Attention Media: North Salt Lake is NOT Bountiful

North Salt Lake is a city itself. It is not SLC's capitol hill, Marmalade, or Rose Park -- it's not even in Salt Lake County. It's the southernmost city in Davis County, but it's not Bountiful either. This news story on KUTV would have been more helpful to me had it said NORTH SALT LAKE Center Street instead of Bountiful (which also has a Center Street).

To their credit, KUTV did correct this story at 9 a.m.


The SL Trib had a similar error in the headline, but at least the story body did say North Salt Lake.

Yes, I know it's irritating that the city name has "Salt Lake" in it (though may I point out that we actually border the Great Salt Lake, unlike Salt Lake City and County). And it's further annoying that we have our own set of street addresses starting from our own Center and Main streets, despite our tiny size, refusing to go along with the rest of South Davis County and align our numbers with Bountiful. But there it is. We are indeed a separate city and when news stories apply to North Salt Lake, it sure would be nice if the media could get it right.

And by the way, instead of using north (lower-case) Salt Lake to describe northern areas of Salt Lake City or County, why not be more specific and refer to Capitol Hill, or Rose Park, etc.?

Best animated short film

As seen today on CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood. Enjoy. Politics will return shortly.

OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT: "Oktapodi"
The thrilling tale of one octopus' quest to rescue its partner from the cooking pot is one of five nominees for Best Animated Short Subject.

For more info:
You can watch the video on the "Oktapodi" Web site

Buttars embarrasses Utah - again

UPDATE: Listen for yourself:


We can only hope that the rest of the world understands that the average Utahn is not like Chris Buttars -- that we don't think like him, that we are not narrow-minded bigots and homophobes. I'm thinking of putting up a web site called "Utah is Sorry World" (a take-off on the "We're Sorry World" web site that followed the Bush election).

It's on pretty much every blog and news site you'll read today. Buttars comparing gays to radical muslims and saying gays are the greatest threat to America. And then there's the YouTube video where he discusses Pig Sex - and I might add he seems to be VERY familiar with this topic. I'd post the video here, but it's been removed this afternoon.

Buttars promised he'd post a blog of his own today replying to the controversy. I imagined he wanted to apologize to both gays and muslims. Here it is. Although I don't see an apology in there anywhere.

Position on Traditional Marriage
By Chris Buttars
State Senator: District 10

Sometime in January, I talked with Reed Cowan for over an hour. I felt it was a friendly interview and we covered a lot of ground.

Reed assured me that he would treat both sides of the issue fairly and that I would be treated fairly. He told me the interview would be public in about a year and I would be allowed to see his work and approve my part before he released it.

I took Reed at his word and am disappointed.

I believe traditional marriage is the foundation of our civilization and I'll continue to support public policy that strengthens traditional marriage. I will also continue to oppose policy that undermines that foundation.

I've seen several groups already calling for Buttars' resignation.

UPDATE: Documentary maker Reed Cowan responds:

Reed Cowan responded to Buttars' claim later on Wedesday in a written response to ABC 4 saying: "Senator Buttars claim that he was somehow misled is a lie. He knew the topic of our film and he knew there would be opposing voices. Additionally, Senator Buttars claim that he had promise to review our material is a fabrication. His response today is a shameless diversion tactic to the larger issue. The tape speaks for itself." (Reed Cowan Productions)

"Counting the Cost" by Liz Adair - a book review

This is a little departure for this blog, but I think this author and book deserve some exposure and a wider audience. I hope my own readers here will consider picking up this lovely book. It's just a coincidence, but seems entirely appropriate that I would write a review of this love story on Valentine's Day. The book cover tells us:

Counting the Cost by Liz Adair is "a novel that will break your heart and elevate your spirits . . . a closely-etched picture of life in a hard country in hard times, filled with memorable people, and a love story as poignant as it is beautiful."
- Ronald Shook, PhD, Associate Professor of English, Utah State University

The story is fiction but is based on the lives of real people, with the author's uncle and aunt the main subjects of the story. Along the way you will find characters Lucy and Jimmy who I know are the author's parents. The places, the lives they lived, the hard times, and the heartbreak are all taken from real experiences.

Liz has a beautiful fluid style of writing that draws you into the story and makes you lose all track of time as you read. I was first introduced to Liz's work with her book of her mother's compiled letters, Lucy Shook's Letters From Afghanistan which I highly recommend as well.

In Counting the Cost, a New Mexico cowboy, Heck Benham, meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman newly arrived from back east. But Ruth is married, and nothing good can come from that secret love. Ruth is a complicated person, part charming and helpless, part scheming and disloyal, she is accustomed to the comforts of life and finds herself trapped in a marriage of convenience. Heck is a true cowboy - honest, hard-working, with traditional moral values and beliefs guiding him - he would never dream of interfering in another man's marriage. But life does not always work out according to plan, and a desperate situation causes Heck to go against his better judgment and run away and set up life with a married woman.

I'm going to avoid any spoilers here as it is a story that needs to unfold in its own way and I would do a great disservice to the reader to reveal too much. There are twists and turns along the way and it isn't all heartache. There are some very happy times in the humble lives of these people. With historical honesty Liz paints vivid pictures of New Mexico and Arizona country during that period and the people and their manner of living.

I recommend this book both for its story, but also for the interesting setting so beautifully interwoven throughout the book.

