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Show American Fork Citizen - Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 - Page 2 Opinion ;jt.-''';1?i: . I 1. . IS Readers show their generosity rice again, the readers in north Utah County have come through. Nominations for 23 families in the area were turned in to the North County Coun-ty Newspapers. Those who suggested sug-gested their names knew of circumstances cir-cumstances that would prevent the nominees from having a merry Christmas. Unemployment, medical bills and other unexpected events brought these circumstances to the families. Others were aware of their needs, but they couldn't give sufficient assistance. Enter our readers. Individuals, families, groups of workers, Scouts and other youth groups all volunteered to provide Christmas to these families. Their, circumstances probably would ho jtoi (hem on the Fortune For-tune 5QQ feitMji tnir hearts certainly cer-tainly wofcy,ma some Top Ten list. Youth groups epent time and energy that they would otherwise have used to do the usual things youth do socializing, shopping, dating and other activities turning their attention to others. Some extended families decided decid-ed to forgo their annual gift exchange and instead donate the 0 A new and glorious morn I was guilty no question about it. The police officer flashed his lights in my rearview mirror. I was speeding. I knew it. And worse the officer knew it. I rolled my eyes and looked at my tousled hair in the mirror. I hadn't showered or shaved yet. In fact, I was still in my jammies. I had just thrown on a jacket so I could drive my daughter to school, which meant I didn't have my wallet or my driver's license with me. Great. Not only was I guilty of speeding, but I was also guilty of driving without my license and looking extremely tacky. I had visions of spending Christmas in the Big House, complete with festive fes-tive orange jump suits, institutional institu-tional cranberry sauce on processed turkey hash and some hairy Neanderthal eyeing me while humming "Merry Christmas, Christ-mas, Darling." As the officer made his way to my car I tried running through a few excuses. There was that car that was coming up so fast behind me. And it was cold outside, and I was trying to warm up the car. And it's not good for modern automobile auto-mobile engines to go slow, is it? And dang it, it's Christmas who can concentrate on speed limits when there's debt to be incurred! "Good morning, sir," the fresh-faced fresh-faced young officer said as I rolled down the window. "I pulled you over for speeding. Were you aware that you were speeding?" "I...uh4-.vwell...I..."For some reasny I couldn't get any of those ctet rt tLj$q I just said: "I guesajw ' ,?tfffiyjng attention." atten-tion." ' nfr ThCf ' Well, at least yo . , Jboat it," he said kirMJ4 't(. ifajk my registration registra-tion and insurance cards and took them back to His car to do . . . well, whatever it Is that police officers do in their cars. Meanwhile, I sat there in my jammies and fretted and worried and stewed about the cost of the ticket that was sure to come, about the horrifyingly possible results of my inattentive driving and, of course, about that Neanderthal. Nean-derthal. Guilt, it turns out, can really mess with your mind. money saved to help someone else. That is noble, but it is especially especial-ly so when the family they are helping is not known by them. Year after year, we have been privileged to see tremendous displays dis-plays of generosity as our readers have gone many extra miles and given of themselves to render assistance to those in need. It is a great example of the best of the Christmas spirit: a selfless love, beginning with discerning someone's need, then finding a way to get the necessary help. Often the physical needs are just the beginning. Many times, those who have the temporal needs are also lacking in support systems of relatives and friends who offer kindness and love. It is very heartening to see strangers .expressing this to others. We understand the Christmas Family project conducted by the newspaper is only one of many throughout the area. It speaks well of the north Utah County residents res-idents that they are willing to give of themselves to help others. Thank you for your support of this and other programs. We hope you have as great a Christmas as you have been willing will-ing to provide for others. ffli At last the officer returned to my window. "Mr. Walker," he said, "I'm going to let you go with only a warning this morning." I was stunned. Relieved. Thrilled. Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus. The officer bent to look me directly in the eye. "Please be careful on our streets," he said with an urgent tone that suggested suggest-ed there would be no such mercy if there ever was a next time. Then he smiled and added: "And please enjoy the Christmas symbolism." Christmas symbolism? Where's the symbolism in being pulled over for speeding? But since I wasn't about to argue with the officer, I began to consider symbolic symbol-ic possibilities. It could be said that he was giving me a gift, which made him sort of like the magi, the little drummer boy and Santa Claus all wrapped up in one. Was that the symbolism he was talking about? I pulled away from the curb and slowly, cautiously began to drive home. The morning was bleak and cold, but somehow I felt warm and good and not just because the heater in the van had finally kicked in. On the radio Josh Groban was singing "Oh Holy Night": Long lay the world in sin and error pining Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn! Suddenly the officer's "Christmas "Christ-mas symbolism" became clear. It wasn't about presents that can be purchased and exchanged. It wasn't was-n't even about the Biblical offerings offer-ings of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It was about the gift of a child, and the "new and glorious morn" of eternal hope that dawned that Holy night in Bethlehem. Bethle-hem. Especially for those of us who are . . . you know . . . guilty. It Santa, are you The North County Newspapers Newspa-pers asked children for letters let-ters to Santa Claus to print in the American Fork Citizen, the Lehi Free Press, the Lone Peak Press, the Pleasant Grove Review and the Pony Express. . Most children had Christmas lists, some drew pictures of toys, others cut out from a catalog what they wanted. Below are excerpts from some letters that touched our hearts. Names have been withheld. We received letters from Shelley Shel-ley Elementary School in American Ameri-can Fork. A young student wrote, "Santa, I tried to be good this year. I'nv, sorry I got sent to the prmcipaljsjJr.little hound and I want my mom office. How are you doing? I'm to, be happy more often and I doing good ... would you please ' want my dance teacher to get bet-put bet-put a calculator in my stocking." ter so she can dance again. Well We received many letters from ". Merry Christmas to you too! the American Fork post office. f . 4 , . Dear Santa, My name is Sandra Dear Santa, Do you have anyyn and I'm 12 year old. Even though I answers to cure a bad-tempered , am too old for this stuff, I need sister? I have two you know. your help. I want new clothes, a Dear Santa, What I would like for Christmas is for my family to be together and not separated. Please Santa, all I want is that for Christmas. Children responded generously generous-ly at the Pleasant Grove library. Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is my (brother or sister) sis-ter) to come home. (He, she) is on a mission. If you cannot do that, I want my family to get along better. bet-ter. I have been OK this year. Hello, Santa, I want a panther from He-Man, a big Spider-Man (one as big as me). Please bring lots of toys, at least 10,000. Dear Santa, I want an ornament, orna-ment, and Care Bears and My Little Ponys. Most important, bless my dad overseas. Dear Santa, Thank you for all the presents over the years. I'm Whittle your Tt IT y to-do list is getting I ml shorter. -. V JL You would think I am making progress, but in reality I am just throwing away the old lists and creating new, more simplified sim-plified versions. That may be the key to the holiday season. Each year I choose a new thing NOT to do. A few years ago I quit sending cards to people I was going to see. Why spend money on postage and purchasing cards when I was able to give my greetings in person? per-son? After all, it means so much more to have the personal touch. When I do send cards I don't have to write much of a personal message. The annual Christmas newsletter is not necessary any more since I can e-mail most of my far-away friends. We can keep up with the goings-on of our fam- uy on a current Dasis, rainer than summarizing it all in a page-long diatribe. Homemade fudge used to be on my list to make for friends. Not anymore. I Most everyone I know is on Alpine B.1 ' Jim Tracy was appointed a new member of the Planning Commission during the City Council meeting on Dec. 14. Tracy will take Loretta Stevens's place. "We appreciate her service," serv-ice," Mayor Phil Barker said, adding that Tracy has been "very active in our city. We look forward to having him serve." Alpine Kim Fernstrom's son was given a $50 ticket for parking 12 inches from a residential curb, and she and her son are dissatisfied. Fern-strom Fern-strom said the amount of the ticket tick-et is equal to a speeding ticket and it was issued on a non-snowy day. Fernstrom told the City Council on Dec. 14, the winter parking ordinance is unfair and should not sure what I want for Christmas Christ-mas yet, but 111 write back to you. Dear the Best Santa, I would like new shoes. I would like other things you would like to give me. I am glad you are Santa. You are the Best Santa. Dear Santa, Thanks so much for the candy cane ... What I would like for Christmas is a cute boombox, new shoes and $12. Thank you and Merry Christmas. Dear Santa, There are four kids in my class that don't believe in you. Please send them a letter telling them that it is not their parents. Dear Santa, I don't want much because I have almost everything