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Show ommunity ews A2 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009 SPANISH FORK 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, UT 84660 Lane Henderson Publisher Namon Bills Editor Dana Robinson . Assoc. Editor The Spanish Fork News is published each Wednesday for $37.50 per year in area and $41.50 out of area by J-Mart, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork Utah 84660. E-mail stories to editor@spforknews.com E-mail ads to ads@spforkncws.com Call us at 794-4964 POSTMASTER Send address changes ro Spanish Fork News 280 North Main Sc. Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 The entire content of this newspaper is Copyright © 2009 Spanish Fork News. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor or publisher. THE SPANISH FORK NEWS (USPS 024716) is published weekly for $37.50 per year by JMarr Publishing, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork, UT 84660. Periodicals Postage Paid at Spanish Fork, UT. POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Spanish Fork News. 42 Easi 300 North, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. DEADLINES Weddings, anniversaries, missionaries, 1st birthdays, articles, photos, letters to the editor Friday, 12 p.m. Welcome to my Introducing a new column unintentional life My Unintentional Life Rosemary Jarnian Just over two months ago I went to my doctor to have her look at a dimple on my breast. I thought it was merely a sign of aging ... like a wrinkle. I had been ignoring it for close to a year because, after all, I had never felt a lump, the most common warning sign of breast cancer. I expected a knowing smile, simple explanation and the proverbial pat on the head as I went out the door. What I got was my first appointment for a mammogram. Since then I've been squished, scanned, poked, sliced and scanned again. After fifteen days, they were finally able to tell me that I had invasive ductal carcinoma. What they could not tell me at first was what stage it was in or how big it was. So I had to be scanned, poked and sliced some more the following week. Each day waiting for test results felt like five, but the good news is, I managed to survive myfirstMRI! Having an MRI was the most intense psychological experience of my life. Emotionally speaking, there's nothing right about being in that tiny tunnel, in the position I was in, for close to an hour. But when I realized that it was finally over, and that I managed to ignore every itch and muscle cramp, and that they didn't have to start over even once, my elation was overwhelming. I felt like running down the halls and hugging everyone I met. Imagine my disappointment when the MRI technician called me the following day to tell me that something went wrong with the imaging on my scan and that I was going to have to do it all over again AND that it would be a few days before the machine would be fixed! One of the first things you learn when you find out you have cancer, is that no one treats it like a medical emergency even though it feels like one to you. The diagnosis process can be long and frustrating. The reason behind this is interesting, albeit unsettling: most tumors have been growing inside of you for eight to 10 years before they are big enough to be detected. So what's one more month, right? My second trip down MRI lane revealed a mass considerably larger than anyone expected. Almost four centimeters, twice Christy Hardman STAFF WRITER Rosemary Jarman as big as originally estimated. More aggressive action became the new plan. Scary words like "advanced" suddenly appeared on my medical records. In less than a week I was at the hospital, having a porticath plugged into my jugular vein in preparation for my first delicious dose of chemotherapy! Yum yum — gimme some o' dat poison! (Forgive me if that seems callous — the crying gets old after a while). Fortunately, one of the second things you learn when you find out you have cancer, is that everyone has a heart twice as big as you ever thought, and that miracles and acts of kindness are about to become a regular part of your life. Letters to the Editor Thanks to Crisp's Two weeks ago, my brother Don and his wife Nicki came to stay for several days on their way to Minnesota. They were surprised to see the new Salem Hills High School, the stop light in town and most of all, the new grocery store. During their visits in the past, they needed to stock up on groceries out of town. They were very impressed with the wide variety of products offered to customers. We came often to get the soft ice cream cones. My brother commented, "Are people always this friendly in this store?" "I guess so," was my answer." Needing to restock their cooler and goodies before leaving the next day, they shopped in town at Crisp's Market. When they came back loaded with groceries for them and for me, Don recounted his experience there. There were friendly workers asking them if they needed help locating anything in the store. The gal at the Deli, who knew him from our frequent trips for ice cream, wished them well on the trip home. The clerks had smiles for everyone. The older gentleman bagging the groceries was especially pleasant. Before he checked out, he asked them both, "Do you people take a course in 'Nice?'" Even the stock boy taking his break out side, waved and said "Come again real soon." They couldn't get over how helpful and pleasant every one was to them. "You don't see that kind of service too often," he said. I have thouehi about it since they left. I guess I just didn't appreciate the helpfulness and pleasantness enough. I had gotten used to it. This isn't as big as the box stores. Perhaps they don't have everything you want, but the "niceness" of everyone that works there surely makes up for it. Of course, if you don't see what you need, ask them to order it in. I for one am thrilled that we have a fine grocery store in Salem. Lorraine Underwood Salem Salem Prayer On May 30,2009, the Miss Salem pageant was held in Salem City, Utah. The city of Salem sponsored the event, and during the invocation, Salem City Council