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Show V y- Letters rTfftk ToThc 7p7 Editor The editor welcomes letters to be written in this pubjic forum, from any and all parties. Letters should be concise and to the point as possible. Type-written double-spaced letters are preferred but hand written letters will be accepted. All letters should be signed, but names will be withheld if a specified reason is stated. No unsigned letters will be published. Writers should keep all letters under 250 words if possible, longer letters will be subject to possible editing. In general, all letters will be published as they are written. No libelous, obscene or malicious copy will be accepted. Editor: In response to a letter published in your May 4, 1978 edition signed "Name withheld" may I offer the following reply: Dear Name withheld, In your letter last week you asked me if I know what the area of jurisdiction of a Sheriff is. Let me answer by saying that in almost every area in the State of Utah, the city police patrol the city, the county sheriff patrols the unincorporate areas of the county, and the state patrols primarily upon State and Interstate highways. If these jurisdictional guidelines are followed there is much less confusion and much greater effeciency. Likewise, in Iron County, the city police have primary jurisdiction over crimes and incidents occurring within the municpal boundaries of the city. We are extremely fortunate in Cedar City to have one of the finest police departments for any city of comparable size anywhere in Utah. Chief of Police Douglas Bolton is a highly trained and skilled professional, and has done a billiant job in organizing and training the city force, and molding it into a fine Police Department. These officers of-ficers are competent to handle any problem within the city, and should be allowed the latitude to function in the most effective and efficient manner of which they are capable. We city dwellers are quite fortunate in the confidence that no one of us lives more than a few short blocks from a neighbor police officer, and in dire emergency a quick and professional response may be anticipated. However, such is not often the case for residents of unincorporated Iron Countv. by the City Police or College Security Force with greatest dispatch. However when the smoke dies down and the iJast subsides, the agency of primary jurisdiction should complete the investigation in-vestigation without any fanfare or grandstanding by the Sheriff. In matters of routine (non-urgent) police business, I will refer the party to the proper jurisdiction, rather than interfere with that agency's right to know and deal with what is going on within its boun-i daries. I will expect other agencies to do likewise in behalf of my own department. I feel certain that city residents will vote for a sheriff who courteously does his duty without interceding in the city's jurisdiction merely to further his own political career. And city residents who own property, or livestock in rural Iron County may rest assured that a dedicated, professional, and concerned Coutny Sheriff is devoting his full time to protecting their interests and serving their needs. In conclusion, may I respond to your reference to my "quitting" the Sheriff's office. May I state that I resigned my commission as a deputy sheriff so that I might run for the office of Iron County Sheriff without creating any conflict of time or interest. You will not see me campaigning on County time or in a County vehicle, nor will you see me using the employees of my office to further my election. I have campaigned entirely at my own expense, without soliciting a penny in contributions. It is my intention to run the Serhiff's office in the same honest, above board and forthright manner. Dan Harris Republican Candidate., for Iron County Sheriff Editor: I would publicly like to thank the Iron County Sheriff, Ira Schoppmann and his department, especially Deputy Roden Williams who spent three hours digging through garbage at a garbage dump looking for evidence, and the Cedar City Police Department for their help in solving the recent break-in and robbery at the Deserada Steakhouse, making it possible for me to receive restitution. Iron County needs no better sheriff than Ira Schoppmann. He works well with the youth, as well as adults, and works long and hard hours. On this case alone he worked a full month every day to bring it to a close. When someone needs help they always want Sheriff Schoppmann, not just "someone" from the Sheriff's Department. Depart-ment. I don't believe people realize how hard it is to keep law and order when working within the limitations of the law. I would also like to thank Jerry Nelson of St. George, Hans Chamberlain and Joe Jackson for their help in this incident. Bud Rosenberg Editor: I have prepared a few easy to follow instructions for the tourist to Cedar City, to be published in travel guides about the area. When you come to Cedar City, extra precaution will have to be taken while driving about the town, to keep from being killed. 1. Never assume that the other driver knows what he or she is doing. 2. Never assume that he or she is going to make a legal turn, a legal lane change, or will use his signal lights this is usually not the case. 3. Always approach another vehicle with caution; you never know what he or she will do, especially four-wheel drive pickup pick-up trucks, with bumper stickers that say "Cowboys make better lovers." 4. Never assume that just because the driver is older, he or she will be a better, and more courteous driver, this is often not" the case in Cedar City. 5. Always remember that when you drive on Cedar City streets you are taking your life in your hands. Remember this, and you'll have a pleasant stay in Southern Utah. David Moore Editor: (Editor's Note: The following letter was submitted for publication and as an example of how a letter should be addressed ad-dressed if anyone else is interested in letting their congressional representatives know of their concerns. The following leeter was sent to all members of the Utah Delegation including Senators Orrin G. Hatch, Jake Gam and to Congressman Dan Marriott.) Comments for the record. Director, Bureau of Alcohol TaTobacco and Firearms, Washington, D. C. 20226. Attn. Regulations and Procedures Division Dear Sirs: I am very much opposed to the proposed computerized registration of firearms as published in the Federal Register for March 21, 1978. This is the Administration's way of getting gun control without the public being aware of it. It is definitely against the will of the majority of the people as well as the Congress. This proposal is a dire threat to the liberties of the citizens of this country, and has the potential of depriving them of the Constitutional Right to hold and bear arms. Sincerely, Sheldon L. Benson Editor: Back in February, John Plestina made a "formal declaration of war against Cal Pac." (1) By his own testimony, this declaration was made because his power was turned off for not paying his bill. In last weeks paper we bagan to see his "war" take shape in the form of a stolen trade mark (Reddy Kilowatt). On second thought, maybe he didn't steal it, but merely borrowed it from his puppeteer, Carl