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Show Page Two - The Pyramid - June 16, 1993 V . CMMEN A by Penny Hamilton Class of 58 holds reunion Time for a change Mt. Pleasant businessmen have finally had enough, or at least discuss proposed utility rate hikes by city officials Monday. Mt. Pleasant businesses, some of which have not turned a profit during the last 10 years, may be jeopardized if proposed increases in power and water rates are approved. Some business owners say their businesses are staying open strictly for public convenience. Their incomes are coming from other sources. If they had to rely on their businesses for support, they would have closed their doors long ago. Mt. Pleasant has the fourth highest mill levy in the state. Even so, property tax revenues only contribute $98,000 to the citys annual general fund budget. Sales taxes collected by local merchants bring in nearly double the amount of property taxes. The two together add up to about $300,000 in annual revenues. But the problem is that the city hasnt learned to live within its means. It pays an annual debt payment of $643 ,000-o- ver twice what it brings in. And the current city administration still hasnt learned its lesson. The city just purchased three more vehicles, and is considering a new water treatment system. So what does a city, whose money management practices would have bankrupt a business long ago, do under those circumstances? They have a cash cow, the power department, and when they need more money, they just milk it (and rate payers) a little harder. If the city needed more money for its general fiind budget and wanted to raise taxes, the public would have to be involved in rate hearings. If additional revenue were to be obtained from general obligation bonds, the public would be allowed to vote on the issue. But by subsidizing its general fund with utility rates, the city can continue to increase revenues with hidden taxes without the formality of public hearings or elections. The general public should also be enraged. Instead of raising power and water rates and ordering a franchise tax on natural gas, the city should take major steps to reduce its spending (monthly debt payments are over $53,000). City officials need to restructure personnel and as difficult as it might be, make cuts as appropriate. Thats what businesses and households have to do. Every alternative to raising utility rates needs to be pursued before any additional tax burden, hidden or otherwise, is imposed. Then, if counsel from the business community and others is ignored, people in this community need to take a hard look at restructuring its city council at upcoming municipal elections. Its time for a change. The kind of change will depend on what the council decides to do about its upcoming budget. ar MT. PLEASAN- T- Seventy-fiv- e members of the North Sanpete High School graduating classes of 1930, 31, 32, and 33 met for a reunion May 31. Entertainment was provided by David Thomas with Verl Meyrick as master of ceremonies. Anyone wishing copies of the video should contact Lloyd J. Jensen, 855 East Spartan Drive, Sandy, 84094, or call, 562-115- ing line before it goes into my phone system and I dont get a dial tone. Fortunately I am not completely out of business. When the main phone line is busy or incoming calls roll over to the secondary line. This is inconvenient as we must limit time spent on this line. I guess I still remember the olden days when Louis Kay and Clark Benson took care of both Mt. Pleasant and Ephraim. It didnt matter what time of day or night, if you had problems with your phone they would work on it immediately. We didnt have to wait for a repairman to come from Spanish Fork, Provo or Timbuktoo. If I gave this type of service to the people I serve, I wouldnt haveany business. Earl J. Ursenbach Mt. Pleasant Dear Editor: Recently the Utah State Textbook Commission recommended a small but very significant change in its policies. The current policy towards books dealing with homosexuality is to reject those that foster "acceptance" of homosexuality. We have reports that the Textbook Commission has recommended to the State School Board to drop the word "acceptance" with regard to books dealing with homosexuality. 0) Utah, 84647 This would be a very substantial change. If enacted, Utah could allow textbooks in the schools that call for the affirmation of homosexuality as a acceptable lifestyle, healthy, something that is now prohibited. 