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Show tjlfr e Page A6 9Hmeg-3ttbgpenb- Thursday, March 4, 2004 mt Idle Thoughts from Mt. Waas IZ351ililbnirilG3,E - -- stances, coverage has included both hard news stories, and opinion pieces written by editors and others. Historically, The Times has been actively involved in the community. L.L. Bish Taylor, who bought the paper in 1910, served for many years on the Grand County Commission. He was a member of the Moab Lions Club for over 50 years, and was deeply involved in development of the Taylor Grazing Act (different Taylor) and countless other civic organizations. He probably wrote the news stories on all of these bodies himself back then. Its a practice thats not condoned today. His. wife Siss belonged to Womens Literary Club, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Easta Mission Society ern Star, and and numerous other groups. While she was not active in the newspaper management, she certainly was a representative of the newspaper in the community. Sam Taylor served as a State Senator, as president of the School Board, on the Water Board when Kens Lake was built, and on, and on. He still serves as chairman of the City Planning Commission, but does not write the news stories about its activities. Adrien Taylor has likewise been associated with numerous boards, commissions and committies through the years. Its a way of life for most community newspaper owners and operators. Likewise, Sam and Adriens children, Tom, Sena and Zane, have become immersed in community activities. Readers of The Times should expect to continue to see news written as hard and as straight as possible, and the opinion of the management also pushing editorially for or against whatever causes and projects come along in the future. There are two separate schools of thought about a newspapers role in serving its community. One is that the newspaper simply reports on activities. The other is that the newspaper gets involved in the community and actively supports projects it feels are in the best interest of the people, and opposes those it sees as not in the best interest of the people. The has historically positioned itself in the latter category. It is a given that reporters need to be diligent about keeping their personal opinions out of news stories. Thats hard to do sometimes. And thats where the editor comes in. Example: the choice of the word deal as opposed to either plan or agreement. There are subtle shadings of meanings that can be associated with the word deal that are not always positive and forthright, and may or may not convey the reporters point of view. On the editorial side of the newspaper (those items which are not news stories but which, rather, convey opinion, such as this piece) the writer is not constrained to a fly on the wall stance. Recently The Times has been both criticized and praised for its editorial support for the library election. Sure, its going to raise taxes, but in this case the people are taxing themselves to provide a facility that can improve the quality of life for everyone who avails him or herself of the library facilities. They are buying themselves a gift. Over recent years, The Times has actively opposed a nuclear waste facility in Davis Canyon (for which the newspaper received the Utah Press Associations prestigious Community Service Award that particular year). The T--I has kept on top of whats happening (or not) with the Atlas tailings pile. In both of these in Times-Independe- by Ollie Harris nt Mary-Marth- The way by Sam Taylor it . . (the salt comes later). When was growing up we had a pot almost once a week, usually on Monday, which was wash day, and they didn't take a lot of tending. Since our wash room and clotheslines were located some distance from the house, that made beans a handy meal, and we all loved pinto beans. Im not talking about red beans. They don't have much flavor and dont cook up soft. To me, white beans dont have any flavor. Let the Navy have them. years ago, was spending my second holiday season at a small artillery camp in northern Japan. was bored, anxious to come home in a few months. volunteered to stay in while everyone camp to play else in my unit took three-dapasses to celebrate Christmas the traditional Army way. Among the 500 soldiers in my battalion, only one was from around Moab. He was from Yellow Jacket, Colorado. The rest were from either the West or East Coasts. A few days before Christmas, my Hispanic friend, who was a cooks helper, I I I slowly-cookin- n, I I I I I I rs him up. Give me pinto beans any time. They beat all the other varieties in any test. spent the rest of that day and evening at my desk in battalion headquarters, looking longingly at a set of jumbo, colored postcards of Arches my Dad had sent, along with my Christmas gifts. One truly homesick dude, but with a full stomach. y I Accolades and Admonishment with regard to issues in our community In the letter to the editor of last week, concerning the Nineties Celebration at the Senior e commuCitizen Center, the name of a nity worker and city employee was omitted. Bouquets to Lynn Day, who has spent many years serving this community selflessly and without fanfare. Lynn still makes his way to the Center, in fact, he and his wife Donna have greeted people as they come in the door to the weekday luncheons. Theyre both dedicated people and we certainly want to make sure he gets the attention for his efforts that the other did. He was recognized, along with the others, at the luncheon by Mayor Sakrison and did receive a certificate of recognition from the city and theAARP. Thank you, Lynn Day. long-tim- ninety-year-ol- lc (UPS) Entered ISSN 6309-200- 0) 1538-183- 8 as Second class Matter at the Post Office at Moab, Utah under the Act of March 3, 1897. Second class postage paid at Moab, Utah 84532. Official