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Show I WEEKLY REFLEX DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL. MARCH 8. 1979 Editorial Antelope Island Is Strong On Solitude By GARY R. BLODGETT Speaker of the House James V. Hansen, of Farming-ton- , hit the nail right on the head when he told fellow legislators that they are making a big mistake by voting to rescind a $3.2 million appropriation to purchase Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake. THE DAVIS County Clipper, Kaysville Reflex, Journal and Sunset News took a firm stand supporting the purchase of the privately owned island for future development of a state park. at Now we are saddened that the state legislature least the House of Representatives - has taken a dim view of development of this great historical site as a park and recreation attraction. -- writing, the bill for rescinding the state funds ($12 million) earmarked for purchase of the island has still not gone before the State Senate for final adopAT THIS tion. the Senate will take a different view of the potential that Antelope Island has to offer. We certainly hope so. Theres a chance that WE FEEL that those 39 rtiembers of the House that voted to kill any appropriation for Antelope Island were indeed There is no guarantee, not even a promise, that the if purchased by the state - would be developed island overnight. Thats not even realistic. short-sighte- - -- - - BUT THE island could and should be developed over a long period of time, slowly as to "not detract from the primitive, natural state of the island. Antelope Island would not have to be developed in its entirety as a state park. In fact, it would be wise to leave e much of the island in a natural state with only a paved road passing through the undeveloped area. two-lan- BUT THE island could be developed on both the north and south ends, benefiting both Salt Lake and Davis counties as well as the state. If the island attracted more than 1.5 million tourists last year with only limited park and recreation facilities, think of what the tourist trade would be like if the island as previously was developed and had a loop road to attract considered and approved by the governor - - tounsm. ONE PARK and recreation official said that tourism in innorthern Utah would increase tenfold in one year stead of 1.5 million, there would be 10 to 15 million. Farfetched? We dont think so. - BUT THERE will be no way of knowing if the State Legislature sticks by its guns and disapproves the purchase of the island so that it can be developed as a state park. Antelope Island, whether developed or not, is not only for tourism. There are thousands of Utahns, including a great number of Davis County residents, who enjoy a brief visit to the island. AS REPRESENTATIVE Stephen Holbrook, formerly of Bountiful, (D-Sa- lt Lake City) told the Legislature: developing the island would afford a chance at solitude and communion with nature and allow persons to see as opposed to things things as God-mad- man-mad- e. We think Representative Holbrook phrased it well. There is no better place in northern Utah to get away from it all than a jaunt to Antelope Island. And there are no more beautiful sunsets in all the world than the setting sun across the Great Salt Lake as seen from Antelope Island. REPRESENTATIVE Merrill W. Harward Lake (R-Sa- lt City), sponsor of the bill to kill funding for purchase of the island, said, the purchase of the remaining 23,000 acres of Antelope Island would increase the states parks system by 30 percent." What he didnt say, however, is that the vast majority of the states 37,000 acres of existing parks are located south of the Mason-Dixo- n line. THATS RIGHT, southern Utah has an abundance of parks. Northern Utah has a lot less in developed parks than does southern Utah and now that the chance has come for more park sites in the north, the State Legislature wants to kill that chance. Supporters of the recent bill argue that it will cost the state $100 million just to improve and maintain our present parks system and that the development of Antelope Island would be prohibitive. THIS WOULD be true only if the island did not attract tourism to pay its way. We think proper development of the island would more than pay its way it would be a boom to Utahs sagging tourism economy! Utah has always had trouble keeping the tourist trade, even overnight. In southern Utah, especially, the tourists slip over to Las Vegas where they spend (or gamble away) what should rightfully be Utah tourist money. - WHERE northern Utah residents go for a long weekend or vacation? To Bear Lake to the north, or more probably to Lake Powell and the state parks in southern DO Utah. But how long can we afford this? AT THE present cost of gasoline - and promises that it will increase steadily to nearly $1 per gallon - local residents are going to have to have a local recreation site to spend a leisurely day or weekend. Already the mountain parks are crowded and in some cases overcrowded. There is no more space available in most northern Utah canyons for additional campgrounds or even picnic sites. -- -- WE DONT think those state legislators thought much into the future when they voted to rescind funds that had already been earmarked for purchase of the island. Representative Harward maintains that it's not right to take the island from the private landowners and lt Lake City) Representative John Hollingshaus said the land owners (Anschutz Corporation of Denver) has the capacity and desire to develop the island as a recreation spot if the state will just let them do it. (R-Sa- WED HAVE to take a long, hard look at that proposal. As of this writing, its up to the State Senate to determine the fate of Antelope Island. WE