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Show Comment Free Press - Wednesday, August 8, 1990 - Page 2 County library- service would extend benefits to all non-reside- County-wid- e library systems function well in several counties d Salt Lake County throughout Utah from the to rural Emery County. Under these systems, library funds are mill levy, and then allocated to raised through a county-wid- e various community libraries as needed under the direction of the soon be felt in Pleasant Grove and Lehi, as Highland and Alpine residents look elsewhere to meet their library needs. This conflict is not restricted to north Utah County, either. Recent newspaper articles have related similar conflicts in Cache County, where county residents feel they should have the same access to the Logan City Library as do city residents. But it is easy to see the American Fork Library's concern. Some 1,700 cards are currently held and used by people who live outside ofAmerican Fork's boundaries. And that meant at $20 a card, American Fork residents who are mainly footing the bill for the library's $200,000 annual budget were card holdliberally subsidizing library services for ers. By contrast, Orem City Library, which has a $1 million annual library cards about the same budget, only has 300 as Lehi, which operates on a $125,000 budget That's sure to change with the new $56 annual fee. Only one card has been sold at the higher price to date. And beginning in September, Highland residents will be required to pay the new fee as well, unless the city decides to agree to the $17,000 charge before that time. That doesn't look likely. If this sounds complicated, it is. But there is a simple solution that would provide good library service for all residents of Utah County without discrimination or complicated fee structures. Everyone deserves easy access to information to books, newspapers, reference materials, current magazines and other sources of knowledge. Libraries provide that service, and in so doing, perform a valuable function in society. Libraries provide resources for the public to keep informed. They provide necessary reference materials to help students carry out research and learn in the process. In the library are the books that help teach youngsters to read, and that encourage the rest of us to keep reading. These are all important functions, and have been recognized as such for hundreds of years. Unfortunately, it must follow that those who pay the tax dollars are those who get to use the service. That philosophy is behind a recent increase in the American Fork City Library's fee from $20 to $56 per year. The amount, library officials calculate, is equal to what each American Fork household pays to support the library through property and sales taxes and other city fees. The city also asked Highland, which has paid into the library budget so residents could have free access to the library, to increase its annual library allocation from $10,000 to $17,000, consistent with the increases that will be paid by American Fork residents. Many are balking at the increase, and the repercussions may - County Commission. County residents have cards which give them equal access to all libraries in the county. However, as a rule, geographical considerations keep them close to home for most of their library non-reside- nt use. The system provides library service to everyone and solves most of the problems created by Utah County's current system which relies on each community to provide library service for its - out-of-to- residents. But it requires some leadership from County officials, and a willingness to take on a new set of responsibilities in administra- - out-of-to- nt tion. However, library management is not new to county governd ments. And a move in this direction now would provide a service for all the residents ofour county while allocating the costs for that service fairly. It is time for Utah County to get into the business of providing library service for all its residents. much-neede- For some, camping is more work than fun you better believe it ter. She must have interpreted my glance as a question because she said, "I feel just like dad did about camping, mom, but the whole family is so excited, well, I have to go along, ya know? I knew. My earliest memories about my family revolve around our summer vacations spent in a tent in American Fork or Provo Canyons. I remember that dad would chug his way from his blacksmith shop in Pleasant Grove to our camp somewhere in the canyon. He'd do this each day of the week we were there. When you worked for yourself, as my dad did, you didn't take vacations, especially in the summer when workhorses needed to be shod or plowshares needed to be sharpened. So the rest of us camped up the canyon for our vacations. Dad would spend his days doing work, shoeing sweating, ornery stallions, then he would join us for the evenings in the canyon. Sometimes we would worry. Would the old Chevy make it up the canyon this time? When we kids were in the car while dad "motored" up the steep canyon roads we'd all lean forward and make like a rewed-u- p