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Show eya'MiiiiiMiiinii.'-w-.ty Submit a Guest Editorial or Opinion at our office, located at 538 South State in Orem. Deadlines are Monday noon. All submissions are subject to editing tor length, and the Orem-Geneva Times reserves the right to publish or not to publish a submission. Commentary- Wednesday, June 20, 2001 Editorial mother look a e topic or emeraenc tth wmemredness mm a A couple of yean ago, emergency preparedness waa on most people's minds as humanity faced the uncertainties that made "Y2K" a household word. As the world passed into the new century and new millennium without the global meltdown predicted by some, however, complacency and neglect may have set in again with regard to emergency preparedness. pre-paredness. If your household is like some of ours, you may have several large blue water storage barrels sitting sit-ting empty in the garage. You may have sacks of powdered milk that could pass for concrete mix, or bags of wheat with more weevil than protein content. You might have a first aid kit that would be useless in patching up a child's scraped knee, let alone handling anything more serious. You may have half a dozen or more flashlights, none of which have charged batteries or actually work. Last week's high wind storm that hit the valley so suddenly was a reminder of our vulnerability. In addition, ad-dition, there is an undercurrent of worry in the daily news as oil prices fluctuate, energy marketing problems prob-lems continue, and Utah's water supplies are affected by drought. A quick web search reveals a number of sites dedicated dedi-cated to the topic of emergency preparedness. "Disasters of various degrees can strike quickly and without warning," reads the website of the Wicomico County Emergency Management Office. "Would you know what to do if basic services like water, gas, electricity, elec-tricity, or telephones were cut off?" It is a question that we would all do well to ask ourselves: "What do. I do if basic services are cut off?" The same website offers four basic emergency pre paredness tips that are grounded in common sense: First, find out what could happen to you. Find out what types of disasters are most likely to occur in your area so you can take steps to prepare for those events. Second, create a disaster plan. Involve your family fam-ily in discussing the types of disasters that are most likely to occur, and decide what to do in each case. Have a primary and secondary place to meet. Third, make a disaster checklist A simple checklist check-list could include the posting of emergency phone numbers; charts showing how to shut off electricity, gas, and water lines; and assignments for each family fam-ily member. Fourth, practice and maintain your plan. Once you have a plan in place, don't neglect it Review with family members every six months to make mxre they remember what to do. Change batteries in smoke detectors, flashlights, and radios regularly to make sure they will work when needed. As mentioned before, there is a wealth of information infor-mation available on the Internet on disasters and emergency preparedness. The Red Cross and other agencies have material as well. In Orem, CERT (Community Emergency Response Training) is available through the Neighborhoods in Action program. AH of us would do well to take another look at our emergency preparedness, and continue with planning and foSow-through so we can have the confidence and greater sense of security that come with being as ready as possible in case of a disaster. lh Po Mamma kmmi with Wwlev C rm Award Leah Pierce Johnson was recently re-cently honored by Mayor Jerry Washburn and the Orem City Council with the Walter (!. Orem citizenship award. Ieah was horn and raised in the small town of Vermillion, Utah. She graduated from North Sevier High School in Salina, I'tah, and attended college at Stevens Member and Hrigham Young University. Uni-versity. Ia'&U married Grant Johnson, and thev raised six children. Wid owed lor the past 2.'i years, she currently has 12 grandchildren and 1:1 great-grandchildren. Through the years, Leah has played an active role in many local lo-cal and state committees. At the present time, she is an active member Of Orem 's Veterans Memorial Me-morial Committee. She recently headed the Memorial Day program pro-gram held to honor those who have given their lives for their country She has personally raised $4,000 for the construction of the monument. As a patriotic citizen, Mrs. Johnson has donated a great deal of her time to various organizations organiza-tions in the same cause. She was the state treasurer for the Veterans Veter-ans of Foreign Wars for 21 years and state president of the VFW Auxiliary; president of VFW Districts Dis-tricts 6 and 4; president of Orem Business Women and Administration; Administra-tion; and a member of the National Na-tional Council of Women and Ad- What do you think about the traffic construction on University Partway? I JiI7,-4'C l i mi i atlr ':;;-??? 4 A m ( n I p ( n I - -,"iSliii.S(mj I think it is a problem when you I try and avoid it I drive less on have to drive a lot because it the parkway since the construction takes so much time. Juckelin Alarcon, Orem began. But in the end I think it will be a good thing. Ryan Robinson, Pleasant Grove It has not bothered me a bit. Neal Bryan, Orem If 11 11 I i , ml U J 4 f ) It's a mess. I don't even go I think it is inconvenient ht it there. will h n hir ki j Cindy Chandler, Orem Rachel Ch'adwick, Orem I think it's a pain. It is moving too slow. They always seem to be working on it. Kimberly Olsen, Orem Online Edition: www.oremtimes.com E-mail: oremtimes n nptworld.com USPS 411-700 538 South State Street, Orem, Utah 84058 Telephone 225-1340 Fax 225-1341 The Orem-Geneva Times (411-700) is published each Wednesday for $16 00 per year in area $35.00 per year out of area, and $.50 cents per 1SSUe by the Orem-Geneva Times. 