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Show Tf fl Sy MILLARD COUNTY USPS V AjK FOUNDED IN 1894 446-74- 0 25 CENTS MILLARD CO UNTVS FIRST NEWSPAPER Founded 1885 MCMlER 0 THE lUJfe Friday, March 12, 1982 Millard County Progress, Fillmore, Utah 84631, Volume 88, Number 11, Assort on Dan Marriott Holds Position Over City Manager Controversy Final Town Meeting Still Raging By Former Mayor Robert Edison and approximately 200 citizens who have signed his petition to abolish the recently formed position of City Administrator are still battling the present Mayor and City Council to get them to reverse their stance on keeping the position. Edison met with the City Council Wednesday evening, March 3, 1982, presented them with the petition and asked them to support it. He asked the Council if they didnt feel that they could support the petition to state their reasons and to tell him what it would take for them to support it. Each of the five City Councilmen and Mayor Doris Rasmussen said they did not support the petition to abolish the position and each stated they felt a City Manager was needed to coordinate the Hospital Board Adds Two New Members Dale W. Edwards and Ronald R. Hare have agreed to accept positions as members of the East Millard County Hospital Taxing District Governing Board, Hosptial Administrator James B. Fisher announced today. Their appointments will become official immediately upon approval of Intermountain Health Care Corporation. Mr. Edwards, 34, is Assistant Vice President and Manager of Fillmore First Security Bank. He is President of the Fillmore Lions Club, Past President of Provos Exchange Gub, Chairman of the East Millard Title I Program, Member of the East Millard-Fillmor- e Chamber of Commerce, Member of the American Institute of Banking, and Past Member of the American County Bankers. Dale was born in Idaho Falls and is married to the former Linda Kidman. They are the parents of five children. Mr. Hare, 34, is a Millard County Justice of the Peace and has had a law practice in Fillmore for many years. He is the Chairman of the Credit Committee for MEA Credit Union, is on the Board of Directors of the Fillmore Industrial Park, Past Member of the Fillmore Fire Department, Past Member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, and a Past active political worker. Ron was born in Fillmore and is married to the former Georgia Brunson. They are the parents of one son, Curtis. Former Mayor Seriously III Fillmore Hospital where he remained until Friday. His condition worsened somewhat and he was sent to Holy Cross Hospital Fillmore Ambuby Air Ambulance. Former Mayor Mark Paxton is in serious condition after suffering a stroke during a trip to California recently. He is in the Intensive Care Unit at Holy Cross Hospital in Salt Lake City at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Paxton, along with Don and Maxine Cummings, had traveled to California and were on their return trip home Saturday, Feb. 27th, when Mark was felled by a stroke in St. George, Utah. Mr. Paxton was taken to the Dixie Medical Center in St. George and then transferred by ambulance to lance Team EMTs Kent Dalton, Marge Barton, and Dallin Nielsen met the Holy Cross Air Ambulance at Fillmore Airport and brought their Med-Eva- c team and equipment to the hospital, assisted in transferring Mr. Paxton to the air ambulance stretcher and returned the Med-Eva- c team along with Mr. Paxton to the airport for the flight to Holy Cross. Mr. Paxtons daughters, Rene from and Theone and Paula, California, both from the Salt Lake area, immediately came to Fillmore to be with their parents upon learning of Mr. Paxtons illness. The family then left for Salt Lake City as soon as they saw Mr. Paxton off on the flight to Salt Lake. Mr. Paxton had recently given up the reins of the office of Fillmore Mayor this past January to the newly elected He was Mayor Doris Rasmussen. drafted for the Mayors job when the local Republican Party committee threw his hat in the ring without his knowledge while he was on another trip to California. They called him long distance to tell him of his nomination. The popular Mayor was then swept into office with a landslide vote. Mr. Paxton also served as a State Senator and was Speaker of the Senate. 1982 Deficiency Payments are very probable Grain prices are the lowest in three years, and without a reduction in U.S. supplies, prospects for recovery are limited. Because of this grim picture the Department of Agriculture has approved and budgeted money for 1982 deficiency payment use. The Millard County ASCS Office is now taking signups for farmers "IntenThis volunteer tions to Participate. signing of your intentions, is a most Important first step, of a two-ste- p process to be eligible to receive commodity loans or deficiency payments for 1982 crop year. DONT WAIT! TIME IS ESSENTIAL! If your have a commodity based on wheat, corngrain sorghums, barley or oats, and want the benefits derived from participation, then you must sign your intentions to participate at the ASCS Office by April 15th. There will be no extension of this deadline date. efforts of the City government. Edison asked each Council member to explain to him individually why they didn't feel they could support