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Show 2 Vernal Express Wednesday, Decembers, 1999 OpinjOIl 3.11(1 COmffientaTy JACK-STRAWS by Jack Wallis Holiday stress The American Heart Association has a meaningful holiday tip: Approach the season with reason. Simplify your celebration to eliminate stress and modify your menus to eliminate high-fat temptations. A litle extra common sense this time of the year can make your celebrations more pleasant and make you more pleasant to be around. Try to avoid stress. Everybody feels stress at different differ-ent times, in different amounts and with different reactions. Stress is the bodily or mental tension that results from a person's response to physical, chemical or emotional factors. Stress can be physical as well as mental. Stress may be a contributory factor to a person developing heart disease. The American Heart Association offers these suggestions for dealing with stress during the holidays: Take a serious look at the demands you are placing plac-ing on yourself. Don't be unrealistic in your expectations for family fam-ily gatherings. People don't change just for the holidays, holi-days, and some of the same everyday problems will still be there. Consider deleting or delegating some of the activities you've accumulated. Schedule with the real world in mind not as you'd like it to be. Make sure you have someone to turn to for emotional emo-tional support. Identify hostility-provoking situations and be on guard you may be at risk when you're in these situations. situ-ations. Practice not getting angry when you're placed in situations that tend to trigger anger. Develop positive strategies for coping with stress including brisk walking, relaxation, using humor or keeping events in their proper perspective. It's important to not turn to unhealthful habits to handle stress. Overeating is a temptation during the holidays even when you're not stressed out. Again, a little common sense can go a long way towards assuring you don't face the New Year with unwanted extra pounds and soaring cholesterol levels. Eating heart-healthy, nutritious meals will keep your enery levels high and help you indulge wisely in holiday treats. Stress and your health will be the topic of December's Deseret NewsIntermountain Health Care Health Hotline. The free hotline will be offered Saturday, Dec. 11, from 10 to 12 noon. The toll-free number is 1-800-925-8177, can be called from anywhere in the Intermountain region. All calls are confidential and are a free community service provided by the Deseret News and IHC. Calls will be answered by stress management man-agement experts from Cottonwood Hospital in Murray Researchers point out that stroke, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States, is preventable pre-ventable in most cases, and has many modifiable risk factors. The risk factors for stroke include increasing age, family history, race, prior stroke, high blood pressure, pres-sure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, heart disease and excessive alcohol ' consumption, according to American Heart Association findings. For a happy holiday season, with reason." 'Approach the season PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What is your opinion? The Express welcomes letters let-ters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent perti-nent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions as to contents, if not libelous or vindictive and of reasonable length (two typewritten double spaced pages). Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writer's full name, signature, signa-ture, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed, faxed at 789-8690 or through e-mail at editorvemal.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. let-ters. All letters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily nec-essarily the opinion of the Express Editor. Wildlife To The Editor, Three weeks ago, I sent this email to Governor Mike Leavitt and to the Attorney General Jan Graham. As of yet, I have not received a reply from either one of them. Governor Leavitt, On Tuesday, November 9, 1999, in 7th District Court, Emery Co., DWR vs. Huntington - Cleveland Irrigation Co., relating to minor assessment fees, the Attorney General's office arrived at court with three attorneys and two assistants. I feel that this is an abuse of Utah taxpayer monies. I believe that this was nothing noth-ing but intent to intimidate a small non-profit irrigation company that relies only on it's assessments to manage and operate the company. The time spent and the number num-ber of individuals that were involved from the Attorney General's office probably, by comparison (for this one-day) one-day) cost much more that what the assessment fees were in the first place. I don't feel that Huntington -Cleveland Irrigation Co. should be a "Utah State" controlled con-trolled Irrigation Company. I can't understand why, the Attorney General's office felt the need to send so many attorneys to fight this small irrigation company. Is it only to line their own pockets with Utah taxpayer monies? Our tax money certainly does that! The DWR pays more assessment fees on the Provo River in one year, than they would ever pay Huntington - Cleveland Irrigation in one hundred years. What's the difference? Huntington - Cleveland Irrigation Company should receive the same amount as the Provo River assessment, there is as much fishing that occurs in Huntington Canyon with all of the lakes and rivers, as there is Provo Canyon. I feel that this is a misuse of the Attorney General's office to send three attorneys and two assistants to fight VERM ML V CRM ML Express (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday for $19.00 per year in shopping area and $30 per year out of shopping area within state and $33 per year out of state within USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company. 