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Show eoomitMisD-Li- G Free Press - Wednesday, January 15, 1992 - Page 2 Chipman's created firm foundation Editorial debate clouds gambling issues Church-Stat- e By entering the debate on legalizing some forms of gambling in Utah, the LDS Church has shifted the focus of political discussion. Pressure has been growing in recent years to introduce a state lottery to meet the growing demand for education dollars without increasing state taxes. But while lottery proponents have argued d long and hard for their form of gambling, popular support for the lottery has never been great enough state-sponsore- to push the proposal through the Utah Legislature. This year, a new dimension has been added to the gambling debate, as proponents of parimutuel betting on horse racinghave joined the throng. The argument for horse racing may meet more approving ears. After all, horses and sporting activities involving horses have a long tradition in this state which is steeped in its western heritage and there was a time when parimutuel betting on the horses was legal in the state. Andmany horse breeders continue to contribute vast amounts to the state economy preparing their animals to participate in activities that, because of economics, usually take place outside the state. Nevertheless, horse racing in some forms continues to be popular in the state - just look at American Fork's Steel Days races which continue to attract an audience despite the more lucrative horse track action that takes place throughout the summer in Wyoming. There are a lot of issues surrounding gambling that the state ought to consider as the debate rages. After all, Utahns help support gambling in various forms by traveling to the Nevada casinos to play Blackjack, the Wyoming track to play the horses and Idaho convenience stores to play the state lottery. Unfortunately, the debate on gambling has taken an unproductive turn that won't help resolve any of the issues. By issuing a statement against gambling in any form, the LDS Church reopens the debate of the Church working to unduly influence politics in the state of Utah. The fact that each state legislator received letters to that effect from the Church only adds fuel to the fire of the faction in Utah. As a result, the gambling debate in Utah will largely focus on the Church's actions, rather than on the merits or demerits of a state lottery or parimutuel horse racing. Certainly, the Church has every right to express its views about the morality of gambling but those view are neither new nor unknown. The statement covers no new ground, and church members, who make up the majority of the Utah legislators, are already familiar with them. The statement will, however, refocus the debate on lotteries and parimutuel betting for the 1992 legislative session. Rather than examining the proposals, we'll be examining the propriety of LDS Church involvement in Utah State government. There are important factors to be considered here, but now many of them will get too little attention this year. Instead they will resurface next year or the year after for more debate and study and consideration. Utah won't be able to put the issue of gambling to rest as long as the debate is tarnished by the unrelated but significant issue of the relationship between the LDS Church and state government. - state-approve- d Folklore produces many interesting local tales Browsing There are m any interesting stories based on folklore. Yes, we have some quite close to home, like the one about Falling Rocks. I have told this one to my grandkids on several occasions. It seems that an Indian chief had a son named Falling Rocks. One day he sent his son into the mountains to capture a white bear that supposedly roamed the mountains. Days went by and Falling Rocks never returned. In fact, he never did return, so the old chief had signs installed in all the canyons: "Watch out for Falling Rocks." A few years ago my wife and I were traveling to Wyoming. We stopped at a store in a little place. The little old lady who waited on us told of an incident that she was acquainted with. One day Jesse James, the outlaw, rode into the yard ofthis little ranch . He drew his gun and shot the heads off a half dozen chickens, then ordered the old lady to cook them for him and his several companions. After the meal and they were preparing to leave, Jesse James gave the worn an a $20 gold piece for each of the chickens. There is a story told down in Sanpete County about a farmer who always on the Fourth of July lifted his pig up on the wall to watch the parade go by. There was a cute little story in a Salt Lake paper a few days ago. It seems a man and his wife stopped at a service station to get some gas. It was a cold, snowy day and they explained they were on their way south to a wanner clime. The proprietor told them this story. At one time there was a m an around here who got really sick of the long, cold winters and the snow. One day he tied a snow shovel on the front of his truck and said he was " i When I read that the old Chipmans Store would bite the dust, I recalled the