his position. Mayor Rasmussen countered with a question, "Would you explain to me why exactly that you feel that we do not need this City Administrator's job? Edison answered, "I'm trying to cut the cost of City government Is my main motivation." Edison explained that the last City Treasurer, during his term of office, was making approximately $750 per month and that he thought the duties the present City Administrator, Dwight Day, which includes that of Treasurer, could be performed by a clerk of some sort for In the neighborhood of $1,000 per month or $12,000 per year Instead of the approximately $22,000 per year being paid the City Administrator. Mayor Rasmussen said, "If we forgot about the Administrators job and hired just a Treasurer, we probably couldn't find anybody to take the job at that pay, and many things that Dwight gets done now wouldn't get done." Mr. Edison asked her if he and the Council was aware that "you would have extra duties that you would have to assume when you ran for office? The Mayor said, "Yes, and we all do." Edison said, "That's the point, and asked, "Are you willing to take the time to do what isn't getting done that you d have to hire this expertise to do it? Councilman Don Stuart interjected, "Did you? Edison answered, "When was Mayor? didnt have a City Administrator! The rest of the conversation was spent on the merits of the Mayor and Councilman's present work load, as Mayor Rasmussen asked, "Do you want us to go back to a Treasurer and us to do what Dwight is doing?" Edison answered, "If that's what It takes, that's what expect you people to do, yes." Councilman Terry Scottorn stated, "I'll make my stand right now. First, let me ask you a question. Do you know what Dwight's job is? Do you know what Edison answered, does?" Dwight "That seems to be the big problem, Terry. Everybody asks me, 'What does this man do,' and can't honestly answer." Scottorn then asked, "Has anybody taken the time to come in and find out what the man does?" Edisons answer was, "No." "Okay, there's the point down the tube as far as Im concerned," Scottorn said. You've got no grounds to gripe if you don't know what the man does. The former Mayor then said, "Man, I do have the grounds to gripe, and you're an elected official and I can come unload on you any time I want. Scottorn Councilman countered, Sure, you can come unload on me -but you got no grounds. Okay, now you asked the question what it is going to take for the City Council to abolish the position? In my case, I'll tell you three it's going to take 1, points: documented evidence that the job is not needed. And the first thing you're going to have to do is to determine what hes doing if you're going to gripe about the job that he is or is not doing. I've got to have some evidence that the job is not needed, because right now I think that we can't get along with the guy. 2, youre going to have to provide some documentation, an alternate plan, that is going to provide for the coverage of the job that he is doing, because I don't Continued to Page 8 I I Congressman Dan Marriott was in Fillmore last Friday on what was probably his last Town Meeting in this area. The recent state reapportionment has changed his district and he will not be representing southwestern Utah in the future. Incumbent Congressman will be our new Jim Hansen representative in Congress effective Jan. 1st, if he is At the Town Meeting, held in the Millard County Courthouse from 12:30 until 1:30 Friday afternoon, Rep. Marriott discussed the national debt, interest and inflation rates, and the Reagan plan for economic recovery, before opening the meeting up to questions from the townspeople. In discussing the national debt, the congressman said, "We have some big problems that we plan to resolve and I want to just go through a couple of those. The first problem is that $92 billion deficit. A lot of people are wondering how we got to $92 billion and what's wrong with it. "Let me give you the good news first and then I'll get to the bad. The good news is that $92 Billion represents only of the Gross National Product. In 2.7 1976 our deficit was smaller, but represented 4 of the GNP, so it Isnt something that in itself Is going to wipe it is something we've got to get us out Rep. Dan Marriott 12 5. because the market financial institutions are worried about this: They are concerned that deficit will raise the inflation rate back up, thus pushing Interest rates higher. So, theyve got a 4 arbitrary premium in there to protect their highs That's about as blunt as I can make it What we've got to do is start sending them messages that this is going to come down, and at least knock that 4 down. down. Marriott explained, "When you bring Here's why we have that deficit and we'll talk about what you think we ought Inflation down from that, it in fact robs to do atout it, and I'll give you some the government of taxes. It reduces the tax revenue. When Reagan took office options. "Number one, when Reagan took the national debt was slightly under a office the interest rates were 21.5. trillion dollars, not much; but when We have gotten those down to 16.5, you're paying a high interest rate on and that's still 4 higher than it should that much money - In Just the interest in