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Show American Fork CitizenLone Peak Press - Thursday. October 16v003 - Page 2 Opinion .hfyracrraHi' Organ donors needed Local residents who were out and about last weekend may have been stopped by friendly Scouts asking if they were organ donors. These young people volunteered to be part of a local campaign to increase registrations by potential donors. Earlier this year, Utahn Bambi Thomas waited in vain for a phone call. It wasn't a date or a job she wanted, but a heart. This 24-year-old mother died in August because the call never came. People may assume that she needed a young heart to keep pace with her life, but actually, an older heart, even a 70-year-old heart, could have saved her life. Kurt Haycock Hay-cock was 62 when he saved three lives. Delia Payne was 77 when she saved one life, and Elman Helquist was 71 when he saved three lives. The shortage of organs for life-saving transplants has taken a new blow, according to a new study that shows many older Utahns are opting out of organ donation on their driver license renewals. The reason is surprising. They mistakenly believe they are too old to be donors. The study, gathered from driver license data and the Utah Donor Registry, shows that potential donors over 50 are 20 percent less likely to Consequences happen She wus radiant - absolutely radiant - as she sat across the desk from me. And not just because she was lovely - which she was, with her thick, long, chestnut hair, her dazzling brown eyes and a smile that would warm the cold heart of an investment banker. It was also because she was deeply in love with an outstanding young man who had asked her to marry him, and she had joyfully accepted. accept-ed. And everybody knows there is nothing more radiant than young love. She was telling me about her wedding plans, which were just in the formulative stages at that point, when the hint of a frown passed over her face. "What's this?" I asked, half-jokingly. half-jokingly. "Trouble in paradise?" She squirmed a little. "Not really," she said. "Well, OK . . . sort of. I mean, not really trouble. Just . . ." Her voice trailed off, and ' I found myself wishing that I hadn't had-n't asked. But we had been friends for a long time. I was a lay leader in her church congregation, congre-gation, and she and I had spoken many times about her life - her troubled past, her amazing journey jour-ney to self-respect and her dreams and hopes for the future. I had tremendous respect for the changes she had made to bring herself to this happy point, and she knew that I loved her. No matter what. "I've told you about the bad choices I made when I was a teenager," she said, hesitantly. "Yeah," I said. I thought I could see where she was going with this. "But those days are behind you. You're a different person now. Surely he understands under-stands that." "Oh, he does," she Baid. "That isn't the problem. It's just . . . sometime during those years I . . . well, I made a mistake that is still with me, and will be with me for the rest of my life." I guess I looked puzzled, say "yes" to organ donation on their driver license than people peo-ple under 50. People under 50 join the registry 73 percent of the time, while people over 50 join only 53 percent of the time. "Unfortunately, people assume that their organs wear out after 50. Actually, we can recover organs up to the , age of 80," said Alex McDonald, McDon-ald, public education director for the Utah Donor Registry. "Who's to say that a heart can't beat for 100 years, or a liver, which can regenerate itself, can't last potentially longer? Given the right conditions, condi-tions, organs may easily outlast out-last one's body." In consequence of this misinformation, mis-information, the Utah Donor Registry is launching a television televi-sion ad campaign featuring La Veil Edwards, as well as reaching out to older Utahns through community organizations. organiza-tions. "I've seen in my own family how donation and transplantation transplan-tation can save lives," said Edwards, legendary couch for BYU football. "You're never too old to be a donor. You're never to old to be a hero." For information about organ, eye and tissue donation at any age, visit the Utah Donor Registry at www.yesu-tah.org www.yesu-tah.org or call 1-866-YES-UTAH. SB. 1 -aWEaW- jgJ because she smiled and shook her head. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" she asked. "Well ... not exactly ..." "A disease," she said. "One that is transmitted through . . . you know . . ." I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I know. The question is: does he know?" "I just told him, and he was great about it," she said. "That isn't the problem. It's just ... I wish so much ... I hate that dealing with this is going to have to be part of our marriage. It will always be with us, like this constant reminder of what a . . . what a fool I was. "I would give anything to not have this in our lives right now. Absolutely anything." She sighed a heartfelt sigh, and looked at the diamond ring on her finger. Then she almost whispered: "What was I thinking?" think-ing?" The problem is, back then she wasn't thinking - at least