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Show C o mni sn GimiL3 Free press we,nesday Apru i6 1997 page Gold Stars can make a great community Editorial -- 15 construction will force transportation alternatives Like it or not, the of will force many Utahns, including many of those living in Utah Valley, to reconsider how they will get from here to there especially when getting to there means going to or through Salt Lake City. construcThis massive, four-yea-r tion project will clog the main transportation arteries of Salt Lake County, and the consequences may be the equivalent of a coronary heart attack for Utah's largest city Already we have been warned to add hours of travel time if a trip takes us through the Salt Lake area, and are being businesses who rely on urged to seek alternatives to the way they do business now. The Utah High School Activities the diviAssociation is sion of competitive regions around the interstate situation, and is even condivision sidering a Utah County-onl- y of high school teams that could wreak havoc with high school sports, even though it will solve a lot of the transportation problems that could arise from more equitable regional divisions. For commuters the problems may be even greater, as hours are added to the daily commutes. All of this change will be tough for Utahns who are used to life on the open highway. Sure, early morning and late afternoon travel has been at traffic jam proportions in Salt conLake Valley for decades. The struction will likely make rush-hou- r gridlock a phenomenon. In the light of the transportation slowdowns, Utahns may begin to consider alternatives to driving a private vehicle to all locations. Options we are or may be presented are: The UTA. Sure, the local bus system is too sporadic, with a schedule, to be truly convenient. But more of us may consider taking the bus if driving becomes the ordeal many have predicted over the next years. Light rail. Utah's TRAX system will be completed a full year before the construction is completed. Once finished it will provide service between the South Towne Mall in Sandy and downtown Salt Lake City regardless of traffic or weather. By the year 2000, that may look pretty good. Commuter rail. Utah County's most likely link to Salt Lake County d mass transit will be a system of commuter rail trains. Unlike light rail, these trains will operate on existing rail tracks, and so could be put into service with a much shorter lead time. With the rails already passing through all the major north Utah County cities, it's not difficult to imagine commuter rail stations in Lehi, American Fork and Pleasant Grove about the same time light rail comes lf diesel-powere- on line. Flexibility will be the key to getting along over the next five years. Perhaps construction is by the time the completed (and the Olympics are here), many Utahns will have adopted commuting habits that will benefit our state for decades to come. Encountering the Terrible Twos Just when I thought I thought I was starting to get a grip on this parenting thing, a new phase comes along and blows me completely out of the water. I have one child and she has only been around for about 21 months. So, I haven't really had the time to fine tune my parenting skills. But, I must admit that I am developing a new respect for people that have several children and still manage to maintain some control over their lives and their children. I had no idea that a child could progress into the. "terrible two" phase before they actually reached the milestone birthday. Just one short month ago my child was a darling toddler. She cheerfully used her expanding vocabulary to say things that would make us laugh. She also liked to ask for hugs and kisses and recite the names of her favorite animals. Without notice, and without a birthday, things started to change. Today the cute exterior of my daughter is basically the same, but that is where the similarity ends. She now uses her vocabulary to shout out things like, "No, no, no" and one of her newer favorites, "Back off." She even holds her hand up in front of her to illustrate the point. I always imagined that her first sentence would be something along the lines of, "I love Mommy." The reality is that the only sentences she says without coaching are more like, "I want one," "Gimme that" and "That's mine." The attitude change has been somewhat of an adjustment, but the thing that I still cannot get used to is the tantrum throwing. I spent the past year and a half diligently making sure that my child never got hurt. Only to have to deal with watching her throw herself recklessly onto any surface, concrete being one of her favorites. The conventional wisdom for controlling tantrums is just to ignore them. Easier said than done when vou are con- - 2 Brynn's Beat By BRYNN BECK vinced that the kid is doing irreversible brain damage with every toss of their head. (Or if the neighbors happen to be watching.) At this point, I am convinced that if my daughter doesn't do permanent damage to her head, she will at least suffer some major consequences from malnourish-ment- . You see, she will only eat what she wants, when she wants it. Which usually amounts to nothing, or a cookie. Someone please explain to me how a child that hates the taste and texture of every food that even comes close to belonging in the nutritional pyramid can appear to enjoy eating dirt. Another nutritional question: If she eats an entire tube of cherry chapstick, can I count that as a