motor. We honestly thought we were helping. I wondered how he'd do without our "help." Meanwhile, over in Lehi, Don and his brothers usually slept outside all summer long. There just wasn't room in the house on the bench. Don said that they'd sleep outside until the snow covered and blanketed them in the back-breakin- g m fall. that she was someone special butter. The milk saved for family use was kind of a bluish-whit- e liq- As some members of my family packed for a camping trip to Flaming Gorge, I glanced at my daugh- and she was. She found happiness in her role as the wife of the village blacksmith. My dad was just as special. He believed that his job was very important. He felt that he kept the farmers going by keeping their teams of workhorses going. In that way he believed that he helped make farming the important and viable industry in Utah. He was very proud if he could shoe a horse that "couldn't be shod." dealthe garden, clean them under the He was totally honest in his when he and sharpened plow hose on the lawn, and cook up pots ings, were done shares they right full of them to fry with the meat later. Dad would cast his line into the She'd fill every pot and pan we gently rushing water of the canyon had with beans or soup. Dad would creek, and he'd be ecstatic if he bring a pound of meat from the could "catch" our supper. Oh yes, store with him each night. those camping vacations were We kids would dog his footsteps ' wonderful for our family. hoping there would be some treat : But, after I married Don, I also for us (besides the meat). That didnt knew there would be no more happen very often, after all, the summer camping trips. He simply meat was itself a huge treat. abhorred camping. Just the word, Mom loved to read. She didn't camp, would make him mad. He have much time to do that at home, often told our kids who begged to go what with the garden to weed and 4f camping th frt he'd build them afire wtiker, eewingnu pawnuig to ue i- jn tne DacKyara ana nave some done, andbreadtobake. Then she'd body fan smoke in their faces and bicycle down to grandmas and toss embers into their eggs and bacon. grandpas at least once a day thinking she could help them with some His attitude must have rubbed thing. Well, the canyon trips proved to I off on SaL She's a good sport though, as she packed bedding, clothing be a boon for my mom. She could find privacy in the tent while us I and food for three kids and two kids found trails to hike in the adults. When I asked her if she'd made canyon. Mom caught up on all the I Gene Stratton Porter and Zane Grey I raisin cookies, she looked at me and said quietly, "Just don't bug novels she'd borrowed from grandpa She'd also darn our socks and me, Mom. I bought cookies. Okay? But really. Can you even imag-- I patch the boys pants, all by hand, I ine camping without raisin cookand then fit tiny pieces ofmaterial together in an intricate design for a ies? Something tells me that this quilt top. She was an ambitious ' weekend is going to be a very long lady, but I don't think she ever felt unfulfilled or bored with her lot in one for a certain little lady basking and camping in all her glory at .life. ;sv - ,7;'.. Yes, she'd been raised to believe Flaming Gorge this August uid. My mother would have called it whey. No wonder Don didn't like to camp. Anyway, back to mom and dad. They loved to camp. Mom would cook and bake for days to get ready for our vacation. She'd make the requisite raisin cookies; she'd ask us kids to dig new potatoes from jjjjMmaJM Kids today are brats, just like yesterday By TOM GRIFFITHS There is much being said and written these days about how we should treat our children. Our words should be guarded so as not to upset them and so on. But, I say under certain conditions kids can be just plain brats, even the best of them. How do I know? Well, believe it or not I was a kid once. There was a time when I was a boy that we had some new next door neighbors move in. They had a boy about my age. He was a mean kid, always doing things he shouldn't do. Our back yards were divided by a metal fence that had points on the ; By BETTY FOWLER -f ; ; her life. Sometimes, when Mom was having trouble with the stove, the ham and eggs tasted like smoke and soot, and sometimes the big bowls of oatmeal and germade would be full of lumps because Mom had to stop stirring and start diapering. "Oh well," Mom would reassure the kids as they chewed on their oats, "the lumps are just more mush, aren't they?" They also used to send the cream from the pans of old Betty's milk to the creamery in American Fork for browsing M By TOM GRIFFITHS g So there I lay in bed sympathizing with myself and vowing that some day I would run away from unjust fathers and go to some far awav place like Australia or Rom no where I wouldn't get a hiding for something I didn't do. top. One day this brat, excuse me, this boy started to throw rocks at me. Now, what is a peaceful, healthy boy supposed to do? ; He claimed that his growing-u- p days on the bench were too much like camping to ever consider real . camping a pleasure. He liked to tell about how Mom would