* WINNER: West Valley City's Finance Department, which continues to receive commendations of excellence for budget writing. So far this year it has garnered the "Distinguished Budget Presentation for an Outstanding Policy Document" from the Government Finance Officers Association; a certificate of "Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting," also given by the GFOA; and recognition from the Utah Government Finance Department for drafting an outstanding 1994-95 budget. All this must warm the hearts of hockey fans anxious for a timely and on-budget construction of the new West Valley arena.
LOSERS: Candidates in the race of Salt Lake City mayor, who are hopelessly trying to keep pace with the campaign spending of incumbent Deedee Corradini. The primary election has yet to be held, and Corradini already has spent $148,818 on her re-election bid, outpacing what the previous mayor, Palmer DePaulis, spent on his entire campaign in 1985. Challenger Rich McKeown comes in second in the spending race with a distant $19,298. Corradini expects to spend $300,000 by the time the race is through, nearly $2 for each of the city's approximately 160,000 residents.LOSERS: Farmington residents, who are trying to learn why their drinking water becomes contaminated from time to time. A non-fecal coliform bacteria has caused residents to complain of stomach sickness. The problem started last summer and recently resurfaced during routine water tests. The city is working with state and county officials to find out what is causing the problem.
LOSERS: People with overdue books in Murray. The city's library system has announced that daily fines for late books will rise from 5 cents to 10 cents on Oct. 1. Anyone with a $5 or more fine will have their borrowing privileges suspended.
LOSERS: U.S. taxpayers, who will spend $1.5 million for a federal government campaign to encourage drivers to stop for red lights. A psy-cho-logy professor says people who run red lights may be trying to regain control in their lives. Unfortunately, people with that kind of warped sense of reality aren't likely to respond to a television ad telling them otherwise.
* WINNER: Micron Technology, whose announced earnings for the last fiscal year reached a record $844 million - double what it was in the previous fiscal year. Analysts believe profits could double again this year, which bodes well for the economic future of Lehi, soon to be the home of a major Micron facility.