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Show I Free Press - Wednesday, January We can weather Hard to believe Lillie is 90 years old economic storm There is no doubt that knowledge has increased on the earth. Man knows more today than ever before. Then why, you ask is the world in such a precarious condition? We have people who spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to obtain a position in government with the promise to serve the people. If serving the people has contributed to the condition of our country today we would have been better off without them. The figure of a trillion dollar debt is beyond the understanding of most people. It is like trying to count the stars in the sky. The sad part of it is, there is no relief insight. Through the past several years America created the greatest middle class of people in the whole wor'.d. People owned more homes, boats and other recreation equipment than any other people on earth. Now suddenly, we are in a dilemma. Must we sacrifice this middle class living we are used to? Our governor hinted recently that we are going to be called upon to sacrifice. This of course means higher taxes. In the near future we can expect higher gasoline taxes and incresaed income tax. Perhaps this is just the beginning. On the national picture what can we expect? How long can we continue to go into debt trillions of dollars? Until the country is b ankrupt? What then? Can we expect another depression such as the one in the 1930's? It is m ost difficult to see that middle class picture slip away from us. The cry of government departments who are told their budget is to be reduced is loud and clear. Education is also expected to sacrifice. We are living under a threat that if teachers are not paid more we will lose a 1 ot of them to other b etter paying jobs. Frankly, I don't expect to see a stampede out of our schools, for better paying jobs are not that plentiful. Perhaps someone with the wisdom of Soloman can find the answer but I am, personally concerned. Not for myself, but for our youngsters growing up. I have been tutoring fourth grade students in 21. 1987 - Page 2 I can't believe that Lillie Shafter is 90 years old. I remember her vividly from my growing-u- p days in American Fork. She was always in the perimeter of happenings in that browsing better believe it y&u fair city. And in those days she was supposed to be a close friend of Milt a monumental town Brown, who character passed away recently. Well, folks kinda paired them up. You know how people are. They're always looking for the romantic angle. And, in my childish mind, I 43 By TOM GRIFFITHS B one of our elementary schools. This has been one of the most pleasant experiences of my life. These children are beautiful and I love each one of them, but what of their future? Already they are burdened with a debt of many thousand dollars. It is a good thing that their young minds cannot comprehend the seriousness of the times in which they are living and what the future holds for them. This sounds rather pessimistic, but rather than pessimism it is a challenge. I don't want to see a repeat of the 1930's. Can you imagine a man not having enough money to buy gas for his car to drive to work? Oh yes, I saw it. I remember a rabbit hunt was organized and men went with clubs and a few with In those days rabbits shotguns. were plentiful out in the west desert. A truckload of rabbits was the result and they were dumped on the lawn by the City and County building. People could come and get them. Every rabbit was taken. A neighbor was caught killing a deer. He was taken before a judge and fined. Not having any money he was sent to jail. He told the judge that he had a wife and five children and if he was sent to prison the state would have to care for his family. to His sentence was changed probation. There was a saying in those days that suckers from Utah Lake with watercress was a luxury. But America recovered and I believe we will weather the storm that is bound to come. v always thought they'd make a dashing couple. Milt with his music and Lillie with her unending loyalty. Oh, yes, Lillie was loyal to her family, to the town, and to her business. How would you like to get up and go for more than 90 years, in the same town? She was a great friend to Art and Mary, Don's aunt and uncle, and friends of mine. I remember how much they thought of Lillie. In fact, she was almost like a member of the family, too. They were staunch citizens who weathered the depression, and learned lessons from it. In fact, they all loved the community so much. They were very much involved in what went on there. So much so that Art left his home and property to the City for a park. They sold the original property, but used the money to buy a more feasible property for the new ball park. His request that they name the new park after his wife - MaryEllen Park - will be honored. Anyway, Lillie was part and parcel of that happy little group. No wonder she's still hanging in there. -- By BETTY FOWLER She is a remarkable example of the true pioneer spirit. Never give up is a byword, and looking ahead to tomorrow is a creed. I admire and respect Lillie Shafter very much. She's one of a kind. No wonder they honored her in American Fork. No one in town deserves the tributes more than she does. excitement and joy that prevailed in the gym that night was enhanced by the excellent band playing their collective horns to the limit of their abilities. Boy! Were we the proud. And you'll have to admit that the game took on an added dimension with the crisp, clear notes of that band music. The pep club was great too. The Waspettes always put on a good show and Friday night wasn't an exception. Their routines are usually spectacularly different, and the Southern Belle outfits and routine were unusual, to say the least. They'd performed the same feathered fan long blue dress-gol- d dance at a recent BYU