fruit? I am sure that all of the more seasoned parents out there are shaking their heads and laughing at me. After all the sheer volume of healthy children out there over the age of two should reassure me that my daughter will survive the next year or so intact. The question is, will I? I've tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that this is only a phase and that it will pass. But, that always leaves me with an unsettled feeling about the phases yet to come. Could there be anything worse than the, "terrible twos"? Last week, we were in a restaurant and the entire time that we were there Alanna wanted to climb out of our booth into the next one. She had her eye on a cute little boy, just a little bit bigger than her, and she was determined to give him a kiss. My question was answered. It will get worse. Remember the Gold Star your Sunday School teacher might stick on to reward your good behavior. Too bad we don't have some gentle soul watching us today, ready with a Gold Star to let us know we are doing the right thing. Many of us may mean to thank others for the good things that they do, but a Gold Star would certainly be an ego booster'something we could all use from time to time. The other day, I witnessed just such an event, one that was not required, but one that certainly shows a very positive move for everyone. In a recent meeting, members of the Lehi City Council reinstated the Citizen Input time that was once a feature of the bimonthly agenda. Although they did it without a lot of fanfare, I believe their action says a lot. And even though I'm sure they would humbly forego the traditional Gold Star, their vote of confidence in the citizens does indeed deserve recognition. The restored Citizen Input Time not only gives the ordinary citizen a chance to address his or her concerns, but, possibly more importantly, gives the ordinary citizen a chance to see how government operates by becoming an active participant in the process. Whether or not the problem can be solved satisfactorily may be of lesser importance than the education derived from learning how to gather facts, make the presentation, suggest a solution and answer questions. Then, after the presentation is made, observe how the administration works to solve the problem, especially if it requires follow-up work of your own. I think the majority of people who utilize the local government system will be pleasantly surprised to find out the level which our elected officials work on our behalf As with most situations, the key to the success of this program will be order and following the rules. Citizen Input Time will be most effective if used for the purpose for It's always uncomfortable when the newspaper makes news, instead of reporting it. But our newspapers were in the limelight over the past few weeks when the Lehi City Council pulled the city's legal notice advertising after it took exception to a couple of editorial pieces in the Lehi Free Press. As soon as I heard what the Lehi Council had done, I knew we were in for a ride, although it tcok a while for the rest of grade-schoo- Boland 1997 Creators Syndicate, Inc. As a rule, First Amendment issues are popular with news organizations because we all rely on our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of the press to do our jobs. And when any government agency throws its financial weight around in a way that infringes on that freedom, they are violating someone's civil rights. In fact, it was the fear of this kind of government behavior that mandated the First Amendment in the first place. The Constitution would have never been adopted without the Bill of Rights because Americans knew all too well what governments could do when they were not constrained to respect the freedoms of individuals. Actually, most news organizations didn't catch on with what was going on in Lehi until the shouting was all over. The Deseret News picked up the story early, and they followed up with two more pieces. Those last two stories were picked up by the Associated Press and had some coverage throughout the country. We had other calls. A television reporter I have known for years called to see if Channel 2 would want to follow the piece, but when he found out it would be settled peacefully, he lost interest. Television news thrives on visual confrontation, and we avoided that here. It was all interesting, but I'm glad to be back on the other side of the telephone interview asking the questions rather than answering them. The thing that disturbed me the most and which continues to disturb me is a sentence in the statement made by Lehi City announcing it would restore its legal advertising to the Free Press and acknowledging that retaliation was an inappropriate response to a difference of opinion over what was written in the newspaper's editorial page. and Bart Simpson. Has our society gone over the edge, or what? Is this kind of nonsense the reason we send our representatives to Washington? If you can't advertise liquor on television, will a detective be able to order a show withdry martini on a prime-tim- e out drawing a PG-1rating as a result? 