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Show El Obituaries B2 S Sports B5 H Business B7 Th Tuesday, June 6, 1995 Daily Herald Writers can't fix anything This summer, I thought I might save a little money and drive myself nuts instead of paying someone else to do it for me. It's far easier than it sounds, although either way costs a lot of money. All you have to do is listen to your wife when she tells you to start fixing things around the house. Then you decide if you want to spend more money than you currently have to fix those things yourself, or more money than you will ever have in your entire life to have someone else fix them for you. Or you could just shoot yourself. It's not that I mind doing UDOT engineer: mechanically complicated chores. It's that I suffer from a serious malady common to most writers: "fixus stupidus. " It means that although I earn a living as a writer, I can't decipher simple written instructions. My parents discovered this when they gave me a set of Tinker Toys one Christmas and I couldn't figure out how to use them. I thought they were poorly designed pencils and erasers. Over the years, I've gotten better at things. I fixed the bathroom the last time it broke. You have to go outside and turn on the water in the backyard to flush the toilet, but it technically works. I also fixed the refrigerator light by installing an aircraft landing light that stayed on even when the door was closed. We're the only family on the whole block that can bake a ham in their refrigerator. Tnat was back in the days when I was sucked in by the blatant false advertising of the labor-savin- g device market. It cost me several thousand dollars before I realized that none of those gizmos were designed for use by writers. Power painters for example. The package shows smiling people ;painting the outside of their houses ; while dressed up to go to a wedding. I tried it and got paint everywhere. The dog howls when I pick up the power painter now. I installed a ceiling fan once. Won't do it again either because by the time I got done wiring it, the damn thing only had two speeds: semaphore and frappe. One hypnotizes you while the other makes you feel like you're being buzzed by a Japanese Zero. Then there was the time I sprayed the yard with weed killer. ' Admittedly, this isn't a mechanical chore but it might as well be. Have you ever tried reading the instructions on the back of a can of weed killer? They're written in Sanskrit by a mentally ill bureaucrat. I ended up gestimating and now my backyard only has two green spots. They're exactly the shape of my feet. The rest of the yard is about as lush as the moon. There's a bright side to all of this. My wife rarely asks me to fix stuff anymore. She says it's cheaper in the long run to mortgage the house and pay a contractor to come in. I listened to her plead with one on the phone just yesterday. "Yes, I solemnly swear that Mr. Kirby did not try and fix the bathtub himself first." Committed cynic Robert Kirby lives in Springville and welcomes on Compuserve, 72733,3260. . , . E-m- Clarification . ' Don Taylor, who now lives in Spanish Fork, risked his life aboard a sinking aircraft car- -' rier to shut off aviation fuel lines 51 years ago. For his bravery in World War n, he was awarded the prestigious Bronze Star Medal. The story of the sinking of the U.S.S. Block Island and a reunion of sailors involved was published in The Daily Herald June 1 , and regrettably had an-- ; other individual being awarded the medal, and listed the Taylors living in a neighboring city. She's a charmer, that Jack Orton, first lady of the 3rd Congressional District. That was clearly evident when Jacquelyn Orton and hubby congressman Bill Orton spoke at die ProvoOrem Chamber of Commerce luncheon Friday in Provo. By CHRISTOPHER SCHARMAN The Daily Herald Heavy rains have not only dampened many people's spring, they have helped make a mess of their cars, too. On May 21 and 22, the Utah Department of Transportation sprayed a section of Interstate 15 between the 500 East exit in American Fork and the 800 North exit in Orem with a rejuvenating substance designed to replenish lost oils and restore flexibility to the The substance quickly absorbed into the Devil's Advocate charming first lady Hand cleaners are able to take it off aging freeway. Hofeert Jacquelyn Orton is Mrs. Orton d just about everyone and may snake-charme- iL"1 J?l is pave- ment and dries. Observations But heavy rainfall the next four days kept the substance from penetrating the surface of the asphalt. The mist and spray on the freeway brought the substance into the air and onto cars traveling through. UDOT officials report receiving between 1,200 and 2,000 calls from people who had the goo on their cars. Some called to complain and others just to find out what the amber-colore- d gunk was. "We're