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Show -Wednesday Juno 8 1988 Page 2 Orem-Geneva Times- POST MARK By Postmaster Clyde Weeks ; J Father's Day 1988 marks my 41st year as a father, and I have been thinking deeply about the blessing 1 have to be father to nine splendid children. I can only imagine how barren bar-ren life would have been had the Lord not seen fit to grant men the blessing of fatherhood. Nearly every significant signifi-cant and meaningful event in my life has been associated with the minor and major events in their lives: their births, their confirmations, their first day of school, and their illnesses and injuries, their achievements in church and school, their friends, their dates, their musical performances, their graduations. We have laughed loudly and long together. We have cried together. We have sung together. We have prayed together. We have shared very special moments, and even hours, together. We have lived together. SOME REGRETS . Regrets? Yes, I have regrets. I regret I was not a better father. Today, To-day, there must be a million books in-the in-the world telling how to be a perfect father, but forty yeas ago the instruction instruc-tion books were few and far between. I was an amateur father, and the children who came first sometimes suffered from my ineptness and inexperience. inex-perience. In spite of my good intentions, inten-tions, I know that I must have dealt with them in ways that my children felt were unfair and unjust. It was always "for your own good," but I wonder if it always was. Now that most of my children have children of their own they may understand how easily your best intentions in-tentions for your children may not only on-ly be misunderstood, but be entirely . wrong. LEARNED LESSONS I have learned so much from my children. Each in their turn has shown me unconditional love as babies and as children. As they grew older, their perceptions increased and their eyes were opened to see me as a very imperfect im-perfect man, and a less than perfect father. The years go by so swiftly for me, now, and even so, it seems like only yesterday that we were all living together as parents and children-clinging children-clinging and singing together as one big happy (most of the time) family. As I think back to former days, I wish that I could have done more for them and been more for them. I feel - that I must have been so inadequate for them when they needed me. How Orem wants to join Bayview landfill Orem wants to participate in a new landfill at Bayview (near Elber-ta), Elber-ta), if Provo can work out the legal problems associated with the Bayview site. If this isnt feasible then Orem will continue to seek another alternative to the north county landfill land-fill in Lindon. Orem City officials feel the present site at Lindon is not aestheticly pleasing because of its proximity to the freeway and Utah Lake. In addition the Lindon site would have to be revised to meet new Environmental Protection Agency standards. Participating in the Bayview landfill would solve the problem for now as well as the future. If participation is countywide there will be less cost to Provo but all county residents will feel some impact. im-pact. Orem residents probably would face an increase of about a dollar a month, according to City Manager Daryl Berlin. The current charge is $6.37. Because Provo's landfill already CEDO asks council to modify zone restrictions on 13th South corridor By Jeanne Thayne Orem's stringent zoning codes are hindering development along 13th South, says CEDO director Delance Squire and board members Jerry Washburn and Stan Lunt. They met in a work session at the request of the city council and suggested modifications modifica-tions of the proposed PC-2 Zone. "We're trying to make one short strip into something that isn't anywhere else," says Washburn. "Some beautiful things are occurring in Provo that wouldn't have a shot in Orem," he complained. One of the most onerous of the requirements re-quirements is the 40-foot setback for new businesses along 13th zone. The current setback is 20 feet. The new re-quirment re-quirment is not realistic says the, 6 o 1988 o many times did I say, "No! " to them when I should have said "Yes ! " How much more understanding I should have been of their wants and desires! MUSICAL MOMENTS All of our musical moments flood back to me as I look back to our years living together as a family. Whenever I feel blue or under par I always think back to a special time when one or more of the children were singing or performing someplace when I was there. It might be Melody mooning for her "One Boy" in "Bye Bye Birdie." It might be Skip singing and dancing, "Gary, Indiana" in Mr. E's choice Sharon School production of "Music Man." I can still hear Skylar, crowing crow-ing like a rooster in another Mr. E. show. Perhaps it is Merrie, Chelle and Skylar singing together in an Orem High School A Cappella concert. Or Richard belting out "Old Man River" at a community concert. I can still hear David's "Music Man" singing about "Trouble In River City." And Rosanna sailing "Over the Rainbow" to become "My Fair Lady," singing "I Could Have Danced All Night." and I'll never forget