7 The Daly Planet By RUSS DALY sentation. Speak clearly into the microphone and state your name and the exact nature of your situation, but don't drag out your presentation. There may be others who also wish to which it was designed. Two examples from years ago stand out in my mind as the proper uses for this program. In one case, a resident approached the council about reimbursement for a street light powered on his meter. Over the next couple of weeks, councilmembers looked into the policy and I believe found out that the man was indeed eligible for some payment for mitigation. The other case involved a street situation where water was accumulating at what another resident felt was an alarming quantity. He suggested some possible remedies for the problem and left it into the hands of the powers that be. I don't recall whether anything was actually changed, but that citizen used the process to alert the councilmembers to a situation he felt was important. I hope that all citizens will take advantage of this restoration for the betterment of the community. May I suggest some things that might make the process go smoother. Gather your facts, take photographs and document the situation wherever possible. Be prepared and willing to answer questions that might be raised during your presentation. Make printed copies for each member of the council, the mayor, the city administrator, and other officials who might need the information; a copy for the paper would also be helpful. If the situation involves neighbors or other residents, you may want to have copies speak. Don't use the Citizen Input Time to address other matters that are already on the agenda. Time is already scheduled for that type of input; Citizen Input Time is only intended for matters that aren't otherwise covered. Don't expect the council to act immediately. They will simply be listening to your presentation for information gathering purposes only. In fact, they may be legally prevented from acting on the situation the same night as the presentation. When city officials do make a decision regarding your situation, don't expect that it will always be in your favor. It may not be in the best interest of the entire population to rule in your favor. Be gracious enough to accept their decision. If you feel compelled to appeal or rework your presentation, do so calmly and without threat. Perhaps a second, more objective look at the situation will provide an even better solution to the problem. Any councilmember will probably be quick to tell you that the task they have is not worth the amount of work they have to put in. Our criticism of them doesn't help, either. with But with mutual communication them being willing to listen to us in Citizen Input Time, and we, as citizens, becoming we can continue to involved in government make our community the great place that we've always known it to be. The Editors j?f Column By MARC HADDOCK The sentence reads like this: "We considered our decision the only means by which we could express to the Lehi Free Press our frustration with their editorial position." It concerns me a great deal that anyone, especially a government agency, would feel they had to resort to extreme measures to make a simple point over pretty simple issues. I don't consider myself inaccessible. Oh, I'm busy. My neighbors will attest to the fact that I'm rarely home and I spend some of our days doing some freelance production work outside the newspaper office. We live in a time when everybody is busy trying to make ends meet. And I tend to run about five to 10 minutes late. But I return telephone calls, and I always return calls to city council members, county commissioners and others who have been concerned or offended by the editorial content of our newspapers. I carry a cellular telephone and have instructed the office to give that number to anyone who really wants to talk to me. And our editorial pages are always open to anyone who feels he or she needs to take issue with the newspaper or with anybody else. We'll print almost any letter as long as it is in good taste, doesn't libel anyone and is short enough to publish. Sometimes we'll terms. One Lehi council member called our Lehi City editor to complain about his column in that same issue, but we heard not one word from other council members, or any complaint about the editorial, until the council resorted to the unusually harsh tactic of pulling its legals to make a point. It seemed to me that Lehi was trying to kill a mosquito with a bazooka, when most of the differences of opinion could have been aired without the illegal use of government force. It is most unfortunate that the city council's shifted the focus from the newspaper's content to the council's behavior. That means the issues that prompted the city's actions likely remain unresolved. With a little communication, both sides could have been heard. In the end, we all got a little lesson in civics. Maybe we can learn a lesson in civility as well. If you have a problem with our newspaper, tell us. Call me. I'll be happy to talk to you. Anytime. The number is n 756-527- Letters to tEie editor Bed and Breakfast in Lehi Editor: have just purchased the Lyall Wilson property at 380 and 394 West Main in Lehi where we plan to open a bread and breakfast inn early in 1998. The property contains a private pioneer school built by Sarah Smith about adobe and an hotel built by Sarah and her husband, Joseph Johnson Smith, about 1887 when the D&RGWRR connected Lehi directly to We 1865-187- Brother Bill think our children are immune to drinking beer and wine? He may tell us that he has tasted beer, but he didn't swallow it. Dont we have more pressing matters to attend to? We have religious organizations and clinics to advise us on things like alcohol and sex. Apparently, the distillery people didn't cough up enough during the last election. We might be looking