| Description |
The Marriott-Slaterville City History Collection was created by the residents of the town to document their history. The collection includes Autobiographies, Oral Histories, History of Marriott, History of Slaterville, and the History of the Merging Townships to create Marriott-Slaterville City. This information has left behind rich histories, stories and important information regarding the history of the Marriott-Slaterville area. |
| OCR Text |
Show Marriott-Slaterville City press release - for immediate release Date: October 24, 2007 Bill Morris, City Administrator Marriott-Slaterville City 1570 West 400 North Marriott-Slaterville, Utah 84404 Phone: (801)627-1919 FAX: (801)627-1880 THE BUG PROCLAMATION CONTROVERSY Marriott-Slaterville City - On the lighter side, supporters of a local proclamation are seeking to name the Box Elder Bug the Official Insect of Marriott-Slaterville City. The proclamation arose because the insect is so ubiquitous in the community and no other city has yet named it as its official insect. Supporters give their reason for pushing this proclamation citing the fact that the Box Elder Bug has historically roamed this area since before the pioneers. Also, supporters state, "[the Box Elder Bug] is a harmless bug that just seems to pop up unexpectedly, wander around a bit, and is generally a happy little creature." Opponents of the Box Elder Bug point to the fact that the insect is a nuisance and "just drops on people out of nowhere and scares the heck out of them." Box Elder Bug opponents are pushing for the Mosquito to be named the City's Official Insect stating it is a much more "feared and popular" creature. As the rancorous debate wages both sides are dropping bug bombs. Supports of the Box Elder Bug say that the opponents are "just out for blood," but do admit that Box Elder Bugs have been known to "frighten" people from time-to-time and say the same for Mosquitos. "We just feel that these creatures should not be discriminated against," said one Box Elder Bug supporter. Council Member Scott VanLeeuwen claimed he did notice a Box Elder Bug roaming the corner of the mayor's office the other day. Mayor Keith Butler denied this claim, and said that he would consider vetoing any insect related proclamation. Council Member Kim Slater who represents the city on the Weber Mosquito Abatement District was out-of-town and could not be reached for comment. Despite the upcoming election, Council President Dennis Ilium has been unusually silent on the issue, as is his challenger Randy Phipps. Gerald Bishoff who is running against Mr. VanLeeuwen did not want to make the proclamation an election issue. However, the political sentiment runs deeps as Box Elder Bug supporters and Mosquito supporters push their positions. Bill Morris, City Attorney, recently received a letter from the Utah Attorney General's citing numerous complaints about criminal electioneering and that public entities are prohibited from spending public money to support or oppose ballot propositions. Any election violation is to be handled by local prosecutors. Mr. Morris indicated that since the proclamation mentioned in this article is "fictional" that there is no violation of state election law. Page 1 of 2 67 |