Allyson's haunting haun-ting "Mem'ries" from "Cats." DON'T BE SURPRISED My children shouldn't be surprised surpris-ed some morning if they should find themselves right back in their own beds at home where they belong. If my ship comes in and brings me those three wishes, that will be the first one on my list. I would give anything to have another chance to be the father to them that I should have been. But those times are past I know that they can only live as children in my memory. But just as surely as those nine evergreen trees live and thrive in our back yard-just as surely will these memories stay ever green in my mind and in my soul. But well-rooted seedlings grow into stately pines, and that is what each of my children have done. They have each shot skyward in this rocky Orem soil and spread their branches toward Mt. Tim-panogos Tim-panogos and Utah Lake, seeking the light and truth waiting for them. They have found a world, new and unspotted-a world they did not create, but one in which they must create their own visions and their own reality. Happy Father's Day? Yes. But just a little sad, too! is nearly full Provo is moving ahead as rapidly as possible to secure the Bayview site. Bids opened Thursday for a maintenance shed but there are still some legal hurdles to clear before other cities can legally use the Bayview site. If other cities want to participate, the agreement must be processed through the Utah County Board of Adjustments since the orginal agreement for the 640 acres at Bayview was for Provo's use only.. There also are potential problems with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a church-owned orchard located in the Bayview area but this probably can be resolved. If all cities agree to participate, the county itself probably would take over the management of the landfill. This way the landfill will not become a "political football" says Provo Mayor Joe Jenkins. Berlin says the countywide landfill land-fill is the best option considering EPA standards. "It's no longer feasible for us to have our own landfills, it's just too expensive." CEDO director; at $200,000 an acre, 40 foot setbacks make it not even competitive. com-petitive. "It's not a question of being reasonable or unreasonable, it's just economics," says Squire. Other requirements the CEDO board suggests modifying are the signage requirements (low profile may not always be best), tree requirements re-quirements (could shield the businesses we want to bring in) and buffer zones also may need modifying. modify-ing. They also complained of limited access to properties. Councilmember Joyce Johnson reminded CEDO officials that the restrictions came after several long session&and "a lot of input." She said the council should think carefully about making changes. Motivate kids during vacation Parents who worry that their children will stop learning until school reopens next fall have good reason for that fear. Teachers find that students who stop reading over the summer sometimes take until December to regain their previous skill. However, the young person who whiles away summer hours reading for enjoyment often has a definite advantage ad-vantage when school resumes. One way parents can interest children in "school work" during summer is' to motivate them by speaking of learning as fun-not a form of punishment. Scouting, camping, vacation trips, baseball and swimming can be educational, as well as fun. Dinner table interaction among family members-such as prodding every person to recite everything he or she knows about a topic such as dinosaurs-can turn a hot summer evening into something the kids consider con-sider "cool." Many kids love responsibility. Sc let them help you choose a Utah vacation vaca-tion destination, learn all they can about the place, suggest a route, and compute the trip's costs. Cub Scouts may earn their travel badges that way. Mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, cooking dinner or cleaning the house may not be welcome responsibilities for kids, but they are valuable. Hold on, though, Mom and Dad. Handing those assignments to the kids isn't enough. Some of the highest quality time you can spend with the youngsters is being with them at work, on learning projects and at play. Be with them this summer, and they'll be "with it" next fall. Children's advocates needed The Utah Parent Center is pleased pleas-ed to announce a three-session training train-ing series for adults who wish to volunteer to serve as advocates (surrogate (sur-rogate parents) on behalf of children enrolled in public school special education programs. Parental involvement in-volvement is required in the special education decision making process as outlined by public law 94-142. Children" with special needs whose parents are unavailable, do not exist or the child is a ward of the state - need someone to act on their behalf as outlined by law. What this means is that some children don't have a parent to ad vocate for them to ensure that a school program meets their own special needs. If you are a parent, professional or interested community communi-ty member that would like to make a difference in the life of a child, please volunteer. A surrogate parent volunteer