The book isn't available in bookstores at this time, but is easily obtained by ordering online: www.inglestonepublishing.com. A portion of the profits go to the SWAN organization, helping women in third world countries.

Cross-posted at Bekkie's Book Reviews

North Salt Lake Approves City Hall

Turns out the public hearing was last night and I happened to check the web site and found out in time to go (SLTrib had the date the 9th, and one wonders . . . nah).

The council chamber was filled but only perhaps a dozen people spoke -- only four against. I am not against the new city hall in principle, but I thought the dissenters made good points. A former councilman urged money to be spent for parks - open space - so much neglected in NSL.

The mayor's husband spoke in favor, telling us his wife did not write his speech and informing us that he had brought friends and neighbors for support. Indeed, as I looked around, it appeared that there was a coordinated group of people. At the end, the major thanked her friends and neighbors for their support as it warmed her heart.

But you see, this is how the public's business is done. Stack the public hearing just in case someone mounts an opposition. As I said, I'm not opposed, but politics on the small town scale can disappoint just like they do on other levels.

At the close of the public hearing, the council resumed official business and each council member as well as the police chief and a city detective had his or her say on the plan . Only one council member, Stan Porter, spoke against going ahead now with the plan citing concerns with the economy as well as the existing $4 million debt the city still owes on the golf course. All others were enthusiastic. Councilman Matt Hardy pointed out that now was a good opportunity as construction costs will be low. Councilwoman Lisa Baskin told us this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people, and you shouldn't have to live in a chicken coop.

But it was councilman Brian Horrocks who finally raised my concerns when he told about his evolving thought from against the project to thinking of remodeling, to agreeing with a new building, and finally to thinking that we needed to really make this nice so that 50 years from now people will look it with admiration. (In the software development world, we call this feature creep.) He managed to do a little political grandstanding in the process and even dragged in the name of Rocky Anderson, though he choked upon speaking the name and it brought titters from the gallery. And suddenly I realized, this will not just be a nice functional and beautiful city hall, but this is going to be a monument to this mayor and council. The mayor told us she would build the building but would not occupy the mayor's office as she was not standing for re-election. Something tells me they will be naming this the Schaefermeyer Memorial City Hall.

At the end of the discussion, it was moved and seconded that the city approve the building of the new city hall. A question was raised as to whether the motion included the current plan. Councilman Gordon clarified that the motion was to approve the capital expenditure for the new building only and specific plans would be approved later. Councilman Porter voted against, and all others voted in favor.

And just like that, the council gave itself carte blanche to build a city hall. No limits on the budget, no specific plan, nothing specific. Just a generic approval for a non-specific capital expenditure. I fully expected a positive vote, but I expected some constraints, some evidence of fiscal responsibility.

Pretty darn slick, I'll admit.

North Salt Lake Public Hearing

As I sit here listening to the president's press conference, and reading the news online, I came across this:

North Salt Lake to host hearing before deciding on new City Hall

A public hearing will be held tonight, and the City Council could decide on selecting a construction manager and approve building the project.

The new city hall would be built near the existing building along Highway 89 in this southern Davis County community. The old facility could be used as storage or be replaced by a library, city officials have said.

Two years ago, when the city studied the possibility of a new building, the cost was estimated at around $5.5 million, said City Recorder LaRae Dillingham, but due to falling construction costs, the price tag could be closer to $4 million.

During the past six years, North Salt Lake has reserved about $3 million to build a new home, Dillingham said.

The public hearing is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 20 S. Highway 89.

I don't recall seeing any other notice of this. Of course I don't subscribe to the Davis County Clipper (what I call Davis County Church News), so I sometimes miss these announcements. Still it would have been nice to know.

Paying the Wall Street Whiz Kids

President Obama has said the salaries and compensations for execs at bailed out institutions are going to be limited. But I have learned that the highest paid employees at these companies are not the execs, they are the brains, the mathematicians, the whiz kids, The Talent, as they are called.

I listened to a vigorous debate on MSNBC yesterday, mostly arguing against limitations on compensations for The Talent. If you don't pay them what they deserve they'll leave, and what will the banks do without The Talent?!

Well, two things come to mind:

If The Talent was doing its job, why was a bailout even necessary for those institutions where their work is irreplacable?

In this economy, where will The Talent go to find better employment? And what do they put on their resume about their previous job? I was The Talent for a company that needed billions of taxpayer dollars to keep from going out of business. Impressive.

And one final word for all those still defending bonuses. Everywhere I ever worked, bonuses were always tied to performance, and that means the company was doing well. If a company needs billions of dollars in a taxpayer gift, nobody in that company--nobody--deserves bonuses in any form.

I get the sense our president is outraged with the arrogance of those financial institutions. I just don't get how the teevee pundits seem to be as out of touch as the Wall Street failures themselves. ALL salaries and compensations must be limited--not just execs.

And as to whether or not The Talent is irreplacable, I'll paraphrase a favorite past boss of mine who had a great way of putting things in perspective:

Want to know how irreplacable you are? Put your fist in a bucket of water and pull it out and see how much of a hole you leave.

That applies to all of us. No-one can't be replaced.

I love Jesus but I drink a little

A friend on FB posted this. I just had to share. Listen all the way to the end. If laughter is the best medicine, this will cure whatever ails you.