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Show Krw Press - Wednesday. March 16. laxx - Page 2 Sometimes its hard to believe in hearing process It's hard to maintain trust public hearings when it on either side of the Frankly, the arguments are good issue. However, they fail to address the issue that the public has not really been involved in this decision, other than a hearing scheduled for last night. council meetings. True, some have spoken up at city Council Fork City meeting last American At the in but they were attendance, Tuesday, many people no was and public hearing, the told that meeting were in not the could e participate that the . on the listed those agenda discussion only Nevertheless, that meeting must have made some official position, as stated by impact, since the city's was against the proposal. Mayor Kent Evans, But the promised public hearings came down to last night's meeting at the training school. And while it remains to be seen if public opposition to the plan is going to make any difference, at this point, many feel as if their participation in the hearing could be an exercise in futility, since the decision will be made out of the public sight. That won't encourage public input in the future. And it could damage our basic faith in the way our system of government works. benefit. Thousands of state jobs in Utah have been eliminated in recent years as the state has cut back on expenses. Urging the state to save these 23 jobs does not make a compelling argument. Money saved in the laundry operation can then be used to provide more direct care to the state's handicapped residents. In addition, UCI assures that the inmates who will come to American Fork to operate the laundry are not dangerous, but prisoners who are near the end of their sentences and who have earned a degree of trust. Other similar programs have been operated successfully with inmate labor in other parts of the state. Such programs help inmates learn a marketable skill for when they return to society. True, the razor-wir- e topped fence will give the look a of the prison compound, rather than a laundry the for facility handicapped. But the fence, UCI is maintains, designed as much to keep training school residents out as to keep the inmates in and will also help control contraband that might filter into the prison from the laundry as prisoners are moved back and forth. seems that the powers that be have already made up their minds regardless of what the people may say. And frankly that's the way a lot of local residents feel about the decision to turn the operation of the laundry facility at the Utah State Training School over to Utah Correctional Industries, where local labor will be replaced with inmates from the Utah State Prison. When the proposal was first made, many area residents were concerned. After all, some 23 jobs will be lost if UCI takes over the laundry. That's a negative factor for the local economy. Even more were concerned about the fact that convicts would be used as the labor force - and placed inside the community on a daily basis to operate the facilities. Others have objected to the plans to put a 10- - to fence around the laundry, changing it from a training school facility into a corrections institution. Arguments in favor of the proposal are strong ones. Yes, jobs will be lost, but the savings to the state budget will more than make up the difference. And besides, we have been told, it's not the state's job to make sure people are employed when the cost is greater than the 12-fo- ot public-at-larg- - Nobody asks who I want for president you better believe it Have you ever felt like you've been in a race when you've never moved off the chair? I mean, how come everybody is deciding who will be nominated for president and we haven't even had a say in the matter? I realize that George Bush, Jesse Jackson, Bob Dole and Dukakis are fine men, but heck, I'd like a chance to say yea or hay. Marc wrote an editorial a few weeks ago which said that no matter what happens now, their greatness or weaknesses as president would not be determined until future history has placed them in their proper categories. But don't you think we should have some say as to who we want to run for president. It has something to do with the delegates we send to the political conventions. Have you voted for a delegate and does that delegate know what and who you want for the future of America? It seems to me that this is a very crucial time in the political scheme of things. Do the people we choose to represent us at political conventions really understand the desires of the they're representing? people By BETTY FOWLER Nobody has asked me what I want. When the Chamber of Commerce voted for Dave Westover to be vice president of the' Chamber of Commerce, they knew that he would be NCAA's. I sure hope they iron out president the following year. They knew of his leadership abilities and their problems. Something has of his dedication to a job. In other happened to throw them into a words, the Chamber board members slump. knew what they were doing when Some say they peaked too early. Others say the other teams have had they voted for Westover. a chance to study films and figure They knew this year that when out a proper defense, and others say they voted for Gary Nelson to be he would probably be they are not playing as a team like they used to. president someday. They knew what they were doing, they knew Gary's Anyway, we wish the Cougars the qualities as a leader. best. And we hope every WAC team But, what do I know about represents the conference well. The Dukakis. I know that the Kennedys WAC needs the clout of making Kenspent money to elect Patrick believers out of disbelievers, and nedy as a delegate to try and get you don't do that by losing in the first Dukakis nominated. So, by that, we round, complaining about the ofknow that Dukakis has been acficiating, or by complaining about cepted by the Boston and Back Bay too many games in too short