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Show TheBailyHerald Letters to Editor Urge Look at Council Form Page 28—THE HERALD, Provo, Utah. Wednesday June 6, 1979 Speed and AlcoholKill The Utah Highway Safety Division, in analyzingtraffic fatalities for 1978, has come up with some telling figures on the devastating influence of speed and alcohol on the highway. During the year there were 315 fatal crashes which killed 376 persons. Ofthese accidents, alcohol was a contributing factor in two out of every five — and third of these drivers were less than 2) years old ... not even of legal drinking age! Stephen Glines of the safety division said further: In Meno. related crashes, fully half also involved a speeding violation of over 55 miles an hour. Over 80 percent of alcohol-related accidents involved drinking drivers under 38 yearsold. Another fact disclosed by Mr. Glines: Drivers with traffic viola- *} Editor Herald Oneof ihe mostrefreshing articles to apbearin a Salt Lake City newspaperfor a long time was one headed *‘ ty Board Supports Change to Council Plan’ in the Salt Lake Tribune for Saturday, June 2. Thelead erate read ‘‘Salt Lake County Commissioners will move to replace their own jobs with part-time policy makers and full-time elected administrator to run day to day government.” Plans call for a valleywide election in February. Commissioner Dunn is quoted as saying “We've concluded the commission form of government is archaic.” Does the recently voted change for Salt Lake City and this proposed change for Salt Lake County have a lesson for Provo and Utah County? Should not our twopolitical un- had one or moreprevious suspensions; 5 percent had one or more previous drunk driving convictions; and 30 percent had one or more previous other harmful violations on their records. its both consider and propose a change to a It's a sad but revealing picture And it clearly sets out some restraints that must receive priority if Utah is to cut its accidentfatality toll. Washington Report 77 tour) ee Dustbuted by LA. Times Syndicate Can Peoria’s Mayor Save American Cities? By LEE RODERICK Herald Washington Writer WASHINGTON — There's a question occasionally asked here when a newidea surfaces: ‘How will it play in Peoria?’”’ That’s Peoria, Illinois, of course. The ques- the Department of Housing and Urban Development which was matchedlocally by $100 million to clean up the city Huge Chicago, in comparison, earned $3.8 million under the same HUD program in that tion means will the idea be acceptable in Another example of Carter's approach While manycities have used federal CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training America’s heartland? Peoria’s about to turn the tables. however, and askits own question: Can the mayor who has led the city to an enviable record of fighting urban slum blightdo the samefor the rest of America's cities? “This time the question is real instead of rhetorical. And the Peoria mayorin question, 41-year-old Richard Carver, seems almost too good to be true. Unless 47 yearsof precedent suddenly falls apart, Carver will be elected president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors on June13 at the Conference's annual meeting in Pittsburgh. Hisselectionis of note for several reasons: Carver will be only the fourth Republican to head the organization since it was founded in 1933. (Predecessors have included such figures as New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Chicago's Richard J. Daley and San Francisco's Joseph L.Alioto). Peoria, with a population of 140,000, will be the second - smallest city to have given the Conference a president. The organization includes about 800 cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Carver, a clean-cut, sandy-haired mayor who hashis eye fixed squarely on the U.S Senate seat being vacated next year by Democrat Adlai Stevenson, was in Washington the other day and met with a handful of reporters. What he had to say makesa lot of sense “Most mayors would probably rather have less federal money and more options on how urban experts, including Peoria’s mayor. believe taxpayersno longer are in a mood to support such increases “Never again are we going tu see such a fast expansion of tax funds for thecities. says Carver. ‘‘We've got to bring the weight ofprivate capital to bear on these problems.” Carver, the first mayor of the central Illinois city to serve more than one termdur- ing the past half-century. has aggressively got local businessmen involved in Peoria’s development During the last quarter of 1978. for exam- ple, he landed $5 million in federal funds from Act) funds to simply boost the local budget and hire newtax-supported personnel. Peoria instead has used ite CETA program totrain men and womenfor jobs in the private sector. As a result, Peoria’s program has succeeded in taking more individuals off unemployment rolls than any other CETA program in Illinois. Peoria’s unemployment rate, accordingtu the mayor,is a respectable 5 per cent “Training people for jobs that exist is more important than finding them jobsin cities like Peoria,” says Carver. “However, in cities like Gary (Indiana) the opposite is true, so you have to be flexible.” Even political opponents have called Carver the best mayor Peoria has ever had Anda staff aide at the