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Show Comment Free Press Wednesday, September 12, 1990 - Page 2 Bizarre events don't define north county's character This week's headlines are lurid enough to catch the attention of the most jaded reader with tales of murder and suicide, searches by law enforcement officials. prison escapes and all-oFor a few days, north Utah County new stories lead the television news programs and dominated the local and national pages of the local daily newspapers. Our communities are located strategically between two of the most populated areas of the state Salt Lake City and the Provo-Ore- - ut m area. That proximity is one of the things that makes north Utah County a desirable place to live. We are close to the conveniences of urban living, and yet can enjoy living in a small town that has American Fork and Highland still suffer from the misconception that they are gathering places for fundamentalist extremists thanks to the Lafferty murders. And the events of the past week will do little to alter these enough personality to make it interesting. It also puts us close to the type of media scrutiny that is absent in many of Utah's smaller communities especially when the stories are sensational enough to capture the interest of the inhabitants of our larger neighbors. The net result is many persons come to associate our communities with the bizzare events which take place here from time to time. And that's a shame. Lehi residents, for example, are still smarting from the way a Salt Lake City television station portrayed their town in a documentary that labled Lehi a Town in Torment." It was an misconceptions. Fortunately, we don't have to believe all the bad press. There's lot of good news going on in our home towns as well - arts council presentations, service projects, outstanding citizens and much more. And it is a shame that Salt Lake City will never hear about it But that should not color our own feelings about our home town and it's positive accomplishments. -- but the label has stuck. unjustified Stories of ghosts are timeless tales For night, attention focused on THE GAME you better believe it Everybody either went to THE GAME, listened to it, or watched it on ESPN. I think I had a heart attack while watching it up to Donna and Marlin's house. Ken and Rita were there and between grandma, Rand and Rust, Ken and Rita, Marly, Beck, Rod and Riley, we had a great old time. I yelled to my heart's content. We also clapped in unison (like cheerleaders), we moaned and groaned over the few mistakes, and screamed at the good stuff. Needless to say, our throats were sore; Riley's only 15 months old, but he clapped and cheered right along with the rest of us. What a good little sport he is! The drama of the game was catching. Riley had to be changed more often than usual - who could blame him? Needless to say, my heart took a beating. Donna relieved some of her stress by whipping up hamburgers for everybody, then she passed out chips and salsa. We had a great time. Pretty soon I decided I could take no more. I departed the scene for my own living room and Paul James. I swallowed Alka Seltzer to relieve my stress, and didn't relax until the final whistle blew. Charlie Roberts had his Y flag up in the window, and my sister, Janice, and her family postponed a word concerning THE GAME. I liked what they had to written intricate performances they put on during halftime. "Grandpa," my granson asked, say about Detmer and his teamAnyway, polish up some crisp "do you believe in ghosts?" I Flormates. liked to read how the apples, pin on your corsage, take I looked down into his cherubic ida papers reported THE GAME, your sun visor and be in the stands face and inquired why such a thought and it was fun reading the for Lehi's next game. There isn't a came to his mind. modest comments from Ty and the more beautiful setting in the world "I have been reading a book," he rest of the Cougars. than our stadium on a bright, au"that says over there in continued, And the 49ers will be playing tumn afternoon or evening. there are ghosts in many England could more What tonight. you ask there are no traffic of the old castles and By the mansions." of a Monday evening? Yup, you snarls on way, the way to Lehi High, I Wales and in was born Now, more Alka Seltzer, there are wonderful guessed it hamburgers, the Welsh people don't take much and more of Donna's salsa, and and the scenery on and offthe field stock in ghosts. There are some, of more of Riley's cheerleading. Whatta is spectacular. course, who believe in spirits, most life! All the above is true. I went with of which comes out of a bottle. Oh yes, it was fun to see Utah For example, to reach the village Bill and Candy to Dixie's game, By TOM GRIFFITHS win, too. Hey, we're good here in K where the and the theatre shops Utah. And that goes for the PioMemorial sat and in against Judge neers. Remember guys, when the a stadium that faces west. We looked was you had to pass the old Welsh into the sun throughout the game cemetery. There were no street lights goin' gets tough, the tough get goin'. until all I saw was a big orange blob on this section of the road so it was see over the wall. When my eyes And fans, the team needs you. a bit spooky at night. There was a became accustomed to the darkon the horizon. Your support can turn the tide for I couldn't help but compare it to high wall around the cemetery and ness I could see what disturbed the our football team. All they need is it was enclosed with large horse leaves. It was a black and white Lehi's stadium facing east. No sun one taste of victory, then they won't chestnut trees. So