A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with one of my favorite advertisers, a hopelessly cheery woman who I adore. But I was shocked almost to tears when she accused me and this publication of being too negative.
(Here we go again...) Negative?...ME?
"You'll never believe this," I told her, "But I am one of the most optimistic people you will ever meet."
She thought that was pretty funny. After she'd caught her breath and I'd helped her off the floor where she was writhing in convulsive laughter, I attempted to explain myself.
"Look," I said. "Do you know what I think one of the most striking and significant characteristics of an optimistic person is?"
She shook her head dubiously.
"Outrage," I told her. "Controlled and properly applied outrage."
My friend ran her hand across her face as she uncomfortably shifted from foot to foot. "What in the world are you talking about?" she asked. She gazed at me with studied bewilderment.
"Okay...stay with me a minute. Do you mind if I sit down?"
Now she was really worried. "How long is this going to take?"
"Not long. You'll be out of here by noon."
"But it's only nine-thirty!"
"Okay...eleven. Please listen to me...In this crazed world of ours, when we see something happening around us that we think is wrong, we have two choices: we can either act to change them; or we can simply accept them and prepare for the consequences.
"Only by being outraged, will any of us make the effort or take the time to do the right thing. Outrage led to the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation and Women's Suffrage and the Civil Rights Act. Outrage created the Wilderness Act and the Clean Air Act. It was when people got mad enough...outraged enough to take action, that any of these changes occurred."
"Haven't you written about this before?"
"Probably, but it's a recurring theme that should be re-stated from time to time."
My friend sighed and sat down next to me. "I sort of see your point, but I just can't stand all the pessimism that comes from environmentalists like you. It just never stops."
"That's not true and you know it," I said defensively. "First of all, you know that the Zephyr can be one of the silliest and dumbest publications that ever had the nerve to reproduce. There are all kinds of 'comic relief' to break the grimness.
"But second, and much more importantly, do you want me to tell you what a real pessimist sounds like?" I challenged.
"Uh...not really," she replied.
"Okay, I'll tell you anyway. My idea of a pessimist is somebody who hears about a new tram in Moab or another condo development or another bonehead move by a Utah Congressman and hears the outrage from others and puts his hands over his ears and says, 'Like...this is all so NEGATIVE. I think this kind of negative energy is, like, really sad. I can find such happiness in my organic garden and taking hikes with my friends and just being, like...happy. I mean, like, I recycle. Why can't you people just be happy? There are still nice places to hike. You can't stop any of this anyway, so, like, why make yourselves miserable?'
"Now that is a pessimistic person...someone in such denial that they refuse to acknowledge the reality around them, and the responsibility to defend the very things that they allegedly find most precious in their lives. It's stumbling through life with blinders on. It's ignoring the obvious. It's outrageous and hypocritical to boot!
"On the other hand, someone who is outraged enough to act believes that things can get better. That positive change is possible. That it's worth the screaming and elevated blood pressure to see something through to its conclusion, win or lose."
"I never say 'like' in a sentence," she glared.
"My dear friend, I'm not even talking about you. Your grasp of the English language is to be commended and I know you have a great passion for right and wrong. I was creating a hyperbolic stereotypical generalization to make a point. Just don't assume that outrage is a bad thing. It has its place."
"So the bottom line is: you're a positive upbeat optimist because you're constantly outraged and annoyed and if the world were similarly infuriated, the world would be a better place to live?"
"Something like that."
"Nobody will ever believe it."
"Probably not."
Ok...so maybe outrage isn't always appropriate. After weeks and months of careful study and evaluation, I've prepared a list to show just how optimistic this publication can be. The "Good News" highlights of our beloved Moab, Utah.
1. We ONLY have two trams. It could be worse. You want to laugh at the idea of a third tram? We've laughed before...
2. New Stoplights! In the not so distant future, 18-wheel truckers hauling radioactive waste to the White Mesa Mill in San Juan County will be able to ignore NEW stoplights in downtown Moab. The Utah Department of Transportation is in the process of installing new lights at three Moab intersections. The bigger, brighter, and significantly more obvious lights will probably make no difference whatsoever to the heavy trucks who consistently shoot through yellow/red lights at speeds exceeding the limit. And it will probably make little if any difference to the Moab P.D. either. So it's still a free-for-all. If you get pulled over by a cop for a similar infraction, just say, "The BIG TRUCKS do it...why can't I?"
3. Nobody has shot Herb McHarg. In the grand tradition of Scott Groene, Moab's SUWA rep continues to tirelessly defend public lands and push for a decent Utah wilderness bill. But how can anybody with such a kid face be a pugnacious watchdog? Because looks can be deceiving. Rrrrrf.
4. The Moab Diner Lives On. With the Moab invasion of every national fast food franchise known to western civilization, the Moab Diner has not only survived as a small town, independently-owned cafe, it has flourished. Good food, fast and friendly service, at a reasonable price. The Diner appeals to everyone, from oldtime Moabites to Aspen Yupsters. And it is THE RESTAURANT OF CHOICE for Dr. Richard Ingebretsen of the Glen Canyon Institute (interviewed elsewhere in this issue).
5. Bill Hedden is Running for the County Council Again. Hedden was one of the Original Seven citizens to be elected to the new county council form of government after the referendum of 1992. He served bravely and honestly for four years and now returns to the political ring. Anywhere else in America, Bill would be our U.S. Congressman--he's that talented.
