 2010, he said. Public comment on the project proj-ect will be accepted until Jan. 11, and Dupaix encouraged those who were unable to attend at-tend Thursday's meeting to visit UDOT's Web site for the project, www.udot.utah.gov il5utahcounty. Comments may be e-mailed to il5utahcounty utah.gov. to be Mary. We devised a plan to let each one be Mary in a different scene, Samantha was Mary when the angel appeared to her to explain the coming birth. And Alyson was Mary when she and Joseph were tuned away at the Inn. And Keslie was Mary in the manger scene. But by the time the manger scene came, Alyson wasnt done being Mary. So we had two Marys, one Joseph Jo-seph and one baby Jesus (a Cabbage Patch dolT) in our stable that night. While I tried to get that picture, the three wise men were having a sword fight with the wooden staffs prov ided as props, and raising a rucnus. The two-year-olds, who had been cast as angels, had worn their sparkry costumes cos-tumes for all of one minute and were running around the room screaming at each other. Our house had never seemed so small No baby, no matter how good, could have slept through all that. Once the photos had been taken, we decided to skip the planned talent show and go right to the presents. Sharon thought we ought to pass them out one by one and "ooh" and "aah" as each one was opened. I just tossed them to the kids and got out of the way of the ensuing feeding frenzy. Paper flew, presents were opened and evaluated, eval-uated, and the serious play began. The older boys, who didn't want to open their Legos until they got home, where they could work on them, resumed their sword fight and giggled at naked dolls, while their more mature girl cousins dressed their new Barbies in new outfits. Emma, the youngest, kept it all lively by running through the center of things with her new pretend, lawn mower. I'm not sure much of the Christmas story got through, despite our efforts. The kids had a balL by the way, but some of the adults were grumbling as they loaded the darlings into the cars for one more long winter's night. As for us, next year, we're reserving the Mary Continued from Page 1 better sense of humor," she said. "More than anything it has been fun. It has been a lot of other things, too. For many people, it seems to make them happy. 'You are my favorite,' they tell me. 'I think of your name and it makes me happy'." Wherever she goes, she seems to get attentioa On Oct. 4, which happens to be her birthday, she was in a car accident. When the insurance agent was notified, he noted her birth date and her name. "Happy birthday, Mary Christmas," he said, with a chuckle. In the nine months since she has been married, no one has come right out and asked her if she is kidding when she tells them her name. There have been other circumstances, however, in which she has felt the need to explain. "I changed my name in my work (computer) system," she said. "The head guy changed it back because he thought it was a joke." "When I make an appointment appoint-ment somewhere it is kind of awkward," she said. "I just tell them this isn't a prank call." Other people's reactions can affect her response. "It kind of cheers me up sometimes when people get a kick out of it," she said. "I like it when I feel like it makes people happy" She said she feels the name may make it possible for her to accomplish some of her goals in life. "I am kind of an interesting interest-ing mix between quiet and outgoing," she said. "I am really kind of shy, but it depends. de-pends. Maybe I am random. I don't like to be the center of attentioa It is funny that is my name. "I want to make a difference differ-ence in the world. Maybe my name will help me do that." In college she was a psychology psy-chology major and wants to do work in the field of marriage and family. She has been working at Ancestry An-cestry .com for three years. Through her work in that company, she has found that there are between 20 and 100 other Mary Christmases in the United States. The last name of Christmas has its origins in Wales. "It was given to people that were born on Christmas Day," she said. "Somewhere back there someone of my husband's ancestors was born on Christmas. It is not a super common name." Yet she is not the first in the family to have an interesting inter-esting combination of first and last names. Her husband's grandmother was named Joy Christmas and one time when she was shopping shop-ping at J.C Penney in Provo, she was held at the counter, because the store clerk thought her name was phony. The Christmas season has always been Mary's favorite time of the year. "I love Christmas," she said. "I love having time off from work. I love the lights, smells, food. I like the whole spirit of it - helping people and doing something for them, feeling good We should be like that all the time." She calls herself creative and said she loves to really get into a project. She made a gingerbread house for the Festival of Trees, based on the story of the Three Pigs and then began working work-ing on one based on Hansel and GreteL She researched techniques and incorporated them into her desiga For example, ex-ample, she made a frame of the gingerbread, then melted Jolly Rancher candies to make a see-through window in the frame. Yes, when she greets others, she still tells them, Merry Christmas." "If I hear a song. I dont think of myself," she said. "It is still the holiday, it is not me." Her husband Brian summed up what he called the best part. I get to have Mary Christmas all year long. Brian Christmas MARY'S HUSBAND "I get to have Mary Christ mas all year long," he said. ' POO |