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Show A2 Wednesday, February 4, 2004 Opinion and Commentary 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. T Environment Dear Editor, Hurrah for Jean Holfeltz who advised all environmentalists environ-mentalists to take the penstemon and plant it in their own backyard. Twenty years ago, when I was Uintah County clerk, the cry was "Save the Goad Flax Cress" and it only grew in the oil shale. When I read "The last sheep herd leaves Diamond" if I hadn't been so mad I would have cried. Those herds once were a major part of our economy and now the enviro wackos are trying to destroy our oil industry, our timber industry, our cattle industry and our way of life. What a glorious day it will be when the last environmentalist environ-mentalist leaves the Uintah Basin. Doggone I thought PETA stood for People Eating Tasty Animals. DOROTHY LUCK Lapoint It's about time Dear Editor, Utah finally has a governor who is willing to step up to the plate and recognize that our school system needs help. Governor Olene Walker has taken that bold step to give the schools, our children, and teachers more of what they deserve, financial support. The schools need more books and computers, and the teachers need to be paid more for their never ending support and love for our kids. Utah teachers are underpaid under-paid and over worked. Our kids are our future. The Uintah School District has some of the best teachers and administrators in the state, and it's about time that we start recognizing them. Thank you Governor Walker for coming out and supporting not only our schools, but our children and teachers as well. CHIEF STEVE GUIBORD Naples Police Elections Dear Editor, With the nationwide primary elections taking place and the Caucuses about to, meet for political parties here in Uintah County, I fear that there is a misconception misconcep-tion about our U.S. Congressmarrfor this district. I believe Rep. Matheson is a good man and tries to represent the interests of the people of Utah and Uintah in Congress. However, his voting record shows that rather than being a conservative or moderate Democrat he is really a liberal. As an example, information infor-mation from the web sites of six liberal special interest groups tell the story. Each one of these interest groups are very liberal, socialistic and anti-family in values. They score senators and congressmen on how they voted concerning several key issues vital to their cause. These are recent statistics for the last two to three years. The Americans for Democratic Action gave Cannon and Hansen a 0 percent rating and Matheson an 80 percent per-cent rating. The National Association of Social Workers gave Cannon and Hansen a 12 percent rating and Matheson a 62 percent rating. The American Association of University Women (similar to the National Organization of Women) gave Cannon and Hansen a score of 0 percent and Matheson a score of 100 percent. The People for the American Way gave Cannon a score of 0 percent and Matheson a score of 78 percent. The Human Rights Campaign (supporting homosexual homosexu-al causes) gave Cannon and Hansen a rating of 0 percent per-cent and Matheson a score of 83 percent. And Peace Pac (an anti-war group favoring UN control) gave Cannon and Hansen a rating of 0 percent and Matheson a rating of 56 percent. On the other hand, the Family Research Council which supports conservative family values and legislation legisla-tion gave Cannon and Hansen a score of 100 percent and Matheson a score of 38 percent. In my opinion, Matheson does not represent the interests inter-ests of most of the people in Uintah County which I believe favor family values and conservative legislation. legisla-tion. There is a man running in this next election who does represent these interests. His name is John Swallow. I would urge the folks of our County to consider con-sider backing him and voting for him for Congress. MIKE BARDON Vernal m Vernal Express (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday (or $24 per year in shopping area and $36 per year out of shopping area within state and $39 per year out of state within USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 84078. Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS. P.O. Box 1000, Vernal Utah 84078. Steven R. Wallis Editor and Publisher Virginia Harrington Guest Writer Maureen Spencer Feature Writer Mandi Oaks Feature Writer Courtney Millecam Public Notices Jacque Hobbs Advertising Vanessa Grimshaw Advertising Terri Black Circulation & Classified Ads Tasha J. Robinson Advertising and Layout Phone: 435-789-3511 FAX: 435-789-8690 Website: www.vemal.com e-mail: editorvemal.com NEW DEADLINES News Monday 12 noon Display Advertising Monday 2 p.m. Classified Advertising Monday 2 p.m. Public Notices Monday 2 p.m. Mind matters' by Michael J. Bjornson, Ph.D. New Years Goals: the factors that lead to success As 2004 rolled in, literally millions of Americans partook in the annual tradition of stating what positive changes they would like to accomplish in this new year. Although New Year's resolutions can vary widely, wide-ly, the top three which account for three-fourths of all resolutions are to lose weight, quit smoking and exercise exer-cise regularly, according to John Norcross, Ph.D., a University of Scranton psychology professor who conducts con-ducts research on resolution and goal attainment. As many people know from first hand experience, resolutions often have a short life-span, sometimes lasting one day to one week into the month of January. However, research does point out that a surprising number of individuals are successful with permanently sticking with their New Year's goals. The type of resolution reso-lution or goal stated is not associated with long-term success. The "Journal of Substance Abuse," in 1998, Vol. 1, No. 2, looked at dieters and individuals attempting to improve relationships, finding that 19 per cent of both groups were successful at sticking to their resolutions two years later. New years resolutions may deserve a second look, since those who make them are 10 times more likely to change their behavior than those who do not, according