Show 0 4 004 J Wednesday September 8 2004 Sanpete Messenger Sanpete A5 Valley Edition Messenger-G¥niso- Heaven Help Us By Corrie Lynne Player Elderly drivers should put pride aside A few weeks ago a newspaper reader panel asked me to com- ment on the matter of elderly drivers It was an interesting subject because my friends and I have talked for years about the challenges of our parents’ driving Legislatures all over the country are grappling with issues of drivers who are in their eighties and nineties Six years ago Gary and I had to confront his mother about driving For several years we’d been leery about I’d ridbalance and judgment Laura's declining coordination den with her a few times and decided I’d drive whenever we were together She frequently veered too closely to cars backed out of pai king lots or her driveway either without looking or by pulling into traffic as if she w'ere operating a tank When we referred to such episodes or told her we were apshe vehemently denied ever having a close call or prehensive making a mistake “I’m a good driver” she said “I’m very careful and I’m smart enough to know when I shouldn’t drive” She usually put Gary behind the wheel when we were all together but refused to let me drive her car After a couple of I began declining her offers to pick experiences me up and routinely drove my own car instead and the doctor diagLaura's eyesight began to deteriorate nosed her with macular degeneration She continued to sometimes “run down to the store” before I could arrive to help her with her shopping Finally we started “borrowing” her car to keep it out of her garage When she could no longer see the board at church we took her back to the doctor and he said she had to stop driving We were grateful because we were no longer the overbearing offspring who were just “trying to control” her for every and for Driving is a almost all adults it signifies independence and freedom Few people gracefully or willingly give up the privilege Most of my friends are now struggling with aging parents who won't admit they can no longer safely operate a motor vehicle I know that in a decade or two Gary’s and my children will face the same dilemma I’m writing about the problem now so our children can show us this column Maybe we’ll be like my friend Sue Ellen’s father He was a long time doctor in Cedar City and she said he didn’t quibble about not driving when he recognized he was slowing down His children didn't have to “intervene” He voluntarily gave up his license instead of running into a parked car like another friend’s grandmother who refused to listen to the cautions of her family I remember praying that Laura would have “a minor accident” where nobody was hurt so that we could get the keys away from her I remember talking to a woman in the grocery store who was in tears with worry over her mother’s insistence on drivdon’t want to put my own children through that pain ing And I certainly don't want to be like my sister’s who ignored every attempt to stop his driving Finally one day he suffered a tremor as he was passing a little boy on a bi- cycle at the edge of the road The boy wasn't killed but was seriously injured and will never walk again A few months ago I sat by a man on an airplane who told me was killed in a crosswalk when an how his woman mistook the accelerator for the brakes Such instances abound and will increase as the US population ages State legislatures are addressing the problem with new renewals for those licensing laws for the elderly such as over 75 and yearly renewals over 85 Some states have adopted laws requiring that motorists over 75 demonstrate driving skills at renewal But laws and peace officers can only do so much Families must take greater responsibility for those whose decisions can be dangerous to themselves and others With Help From Above we can use and ourselves tact and judgment as we urge our older citizens to put pride aside and adjust to changing circumstances - - KAREN Blackham (right) at recent county commission Commissioner By Darlene Agren Staff writer GUNNISON— Although he lives quietly in Gunnison Bruce Blackham speaks out forcefully for Sanpete County residents as their grassroots county commissioner Bom in Carbon County and reared in Richfield Blackham was the oldest of eight children of Fred and Doris Blackham But his pioneer heritage in the Sanpete Valley runs deep on both sides of his family Through his grandfather John Blackham he is related to Utah Sen Leonard Blackham He feels he is a beneficiary of the work of people who helped settle Sanpete County And he feels a deep obligation to preserve what he views as a sacred heritage and sacred land Following graduation from Richfield High School Blackham went to Cedar City for one year of college and then served an LDS mission in Northern Germany He returned from his mission with a strong work ethic and has worked mission in Copenhagen Denmark According to his wife Becky his success with his family might reflect his ability to leave work at the office For more than 23 years he was a surveyor and lineman building and maintaining power lines For the past five years he has worked for Utah Power managing and maintaining high voltage lines In his present job he sets his own schedule and travels throughout the Intermountain West which he truly enjoys But several years ago he decided he needed to contribute more to his community He never dreamed it would take him where he is now In 1983 Blackham served