part Chipmans Store played in my life as I grew up in American Fork. I recalled the times my grandpa would go up to the store to order a load of coal to be delivered to his home. Grandpa and Grandma always ordered hard coal because it wouldn't burn quite as fast as soft coal, and one of them would always go out while the coal was being unloaded and almost count the lumps so they would be sure and get the full ton they'd ordered. Coal dust, and coal buckets were a way of life back then. The chores" would always include bringing in the coal scuttle full of the black lumps; small lumps for the kitchen range, and another scuttle full of big lumps for the heatrola in the front room. Grandma and Grandpa always gave Grant Christofferson, who worked at Chipmans Hardware, credit for being honest and seeing to it that they would get their full ton of coal. Another Chipmans memory was when I went to the men's half of the store to spend my carefully hoarded pennies for a pair of socks for my dad for Christmas. Dad liked the silky kind that went quite a ways up his leg. I chose a pair of brown ones to match his pointy-toeshoes, but when I showed them to my mom, she sent me back up to buy a pair of garters to hold the socks up. Socks didn't have elasticized tops in those days. The socks cost all of 35 cents and mom gave me the money for the garters, another whopping20centoutlay. I remember think- d ByTCGFS for example. In the Indian language, Timpanogas means "sleeping woman." If you have a good imagination, you can see the outline of a woman on top of the mountain. The story of this woman is most interesting. Also, just east of Provo is Squaw Peak. The legend says she was frustrated in love and threw herself off this mountainous peak. Of course, all good westerners are acquainted with these legends. My father was a good story teller, but I admit some of his stories were a bit hair raising, not the kind you tell your children at bedtime. Some day when I am in the right mood, I shall tell you some of them. When you work for a small town paper like this one, you get to avoid a lot of the sensational stories the ones that get the big headlines all over the country. That's good and bad. You see, some of us don't like the sensastories that are suptional, for jourposed to be the nalists. Those stories generate too much emotion, too much pain for the people involved. On the other hand, an occasional big story is exciting. There is a thrill to being and there, to witnessing history then telling it. But I'm finding now that the biggest stories of my news career are coming back to haunt me, along with the rest of us. I'm talking about two court cases which were complex and fascinating. But when they were done, we all breathed a sigh of relief. But the nature of the court system, and the news system, areuch that other news people are raking through the bones of these old stories. But time has changed the way we look at things. The biggest story I ever covered was the arrest and trials of Ron and Dan Lafferty. In addition to covering these for the local papers, I handled the court coverage for the Associated Press as well with my stories going to papers all over the region (Idaho had a lot of interest) and in some cases the ' nation. Now, that was fun, but I wouldn't like to do it every day. The AP requires more immediacy than either a weekly or a daily newspaper because they service morning and afternoon newspapers, and radio news broadcasts as well. At each break in the trial, I would have to rush for a telephone and call in the latest development. Each morning, before the trial began, newspaper and television reporters would show up in the courtroom with copies of my AP stories printed out on continuous bread-and-butt- first-han- ranching in western states and the thousand happenings newspapers don't consider important anymore; not enough of what they call "social signifibig-cit- y cance." Lee Pitts, the good ol' boy editor, says he won't mind if I prune and paraphrase something he wrote the other day about "People Who Live at the End of Dirt Roads." He believes that what's mainly wrong with American society these days is that too many of our roads have been paved. He's convinced there's not a problem in America today - crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency - that could not be remedied if we just had more dirt -- roads. Dirt roads build character. People who live at the end of a dirt road learn early th at life is a bumpy ride - that it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes but it's worth it if waiting at the end are home and a loving spouse and happy kids and a frisky dog. We wouldn't have near the trouble we have with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a dirt road with other kids with whom they learn -- - Paul Haruey News 1991 Los Angeles Time Syndicate how to get along. There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals did not walk two dusty miles to rob or rape when they knew they'd be welcomed by five shotbarking dogs and a double-barrele- d gun. And there were no drive-b- y shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse. People