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Show "Older American Month" honors Orem's seniors By Marge McCown Special to Orem-Geneva Times Kudos to the senior citizens of Orem as "Older American Month" honors these grandparents, mentors men-tors and longtime community leaders whose ongoing contributions contribu-tions continue to make Orem a city of proud happenings. An ever-growing segment of our society, Orem's seniors over age 60 account for 9.6 percent of the population while it is estimated es-timated over 1,100 are over 85. In a proclamation by Mayor S. Blaine Willes, they were hailed as "our greatest natural resource." He continued, "Our Orem family-oriented family-oriented culture provides an excellent ex-cellent quality of life to all residents resi-dents because of the contributions contribu-tions of Older Americans and those who have passed on before." Acknowledging their importance, impor-tance, Willes cited their worth as role model 8 in preserving our hard won values of equality, patriotism, freedom of opportunity, oppor-tunity, and adherence to laws, strong work ethic, and more. Computers, once the wave of the future, are now standard equipment in any modern operation. Orem City treasurer Dean Nickle and office staff members say production is way up since the computers were installed. City billing system takes great strides since computerization By Jill G.Jones Editorial Intern Orem City's computerized billing system has taken great strides since the city's first computer com-puter named, "Colossus II" was introduced in 1974. According to the Aug. 1974 newsletter from Orem City Hap-penings-the $80,000 unit, known as an IBM System 3 computer-was computer-was placed in service in May of 1973 by Orem City's Data Processing Department. Orem City has continually upgraded their billing system since. It is now completely computerized with 500,000 lines of computer code and a private computer terminal ter-minal for each account clerk. "Our budget billing system is unique. Orem is the only city that I am aware of that handles their billing this way," said Dean Nickels, Nick-els, city treasurer. The most changes in the system sys-tem started in 1984 when the city changed from a Data General computer system to IBM Systems. Sys-tems. "We were able to reduce the work force by several people," said Nickels. With the old Data General system, the city had both utility account clerks and treasury account clerks. Now the city has cut down to from 11 clerks to four account clerks who all have their own computer Seventh-day Ad-ventist Ad-ventist School to graduate local students Provo's Seventh-day Adven-tist Adven-tist School will graduate six eighth grade students at ceremonies to be held Thursday, May 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the Church sanctuary, 255 South 700 East,Proyo. Commencement speaker will be Pastor Julius Jones, from the Salt Lake City Central Seventh-day Seventh-day Adventist Church. Graduates include Jennifer Harvey, Orem; David Farley, Orem; Jeremy Fisher, Orem; Karen Griffith, Orem; Cecilia Elton, American Fork; and Dus-tin Dus-tin Pulsipher, Spanish Fork. Following commencement ceremonies, the group will be honored at reception in the Church fellowship hall. The, public is invited to attend. . In tandem with the City, these citizens have tackled such problems as transportation for those unable to walk or drive, nutritious meals, medical care and health advice low-income housing, and social contacts. Evidence of their achievements achieve-ments are the newly-remodeled building, traveling nurse, a van, approximately 100 balanced meals served daily, programs in craft and exercise....Many spend weekdays at The Friendship Center Cen-ter working to enhance and enjoy their Golden Years while the frailties of age require some to seek care and assistance. Willes urges all residents to help wherever possible in making life more comfortable for the elderly. Praising commitment. Assistant Assis-tant City manager Stewart Taylor notes, "Eph Twitchell, as director of the Senior Center Program, Pro-gram, has been exceptionally good to work with and supportive of City efforts to meet the differing differ-ing needs of the Seniors." Such cooperation has greatly enhanced the expansion of the Center and teminal to answer inquiries, process data, and handle both treasury and utility functions, Nickels said. The old system provided just one computer. Nickels said the clerks sometimes could not get all the billings key-punched in one day. "We could not handle the large number of accounts," he said. Because of the com- f tutorized billing system, Orem's arge growth rate at approximately ap-proximately two and a half to three percent can be accomodated ac-comodated Before the computer age, the treasury department had to process every billing by hand. There was a ledger filed for every account and when that person came in to pay his bill, they would find the ledger and do everything by hand, said Nickels. This system sys-tem was both costly and time consuming. con-suming. With this new system, the city is divided into quadrants instead of halves as