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Show Press - Wednesday. April 22, 1998 Page 2 Fr Don't Touch.....This means you! Wet Faint j . AF Children's Choir shMesf t 'y i White the "signs of the times" may be ominous, the signs on the road are nothing short of comical. Congratulations to the American adult choirs. In Monday's performance, The other day, while returning Fork Children's Choir, which leaves the choir will perform numbers in home via Redwood Road and SR73, Friday to represent the state and comFrench, Spanish and Latin, as well as a my wife and I noticed two small signs munity at the National Invitational selection that features Native American the side of the road that read as fol- same size, and the by Choir Festival in Washington, D.C. meaning might be music. lows: misconstrued. While the choir bears the name of If past history is any indication, they BLIND SALE TODAY The same goes for this gem: American Fork, which helps sponsor the will dazzle their audiences with the; ( Not meaning to offend the purveyor SLOW DIP AHEAD group through the city's Arts Council, their of harmonies clariand the purity who placed the signs, nor the visually One might think this sign and the the 46 choir members represent the ty of their young voices. Through it afl impaired, we became quite hysterical previous one are interchangeable, but entire north Utah County area, with they will represent our North Utah ' as we pondered the meaning of these this is not the case. The latter one is singers from American Fork, Highland, County community well. .advertisements. intended as a warning that the driver Pleasant Lehi, Alpine, Grove and Orem. Barratt, who was the driving force Although we suspected that the should prepare for the Over the past 11 years, Merrilee behind the creation of the choir II vendors t; were either selling duck event that is about to take place. Barratt and her young singers have years ago and who had dedioafed count-- ' .blinds or the home decorating items Unfortunately, I think road planless hours to teaching youngsters to garnered many awards and gold formair?' known as Venetian blinds, ners underestimate the effects of dips, medals, which helped earn them an sing exceptional music, was planning on 'there wac a moment of doubt that because I've sailed through some that perinvitation to this prestigious festival, as retiring this year, until the invitation haps they were offering products for follow signs where the word "slow" is one of 22 choirs performing Saturday at came to participate in the National . ,lhe not included. impaired. the National City Christian Church. Invitational Choir Festival. We are clad' '''' visually If the were indeed tareetin? the Does the phrase "Dip Ahead" indiThe top eight choirs will then perform sue is sou wauung enuaxen to sing. $ latter, how would their intended group cate a milder degree of concavity than Monday evening at the Kennedy Center Over the years she has blessed the see tne signs.' Of course, one would "Slow Dip Ahead?" for the Performing Arts, where four lives of hundreds of children with an that such a wouldn't be hope If so, I believe that all "Dip Ahead" members of the local choir will perform understanding of musk. She has pro- - '.. driving in that areaperson first place, signs should be replaced with "Slow in the in a combined choir, and all 22 choirs moted the community In many perforso the sign would be the least of their Dip Ahead" will combine for a patriotic selection signs and all of the former mances, and she had tfarried the com- in that case. problems "Slow Dip Ahead" signs should be The American Fork Children's Choir name the state munity's throughout Another sign that bothers me is this replaced with two signs, the first of has the distinction of being the only and nation as the Ameridan Fork one: which says "Caution" in big letters, children's choir to participate in the fesChildren's Choir has earned honors. SLOW CHILDREN AT PLAY with "Deep Dip Ahead" below, but foltival, as well as being the only choir A community cannot place a price on Although it may be completely true, lowed by a second from Utah. a la Burma the kind of service that has so many it seems a little insensitive to me to Shave, that reads: sign, Over the years, Barratt has sought outcomes. positive label our youth in that manner. WE MEAN IT out music for young singers that would We applaud Mrs. Barratt, and her When the signmaker makes the It probably wouldn't help, though, stretch their abilities. The result has helpers: Laura Dunn, associate director, word "slow" much larger than the because most been a delightful choir that performs don't pay much Julee Wright, vocal coach; and Susan other words, the intent becomes com- attention to people well above their age level. signs anyway. Consider Pontious, pianist. We can count on