LeBaronLogic

Next Door Neighbor gets a High Five

Sometimes there are just heartwarming stories on the news. KSL - 5 TV honors individuals who have accomplished things and/or are just good human beings. The news station recognizes these individuals with a "High Five" (from channel 5), a clip on the news and some goodies.  One such good man is Rollin Sattler, my next door neighbor in American Fork. Mr. Sattler is a World War II veteran having fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He also volunteers at the LDS Bishops Storehouse, keeps a great yard, is involved in his community and provides service for others. Click here for a brief uplifting video of the award. Click "play" in the upper left for a larger picture. (There is a short advertisement at the beginning). Check out some cameos from other neighbors - some you will recognize, but may have to replay it 2 or 3 times. Way to Go Rollin! It is an honor living next to you.

"Pioneer Children Sang as They Walked and Walked and Walked"

Excerpt from Brigham Young: American Moses, published by Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1985.

Having taken the lead, Brigham Young and his immediate company entered the Salt Lake Valley on September 20. John Taylor, senior apostle in the Salt Lake Valley, started out on horseback to meet the president, astride "a Spanish pony." As they were riding across the fort where most of the people were living, his horse reared, Taylor was injured, and he could not proceed. Upon his arrival Brigham called to see him. According to Mary Isabella Horne, who was present, Brigham remarked that Taylor's horse was like many people, "only the people had the stiffness in their necks and the horses had it in their legs."

The last wagons rolled into the main fort four days later. That afternoon Brigham addressed a large congregation of Saints at the Bowery (an open-air meeting place covered with limbs and leaves), erected for public meetings on Temple Square. He commended the people for their "industry" and expressed his "joy in being able to come here in safety". That this is the place he had seen before he came here & it was the place for the Saints to gather.

At the end of a 1,031-mile journey, Thomas Bullock recorded "86 travelling days at an average of 12 miles per day; 36 days lay still. Total 122 days from Winter Quarters to Great Salt Lake City."

Brigham had made his long trek to Zion for the last time. He was in his new home, where he would spend the next 29 years.

Happy Pioneer Day.

Secondary Irrigation FAQs

The following reflects questions from neighbors and citizens alike. I have attempted to fashion some simple answers with one CAVEAT: I am not an engineer or accountant. Information may be updated from time to time (see the answer to the last question). Sooooo  here goes . . .

Q. How much is the system really going to cost and how does that affect me?

A. The city approved a bond, which will be paid over a number of years. The bond is guaranteed by income and assests owned by the city. It may cost upward of 47 million dollars. You will not see an increase in taxes, but your water bill may go up a small portion.

Q. Why hasn't there been any dirt turned yet?

A. The system is now being designed and engineered. This fall should see some digging. There is much work being done behind the scenes.

Q. How much and long are our streets going to be torn up? especially in front of my house?

A. Probably for 3 to 4 weeks for a period of 2-3 years in 3 stages.

Q. Can my kids still play in the sprinkler and get a drink from the hose?

A. Absolutely. You will have two different hose bibs on your house. They will be different colors. Of course you cannot drink from the the irrigation bib. This water is like water from the river and is untreated. Water from the culinary tap can be played with in a sprinkler along with drink from this tap. Education on this matter and other safety concerns will be conducted.

Q. Why is it going to take 3 years? Can't we triple our efforts and get done in a year?

A.  We are going to proceed on a city wide basis. But there are priority areas, all of which will take three years.

Q. How are we handling inflation and the continuing increasing cost of goods and supplies?

A. Those costs are included in the bonding. We are already seeing increased prices in piping as petroleum costs continue to go up.

Q. What about my irrigation company shares, what will happen to them?

A. Irrigation shareholders will remain owners of their shares. They will be charged a lesser amount. Cooperative agreements have been fashioned with interested parties to handle issues.

Q. How am I going to be charged? and how does this compare to others?

A. Charges are going to be according to area of land owned. This compares favorably to our neighboring cities and will be slightly higher than our culinary water rates.

Q. How can I get more info and answers to other questions?

A. The City and Horrocks Engineers will soon be launching a web site to answer ongoing questions. There will be an interactive element, allowing questions, forums, chat rooms and bulletins etc. Construction plans and areas of activity will also be highlighted. A  hot line phone number, where citizens can call and have questions and concerns answered directly will also be included.