may not be an employee of the state of Utah or the school district for which heshe will be volunteering nor should heshe have any reason for being involved in-volved as a surrogate parent volunteer that would conflict with the best interests of the child being served. Surrogate Parent Training will include information on PL 94-142, assessment, writing the Individual Educational Plan (IEP), placement, and due process procedures - the same information that all parents of children in special education need to know. The first training session of the three part series will be held June 15, 1988 at the Provo School District Administration Ad-ministration Building from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon. The second session will be June 22, and the last session will be held June 29th. A reward for volunteers - All individuals in-dividuals finishing all three sessions of training will receive a small stipend, sti-pend, a certificate of completion, surrogate sur-rogate parent manual of information and the intangible warm feeling that comes with the knowledge that you've cared when you didn't have to. If you or someone you know is interested in-terested in being trained as a surrogate sur-rogate parent volunteer please call the Utah Parent Center (toll free in Utah) 1-800-468-1160. The time commitment com-mitment is minimal.' j Skateboarding banned at Mall A new guideline posted at the University Mall prohibits use o' skateboards on mall property. Mall Manager Robert Kallas sayi the new ruling is because of concern for the safety of both skateboarders and patrons. "We care about our patrons and want them to feel safe when they visit the mall," said University Mall Manager Robert Kallas. "We feel that skateboarding is a great sport, but should be practiced in areas designed design-ed for that activity." Mall security officers will enforce the new policy. ( fZSOAA-, FOR, , J v ' y 7 FAzsT-oeeK off A The City-County Health department depart-ment of Utah County is offering a smoking cessation program called "Fresh Start." "Fresh Start," developed by the American Cancer Society, is free of charge to the public and invites all smokers to participate. This program is designed to help the smoker quit smoking in a two-week two-week period. It emphasizes that quitting quit-ting smoking is a two-part process: First, quitting and second, staying stopped. First baby boomers reach age 40 The leading edge of the baby boom generation had reached age 40 by July 1, 1987, placing them in the middle of the nation's fastest-growing age group, the Census Bureau reported today. The Commerce Department agency said the population aged 35 to 44 grew by 34 percent from 1980 to 1987, while those aged 25 to 34 (the bulk of the baby boom era) increased increas-ed by 17 percent. Other major gains were among those aged 85 and over (28 percent), those aged 75 to 84 (2f percent), those aged 65 to 74 (13 percent), per-cent), and children under age five (12 New child support guidelines evolve from state hearings i c-i w rut.. tu tuu ro,:i j Salt Lake Citv-The Utah Child Support Task Force has released its final report and recommendations for uniform child support guidelines statewide. I The guidelines underwent substantial revisions following a series of public hearings on the initial proposal in April. The major changes fall into four categories: 1) the guidelines, if implemented, would not apply to existing orders, 2) future second se-cond families of non-custodial parents would be considered in any modification modifica-tion of child support orders set under the guidelines, 3) the amount of child support is reduced 10 to 20 percent, depending on the income levels, and 4 ) the guidelines do not apply in joint custody cases. In addition to these changes, the guidelines contain early recommendations recommen-dations that the child support payments would be based solely on the income of the natural parents, different dif-ferent levels of support would be set depending on the age of the child, and special consideration would be given to extended visitation, prevent a judge from exercising his or her discretion, but require the judge to submit, in writing, reasons for deviating from the guidelines. The Task Force will present its report to the Utah Judicial Council on June 27. Utah's guidelines base child support sup-port awards on the actual cost of rearing rear-ing children and assume both parents have a duty to suppport their children. The revised amounts are about 1! percent higher than present support payments, but still put Utah at the lower end of those established in 42 other states. ' 'Despite being among the lowest In the nation, the guidelines are a good place to start," said Judge Judith M. Billings, who chairs the task force. "They represent a major step forward in providing predictable and uniform child support awards statewide." In addition to guideline recommendations, recom-mendations, the Task Force will strongly urge the Council to further study several issues that were brought to its attention during the public bearings. They are: Fresh Start' is class to help smokers quit "This program provides an excellent ex-cellent opportunity for smokers to meet in a small