6. Moab Cops Crack Down on Cell Phone Motorists. A friend of mine recently got popped for speeding on Main Street while yakking on a cell phone. He's convinced it was the phone that cooked his goose and I say: Good Job Moab P.D. but what if you're a trucker chatting on a cell phone?
7. Steen Proclaims Big "G" Moab's Oldest Billboard. When a vandal (or vandals) obliterated the historic Big G emblem last month, those fatheads opened a can of squirmy worms. Mark Steen, owner of the land upon which the "G" was emblazoned, claims that, "next to the Atlas Tailings Pile, nothing has greater sentimental value to me and my family than the Big 'G.'"
Steen intends to restore the familiar white letter. In fact, he may even expand the site to include any letter that anyone wants...at a price. Steen believes that, in fact, the Big "G" is Moab's oldest billboard. I envision a big..."Z."
8. Rural Net "Service" in Moab. Moab's internet provider, Rural Net, the company run by hamsters, ONLY disconnects its customers from the Internet about two-thirds of the time. In baseball, a batting average of .333 would be really good and after getting constantly disconnected from the Internet by Rural Net, I often want to hit them with a baseball bat.
9. Bob's Sanitation Still Has the City Garbage Contract. After all the years of fighting and bickering, Bob Hawks has the contract again and...what a relief. Let's not do any more switching. If it's costing more, I could care less. The service is honest and reliable and that means everything. Or at least it should.
10. IT'S STILL BLOODY HOT! Look at it this way, if it was always a cool and breezy 72 degrees, even Moab's most voracious entrepreneurs would be screaming, "Enough already!" as the town succumbed completely to the tourists. The heat may make us crazy but it keeps the town saner than it would be otherwise.
And the BONUS "Good News" highlight: With a little bit of luck, we just might see that Atlas tailings pile moved...let's just hope that they don't take the vacant land and build a Hilton with a golf course and a THIRD tram.
And if you have still more good news, let me know.
I and others feel that the name should not be Glen Canyon...You folks may prefer something else and I don't really care as long as it's not Glen Canyon.
Dan Schroeder, Vice Chair, Utah Chapter
August 18, 1999
If you are a regular reader of this publication, you're more than aware of attempts over the last year by a group of local activists to start a southern Utah group of the Sierra Club's Utah Chapter. We wanted to call it The Glen Canyon Group and wanted to make the restoration of Glen Canyon Dam one of our major priorities. After all, draining Lake Powell is a position supported unanimously by the national board.
But the chapter fought to stifle the group at every turn and the conflict became very ugly. But now, the Utah Chapter has lost its attempt to kill the Glen Canyon Group.
Last March the chapter agreed to hold a meeting in Moab to see if there was "any interest" in the formation of a group. A healthy turnout from across southern Utah showed up for the Moab meeting and this spring, ballots were sent to all 120+ Sierra Club members who reside within the seven county group boundary. We were given the opportunity to vote on a name (In addition to Glen Canyon, I think the group was offered "Canyonlands" and "Colorado Plateau" as alternatives. I can't recall for sure because it didn't matter.
Chapter ExCom members are reportedly stunned at the turnout: Fifty percent of all members in southern Utah sent in their ballots--a remarkably high level of participation, given the chapter's dismal 1-2% voter turnout for chapter-wide elections--and overwhelmingly, we chose the name "Glen Canyon" as our group name.
In addition, the new group needed to select five of its members to serve on a group Executive Committee. Ken Sleight, who served as interim chair of the new group before it received official group status, and who was maligned and attacked by various members of the Utah Chapter for his pro-drain Lake Powell position, received the greatest number of votes. Others elected to the group ExCom are John Weisheit, Patrick Diehl, Kevin Walker, and Jean Binyon.
From within the new group ExCom, a chairman will be elected and that person will sit on the Chapter Executive Committee. If there is any justice in this world, the group will have the good sense and the vision and the courage to select Ken Sleight. He was there with the group at the beginning, he has the led the fight for environmental issues for 45 years, and he deserves the opportunity. The group meets on August 3 to make its choice and to set goals and plans for the future. I wish them good luck and the courage to stand by their own convictions.
If you wish to contact any of the group ExCom members before the meeting, here are their email addresses:
Ken Sleight: ksleight@lasal.net. John Weisheit: john@drainit.org Patrick Diehl: toripat@color-country.net. Kevin Walker: kwalker@xmission.com. Jean Binyon: binyon@lasal.net.
I know...I must be making all of you sick by now. But one more tidbit of good news--this even comes from the City of Moab. There has been a lot of concern expressed lately about Moab's growing light pollution problem. I got a taste of it first hand when a hideous new sodium vapor street light went up next to Dave's Corner Market on Mill Creek Dr. It lit up my entire backyard, and of course I was livid.
I called the city and spoke to Janet Lowe, who had been handling light pollution issues and she promised to take a look at it. The next day she called back with good news: those kinds of street lighta are the easiest of all designs to remedy with a hood or shield. BUT the lights actually belong to the State of Utah who currently manages the trailer court for which the lights were installed. Janet passed my concerns along to Brent Williams, the City Works Director, who got the names of the State people who oversee the property. I called Shelli Goble, who could not have been more cooperative, and a few days later, Brent installed a shield over the light that has cut the glare by about 95%.
I'm stunned. I'm amazed. And I'm grateful. Thanks.