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Show Page Two - The Pyramid - December 15, 1993 County approves $3.9 million budget by Bruce Jennings Special to The Pyramid MANTI The 1994 Sanpete County budget was approved during last weeks public hearing after six weeks of juggling figures by the county commission, auditor and department heads. In seven pages of information, the big news is that therell be notax increase for property owners in 1994 and that county employees will get three percent increases. Even bigger news is that Sanpete County will have escash balances timated of $ 1 ,559,094 in December 1993 and $1,259,095 as of Dec. 31, MMEWTA Waiting for the axe Sanpete Countys need for jobs and a stable industry should be the cue for county officials to do whatever is reasonable to accommodate one of its greatest resources, its businesses. Yet, the treatment of a small businesses, Jims Auto Repair in Mt. Pleasant, seems to indicate otherwise. It appears the countywants to shut Jim down even though the business has been operating successfully for many years. There is a question about some zoning legalities, but those were settled long ago. Or at least Jim thought they were settled. He has a conditional use permit and licenses issued by the county, but the county insists that isnt enough. You see, the county now has a zoning administrator which it didnt have when Jim (and a lot of other businesses) started their operations. The countys ordinance, which Jims business is supposed to violate, was adopted in 1981, long before Jim opened his business, but back then no one checked these things. Now they do. A reasonable person could conclude that the county has been remiss in enforcement of its own development code. But the county has covered its transgressions. There is an escape clause in the code that says its OK to make a mistake.. if youre the one making the rules. The language in the code states that a business license SHALL NOT be issued if its in conflict with the code; but if someone makes a mistake and issues the license (like they did with Jim) the code says the license is null and void. It could be argued that an escape clause in an ordinance doesnt legally absolve county culpability, particularly when that entity hasnt exactly followed its own rules. And if the county hasnt been in compliance with its own ordinances, should it be allowed to come back on unsuspecting business owners and shut them down because now, years after the fact, theyve decided to crack down on violators? It would seem no one needs to be taken to task more than the county. Closing a viable business because it doesnt comply with zoning ordinances, in tact when the business was organized, is like shutting the barn door after the horses are out. Sanpete County needs businesses who are willing to gamble on its lousy economy. It just doesnt make sense to run out those who already have. We must assume there are other businesses who have also invested in Sanpete confident that everything is all nice and legal. Should they, like Jim, also be waiting for the axe to fall? Local Head Start workers honored MT. PLEASAN- T- Pat Foote, Ephraim, and DeAnn Draper, Moroni, the Center Director and Education Specialist of the Mt. Pleasant Head Start Center, were recently awarded Child Development Associate (CDA) Credentials in recognition of their outstanding work with young child ren. cost-of-livi- 1994. Fountain Green The credentials were awarded by the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C., which represents the early childhood profession and is the only major national effort to improve child care by evaluating and recognizing the skills of individuals providing care, according to a' recent press release. Forty-nin- e states, plus the District of Columbia, include CDA in child care licensing regulations. Every candidate for the ff Sanpata'i Landing Nawapnpar THE PyRHITlID (USPS 365-58- 0) Published Weekly at Mt. Pleasant Utah, 84647 49 West Main Street Telephone: FAX: 462-24- 462-21- 34 Publisher Managing Editor Lynda Grover Associate Editor Shirley 'Christensen Office Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES (In Advance) $18 per year-50- C $21 per copy per year outside Sanpete County CORRESPONDENTS Monti, Bruce Jennings 835-38- Moroni, Barbara Gordon 462-213- 4 Ftn. Green, Jessie Oldroyd 445-342- 2 Wales, Colleen Lamb 436-880- 8 Snow College Dean O'Driscoll Photographer, Hollee Anderson 462-313- 1 Send change of address to The Pframid, 49 West Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, UT 84647. Second class postage paid at Mt. Pleasant, UT and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Schools out early for some students MT. PLEASAN- THigh school and middle school students will be released from school at 1:45 P.M., Monday, Dec. 20, in order to provide the subject level teachers of the district to plan and coordinate subject matter courses in Grades Many of the new teachers hired into those schools during the past four years have not been provided time to meet and establish continuity in each required subject in these grades. It is the intent of school administrators to provide planning and coordination time for teachers in the subject areas at least on a yearly basis. Such meetings should provide for better transition as students move from the middle school to the high school, according to North Sanpete High School Principal Courtney Syme. 2. 