group with others who share the same concern," says Pat Tucker, The Tobacco Free Coordinator Coor-dinator and Facilitator of the cessation cessa-tion program. "It can offer support and encouragement." The "Fresh Start" program consists con-sists of four one-hour sessions held during a two-week period. Ten to fifteen fif-teen people will form each quit-smoking quit-smoking group. The first session will percent). Populations showing the largest declines were those aged 14 to 17, down by 11 percent, and those aged 18 to 24, down by 10 percent. The July 1, 1987 total population estimate (including armed forces overseas) of 243.9 million was 7 percent per-cent above 1980. The Black and White populations grew by 11.4 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively, while those of other races grew several times faster at 52.2 percent. The nation's median age on July 1) Perceived Gender Bias in the Awarding of Child Custody. There is a perception among a segment of the public that courts in Utah almost routinely award custody of children to the natural mother, end do not seriously consider a custody award to the father. 2) Visitation. Problems with visitation were the most frequently articulated related issue heard by the Task Force. The parties confronting this problem were frustrated by their inability to enforce the ordered visitation. visita-tion. There was a great deal of public sentiment in favor of linking child support payments by the noncustodial non-custodial parent to compliance with visitation orders by the custodial parent. 3) Collection of Child Support. Members of the public frequently stated that the inability of the custodial parent to collect court-ordered court-ordered child support is a serious problem. 4) Use of Child Support Payments. A fear was expressed by the public that child support payments were not being used for the benefit of the children. 5) Updating Awards. The public has expressed concern over the lack CEDO explores idea for incubator program in Timp Research Park At a recent work session with the City Council CEDO director DeLance Squire explored the idea of the Ch cooperating with CEDO in construe tion of a building in the Tlmpanogw Research and Development Park t( be rented out as an incubator foi businesses who would like space iii the park but who arent ready to build yet He said fledgling businesses often can work together to share costs of phones and other services in such a building. Squire suggested the building be abuut 42,000 square feet and could be constructed at about $40 Ppr square feet start on June 13, 1988 at 6 p.m. and L T 11 OA I Ot .AAA conunue on June auu u, xaoo. "We are here to help people who want to quit smoking," says Tucker. If a person feels uncomfortable in a group situation, the City-County Health Department has several self-help self-help programs available. For further information, and to register for a smoking cessation class, contact the City-County Health Department "Fresh Start" smoking cessation program at 379-8796. 1, 1987 was estimated at 32.1 years compared with 30.0 in 1980. The report says the aging trend should continue as more of the baby boom generation born during the years 1946 to 1964 enter middle age. ' : The report gives estimates by sex and race for single years to age 84 and for those 85 and over. A chart shows births by years since 1910. Copies of United States Population Popula-tion Estimates, by Age, Sex, and Race: 1980 to 1987, Series P-25, No. 1022, are available from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. of an efficient means to update child ' support awardsIdeally, the Task Force believes child support awards should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis. 6) Access to the Court System. Access to the courts is limited, especially for people of low income, because of the costs inherent in litigation. litiga-tion. This is an ongoing problem that is not limited to the area of child support. sup-port. The Task Force believes the court system needs to be more accessible ac-cessible to everyone and not just to inose wno are aDie to oav. Because these issues are outside , the scope of the Task Force's work, they are not addressed in the final report. However, the Task Force believes the "importance of these issues to. the public cannot be overemphasized." The Task Force will also recommend recom-mend that the Council establish a standing committee, composed of legislators, judges, lawyers, and citizens, to monitor, evaluate and adjust ad-just the guidelines as needed. upies of the Task Force's report will be available to the public at the State Court Administrator's Office nf- T 1 . Squire also said CEDO could manage the rental but when that happens hap-pens they will need another full time person. He said CEDO spends a lot of time talking to new busineses but they don't have as much time to meet with individual businesses as they would like. He suggested an increase in the budget from $125 to $160 to employ another person. He said they are handling things now but if and when an incubator Is built they will need more help. He asked the council to evaluate benefits of the proposal and also discussed possible funding for the building. |