this pletely clear, but I have seen these this one: All of these singers spend hours group to represent us well at this preswhere all the words are the signs DEAF CHILD IN AREA ' rehearsing music that would challenge choir festival this weak;' tigious ; i ground-scrapin- g : r. The last of a generation;! Uncle Warren died Arjril 2nd. He wasn't famous. He lived his entire life in the same Illinois community where he grew up, except for the years he was in the Navy during World War II. He worked hard, raised a family, and ended his days without fanfare. He was the last Wiechert of his generation, and the loss of that link is of far greater proportion than the man himself ever pretended to be. To me, Uncle Warren represents a set of ideals that threaten to vanish from our society. His generation were the youth both hardened and softened by the Depression and a world war, who respected their elders and actually valued the accumulated wisdom they represented They-- ' believed that a better day was possible if they were willing to work for it. They didn't whine, and they didn't make excuses. They didn't expect anything to be handed to them, and nothing ever was. Whatever they achieved was earned by industry and thrift. Most of them never experienced the glamor, excitement or travel that so many nowadays believe are essential for a happy, fulfilling life. They knew better. They stayed faithful to their spouses, hung in there when things got tough, and didn't expect some schoolteacher or government program to instill in their children patriotism, honor and knowing it was their own responsibility. They believed education was the key to the future, and attention to it was expected. They took it for granted that effort was required for any kind of success or greatness, and that you always played fair, even when you had the advantage. almost to a fault, they went to church, paid their taxes, served their self-respe- Self-effaci- 1"' mmimii trmnmii.wri iin.i"iiwn, j ii MUK mm. j i -- Jvlack stirs strong emotions in sheriff's race has a ' candidate for a countv Rarely 'office blown into Utah fYinntw and torn the place apart as has Richard Mack, Republican candidate for the office of Utah County Sheriff. I have received more letters to the v mmm v .rwiHn.n;nnn.nitM editor regarding Candidate Mack, both pro and con, than I have ever received for any candidate for any office. They have been either very pro or very con. As far as I can tell, few now. people who are involved in county polTo me, however, Warren and others itics are neutral about Richard Mack. like him are genuine American heroes, This week one Mack supporter even and the people to whom we owe the best dropped off a letter of endorsement for of what we have in our country today. Mack by Cleon Skousen, who made a The children and grandchildren of name for himself as a defender of the immigrants who came many of them Constitution and the political far '.with .nothing but the shirts on their but who was, by profession, also backs in search of a better future for' right, a law enforcement officer, serving as their posterity, the economic and spirituChief 6f Police in Salt Lake City. al strength of this country was built by On th surface, Mack looks like a their lahnr an1 KiMuI nn va fVm,V kaMr unno. local Dqy come nome to turn a bout They cherished freedom, and 5were; With national fame into a job as Utah willing to give their liveslo preserve it' County Sheriff. Many of them did, including Warren's I've never heard him, but from all only brother Robert, who with hundreds accounts he is an effective speaker, of other promising and hopeful young has tremendous charisma, and promen went down with his ship when it motes an that calls for a was torpedoed by the Japanese in the return to agenda constitutional principles Pacific Ocean. ahead of all other considerations. His We owe them all a debt we can't posmessage rings most loudly among very sibly repay. neighbors, gave quietly to charity, and did absolutely nothing to set themselves apart from the crowd in the way our celebrity-drive- n society evaluates people ; : , , conservative Republicans. According to his campaign literature, Mack was a Provo police officer for 10 years early in his career. Later he moved to Arizona where he was elected to the office of county sheriff as a Democrat. V Mack Was a conservative Democrat, mind you, but this party thing is one of the issues that has returned to haunt his bid to run as a Republican for ytan county bhenfl. Mind you, to be Uncle Warren's family meant everything to him, and as we gathered on a green, windswept hill in Illinois on the 6th to lay him to rest, we were reminded and all the again that we honor him others like hint best by living true to the things he taught us and the example v he set. vt I think we all left recommitted just that. And