Too Close to Home

We see the images of the war on terror in print and electronic media, but the casualties are not supposed to come to our community and certainly not a friend's home; but it does and it has. We received the sad news that Sgt. Nathan Barnes, son of Kevin and Donna Barnes of American Fork lost his life in the supreme sacrifice of dying in the battle field. I did not know Nathan, a life long resident of American Fork; but I know Kevin. Kevin is a dedicated father, scouter, agent for Farmers Insurance and involved in grass roots Republican party work as well as local civic affairs. This is where I met Kevin several years ago. I visited briefly with a broken hearted father in Kevin this morning. A most sobering experience. And yet this dad was so proud of the service Nathan gave. Make no mistake about it, the family is resolved that he was doing the right thing. He certainly was. Defending our freedom abroad and not merely "facilitating the move to a democratic government" that talking head Chris Matthews was putting forth as "the" cause in a late night apperance yesterday on Jay Leno's show. Thanks to young men like Nathan, we are fighting terrorists on their soil as opposed to ours. The following newspapers have followed this most difficult story: dnews, herald and sltrib. Broadcast news reports are found at ksl and abc4. The soldier's body is expected to be returned home in 7-10 days, funeral arrangements are pending. May God bless this good family and give them peace that they so need and deserve.

Where in the World is votelebaron.com?

Good question. If you have tried to access my campaign website at votelebaron.com you are referred directly to this blog. This blog is primarily for constituents regarding city issues, mixing some sports (basketball, other), general observations inc. law related and life in general. And of course a smattering of campaigning (during the season). Since I am reconstructing my council re-election website, you are stuck here for the time being. The good news is you can communicate somewhat directly, it is easier to post items and stay current.  There are some threshold ideas/issues to think about as we move toward earnest campaigning late summer/early fall.My colleague on the council Heidi Rodeback in her blog had this to say in a posting regarding criteria for Jimmy Cates' replacement:

Q. What makes a good City Council member?

A.  . . .  1. A person who communicates well; 2. Somebody who has substantial experience with two or more aspects of the City, so that he can see the big picture; 3. Who is open and willing to consider questions (issues) from all points of view; 4. Who has the time and ability to serve; and, finally, 5. Somebody who will fit well into the synergy and momentum the current Council enjoys. (emphasis and numbers added)

I believe that is what the citizenry wants as well. I submit that I meet that criteria to the extent that I am asking the public for another term. I suspect it will be my last term. I feel that others should have the experience of serving. Public Service and more so on the local level is not a career but a slice of ones life. It is an enriching experience that others should share. The first 2 years, you are settling in; the second 2 years you begin to formulate change and progress; the last 4 years (2nd term) you are the most effective, particularly if you serve without re-election in mind (as I have tried to do the first 4 years).

There are two other threshold questions and statements to pose:

1. Are we on the right track, making progress and improvements in the community the last 4 years generally and the last 2 years specifically?
2. The late Jimmy Cates  in a classic 2005 campaign question;  "If you want to know what kind of council member I HAVE BEEN, ask the other council members."

Let the Games (Municipal Campaigning) Begin,

but please, not until say mid-September? because in American Fork there will be No Primary Election on September 11 2007, as there are not at least 7 or more candidates for 3 four - year term offices (only 5 filed). Also there is only 1 candidate for the 2 year slot (Jimmy Cates  remaining term). There will be a quiz on all of this at the end of this post. Today at 5pm, about 66 minutes ago, the municipal election filing deadline came and passed. Not having a primary will save the city $12,500 in costs, which begs the question; Is it a vote of confidence? Is the community electorate satisfied with the progress being made by the current governing body? Are we on the right track ? OR is apathy the catch word of the day? Me-thinks more of the former, to be set out more fully in the coming days and weeks along with candidate profiles, issues and analyses. See below for 2007 American Fork City Candidates (other candidates for Utah cities will be detailed in tomorrows newspapers or online perhaps).  Note: The General Election will be held November 6, 2007 and will include the statewide School Voucher Referendum.

                                             CANDIDATES FOR AMERICAN FORK

                                                                CITY COUNCIL

                                                                  2007 BALLOT

                                                  ***NO PRIMARY REQUIRED

FOR CITY COUNCIL (4-years):     3 vacancies

George E. Brown, Jr. 

