By paul rolly

| Tribune Columnist

Mike Ridgway has been an outspoken and obsessed pain in the neck for the Utah Republican Party for many years. He has taken over Republican meetings to call out what he believed were violations of party bylaws, unfair officer selection practices and cliques taking over the party.

The result has been resolutions barring the former central committee member, legislative district chairman and U.S. Senate candidate from holding office in the party and even attending Republican meetings.

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Party leaders have justified the banishment by saying Ridgway has been too disruptive, and by pointing out the party is a private organization and can institute its own rules.

But what do you call it when it becomes increasingly apparent that the dominant political party can use the police and courts to harass someone its leaders don’t like?

Utahkistan.

Ridgway was summoned to the justice court in Lehi (Lehikistan?) Wednesday to face a charge of disturbing the peace. The complaint was filed after tea party organizers claimed he came to the private Challenger School in Lehi during a meeting where he was not welcome.

He brought witnesses and audio recordings to make his case that the charges were bogus.

After discussions with the Lehi prosecutor and the judge, charges were dismissed.

It was the seventh time Ridgway has been charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly coming to a Republican Party or conservative group function uninvited. Seven of the eight charges were dismissed before going to court. The eighth ended in acquittal after a trial on a trespassing charge that landed him in the Salt Lake County Jail for five days.

Some of the charges were the result of Ridgway attending party functions that might also be attended by a Republican activist couple who had gotten stalking injunctions against him — a disputed case that went all the way to the Utah Supreme Court.

One time Ridgway attempted to videotape a debate in a private home in Provo (Provokistan?) but was confronted by family members of Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, one of the debate participants. Witnesses said the Brambles were the aggressors, but Ridgway ended up being charged with disturbing the peace.

When he went to court to face the charges, he was informed the charges were being dismissed.

A school lockout? • The Granite School District over the past year has changed its drop-off and pickup driveways in front of several elementary schools, including Jim Bridger Elementary in West Jordan.

At that school, workers tore out sod in one area to extend the driveway, then replanted it in another where asphalt was removed. But they forgot to move the "Do Not Enter" sign at the end of the old one-way driveway.

It now sits in the middle of a grassy area in front of the school, which could lead some to believe the voucher people have taken over and decided to bar entrance to the public school.

Reunion time • High school reunions happen all the time. But a 70th-year reunion?

The East High School Class of 1941 is holding a reunion luncheon June 18 at the Salt Lake Country Club. Reunion organizer Mary Erickson says the original class had 645 students. A little more than 100 are left and about 45 class members are expected to attend the luncheon.