I have a feeling that Uncle Warren knows it, too. .'v'J , What do you think most people are going to do with this one? Slow down? Maybe only a little. I dare say that most drivers, if they were to encounter the hearing impaired child in that area, would still try honking their horn or yelling out the window for the kid to get out of the road. I was recently involved with the painting of handrails in some stairwells and I designed some clever (at least in my mind) signs that would keep people from touching the "Wet Paint." The first one read: WET PAINT....SERIOUSLY Halfway up, or down, the stairs, as the case may be, we put another one that asked if the person reading the sign had made it that far without touching the wet paint, and at the top, or bottom, the last one instructed the reader to pat himself or herself on the back if he or she had indeed resisted the temptation to touch the paint. Well, guess who forgot to read the signs? As I walked into the stairwell, I noticed that someone had left a cloth on the stairs. Muttering about who would have been that careless, I put the heel of my hand on the handrail to steady myself as I bent over to pick up the cloth. When I tried to remove my hand, I immediately understood why the cloth had been placed, not just carelessly left, in that spot. At least I saw the Blind Sale signs. . pwwmiiwiiwiMw for ricrht something1,O of a nnster hnv O J wing extremists, especially those who feel strongly about their Second Amendment rights to bear arms, and the more arms the better. He has been a featured speaker at more than one convention of the paramilitary groups that dot the United States, often promoting his book about his battle with the Brady Bill. The title is something about his "cold, dead X .LL..uiLujujwuwmvMnMOTiiMijioyul elected in Arizona, you just about have to be a Democrat; just like to be a elected in Utah County, you just about have to be a Republican. Regardless of his political party, Mack is pragmatic. Mack served two terms as sheriff before he was dumped by the voters in a primary election. One journalist I spoke to when I was in Arizona recently for a workshop said that this is not - unusual. Two terms is about all the rural voters in Arizona afford any pub- ' lie official before they feel it is time for a change. Utah County voters are a lot like that, too. Just review the patterns of for Utah County commissioners. The difference is that during his tenure, Mack did more than your average sheriff. At some point during his two terms of office, he came face to face with provisions of gun control legislation known as the Brady Bill that he felt were unconstitutional. In a campaign that gained national attention, Mack fought the law, and Mack won. In a legal battle that worked its way all the way to the Supreme Court, Mack challenged the constitutionality of the Brady Bill, and in the end, the top court in the land ruled that he was right. It turned out he was very right. Whether he wanted it to or not, this nigh-prolicourt battle made Mack le fingers." This is another issue that fans the flames of Mack's opposition. They express the fear that he will use his post as Utah County Sheriff to promote an agenda of right-win- g extremism, rather than focusing on the law enforcement needs of Utah County, Some of his chief detractors are Utah County Sheriffs deputies who don't want to work for Mack. With all the hoopla, it makes one j wonder if this particular candidate isn't running for the wrong office. If someone wants to make a real difference with constitutional issues, he or she won't do much as a county sheriff, where concerns of operating the jail and overseeing routine law enforcement activities are the order of most days, and where charisma doesn't count for much. Wouldn't a run for the U.S. Congress or Senate be more in tune for someone with national exposure and a desire to make a real difference as far as returning our country to the Constitutional principles upon which it was founded? That type of race is more in line with the types of emotions being generated by Richard Mack's run for the office of Utah county Sheriff. s Forum Why are deputies against Mack? Editor: I am very concerned about the upcoming election for Utah County Sheriff. Richard Mack has received a tremendous amount of criticism. The deputies appear to adamantly oppose him, as does most law enforcement. It's one thing to not support Mack, but why do the deputies so adamantly oppose him? This appears to be a campaign to make sure Richard Mack doesn't get in. Why? If the deputies are opposed to what Mack stands for, I am curious to know what they stand for. He has been ridiculed and criticized for his opposition to receiving federal handouts, his work with the Brady Bill, opposing random checkpoints, etc., etc., etc. They say he was "thrown out of office" in Graham County, Ariz.; he's too radical and wants to change everything. Richard Mack feels strongly that the deputies need top pay so we can expect top work from them. He wants to bridge the gap between law enforcement and citizens and support and respect each other to solve crime problems. ' He will not receive federal grants so as to allow the feds to control this county. He will not enforce unconstitutional laws so as to deprive us this nation Right and wrong have not of our inalienable rights from God, but will law- changed sincegreat. 