Sherry Kramer (i)          

Shirl Don LeBaron (i)   

Jason Porter                

Ricky K. Storrs (i)         

FOR CITY COUNCIL (2-years):     1 vacancy

Dale O. Gunther (i)                             (i) incumbent

Horns, Horseshoes and Hot Rods

It's the last day of American Fork's City celebration called "Steel Days". On Wednesday french horns and their cousins in the AF Symphony officially opened the festivities with a "Salute to America".  The Symphony played patriotic music such as the Armed Forces Salute, where each serviceman stands when his service branch song is played. Stars and Stripes Forever concluded the inspiring and well played concert albeit some timid weather (wind and sprinkles). Next up was the amateur horse shoe competition, new to this year. About 2 dozen competitors lined up to try their luck. Of course the baby contest, arts fest downtown, picnic in the park and the large screen movie were among the many activities for young and old. We had a youth theater production of  the Land of Oz proportions, the 5k run named after the late Bob Phelps who was involved in this activity as well as the Parks and Recreation Committee. You can't forget the Grand Parade this morning. And tonight the Big Show with Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, Peter Breinholt and Jon Schmidt and the highlight.....the best 30 minutes of Fireworks in the state. There has been great participation and few glitches except for some porta potty problems (just lack of) and waste containers (lack of also), but fun was had for all. If you missed it; circle your 2008 calendar for the second and third weekend in July (July 12 and 19th) for the next edition.

Oh, I almost forgot my Hot Rod reference in the title . . . which refers to the Car Show with classics, model Ts and all. Tonight is the popular cruise on Main Street and the pulse pounding Burn Out on State and Center. See you somewhere tonight or next year! By the way, I will have visited every event, something I guess the City Council Advisor to the Celebration Committee should do. And while we are on the subject, ginormous (now a word in the Webster Dictionary) KUDOS to the Committee and Volunteers, great job! We also have 3 bonus days next Thursday through Saturday when the carnival will be in town as a stand alone event. Special thanks to Sweet Candy Company for the donation of taffy for the parade and Doug Smith Autoplex for the classy Cross - Fire convertible used in the parade.

07-07-07

Was it your lucky day today? Some randomness: For me, some yard work, some shopping, some BBQ, some paperwork , this blog and that's the day. I'm sure I'll not view the edited movie Seven again today. That ending still creeps me out. There were 38,000 marriages scheduled today. Question . . . How does someone know that? Is there a marriage scheduling guru somewhere? With the divorce rate hovering over 50%, does that mean there will be 19,000 breakups before the 7 year itch comes around? They announced the new SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD today. The votes are in and the winners...

1. Chichen Itza (Mexico), 2. The Great Wall of China, 3. Petra (Jordan), 4. Christ the Redeemer (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 5.Macchu Picchu (Peru), 6. The Roman Coliseum (Italy), and  7. Taj Mahal (India).

The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, were assured of retaining the status in addition to the new seven after indignant Egyptian officials said it was a disgrace they had to compete. About 100 million votes were cast by the Internet and cellphone text messages.

The seven beat out 7 times 2 (14) other nominated landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Easter Island in the Pacific, the Statue of Liberty, the Acropolis, Russia's Kremlin, Cambodia's Angkor and Australia's Sydney Opera House. (first losing seven).

Also among the losing candidates (second losing seven) were Spain's Alhambra, Turkey's Hagia Sophia, Japan's Kiyomizu Temple, St. Basil's Cathedral, Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, Britain's Stonehenge and Mali's Timbuktu.

For an interesting article on the number seven, see Frank Deford's essay.

Of Fireworks, Parades and . . .

John Adams to Abigail Adams:

Philadelphia July 3d. 1776

. . . But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. —

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.

Printed in Adams Family Correspondence, 2:29-33

Note: Future President Adams was off by two days, however. Certainly, the vote on July 2 was the decisive act. But July 4, 1776 is the date on the Declaration itself. Jefferson's stirring prose, as edited by the Congress, was first adopted by the July 4 vote. July4 was also the first day Philadelphians heard the official news of independence from the Continental Congress, as opposed to rumors in the street about secret votes.

Steel Days . . . Around the Corner

Early this year I received several emails from former residents, who live out of state inquiring about Steel Days (American Fork City's Annual Celebration) activities. It was heart warming to hear how they, along with their extended family plan for months to come to our city to take in the events and activities this July 9 -14 and then the Carnival in a bonus event the following week from July 19-21.

I want to publicly thank the Mayor and my City Council colleagues in supporting Steel Days funding and activities. Thanks also to city staff and of course our volunteers, who spend countless hours on our behalf.

We welcome you to our cities’ 2007 Celebration! This is a time when we as a community have the opportunity to take pause and celebrate our city’s heritage and quality of life, with friends, neighbors and family.

As you join together with your family, neighbors and friends in fun and fellowship, take a minute to extend a word of appreciation to the many volunteers who make this all possible. These volunteers begin working together planning the next years celebration almost as soon as the last fireworks wink at the spectators.

Come join the fun and festivities! For one day or the whole week or two. Make a lasting memory with your family and community at our 2007 American Fork Steel Days celebration.

Shirl Don LeBaron

American Fork City Councilman,

Steel Days Committee Advisor