the last 10 years of terrible be. Number two, when Reagan took government planning these federal deficits have now caught up to us so office the inflation rate was about We've gotten that down to 8.5. the interest this year is $114 billion -jand thats ust on interst. Thats the third biggest Normally the interest rate the big problem in the country, what to expenditure we had. We could pay are everybody three times as much welfare do about those interest rates normally four points higher than the if we weren't paying that interest. We could increase our defense spending by inflation rate. So, the prime rate today, Continued to Page 8 on be the should based economy, place It is 16.5 - - -- 14. - Weather Report - By Jay T Rogers Utah Opera Coming to Scipio - The Utah Opera from Salt Lake Gty will be high-price- I Marge Barton The famous opera companys members will appearing at the Scipio present several Arias Cultural Hall on March under the direction of 31, 1982. Their perfor- Glade Petersen. mance will begin at 7 p.m. The is presentation I being given resulting from a request by Mrs. of Memmott Esther Scipio, who is the Operas seamstress. $ follows: Mayor Rasmussen: "When you were self employed, did you come in here and spend time answering letters and making phone calls?" Edison: If It had to be, yes I did, but I tell you there were weeks on end that didn't have to come in here - there just wasnt that much work. When Carol (Carol Wise, the City Recorder) would call me and say "You have to come by and sign a letter," I didn't spend 20 in a whole minutes in here sometimes week. Mayor: I've been here all except one day every day. There's so much stuff to be read, I think I've spent more time reading than ever have." Edison: It's been my experience that of the stuff that comes in here 60 doesn't effect this City in any way and that anyone with any degree of intelligence can throw it in the wastebasket because it's not going to affect this particular City's functions in any way. Mayor Rasmussen cited the many pieces of paperwork that she is required to read concerning IPP, the new water project, and various other things that come to her attention in reports an inch thick. Edison said he was sure that was true, but that as far as he was concerned, it came with the territory. "If a person decides that they want to be elected and campaign for it, I expect them to go in there and do the job that has to be done without hiring d expertise. That's my point!. But we're getting away from what came here for. I came with a petition. You've read the petition and say we can't support it. I'd like every one of you to make a comment. There has to be some point where we can meet." 1 fi0 r? n;0JQf (7'iiirtH NEXT4RICKT I -- I high-price- I tr j RV Park Owner i Wins Round to Stay in Business Jim Schneider of the Wagons West Park in Fillmore has won at least one round in his battle to stay in business. He seems to have been thwarted at nearly every turn in what has been mostly a losing fight. Jim purchased the RV Park a few years back, not with the idea of making a million dollars, but with making at least a modest living from the enterprise. He managed to talk the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) into putting up a highway sign designating the facilities available in Fillmore including that of an RV Park. Business was good and he opened a small store in his office to sell bread, milk, and few commodities his clients might need. Then calamity fell when the State turned over the operation of Fillmores North Park, right across the street, to the City of Fillmore. The park was designated as an official Rest Area RV 1 and RVs (campers, motor homes, and vacation trailers) were allowed to park there free of charge. This was a devastating blow to Schneider, who couldnt compete with the Citys free price and still stay in business. Jim has talked with the City Fathers to no avail. Still, he manages to eke out a small income from those travelers who wish better facilities (showers, etc.) than the City can offer. A second blow came a few weeks ago when the Fillmore Hospital managed to get UDOT to put up a highway sign designating that the City of Fillmore had a hospital. UDOT took the Gas, Food, Lodging, and RV Park sign down to put up the Hospital sign. Jims trade was cut nearly in half. Schneider again took up the battle and proved that he had permission from Congressman Dan Marriott and the State for the sign. Darwin Hunt. Suot. of UDOTs Fillmore office was instrumental in helping Jim win this round and with his help and that of Gene District Director of UDOT in Cedar City, new highway signs were s erected near both Fillmore last Friday. Jim has lost a few rounds and won a few, but he says he is not through with the fight. He plans to take his problems to the newly formed Chamber of Commerce and try to enlist their aid. The Chamber of Commerce was formed this past year to promote tounsm and shopping locally in order to help the town's economy. Jim says that by providing free RV Parking the City is not helping the town's economy as much as if tourists were required to pay to park. Other than some purchases at the grocery stores, gas, and souvenir trinkets, no other money comes into the town from t! ourists. r, |