Elizabeth Smart's classmates decorated a fence by Bryant Intermediate. Their affectionate expression remains 2 1/2 months after she vanished. Chuck Wing, Deseret News
Posted on 08/23/2002 9:35:01 PM PDT by IamHD
I don't know when Utahn children start school, but Elizabeth should/would be starting the 9th grade, soon. :(
The article is dated 1 July 2002, for those who are interested.
This struck me as odd the first time I heard it, and it still does. Moul is reportedly a man who keeps meticulous business records, and who seems to have a very vivid memory of certain events that have taken place in his business.......yet he was unable to remember exactly when this highly memorable event occurred? I would think that having a vehicle confiscated from one's business as part of a high profile abduction case would at least be worthy of documentation, if not vivid recall. I'm not trying to make a federal case out of this (literally)......I'm just saying it struck me as odd.
District hopes to put Elizabeth's siblings at ease
By Derek Jensen and Pat Reavy Deseret News staff writers
© 2002 Deseret News
Elizabeth Smart's classmates decorated a fence by Bryant Intermediate. Their affectionate expression remains 2 1/2 months after she vanished.
Chuck Wing, Deseret News
Summer vacation is nearly over for students across the Wasatch Front. But for the children of Ed and Lois Smart, the time off from school this year hardly could be considered a vacation.
Following a summer of police interviews, numerous searches and intense media attention as a result of the kidnapping 2 1/2 months ago of Elizabeth Smart, her four siblings go back to school this week. That includes her sister, Mary Katherine — the only known witness to the kidnapping — and three brothers.
With the resumption of recess, homework and cafeteria food, a host of questions is expected from curious classmates wanting to know what happened June 5 when Elizabeth was taken from her bedroom.
The Smart children will be in three different schools in the Salt Lake District this year, ranging from elementary to high school. The family asked that the names of those schools not be published out of concern for their children's safety.
For the most part, Mary Katherine, 10, will leave the protective shelter of family and friends for the fifth grade. Her mother said she plans to take the children to and from school every day — no more walking alone or riding the bus.
"We have warned them about things, about being alone, about staying with the group," Lois Smart said.
But while the Smarts want to protect their children, Ed Smart said he doesn't want to take away their childhood by making them paranoid about every step they take. There has to be a balance of allowing for childhood freedom and parental protection, he said.
And the two parents worry innocent inquiries from classmates could turn into intimations that had the frightened Mary Katherine screamed or told her parents sooner, the abduction may have been stopped.
Elizabeth Smart, kidnapped June 5, is still missing. The school district is asking the media not to bother her siblings as they return to school.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
"There is some concern," Lois Smart said. "We're hoping that she's strong enough."
"I believe she felt she was protecting the rest of the family and saving Elizabeth from being shot," she said. "I just want her to know she did the right thing. She was so brave. I can't even imagine lying there watching someone with a gun in your sister's back."
Mary Katherine feigned sleep in the early morning hours when a gun-toting intruder entered the bedroom she shared with Elizabeth. Mary Katherine heard the man threaten Elizabeth's life, then leave the room, according to police.
After the kidnapper led Elizabeth out of the room, Mary Katherine got up to notify her parents, but spotted her sister and the abductor in another part of the house. Terrified, she returned to bed and didn't wake her parents for another two hours.
The most important witness in this puzzling case, Mary Katherine has been generally sheltered from unparalleled media and public attention. Police say they're not worried about their star witness being tainted once she resumes school Tuesday.
"We can't just quarantine her forever," Capt. Scott Atkinson said.
Ed Smart concurred that he can't keep his children inside forever.
"I don't want to completely insulate them from the world," Smart said.
The Salt Lake School District wants to make the school day as normal as possible for the four young Smarts and everyone else, spokesman Jason Olsen said. Teachers and principals have been instructed to watch for teasing and excessive questioning regarding the case by classmates and overall distress, he said.