Palmer. Some of you will remember our own semi-local "Ralph Nader" (Palmer) who used this same purloined trade mark to promote his collectivist movement to socialize Cal-Pac. This falls under the heading of "education" in one of the Socialist's handbooks for forcing the government takeover of a public utility. (How to Challenge your Local Electric Utility - Environmental Action Foundation, Foun-dation, pg. 89 - Unplugging Your Investor-owned Investor-owned Utility. Next on this list of Marxist maneuvers, watch now, "One of the key steps in your public power campaign is a Feasibility Study..." Aw shucks, too late. We've already been suckered into that one. Step three should be obvious by now. It's the very goal "Palmers Puppets" (or at least the puppeteer) have sought after since day one, namely government takeover of a private, tax producing, profit (please excuse the profanity) making business. To this writer and a few others, Palmers tactics were strongly reminicent of similar left wing take overs that have occurred throughout the nation in recent years, and we said so publicly. Of course Mr. Palmer for months would counter, "I'm only searching for alternatives" or some equally deceitful hog-wash. But now the feline has been liberated from her sack by Palmer's own statement at a recent public meeting when "Palmer emphatically declared 'Cedar City will go Municipal". (2) 'Fes up Carl, that's what you meant all along. Ladies and gentlemen, don't you wonder who it is behind Carl Palmer that's financing this head-long drive into socialism? Bill Reagan (1) Iron County Record Feb. 2, 1978 (2) Iron County Record Mar. 23, 1978 By locating five of the six officers of the Sheriff's office in either Cedar City or Parowan, rural county residents are left relatively isolated from law enforcement services, and in emergency situations, must resort almost entirely to their own devices. By the Sheriff unnecessarily taking calls in the cities, the total patrol force of the Sheriff's Department is effectively reduced by sixteen and two thirds percent, while only increasing the city's number of protectors by 7.7 percent. It only stands to reason that the Sheriff can be of far greater value in the unincorporated areas. As a city dweller and property owner, I am well aware that city residents also pay county property taxes. However this does not in any way justify the improper distribution of Sheriff's office manpower any more than the large tax base of the Wasatch front would justify the highway patrol in stationing all of its troopers in Salt Lake City. If it is the Sheriff's contention that the City Police are incapable of nadling the law enforcement problems of the city, perhaps he would be justified to intercede, but such can hardly be the case. Or if it is the Sheriff's contention that there is not enough crime in rural Iron County to keep him busy, this might even conceiveabely justify the imbalance, but certainly this is not the case either. You may confirm the latter by quizing any rural resident whose sheep (or wife) have been attacked by dogs, whose farm has been vandalized or mountain cabin burglarized, or whose county street looks and sounds like the "Indy 500" while he is trying to sleep. If jurisdictional intecrity is determined only by who pays the officers wages, then (only facetiously) it would be appropriate to turn over most of the accidents that occur on Utah Freeways to be investigated by the California Highway Patrol, judging by the number of California license plates involved in Utah accidents. And then if you will, imagine the Chief of Police trying to deal with juvenile delinquency problems, but not knowing who the problem youngsters are at your own local high school. Not knowing who are the truants, who are the smokers, who are the dopers, the drinkers or the trouble makers. How does he effectively deal with these problems after school hours when he remains uninformed by the Sheriff, who jealously guards the information so that even his own deputies are frequently uninformed also? This is a slap in the face of our fine City Police. It might be of interest to you, "Name Withheld", to know why the Sheriff feels like he alone can handle these problems in the city limits. On one occasion I asked the Sheriff why we (County Sheriff's Department) did not allow the city police to respond to the high schools needs. The Sheriff's reply was, "they don't have to run for election, I do." You ask in your letter if I would refer a call within the city boundaries to the City Police. Of course in an emergency, the closest officer of any agency should respond until danger to life or property is overcome. Residents of any of the County's cities should rest assured that the Sheriff's office would respond to any emergency, or any request for assistance Editor: The Utah Association of Women was organized to fight to stop the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment, but one could wonder if a lot of its members know this. I feel one of the main goals of the ERA is to gain control of our children through the establishment of federally supported and federally controlled day care centers. One of the things that happened at the UAW convention of April 28-29th was very confusing to me. I saw a vote so close on an amendment to get local and privately funded day care centers established, that it had to be counted. The excuses I heard for defeating the proposed amendment were: "I don't want to pay for babysitters if I have to work." "The taxes would go up," and "I would not want to pay for other people's children to be cared for." Now come on, ladies. We all know the power of the almighty dollar, but what place do the children take? God did not tell us that being right would be easy, and it is not going to get any easier. I hope we know where we really stand now. If we don't, we had better take a closer look at ourselves. After all, what is our future but our children? Who wants a future controlled by adults who were raised by the federal government? As the old saying goes, "All it takes for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." I hope we will not be known as the ones who did nothing. Kathryn Bess Editor: I would like to share with you a letter received, in response to my letter that was published in this paper May 4. Dear John, I very much appreciated your letter to the editor in today's Iron County Record. I think we have a chance in this power battle with people like you on our side. I would like a couple of your bumper stickers which I will display here in Parowan. If the money enclosed isn't sufficient, please let me know. Thanks. Sincerely, A Parowan Valley Pumper. It's people like the man who wrote the above letter that will make a success of our battle with the power company. We need such people who really care to write letters, and let us know someone appreciates ap-preciates what we're doing. I urge others to write letters to the editor, so that they can be heard too. The seriousness of the power question in our own area goes well beyond Cedar City. There is great concern among the Pumpers Pum-pers ajidthe Cedar Valley residents. I hope"all Iron County residents will recognize the importance of being heard on an individual basis. John S. Plestina Cedar City s |