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 64078. Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS, P.O. Box 1000, Vernal Utah 84078. Jack R. Wallis Publisher Steven R. WalHs Editor and co-publisher Carol Jewart Lifestyle Writer VTckl Feldt Public Notices Tara Maylett Advertising Marie Yoder .Advertising Jody Smuin Circulation & Classified Ada Phone: 435-789-3511 FAX: 435-789-8690 Website: www.vemal.eom e-mail: edltorOvemal.com Deadlines News Monday 12 noon Display Advertising Monday 5 p.m. Classified Advertising Monday 5 p.m. Public Notices Monday 3 p.m. r this very frivolous lawsuit against Huntington Cleveland Irrigation Company. Do these individuals have free reign to do as they please? We as taxpayers should be appalled at this misuse of our money! I feel that we could put this money to better use, such as, better education for our children, or better road conditions con-ditions for Hwy 6. I wish that the DWR would become the "Propagators" of wildlife which they claim to be and spend their time and money managing the wildlife and not trying to see themselves as "irrigators", and when that doesn't work ""bullies of irrigators!" KURT KILLIAN Huntington, Utah Why are some teens so angry? QUESTION: With the events happening at Littleton, Colorado and all the subsequent shootings in so many high schools -Why are our teenagers so A Concerned Mother ANSWER: Anger is always a result of hurt at some level. A basic need of every person is the need for acceptance. When we don't feel accepted, the result is hurt, and that hurt usually turns into anger. Should the teen direct that anger toward themselves, then the result is they are mad at themselves - for not being accepted. Turning this anger toward themselves results in them being depressed. If he directs this anger "outward", then other people pay for his anger. He is argumentative, punitive, critical of others, etc. But at least he is not "depressed" he just makes everyone around him feel depressed because they have to be around him, and he is so angry. Littleton, Colorado was a result of very intense anger over a long period of time. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who carried out the shooting violence resulting in 13 deaths plus their own, were reputed to have been a part of the "Trench Coat Mafia", a group of outcasts. It is said that "bad attention atten-tion is better than no attention at all." The school yearbook year-book had the caption under their group photo "being different is okay." One member of the group said that "life was hell. ...pure hell." He said he was taunted, bashed into lotkers at school, and had rocks thrown at him as he rode his bike home. "I can't describe how hard it was to get up in the morning and face that." All of this hurt fed an anger problem, of which the whole world is now aware of the results. From a parenting standpoint, the key here is to make the teen feel accepted. Look for ways to complement him, which can be difficult at times. Verbalize to him that you accept him, even though you may not accept his behavior. Secondly, be very careful not to "feed their anger." The principle is that "anger feeds anger" while a "soft answer turns away anger" - Proverbs. Most teens go through a stage of feeling angry. This is a period of life when they tend to struggle with self acceptance. They feel they are never "perfect enough" They look in the mirror and realize that they don't look at all like the "perfect people on television everyday." This combined cartoons are with the amount of violence vio-lence surrounding them only feeds their anger. Their cartoons, video games, etc. are full of violence and anger. fW HUSBAND AND 1 RODE AROUND L AST N ISHT J LOOKING AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL CHRlSTMASj K LIGHTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE INSTALLED 1 rK tupid unKipq i SJF (HE'S GONE W " (some more ushts) ( fdr our house i) X v ROy Slice of Life It a good time for traditions By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Now is a good time to checkout the Christmas Tree. I caught myself doing just that the other day. It wasn't was-n't long before I realized how fortunate fortu-nate we are this year. Total time to cut a Christmas Tree this yean was about three and a half hours a new record I remember struggling though mounts of snow some years, cutting down a good tree, and then only to bring it home and find out it has a terrible bare spot on the back side. Usually in such cases I went to a commercial tree vendor and gratefully grate-fully paid about $40 for a tree. It is a