1776. The principles of the constifully fight them, as he did the Brady Bill. tution are inspired of God and therefore eternal. He believes that if it violates our constitutionGod approves of the constitution, why don't we? al rights it is not right regardless of how effective I hope we deserve someone like Richard it is. Ultimately, he will be true to his solemn Regardless, we will get what we deserve. Mack. oath of office and will not compromise and ratioI strongly encourage all citizens of Utah nalize principle for politics, as many of our elect- County to sincerely study the constitution and ; ed officials do. My;-'. the principles of the Declaration of Independence But it appears Utah County; doesnt like all in the tradition of the Founding Fathers. And that. Maybe they Would prefer someone who is then support men and women who will uphold morel popular, more politically correct and not so these principles. Our freedom depends upon it. radical. After', all,' sticking to your principles, While those principles aren't popular, they're whether religiou or political s quit radical still right. . and hot very common these days and' Richard n Richard Mack is a patriot (that is a compliMack probably iff too radical forms. If one of the ment)! He will defend our rights even if he has to founding fathers' Were running for1 sheriff today, go to the Supreme Court to do it. He is qualified he would .'Oppose unconstitutional . encroach- and capable and willing. I pray that we can give ments juBt as much as Mack and even though him our support. Let's return to the basics before the people mocked him for his radical beliefs, he it's too late. would not back down from his principles. And if Cody Scott Anderson by chance Ke yere elected; tie would be thrown out of office by the people of Utah County for his to Constitution radical beliefs, which just aren't right in today's 4 society. ) Editor: v ; Citizens of Utah In response to the letter by Kerry M. Evans in County, we have forgotten , bur roots, where we came from and what made last week's paper: Get back Published weekly by :" 'K Telephone Numbers Advertising (ISSN No. 8750-466(U.S.P.S. No. 309-500- A . f --". Deadlines ' ..:C.;.V. ) PiMshaf Jew(ahieWs v NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION 59 West Main American Fork, Utah I in i I. '.i tfugin$ditof CJly EdMr ! :, . . member ot NATIONAL t CUculatioA , 4003 1 '.Subscription i Display Advertising ...ClWeBtta . Classified Advertising i. . Haddock X I flus Daly price $24" per year NeW .. Missionaries t. Periodicals Postage Paid'f fet Arileriiari Fork, Utah j ' Weddings . . noon 5 p.m. Monday, 2 p.m. .Monday, (printed AND signed) and ters for clarity, punctuation, 2 p.m. By Mail P.O. Box 7, American Fork, UT 84003 In ttWMl IWn, AMafcan Fort, Utah 4003' tn All letters must include the author's name a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit lettaste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. HOW TO REACH US .Monday, 2 p.m. Calendar . .Monday, 10 a.m. Letters to the Editor . . .Monday, 10 a.m. Obituaries , ; .' Tuesday. 11 a m Community -- We welcome letters to the editor. .Tuesday, ... .Monday, , ....... I, too, attended the debate of the three sheriff candidates. I also spoke privately to each, individually. Mr. Evans, Mr. Mack never stated he wanted a 300 member armed posse. Mr. Mack stated he would welcome volunteers for various jobs to back up his department when necessary. He would not concentrate his deputies on minor traffic violations, as they needed to be working on more important things, crime, gangs, etc. He never said they couldn't stop motorists for violations. He stated he had never seen a federal grant without strings attached, and therefore did not want federal grants. Does Mr. Evans want the federal to take over Utah County police government and sheriff departments? I don't think so. Remember the states created the federal government, not the other way around. Let's return to this most important document the Constitution. Let's hold on to the freedoms our founding fathers provided, inspired by God This is what Mr. Mack's fight in Arizona was all about. I think Utah County needs this same reform. - Carol H. Harmer American Fork Person 59 W. 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