before. "This allows for a much smoother money flow," he said. Every week, one quarter of the city is billed. Each account clerk handles one quarter which has about 3500 accounts. The system sys-tem includes customer accounts, payment history, meter readings and location, generates repair order, and everything involved in the billing system. The system also allows the treasury department to handle billing for three separate operations; opera-tions; water, sewer and garbage. An example of one of the system's functions is the garbage tracking that can be done on computer. It keeps track of the garbage cans per resident and generates pick up, delivery orders and repairs. Another unique approach to billing, is the citys meter reading service. The city contracts the service out and saves approximately ap-proximately $70,000 a year, Nickels Nick-els said. The city thus eliminates the expense of full-time meter readers. Other advantages are; they do not have to read meters every month, customers have a set amount to pay on their billing every month, and a new average is adjusted that comes out to customers cus-tomers in July. Nickels said this unique billing system makes utilities lower than in most cities. Orem is currently lowest on the total water, sewer and garbage bill in Utah County. The city's residential average bill is other issues impacting the citizens in the community. Monies for these projects have been generated from donations' and fundraising by the Seniors while the City has been instrumental in-strumental in their obtaining thousands of Community Block Grant Development dollars. OPEN HOUSE An open house on Friday, June 14, will celebrate the completion com-pletion of the remodeling of the Center. ATTENTION "It's about time," says United Senior Action Day Commissioner Prema Mathai-Davis, who encourages en-courages all seniors to join them at noon, Wednesday, June 5, to "Stand Up and Speak Out" in Washington D.C. (on the hill). Topics of concern include Older Americans Act Reauthorization Re-authorization ad Appropriations, transportation, Health and Long Term Care, Housing, seniors as Resources and Intergenerational Programs, and LI HEAP (Low-Income & Home Energy Assistance Program). 35.69 while the average for all Utah County is 43.46. The maximum maxi-mum is 54.70, he said. Other changes that have been made in the city's billing system is the way payments are handled. The city went from 8 12 X 11 sheet to 3 X 5 cards. Return envelopes en-velopes for payments are included in-cluded in the billing statements sent out. This cut down both inside and outside traffic at the drive-up window-where payments are made-by 75 percent, Nickels said. The way the system is set up, the chance that a customer will receive a wrong deposit account is a million to one, said Nickels. When a payment is submitted, the computer will automatically run through a mathematical code to insure the account code is correct cor-rect In the last five years, the department key-punched 900,000 payments and only one time did they have an error where it was posted to another account as a result of a key-punch error, he said. Adventists to hold Meeting Utah and Nevada Seventh-day Seventh-day Adventists will meet June 17-22, 17-22, for the annual Hobblecreek Canyon Camp Meeting, for family fami-ly style camping, spiritual meetings meet-ings and social fellowship. Featured evening speaker will be Jack Sequeira, Walla Walla, Washington Church pastor, pas-tor, who will present sermons on the 1991 theme "lift Him Up." Other speakers include Wayne Shepperd, associate church ministries director for youth and young adults in the North Pacific Union Conference; Russell Burrill, director of the North American Division Evan-' gelism Institute; Dr. Leslie Hard-lnge, Hard-lnge, evangelist; Ernest Castillo, newly-elected secretary of the Pacific Union Conference; and Martin Weber, Meetings are held throughout the day, and evening meetings begin at 7 p.m., Monday through ; Saturday. Special meetings are held for Spanish-speaking, youth and children's groups. For further information or a complete schedule, please contact 374-2978 or 224-0113. Maurine Shaw puts finishing touches on a piece of ceramics in the ceramics room at the Senior Friendship Center. See photos on Page 1 1 Orem Qenevm 11 U Volume 61 Number 22 Graduates Listed on Page Graduation ceremonies big step for seniors . High school graduates will don caps, tassels, and gowns to take a major step in their lives this after-- after-- noon (May 30) at the Marriott Cen- ter. For many the next step wfll be higher education. Others already have jobs lined up. Still others plan a summer sum-mer of freedom while they seek direction. (See graduating lists page 6 in this issue). Mountain View High School graduates will participate in ceremonies at 2 p.m. Orem High School ceremonies will take place at 5 p.m. All graduates should be at the Marriott Center thirty minutes early. Parents, family and friends of the graduating class are invited to attend the services. Speakers at the MVHS exercises exer-cises include: Greg Smith, Jane Walker, James Patterson, Merilee