OCR Text |
Show s PAGE 34 THE ZEPHYRNOVEMBER 1992 feedback the readers respond Dear Jim, But the cafeteria story that could most benefit the students in Grand County would be that one that advises the uninitiated as to disposal of Disgusting Thrice Reheated Frozen Vegetables (such as were served to us in Lincoln School, recipe under revision, pending approval of FDA). The school authorities must have known how retched this flotsam was, for on that day they had assigned the Queen of Pain, Mrs. Booher, to stand watch. We watched in horror as student after student was forced to return to his set to finish everything on his plate. One by one they sat back down, painfully gagging on each bite until Mrs. Booher was satisfied. We looked at the veggies, and then at the ample Mrs. Booher, and then at the vegetables again.- Suddenly, someone's gaze fell on the 12 pint milk cartons that were part of every school meal. Empty milk cartons with little round lids that were easily resealed. There was only one thing to da While the dread cafeteria warden was distracted by Charles Bain's biting off the ear of a sixth grader, (well, something must have distracted her), we stuffed the foul peas, beans and cauliflower into the milk cartons. What a plan! Quickly resealing the containers we made our way to Mrs. Booher. She scrutinized the trays, and then, smiling that same smile that Freddy Kreuger did so many decades later (just before raising his gloved hand to dissect another unlucky victim in one swift swoop), she nodded her approval, and allowed us to pass. We breathed a collective sigh of relief, dumped the milk cartons in the trash, placed our trays carefully on the used tray stack, and ran down the hall into the asphalt playground. We had done it! We had pulled one over on the Dread Mrs. Booher. We had looked the cafeteria devil herself in the eye, without flinching. We had won this one. But I wax nostalgic Time to return to the chores of the day. - This letter is in response to your invitation to present my views on gambling. I am against it. 1. It is against my own personal moral standards. There are those who fed that this moral view should disqualify me from expressing an opinion. I am also against bigotry on moral grounds and I feel free to speak against it 2. The gambling business is in decline across our country. Horse racing seems to be in the most difficulty. Though it would not surprise me to see Utah get into a business at the time it pari-mutu- el is going bankrupt, I would not advise it. 3. It would put a greater strain on welfare in our state Many who are barely surviving now would be pulled under by their gambling losses. The number of people addicted to gambling would increase. Mare families would be broken apart And file list goes on. 4. Gambling is not the solution to the poor conditions of our schools in Utah. We would be no more committed to education at the race trade than we are now. The best estimates erf money raised for schools by the gambling interest, works out to about $138 per student I for one would give two kids $138, to keep gambling out of Utah. 5. Lastly, let me say I believe you should vote your own values in any election. If the people of Utah desire gambling, (and I believe it will be supported by your tax money), then by the vote they shall have it But I give you this one warning Gambling is like joining the Mormon church, its a whole lot easier to get into it than out of it Plaster Don Falke Dear Jim, Knowing of your interest in JFK, you might have seen recent revelations about the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Thirty years ago, this October, our country and the Soviet Union came to the brink of nudear war. But apparently, we were closer than anyone at the time realized. While the US. knew that ballistic missile sites were nearing completion, it was believed that the sites were not yet armed and ready to launch. In fact, at least 20 nudear-tippe- d rockets had been installed. Mare frightening, some 30 tactical nudear-arme- d short range missiles had been installed and ready for launch. These missiles had a range erf only 30 miles and could have been used against an invading American force. Further, the Soviet military commander had the authority to use these weapons without direct permission from the Kremlin. It is a known fact that every military advisor to President Kennedy recommended invasion as the best and most effective response to the missile build-uAnd yet, despite heavy pressure from the generals. Kennedy refused to allow the invasion, opting instead fee a quarantine. Days later, the Soviets capitulated. My question is this: If George Bush had been President of the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis, would I be alive to write this letter and would you be alive to receive it? inter-continent- al p. Sincerely. Robert Skonz Salt Lake Gty - Food Editor Willie Flocko recently received this