59 Craig Conover Penny Hamilton stop what happens on public property? The citizens of Fountain Green need to stand up and say no to this proposal and let the school district tax the entire county for the entire bill. Ronald Ray Ivory Fountain Green of Kai Brian Schulze, infant son Brian and Emily Schulze, received his blessing from his father in the Fountain Green Second LDS Ward on Dec. 5. Grandparents are: Mariana Schulze, Fountain Green, and Manuel and Carmeiita Pangilinan, San Jose City, Philippines. Family members who attended the service and dinner afterward at the home of Mariana Schulze included: the Frank and Ginger Crowther family, Ephraim; Carolyn Shinn, Ephraim; Susie Veach-anchildren, Oregon; and the Cecilee and Lee Wilson family, Kaysville. Katrina Eve and Charity Lynne Wright, twin infant daughters of Alan and Angela Wright, received their blessings from their father in the Fountain Green Second LDS Ward on Dec. 5. Thirty family members attended. of an estimated $3,945,399 in revenues, a principal source of income continues to be property taxes which are projected to produce $1,379,654, up about $50,000 from 1993, and are an indication of economic growth. State Class "B" road money (in a sense, the countys share of the gasoline tax) is anticipated to be $250,000, an increase of $40,000. The county will also get from the federal $384,000 government in lieu of taxes and a $50,000 Community Develop housing' state, prisoners and $15,000 for handling vehicle registrations. Expenditures .will include: hearings, $800 for . sanity $106,344 for economic development, $30,885 for the Book$859,011 for roads, mobile, $621,363 for the Sheriffs Department, $163,000 for public health and $33,000 on the 911 telephone enhancement fund. Some programs are self-sus- -. taining in that they, generate as much or more revenue than they spend; other only provide un- reimbursed services. Michael James Draper, infant son of Michael and Mary Draper, received his blessing from his father in the Fountain Green Second LDS Ward on Dec. 5. Grandparents are: Neil Ray and cre- Patricia Draper, Fountain Green; Barrie Bennett, Idaho; and Kathryn Schirmer, Provo. Greatgrandfather is Lyle Vance, Mt. Pleasant. Twenty-si- x family members attended a dinner in City Hall after church. childhood experts and a parent. The candidate must demonstrate ability to work with families to develop childrens physical and intellectual capabilities in a safe and healthy learning environment. Timber cutting to continue by Bruce those remaining more accessible to the insects. Jennings Special to The Pyramid CANYON--Hanse- The drought years that n Lumber Company, Fair-viealong with Satterwhite Lumber Company, a tax firm, will remove 5 million board feet of dead and dying Englemann-Spructrees from the .Twelve-Mil- e Canyon area of the Sanpete Ranger District next summer. Hanson Lumber began taking out the diseased trees from the ' Twelve-Mil- e Flat area last fall and will complete their contract next summer, while Satterwhite will begin its operation in Timber e Canyon. "These are salvage sales, Ranger Tom Shore said in explaining that the trees are the victims of a heavy beetle infestation. The infestation got its start when flooding in the area knocked down many trees, making Missionaries Mt. Pleasant Fourth Ward Elder Scott Jorgensen Mahogany Lane, Apt. 2 Calenders Main Road Christ Church, Barbados West Indies Elder David McAllister Los Palmos La Mission Espano Avenida Rofail Cabrera A 35002 Los Palmos DeGran Canario, Espana Elder Kelby Madsen 3225 Maplewood F Springfield, OH 45505 Elder Ryan Shaw Casilla 70 (Mormon) Antofagasta, Chili Region II South America Elder Eric Wright 830 N. Washtenaw Chicago, IL 60622 Ftn Green party held Saturday by Jessie Oldroyd FOUNTAIN GREEN- .- The annual Christmas party was held jn City Hall last Saturday evening. g city councilmen Gregory Johnson and Brad Aa- -, gard were honored and received plaques from Mayor Dean Hanson for their service to the city. Also honored, was Rachel Hansen Syme who was chosen 1993 Citizen of the Year. The event was put together by Mayor Dean Hansen and City Recorder Maureen Lund, who also rounded up the prizes. Out-goin- fol- lowed added to the problem by limiting bark growth (the trees armor against infestation). As a w, Dear Editor: Fountain Green residents are aware of the a site selection process for the new elementary school. To their knowledge, no site has been selected. However, the principal of the Fountain Green School is stating, in the schools newsletter, that the site is going to be in the lot south of the park. I am strongly opposed to this site