a time. to he'd be We have believe Big Wigs. That should only make a team a good man. But, shucks, what have we had to say about it? See? stronger and better. to me. Now, I've got to stop and study up Politics is mumbo-jumb- o And are we ready for Jesse about all those who are running for Jackson? These things are plaguing president. Gary Hart is gone. Joe Biden is gone. And that lady from me because I like to think of myself Colorado is gone, too. Who'll be next. as an informed American - a caring, Finding that out should make my job patriotic American. But, do I really easier. know what is going on? How about you. "Who do ylu want One thing I do know what is going on about is our BYU basketball team ' vfor our, next president? Spk up' now or forever hold your peace. going to Atlanta to play in the Problem with cars is you can't trust them There's a lot of talk about all kinds of mass transit up north, where the folks that count in Utah live. I'm in the mood for a little mass transit, today. Up north, near the Great Salt Lake, they're talking about trains and buses to get all those commuters from where they park their cars to where they park their behinds for the day's work. Usually they drive their cars all the way, and that's where the problems start - with cars, I mean. In the first place, they've got too many cars. So many that the freeways just can't hold them all at the same time (usually from 7:30 to 9a.m. or 4:30 to6p.m.) So they're talking about fixing the freeways to handle all that extra traffic. And when they start fixing freeways, traffic slows way down. (Just wait a few days until our own little freeway project gets started. Then you'll have just one lane to get from here to Salt Lake County, and you'll see what I mean. I was out there taking a photo just today, and if my experience is typical, this road project is going to be a disaster. ) They're talking about mass transit systems to make up for the reduced traffic lanes while they fix the Salt Lake City freeway system. That just goes to show you how much we have come to depend on cars to get us from here to there. And that's a shame. Because you can't trust them - not at all. Just last week I was driving my "trusty" little number around town the exterior for that kind of work. After all, snow is not healthy for the the editor's column By MARC HADDOCK and the rack came out of the rack and pinion steering. (At least I think that's what happened. What it meant was that every time I went to turn the steering wheel, the right wheel would turn but the left one wouldn't do anything at all. That makes for a pretty rough ride. The problem is the warranty ran out about 10.000 miles ago. so the lovable piece of junk is starting to disintegrate on me at a fairly rapid rate. It's to the point where I fix it just because I'm dying of curiosity to find out what will break next Besides, it makes each road trip an adventure. Anyway, it's taken a while to get the car fixed, either because nobody stocks these racks and pinions hereabouts, or the things are wearing out so fast they can't make them fast enough. I've learned there's nothing more tragic than a driver without a car. I've also learned how to ask, real nice, when I needed a vehicle to carry me out to do some particularly crucial business. This morning it was the boss's spare car I took to the Point of the Mountain, where road construction crews are preparing for repair work on between the Point and Lehi. While the work is underway, traffic between those points will be one lane both ways. Since a lot of us are addicted to automobile travel, this is fairly major news, and I wanted to get a picture of the first phase of construction. I parke&my car safely behind the superintendent's truck and got out into the snow storm to tell him what was about. 1 took a few pictures of trucks and other and equipment heavy promptly ran out of film. So I retreated to the car to reload the camera - preferring the interior to I -- . ; insides of a camera. I waited in the car for all the photographic elements to come together so I could capture the perfect image. Besides, it was cold outside. The driver of the truck had seen me take some pictures and get in the car. From there he figured I had gone on my way, so he put his truck in reverse and stepped on the gas to get a new vantage point from which to supervise. By the time I saw him coming, he had already arrived - driving his truck bumper through heavy-dut- y the grill of the boss's Bobcat and into the radiator. I tried to open the door, but it only went wide enough for me to spit out into the snow - and that wasn't wide enough. The morning culminated in a close encounter with the Utah Highway Patrol and a ride in the tow truck. And I'm stranded again. Oh, they say they've almost got the new rack hooked up the pinion on my own car, and I'll be able to drive it home tonight to my house. (That's how we are paying for all these auto repairs. ) But in the meantime no one really wants to lend me their car. And in north Utah County, a bus is hard to come by. With all that talk about mass transit, there are some times you really wish someone would do something about it. Like today. letters to the editor Judge sends message: 'Children are fair game' Editor: Judge Christensen has just sent a message to Utah County, if they don't already know, that all good active Mormon child molesters will never spend time in prison. All children are fair game. How could Judge Christensen say molesting your own children, as Hadfield did, was not as great a crime as molesting someone elses child? This is apparent to me why Judge Christensen would not grant a change of venue to the Attorney,,, General's office. This way control of particular case stayed in District Four. The law is very clear, but Judge Christensen chose to write his own interpretation of the law. Now thanks to him, all children in Utah will suffer. I wonder if Judge Christensen. this In People theie is Power. On March 9, 1 bought regular gas in Salt Lake County for 85.9 cents. Unleaded was 2 cents more. These thieves in Utah County are stealing us blind. I have a few suggestions. 