to Norcross. So, what factors predict whether or not we will be successful with New Year's resolutions and goals? Research conducted by psychologists, in addition to my own clinical experience, points to the following. Those who are successful with reaching their resolutions resolu-tions or goals tend to utilize certain cognitive and behavioral strategies. Stimulus control is one such strategy. An example of this would be for a newly quit smoker to stay out of a smoky night club or bar, or someone trying to lose weight to avoid or limit their visits to such things as a buffet style, all you-can-eat restaurant. In addition, positive reinforcement, or what psychologists psychol-ogists call behaviorally contingent rewards, has been shown to help. An example of this would be to purchase pur-chase a new outfit or clothing after successfully losing an initial 10 pounds of body weight. What does not seem to be very helpful are "consciousness "con-sciousness raising strategies," such as taping a picture of a tar-filled lung to your office wall when you are quitting smoking. For weight losers or those trying to stick with an exercise regimen, conscious raising is harmful to one's health. Knowledge is good, however it is rarely sufficient to lead to behavioral changes. People need strategies and psychological tools, or what I like to refer to as "skillpower" versus "willpower" to create and maintain positive change. Another factor that is influential in determining success suc-cess has to do with how one deals with the perception of failure. For instance, if you are working on losing weight or sticking with an exercise plan, and you slip up, let's say you overindulge or miss several workouts, how you think about getting "off-track" will largely determine deter-mine success or failure. , '"' !'. If you can move away from the all-or-nothing thinking think-ing that "I must do it 100 per cent perfectly" approach, then you free yourself to go with the flow of life. It is inevitable that we will encounter the unexpected in life, which for many sabotages their progress. Be easy on yourself and try to see interruptions in progress as brief and temporary setbacks which can be overcome, versus having failed. Also of significant importance in predicting success with resolutions is what is known as self-efficacy, or the belief in your own ability to succeed at something. In other words, if you believe you will fail, then most certainly you will. Conversely, if you believe you will succeed, you most likely will. This notion of self-efficacy drives much of what predicts pre-dicts success and failure when it comes to positive Community to hike to ( ALL. I &OT TO SAY ABOUTj V.THIS SITUATION IS S y TTUtTdP UAH RFTTFQ RF SIV NIORF AFFICi nc WINTER AMD SOME health behavior change. Another important consideration that has been influential in helping people reach desired health behavior behav-ior changes comes through our increased understanding of human behavior change. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change, developed devel-oped in the early 1980's by Norcross and colleagues, has become widely accepted within the field of health psychology as a useful use-ful explanatory model for habit change. This model conceptualizes habit breaking as a process, rather than a singular event. Take smoking cessation for instance. There are specific cognitive cogni-tive and behavioral preparatory steps that most people desiring" to quit go through;,!'!';: ov. v These steps, that may or may not be on the conscious level, include pre contemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance and relapse. Where people often fail is that they are not past the contemplation stage, then all of a sudden they are thrust into the action stage, without proper preparation. New Year's Day habit changes are a good example of taking on something some-thing before someone is often actually actu-ally ready to do so. Most of us are overwhelmed and feeling depleted by the time Christmas is over. Then, somehow, usually in the few days between Christmas and Dec. 31, there might be a few moments to give thought to making wonderful wonder-ful resolutions about what positive changes we desire, starting New Years Day. This is a great set-up for failure! 'Desert Voices' Bishopric The Desert Voices Trail starts at the mouth of Split Mountain Gorge, a famously beautiful takeout for Dinosaur National Monument raft trips. On the way to the trailhead, the group will stop several sev-eral times to scan for bald eagles, in recognition of Saturday as Bald Eagle Day. Utah Division of Wildlife rangers will be on hand with spotting scopes to help hikers get a good look at the national mascot. There is no charge for admission to Dinosaur National Monument this time of year, so the group will continue contin-ue the drive to Split Mountain, and walk the 2-mile loop trail. Desert Voices gives stunning views of Split Mountain and the Green River.. .but be prepared for snow walking. Have good boots, and very warm winter win-ter clothing. Meet at the Basin Sports parking lot at 10 a.m. Call 789-3336 for more information. Polling place changes in Glines In the past voting precincts, Glines South 17 and Glines North 23 voted at the Utah State University building on West Highway 40. Two new polling locations have been established for the Glines precincts. The new polling place for the Glines South 17 precinct will be at the Ashley Valley Water and Sewer Board office, 1344 West Highway 40. The new polling location for the Glines 23 precinct is at Uintah High School, 1880 West 500 North. Uintah County Clerk-Auditor Mike Wilkins said that within the next week, registered voters in these two precincts will receive new voter identification cards. reorganized the Maeser 1st Ward was reorganized by Sunday, Bishopric Stake President Michael Alexander. Bishop Richard Jolley and 1st councilor David Feltch remained in their positions and Steven Richard Wallis was sustained as the second councilor. Golden... Continued from A1 by Governor Matheson to the Board of Water Resources in 1983. He has been a trustee of the Uintah County Water Conservancy District and is currently a member of the