get up early, stoke up a fire in the old Fearless Malleable, go downstairs for the ham and eggs (it was cool down there), and cook up a big breakfast every morning of heavily-populate- That's right, I threw rocks right In the midst of my thinking I back at him. In the midst ofthe battles, which heard dad's footsteps coming up the so far had not produced any casual- - i stairs and he came into my room carrying a big bowl of my mother's observing what was going on, and I special soup and a couple of slices of ' bread. presume in the spirit of brotherly While I ate the soup, he ate crow. rock let and he a love, fly picked up He apologized for the wrong he had in the direction of the brat Whammo! It hit that kid on the done, then he made a terrible mistake. A mistake all you fathers can nose laying it wide open. Unfortunately for me, the mean kid didn't benefit from. He said, "Son, is there anything see my brother throw the rock so he I can do to make it right with your thought it was me. Now, mind you, there is a little Whenmyfathercamehomefrom work he was met by the mean kid's beastie in every kid and given the father and told that I had made a right opportunity it will put words into his mouth. dastardly attack on his boy result"Perhaps a thruppence to go the ing in a split nose. What was he cinema," I suggested. going to do about it? "A thruppence it is," replied dad. Now father was a just man and That was easy, the little beastie would not put up with any of his children engaging in rock fights. So said, and urged me to try again. "A tuppence for some fish and re removed his belt and gave me a hiding on that part of the anatomy chips would be nice." Dad hesitated a bit now and I that nature provided for situations such as this. Then I was sent to bed thought I had gone too far. But he without any supper. surprised me when he said, "A Brother, being a young man of tuppence for fish and chips it shall keen wisdom and seeing what had be." I heard the beastie chuckle inhappened, took off to the village side of me and made we wonder and spent a few hours in the workwhat other concessions I could get. man's recreation center. When he came home he inquired I heard dad go into his room and as to my whereabouts. Father in- open the old oaken box where he formed him that he had given me a kept his money. He returned and spoke to me. thrashing and sent me to bed with"A sixpence is all I have. You can out supper for throwing a rock and hitting the neighbor kid on the nose bring me the penny change." I turned over in bed and groaned damaging same. Now the case becomes real intera little as if in pain. Dad looked at me with sorrow in esting, for big brother, now conscience stricken, confessed that it his eyes. was he who had thrown the rock. "Aye now son," he said, "you may Poor dad, his spirit sank as low as a keep the penny." snake's hips in a wagon track. He Remember, parents, there is a had inflicted the punishment for little beastie in every kid. Watch the crime on the wrong person. ' out for him. s well-butter- ed 1 ; . " ' With a convertible, the good is also the bad The thing about driving a convertible car is that all the good things are also bad things. Or something like that. Fve never ridden in a vehicle without a top, if you don't count the back of pickup trucks. In my younger years, I spent lots of time in the back of pickup trucks. And cars with sun roofs. But those are hardly convertibles. My brother has a Camaro that has removable roof parts. That's not a convertible either. And I only see him during ski season, when he usually has the roof all put together. I've ridden on motorcycles, too. But for the past few days I've been enjoying my first convertible. Ifs been a hoot. The car is a Buick Reatta, an American-mad- e luxury car that looks like a convertible and drives like a dream. It is spending a few days at my house as part of Buick's program to get the word out about its car. It is an interesting marketing method, but then not everyone wants to drop $36,000 on a car, so they don't advertise with the mass media. Several people in this valley and Salt Lake Valley will be driving the vehicle over the next few weeks - and giving it reviews. The car will pass most drivers' toughest tests. It provides the smoothest ride I've ever experienced, has great pickup and acceleration and corners smoothly. Fve driven the car back and forth to Provo a couple of times. I've been driving it around town a bit, too. Saturday we even took a trip to Bear Lake Valley in the Reatta in an effort to give it a good workout. Before I get into the details, let me pass on some news. Bear Lake is beautiful and an warm n I've two-seat- er assailed even more. This is not an experience for the pollution-sensitivOf course you can always put the top up, but then what's the point of having a convertible? Virtue. Summertime means sunshine. And that's when a convertible is really fun. The car has a marvelous climate control system that keeps it cool in the car even when it's outside and the outside is inside because you have no roof. But there is this connection between humankind and old Sol, and