didn't worship their cars more than their kids. And motorists were more courteous. You didn't tailgate when riding the bumper of the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield with rocks. Dirt roads taught patience. Dirt roads were environmentally friendly. You didn't hop in your car and deplete the ozone for a quart of milk. believe it By BETTY FOWLER ing, "Wow, will my dad love my present." And, my first bra was purchased at Chipmans Merc. I was a shy, bashful girl of 16 before I realized how badly I needed a store-bougbrassiere. Mom had been since I first my undergarments making needed a garter belt or panty waist to hold up my long brown stockings. I could stand the garter belts and the panty waists, but the bra she made for me was an instrumentofhookandeyed, darted, and tucked torture. She whipped them up for me on her Singer sewing machine and just kind of guessed as to size. She made them from sugar-sac- k muslin, sans pattern. She just kind of went by guess by golly and by gussets when they didn't fit. I suffered until I had saved my first berry-pickin- g check and went to Chipmans corset counter to spend my hard- - earned $3.40 check on a Gossard brassiere. The lady at the counter, I think she was Eleanor Grant, was very nice to me. But I didn't know anything about 32 A or 34 B or any of those mysterious numbers. It was pretty embarrassing when she had to measure me nobody had ever done that to me ht I like it." Mom just kind of smiled and said, "Did you say they had corsets? Maybe IH use my corset." peony money for a store-bougChipmans used to put their Christmas toys out across from the grocery department just a couple of weeks before Christmas. We'd stop in after school and ooooooh and aaaaaah as we gazed at the silver skates, the bright shiny red sleds, the games, the little pull wagons, and the dolls. We knew better than to ask for any of that stuff because we knew that Santa could never bring them in those depression days of the early 30's, but Chipmans was the place we'd go to dream. And, after all, dreams didn't cost a cent at Chipmans. ht The Editor's Column sion surrounding the competency hearing focuses on religious beliefs, rather than mental capacity. And we are hearing a "ft By MARC HADDOCK d, sheets of yellow paper as a reference. But things have changed since I covered the trial. Take the most recent appeal in the Ron Lafferty trial, where the sentence was overthrown by a U.S. Court of Appeals panel which declared Lafferty was not competent to stand trial because his bizarre religious beliefs meant he was delusional. Wait a minute! As I remember the trial, 118116118 religious delusions had little to do with his competency hearing. The man's mental competence came into question after a suicide attempt left him with a diminished capacity. Before Lafferty's suicide attempt, he was scheduled to go to trial with his brother and competence was not an issue. No one questioned it. But when Lafferty tried to hang himself in the Utah County jail, he almost did the job. Jail personnel found him and revived him, but not until his brain had suffered from lack of oxygen. As a result the trial of his brother, Dan, went on without a hitch, or a question about his mental competence. But Ron was subjected to a series of tests, not because of his religious beliefs, but because he had damaged his ovn brain while trying to kill himself. The competence issue was heated, but not religious. Until now. All of a sudden, a court deci Letters to the editor He's proud to be from Editor: As part of my New Year's Resolutions, I want to become more positive and appreciative of the good things and good people in my life and place less emphasis on the negative Important lessons at end of dirt roads The Livestock Market Digest always gets me thinking. It keeps me in touch with farming and better andtoldmetogointothedressingroom and try it on. Oh, Oh, I thought, this is a task. I had to fasten it in the back. "How can they expect a girl to do that when she doesn't have eyes in the back of her head?" I asked myself. Finally, I emerged from the dressing room, feeling wonderful, light, airy, and wonderful. Now, I'd be able to run full speed ahead. Now, I'd be able to button my shirts. Now, I'd have an uplifted spirit. No more crushed front! I was absolutely thrilled. I paid for my bra, and ran all the way home. Mom said, "Betty, what did you spend your money for?" When I told her about my brassiere, she said quietly, "Yes, but Betty, what about the shoes you were going to buy. You needed them." I thanked mom for all those muslin beauties she'd made for me, saying, "But mom, this one has elastic in the back, and Old stories coming back to haunt us - going to drive south until someone asked him what that thing was on his truck. That's where he decided to settle down. We have many stories concerned with our area. Take the legend of Timpanogas, Vou'eJ before either. She picked out a little number You walked to the barn for your milk. For your mail you walked to the mailbox. What if it rained and the dirt road got washed out? That was the best part. Then you stayed home, had some