City and County Newspaper. Published each Thursday at: 35 East Center Street, Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 or 435-259-75- P.O. Box 129, Moab, UT Times-Independe- FAX 84532 435-259-77- NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION Member and UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION Samuel J. and Adrien F. Taylor, Publishers Adrien F. Taylor, Editor Sadie Warner, Assistant Editor -- by Robert Rowley A recent environmental threat to a small town in Southern Italy, and the peoples overwhelming response to it, made me wonder if we Americans have lost our zest for protest. The spontaneous uprising by southern Italians forced the government to reverse a decision that would have designated a rural village as the countrys sole repository of nuclear waste. It all reminded me of the American people-powe- r that existed in the 1960s andl970s. Last summer, my mother, my brother and his wife, my wife and I traveled to the state of Basilicata in southern Italy to see the tiny town from which my mothers parents had emigrated at the turn of the 20th century. We were captivated by the charm of our ancestral village, Colobraro, and mesmerized by the k stay, beauty of Basilicata. During our we toured the area extensively, spending two days in the village of Scanzano Jonico on the Ionian coast. We met relatives we never knew we had, and we learned from them that ld two-wee- Basilicata had not changed much in centuries. area, packed with steep mountains throughout, the government in the north had found little use for this rural country. Until November 2003. That month I received an email from one of d cousins, steering me to a website, my NoalNucleareinBasilicata.com. It had been created to fight the Italian governments decree that Scanzano Jonico would become the repository for the countrys nuclear garbage. Although Italian citizens had voted against the production of nuclear energy back in 1987, the government decided that existing waste, as well as that produced by hospitals and universities, needed to be consolidated in one place. That place was to be Scanzano Jonico, which scientists deemed the safest site in all of Italy. Government geologists claimed that the area near Scanzano very much resembled the geology of the WIPP (Waste Isolation Pilot Project) site in southern New Mexico, and they pointed out that American scientists had studied that region carefully for 25 years. new-foun- government decree Tom Taylor Zane Taylor Nancy Beaufait Lisa Church Jeff Richards Marjorie Miller Lisa Taylor Jeannine Wait Front Office Contributing Contributing Contributing Contributing Conributing Writer Writer Writer Writer Writer Michelle Wiley Dorothy Anderson .J. Jed Taylor, Jose Santana Ron Drake Ron Georg Oliver Harris A.J. Long Distribution J ' to reverse the decision: He ordered a panel of scientists to find another site within 18 months. Berlusconi criticized his ministers for creating a populist uprising, but a few weeks later the government announced that Scanzano Jonico was still on the list of possible nuclear dumpsites. In the early days of the protest, I sent a letter of opposition to the president of the Italian Republic, and I emailed a WIPP fact sheet detailing ongoing problems at the New Mexico to the creators of the site NoalNucleareinBasilicata.com website. As a result, I was invited recently to participate in an online forum dedicated to those who oppose Italys plan for a sole nuclear repository. Something I noticed upon first entering the forum impressed me, something that has been noticeably absent from many recent American demonstrations: a spirit of democratic empowerment. Southern Italians are engaged wholeheartedly in ongoing discussions about how best to preserve not only their beloved portion of Italy, but all of the country. They are creating newsletters, compiling scientific databases and linking together other websites across the country in a common cause. An overriding sentiment seems to pervade the forum: a justifiable sense of pride in their successful act of civil disobediA ence. on banner the NoalNucleareinBasilicata.com homepage describes the demonstration: E stato un grande esempio di civilita e democrazia, which means, It was a great example of civilization and democracy. I admire the spunk and commitment of those southern Italians who moved so quickly and decisively to protest their governments decision, and I wonder why we Americans are so slow to react of late. Is it because the Basilicatans are poor, more closely tied to the land and value what little they have, and that we are too fat, dumb and happy to be moved to similar action by imminent threats to our environment? Perhaps the sheer number of crises that threaten our country have divided us so that we are unable to speak with a common voice." Whatever the cause, we seem to have forgotten our commitment to government by the people. Robert Rowley is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He lives and writes in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Letters to the editor policy does not necessarily endorse the opinions published in letters to the editor and guest editorials. The I The welcomes opinions from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to Southeastern Utah. Letters should be to the point and must include the writers name, address and telephone number. Letters may not be used to replace advertisements, or to list and thank sponsors or participants to a particular event Letters to the editor will be not be accepted from any candidate who has filed for political office or from anyone writing in support of a.filed candidate. Anything unsigned, of a libelous nature, or containing defamatory statements win not be considered for publication. An letters must be typed or legibly written, and be 400 words or less. Letters are subject to