CAN only hope that they will not follow m the footsteps of the majority of their colleagues across the hall who voted to kill the island funding - and subsequently kill nearly all chance of developing what could be the most unique state park in all of America Water The Clearing It is with reluctance that I write this letter, but the continual news articles of this newspaper, despite our letter and efforts to clarify the water situation as it concerns West Bountiful and Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, go on and on. IT IS sad for me to have this happen and I feel the true story has yet to be told to you, the citizens, who really own the Weber Basin project and its $85,000,000 plus debt as well. I lived in West Bountiful for the first 28 years of my life and recall vividly the time when our wells ceased to flow and we commenced pumping them. Many had to be lowered to intercept water from another aquifer. IT BECAME more and more evident that growth m the South Davis area would cease if water were not obtained from some other source. The Weber Basin project was the result. Many people worked unceasingly and many years went by before the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Congress could be convinced to build the Weber Basin project. The financial ability of the water users (that is really all of us), the properties of Morgan, Davis, Weber and parts of Summit and Box Elder counties to repay $81,656,000 for the construction costs of the project and $5 5 million in bonds to build treatment plants and facilities to deliver water to the 31 entities on the Wasatch Front from North Ogden to North Salt Lake had to be determined. THE WEBER Basin Water Conservancy District became the contracting entity with the U.S. Government to repay the debt within 60 years, operate and maintain the project. One very important matter was prevalent, i.e., before the Bureau of Reclamation could begin construction of the project nineteen thousand in- of municipal and dustrial water had to be under acre-fe- firm contract. ONE CITY contracted for a f. (8,500 treated, 1500 untreated). This water had to be paid for each year whether or not it was delivered and the 10,000 contract was for 40 years. Our agreement with the U.S. Government is to the effect that no water would be delivered unless it was under firm contract. Now, to the problem at hand. This district has supplied all of West Bountifuls culinary water since 1964 The district also supplied, for a fee, temporary reservoir storage since that time. This we have not done, nor would we be able to do, for many of our customers. West Bountiful started with, an initial allotment of 200 acre-feof water. ON FIVE separate occasions, due to use and need over and above the initial contract, West Bountiful used and contracted permanently for 40 years, as all other entities do, a total of 91 acre-fee- t of additional water. In 1976 an over-us- e was of 40 acre-fepaid for. The contract issued to West Bountiful was never returned to the district, however, payment was received in 1976, 1977 and et et 1978 In November 1978 West Bountifuls city administrator first indicated by telephone and later confirmed by letter West Bountiful's willingness to pay for and contract permanently for any water used over and above their contracted amount. The district delivered 84 acre-fee- t (plus) over and above the 291 acre-feunder contract. West Bountiful has paid for the water delivered but to this date they have refused to sign the contract for additional water, as agreed. CONTRARY TO reports from this newspaper, Weber Basin not only did not cut off any water from Bountiful to West Bountiful. We could not do this! On Oct. 4, 1978 (Bountiful City Council minutes) West Bountifuls councilman in charge of water met with the Bountiful City Council to ask permission, to tie into the Bountiful culinary city somewhere below system 500 West while West Bountiful repairs their water line on 500 South This request carried unanimously. I received minutes of this meeting inadvertently from Bountiful citys chief of police, who verified to us a Freedom Of Expression Necessary For Library Theres a dirty book furor raging m Davis County that has brought a lot of bookworms out of the woodwork to read a obscene book. BOOK THE is in question Americana," a contemporary novel by Don DeLiilo. It concerns a television network executive m his late 20s, relating much of his present and past life. Also recounted is a trip he takes with two friends across much of the United States in a camper. His life was an active one - he went through a divorce but continued his love for the opposite sex, for instance. And he engaged in a little eating, drinking and merry making -- DAVID BELL was raised in a small town near New York City. But mixed in with that was prep school at an Episcopal school in New Hampshire, college at a modernistic California school, upbringing by a father who was a successful advertising executive, and a mother who was sick much of the time. I dont think the furor is over the story itself. With some changes, it could be the life story, more or less, of many others is What has made the book obscene some of the language used, especially a section towards the end. the activity described that last section, particularly, is not something youd talk about in Sunday School or probably anywhere else, for that matter. And read out of context, it could lead the reader to think the author is a sex freak, immoral and sensationalistic. But looking at those passages in light of the story, the characters, their life styles and their value systems, it makes sense In fact, if I dare to say such a thing, the words used by that author may be the ADMITTEDLY, in most appropriate to say what he