family time, roasted marshmallows, popped on daddy's shoulders popcorn, pony-rod- e and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody's. At the end of a dirt road kids learned about sex and its results from watching every living thing. So when you were 13 and found the girl on the seed catalogue suddenly worth a second look you understood why. At the end of the dirt road you learned that bad words soon tasted like soap. Most paved roads lead to trouble. Dirt roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole. At the end of a dirt road the only time we ever locked our car was in August. Because if we didn't, some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini. At the end of a dirt road there was always extra springtime income from when city dudes would get stuck and you'd have to hitch up a team to pull them out. Usually you got a dollar. Always you got a new friend. things around me. I wanted to send a public thank you to the great people of Lehi for all the many things they have done for me and myfamily. We love our life in Lehi and all you great people who inspire my family each day. I especially wanted to thank the great teachers at Meadow Elementary who teach or have taught my children. My heartiest thanks goes to Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Miller, Miss Birmingham, Mrs. Makin and all the other great teachers my children have had. They do not just teach the subjects taught on the tests but they develop my children in responsibility, teamwork, respect, confidence, self worth and honesty. They have gone out of their way to give opportunities in plays, choirs, knowledge bowl, and other performances. Most of the extras they do in class come out oftheir own pockets and I want to let them know that I appreciate it. My children are developing in many ways and I am grateful for these role models for my children. I am also grateful to Mrs. Dubois at the Sego Lily Elementary where one of my daughters is attending. Her program has been a tremendous accelerated world. I feel like having her influence has been better heated debate about religion that never arose during the first trial, because it was not an issue. New reports also say Lafferty insisted that God had commanded his actions. He didn't. He gave no testimony about the incident, although evidence at the trial suggested that the Laffertys felt this way. Frankly, I dread the resurrection of this grisly trial and I hope the legal system can deal with it without dragging us through a trial all over again. The second case was the Allan Hadfield trial, an incident which continues to haunt Lehi, but which others seem intent of reliving. A case in point is a KUED (Channel 7) television broadcast next Tuesday, Jan. 21. The documentary will probably be of interest to local viewers, since it uses the Hadfield trial to point out how our legal system is not set up to deal with such cases. I haven't had a chance to see the docu-- . mentary, but Rhea Gavry, who produced the film, says she uses the Hadfield trial as an example of the way the courts deal with incest. But can it deal with the questions about the testimony of children, the intervention of therapists, the grotesque allegations of witchcraft and satan worship which were never addressed one way or the other? Can it explain any of what did or didn't really happen? Can it heal? Frankly, the Hadfield trial was painful for everyone involved. It's hard to see any these wounds, unless purpose to new information or insight is brought to light. In the case of the Laffertys, the most recent activity seem to be distorting, rather than resolving, the original trial. The hope is that Tuesday's documentary about the Hadfield case won't do the same thing. than winning a trip around the world. Her personal love and caring for the development of my daughter will be appreciated and held high forever. She, too, goes far in extra work and time on behalf of my daughter. We will appreciate her and hold her at a high place in our lives forever. I would also like to thank the Utah Regional Ballet staff and teachers. Having gone through the second year of my daughter being in the Nutcracker, my great appreciation continues to grow. I am still amazed at the beauty, the pageantry and the poise that Jackie Colledge and her fantastic staff has developed in the girls of Lehi and surrounding communities. While I never expect my daughter to become a great ballerina, the experiences that she has had and the poise and discipline that has been threaded into her life will be appreciated forever. My very personal thanks to Jackie, Vickie Thomas and Denna Demeres for their many hours on behalf of my daughter. Your extra efforts m ake living in Lehi so wonderful. Thanks to you for all you do. Thanks Lehi, for I am always grateful and proud to say that I am from Lehi. K. Haws Jr. Policy on letters to the editor We welcome letters to the editor. All letters should be typewritten and double spaced. Letters must also be signed, and must include the writer's name and telephone number. Please send letters to Editor, Newtah News Group, P.O. Box 7, American Fork, Utah, 84003. V |