The district is asking members of the media to respect the Smart family's privacy and not follow Mary Katherine or any of the other Smart children to school or interview them.
The high awareness of stranger abductions that the Smart case and other kidnappings generated this summer will be on the minds of many parents as they prepare their children for school.
School districts are also aware of the concerns, but the public isn't likely to see any noticeable changes.
"Safety isn't something that we can all of a sudden cram for like an exam," said Jordan District spokeswoman Melinda Colton. "We believe that we have the programs in place that we focus on all year long."
"Sure we'll be more alert," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Sgt. Shane Hudson, whose department plans extra patrols near schools each morning and afternoon. "We'll also be more visible to help parents feel more comfortable."
Murray police detective Rob Hall said schools this year have requested officers talk to students about strangers much earlier than normal. His department also plans to increase patrols around the schools and surrounding neighborhoods once classes are in session.
But school districts and police agree that it takes more than a police presence to protect the children.
"We need all community members to be our eyes and ears. Watch for the kids walking to school," Colton said.
Many schools use the Operation Safe Passage program in which adults in the community keep an eye on the children as they walk to school.
Article --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Utah leads country in bankruptcy filings
By Rich Vosepka
Associated Press
Aug. 25, 2002
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah residents are more likely to file for bankruptcy than residents of any other state, according to a financial research organization.
During the year ending March 31, roughly one of every 35 Utah households filed for bankruptcy, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute, a Virginia-based research organization. That far outpaced the national average of one for every 69 households.
And the numbers aren't improving: July saw a record 1,915 filings, and 2002 is on pace to set a state record with more than 20,000 filings.
There's no simple explanation, financial experts say.
Some point to obvious factors: Utah's per-capita income ranks 45th in the nation. Its families, many of them part of the Mormon faith, are larger than those in other states. The job market is weak. The cost of living is relatively high.
The state is also the nation's youngest - the median age is 27.1, compared to 35.3 nationally - and its birth rate is the highest. That means fewer workers are supporting more people.
Experts say it may be that people in Utah are living closer to the financial edge, so they struggle when hard times or a crisis arrives.
"Most of the time, the problem arises not because of wild consumerism, but because something really bad happens," said Darren Bush, an economist and law professor at the University of Utah.
Attorney Kevin Whatcott agrees. He files as many as 300 bankruptcies each month at his Salt Lake City law firm. The people who come to see Whatcott usually have one of three stories: sickness, divorce or loss of a job.
"People are always living on the edge," Whatcott said. "As soon as there's one little hiccup, the interest starts building. In every single case, if people were paying cash rather than buying on credit, they'd probably be able to weather the storms."
Still another factor may contribute to Utah's spate of bankruptcies. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, based in Utah, counts 70 percent of the state's residents as members, and observant followers donate 10 percent of their income to the church.
Utah may be hardest hit, but it is hardly alone. A record 1.5 million people filed for bankruptcy in the United States the past year. Filings for the second quarter of 2002 were a record: more than 400,000, the American Bankruptcy Institute said.
Bush noted that irresponsible spending and overreliance on credit cards contribute to financial distress.
"Utahns don't save, just like the rest of the nation doesn't save. The first line of defense is credit cards," Bush said.
http://www.sltrib.com/08242002/utah/764746.htm
LDS Secrets Could Be Aired in Court
Saturday, August 24, 2002
BY KEVIN CANTERA
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Nearly two decades after Elroy Tillman was sent to death row for murdering his ex-lover's boyfriend, his lawyers will seek testimony Friday that reveals secret details about an LDS temple ceremony.
Third District Judge Leslie Lewis scheduled next week's proceeding after an hourlong hearing Friday in which Tillman's lawyers and attorneys from the state argued whether new evidence should be admitted in the case.
Lawyers for Tillman said that defense counsel during his 1983 murder trial did not understand subtle religious references made by a prosecutor during the sentencing phase. They say Mormon jurors were influenced by the allusions when they condemned Tillman to die.