wants to say I AM NOT ment to use district grounds for a training area It became apparent to me that West Bountiful planned to use water from Bountiful for the remainder of the year and I inquired of two Bountiful city councilmen if Bountiful really intended to go into the wholesale water business. IT BECAME more apparent then that the majority of the Bountiful City Council did not understand that the request for the connection was for any more than to repair a line or for use in an emergency as requested. Consequently, on Nov. 22, 1978 (Bountiful city minutes), West Bountifuls mayor, two councilmen and city administrator met with Bountiful citys mayor and city councilmen. Bountiful Citys Council voted not to furnish water to West Bountiful m other than an emergency situation. There were many accusations, meetings held and discussions, but primarily these are the basic facts. Now you have the story and I hope it to puts blown so much out of proportion. WEBER BASIN conveys about 40,000 a f. of water annually to South Davis County. The bulk of this water comes from Wanship Reservoir, a distance of approximately 60 miles, most of it irrigation water which is subsidized significantly. This new water into South Davis has been the reason for the return of the underground to a productive state. We have consistently tried to furnish the water needs in your area and will continue to do so to the best of our ability and under the same rules and we require of every valued customer. IT REALLY doesnt take a great intellect to know that in the second driest state in the union, 40 year contracts could be a great asset instead of a regulations detriment. I value my friendship with many people m West Bountiful and hope this explanation gives you a little better look at our side of the picture Wayne M. Winegar, Secretary-Manage- r Weber Basin Water Conservancy District rest this incident Take Away Books, Then What Is Next? Purnell asks what has happened to our Mrs. Donna freedom? I ask freedom for whom? DOES MRS. Purnell really want to take away freedom of choice? Our rights as individuals to choose what we as taxpayers also, wish to read? Does she really mean that she wants anyone that does not agree with her to be replaced? She does not seem to realize that first it is books, next it might be her right to write letters to editors. NOR DOES she realize that there is now a movement in the U S A to curtail the right of a free press. The dissidents of communist countries are in prisons, being tortured and dying because they have written books of the barbaric regimes of communist countries making free peoples aware of the perils of communist dictators. WE HAVE lost the freedom prayer in our schools, which we enjoyed in our youth. They are now asking for the removal of "In God We Trust from coins, etc. of ARE WE so concerned about a book that we do not have to read that we are willing to lose one more freedom? That should be our choice as individuals in a free country to read what we choose THAT IS a freedom freedom of choice. Mrs. Ann Mason League Supports Test Of Emissions Opinion By TOM BUSSELBERG disclaimer needed by our district in allowing" their (Bountiful) police depart- condoning their life style as one to be propagated for everyone to follow. Nor do I profess to follow it in roy own private life. What I am saying, and this is the whole reason for this column, is if Mr. DeLiilo chooses to write such a novel, and do it in a literarily acceptable fashion, more power to him. THE BOOK IS not, in my estimation, one that you pick up and cant put down or consuming In because it is fact the first 30 pages were a struggle for me to read because they seemed boring more than anything It is not an easy novel to read That point alone will probably turn most people off. It takes some concentration and thought to get through it and make sense out of it fast-pace- d LOT OF people in Davis County probably would want the book removed, but there are other residents who wanT that book, and others like it, with literary merit, kept on the shelves. A case in point is in the Letters to the Editor column in todays newspaper It is from that letter I borrowed the phrase, dirty book furor. IN ANOTHER article in todays paper, the book selection policy at the Davis County Library is explained, hopefully satisfactorily. Headed up by Librarian Jeanne Layton, (a veteran of 20 years at the library, nine of them as director) the book review team consists of profesA sionally trained staffers with varied BUT WHATEVER their personal beliefs or background, it is their job to judge a book on more than their own feelings Miss Layton has said she wouldnt want a book such as Americana on the shelves of her personal library. But she doesnt enlarge that statement to ban it from the PUBLIC library. library--th- e Because just as that review board is made up of people with varying backgrounds and beliefs, so is this county. There are descendants of the Mormon Pioneers who carry on in that faith through and through. By the same token, there are families here from Europe, Asia and New York City associated with Hill Air Force Base who come from completely different backgrounds. ALL OF THEM are entitled to use the public library. They should have the right to expect a broad, quality selection of reading material To quote from the library book selection policy as adopted by the library board, official agents in library policy. "The prime responsibility of the library is to meet the needs of individual readers, organizations and insti- tutions within Davis County. With the rapid expansion in both population and information, together with greater demands on the library, it is evident that the scope of the library collection needs to be broadened The need of