Conference was on the mark when he observed that ‘‘Republicans could do verywell if they could run lot of guys like him.” The question yet to be answeredis whether Carver's success in Peoriawilllight the way for other mayors to decreese their reliance on the federal treasuryand increaseit on the real — and best — solution to the nation’s cities: the free enterprise system So They Say “The work was too hard. He said he couldn't handleit.” — Miles Ginter,a regionalpostal inspector, citing the reason given by a Coldwater, Mich., letter carrier (a five-year veteran) who apparently stashed about 10,000 pieces of mail in his garage. “If we cannot protect innocent children from the greed of the marketplace, then we havelost our soul as a nation.” — Dr, Sidney Wolfe, director of the Public Citizen's Health Research Group, criticizing U.S. regulations allowing 10- and 11-year-old harvesters to work in strawberry and potato fields sprayed with toxic pesticides. His group, part of the Ralph Nader consumer network, has sued to ban the practice. ‘The dollar is under control. Wearereally not tottering on the brink of di — Michael Blumenthal, treasury secretary, voicing confidence that the American economy is performing adequately and no recession is in sight. And By the Way Don’t Blame the Moon... GREENCASTLE, Ind. (UPI) — Youcan’t blame a full moon for periodic bizarre behavior among people, three DePauw University student researchers say Analyzing more than 66,000 telephonecalls received during the last four years at the West Lafayette Crisis Center, the three found the full moon made no difference in the freuuency of the calls or the category of emotionalcrisis. The project, their part in a senior seminar on pscyhological testing also turned up no difference when they allowed for cloud cover on full meon nights. Professor Edward Yima, for whom they did the thesis, said they also found inconsistencies in published literature on the moon's influence. They have jokingly suggested they should be given equaltime on “The Tonight Show,” where a psychologist told Johnny Carson earlierthis year he had found correspondence between the moon’s phases and violent crimes in Dade County, Fla. “Their hypothesis based on porulat belief .was that the full moon should also cause more bizarre behavior and morestress in people's inner activities — their psy} Frological outlook that might lead them to American Fork, Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Orem, Kevin P.Phillips On Pursuing Anomalies call a crisis center’ he said Sunday in a telephone interview. “The data did not support the hypothesis Yima added. ‘They found no difference in the frequencyofcalls during the full moon compared with othernights. “They also looked atthe categories of calls such as marital problems, sexual problems alcohol, those that hung up without saying anything and other categories and found no difference there also." The National Weather Service at West Lafayette provided the data on cloud cover The three selected the West Lafayette Crisis Center for study becauseits clients include many Purdue University students a population that presumably contains many young people under stress, and because it keeps daily records Correlating police and hospital emergencies with the moon's phases proved impractical, Ypmasaid, because ‘‘noneof the places theytried in Illinois or Indiana had data that were tallied by the day, so they couldn't break it down.” Hegave an “A” gradeto each of he three researchers: Terry Melloh, of Indianapolis, Mary Lynn Scovill of Des Plaines, Ill.; and Julia Smith of Libertyville, Ill Provo, Springville, Spanish Fork, Payson, with possibly one or twoto represent the unincorporated areas. So that the council would not be too large it could also be selected by areas of the county based on population. Maybe the change should provide for the county councilmen to be elected entirely from the unincorporated areas inasmuch as the county commission activities are sup- quarter. they use it,” said Carver, who owns a lumber business and puts a strong emphasis on attracting private investment to do what government has failed to do for decaying cities. “To do the job, we musthaveless red tape. less conflicting requirements, and more comprehensive financing programs out of Washington." The Carter administration says$8 billion in federal funds were goingdirectlytothe cities in 1960, compared to $80 billion in 1980. But council-managerform of government, an admittely superior form than the commissions now used by both. For obvious reasons it would be hoped that if we do consider a change we would adopt a form that has the council appoint the manager or administrator rather than have that anelected position, and the newspaper report stated this is the system preferred by one of the Salt Lake County commissioners. Wouldnot our county be better served by a council elected to represent the geographical areassuchas one each from the areas around American Fork, Lehi, Pleasant Grove, Orem, Provo, Springville, Spanish Fork, Payson, with possibly one or two to represent the unincorporated areas. So that the council would not be too large it could also be selected by areas. So that the council sou Wouldnot our county be better served by a council elected to represent the geographical areas suchas one each from