as Gunnison mayor for two terms During those eight years he felt he did some good and was glad to contribute Then Gunnison resident Keller Christenson who was retiring as county commissioner encouraged Blackham to run for his office Blackham knew it would be a big job but felt he was somewhat prepared through his experience as a mayor Six years later Blackham says he still enjoys the job very much “Once it gets in you you feel you can contribute I like the challenge hard ever since Blackham married Becky Cowley of Richfield and moved to in 1977 where they Gunnison raised three children Heather seeing projects progress and involvement with people “Early on” says Blackham “someone told me to always protect the future That may involve some difficult things but I have made that statement my personal Brady and Carter “They are the best part of my life” says Blackham as he proudly describes w'hat each of them is doing Heather married Jared Anderson and is woiking at Gunnison mandate” As a newly elected commisBlackham took on the task of rewriting the sioner daunting f planning and zoning code covering all land countywide outside the various city limits An earlier county commission spent $ 00000 on a professional to write the code but Blackham and a citizen advisory council saw that the present or- dinance wasn’t serving the county as it should Blackham made a point to not involve any professionals but rather to use grassroots input from residents and planning commissions throughout the county Gathering that input and rewriting the ordinance took more than one year For example the old ordinance permitted people to build outside anywhere city limits on one acre of ground Blackham could see that the county didn't have roads or resources to support such a pattern which potenthe land tially would break-uinto little dots of property The new ordinance permits one unit per five acres The existing subdivision ordinances weren’t good either he says The new code is stricter “It protects the future as it should” says Blackham One persistent problem in politics Blackham says is the gap between the facts and people’s understanding about what is going on He feels there is a communication gap between the public at large and those serving them As Gunnison mayor he used to take all negative comments to heart and wondered constantly who he had offended Now Blackham says he is comfortable If JL t Thank you for all of the thoughtfulness all the help and J0 c r 4 V- u1 x f z I COPY I hue of Sanpete i WV reading Bio Saoncte Messenger The County £ Vi The family of J Brice Christiansen You’re since 1893 MSESENGER PHOTO Senior commissioner displays quiet demeanor steadfast values Valley Hospital as a nurse Brady is married graduated recently from Brigham Young University and is pursuing a degree in medicine Carter is currently serving an LDS donations of all sorts for everyone who helped with services and a special thanks to sisters in the Relief Society BUCHANAN meeting with colleague Greg Dettinger i f 'f V fp KAREN BUCHANAN - y MSESENGER PHOTO Blackham family Bruce and son Carter (back) wife Becky (center) and Jared Anderson daughter Heather (Anderson) with their son Avery Jill (Yost) holding her daughter Sara and son Brady Blackham making tough decisions He doesn't look at being county commissioner as a job but a rathertfc a contribution to the community!' has five major Blackham goals for Sanpete County: First he says the county needs The to protect its infrastructure water the land and all other sources are needed for the future He considers the land itself to be sacred and would like Sanpete resiv dents to treat it as such Second he says Sanpete County needs to protect its culture and heritage The county has a legacy Consistent wfui that legacy he says all residchts should sacrifice in some way for the larger community “If thicy aren’t asked to sacrifice they won’t treasure their community or hold any value towards it” he says Volunteerism is a way anyone can sacrifice — by giving their time and talents to improve their community and preserve their heritage Third Sanpete County residents need to emphasize education “People need to gain skills and have confidence in what they do in order for the community to progress otherwise they are ways at the mercy of someone else” he says The coalition between the county and Snow College to develop the new Snow College brary serves as an example of the county’s emphasis on education! Fourth Sanpete residents need to have a vision of where the is going One of Blackham’s favorite axioms ts “When there is no vision the county people perish” And fifth he says after the “vision” is presented we need to sustain it and show unity through ! that vision Blackham referred to the story Moses holding his hands up before the people As long as bis hands were raised the people prevailed When he grew weitty there were always people at his sides to help hold his hands high “I have lifted my arms up with ideas and projects and when other people come with ideas I am going to hold their arms Up too” says Blackham “I’ve had such a good opportunity to reI emphasize others’ ideas" Blackham has two years left on his current term After that i who knows? he says The past six years have been challenging and hard but he says he has enjoyed them all the way “We all need to feel a part of opr communities" he says “in protecting our ideals and making tills place great by sacrificing our efforts towards a unified goal" I i |