materials to carry on requests of effective service and the readers are the prime bases for selection. "Since freedom of speech and freedom of the press are rights guaranteed by the Constitution, it follows that the library must provide free access to all points of view on public questions backgrounds. Some are natives of Davis County, others have moved into the county from out of state Half of them are members of the predominant religion in this area, the others are of varied faiths THE PUBLIC library which serves many varied groups cannot, to satisfy the interests and beliefs of one group, sacrifice the interests of others And that is the point of my column. I dont care if you read Americana Certainly, in my opinion, it doesnt rate, with such all time greats as War and Peace or "For Whom the Bell Tolls," to name two examples that come to mind BUT IT SEEMS to me to be well writ- ten, and does try to convey a point, a different way of life than many in this area are used to. But then isnt that one wonderful thing about books in the first place How can we even all experience everything, everything we each consider good and satisfying, in our busy lives To again quote It enables the public to Miss Layton: read things that are not in their realm. I e fiction helps you underthink stand the motives and value systems of others and other cultures. TO WANT TO learn about something through reading doesnt mean you want to emulate it in your life. But perhaps just knowing about it can help you either avoid making what you consider a blunder in your own life or, just on the other hand, help you follow a path you wouldnt have otherwise thought of Or it just helps make your life that much more interesting and full Without a doubt there are some words that are objectionable for youngsters to read They arent your Walt Disney fare. But children arent allowed to check this book out of the library, normally, anyway, as is explained in the arwell-don- ticle on book selection BUT PLEASE let the public library be public. No, lets not fill it with smut That obviously isnt the intention of the library board or staff But lets fill those shelves with the best literature the world has to offer. Give everyone a chance to let his imagination wander, his mind expand, his funnybone get jarred And let each do it in his own way For isnt that part of what America is all about The League of Women Voters of Utah supports SB 212 - Auto Emissions Inspection and Maintenance, now before the legislature. We urge everyone to contact his or her legislator to get this worthy bill passed. WE REALIZE that it would cost each auto owner five or ten dollars a year for this msjiection. But, look at what having cleaner air would save us! Better health, increased work efficiency, and longer lasting materials will accrue from better air quality The National Wildlife magazine estimates air quality across the country at 36, on a scale of 100. And the Mark Book Dangerous To Health? In regard to the dirty book furor involving our tax supcitizens ported public libraries in Davis County, 1 have a brilliant idea Why not appoint someone to read all the contemporary novels and put labels on them reading, Caution1 This book could be dangerous to your mental health" or P G , G R , or X as they do in the movies I AM presently employed as a nurse at a local hospital and if I didnt love my job, might even consider doing it myself. However, Id probably not be objective enough because Ive already read many of these books and do not consider myself contaminated' I just skim over the sexy parts with a jaundiced eye and thoroughly enjoy the fascinating and well researched portrayals written by some of our truly great modern dont believe in living in the past. After all, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and on the other hand, so is obscenity! authors. 1 NOTE TO concerned mother. There is a wonderful section in the library for younger children and they dont have to wade through any garbage to get there, and if there are older children, hopefully they can think for themselves! Joyce S Wilson Wasatch Front is dirtier than many other areas. We can nc longer use Kennecott as a whipping boy for our air problems THE PROBLEM is us! If we do not begin to meet EPA standards, we will be denied highway funds and sewage-treatnefunds. That could be expensive in the long run This emissions inspection is simple to perform, for law officers or service station attendants. Its time we all buckled down and bit the bullet for our own good. Pass SB 212! Mrs. Nancy Ketcham, pres Bountiful League of Women Voters Emissions Controls A recent Common Carrier article by Dr. Billings Brown, : industrial technical aide, expressed many concerns ' relating to a bill requiring- separate emission control inspection The inspection would require a station to install special equipment THIS OPERATION would open the door wide for unethical people to flam- boozle the many unsuspecting motorists In many instances motorists would be charged, as under the safety inspection, for unessential parts and labor. This might be overlooked if the end product was a more healthy environment But according to available informa- c: ; . . : -- ' tion the problem is not as simple as certain groups would have us believe I HOPE the legislators can alleviate the many more . ' pressing problems. The EPA and environmental groups should look at the overall picture and study a cure for unexplained high levels of pollutants. Dont blame the automobiles and refineries for the whole ball of wax. DR. BROWN points out that a majority of hydrocarbons is emitted from vegetation. Lets remove all the trees and vegetation from the Wasatch Front and start over with the ozone and hydrocarbon problem. Halley Thomas . : |