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Show Page 2-WASATCH CANYON REPORTER, 7 December 1994 Letters to the Editor: Editorial: Goodbye Jonny - | had to get to Vegas. My two week soul young punk dishwasher named Jon Avelino unteered to give me a ride. “I'm zipping down in some trepidation | accepted. | We left at two AM after we both finished saving Mexican beach vacation was at risk. (known around the kitchens as “Anus”) volmy van to see The Dead,” he told me. With | ourur stewarding stints. | elirnbed into his aged Volkswagen camper van and within the first mile realized there would be no “zipping down to Vegas.” It took the better part of an hour to get to his girlfriend's ; at three AM the denouement up! tionship. We feel your pain. has been so shattered over of a rela- The snow is falling like mad in Jonny is banging on his girlfriend's door to see if she wants to go to Vegas for the weekend. I, on the other hand, was looking for cover thick enough to stop the buckshot that | was sure was headed our way once “Dad” was awakened. Dear Editors: Excellent issue, lads, keep it Jonny's astoundingly beautiful and pleasant Qirlfriend was unfazed by the hour of the visit, and declined due to homework, of all things. The trip that should have taken seven hours turned into a twelve hour smoke-filled the mountains and the Tahoe Biltmore has rooms for cheap Today | received my copy of and |, of course, am going your publication. sailing. Does your eeAtall work? Later, William Gates fo ous about your canyon dri- Dear Editors, | was Curi- ving tips, so | proceeded to read your article. After read- President/CEO/Treasuret/Se “ing Rule 5, | guess | can concretary, Global Works -Clude that if you are late for San Francisco work, its OK to proceed at van ride. | nervously offered to drive, but he insisted he keep the helm all the way. The conversation was halting at first. We had little in common except our mutual desire to slide down _ Snow covered mountains. He preferred a snowboard. The endless desert is potent enough juju to loosen any one’s tongue and eventually we were chatting like old friends. Slowly he allowed me to get beyond his trash talking boarder i image to realize what an incredible per- any speed necessary to get _Editor’s Response: - you to work on time. Having Ah the skewed priorities of lived at the mouth of the the privileged. And no, our canyon for the past 10 years, son he was. Jon A. was a passionate young man who was seeking ways to live life to the fullest. | ) E-mail is down at the | am a frequent traveler up moment. the canyon and am very : At fifty miles and hour, spitting oil all over the desert, vibrating down the road, | made one of the most unlikely friendships of my life. familiar with the road. Few things ruin a peaceful trip up Dear Editors, | Over the next year he got and lost a job as a Keyhole cook. The reason behind his firing was understandable, but possibly unnecessary. He cleaned up, threw a sweater on Thank you for the Premiere [sic] Issue of the Wasatch the canyon more than an employee speeding up the and sold time share condominiums in Park City. Jonny A excitedly told me about the new Canyon Reporter. My parrott [sic] thanks you for s cage canyon because he is late for work. | don’t Know about you, liner. but I’m skeptical of a guy from Jeep he bought, and two days later with just as much excitement in his voice, he told me about the fire that destroyed his new Jeep in the Superior parking lot. Through it all he kept sincerely, Sgt. Lawrence - riding as often as he could. Claiming gigantic eighty foot airs when we all knew they weren't bigger than twenty. Pass or no pass he managed to get up the hill. We exchanged piles of abuse every time we met. In the fall | headed out on my own “Vibration and Leather Tour” on an old crasher Yamaha. Four weeks of finding America on a motorcycle. | sublet na Condo at Blackjack to Jonny foramonth, | | He headed to Alaska sometime in the spring to fish. He told the captain of the boat he was on that he was going camping for the weekend. When it was time to go back out at the end of the weekend, Jonny was nowhere to be seen. His body was found at the edge Mateus as he, on many ocassions, stopped us and complimented us on it) grown into an incredible person. His vitriol was all bluster, and | am disappointed in those who couldn't see through it. Jonny, there are many who miss you in the canyons. Take care. Editor’s Response: We always slept better night that | envisioned were in the bill collecting and paying department. Instead it has become ) don’t give Mr. Robert M. Mateus Salt Lake City Editor’s Response: ing Thank you for your candid through windows. stop door with the black. pass. This year I’m right back there with you. Jonny “Had a good one” patronize localbusinesses. > As to the current UDOT forecaster shakeup in Little Cottonwood Canyon: We should | please airheads another rea- with loaded weapons, leer- back ‘Day Lodge. Jen Branchard and Tara Tannenholz are local masseuses and you should take advantage of their services. Both are Pane) aa ache out ofa eu day of skiing. AMES ke Beg were Many a day last year | recall seeing you all work your way through that three-tram wait, while | slid in through the Moore has moved Alta Java... Thirty feet to the left. Alta Java now fits perfectly into the base of the Albion Beg you ous journalists on the taxpayer's time and _ stationery. Of tuning equipment ike this. They have employee deals, but you wil have to ask them what they are. Lew | these Sincerely yours, writing crank letters to seri- Local Business Clues: Superior Tune is now located in the Sport Stalker. | have never seen a collection — of the forecasting UDOT gives. knowing Protect and serve; nenced and know the mountains. | can’t stand writing about so many deaths, stay alive. and quality scraping body to take this publication seriously, at Dear Editors, _ record does stand tall. It is a complex issue that we will focus on in the weeks to after out canvassing the streets — the necessity of reporting so many deaths. Almost all of us who are active in the canyons are involved in sports or pursuits where we risk our lives. It is time for us to take responsibility for our lives. The resorts can't protect us and shouldn't have to. The equipment manufacturers are not responsible for keeping you alive. Only you can be responsible for your_ Selves. Extreme skiing is not launching a thirty or forty footer onto unknown landings or flats. If you plan on going in the back country then educate yourself. Have the right equipment. Take the time to call the avalanche forecast (at 801-364.1581). Find partners who are expe- his views should not be dismissed lightly. | do not know Rick Hale, but his safety house son to drive irresponsibly. As + datinibaae of this newspaper / anticipated many unpleasant tasks. Most of those all keep on our toes about this issue. Rick Wyatt is a local legend in many ways, and moved some unsuspecting person out of a head-on. -Come on, if you expect any- questions should contact Sgt. Ranslow ; come. All of our lives, at on time or other, may depend on the Suey has any my about our driving skill he | think of him fairly often. He was young and offensive, but eventually he would have 4 just LifeFlight helicopters fly over ing the formative years of the publisher and editor. lf Mr. | of a stream a week later. No one really knows what happened. . who here to work at Alta feeling Ranslow that “he’s seen all the Hanover New Hampshire scenery” so now he’s a Police Department (Ed. note: mountain man who can ban-_ Larry was the hometown flat-.. zai up the canyon. | guess foot in Norwich, Vermont durI've just watched too many When | returned, the condo was spotless, his bills were paid and he left me some- thing that looked suspiciously like Elk steak. | never saw Jon Avelino again. Nebraska Grant Atencio. — response. | echo the senof many. as a seven day a week traveler up the ~ canyons | must differ with you. There are too many wayfarers in the canyons who regard the automobile as some moveable movie theater instead of a conveyance for rapid transit. | reiterate, | do not advo- cate unsafe rates of travel. | merely believe that there is a significant difference between a Salt Lake City leaf-peeker and a five day a week worker. Editor’s Response: We at the Wasatch Canyon Reporter can not remember a time when and heartfelt am sure you timents Unfortunately | someone As to Nebraskan drivers, | have no experience, but they must be at least the equal of Utahns. |