halftime show, and Lehi got the full benefit of the show. But Lehi's own Pionettes were very good too. They were sporting new outfits, at least they were new to me, and the jazz routine they did was performed with precision and crispness. Very enjoyable and on a par with the Waspettes. Usually, following the Waspettes would be an intimiditating task, but the Lehi ladies need not hand their heads. In fact, for downright entertainment, Lehi's was better. So there! The band is back Bill Evans is back If you were at the Wasatch game, you must have heard the new Lehi High School Band. My goodness, I was so thrilled! Mr. Cox, the new teacher, knows how to put music together. He didn't want to unveil the band until they were ready and - were they ready! Beating Wasatch was great, but I can't believe that I'm going to get to see Bill Evans again. He is so talented, nice, and yes, unattainable. You've gotta realize that he loves his home town a little bit. A dancer of his calibre would never come back to the old home town if he didn't care a lot. Of course his mom, Lila, still lives here, and as long as she's here, we're gonna hear about Bill. And, I don't blame mom for a bit of bragging. BUI is sumpn' else. But he's never too busy to talk to you and share some of his busy life with friends and family. He looks just about as he did while he was living at home dancing in road shows on wardhouse stages. People used to think he was a sissy because he chose to follow a dancing career. Hey, have you ever seen him dance? And you call that sissyfied? You've gotta be kidding. He can do leaps, twists and turns better than Rambo ever thought of. And if that isn't macho enough for you, he has a rigid and regular training schedule that would scare the socks off either Sylvester Stallone or Howie Long. And, besides that, he's a grandpa. I think he'd like to downplay that a bit, but it's the truth. What does the word grandpa conjure up in your mind? A graying, slightly rotund little man with a bit of a lurp to his walk, and with peppermints in his generous overall pockets. Ha Ha. You should see this grandpa. He wears a leotard - not overalls. And lurping? NO - he leaps buildings in a single bound. He does not eat sweets, nor does he carry them for his granddaughter. He has all his teeth, hair, and sense of humour, and he uses them all when he smiles - from ear to ear. And, if you go on down to the high school on Feb. 7, you can see him in action. Lucky us. This is a chance of a lifetime to see a hometown boy who made good. Skiing more careful 2nd time around By SHARON MORREY can see now that I went into this skiing business with unrealistic expectations. I looked ahead and saw myself schussing down hills, leaping gracefully over moguls and screaming into parallel pivotals without losing my balance. I figured it was pretty much a matter of getting in a few falls and I'd be good at it. That was last time. This time I tried to face the situation honestly; if I didn't learn what to do to control myself and my skis I would kill myself. Last time, I mastered sidestepping and stopping without crashing into the lodge so I thought I could ski. And I went very fast down the bunny hill. So fast that when I crashed I burned. This time my daughter, Kristi, took me aside and sternly instructed me to listen to her advice. "You have to do what I say." she ordered, "or you won't make it. Mom." Okay. She told me to get used to my skis all over again by trying the gentle tidbits I n tnow why I went fast or why I didn't stop when I said, "Stop, skis, stop!" ; Sharon Morrey slopes in the parking lot. I laboriously climbed to the top of the rise and intended to ski with agility to the bottom. I didn't do that. I froze. Suddenly I absolutely panicked at what I was attempting. I had socked myself in the jaw three times with my poles the last time I went. And I had not figured out yet what had caused mv crashes. I didn't In that instant I realized the complete risk I was taking to try this again and I just froze. Kristi really had to talk to get me to move from that spot. Finally, she persuaded me that it would be easier on the bunny hill and I went woodenly with her. We got successfully on and off the lift and by the time I came off the five-fohill at the unloading point I was so scared I was ready to listen to her. , Mom. Don't try "Just to be fast or fancy. Keep your tips together," Kristi dictated. So I did that. And little by little it worked. I skied. I didn't go fast but I threaded my way down the mountain in complete control of myself and my speed. We went up the lift again and snow-plow- again and each time I maneauvared a little better until I began to feel a fair amount of confidence. This was fun. This was freedom. In fact, I loved it. I began to plan. I would ask for next my own ski equipment Christmas and talk my husband into trying this sport. I became so carried away 1 started too quickly up the side of the hill and worried myself. I raised, s to protect ... jny my face and realized that's how I nearly knocked out my teeth last time. "Mom!" hollered Kristi behind me. "Pay attention." So I did that. And I didn't fall except for a couple of times when I said to myself very calmly. "It's time to fall now, gently." Last time I wanted to be a great skier in a single shot. This time I just wanted to come back with all my teeth still in my mouth. I did that. I have all of my teeth and my bones are intact and I'm in good shape. I just left my heart upon the hill. Tom Walker, long-tim- e supt. of Timp Cave, dies at age 83 ' . Paul Whitlock, left, and Darrell Axtell have moved Pioneer Electronics to Lehi's Main Street. Pioneer Electronics moves to Lehi If you need a quick fix on your VCR, television, stereo, or any other electronic equipment, just call Pioneer Electronics - a business that has just opened on the corner of First East and Main Street. owner and Darrell Axtell, manager of Pioneer Electronics, has