letter, which he passed along to the Editor Dear Willie Flocko: I was pleased to see myself and my mother referred to in your column in the Zephyr, lam honored to have been referred to by name in your school lunch reflections. Willie Flocko's Country Kitchen brought back a series of remembrances. It also filled in a few erf file gaps that have appeared in my grey matter. Consulting with my 81 year old Mom, I find that your memory is considerably better than my own. I had forgotten that she actually did, as a matter of fact, create the menus for the Alameda Schools cafeterias, just about the time we were in the fourth. grade (a fact that time had filtered from my own memory). She had her own menu planning recollections, like the time that Lowell Mell, the Principal of Endnal High School, called her to mention that one of the items on the menu may have to be " changed. Porcupine Balls just don't belong on a high school menu, he said. Mom agreed. "Should have read Porcupine Meat Balls. . Tom Martin, aka Fat Louie Cold Shivers at the Hospital? Webster's Dictionary defines a hospital as "a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, at young...where die sick and injured are given medical or surgical care. The idea at a hospital, as if I need to explain it, is to improve the health of the individual who has come seeking its help. But at Allen Memorial Hospital, patients are finding they can't even get a goodnight's rest The reason? The hospital is so cold it's impossible, especially for older people, to deep. Several years ago, the hospital spent approximately $80,000 to install a heatingair conditioning system. But the system doesn't allow the hospital staff to set a constant temperature. There are no climate controls that one might expect in a hospital Instead, they can run the furnace or they can run the air conditioner, but they can't run both. Why is that a problem? In the desert, temperatures fluctuate dramatically, especially in the spring and fall. On a typical day in October, file thermometer can climb into the upper 80S and beyond; yet, hours after sunset file temperature can and has fallen into the 30s, even to the freezing point. It's too hot to run the furnace during the day, and too cold to run the cooler at night Unable to control the temperatures inside the hospital the staff has been able to do little except pile blankets on their patients and wait for sunrise. Consider the plight of Ken McDougall of Moab. Mr. McDougall suffered a stroke recently and was taken to St Mary's Hospital for treatment As he improved, he was discharged and brought back to Moab, where he was admitted to Allen Memorial for skilled nursing care. After one night Mr. McDougall complained about file add, but the nurses explained there was nothing that could be done. And fair enough. Furnaces are not the responsibility of file nurses; it is file responsibility of the hospital administration. All that could be done was to bring blanket after blanket far the patient But 87 year old people in poor health cannot generate the body heat that is needed to stay warm. And file weight of several wool blankets can actually be painful to a person suffering from arthritis. After three sleepless nights, the family brought an electric blanket from home and, after signing a waiver freeing the hospital from responsibility in the event the blanket was lost, damaged or stolen, Mr. McDougall finally got a good night's sleep. According to the nurse, he slept so soundly, she had to wake him up the next morning. This is not an isolated incident One nurse told me that she has heard the same complaint from elderly patients for years and has seen patients cry, they were bo add. But the problem continues. What can be done? I spoke to administrator Kim Hardman, who acknowledges a problem but is not sure what can be 'done. Knee it is only a problem that exists several weeks a year, he is concerned about the cost of revamping the heatingaxding system. When I told him about the electric blanket that items like that Mr. McDougall's family had provided him, Hardman explained that Mr. were not allowed at the hospital but agreed that McDougall's needs outweighed regulations. electric blankets as a possible shortHardman said he would dieck into hospital-approve- d term solution, but he was not optimistic "Most hospitals have decent heating and cooling systems to begin with," he said. TJL un-appro- THANKS FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON, MOAB To show our gratitude we're offering a 10 attend our season's end party Be sure to DISCOUNT at the Poplar Place. Friday, Nov.20 ON ALL INVENTORY TO LOCAL CUSTOMERS THE ENTIRE MONTH OF NOVEMBER No passport necessary! (as if you need another stupid ID card) JUST ASK for the discount ,T : see ad elsewhere in this issue of the zephyr for details . BOOKSTORE 83 N. Main St. in Moab 259-515- 4 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 0 |