trying to be responsible in our effort to preserve the highway. This was an unfortunate event," said James Cox, UDOT's region III construction engineer. When Cox became aware of the problem, he started figuring out how to get the gunk off his and his son's vehicles. He said it comes off soleasily with nonwater-base- d vents, like several commercial hand cleaners. He said the substance will not harm a car's paint finish. UDOT and the contractor, Slurry of Salt Lake, have said they will pay cleanup costs for those who insist on being compensated. However, because Pat Christian Daily Herald PhotoMatthew R. Smith Freeway gunk can be seen on this pickup's windshield and many other vehicles that travel Interstate 15 between Orem and American Fork. Rain prevented the substance from being quickly absorbed by the road. of the simple cleanup and low cost, they encourage people to be understanding. "I do appreciate the patience people have shown," Cox said. The cost to UDOT could run as high as $50,000 to $60,000 if ev- eryone asked to be reimbursed. "This is the taxpayers' money," Cox said. The workers who applied the substance followed the correct procedures, Cox said, but no one counted on the rains. He said most of the substance eventually got into the road, and he doesn't think another coat will need to be applied. "I think it will still do the job. " have even upstaged her husband. But the congressman later said, "That's alright with me." I winced when someone at the luncheon publicly referred to her as "Jackie O." I remember interviewing her just after the Ortons' engagement and her telling me she doesn't like to be called Jackie. She prefers Jacquelyn or Jack, the name her family and friends use. But I asked Jack after the luncheon about the Jackie O reference, and she was kindhearted, saying it doesn't concern her much when people innocently refer to her as Jackie, unaware of her preferences. Jack told the audience that people don't have to be formal when addressing her. Mrs. Orton "makes me sound so old," she said. Jack spoke first; the congressman held their baby son. Mr. Orton is picking up quite a reputation as the Mr. Mom of the 104th Congress. The entire nation heard about By ED CARTER Three high school students from the former Soviet Union who spent a year in Utah say the exposure to American democracy and free enterprise was an The students, whose travel and living tabs were picked up in part by to come to the United States to learn how they can help their countries make the transition from communism to capitalism and democracy. well as made preparations for 16, of the All y- As part of the program, the students were asked to perform at least 10 hours of community service each month. Expectations are they will change attitudes in their countries about subbotnick, the Russian word for volunteering, which mean. Daily Herald From left, Olesya Kochan, Marina Fedan, program director Suzanne Plympton and Vaktygoul Kuban- forced labor during the communist period. In Utah, the students visited care centers, helped the elderly and disabled, and spent time volunteering with the police department. They were also asked to document their efforts and submit periodic reports on their work. Even with the demands of school PhotoJason Olson ychbekova say the ASPECT Foundation's change student program Is very worthwhile. and volunteer work, the three students still found time to have fun and explore the country. They visited New York, Texas and California, as well as various sites in Utah. "In Russia, I spent all day in and school. Here I just go half-da- y I I whatever do can then want," Kochan said. All three students agreed school ex- at home was more difficult but not as fun as school in the United States. A typical student in Russia, for example, may take 24 classes each school year and be enrolled in several different schools at once. Requirements for high school graduation include 1 1 years of English and (See STUDENTS, Page B2) Provo neig hborhood protects mav aet boost By MARK EDDINGTON The Daily Herald Fifty thousand dollars isn't much when compared with the $84 million Provo proposes to spend during the 1995-9- 6 fiscal year, but it can be seed money that will enable neighborhoods to blossom. That is the attitude of Councilman Dennis Hall, who chairs the Provo Office of the City Council's Neighborhood Committee. And that is why the City Council wants to appropriate $50,000 in next fiscal year's budget for a matching grant program. (See CHARM, Page B2) traffic lights to be installed in the future. The project could be completed by the end of the month, but Larsen said the beginning of July was a safer estimate. The affected area extends from Main Street west to 400 West. The project creates access to the road- Ukraine, recently finished her sophomore year at Orem High School. Vaktygoul Kubanychbekova, 