Governor's Water Development Commission. He is on the executive committee of the Utah Water Users Association, and chaired the Water Conference for 10 years. Hosted by the Vernal Area Chamber of Commerce, guests of the Conference also heard Utah Republican Gubernatorial candidate Fred Lampropoulos soundly voice his opposition to proposed assumptions assump-tions of water and road monies for education funding, and his commitment commit-ment to conducting "trade missions" mis-sions" within the state of Utah to fulfill community needs. "Economic development in Utah is not stealing big business from California," Lampropoulos stressed, urging communities to use a "Check Utah first" program before going out of state for economic goals. True and lasting change takes preparation and adequate planning. If you are one of those feeling that you have already failed or that it is too late to consider positive life changes, since we are well past the start of January, do not resign yourself your-self to that just yet. There is plenty of time. I personally person-ally recommend that people use the month of January or even February if necessary, to specifically determine deter-mine and develop an action plan for what changes they desire to make for the upcoming year. Remember, if you are seeking permanent per-manent life change, taking the necessary nec-essary preparatory steps before you move forward will be well worth it. Each day also presents a fresh new opportunity to ; initiate positive change. Even though we feel better about initiating new habits at the start of the new year or the start of a new month, you really can begin at any time. Just be careful not to use that as an excuse to procrastinate getting started. In order to increase your chances of success, a quick journey through goal setting strategies might be helpful. To improve your chances of succeeding, you need to write your resolutions or goals down. This has proven to dramatically increase the likelihood of reaching such goals. Try not to let this step trip you up. Just start writing and you can change or modify if you need to. You may be familiar with the "SMART" approach, where each letter stands for a specific element in goal setting. First, is your goal specific? Specificity allows you to know precisely pre-cisely what you are desiring to achieve. Poorly defined resolutions or goals are more likely to fail. Second, is your goal measurable? In other words, how will you know if you have reached it? With goals such as weight loss, measuring success suc-cess is easier. However, a goal such as "desiring to be happier this year" may seem difficult to measure. You could use criteria such as having more energy, feeling more productive, produc-tive, spending more time with family fami-ly or friends, smiling and laughing more, increased involvement in pleasurable activities, having more positive thoughts and optimistic outlook on the future, etc., Third, is your goal "Action" oriented ori-ented whereby you can lay. put! .a plan with ' sequential active steps leading to success. Fourth, is your goal realistic? Be careful not to set the goal so that it is out of reach, which will lead to failure and stifle your motivation. You are better off to set a goal which you have reasonable certainty certain-ty of reaching, which will increase your motivation. Fifth, is your goal time focused? In other words, if you do not have a defined time frame for accomplishing accomplish-ing a goal, there is a great likelihood likeli-hood that you will not reach that goal. Procrastination can ruin the best of intentions. A few final words on goal attainment. attain-ment. It is also important to identify identi-fy potential obstacles or barriers to success, followed by a strategy or plan in which to deal with any such obstacles. Good luck! Federal program funds water projects Rick Gold, Bureau of Reclamation, urged water users, irrigation companies and districts to take advantage of funds being made available through the Water 2025 program during the Water Conference in Vernal Tuesday. Chronic water supply problems in the West are one of the greatest challenges facing the nation in the coming decades, Secretary Gale Norton said in announcing her proposal pro-posal to help communities predicted to experience conflicts over water during the next 25 years even in the absence of drought. The proposal Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West calls for concentrating existing federal financial and technical tech-nical resources in key western watersheds and in critical research and development, such as water conservation and desalinization, that will help to predict, prevent, and alleviate water supply conflicts. The President's FY 2004 budget calls for an initial investment of $1 1 million for such efforts. "Crisis management is not an effective solution for addressing long-term, systematic water supply problems," said Norton, noting that crises in the Klamath River and Middle Rio Grande River basins-where basins-where farmers, urban residents. Native Americans, and fish and wildlife have been affected by water shortages-vividly demonstrate the consequences of failing to strategically address the problem of competing demands for a finite water supply. "Water 2025 recognizes that states, tribes, and local governments should have a leading role in meeting meet-ing these challenges," Norton said. "The Department of the Interior should focus its attention and resources on areas where scarce federal dollars can provide the greatest benefits to the West and the nation." Gold said that there is up to $300,000 per project available on a 50 percent match basis and more money will be available. President Bush's Fiscal Year 2005 budget calls for $21 million in Water 2025 funds, he said. The President's proposal is an increase of $13.4 million over Western Water Initiative funds enacted in FY 2004 which include $4 million in challenge grants and $3 million for water improvement technology. "The projects are approved on a competitive basis against other projects proj-ects in the region," Gold said. "So submit only projects that you believe will be approved and meet the purpose of the funding." A. |