been a service representative for RCA for 25 years, and he will make housecalls. Paul He and his Whitlock, opened the new shop on stint of doing Jan. 2 after a four-yea- r business in American Fork. "We'd been in business in American Fork but when this building came available, we liked the spot and decided to try it." They are pleased with their new location, and the new building. "There's lots of room upstairs and downstairs to remodel and fix up," Darrell said. "We're very positive about the son-in-la- future." He's a lai Jiy authorized representative for RCA, Zenith and Sylvania and answers calls for help from throughout the county. He's also The business in strictly electronics repair; fixing televisions, video casette recorders and cameras. Axtell lives in Cottonwood and commute to drives the Lehi each day. His two sons attend Cottonwood High School and the family will not move to Lehi until their graduation. Axtell has been a service rep for RCA for 25 years. He has lived in Murray most of his life, attended Granite High and was in the U.S. Navy for seven years. was Whitlock's motheHn-laLehian, Klea W. Gray. Lehi Chamber of Commerce and city council members have extended a hearty welcome to Axtell and his new business, with a wish for a healthy, and happy economic future in Lehi. Thomas A. Walker, area native and long time superintendent of Cave National Timpanogos Monument, died Jan. 15 in a Provo hospital at the age of 83. Walker was "Mr. Timpanogos" to many, having been connected with the National Park in some official capacity from 1924 to his retirement from the Parks Service in 1969, and prior to that when exploring the area as a youth. At the time of his retirement he received a citation from the of Interior for Department "meritorious service and important contributions to the field of park administration, particularly in its relationship to community affairs." A certificate accompanying the citation said although it is the National Park Service practice to transfer field employees from time to time for the benefit of the National Park Service and the employees, Walker was an exception "because his knowledge of the area and the key part he played in it's planning and development could never be matched; his position in the community, attained through his many years of work with the Boy Scouts Red and Cross and civic organizations, could not have been regained; and also, his weather and snow surveys for the U.S. Weather Bureau and Soil Conservation Service, gathered through ski and patrols inowpack measurements in the high country, made him especially valuable to these agencies." He was a guide to the area In 1924, working on weekends while attending Utah State University to study forestry, then began work at the Monument under the Forest Service in 1934. opening the visitors center at the base of the cave trail in 1966. On one occasion he jokingly recalled one of the "silliest yet not infrequent questions" put to him and other park guides was, "How many undiscovered caves are there in the area?" i4 "'"v'sWW ,,,,,,'; Thomas A. Walker When the Park Service took over the area in July of that year, he was appointed as Acting Custodian by the National Park Servide, and served under the sponsorship of the Timpanogos Cave Committee for 10 years. After serving as Ranger-in-charg- e at Bryce and Zions Canyon for years, he returned to Cave National Timpanogos Monument as Superintendent. He served in this capacity from Dec. 1, IMS until his retirement. When he became cave custodian, only the Timpanogos Cave was open, and the trail entrance was a half-mil-e below its present site. Later, the Middle and Hansen caves were opened, Joined by a man-mad- e tunnel. He was Involved in developing and Born and raised in Pleasant Grove, he first explored the Cave as a Boy Scout, becoming fascinated with the area and its many beauties at that time. For many years, he operated a reporting station for the U.S. Weather Bureau and took snow surveys for the Soil Conservation Service. He was one of nine recipients of the services' Jefferson Award. Even after his retirement, he kept a weather gauge in his backyard and could give you the amount of moisture that has fallen in any one period. His love for the canyon was matched by his love for scouting and what it could do for boys. He had been a scout or scout er for 60 years, receiving his Eagle with Palms and being awarded the Silver Beaver award. He was proud that his four sons, all of his grandsons who were old enough, and three grandsons-by-marriag- e had attained the Eagle rank. He was a scoutmaster for many years, and also a merit badge counselor. During this time, he not only passed the boys off on their but taught those requirements, coming to him about each of the subjects, imparting his love of nature to them. He was also active in the Red Cross for several years, serving as chairman and a First Aid instructor. He and his wife, the former Lucille Allen, instilled their love of the canyon, of scouting and of community servide in their six children: Thomas Alan Walker, Midvale; Gordon Lee Walker, Uinta Mountains; Mrs. Roger T. (Janice) Fuller, Lakewood, Colo.; Merlin K. Walker, Vernal; Arnell Ray Walker, Soda Springs, Idaho; Mrs. Michael (Catherine) Sherrod, White Rocks, British Columbia. They also have 20 grandchildren and 20 He is also survived by three sisters and two brothers, Muriel I,arsen, Kaysville; J. H. Walker, Idaho Falls; Emma Munson, Ogden; Edna Moyle, Alpine; Ben G. Walker, Pasadena, Calif. Hxlji Free press ISSN No. 8750-466- 9 U S P S. No. 309-50- Published weekly except for Thanksgiving and Christmas by Newtah, Inc. semi-weekl- y 32 Wfsi Main Lehi, Utah 8404.1 Telephone Numbers Advertising & Circulation. News Publisher Editors 3 Brett R. Bezzant Marc Haddock Betty Fowler Subscription price $16H per year Second class postage paid al Libf Post Office PmlmMtfr: Smd ddrtM ctunfn lo O Bo 7,Anmin Tmk. UnhMTO) V |