not about marriage or children or how she would feel breaking this news to her beloved husband-to-be. To tell the truth, Bhe wasn't thinking much, period. None of us do when we make those dumb decisions that so many of us make at one time or another in our lives. The right to make choices is a wondrous thing. It is a right to be cherished and embraced. But as a number of well-known people peo-ple have been so painfully and publicly reminded recently, we. must never forget that while we can choose our actions, we can't choose the consequences of our actions - now, or years later. Consequences happen, j No matter how radiant we may be. j Ladies' Club I just returned from an interesting inter-esting evening. I had been invited to speak at a ladies' club. To be politically correct, cor-rect, today we should say it was a women's club, but it was very evident evi-dent to me that all the members there were true ladies, in the traditional tra-ditional sense of the word. I'm proud to call them that. Speaking in a public setting is not something I am accustomed to doing. I am much better with a keyboard and the all-important "delete" key. It covers all sorts of errors and tongue-twisting mix-ups. mix-ups. It was about a month ago that my friend asked me to address the group. The only hint of a topic was "What it's like to be a city editor." Thinking about it gave me a lot of leeway. Thinking about it gave me a headache. And thinking about it gave me some perspective. Once in a while I get pensive and reflect on the position I am fortunate to hold. Many others do have the opportunity to do the type of work they enjoy. However, Tomorrow's I can't help noticing that there are more and more pedestals being left vacant by people who were once considered "heroes" or "models" for Americans. If we are honest, we must admit that not only do the youth have those they look up to, but we adults do also. I was recently dismayed to learn of conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh admitting to pain killer addiction, which came immediately after a remark he recklessly made on ESPN that was considered by many to be highly racist. Admittedly, the mouthy radio star is not as well known to Americans Amer-icans as some others, but his fall from the pedestal he occupied is making far-reaching ripples. And what of Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart and Winona Ryder who have burst their worshippers' wor-shippers' bubbles of adoration? I remember when my son was in junior high and high school a few years ago, and was in awe of Bryant, his talents, and the bright Voters should consider issues Editor: On Nov. 4 in American Fork we will vote for four out of five councilmem-bers councilmem-bers to set policy to govern gov-ern our community. I personally want to thank each and every one of them for their willingness willing-ness to take such responsibility respon-sibility and the pressures that go with it. It is a big job and calls for great abilities, dedication and a tough skin to take the praise and the guff that will happen. I would like to touch on two issues. First is the budget and second is the annexation of 2200 acres south and west of the freeway. First: budget. The proposed pro-posed budget for the next fiscal year is $47,154,700. If the budget remains the same for the next four years they will be spend- ing $188,618,800. That is a lot of money and I hope they will have the ability and dedication to see that it is properly used. Second: 2200 acres. To me this is the most challenging chal-lenging issue they will face. It is projected that this annexation could double the population of our city. What decisions speech puts job Mam vimrtfir-fi win vm-murm-""" " some do not, and end up hating to get up in the morning to greet another day at work. I count myself among the lucky ones to look forward to doing my work. (Getting up in the morning is a different experience, however. I can't remember when I have looked forward to that.) Putting those thoughts into perspective and reflecting on the last 17 years for a 20-minute presentation pres-entation gave me a chance to look at my job a little differently. I told the group about the late-night late-night meetings we go to; I mentioned men-tioned the prolonged discussions about fire hydrants and garbage dumpster locations; I told them about the people who tell you all about their own event, or the one their child is in, which is the most important thing in the entire world, or at least that's how they heroes could future the sports star had ahead of him at the time. My son's bedroom bed-room walls had posters and stories sto-ries about the young basketball player tacked here and there along with Stockton and Malone images. What must my son think now? Followers everywhere were left speechless as they learned of the irflfder trading that Stewart was accused of being involved in. Was greed such an all-consuming force that self-sacrifice was required? Did her goals and desires carry her too far beyond the practical, down-to-earth life she touted? Ryder certainly did not need to steal clothing from high-priced Los Angeles stores to add to her wardrobe, but her stupid act was caught on