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Show Commissioner Resigns, But It's April Fools By MARK D. MICKELSEN FARMINGTON It was a typical Thursday morning at the Davis County Commission chambers. LITTLE DID anyone know that a major upset was brewing, the story a reporter dreams of. The room wasn't overly stuffed with concerned citizens. A few county personnel wandered in and out, waiving travel requests and purchase orders for the commissioners to sign. COM. CHAIRMAN Ernest Eberhard streaked through piles of papers and forms with ease, peered from side to side asking his colleagues if they had any business to attend to, then, as is tradition, asked Com. Secretary Nancy Birmingham to read the minutes mi-nutes of a previous meeting. It was a typical Thursday. But it was April 1. A TRIO of local newspaper reporters sat hunched over in their chairs, some half asleep, others wishing they were. Then it happened. Something wasn't quite right. Instead of dismissing the meeting, as is always the case after the "reading of the minutes," Com. Eberhard turned the meeting over to Com. Harry Gerlach. I JUST want to tell the press, he said, that I have enjoyed working with you during the past 15 months in office. The reporters smiled. BUT, COM. Gerlach continued, there have been a number of complaints from citizens who don't think the commission is doing a good job of handling county coun-ty business. The story possibilities were growing. THEN THE news broke. In his most convincing dead-pan face, Com. Gerlach informed the press that he would be resigning from the commission, effective effec-tive Dec. 31, 1982. There was silence. "DOES THE press have any questions?' ' the commissioner com-missioner asked. "Did you decide this just today?" a concerned journalist asked. Gerlach nodded. ONE WOULD have thought that the entire commission com-mission might know what was going on. But a shocked shock-ed Com. Eberhard paused, looked at Gerlach and said." ...you're kidding." "Is your decision reversible," the press asked. JUST THEN, something became apparent to one reporter. April had begun. And the joke was on the audience. P.S. For those who are concerned, Com. Gerlach plans to remain a commissioner for a long time to come. |