person Lynn Durrant called the attending public to prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. According to the First Amendment of the US Constitution, preference by the government of one religion over another, nonreligion over religion, or religion over non-religion, is prohibited. The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled Covering what matters most that religious invocations at public events are unconstitutional. In Lee v. Weisman (1992), the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the offering of prayers by religious officials before voluntarily attended ceremonies such as graduation. Thus, the Court established that the state could not conduct religious exercises at public occasions even if attendance was not strictly compulsory. Establishment Clause of the First Amendment After the Miss Salem 2009 event, I confronted Mayor Henderson about this, and he dismissed the concern categorically, even stating that his council meetings regularly begin with prayer. As established by the Constitution and demonstrated through Supreme Court decisions, it is quite inappropriate for the Salem City government representatives to be conducting prayers at publicly attended events such as the Miss Salem 2009 pageant. I am in the process of writing to Mayor Henderson and Council person Durrant regarding these concerns, and will demand a public apology and a declaration that Salem City will adhere to the US Constitution by no longer promoting religion or conducting prayers at public events in the future. My concerns have also been submitted to the civil rights organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU). Luke Graybill Spanish Fork Send your letters to the editor to editor@spforknews.com i 'They don't hear much past the word cancer," she said. "For me there were a Rosemary Jarman will lot of tears and fear, but the be writing a column in the more you learn about it, and Spanish Fork News called talk about it, the fear dimin"My Unintentional Life," ishes." where she will discuss the Jarman said she's come experience of having can- to appreciate that right now cer. Jarman was diagnosed is the best time in the histwo months ago, and is cur- tory of the world to have rently undergoing chemo- cancer because of all the therapy. medical advancements that "I hope that my column have made it possible for so can not only support people many to beat it. in the same situation, but also "The thing that made educate everyone. We've me the happiest is to know learned so much about they have a pill for the nauthings that can contribute sea," she said. "It's really to getting cancer, things we helped." can avoid," she said. Jarman said getting a She said the entire pro- diagnosis like that really cess has been a learning changes your life. She has experience, and has also another friend in Spanish allowed for a lot of sup- Fork who is going through port from neighbors, family the same thing, and she members, and the commu- told her how therapeutic it nity. She said, in addition, was to write about her exmany people who have un- periences in a blog. Jarman dergone cancer treatments in started her own blog, titled the past have come forward "My Unintentional Life," as a support group. Jarman where she has been able to called it a "secret sister- discuss the ups and downs hood" of survivors, people of the daily fight against who have made it through cancer. She said it's also the cancer treatments suc- easier to refer people to her cessfully, and want to en- blog when they ask how courage others who are now she's doing, because it can experiencing it. be difficult to keep trying "You meet all these to tell about it again and people who are in the same again. boat as you," she said. Now the blog has' de"When I was at the hospi- veloped into a newspaper tal, one woman came up to column. Jarman said she is me and gave me a hug. She happy to share her expericould tell what I was going ence. through because I was bald. "There are so many She said, 'I'm a three-year people these days who have survivor. You're going to cancer or have someone make it through this.'" close to them who has it," Jarman said she hasshe said. "The more we can about 10 days between each share experiences and exchemo session to recover, change encouragement the and feel "normal" before stronger we'll all be." she has to go back again. Jarman has five chilJarman never expected dren and has been married to develop cancer. for 19 years. She has lived "I'd always been healthy, with her family in North the healthiest person in my Carolina and Maryland befamily for as long as I can fore settling permanently in remember, so this is really Spanish Fork. She has been ironic for everyone," she involved in the community said. theater, volunteered with Jarman said that it's Little Hoopsters, and has a very typical thing for worked with the city counsomeone to overreact cil on various issues. She when they find out they has lived in Spanish Fork have cancer. for four years. Student receives national honor The National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) announced that Spanish Fork High School student Sara Marie Bass from Spanish Fork, has been selected for membership. The Society recognizes top scholars and invites only those students who have achieved superior academic excellence. The announcement was made by NSHSS Founder and Chairman Claes Nobel, a senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes. "On behalf of NSHSS, I am honored to recognize the hard work, sacrifice, and commitment that Sara Marie Bass has demonstrated to achieve this exceptional level of academic excellence," said Mr. Nobel. "Sara Marie Bass is now a member of a unique community of scholars—a community that represents our very best hope for the future." Sara Bass "Our vision is to build a dynamic international organization that connects members with meaningful content, resources and opportunities," stated NSHSS President James Lewis. "We aim to help students like Sara Marie Bass build on their academic successes and enhance the skills and desires to have a positive impact on the global community." |