538 South State" Street, Orem, Utah 840o8. Periodical Postage paid at Orem. Utah 84059 POSTMASTER Send address changes to The Orem-Geneva Times. PO. Box 65. Orem. LT 84059 News deadline Monday, 12 noon, adverting Monday, 2:00 p m. The entire contents of this newspaper is Copyright 2000 The Orem-Geneva Times. All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the editor or publisher. mm Publisher - Brent Sumner Editor - Pat Knoell Member ministration. In addition, Leah organized an Orem women's bowling league. This group will be competing in Ft. Lauderdale, along with 600,000 other women bowlers - & r x Jl -A . w LEAH PIERCE JOHNSON Beautification Award Winners for June Ray and Kleah Nelson 173 West 850 South Malia Robinson 679 South 650 West Howard and Kathy Webb 960 South 550 East Tom Sanderson 791 South 560 East Corinne and Craig Jenkins 965 West 1200 North Marjorie Nelson 1132 East 1100 North Joseph and Goretti Lima 555 North 600 West Max and Sharon Whetten 232 West 205 North Kent and Elaine Coles 281 North 1200 East Mattie Kresge 708 East 400 North Why Subscribe to The OREM-GENEVA ) TIMES Your Best Source for Local News Serving Orem Since 1932 I Complete TV Guide (Cable Included) Local Sports Local Society Club News School Activities 'Grades K-UVSC) Legal Publications B City Council Happenings Missionary & Scouting News Local Advertising Sales Local Features Local Columns & Editorials Chamber of Commerce Events For your Subscription Call The Times 225-1340 from across the nation. Mrs. Johnson was recognized for being "a selfless individual, who, through persistent effort, is leaving a lasting legacy to the City of Orem veterans." UNOFFICIAL LIFE LESSONS Editor's note: Connie Sokol of the Teleios Group, a business designed to help educate, empower and encourage women, will be running run-ning periodic columns in the Times designed to help bring concepts helpful to women to light. For a free information packet on the Teleios Group call 420-2330. J BY CONNIE SOKOL I signed my two toddlers up for a lovely music class. The same class, the same hour. It looked lovely. The teacher was lovely and the curriculum was lovely also. I thought, what an ideal teaching setup. Later I thought, what an ideal migraine nightmare. While the other moms sat quietly I bobbed up and down like a kangaroo, not to the music but in chasing my children ( I didn't know they had to stay in the circle). They languidly watched their children clap, hop, dig and even lunge in time to the music. I felt as if I wore a neon forehead sticker saying Major Mother Loser with a footnote like, can't even get her children to sit down on cue, most likely because be-cause she let them eat cereal for dinner during the entire summer of 2000. As I sat there, smiling as if all was going as planned, then stone-facing stone-facing to prevent me from duct taping my child to the piano, I felt my self-esteem start to shake, then rattle and finally roll over and play dead. Thankfully, a bonk on the head with a flying xylophone mallet brought me to my senses. I thanked the talented teacher, swept up my kids and said, "Park!" Off we went to a nearby park with blazing sun, blue sky and wide open running and jumping spaces. In her book Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into the Real World, Maria Shriver states, "Kids teach you things about yourself you couldn't learn on your own - lessons about patience and selflessness, love and letting go...my children have taught me to let things roll off my back and to be flexible." Learning is not an official class. We buzz children to soccer, piano, pi-ano, swimming and t-ball, certain we must give them every opportunity oppor-tunity available. And indeed there are more" opportunities available avail-able today than ever before. But more does not always signify better. bet-ter. One principal talked in the nurse's office with a tired girl involved in-volved in several afterschool functions, asking why she wasn't feeling feel-ing good. She said she was so busy because her mom didn't want her around. The principal knew this parent and that this wasn't the case, but somehow this daughter didn't know. I have heard women bemoan their budget and in quiet moments reveal anxiety over not providing all that they feel, or that the neighbors neigh-bors feel, they should. One woman said she was considering an at-home at-home job to pay for additional dancemusicvoice lessons. When guilt comes to shove and anxiety prevails, perhaps spending unstructured un-structured "teaching" time just dancing'singing'playing with a parentfamilyfriend par-entfamilyfriend may soothe the worried pulse. Knowing too that although it's not penciled in the planner, this kind of time has meaning, mean-ing, purpose and teaching that cannot be choreographed. This is not a picket against structured lessons, by no means. I tried teaching my son piano, thinking this to be the perfect match (I play the piano, he wanted to play the piano...). I was pitifully wrong - being the parent and the teacher can be a lethal combination. But perhaps just talking, inner child to your child. about what they really re-ally like to do and how they want to do it, may solidify everyone is un uie same waveiengin. What may be missing with overscheduled structured lessons is the opportunity for both parent and child to learn life's lessons together, to-gether, in the most casual and subtle ways. What I learn from unstructured un-structured shared experiences with my kids cannot be planned. It is the wisp of memory, a feeling that cannot be described but easily recalled. As with all things, balance is the rose and the thorn. In the end, whichever way is best, parents can fee! relieved knowing that everyday ev-eryday they are teaching, showing, leading and growing their children, chil-dren, no matter what the summer schedule says. After that "music failure morning" - running, twirling and airplaning all over the grassy park - I heard the music in my children's laughter and realized that despite my perceived structural struc-tural setback, they were still living, loving and leariiing. LIFEChange Tip: Discuss and set schedules with your family that are appropriate for your particular needs without guilt, worry or comparison. Book Pick: Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before Going Out Into The Real World, Maria Shriver |