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Show THE ZEFHYRJAN-FE- his store and lambasting him, sometimes not even bothering to explain WHAT issue they hate him for. The very idea of Dave as corrupt is beyond bizarre, but in 1993, there was something in the air. And is it different with the rest of the dty council, or with the mayor? In the world of politics, there are always disagreements, always opposing views and philosophies. But never before have the disputes taken on the personal character, the amount of distrust, we've seen this year. The dty council has bent over backwards (in my opinion sometimes going too far) in meeting the requests of various residents, on zone changes and conditional use licenses. And at other times they voted against some requests, believing the needs of the rest of the residents outweighed the benefits of the change. They were doing, rightly or wrongly, what they thought was best And in exchange they're branded as obstructionists trying to prevent people from making a living, or tools of a rapadous real estate industry. And the discussions we hold among ourselves, they've taken on a sharper edge. Just a short time ago we could argue and come away holding on to our bade mutual respect But that's breaking down, week by week, month by month. Longtime friendships are cooling, defensiveness is the trend of the day: This person disagrees with me; what are they REALLY after?" The physical face of Moab has been changing over the past few years. We all note the new buildings, the bigger crowds, the different faces. But it's only recently, this year, that the heart of Moab began to change, to grow colder and more impersonal. At first, it doesn't seem like much. But the alienation and mistrust and fear is growing. To people from West Valley. City or Long Beach, California, or Brooklyn, New York, the differences wouldn't even be noticed. We still know, and are known by, the grocery clerks and the meter readers, and we still call all our elected officials by their first names, and we still stop and talk when we walk down Main Street. But we also don't walk down Main Street as often as we used to. . SO B PAGES 1994 BOOKS & MAGAZINES, South Main Moab, Utah 84532 (801) We'll be open through the winter making improvements and waiting for Spring. THANKS FOR A GREAT YEAR. In many ways, 1993 was a wonderful year. Children graduated from kindergarten. The Moab Community Theater surpassed even its own incredibly high standards with the production of Noises Off. Heading into the backcountry at all hours and in all weathers, Search and Rescue volunteers saved lives. Young couples in love got married. More people than ever made more money than ever, and shared the good fortune with their friends. The high school baseball team took its fans on a wonderful rollercoaster ride to the state championship game. Nobody died in a fire. Many of us said hello to Robert Duvall and Wes Studi. Zephyr readers discovered a marvelous writer in Mary Yates, and the wry humor in the history of Verona Stocks. And Cisco took his first steps on his own. He was, as always, strolling around tire room, holding on to furniture and people one Friday jaunt between a table and evening in early December, when he decided to take a the couch. Of course we squealed with delight, and he decided to do it again, proudly basking in the applause. Eleven months old, and he was off on his own. He was mobile, like Frankenstein than a graceful gazelle, but style follows form. Cisco is growing more walking like to share a town with him, a place where people grow closer up, and as he grows, I'd together instead of further apart, a place where we feel more comfortable each day, not less This winter, curl up with a good book. no-han- ds well-earn- 259-BOO- K ed willing to trust But Moab is changing, and it's not that easy to figure out why. It's simple to blame the investors, but tourists, but they didn't kill Dennis Lund. It's simple to blame the clerk. It's simple to say it's all the newcomers or all the they didn't stick a knife in a mold but that doesn't explain why lifetime friends don't say hello to each other anymore. We can try to figure out what happened, and we should, because maybe we can stop it For some people, the good old days were the 1950s, for others, it was 1989. Whatever our outlooks, our biases, our aspirations and politics, we can agree on (me thing. In 1993, Moab wasn't as nice as it used to be. And maybe from there, we can move forward. out-of-to- old-line- rs, LIGHTING FOR THE 90s Energy Efficient lighting can add to your bottom line. Discover how you can save $$$ and DRAMATICALLY improve the quality of your illumination for better merchandising. FREE for an appointment, at your energy audit: Call 259-76convenience. 38 AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT COMPANY Complete state of the art solar electric systems And commercial - industrial - residential lighting specialist |