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Show Sun Advocate 4A Wednesday, May 19, 198S2 Residents should check facts first IT HAS COME TO MV ATTENTION THAT Such RECENT REWJTS HAVE questioned You would have thought the Price City Council was chopping heads instead of trees. At last weeks City Council meeting, angry residents showed up to shout disapproval at the citys decision to eliminate trashy trees around the old Central School building. Council members hadnt caused such a ruckus since they AMD my I'M STRONG 9 MY ABEARANCE TODAY IS DESIGNED TO DISPEL health FIT, AND IN rumors. COMPLETE CONTROL. ABILITY TO LEAD pressured former Chief of Police Art Poloni to submit his resignation. Although there wasnt a large crowd like the one that showed up at last Novembers council meeting, citizens were yelling just as loud. Employees who work at the building, which now houses the Southeastern Utah Social Services Center, presented the council with a petition signed by 39 concerned citizens. We are opposed to the wanton destruction of trees which has resulted in a lack of significant shade and greenery, the petition read. The hapless removal of trees ... demonstrates a lack of foresight in the logical-phase- d planning for future, as well as present, beautification. The council wasted no time in pointing out to the groups leader that a lot of thought and planning had gone into its decision to chop the trees. Council members said the trees were diseased and had prompted numerous complaints from residents who live nearby. They added that the citys Shade Tree Commission has developed a complete beautification plan for the area that will include the planting of new trees and the building of a mini-par- k in the area. It is nice to see residents who will speak up to elected officials when they see something they dont like. But it is disappointing to see residents balk about something they really know little about. Apparently, the citizens group opposed to the removal of the trees had failed to review all the facts before going before the council. There was no lack of foresight in the citys decision, as the group alleged. In fact, the council was proceeding with a beautification process that had been in the planning stages for months. Council members were reacting to protests they had previously received from joggers, bicyclists and property owners who were tired of the seeds and sap the trees dropped on the sidewalks and lawns. And to imply that the city was removing the trees just to replace them with plants from Councilwoman Theressa Frandsens nursery was an insensible blow. Since her appointment to the council last year, Mrs. Frandsen has always maintained she will sell the city nothing. She has said she wants no part of anything that might even appear to be a conflict of interest. We encourage the voicing of concerns before our elected officials. But dont make the mistakes this group did. Check out all the facts before you decide to speak up. Recreation plan a positive move From time to time, a product emerges from the deliberations of government officials which truly shows inspiration and creativity. Such a product is the proposed recreation consolidation outlined two weeks ago at a Carbon County Council of Governments meeting. If the plan is approved, it would make all recreational resources in the county, including the substantial facilities of the college and public schools, available to every citizen in the county. More than just dealing with physical facilities, however, the plan would pool valuable human resources, such as instructors in the Carbon County School Districts Community Education Program, or the College of Eastern Utah Division of Continuing Education. The entities which stand to contribute the most to a consolidated recreation management plan have already given preliminary approval. They are the college, school district, County Commission and Price City. Smaller cities and towns, which can only benefit from the concept, have yet to give their nod. Once the recreation plan has been considered by all government entities, their representatives will meet at a future Council of Governments meeting and vote on it. The board of directors would consist of the city mayors, superintendent of schools, a county commissioner and the college president. They would oversee a recreation director whose responsibility would be to organize programs, promote cooperation between community groups, coordinate the use of facilities, maintain a master schedule of activities, create task committees and develop contacts in the community. The recreation director would draw on the expertise of a coordinating council composed of a city recreation director, Community School coordinator, Continuing Education director, an member, and a representative of the business community. In public gatherings such as Agenda for the 80s and SODAA meetings, citizens have repeatedly identified more and better recreation as a need. The proposed plan is a giant step toward meeting that need. at-lar- ge high-priori- O drew I""" C ty Coplay N,wi m z VttNIWfc 4 YEARS CLD. EUT, WMHKK.IF ANN LANDERS CAN REOO.L HER YORK, 50 CAN 1 So, AS YOU SEE.THERE CAN ....faicK) GET ALL is WOUND UP ABOUT. aesoujtely nothing TO (cUck) nothing TbfowiK) NOTHING lb jack andersorCeBpear Polish blame U.S. for problems - WASHINGTON After five months of martial law, Polands military regime is apparently no closer to a solution of the problem caused by the Polish peoples unquenchable thirst for freedom. Popular demonstrations have been embarrassing the Communist regime for several weeks now, and more are expected. The Polish generals are desperately looking for a scapegoat. Tbey would dearly love to blame the unrest on Solidarity, but the union is too popular. It is obvious even to the Communist Party and the generals that most of their countrymen support Solidarity. So the regime has had to find someone else to kick around. Not surprisingly, the generals have picked American diplomats as the targets of their wrath. Last week, Polish secret-polic- e thugs burst into the apartment of a Polish scientist who had invited two American Embassy officials into his home. The American diplomats were spread-eagle- d against the wall and frisked like common criminals. When one of the Americans showed his diplomatic identity card, it was contemptuously flung across the room. Secret cable traffic between our embassy and the State Department in recent months shows that this flagrant breach of diplomatic courtesy was not an isolated incident. U.S. diplomats in Communist countries always