primarily due to the proposed sharing of the construction, excavation and maintenance of the ball fields, and the schools use of the parks play equipment. I wonder if the proposer(s) of this plan took into consideration tax increases that would be put on Fountain Green citizens and constant future increase of taxes for maintenance of the fields. And what about the increased risk of law suits against Fountain Green City if a student is injured while playing on city property during school hours, or riff-raharassing our kids at recesses with no way for school staff to Out ment Block Grant to help finance the new fire district. $150,000 is An additional share of the as countys expected sales tax, as well as $60,000 for Kristine Lee Perry, infant daughter of Danny and Jennifer Perry, received her blessing from Lester Anderson in the Fountain Green First LDS Ward on Dec. 5. Grandparents are Don and Connie Perry, Fountain Green, and Joe and Barbara Gairot, Springville. dential is observed working with young children and is evaluated by a team which includes early TWELVE-MIL- E Residents should oppose elementary school site Figures show that county government continues to grow, engages in multiple activities and isnt always able to keep up with the demand for services. result, the infestation has intensified and spread, Ranger Shore explained. Access roads already exist since lumber has been previously cut in the area, so therell be little disturbance of the terrain." The trees now being harvested are not "old growth" and the planting of new trees, only a few inches tall, in two years will begin a new generation of Englemann Spruce in Twelve-Mil- e Canyon. Jeremy Christensen, son of Mitchell and Kathleen Christensen, Moroni, and Annette Blackham, daughter of Ross and Carlene Blackham, Moroni were chosen as King and Queen of North Sanpetes Senior Ball to be held Saturday, Dec. 18 at the school from 9 p.m. until midnight. The crowning will take place at 10 p.m. I MERGERS MEAN INNOVATION, CONVENIENCE AND CHOICES 3 U S WEST and Time Warner announce partnership. Bell Atlantic to merge with TCI and Liberty Media. AT&T buys nation's largest cellular company, McCaw Cellular Communications. British Global Communications acquires stake in MCI. Dow Jones announces partnership with several Bell companies. Recent news has been filled with announcements of significant mergers between communications, information and entertainment companies. Why? Because consumers in the Information Age an Electronic Highway to the world pipelines over which voice and data, information and entertainment can be sent and received. Consumers want to be able to manage their time more effectively. The Information Age offers the opportunity to do just that. Just imagine .yourself sitting before your television or computer; accessing and them at will; watching hundreds of videos and being able to pause, rewind and selecting a tour package and buying airline tickets; reading the daily news, a magazine or book; viewing yesterday's episode of your favorite TV program; or taking a French class from a distant university. Even imagine shopping by viewing the latest catalogue and immediately interactive video; ordering an item; talking with your boss, a friend or relative over or playing a video game with other users on the system. Amazingly, all of these services will be available over your television or computer. You will make your selections with your keypad, mouse, remote control or by touching the screen. How is all of this possible? Technology is causing televisions, computers and telephones to converge into a single electronic device which will become part of the multi-medinfrastructure of the 2 1 st century. Because these devices are being merged electronically, it's natural that the industries providing the services are merging as well. Now that we have an idea of the types of services that will be traveling over the Electronic Highway, is there a danger of a traffic jam or of the highway bypassing communifast-forwa- " rd full-moti- on ia ties? The potential for a traffic jam seems small. For example, today, fiber optic cable uses less than one percent of its theoretical capacity. Even at this level, it still delivers 250,000 times as much data as a standard copper wire. That's enough capacity to transmit all of the Encyclopedia Britannica every second,. As for a bypass, U S WEST is doing its part to insure that all areas of Utah, rural as well as urban, have access to the Electronic Highway. We continue to lay a fiber backbone throughout the state and by the end of this year, 99 of our customer lines will be electronic. Your location won't limit your access to the Information Age. You will be limited only by your understanding and use of technology. And so, as we drive this new highway into the 21st century, the mergers created by experienced and reliable companies will mean many innovative and convenient services for consumers and many choices in who will provide them. (Advertisement paid for by U S WEST Shareholders) f |