at prohibition again. Look what has happened with tobacco: It is already being sold like a product. Perhaps this ban on products is just a ploy to take our minds off from the major problem that is doing more to destroy our children than alcohol or tobacco will ever do. Drugs should be No. 1 on the president's list. They are available in every school yard and every city and town in the country. No advertising is needed. Every time the government places a ban on a product under the guise of protecting the children, we all lose. What they are telling us is that parents are not doing their job, so Uncle Sam will do it for them. What we really need is a ban on government intervention into our private lives. The communist government tried to take the place of mom and dad, and look what happened there. even go out of our way to print the really long ones, but it is usually hard to fit them in. We offer space for guest editorials from anyone who cares to submit one, as long as they can meet our space considerations, and I have no problem printing opinions with which I do not agree. I even joke that sometimes I don't always agree with my own opinions. The editorial that prompted Lehi City to pull its legals was a approach, taking on the councils of Lehi City and American Fork City at the same time. We made both of them mad. An American Fork council member called and chewed on me for about half an hour. Actually, he called and I wasn't here so I called him back, knowing exactly what we would talk about. We are still on good d 0 two-stor- y black-mark- what kind of impression his administration has made on them, with indictments, resignations and Paula Jones waiting in the wings. What is all of this doing to their little minds? While he points to Joe Camel as one of the reasons for the decline of moral values in the country, we are treated to condom ads p the media to catch up. Does Dick If the council has a sign-u- sheet for those who wish to speak, sign in properly and provide whatever information they need to make the process easier. If they simply open up the Citizen Input Time, don't hesitate to step up to the microphone to make your pre- Are we swatting flies with hammers Booze, sex and big brother Just as we all suspected, tobacco was only the beginning. Liquor is next on the list. Once again. Brother Bill is holding up the children as the reason to further abuse the First Amendment. He seems to feel that our little ones will be able to resist the temptation of beer and wine, but demon rum will be just too much temptation to overcome. He won't be satisfied until we are all treated like children. I can remember when what was good for my father was good for me, but that doesn't seem to work for Brother Bill. The government that objects to liquor ads on television is the same government that is passing out condoms to our children. We must then believe that l fornication is permissible, but we certainly don't want our kids engaging in sex if they have a snoot full of liquor. In such a state, a drunk child might forget to use his condom and, as a result, we would find another kid at the abortion clinic, which is crowded with children already. Personally, I don't want child engaging in sex or my under-ag- e drinking liquor, but I don't need Big Brother Bill's help in either case. If Brother Bill is so concerned about our children, he might take a look at for them as well. Denver. We will restore these two historic buildings and build a new kitchen and dining area with four modern first class suites. The complex, Historic LehiBrown Hotel, visit in the old school or Sister Wilson's quilting bungalow, listening to some of Lehi's most exciting events of the past. On Monday and Tuesday, April 28 and 29, we are scheduling groups of not more than 50 people at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on each of the two days. Refreshments will be served at 1 and 3 p.m. A Mellor meal will be served at the 5 and 7 p.m. sessions. Donations to the restoration fund will be accepted but are not required. Reservations are limited and required. Call at the Mellor home, 5 (before 9 and after 6 are best) or call Mellor and leave informaBanquets at tion. We are sincerely appreciative of the great support we have received during the 44 years we have been residents of Lehi. We now invite all of you to enjoy with us the beginnings of another great relationship with Lehi's historic past. Carl Mellor Dimple Mellor 768-865- 768-457- 8 when completed, will have the capacity of people in business or youth conferences, family or class reunions or overnight visitors to Historic Lehi. Various areas will focus on the rich railroad history of Lehi and will feature Lehi's most historic people. Dimple and I invite anyone (particularly families) to come and walk through the 40-5- 0 Unhappy with Jr. High rules Editor: I'm very upset about Lehi Jr. High Rules. We can't wear hats in the school. What are schools afraid of? Well, maybe they think that we're hiding things in our hats. Or they can't see our eyes during class and they won't let us wear chains. The questions we want to know is why not? We are also questioning why we girls can wear necklaces. I mean, isn't that the same? Most of the chains they wear are pretty short. They hardly ever play with them in class. But some play with them in the halls. We can't cut our hair the way we want, just because we put different designs in our hair the principal thinks it has something to do with a gang. That is not true. Kaedee Brown |