I want, family, friends, a house and a little sister whom I love. Dear Santa, Please bring the world peace and good will toward all mankind, so that my daddy doesn't have to go to war. Then there was an especially good child in Highland who forgot to ask for something for herself. Dear Santa, Do you think I've been good? My mom wants a clean house and nice kids for Christmas. My dad loves to work I think he can have some tools. And my little to-do list a little each5 year i jtjv fu!sri cnores which I have been ab mm jpN one diet or another. Whatever version they are currently following, follow-ing, I am sure highly concentrated concentrat-ed sugar and chocolate does not fit. Oh well. Just think of the time they are saving me by not eating my goodies. I have learned to delegate some of my previous chores. Since my kids were old enough to have driver licenses, they have been assigned to do certain duties. One of my favorite jobs to give away is that of providing the goodies that Santa will put into our stockings. When I was doing 4t. somehow things were never quite right for everyone. Now that others are helping, suddenly the complaining I mean creative suggestions have stopped. , Naturally, things cannot all be "pared down. Some new activities and duties have taken the place either be eliminated or revised to only take effect on snowy days. The ordinance prohibits on-street parking from Dec. 1 to March 31 in order for snowplows to have access for snow removal Cedar Hills After hearing a positive review from the Planning Commission, the Cedar Hills City Council approved Avanyu Acres Plat D on Dec. 7. The plans place the second sec-ond entry gate to this planned residential development on Aztec Drive fronting Box Elder Drive and require the gate be similar to the one previously installed on Avanyu Drive. Cedar Hills The Temple Shadows PUD (planned unit development) listening? sister. Haylee wants the Twins Brats. Oh and my baby brother Pvlroi- nan hava oiSmA VinViv tiwa We had several pood children write at A Leap Ahead Preschool in Saratoga Springs. There were many children from Eagle Mountain Moun-tain who wrote Santa, Dear Santa, My brother wants a trike. He wants a new car and 111 tell you what I want. I want a new horse and a Repunzil doll and another tige for my brother. I think he needs some more money to pay his bills and another tige. What I need is a new toothbrush u for my teeth ... Thanks for your love, I like you Santa. . Dear Santa, I found a really nice kid's compound bow at www.cabelas.com. Just thought, you would like to know.- , In Lehi, one child resorted to ' bribery. Dear Santa, How is Mrs. Claus. How are the reindeer. Santa, please can you bring me a remote control truck and I won't forget the cookies and Coke' and eggnog. P.S. Merry Christmas. Even a teenager wrote to Santa. Santa, Hey, OK, listen up. I'm being totally selfless this year. I want the wolves to stop being slaughtered in Alaska. I want 20 bucks to give to the "Angels Among Us" thing at school even if it means less presents, I think 111 live. Oh, and don't be shy about helping out the homeless, they need it and do you think you could help out with the rain forest for-est deforestation? Well, I guess I'm done now. So, luv ya. A Pleasant Grove child said it best when she wrote, "You rock Santa." May his gift of love, hope and joy find a place in your home this holiday season. of chores which I have been able to give up. ...: When the library is closed for several days in a row, we must plan ahead. These days I am actually able to get some reading done, and that is what I like to give myself for Christmas. I don't need to purchase books or other reading materials just having the time to myself to enjoy one of my favorite pastimes is enough. In order to prepare for that, however, I have to make sure I have the right reading material. There is nothing like a long weekend when I have finished the books in my house and the library is closed. It makes me want to break the doors down just to get my hands on some captivating cap-tivating reading. So a properly timed, trip to the library is a necessity. AH in all, while I have given up some jobs, others have filled in to take their places. My list is just as long as it ever was. It just has one more important item for this year, however. That's to wish all of you the happiest of holidays. 1 improvements were approved Dec. 7 by the City Council, which released the durability bond for this subdivision. There are still a few lots not built out, but according to City Engineer David Bunker, each lot has a separate $1,000 bond that covers any repairs to sidewalks and roads, and pays inspection costs after construction. Highland Builder Scott Bishop was given a recommendation for final approval for the five-lot Westwood Acres subdivision. The more than seven acres is located on 6600 West at 10000 North. The Highland High-land Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the approval with the condition a detached garage be removed and the frontage on lot five be adjusted adjust-ed to meet city codes. |