on moonless nights dog. I threw a rock at it and it falter again. Help them by being to blind your eyes, just a glorious scene with the picturesque Lehi it was as dark as a colored man bounded away. there! I looked down at my grandson Roller Mills and the mountains in We've got lots of talent, good eating black bread at midnight. old friend One and Eddie said, "Let me tell you of the night the my these kids need coaching, but, background. your Simkins and I were coming home ghosts of Tintern Abbey." , Oh ye of little faith! Lehi's fine support, don't fail them. from a show at the Victoria TheMost of that old building is gone Remember, not only will you see team will find the winning combiatre. A good show it was with Hoot but the outer walls still stand. a good football team in action, youll nation. Gibson the hero, shooting 16 shots Toward the top of the east wall see a contingent of the best cheerWe, the fans, already have. We've leaders in the state. They've proved got it all- - what with that scenery, a out of a six shooter and saving the there is a round window. When the it by winning everything at the , great game announcer, the best heroine from a fate worse than death. harvest moon is full, whether by summer cheerleading camps amidst snacks in the west as dished up by As we were passing the cemetery luck or good architectural planning, we suddenly stopped dead in our the moon fits perfectly into this The Booster Club, lots of good friends competition from virtually every tracks. Someone, or something, was round window. It is then the ghosts school in the state. all a and there's cheeringfor victory , The drill team is fabulous too. no doubt in my mind walking in the dead leaves on the of the dead friars are supposed to We'll get other side of the wall. We only walk through the moonlit rooms of Don't miss seeing the unique and that too! stopped for a moment, then ran as the abbey. as our legs would carry Us. fast Four of us kids had rode our. i 1 When we arrived home I told my 'bicycles to this historic place'arid tS' father we had heard a ghost walk- - when evening came we laid our' lOcLL-LvlXl- . JL ing in the dead leaves in the old blankets down by the side of one of Welsh the old walls and stayed awake until have witnessed cemetery. a we events. these Certainly, ning detailing "Half - mo - son," he said, "tell me that beautiful harvest moon filled By the same token, we cant ignore spectacle that seldom comes along what happened." the window. Then our the stories. So we try to present the in local politics - although this So I related to him the incident bodies fell asleep. information in a broader context, approach is becomWhen we awoke, it was daylight than is presented in the ing more and more acceptable on a in the graveyard. "Bachen," he said, "I have met and standing over us was a Bobby coverage, at the risk of having our national scale. up with a few supernatural things in his blue uniform and wielding a readers decide the information is i Monday night I received a telestale. phone call from a local member of in my life but I could never prove nasty looking truncheon which he was poking at some of the boys to On the other hand, these are the Democratic party asking me to one of them for a fact." He continstories we cannot ignore as we chronget out today and vote for John ued, "If you come across something help waken them. "Come on now," he said with a you don't understand, don't run Harmer. icle, from week to week, the histobit of authority in his voice, "get a The telephone campaign was away., find out what it is." ries of our communities. Then to finish the conversation move on before I run you in for We hope we can bring some fresh apparently being conducted over a he alsaid, "What in the world would vagrancy." was to directed at and broad have stories area the you insight It didn't take us long to move ghost do walkelecting a weak Republican to run any ready seen and heard. around on cold a like this?" because we slept in our clothes, but, Democratic ing is to night the it candidates, Nevertheless, frustrating against A couple of weeks later, Eddie you know that bloody cop followed ; have to come in with some of the BillOrton. , Polls show that Harmer trails and I were passing the old cemetery us out of the village on his bike until stories which have been making state headlines for days or a week. Orton in popularity, while Snow again when we heard the leaves we passed the last apple orchard. Thus is the plight of the weekly holds a substantial lead over both moving again. I felt Eddie become "Frankly, my boy, I don't know tense and ready to run. I grabbed whether the ghosts of the dead friars candidates. community press. i I had interviewed Mr. Harmer his arm and whispered kind of soft. walked that night or not. If Reporting on the elections rethey did "Let's see what it is." sults will be much the same an and found him to be articulate, they must have tippy-toe- d past we I stood on Eddie's shoulders and boys for we didn't hear a charismatic and convincing - in other exercise in frustration. thinguntil We will try to enhance our elecwords, he possessed all the traits of he boosted me up to where I could that Bobby woke us." tion reporting by" giving any good snake oil salesman., tallies of the elections. That j But it seems silly to me to make election results home to such a move in the belief that any the brings Democrat can get elected to federal you as you can see how your neighoffice in Utah's third congressional bor's voted. And in local elections, we will district. elecAnd it seems dishonest to use continue to provide tion coverage. my franchise to purposely