This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Members of the LDS Fruit Heights Sixth Ward were greeted with an unusual sight as they came to church the Sunday before the election.

One of the longtime ward members is Bonnie Flint, who ran for the Legislature in House District 17 as a Democrat. Even though she only received 29 percent of the vote, she received the highest percentage ever for a Democrat in that district.

A large van parked just outside the church was decorated with a picture of Jesus and a banner with the words: "A vote for a Democrat is a vote for abortion."

There was no doubt who was being targeted by that message and Flint was devastated, although she was comforted by ward members who told her just to consider the source.

The source, who parked his van bearing the same message at a nearby elementary school that was used as a polling place on election day, is a Davis County tea party devotee who also is a well-known member of the ward.

In fact, he is a member of the ward's gospel doctrine class, which happens to be taught by Flint. Her husband is in the ward bishopric.

Needless to say, the atmosphere in class on that day was a bit awkward.

The communication age: I wrote in Friday's column about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Cooke trying several times to call the winner, Gov. Gary Herbert, to formally concede the race, but he could never get through so he walked to the hotel where the Republicans were partying and conceded to Herbert in person.

Well, Donna McAleer, the Democratic candidate in the 1st Congressional District, tried over and over to call Congressman Rob Bishop on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning to concede the race to him. But she could never get through. She finally got a Facebook message from his campaign manager saying he was out of the country on a NATO (junket?) mission and would get back to her later.

He never has, and she is still trying to concede.

Tis the season: Tona Foster was heading to her favorite restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City to meet friends for dinner and drinks Monday evening when she was stopped by an elderly homeless man who asked her for money so he could buy some food.

She told him she doesn't carry cash, but to follow her into the restaurant and she would buy him a meal. She sat him down and handed him a menu, but he told her he couldn't read. She gave him several options to choose from, with no price limit.

Finally, he said he just wanted a cheeseburger and a cup of coffee, so she paid for his meal with her credit card up-front and left a $10 tip for the waitress. She then proceeded upstairs to meet her friends.

Later, when she was leaving, she was told by one employee that it was a real nice thing she did, but not to make it a habit.

Protect and serve: On a recent Sunday morning, Bryce Garner, his wife and a friend, were riding their bicycles southbound on the Jordan River trail when, after going under the 201 viaduct, they came upon two West Valley City police cars, one facing north, the other south, parked next to each other with the officers chatting.

The two cars blocked the entire trail and the officers made no attempt to move as the cyclists approached, so the three had to veer off the trail into the weeds to get around the police cruisers.

After about 10 feet, they noticed their bike tires were full of thorns, so they stopped and began pulling them out. Garner, a little miffed, took pictures of the police cars blocking the path and that's when both cops drove away, without checking to see if the cyclists were all right.

Before they got home, a front tire on one of the bikes went completely flat, so they all pushed the bikes home.

Garner has since sent a written complaint to the police department and West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder, aka Richard Burwash.

Water works: Motorists passing Liberty Park about 1 p.m. last Tuesday noticed the sprinklers on inside the park. They were watering the snow.