tradition to always attempt to cut our own Christmas Tree.. Perhaps when I am old and gray, this tradition will fade a little, and I will breakdown and purchase an artificial tree. But until then, I w ill sit back and admire one of the year's best traditions a freshly cut tree. Take time to enjoy such traditions before they are gone. Take out the box of tissues Submitted by Terry Allred Take out a box of tissues and read. It might take you several attempts. Christmas Rush ... I hurried into the department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kind of wished that I could just sleep through Christmas. But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys. And wondered if the grand kids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about five, holding a lovely doll. He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman he called aunt by name and said "Are you sure I don't have enough money?" She replied a bit impatiently impa-tiently "You know that you don't have enough money for it." The aunt told the tittle boy not to go anywhere. She had to get some other things and she would be right back. In a few minutes she left the aisle. The little boy continued to hold the doll. After a bit I asked the little boy who the doll was for. He said, "It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it. I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it. He said, "No, Santa can't go w here ' my sister is; I have to give the doll to my mama to take it to her. "I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, "She has gone to be with Jesus." My daddy says that mama is going to have to go be with her. My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, "I told my daddy to tell mama to wait until I got back from the store." Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to. He pulled out some pictures he had taken at the front of the store. He said, "I want my mama to take this with her so she don't ever forget me. I love my mania so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister." I saw the little boy had lowered his head and had grown very quiet. While he was not looking, I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, "Shall we count that money one more time?' He grew excited and said "Yes, I just know it has to be enough." So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, "Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money." Then the boy said, "I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so mama can take it with her to give to my sister and he heard my prayer. I had wanted to ask him for enough money to buy mama a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my mama. She loves w hite roses so very, very much." In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away. I could not stop thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping, in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier, about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the mother moth-er was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story. Two days later I read in the newspaper news-paper where the family had disconnected discon-nected the life support and the young women had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow some-how connected together. Later that day I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll and the picture of the little boy in the store. I left there in tears, my life had changed forever. The love that little boy has for his sister and his mother was overwhelming and in a split second a drunk driver has ripped the life of the little boy to pieces. Yoiutilhi cOeeir opipirtiiwirii5tiy ireatiedl The Wildlife Board voted to create a broader hunting opportunity for young sportsmen who are interested in learning to hunt big game. In their November meeting, the Board extended hunting opportunities for all youth who will 18 years of age or younger on Aug. 19, 2000. Hunters who fit within this age category will be allowed to purchase a general season buck deer tag and participate in Utah's archery, muzzlcloadcr and general (rifle) buck deer seasons next year. The opportunity merely allows young hunters to hunt in all three seasons. Once they harvest a buck deer, ft their hunt will be over regardless of whether they participated par-ticipated in all hunts or not. They will not be allowed to take more than one buck deer. Wildlife agencies across the United States are looking at methods to help recruit young hunters into the paying sportsmen ranks. By allowing the young hunters to participate par-ticipate in all three seasons, wildlife managers and Wildlife Board members hope to encourage younger people to stay active in outdoor activities. Utah's general buck deer hunting season is estab lished by legislative decree to open on the Saturday closest to Oct 20. In the year 2000, this will fall on Oct 21. The archery buck deer season will open Aug. 19 and continue through Sept 8. The state's general buck deer muzzlcloadcr season will begin Sept 27 and close at sunset on Oct. 5. The Board action is consistent with other initiatives that target young hunters. Special waterfowl and upland game hunts have been established in previous years. The public has favorably received the efforts. |