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Show WEEKLY REFLEX DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL, NORTH DAVIS LEADER, JULY 30, 1981 J.D. Welling', backward in Clearfield is host to a mountain lunge, several waterfalls, a lake, a forest, two elk and a buffalo. The euteh is they're all models - sealed down replicas of old West MINIATURE HAVEN By MARK D. MICKH.SEN - If you CLEARFIELD ask J.D. Welling which hobby he likes best these days, he'll tell you miniatures. NOT THE kind of miniatures you find in doll houses or in expensive train sets, but scaled-dowreplicas of the West. As a matter of fact, Mr. Welhng's Clearfield backyard is host to a mountain range, n serveral waterfalls, a lake, forest, two elk, a moose, a bighorn sheep and a buffalo. AND, BELIEAE it or not, still enough room for two vegetable gardens, a puffy theres green lawn and a good size patio. The catch is the buffalo, mountain range and waterfalls, as well as all the other western memorabilia, are all cut to scale models of real places and real animals. Since leaving the lights of Hollywood, Welling admits he has not lost his love for landscaping. miniatures and gardening. PEOPLE COME in from want to take the tour. he says of his unique backyard. The "tour takes visitors around J D.s miniature village by the way of a tiny stream, a bumpy mountain forest. range and a over and all THE REST is history Welhngs expertise Mr. . in land- scaping and soil conservation experience was just what the studio boss was looking for as many of the movies were shot outdoors. So. from 1940-4J.D. Welling spent his time in the movie business. "Everytime the studio needed a landscape or building I took over." he said. IT WAS in MGMs "The Good Earth," starring Katharine Hepburn, that things began to change at the studio. 1 was the only one in the history of the studio to turn a picture over to a director," Mr. Welling said. HUGE BOl'LDERS, hauled in from four W'estern states, surround the grassy plain. One of the largest rocks, a two-to- n boulder near the back porch, d has numerous all the wav reach which rings multi-coloie- aiound the outer surface. Another rock, when the shadows are just right, reveals the face of an old man, a funny hat atop his head. WHEN THE tour NINE FOOT HOBBY building arc finished. He likes inking c.ue of his car u vintage l0 Using only fresh grass as fcitilizer. Mr. Welling has managed to watermelons, potatoes and eoin that aie iisiiallv one thud than noimal in size. Corn stalks shown aie nine feet tall laiger ail-tivat- e is over, theres no question that J.D. Welling has an interesting life. But the movie lanscaper admits still another hobby when the y chores of gardening and miniature- - P life-siz- e DEADLINES IN THE rear, in the shade of several towering pine trees, are two shadow covered folding chairs w hich represent Mr. Welhng's escape from sunny July afternoons. And when he isnt recone log structing cabins or sculpting mountains Mr. Welling does some gardening some gardening that, for years, has baffled area agricultural experts. smaller-than-lif- AT ITS peak, MR. SELLING'S interest in miniatures blossomed in the 1940s when he began working for MGM Studios in Hollywood as a property manager and set designer. The studio job came as a result of a routine trip to California. Mr. Welling said he traveled to Hollywood to visit and research a brother-in-lasome soil samples for the company he was working for. While in the movie capital" Welling became acquainted with Bob Gray, then studio manager at MGM. "It's like rolling on a big he says. "You go mattress, down there and fall down and ils" impossible to hurt yourself. J.D.s DISPLAY AD DEADLINE Wednesday at Noon PICTURE DEADLINE Thursday at 6 P.M. corn reaches more than nine feet into the morning sky, his tomatoes resemble giant red his watermelons huge green basketballs. What's the secret? Mr. Welling says he uses very little fertilizer. cant-loupe- BUT W HAT he does use is a of fresh grass. Grass is finer. he explains, and has more lot Oh, Teachers, Here Come Meets Pre-Scho- ol nutrition." By the latter part of September, Welling's two gardens are fully conditioned for spring growing season. Fresh grass is scattered over the soil, then turned under eight or nine inches, leav ing the soil loose and airy. AOU GET all the nutrition you want that way, he said, the