49 West Main Street FAX: 462-24- 462-21- 34 59 Martin Conover . Publisher Penny Hamilton Managing Editor Becky Bartholomew Associate Editor Lynda Grover Office Manager feelings; Amber Cole, 10, daughter of Lynette Cole and granddaughter of Mont Nielsen, Fountain Green, won a silver medal in the softball throw at the Utah Summer Special Olympics Games, June 4, in Provo. An increase in taxes and utiliis not only hard oiUbffsl'-nes- s rates ty but is an additional butden on the citizens of the community. The business district in Mt. Pleasant is opposed to any further increases in utility rates and encourages the City Council to cut expenses rather than adopting further tax and utility increases. The business district encourages all citizens in Mt. Pleasant to contact their City Council and share their concerns before the new budget is adopted on June 22, 1993. Mt. Pleasant Businesses Dont accept homosexuality Published Weekly at Mt. Pleasant Telephone: 8. Dear Editor: During the last Mt. Pleasant City Council meeting a public hearing was held pertaining to the proposed 1993-9- 4 budget. The tentative budget calls for considerable increases again in the utility rates in Mt. Pleasant City. Proposed increases include a 10 percent increase in power and water rates and a 6 percent tax added to natural gas. In a struggling economy it is difficult in a rural community to succeed and any increase in expenses makes a business less competitive and tends to drive business away rather than attract new business. Newspaper 365-58- ar Say no to increases pyRHmiD (USPS This issue was one of the core issues in the battle over the Rainbow Curriculum in New York City. It crosses the line between teaching that homosexuality exists to affirming it as healthy and acceptable. Send a letter today to Mrs. Shawna Stewart at the Utah State Office of Education, 250 East 500 South, Salt Lake City 84111. Be courteous but firm. Express your opposition to this proposed change and your support for the existing policy. Try to keep your letter short and concise.- The State Office of Education needs to know there are citizens who are aware of this proposed change, and who oppose it. It is important you write today. Edith Elswood Mt. Pleasant l SUBSCRIPTION RATES (In Advance) $18peryear-50(peroop- $21 y per year outside Sanpete County CORRESPONDENTS Fairview, Les Neves 427-95- Moroni, Barbara Gordon 462-21- Ftn. Green, Jessie Oldroyd 445-34- Wales, Colleen Lamb 436-88- Snow College Dean O'Driscoll POSTMASTER: Send change of address to The 49 West Mam Street, Mt. Pleasant, UT Pyianii 84647. Second dass postage paid UT and additional mailmg offices. at Mt. Pleasant, loud that Id been thinking about. With all the adverse publicity about the Clintons recently, I made the comment that I felt women had no place in politics. Putting myself in Hillarys place, I cant imagine the anguish of seeing a husband take so much criticism (not that he doesnt deserve at least some of it). Ive known some women politicians who also had to take the heat in unpopular issues. As much as criticism fits the job description, it hurts. Im sure it hurts the men, too, but they seem to be more suited to psychologically combatare controversy. They ive by nature (probably a throw back of the cave man era), ruthless in their dealings, able to space out particularly stressful situations and, when things really get ugly, they forget. .Women, on the other hand, generally dont like to fight. They are sensitive to others Reunion Little guy has no chance toe Ruth Tarr, daughter of Kenneth and Katherine Tarr of Mt. Pleasant, received her Young Womanhood Ward on May 12, 1993. Ruth graduated this year from North Sanpete High School. She also graduated from LDS Seminary as a four-yehonor student. She has served as Laurel president in her ward. I made the mistake last week of saying something out 40-ye- ar Letters $anpt's Landing Now Im sexist MORONI - It was like old times for the North Sanpete High School Class of 1958 Saturday night even though there were shades of gray, a few more pounds and less mobility. Classmates held their 35th-yereunion at the North Sanpete Middle' School with more than 50 members attending. Dinner was served under the direction of Liz Ream. Classmates enjoyed talking about the "old days," trouble they caused teachers, and catching up with where members are now. The Class of 58 was the first North Sanpete High School graduating class to include Moroni and NS seniors. In charge were: Brooks Larsen, Joan S: McAllister, ReNae B. Wagstaff, Roma J. Mower and Koleen Peterson. Terry Ames will head the committee assisted by Helen L. Elsey, Linda A. Allred, Sharon S. Reid and Betty J. Mikkelsen. thats what they said during an early morning strategy meeting to Dear Editor: It seems the bigger the corporate structure the little guy doesnt have a chance. What I am referring to is U.S. West. Three times in less than a week my phone line has been dead. First occurrence was June 6. After calling repair service the line did come back up. Then June 9 it was dead again. Calling repair service, I was informed that it would be repaired by 6 p.m. June 11. However, it came back on line early the evening of June 10. Again on June 12 the line went dead. I called repair service and was informed it would be June 14 before it could be fixed. Now, late in the day June 14, I still have no service. I know that the problem is in the U.S. West office, as I have plugged directly into the incom- - Penny's-wort- h Elder P. Kelby Madsen, the son of Paul and Renee Madsen of Mt. Pleasant, has been called to the Ohio Columbus LDS Mission. He will speak at a farewell .June 20, at 10:50 a.m. in the Mt. Pleasant 4th Ward. He enters the mission home June 30. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Mower, Rocky Mount, NC; Ross Terry, Fair-vieand Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Madsen, Mt. Pleasant. w; accommodating; worry about how they look, act, talk, etc. As natural-bor- n nurturers, women are in the business of healing, soothing, loving, and raising. Their feelings are tender; tears are spontaneous and can be a result of being happy, sad or infuriated. Natural tendencies of men and women make them compatible companions, parents, lovers, etc. But on opposite sides of a political issue, the man usually has the upper hand. One good outburst and hes tamed his opponent, or at created deep mental j ; least ' - damage.1 Women can and do fight back in the political ring, but at great physical and emotional cost, I feel. Therefore, only those with exceptional tenacity, like Hillary, ever make it. Even with Hillary, I wonder if she has trouble sleeping at night. Im sure peoples opinions of her and her family (what the media did to Chelsea was unforgivable) have some effect. Hence my comment that women (or at least any women in her right mind) shouldnt get involved in politics. "Those are fighting words," one colleague exclaimed. "Yeah," another countered, "thats the same sexist attitude that have kept women in the dark ages for so long." "Me? Sexist? Never." "Ive seen you, with a halfsalessyllable, send a man packing in terror," my unsolicited rebuttal continued. e "You run this publishing office with steel-coefficiency. I confess to mild surprise that such a person would describe herself as unfit to handle stress." "Now I didnt say I was unfit to handle stress. Im just six-fo- . tics...." "And . some women are mean. They may be the weaker sex muscularly, but verbally and .socially they more than in aggressive compensate behavior." managerial "And they get more done." Now its two against one again. "Are you aware that women politicians actually have a better feel for their constituents? No double talk, no rhetoric. They just get things done." "I really dont have any figures on that statement. I feel confident that our male elected officials perform reasonably " well, considering - "Your arguments about women have been used for millennia to justify barring girls from education. It was used from 1770 to 1920 to rationalize the exclusion of women from the emerging right of the common people to already doing?" both "So what youre that is women me telling should keep on doing what were already doing because were good at it." ot crisis-pron- ol "Exactly." "Does that include me?" "Yes, youre doing a great - job." . "Boy what some people have to go through to get a compliment these days." Listen to parents Dear Editor: Last Saturday morning . ambulance was summoned for a motorcycle accident up Fairview Canyon. When we arrived, we learned there were two victims, both young men critically injured. One of the hardest things I have ever done in my life was to call the parents of one of the boys and ask them to come to the hospital because of this accident, message to young people fi is toMylisten to your parents. The "It wont happen to me," feeling, is not worth the air it takes to say it. I have been on 99 ambulance runs, and the worst by far have been those involving motorcyclists or especially those not wearing helmets and drinking alcohol. Motorcycles, speed and alcohol are always a bad mixture, and the rider or riders are always the losers. Fair-vie- four-wheele- Eunice Anderson, Edna Benson, Marge Thursby, Freeda Rasmussen, Helen Rigby, Delta Brienholt, and Vera Jensen of the Ephraim Senior Citizens recently tied three quilts and donated them to the Central Utah Food Sharing program. . not too comfortable with it, hence my comment about women in politics..." "Its sort of like Queen Victoria looking in the mipor and seeing Shirley Temple." "Not really. It was just an observation...." "But women like to do that. They pose as gentle, diminutive things when in a reality theres scarcely husband on the planet who dares to cross his little woman. Ask any boy who grew up with sisters how docile females are." "I must talk to my husband. I have been a little tough on him lately, but I havent seen my brothers for a month or more, and they dont seem too afraid of me." challenge continued. "A friend of mine can subdue a class of 40 football ruffians with one mild gaze." "Forty, you say. My, she must be one confident woman. Probably the exception. But Im only talking about poli-- . t Parents, do you know where your young people are, who they are with and what they are do-- 5 ing? We are all vulnerable and all make mistakes, but so much heartache could be eliminated if young people would listen-rea- lly LISTEN-a- nd then follow their parents counsel. ' Some kids say, "We know were kind of wild, but were just having fun." Being wild and having fun are no excuse for the heartache they are causing their parents. Kristy Jensen Fairview . Fountain Green Many friends, relatives and former citizens spent Memorial Day here visiting residents. It was noted how well-kethe cemetery is under caretaker Roger Aagard. pt i |