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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 12 Volume V, Issue V December 15, 2001 Make it a Merry Christmas By Janet Hoffmann Well, it’s the season to be jolly. I hope all of you are . . . being jolly. All this snow sure helps with my Christmas spirit. Snow feels so peaceful to me. It quietly falls to the earth and covers it with a warm blanket of white. What could be more peaceful than that? And don’t say “bah hum bug”—I have to shovel it. Just be glad you have an opportunity to build your muscles and burn some calories! If you pay for someone to snowplow or shovel, be grateful that you have enough money to help others support themselves and their families. I’ve also decided it is good for me to get out and breathe in the cold winter air. It helps me appreciate my warm home. Plus, I can use all the exercise I can get. The snow is also our water supply for the following season, and we’ve all been praying for more water. We also need the snow for the Olympics . . . right? Another wonderful thing about the snow—it has covered up all of our brown grass, deceased flowers, and all the work left to be done in the yard. So, even if you have to shovel snow, remember, it’s saving you from other work! Is this beginning to sound like the glad game in the movie Pollyanna? I need to tell you my poinsettia story—sorry Roger and Ryan. It’s too good to pass up. The other day we were having a Christmas party at our home. I ran over to the Valley Market to buy all the goodies, and noticed some poinsettias on sale. I decided they’d make the perfect festive touch. When I returned home, my daughter Kristy cut the cellophane wrap off to let the pedals fall freely. Boy, did they ever fall freely! They all fell to the table. We all started laughing. As she picked up the fallen flowers, it looked like someone had cut them all off. Our guests would be arriving shortly so we just stuck the stems into the dirt, and hoped no one would notice. But as usual, the story was too funny to keep to ourselves, so we shared it with all of our guests. The next day when I called the Valley Market, I told Ryan Russell what had happened. He was able to solve the mystery. He explained that a liter man had come in and dropped some bottles on top of the poinsettias. He thought they had removed all the injured plants. He apologized and replaced our ailing plant with a healthy one (I checked, just to make sure). The fun was worth the extra trip to the store. Ask me not where I’m going with all of this. I just want to say that I hope everyone is enjoying the season, and to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. Being with my family during this season is such a blessing to me. I plan to treasure every moment of it. Merry Christmas! Kudos to Jazz Rookies By Jen Beasley Student Reporter The Utah Jazz currently holds a record of 6-11—their worst in 18 years—and it’s no secret why: Rookie mistakes—being made by veteran players. The Jazz has been blown out only twice in their 11 losses. This means it was anyone’s game in those other nine losses as late as the fourth quarter. (Two, in fact, went into overtime.) But these blown opportunities that are becoming increasingly common are not at the hands of youngsters. The players that are screwing up are the likes of Karl Malone, John Stockton, and John Starks. What gives? The Jazz players, combined, have 83 years of NBA experience. They’ve dealt with thousands of in-bound passes, lay-ups, free throws. And yet, when the public address announcer notes the two-minute mark, the guys with the most experience begin running around like chickens with their heads cut off. As John Stockton noted after yet another game blown in the last minute— this time versus Indiana—turnovers are the “kiss of death.” He “ought ta” know. Utah leads the league this year in miscues with 18 a game. Ill-guided passes, travels, 24- or 3second violations—you name it, they can dish it out. And they have. Fortunately, this cloud has a silver lining. The terrible performances of our vets have inspired Jerry Sloan to mix it up a bit. Rookies Andrei Kirilenko and Jarron Collins, as well as near-rookies Scott Padgett, Quincy Lewis, and DeShawn Stevenson, have provided a big lift to the Utah repertoire. In fact, in one of the only close finishes where Utah has prevailed, Padgett and Stevenson both played the entire fourth quarter. I’d like to see the grey-beards take a lesson from these guys: Andrei Kirilenko has a tendency to believe he’s supposed to cover every man on the floor. This includes—but is not limited to—him flying out of nowhere to get amazing blocks, or stealing the ball from point guards. Once in a while his enthusiasm leaves a man open, but the benefits far outnumber the consequences. I can’t say enough about Quincy Lewis. He’s still foul prone, but this year he’s committing those fouls while playing great defense. You can’t complain about that. His offensive range has increased in a big way, and he finishes plays that a lot of players wouldn’t be able to. Padgett makes big shots from everywhere under pressure. DeShawn fights with guys twice his size for rebounds, and gets them. And most impressive, they both understand where they need to be when running plays. Rookie Jarron Collins has been a pleasant surprise. He hasn’t played very much—only six games—but in that short time he’s gone from injured reserve (you know, “Tendonitis”) to a Jazz starter. He makes free throws, captures offensive rebounds, scores—you name it. If the Jazz ever start winning, he’ll be in the mix for Rookie of the Year. Unfortunately, it’s pretty impossible to win games with only talented youngsters. (i.e. the Rockets, Clippers, Cavs. Oh yeah, Jazz.) And that’s what we’re seeing. Unless Jazz veterans— namely Malone, Stockton, and Coach Sloan—get their act together, Utah’s largest winning streak will remain at one. Until then, we can take solace in the remarkable performance of the rookies and near-rookies, because with them the future years will be bright. This year though, understandably, they’re going to need some help. Attention All Sports Directors! Gift Baskets On January 23, 2002 at 7:00 p.m., in the Remax office next to Valley Market, there will be a scheduling meeting for "Eden Park." Any & all sports or recreation programs that use "Eden Park" for games, practices, etc. must be to this meeting. Bring your schedules for the 2002 year. This includes special events & tournaments. If you can't make the meeting, please call one of the following board members: Lamar Bott 745-0419, Bonnie Knobla 745-3657, Ruth Monahan 745-1031, or Linda Gillespie 745-6807. Prices start $24.98 Share the joy of Christmas . . . The Nursery will be closed December 16th - April 1st The following are still available by phone: Themes & Occasions or custom made. Fruit & Nut Cornucopias small - $16.98 Medium - $22.98 Balloon Bouquets As low as $5 for many occasions Delivery is available. 745-3130 745-9510 Ask for Brenda 745-1803 Fax Old FireHouse Child Care L.C. will be taking donated gifts to children at the Ogden Rescue Mission, or to a family that needs a little extra help this holiday season. Please bring an unwrapped gift to our center by Friday, December 21st. Please call 745-5600 for more details. |