proof lies in the fruits and vegetables, some of which are tw o and three times larger than others grown locally. "I've had potatoes a third bigger than normal size," boasts the soil expert, adding, "Ordinarily, a good share of larger." my stuff is one-thir- d AS IF gardening and modeling isn't enough to keep him busy, J.D. Welling prides himlawn a self on a carpet-lik- e green mecca for bare feet. FARMINGTON With school only a month away from starting, educators are reminded of some day meetings scheduled by the Davis School District. ALTHOUGH students won't report until Aug. 31, pre meetings start Aug. 24 with administrators and supervisors called to a session at the administration building in Farmington. The following day will see processing for new teachers while that same group will be involved in a workshop Aug. 26. The annual teachers convention involving the district's 1,700 instructors, will meet the 27th at 8:30 a.m. at Clearfield High School. Following that morning session, teachers w ill be inv oved in faculty meetings and other preparations that will spill over into Friday, as well. Supt. Lawrence Welling says. ADDITIONAL Form To Help Solve School Problems I information will be available later. TOM BISSELBERG BOLNTIPLL- - Concerns by some parents about discipline, student attitudes, lack of school books and a barrier between parents and teachers have led to the formation of ' Concerned Parents in Youth. BOINTH i group, spearheaded Bonnie Tibbitts and Murle Easier, has been formed, the two say. to give concerned parents a place to air concerns and hopefully receive answers to questions The groups first meeting was held last Wednesday with another slated tonight at the South Branch. Davis County Library at h to p m. School District Business Manager-BoarClerk Roger Glines will speak on how school tax dollars are spent THE hy school-relate- d IN AN interview Monday morning, both stressed they want to work with the school hoard, and school officials on both a district and local level, to create a communications network where an interchange can take place so parents dont feel intimidated and can provide input. A lack of sufficient school books was raised as an issue, creating, they say. the need for students to waste class time completing assignments rather than at home or during study hours. And the quality of books in the schools was emphasized as a problem that could contribute to downgrading of patriotism, respect for authority and desire to learn and work. Studios MCiM tb By Parents Scale models ol various wild animals aie abundant in Mr. Wellings backyard Welling became inieic'sie in nuniatuies while woiking as a landscape designci toi MINI-MOOS- E in the 1940s. said. "I realize many dont want censorship but imagine any patent wanting these books in the sehools I hey were in a umor inch and dealt w uh incest and reproduction and were removed alter a school hoard member, principal and lihranan wete alerted, she added I hey quoted other books being used as lev's in state schools, such as "LS V that described several I S presidents negatively, and read front olhei books that could he interpreted as supporting certain behavior, such as. "Jack be nimble. Jack be quick Snap the blade, and give it a Hick Grab the purse its easilv done I hen ust toi kicks ud ,,r hn taken Imm plundge the knife and cui. and run " I he Inner ( ity Mother Goose h I ve Meniani I eant v " IO W H A I length does this educate mv child asler asked "J hese are reaililv av ail ihle at bookstores in Salt Lake ( in I obicct to the bn! negative-positivrange available- - don t think out children aie intelligent enough to make the choice when its not clearly defined If the child could take the hook home in pre ic .v with the parent, then they could di iw pmpc' am tudes." she continued, addinu that although the la a requires children be sent to school weve Imt control of what our children learn Mrs ' ( e I v THE POSI TIN E must be taueb' w pt the ncca'i c but it should be presented so a child will recognize the difference and not read it a.l as Cr, s ,K They cited examples ot manv top' icichc-'leaving obs primanlv because tfcv had to pend so much time trying to discipline in an c where other teachers would let suJcnts stud. most j s -- CITING THE books. "Flowers in the Attic. "Run. Shelley . Run" and "Snowbird. Mrs.Tibbitts atmo-pher- sessions |