"When [Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Michael] Christensen talked about 'God shall not be mocked,' the defense lawyer could not know it was part of the LDS temple ritual," said Michael Sikora, one of Tillman's attorneys.
Assistant Utah Attorney General Erin Riley countered that two separate Tillman petitions for post-conviction relief already dealt with the questionable statements. Those petitions failed in state and federal court.
Lewis has yet to rule on Tillman's request for an evidentiary hearing, which also would examine whether prosecutors withheld transcripts of a police interview with Tillman's accomplice, Carla Sagers.
Sagers accompanied Tillman when he crept into a Salt Lake City home May 26, 1982, and used an ax to bludgeon Mark Schoenfeld, who was dating Tillman's ex-girlfriend. Sagers received immunity for her key testimony at trial.
Next week's hearing was scheduled to accommodate McCaye Christianson, another of Tillman's lawyers, who is planning a yearlong trip to Austria. A lifelong Mormon, Christianson noticed the alleged LDS references when she joined Tillman's defense team last year.
Testimony is expected from writer Tim Slover, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has worked at Brigham Young University. Slover has said in an affidavit that Christensen made references to the Mormon temple endowment ceremony, which members believe is a necessary part of achieving eternal life.
Sikora asked that the hearing be closed to the news media because of church leaders' "sensitivity" over revealing details of the sacred ceremony. Lewis rejected that request.
Tillman's execution, once scheduled for June 24, 2001, has been stayed until all the legal issues have been resolved.
kcantera@sltrib.com
Hunger a Lingering Problem for Utah Poor
BY JACOB SANTINI
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
Katherine Scott, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army, did not believe a recent Center on Hunger and Poverty study that said Utah had the fourth-highest rate of hunger nationally even as its economy boomed in the late 1990s.
So she checked annual figures to see how many people the Salvation Army had served at its downtown Salt Lake City food pantry, soup kitchen and clothing outlet.
Again, she could not believe what she found.
The number of families served in the first nine months of the organization's fiscal year, which ends Sept. 1, was 3,371. The entire year before, 1,267 families received assistance from the Salvation Army, Scott said.
Plus, the number of food orders given to families increased from 1,958 for all of 2001 to 2,653 individual orders in the first nine months of the fiscal year.
"We're getting more and more families," Scott said Wednesday.
The study by the Center on Hunger and Poverty, based at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, reported that 4.5 percent of Utahns suffer from hunger, while 12.5 percent of Utah families could be classified as "food insecure," meaning they were unsure of where their next meal would be coming from. The report was based on data compiled between 1998 and 2000 by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Advocates for Utah's hungry say the Brandeis study shows the working poor did not experience the benefits of an economy that boomed in the late 1990s. Emergency food providers are more concerned now that the state's economy is suffering.
More evidence? The thinning shelves of the Salvation Army's food pantry.
Peggy Swanson, the manager for Salvation Army family services, said Wednesday the pantry has enough supplies to last 36 more hours.
"I look at the families and my heart goes out," Swanson said. "I'm the one that has to tell them, 'I can't help you.' "
Even with low supplies, Swanson wasn't turning people away Wednesday. People like Demedrio, an immigrant from Mexico and father of six children.
In October, Demedrio lost one of his jobs, paying $10 an hour, and now the only work he has pays $7 an hour as a landscaper on Mondays and Tuesdays. He has visited the Salvation Army about every two or three months in the meantime, receiving enough food to last his family for two weeks.
"He's not a lazy man," Swanson said. "He works hard."
When Demedrio came to Utah two years ago, he quickly found two jobs that paid enough that he didn't need help. With one job, Demedrio said, "Not enough money."
He added: "I'm looking for a job."
The Utah Food Bank, which collects food donations and distributes the supplies throughout the state, also is short on food.