assume they are under some kind of diplomatic surveillance. Usually it is at least discreet and unobtrusive. But in recent weeks, say our sources, the surveillance of American diplomats in Poland has been about as subtle as a Soviet tank. Everywhere they go, U.S. Embassy personnel are followed openly by secret-polic- e goons, in cars or on foot. The harassment is especially noticeable when the Americans leave Warsaw and travel through the Polish countryside. Meanwhile, State Department analysts have pronounced anti-Americ- noticed a an the Polish press during the past few days. Government publications have been more vehemently than they usually are, blaming the United States for the recent popular demonstrations. campaign in anti-Americ- an castle country Obviously, the Polish Communists cannot admit that the demonstrations arise from a genuine, heartfelt resentment of their rule by the people of Poland. A KREMLIN PLOT?: A year ago last Thursday, Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded by a young Turkish terrorist. The assailant, Mehmet Ali Agca, was tried, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment. Technically, the crime was solved. But both Italian and U.S. intelligence experts consider the case far from closed. Even under the interrogation of Italian police, the Turkish terrorist refused to crack. This led the Italians to suspect that Agca was a seasoned professional assassin. And this is what fascinates the intelligence community. They are now convinced that Agca is a professional hit man. So who hired him to shoot the pope? Agca probably was not acting alone. At least one other man with a gun was spotted in the crowd that day in St. Peters Square. Intelligence experts suspect that Agca had ties to the Kremlin. For one thing, he spent some time in Bulgaria before he shot the pope. none-too-tend- er of the Democratic Guest Columnist It didnt take long for Janet Prazen to corner me at Saturdays Weber County Democratic Convention. Like a blast from my Carbon County past, Mrs. Prazen was overflowing with controversy. The old place hadnt changed a bit. Its been three months since I left the Sun Advocate. I now cover Weber County government for the Ogden Standard-ExamineWeber and Carbon County share the dubious distinction of being among Utahs few bastions for the Democratic party. The Weber Demos are battling a pair of incumbent Republicans in the county commission race. The underlying theme of their convention Saturday was party unity. Democrats here could be in for a dogfight. The race most likely to draw blood is for the four-yeseat on the county commission. Incumbent Floyd Marx, C.A. Chuck Davis and Aaron H. Flores will vie for the two spots in the primary its unlikely any candidate will garner 70 percent of the votes. The only way you can win in Carbon County is as a Democrat. Mrs. Prazen said. It is with this axiom in mind that the commission hopefuls will enter Fridays convention, knowing a convention or primary victory will likely mean a commissioners r. ar scat in January. Mrs. Prazons complaint to me was that one Bulgaria freely without the or at governments blessing least without the governments knowledge. Agca was also found with several false identity documents and a large bundle of cash when he was arrested. That indicates powerful backing. The Soviets, of course, had a solid motive for getting rid of Pope John Paul. He is a native of Poland who brings inspiration and world sympathy to the rebellious Polish people. Hiring a hit man to assassinate the Catholic leader would have been a cheap way for the Kremlin to get rid of an em- barrassing adversary. Our intelligence sources believe but cant prove thats exactly how it happened. HEADLINES AND FOOTNOTES: Is the Rev. Jerry Falwell, leader of the controversial Moral Majority, running out of money? He recently sent out a desperate plea for funds to finance his monthly newsletter, promotes his conservative which social views. observer Will infighting split By DON VETTER That is also where he got the gun he used in the assassination attempt. Its no secret that a foreigner cant move around county Demos? candidates is really a Republican. Davis made a statement two years ago in a Carbon County Chamber of Commerce luncheon that he was a Republican, and proud of it, she said. Mrs. Prazens allegations are unfounded, according to Davis. People will resort to about anything to cloud the issues, he said. Davis and other county Democrats and Republicans alike say his comments at the Chamber luncheon were Davis has been a registered Democrat since he turned 21 years old. Mrs. Prazens comments could serve only to divide the county Democrats. Her allegations may lead to a split in the party that may not heal itself by November. Mrs. Prazens ire toward Davis may be rooted deeper than just an off the cuff statement made at a Chamber luncheon. Davis is a member of the Castleview Hospital board of directors while Mrs. Prazen has been aligned with a group supporting a competing hospital in the county. Davis said the lines have been drawn in the race and his support is coming from a broad base of voters throughout the county, while Flores could be getting support from hardcore Democratic insiders. Marx will rely on his past record as a commissioner. He will have the hardest task of any candidate, because the Carbon County tongue-in-chee- k. public has not been cognizant of the issues and decisions made by the commission. Im hoping to run on my past record, Marx said. But people dont seen to know what it is or seem to care too much. Marx said a Helper City Council member attacked the commission for not doing anything for the city. The county has helped that city with $70,000 toward a fire engine along with the mosquito abatement and weed control, Marx said. The three-wa- y Democratic battle for the commission seat could be the end of political apathy surrounding Carbon County. Republican challenger J.R. Bob Olson put it best when he described Carbon County as a political island. The longtime Democratic stronghold has been ignored by Republican state leaders because it was deemed hopeless and the state Demos have ignored the county because it was always a sure thing. Fridays convention and the race for the four-yecommissioners seat, could reiny troduce politics if Democrats hurt themselves with too much It s not hard to imagine disgruntled Democrats splitting the ballot over wounds too deep to heal by November. Carbon County Demos might soon be taking a lesson from Weber County counterparts who know that unity is a winning trait. ar two-part- |