Taylor said some of the coalition newsletter articles have bylines, others are prepared by the "editorial staff." He maintains there are some 40 residents backing the coalition.

"I don't see that as shadowy," he said. "We're smacking them upside the head with a mallet and we mean it."

Controversial issues treated in the coalition newsletter include not only the new City Center but also property rights, irrigation bills and police issues, including reduction of the already tiny force, all of which the coalition criticizes. The newsletters are mailed to every home in town and are on the Web at www.mapletoncoalition.com.

Among known coalition members are Wendell and Trudy Gibby, who are in the midst of a personal fight with the city, one they view as protecting their property rights on Maple Mountain. They own 120 acres on the hillside where the city has been actively discouraging development. The Gibbys have also filed a federal suit alleging Mapleton has abused their civil rights.

Wendell Gibby was recently found guilty of illegally plowing land that the city contends has long been a public access and part of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The land is in a critical environment zone. Gibby has appealed the conviction.

The city is seeking to use its power of eminent domain to assure public access to the trail, which city officials also say provides critical access for fire protection in the area.

---

E-mail: rodger@desnews.com