you get a sense of By MARC HADDOCK that in a car with the top down. Vice: Summertime means sunever felt it. From the mountains the face with stinging little lashes. shine. above Garden City, the turquoise When you slow down, you notice I forgot my sunblock. My arms But the water that your scalp feels like it's been water looks jewel-likis low. That's not bad news for visimassaged for about 45 minutes. That and face are a bright red. And that tors. Low water means a lot more maybe good, but I would swear that spot on my head where my hair has beach area for swimmers and my hair has thinned out noticeably blown away will start peeling any over the last few days - not a pleasday now. We drove all the way back with the roof up to keep out of the ' We hit during Raspberry Daze, ant sign for a man my age. Virtue: You can really get a sense sun, wind and smells. and took advantage of the locally To give the automobile its just grown raspberries. If you hurry you of the atmosphere driving a condue, it is a pleasure to drive. The might get there before the season is vertible. controls are advanced and complete. over. Again, driving through Logan and Sardine Canyon was marvelous Everything you could want is at Anyway, here are a few unorganized thoughts about the virtues, Saturday. The air was fresh and your fingertips. The stereo is inand vices, of convertible driving for forest smells were all around. And credible. We didn't get a chance to anyone considering making such a Bear Lake itself has a clean, fresh try the CD player, because we don't smell that you don't identify with know anyone who owns a CD. But purchase. some bodies of water. (Try walking the music never stopped anyway. k Virtue: Driving a convertible gives One note: the convertible roof on an along the beach at Utah Lake and feeling airy, you this car takes a little getting used to It is especially enjoyable between you'll see what I mean.) Vice: You can really get a sense before it can be put up without 45 and 55 mph where the scenery is threatening the knuckles of the spectacular. Our drive through of atmosphere driving a convertible. of was a person putting it up. And once in highlight Logan Canyon While our tour of the the day. Cresting over the mounplace, it has a blind spot the size of tain, the panorama of Bear Lake places was pleasant, Utah Valley is the Mack truck and quit a tiny not the idea location for this kind rear window (with an electronic Valley was particularly spectacular when you could look at the whole of car. Taking the trip of American defroster, nevertheless). Fork to Provo, you are assaulted by The car goes to a new driver thing all at once. Vice: Driving a convertible gives a variety of unpleasant odors. Just tomorrow. It will be hard to give up when you think you are past the egg the comfort that cornea with a car feeling. you an airy, g And when you hit 65 on freeway, that is built by hand and with a ranch, the flinty smell of over. Get much takes behind too a air. little to a start great deal of care. I don't think I've get you Hair whips around and slaps you in diesel truck, and your olfactory is ever had this much fun on the road. Column TJie-Editor's e. e. sun-bathe- - j rs out-of-w- steel-makin- A . Jr. high registration Lehi Junior High School has again made mail-i- n registration and fee payment available for parents and students for this coming year. Registration materials will be mailed to each student's home during the first week in August Registration for all students who are new to the Lehi Junior High School area or who have not previ- ously registered will be conducted Friday, Aug. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon at the office. All new students must furnish a certificate showing immunization for DPT, polio, red and German measles, and mumps, or provide a written statement that there is a medical reason for not being immunized or that it is against their religious or persona belief. Registration for all regular students who are not new to the area will held on the following dates: Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to noon, for eighth grade; Aug. 21, 9 a.m. to noon for the seventh grade; and Aug. 22, 9 a.m. to noon for the ninth. . Registration will be conducted in the lunchroom of the school (Class schedules will be issued to students and fees collected). A special orientation for all sev- enth grade students and their parents will be held Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. After a short meeting in the auditorium, students will be able to try out lockers and find classrooms. , A reminder that if students afld parents choose to pay their fees Cy mail they should return the fee payment schedule with a check for the amount shown to the school by Aug. 10, 1990. Students may then pick up their receipt, class schedule, and locker combination on registration day without waiting in the lines with those needing to pay feet. Regular classwork will begin, Wednesday, Aug. 29, at 8 a.m. with a full day of school. Students should bring their class schedules and report to their first period class as indicated on their schedule. |