camera, and she ended up trying unsuccessfully to defend herself in court. ..i minimi ii mnuim minium giiiiimimimiiniiimi.iiiuiin Reader's Forum are made by this group, in the next four years, will affect not only the lives of the people who move into the new area, but also us who live here now and for generations into the future. The problem basically is because of the high water table in the area and the composition of the soil, which is mostly sand, clay and loam. This combination makes it almost impossible .to build on without making costly changes in the way it is built. Example: Stauffers when they built their plant in Springville, spent $2,000,000 driving pilings into the ground to create a base and foundation. founda-tion. The ground there has essentially the same characteristics as the 2200 acres here. I asked a person who is involved in the development devel-opment of this area if he would - build his own home there. His answers was no and he would not build any $300,000 homes and only those in the range of $125,000. Is that what we want? Starter homes only? The land has been geologically geo-logically surveyed and according tm report, if an earthquake of a magnitude mag-nitude of three was to occur most of the land would liquefy. What would happen to the homes? What would happen if the Wasatch Fault was to slip and cause a quake in the magnitude of seven, which according to the experts is a good possibility? possibil-ity? It has also been stated stat-ed that the fault is 500 years past due for a major shift. If this land is developed, devel-oped, and I believe it will be, how should it be developed to protect the people who live there and in all the City of American Ameri-can Fork? If it is not done right, and if the events I have outlined were to occur, who is going to pay the bill? I think you know much more could be said, but space doesn't permit. - I want to make one thing very clear: I am not against this area being developed, but feel it should be developed in a manner to protect the citizens cit-izens of American Fork. You members of the City Council have a job that I do not envy. Good luck. Keith Richan Barber stylist says thanks Editor: I have worked in Lehi vr in perspective want vou to treat it. We discussed the fact that curiosity is one character trait that makes a reporter effective. Thousands of people may drive through an intersection and wonder won-der about a sign posted there, or some other item they see around town. I get to be the lucky one with a plausible excuse to go knock on the door and ask what is happening happen-ing and why they have done whatever what-ever they did. I figure if I am curious curi-ous about the thing, then others probably are, too. I hope I'm right. And I hope I am doing a service to the residents resi-dents of our community by satisfying satis-fying that curiosity and writing about it. Sometimes there are proceedings proceed-ings which happen that are not interesting, but they have importance. impor-tance. It is my job to take those boring facts and put them into perspective to the residents, showing show-ing them how the decisions of the City Council or some other group will actually affect them. It was good to have that chance to reflect. be right here The list of losers goes on with O.J. Simpson, Robert Downey, Jr., Robert Blake, Hugh Grant, and many more. But we haven't even touched on the Clintons' scandals of sex and embezzlement, or the high-living criminals of the Enron group. Additionally, more than just a few accounts of spying and treason committed by American citizens have been discovered. All of these crimes and indiscretions indis-cretions have floated to the surface sur-face of a huge, filthy pond of events for the world to see. It's not a pleasant sight, and the odor of the corruption and injustices committed com-mitted by such individuals hangs in the air. Are there still heroes left for us to look up to? Of course, but (most likely) they won't be in any spotlight, spot-light, or on the covers of magazines. maga-zines. They'll be somewhere working as hard as they can to do the best they can without praise or high incomes. They could evenle right in your own hometown. at the Lehi Barber Stylist Styl-ist for almost 12 years. In that 12 years I've met a lot of wonderful people. peo-ple. Some are born and raised here, some are transplants, but all have brought something to my life and, the lives of those working around me. Now because of someone's some-one's ego trip the historic his-toric sight of Lehi Barber Bar-ber Stylist has been under lock down by the Art, Janine and Melissa Smith family. In all the time we have been in business we have gone through landlords, business owners, own-ers, stylists and clients, but there has always been a friendly, familiar face left there to greet and serve the clients. I hope that we can again start a tradition as lasting as the original L.B.S. I hope that I am able to stay in Lehi and continue con-tinue to serve the wonderful won-derful people I've grown to love. And I hope that those people will be patient until I'm settled again, hopefully to stay put. Thank you Lehi and surrounding cities for your Bupport. - Kathy Hills POOR |