1. These convenience stores which sell gas-le- t's boycott them. If you need milk or bread, just go around the corner and buy it at a grocery store. Let the gas stay in the pumps and let the milk sour on the shelves. If those cash registers quit ringing, within 30 days the gas prices will equal those in Salt Lake County and we will all benefit. In People there is Power. When you go to Salt Lake, buy your gas. 2. I appeal to the people in Lehi do us all a favor and go to Draper, just 8 or 10 miles away, and buy famine. Because there are only a few miles of Irish Sea that separate Wales from Ireland, there is a close bond between the two people. I remember as a boy in school singing about the shamrock. Some of the words still come back to me -"It grows in the bogs, in the main and the mireland, they call it the dear little shamrock of Ireland." There is romance in Ireland. I was once in a pub in the little town of Limerick and as I sipped on a glass of cider I listened to an Irish tenor sing songs of Ireland. It was indeed a thrill to hear his dulcet tone as he sang of the sunset on Galway Bay. It was here that my wife and I were instructed how to make Irish coffee. It was a solemn occasion. The guests were all supplied with a long stem glass and the makings of the coffee. The instructor was dressed in a tuxedo and was unsmiling as he gave directions and the demonstrations. You first pour about a third of gas. Within 30 days the gas prices in Lehi will drop to Salt Lake level. Then people from American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Orem go to Lehi to buy gas. People there is Power. Young Orem browsing j By TOM GRIFFITHS B are an optimistic people. There was the day that my wife and I were walking down the street in Limerick, It was a cold day with rain and wind. Ahead of us was a couple of American touriss. They were complaining loudly about the weather. Just then a little old Irish lady passed us. She had a shawl around her head and shoulders and carried an shopping bag. She gave us a big smile and said, "Isn't it a lovely drop of rain we're having?" I woke early one morning and went for a walk. I was crossing the River Shannon on a bridge when a Catholic Priest came riding by on his bicycle. As he passed he gave me a big smile and a greet, "Good morning, my boy, it's a lovely day I am wishing you." Sure, I was not of his faith, but my day was brighter for his friendly greeting. I love the humor of the Irish. I enjoy the story of a party of clergymen who were attending a Presbyterian conference in Ireland. Several of them set off to explore the district. Presently they came to a river spanned by a temporary bridge. Not seeing the notice that said it was unsafe, they began to cross it. The bridgekeeper ran after them in protest. "It's all right," declared the spokesman, not understanding the reason for the old man's haste, "we're Presbyterians from the conference." "I'm no caring about that," was the reply, "but if ye dinna get off the bridge, you'll all be Baptists." My best regards to the Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Acting workshop begins next week A special actine workshnn fnr students 7 to 12 years old will be held under the direction of the Lehi Arts Council. The event will be taught by Bettv Kopit. Kopit is a professional acfrom Wash. She has taught theatre in New York and Denver, and currently travels throughout the west as part of programs offered by arts councils throughout the west ' including the Utah Arts Council. As an she goes to schools and communities to help people draw out their own creative talents. She uses mime, improvisation, storytelling and song io neip siuaenis gain an ao- - tresssingerstoryteller Bradley men, Allan Attorney Hadfield an all the Allan Hadfield supporters can live with their conscience, if they have one, each time they see a little child, or hear one cry for help. -- Clerece Neil Murray In I was in a hospital recently and on several walls was a picture of a shamrock and the words, "Kiss me, I'm Irish." I looked around but saw no smooching, so I came to the conclusion there weren't many Irish around. Now, as one who has kissed the Blarney Stone in Auld Ireland, the Irish would welcome a kiss. Soon it will be St. Patrick's Day and the wearing of the green. I once had the opportunity of flying over Ireland and indeed it is a green isle. As for St. Patrick, I can't seem to get excited. History tells us that he was born in Wales, but emigrated to Ireland. I don't know why he left Wales unless he was afraid he would be put to work in the coal mines. Anyway, he was loved by the Irish and his memory revered. It is said that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. This I don't believe. If there ever were snakes there they must; have died with the potato Irish whiskey in your glass, then a third of coffe, and the remainder of the glass was whipped cream. "Never," said the instructor, "do you stir or mix these ingredients. You lift the glass to your lips and let the whiskey run through the coffee and cream into your mouth." The Irish, with all their problems, - People power: drive to SLC to buy your gas Editor: the Irish should include kiss LUCk of Wfrv preciation for the arts. The event in Lehi will be held on March 23, 24 and 30 from 4 to 5 p.m. at Meadow Elementary. There is a $5 registration fee which covers the three workshops. Enrollment for this workshop is limited. Kopit will also conduct a parent-chil- d workshop in storytelling and song on March 31, from 6 to 7:15 p.m., also at Meadow. The event is one night only but promises to bring magic to the evening for all to attend. The cost for this event is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children; Parents and children must attend together. For more information or to register for either of these events, call Uons Trujillo at qro 768-960- i |