subvert ' Concerning this year's political the Democratic process. By the time you read this, it will campaign, there has been a lot of all be beside the point. Next week discussion about the Third Congressional District race between Karl well let you know how your neighA speciai thank you is extended Snow and John Harmer for the bors voted, and well start getting Editor: also to the merchants who donated November for with and the nomination general ready Republican We would like to take this opgoods or items to be sold or aucelection. good reason. to thank the friends, tioned. portunity ' v. ; ' Thank you all for helping make ' neighbors, passers by, and everyone who supported the benefit this endeavor the success that it bazaar and sale held Friday, Sepwas. -- Cedar Valley Action Committee tember 7, and Saturday, Sept. 8. low-ke- browsing y, - a -- By BETTY FOWLER Lake Powell vacation until after THE GAME. Suzy put off her wedding until after the Bowhunt, and then until after The Game. After all, what's important here? I swear, if a major disaster had occurred during THE GAME, It would have been only a minor consequence compared to THE GAME. You know, kind of like the San Francisco earthquake and the world series. Since Saturday, I peruse every newspaper looking for more of the it s nam to De umeiy wren weekly bub! By the time you read this, the election will be over. In past years, under certain circumstances, we have been able to get some results from primary and local elections in our paper. We won't be able to do that this year. The reasons are many. For one, this primary election is limited to only a few races. That means the results will be in sooner. It also means that interest in the election will be more limited. However, they won't be available until hours after our frontpage deadlines have passed. This year, we have decided not to wait. There are certain frustrations that go along with publishing a weekly newspaper, and this is one of the greatest ones. Regardless of which day we decide to go to press, something will always be happening too late to get it in this week's edition. This past week has been a particularly frustrating one for a weekly publication. Last week, within the period of 24 hours, we learned of three stories that were of importance to our readers. A Lehi teenager was killed in a one-ca- r accident. The body of a young woman who worked at the Utah State Training School was found near the amphitheater at the school. She had been tragic shot. the editor's column bike-tire- d day-to-d- f By MARC HADDOCK - Two escaped convicts from Utah State Prison, both dangerous and believed to be armed, were loose in nearby canyons. The stories were all tragic. Implications of the stories were widespread. And they all occurred at times that meant we would have to wait a week to tell our readers about the events. The stories are in today's newspaper, but they aren't necessarily fresh. You've read about them in the daily newspapers, and seen the television news reports each eve- - district-by-distri- ct Letter to the editor day-aft- er '; Cedar Valley group says, 'Thanks' ! - i Strasburg team sets new record Meadow By RUSS DALY The Strasburg Racing team set a new land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats on Aug. 22 duringthe 42nd Annual Speed Week. staff learns CPR skills Averaging 255.95 miles per hour, By RUSS DALY Two dozen faculty and staff members at Meadow Elementary recently earned their Red Cross CPR certification cards. The administration studied under the direction ofTamie Brems and Rick Howard of the Lehi Ambulance Association, who administered both written and hands-otests. Those attending the class were given instruction on both CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver, and prace adult and ticed on the devices. baby Participation in the program was voluntary, and each teacher paid for his or her own materials and certification. The cards are good for one year, after which they may be renewed yearly upon examina- -' tion. n Resuci-Anni- ' ' the group easily surpassed the old record of 240 mph. THe speed is figured on the basis of two runs; the car actually reached 261.85 on one attempt. The new record is part of the AAGas Lakester category of the" event, which designated a car that has no streamlining over the wheels. Lindsay Strasburg said that the gasoline they use in the car was developed by Professor Geoff Germane of BYU and Protech Chemigasoline-p- owered, open-whe- el cal of Lehi. JeffStrasburg, driver ofthe race car, now joins a small but elite group of Utah residents who are members of the 200 MPH Club, an organization of racers who have obtained qualifying speeds. Another member of that club is Allen Strasburg, head of the racing family, who was recently nominated for the groups prestigious "Man of the Year" award for his efforts in promoting the sport of racing. The Allen Strasburg family has been involved in racing since 1962, when Allen built a car that was driven by his nephew, Bryant Strasburg. Allen and his sons, Lindsay, Tim, Mike and Jeff, now own Strasburg Automotive, an engine rebuilding business in Pleasant Grove. In addition to their business, the family also works together in building, maintaining, and racing their sport cars. Although the group usually races at the Salt Flats, where they are sponsored by the Red Garter Casino of Wendover, Nev., they have also participated in quarter-mil- e drag races at Bonneville Raceway in Salt Lake, and in sand drag racing in Montana and Wyoming. L.. Members of Strasburg racing team pose with car that set record on Bonneville Exit Flxti recently;: 4 ,.; " -- , ;. , v ;'.;'. |