16, of Kyrgyzstan, was a senior at Pleasant Grove High, and Olesya Kochan, 17, of Russia, was a senior at Bingham High School in Salt Lake County-- for selection was based on scholastic aptitude, personality and adaptabilit- F-1- Orem's vision of improved access along its 1300 South commercial corridor will be a reality by next month. M. Keith Larsen, city traffic engineer, said the city has opened two new driveways on the road and closed one access point down, as the U.S. government under the Freedom Support Act, were chosen the ASPECT Foundation's exchange student program. Criteria He talked abCUt the Jacquelyn Orton looming international crisis in Bosnia where an American 6 was shot down and of the potential for our ground trwps to become involved. So I wrote not about what she had said but about what the congressman had said concerning these cutting-edg- e issues. Jack didn't speak of such weighty matters, but she certainly did charm me. She spoke of family and the Ortons, and it was a refreshing break from heavier yes, and issues even sometimes boring I often cover. But apparently Jack worried about what she had said, because after the luncheon she told me she had forgotten for a moment that I and other reporters were there, and she worried about what we might publish. By DONALD W. MEYERS The Daily Herald eye-open- three students underwent a rigorous selection process in their homelands before being chosen to come to the United States as part of luncheon I had a deadline to meet and had to rush back to the newsroom after asking the congressman a few questions. South project to be finished next month The Daily Herald Fedan, but after the 1 300 Students say year in Utah educational Marina his parenting philosophy when CNN aired a piece telling how he shares responsibilities with Jack and how he even tends baby William in Congress. Don Meyers, a colleague here at The Daily Herald, jokes that making a baby listen to congressional floor debates amounts to child abuse. But since William doesn't seem to mind, we may have the making of another politician. I was charmed by Jack's luncheon remarks and wanted to talk with her, "A lot of neighborhoods have pride in what they are doing," said Hall. "Anything that we can do to help that is great." As proposed by the council, the matching grant program would empower neighborhood groups to develop their own ideas by rewarding those that show initiative. The $50,000 earmarked for the program would be set aside in a special fund for various projects foon cused neighborhood improvement. When neighborhood groups decided to do a specific project, they would apply to the city for the money. If approved by a committee set up to screen applications, half the total cost of the project would be paid by the city. The neighborhood would be responsible for coming up with the balance, either through actual donations or contributions of labor by andor supplies. Similar programs in other cities across the country have been fairly successful. One in Seattle has resulted in the completion of more than 500 matching fund projects since the project was started in 1988. Seattle residents have used the program to install playgrounds. in-ki- start community schools, create oral history plant trees, projects and work on neighborhood planning efforts. Since coming under the control of the council two years ago, the Provo City Neighborhood Program has been revitalized. There are now 30 active neighborhood chairmen serving every area of the city. Hall sees the matching grant program as a further enhancement to that revitalizatioii prcces1.. The council is expected to approve the program at its June 27 meeting. side businesses through Main Street, 100 West, 200 West, 300 West and 400 West, with no driveways allowed on either 1200 South or 1400 South. The 100 and 300 West driveways will be limited to right turns only, a move that prevents cars from backing up along left-turni- the roadway. Left turns will be allowed at Main Street, 200 West and 400 West. Main Street currently has a stoplight while the city is installing the underground hardware for signals at the other two intersections. The property owners at the two intersections have agreed to pay for part of the installation of the signals. Larsen said the lights will not be installed until traffic conditions warrant the devices. While the project is designed to improve traffic safety on 1300 South, Larsen said the construction has caused a few traffic problems. City workers had to work quickly to get the improvements in place before the Utah Deparmt nt of Transporation completed its resurfacing project on the road. Even when it is done and the traffic lights are installed, there will be some traffic delays because of the signals. But, once the city's synchronization system is complete, the 1300 South traffic will improve, Larsen said. , |