editing. Mail to Letter to the Editor,' P.O. Box 1 29, Moab, Utah, 84532. Deadline is Monday, to.editormoabtimes.com. The 5 p.m. Letters may also be sent via may not accept letters from persons who write more frequently than once every four weeks. Changes to letters to the editor after submission will be accepted only in the most extreme circumstances. nt Contributing Writer Mail Room Supervisor Backshop Castle Valley Columnist Columnist Columnist outraged Basilicatans, who rose up in immediate protest. One hundred thousand strong, they successfully shut down the state going on strike and blocking major roads as well as the main rail link into the area. The blockade lasted ten consecutive days, and the fervor of the protest was such that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was forced - Circulation Manager, T--I Maps Press, Production Manager er NIMPBY: Not in My Paesanos backyard The address: editormoabtimes.com ail Postmaster: Send changes of address to: The four-wheel- Writers on the Range A poor Brick Bats and Bouquets r the activity). And d, High Country News whispered to me that his family had sent his Christmas gift pack with East of Monticllo pinto beans. He figured there were about five pounds. He told me he had been saving up ham bones, and if was going to be around on Christmas, we could get together and cook up a big batch of pintos and hocks, since we would be practically alone in camp. Early Christmas Day, when the camp had emptied, went to the mess hall and we started our project. We sat around all morning, drinking cofg fee and smelling the pinto beans. it no longer, we could stand By and filled our cereal bowls. It was about the best Christmas dinner had ever eaten - and it lasted three days. We became fast friends. just wish could remember his name. Id like to drive over to the bean country and look I charge-of-quarte- Second is the execution (doing third, the evaluation, which is done in my journals. I can say, So far, so good. I have not been bored. Interestingly, circumstances have arisen that supercede much of my list. Some things on the list that might take me out of the community for extended periods of time simply are not going to happen. But, that is allright. There is more than enough nearby to keep me busy. Photography is the third item on my fist. A year ago in March I bought my Nikon digital camera. Since then I have spent countless hours on item number three. I cannot say enough about how photography enhances my outdoor experiences. I think that I have always been aware of the beauty around me. I can thank my mother for that. She was forever pointing out beautiful, interesting things. But, I feel as if I d have eyes. I have begun to pay greater attention to angles, lines, juxtaposi (in this chair for 47.5 years) beans and ham hock. love them cooked together all daylong, with a big pinch of brown sugar, garlic and a dollop of picante sauce like pinto Forty-seve- n fifth-whe- el . tions, foreground, distance, light, shadow and composition. I have discovered a wonderful new world of winter water shadows. We have recently begun to focus on the many beautiful old corrals that are found in southeastern Utah. The Utah Preservation magazine recently announced a photo contest featuring Utahs old log structures. I sought and secured permission to enter the old Barry homestead at the far end of Horsehead road southwest of Eastland. Kay and I resorted to a on our second attempt at accessing the homestead because of an impassable snowdrift in the road. We took many photographs ofthe outstanding log home and outbuildings there. The only other time I visited the Barry homestead was ten or fifteen years ago. At that time there was an old truck frame back in the trees. It still had the wooden-spoke- d wheels with little DB (Dodge Brothers) hubcaps. I was hoping to photograph them for my own pleasure but they were gone, carted off, I am told, by thieves, as were the two old sleighs. Its been said that the greatest antidote to boredom is learning. There has definitely been a lot for me to learn. I have yet to master all of the settings on my camera. I am not familiar with all of the possibilities of my computer and printer. As I said, I am not bored. My list reminds me that I still have not built a kayak. I have yet to systematically track wild bees and sample their honey. I have not become involved in exotic radio in any of its forms, nor have I begun to study astronomy. There is one item I neglected to mention that I have done pretty well on. It is number thirty-tw- o and reminds me to be involved in the continued courtship of the lovely Barbara. Just the other morning we started the day with much laughter about some thing or other. I noted with gratitude that an aging couple such as we can still laugh heartily together. Its a good list. mid-groun- During the last two or three years before I retired I expanded and refined a list of things I wanted to accomplish during retirement. Some of them are ongoing activities. Others are onetime experiences. Ive been so busy that I seldom revisit the list but I took a look at it today. items on the list I have been Of the forty-on- e involved in eleven. Of those eleven I have given most of my time to only four: hiking, photography, family and writing. Ive done a little gold panning, metal detecting, rock polishing, and reading. Ive spent far too few nights in the trailer. Ive spent a little time practicing with my firearms. I havent studied as much as I had planned. At the top of the page that contains my list is a quote from Lucius Annaeus Seneca: The wise man will always reflect concerning the quality, not the quantity of life. I have always relied upon lists to help ensure the quality of my life. Most of what I do can be broken down into three parts. First is the planning (the list). new-foun- Sam Remembers I THE LIST T-- |