"It's not uncommon for the food bank to go through peaks and valleys of donations," said Jeff Golden, a spokesman for the food bank. "We're in a valley right now."
Over the past year, the food bank has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of families requesting help.
The next food bank food drive is in October, when the agency starts its holiday campaign.
Harmons grocery stores, in the meantime, are helping to collect food donations, Golden said.
The food bank is looking for donations of staples, such as peanut butter, canned foods and macaroni and cheese. It also will accept vegetables grown in backyard gardens.
We know that You are the sovereign God. You love Elizabeth infinitely more than any human is capable of loving her. We commit her to You with our complete trust, knowing that You take good care of Your own. Father, we long for the day when Elizabeth can return to her family, her friends, and her school. But Lord, if that is not Your will for her, then we know You have a far better plan that will be for her ultimate good. So we trust in You, Lord, and ask that what is hidden may be revealed. May Your angels surround Elizabeth and shield her brothers and sister as they return to their classes. Send wonderful friends to them, Father, and let there be peace within them. Hear our prayers for the law enforcement men and women, that Your wisdom may lead them to the answers to this heart-breaking mystery. We commit all of this to You, Father, knowing that You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
BBC News reports: "Human trafficking has reached staggering proportions, affecting more than 700,000 people a year, a US State Department report says. US Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the first annual report, Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, at a press conference on Thursday. ... Most of the victims of trafficking are women and children, the report says. ... Mr Powell said a special task force would be set up in the United States 'to safeguard the vulnerable, to punish the traffickers, to care for their victims and to prevent future trafficking.' ... US Secretary of State Colin Powell called the practice an 'abomination against humanity' and said Washington would work to put an end to it. The report lists the root causes for trafficking as 'greed, moral turpitude, economics, political instability and transition and social factors'. Many countries are working to end the problem, the report says, but it lists 23 that are failing to do so. Among them ... are close American allies, including ... Israel, Saudi Arabia... . Israel, the report says, is a destination point mainly for women trafficked from former Soviet states, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Asia. But the report notes that the Israeli Government has 'begun to take some steps' to combat the problem. The report says that in Saudi Arabia, some expatriate workers were 'forced into domestic servitude and sexual exploitation'. ... Under legislation passed by the US Congress last year, countries have until 2003 to show that they are serious about ending the practice, otherwise Washington may impose sanctions against them."A223 We do not know if the Saudi princes have an interrelationship with the Israelis in either the sex slavery or body parts businesses where both are heavily involved. We have reported a relationship in importing the illegal extasy drug into Saudi Arabia in order to further numb the unemployed youth under the Saud family control. We do not give much credence into the State Department effort of enforcing the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act. The State Department under the "special relationship" rubric has historically ignored human rights infractions committed by either the Saud family or the Israelis.
Posted: 2002-06-19 01:45
I just thought that it should get circulated not only in UTAH, but all over the US. Who knows where this little girl may end up..May God bless her family.
Try this link.
http://www.elizabethsmart.com/flyer.htm
--------
Posted: 2002-06-19 14:09
she lives near us
It's increadibly nerve wrecking.
_________________
Posted: 2002-06-20 00:00
Oh shi* Chimmy, I had no idea that little girl lived near you! Very sad indeed. The facts of this case are very bewildering. I saw The View today and they were interviewing some men who were experts in child abductions, and even tho I have heard it before, when he said that if they do not recover the missing child within the first 24-48 hrs then the chance of finding him/her alive are slim to nil. So sad.
_________
Posted: 2002-07-13 02:39
What is the latest info on this case? I haven't seen anything or heard about it for a few days now.
-------
Posted: 2002-07-13 03:41
well - there have been MANY organised searches, mostly on saturdays. But we feel that she was sold in the child market.
There is a HUGE demand for blond hair blue eyes young girls here - mostly via the asian market.
I would much rather her dead, than of been sold - but I fear that may of very well been what happened
http://www.pregnancy.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=25095&forum=291&7
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.