the areas around WASHINGTON— Like millions of other Americans, from time to time I find my interest caught up by esoteric henomena — UFOs, the Loch less monster, the Lost Continentof Atlantis and so forth. Actually, there’s a fair bit of circumstantial evidence Suggesting several of these ene or creatures might Teally exist. But the biologists, astronomers and paleontologists who could undertake a serious investigation typically prefer to sidestep the issue with a cynical chuckle. Commenting on this aversion the other day, Professor Roger Wescott of New Jersey’s Drew University threw out a useful barb: It's a shame, he said, that scientists avoid such inquiries out of fear their peers will label them as cranks. The truth is that past studies of oddities on the periphery of knowledgehave often sparked major discoreries, witness Copernicus, Darwin or Einstein. In fact, Wescott goes so far Yet another Russian account details how a memberof the Soviet Georgraphical Society watcheda similar creaturein the waters of Lake Kak-Kolin Kazakhstan, Soviet Central Asia. A good bit nearer to Pohenegamook. Outin British Columbia,scientists tended to scoff at the frequent reports of a local Loci Ness Monster until they realized that Lake Okanogan, although much larger, was quite similar to: Loch Ness, With all this evidence — to say nothing of other reports from Ireland, Sweden and Japan - it's awfully hard (or so one would think) for experts to say there's nothing there but ripples, bad eyesight or giant fish. But mostof our to take exactly that position. After all, as Professor Wescott wryly notes, scientists would have discovered meteors many years earlierif they'd been willing to accept the observations of local farmers: “A farmer would report the sudden appearance of a boulder in a field he’s been plowing for 30 years. A scientist would arrive and determine that since the farmer was not a ‘trained observer,’ the stone must always have been there.” Scientists don’t have a monopoly on conformism, of course. Economists and political scientists are equally unlikely to understand what's going around them until today's challenges have become yesterday's cold statistics. Maybealldisciplines ought to be required to pay a little more attention to anomalies — anda little less attention to defending the established wisdom. Copyright 1979 by King scientists are still managing Features Syndicate, Inc home, such creatures are fre- quently reported in Canadian lakes. One recent surveycited “‘Ogopogo,"’ the ‘‘Nessie’’ of Lake Okanogan, British Columbia: Lake Winnipeg's Manipogo"’; and ‘‘La Bete" (The Beast) of Quebec's Lake as to propose that a new branch of science focus entirely on ‘‘anomalies’’ — questions which defy (current) scientific analysis. His new discipline -- ‘‘anomalistics’’ — would undertake ‘‘serious phenomena which failto fit the pices of reality provided by common sense or established sciences.”’ My unsicentific opinion is that the professor has come up with an eminently constructive suggestion. First of all, if such ‘‘serious and systematic study’? were, in fact, seriously systematized some of these supposed oddities would seem a lot less freakish Take the fabled Loch Ness Monster, for example. Now the most interesting thing about the possible ‘‘Nessie” species is that it doesn’t only live (or supposedly live) in the deep, cold waters of Loch Ness, Scotland. For anyone who takes a worldwide perspective, and keeps even a half-hearted file of such sightings, there are dozens, perhaps hundreds, of reports Alaskans Fenced each year of nearly identical sightings in other deep, coldwater glacial lakes. Just in the last several months, I've noted several fasicinating accounts. In Russia, a new best-selling book on Siberia — ‘‘The Omyakomsky Meridian’’ — goes into some detail on the many, many reports of a long-headed creature with the head of a snake — just like the Loch Ness monster! — repeatedly seen in icy Lake Labinkir Thoughts To Inspire What is said to be the oldest church in Christendom is the Church of Babylon in Old Cairo, Egypt, founded in the first century, A.D., and where Peter worshipped. “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; . —I Peter 5:13 ) Out of Alaska Last November President Carter put another 56 million acres of Alaska in National Monuments — andthus sealed off from our use $20 billion worth of proved mineral Teserves Asit is, less than one-third of one percent of Alaska’s land is privately owned developable Can we afford to fence Alaskans out of Alaska? At the present inflation rate, eight years from now your American dollar won't be worth a dime Andstill we persist in shipping 40 billion American dollars every year to the OPEC nations for their oil so those nations can buy up our real es tate and our corporations with our money Yet werefuse to develop the immense reserves of oil natural gas and coal within our own country Can America afford to keep Alaska on ice? Alaskans were so excited so jubilant. when statehood becamea reality in 1959. They commenting on the article in Saturday's Tribune, the Salt Lake county Commissioners have reversed their thinking by a 2 to 1 vote, according to Tuesday morning's Tribune. Explains Side Of Fur Ranchers Paul Harvey and systematic study of all posed to be mainlyfor these areas and notfor the Incorporated cities. a suggestion for a changein the form of county or city government does not impute any lack of confidence in our present commissionersbut it would simply be a move toa better more modern system. Sincerely, Mr.and Mrs. John H. Zenger 1589 W. 1050 N. Provo Mr. and Mrs. Elden L. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Elmo Gee Mr. and Mrs. Fawn Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Leland M. Perry L.F. Moore F.V. Nichols EJ. Nelson Evan Thomas Jay V. Beck HJ. Boyack Pete Fakler John W. Manning R.P. Done W. Ohran Dean Anderson P.S. Since the above letter was written Editor Herald I would like to be given an opportunity to present the true facts in the Larry Allen problem in west Lehi Contrary to the ‘Friendly Neighbor’ who remains anonymous, thereis not just one in- harvest. Alaska’s oil wealth is known now — butonly tiny fraction of its potential has been tapped — while Americans continue to purchase45 percentof their energy from other nations. It is as though Americans, to atone for their environmental sins of the past, are determined to preserve Alaska untouched Walter Hickel is a former Governor of Alaska, former Secretary of Interior; he has seen his state frominside and out He knowsthat Alaskansare not callous in their disregard of the environment. Most of them came from sunnier more comfortable countryto Alaska because they reverence the beauty, the wonders of the outdoors But now they see the dividual involved. Within less than one half mile of this arena there are eight families whoselivelihood, in full or in part are dependent on mink ranch operations. The disturbance-anduseoflights in such sport can upset the whole reproductive cycle of mink, placing the investments of these families and their livelihood in jeopardy. The useof lights for even short periods of time cause these animalsto fur-out at the wrong time of year; or to comeinto their reproductive cycle at the wrong timeof year so theywill not breed at the proper time. This would be an economicdisaster for those operating a mink ranch. Several cases of this have been experienced in otherpartsof the country, which can be documented bycontacting the national mink ranch organizations. Mr. Allen was awareof thesefacts before he started up his operations but refused to acknowlege them Hewas served an injunc: tion by the county zoning commission but still insisted on carrying on. The county officials are only doing what they must doto enforce the zoning regulations and to protect the property rights of the neighbors who have been engaged in this occupation for the past 20 or moreyearsat their present locations Charles L. National Park Servicehiring another hundred employees at a cost of millionsofdollars to police vast areasoftheir state “to keep people out.” The publicthinksthis land is beingset asidefor them They, Searle Lehi Barbs “Which amendmentis is that guarantees freedom of the press? Well, I'm againstit.” — Joseph Hendrie, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, discussing how to deal with the news media during the Three Mile Island crisis. (The remark is felt emancipated No longer would the Departmentof the Interior dominate their lives. But in the 20 yearssince, the White House, the Congress and the bureaucracy have found new waysto subjugate Alaska and Alaskans to colonial status Alaska’s 385 million acres are rich in minerals two trillion tons of recoverable Hickel, when they trytovisit and run into “No Trespas sing” signs and uniformed of ficials. Now anincreasing number of Alaskans are urging seces sion Demonstrations take place almostdaily. It’s not uncommon for a liken President Carter to be coal some of it in seams 600 BS ; Of Government tions and previous accidents are over-represented. ‘‘Drivers involved in fatal crashes had twice as many driving-under-theinfluence arrests and other harm ful violations and previous accidents on record than did the general driving population.” Furthermore, 7 percent of the fatal-accident drivers in 1978 had illegal licenses or no licenses; 42 percenthad one or moreprevious speeding convictions; 8 percent — Spec. 4 Diana Valdez, 21, of Nebraska City, Neb., discussing the reaction among U.S. Army women in West Germanyto the decision to lower intelligence requirements ged through streets and for female recruits. Under the new policy; hanged byits feet Frequently in Alaska you'll see the bumper sticker “Lock up Carter, not Alaska Alaska is almost where the American colonies were in 1776 whenthey get fed up with taxation, oppression and suppression by sess womenvolunteers, unlike males, muststill have high school diplomas. “They are out there seeking to achieve votes that they will never get and underestimating the votes that they have.” — Rev. Benjamin Hooks, NAACP e..ecutive director, claiming President Carter and his political backers are takings blacks for granted and wooing conservative votes. feet thick. Alaska has the energy, just from this one source, to keep our nation’s lights lit and our industry humming for 2,000 years There are mountainsof copper in Alaska. Thereis tin and Iron. There are vastforests of timber rotting for lack of will learn differently, says from a transcript of a private March 31 commission meeting.) The Army oughtto raiseits standards for men, not lower standards for women |