Arave, Debbie Whitehead. Recognition of class project will be by Don, Murray. Student body president Kirt Seale will conduct Welcome will be by senior class president Michael Whimpey. Prayers will be by Kmberly Koller and John Thomas. Orem High School exercises will be conducted by Becky Jack-man, Jack-man, student body president; and David Moss, senior class president, presi-dent, will present the welcome address. Other speakers include Alpine District summer programs to begin Alpine School District is starting start-ing its Summer Community Education classes at Mountain View Hieh School on June 3rd. Regular Summer School begins dune loth. Brochures will available at all main nffima be of your local Almne District schools You may register through the mail, by VisaMastercard, or at Alpine School District main offices of-fices (Harrington Building, Room 215, 50 North Center, American Fork). ' There are three components of the Summer School Program: Classes in arts and crafts, business, computers, dance, home arts, language and music, 'merit badge, self improvement, and sports and fitness will be of-.fered of-.fered in the evening for all ages. Adventure Club is a field trip program for elementary-age 'children.' Academic programs are also available for elementary, junior high and high school students to make up lost credit, review skills or to accelerate. For further information, contact con-tact Lail at 227-8773 at the Mountain View Community Education Office. -Win i mm '"':, ntfi r&j$Mmlmmii&MmmyMM tmw4m&w3si&. M (HTv? w Thursday, May 30, 1991 6 Elisabeth Hacken, Teri May Richardson, Laurie Randall, Katrina Jesperson, Rachel Larson. Lar-son. Prayers will be by Emily Spencer and Jamie Tasso. Brittany Brit-tany Brammer will present the class project. Also included on the Brogram are officers Tiffany lacking and Bryce Hall. Orem High School is graduat Foster Grandparents honored at 26th Annual Recognition Banquet By Clyde E. Weeks Managing Editor When age and youth come together, some wonderful things happen, especially when the elders are working in the Foster Grandparent Program. Eighty-eight Eighty-eight Utah County residents, many of them from Orem, were honored at the 26th Annual Recognition Banquet held May 21 at the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. A federally-funded program that provides jobs for senior citizens working with young people, the Foster Grandparent Program enables seniors to supplement sup-plement their incomes. Participating Par-ticipating in the program are men ana women from 65 to those over 90. Directing the program almost from its inception has been Charles Char-les J. Dearing of Orem who started nearly 22 years ago. He has taken his assignment as an opportunity to become friends with many older people over the years. "NOT JUST A JOB" "I love this job very much," he said. "To me, it's not just a job." That fact was evident at the banquet as the "Grandparents" thanked him and wished him well on his own retirement which he has scheduled for March, 1992. The "Grandparents" were welcomed by Mark Howard, Administrator Ad-ministrator of the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center which hosted the program and dinner. The invocation was given by Senator Eldon A. Money. Speakers included Utah County Commissioner Richard A. Johnson, Myra Lazenby, a Foster Grandparent, and Elouise M. Bell, BYU English Professor and well-known humorist The awards were presented by Charles R. Dearing, program director, and Dr. Rick Crawford, 3x-officio member of the Foster Grandparent project advisory committee. SERVICE AWARDS GIVEN Eighteen-year awards were fiven to Allie A. Cardon and Iil-an Iil-an B. Sorensen. A 15-year award was given to Celeste Hales. Ten-Year awards well outfitted 352 I wmmmm ing the most students with 556 and Mountain View High has the next most in the district, 510. American Fork will graduate 430 students, Pleasant Grove 332 and Lehi High 190. Mothers High and Adult High graduation ceremonies were held Wednesday, May 29, at Orem High. Charles J. Dearing...Direc-tor Dearing...Direc-tor of the Utah County Foster Grandparent Program were given to Reba Chidester, Eleanor Kinser, Ruth Rigby and Helen Dickerson. Five-Year awards were given to Wanda F. Anderson, LeOra Knuteson, Elna Laws, Thelma Lawson, Beverly Lunt and ElDean McClain. Three-Year awards were given to Gretchen Paulsen, Mamie Inel-son, Inel-son, Gussie Lewis, Myra Lazenby, Lazen-by, Bessie Kuykendall, Dorothy Jordan, Virginia Hawkins, Bert L. Conklin, Grace Clements, Louise M. Clark, Virginia C. Carson Car-son and Gertrude Bevan. Central Bank and Trust donated fruit baskets which were given to those honored for their years of service. All the Foster Grandparents were presented umbrellas, imprinted with the words: "Foster Grandparents shower the world with love." WORKERS OVER 80 Special recognition was given to those grandparents who are still volunteering five days a week who have reached, or will reach this year, the age of 80 or over: Emma Williams, Richard Rem-melle, Rem-melle, Ruth Olsen, Lewis Beagley, Stella Haws, Retta . Continued on Page 11 if; 4- 4 |