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Show Wednesday, August Vernal Express 1 B1 3, 2003 Emmsmm Retirement is new adventure for Vernal dentist By Maureen Spencer Express Writer Theyre called Hull Wigmen, and these colorful natives of Papua, New Guinea, still live in a Stone Age society. Huli Wigmen have a very big thing about hair. The Wigmen name did not come about by are a hair culture especially in their spiritual and ceremonial aspects of life. When Huli boys are nine years old, they leave their mothers homes and go to live in a different, far less elaborate hut, to be with the men and to be taught the ways of becoming a man. Among the finer points of manhood, it turns out, is how to grow hair long enough to make a sizable wig. A mans status in this society depends upon how many wigs he owns and has been able to generate himself. Men sleep with their necks on a special bamboo pole to prevent mashing the valued hairpieces. A bamboo framework is made to support the elaborate wigs while the men are wearing them. Men seek to have three wigs. One is for every day, the other two are ceremonial. Huli men pierce their noses and d skewinsert long, ers, sport decorative neckwear and loin pieces that are a combination of leaves, fur and cloth. These are primitive people extremely volatile and incidents frequently erupt into violence- - usually over women, land or pigs. If someone is killed, the killer has to pay the victims family. The deceased is buried in a temporary grave until the price is paid, usually in pigs. 1 he going amount seems to be 250 pigs. The rarely eaten pigs ' are another status symbol. Vernal native John Shimmin and his wife Linda went into the highlands of Papua to observe these mahogany-skinne- d native Huli, and found them to be yet another in a long list of adventures they have shared arouniTtKe world. the For John Shimmin, life has been a grand adventure, and many Uintah Basin residents through his 51 years of dental practice in Vernal have shared his adventures through his ) feather-decorate- photographs and ability to tell the tale. John graduated from high school in 1944. By January 1945 he was shipped overseas, and part of an Army tank crew in Germany. He left the United States on the Queen Mary. Even though it was not allowed by regulations, he joined hundreds of other servicemen with their bedrolls on the deck where there was fresh air and some room to move. Fresh air and some room to move has been a point of enjoyment throughout Johns life. Following his service in the European theater, he returned home and began at the University of Utah on the GI bill. I always liked chemistry and physics, he says. He graduated from dental school at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1952. Returning from a war and becoming a dentist seemed a natural thing for Shimmin to do-- his father Lloyd had begun practicing dentistry when he left the Army in 1919. The two of them shared a dental practice in Vernal from 1952-5John Shimmin has spent 5 1 years of his life taking a personal interest in his patients. In July of this year, John sold his practice to a new dentist with Utah ties, Jason Monfredi, who likewise wanted his wife and valchildren in this family-friendl- y pre-dent- al 9. ley. The end of July the Shimmins hosted a large and friendly thank you buffet at their gracious home for a lifetime of friends-b- ig and little, old and young, from all walks of life that spilled over into every nook of his home and throughout the wooded yards. The one thing that his guests had in common was a respect for this tall, quiet man who had shared his considerable skills and knowledge in their behalf for so many years. Its an emotional thing, John says of having to leave his practice and the old relationships with so many people. John has seen many significant changes in dental knowledge and care between 1952 and 2003. He admits that when he began, things were pretty primitive. His father, Lloyd, used to say, Patch up peoples teeth when Huli Headmen waited for John to snap their portraits New Guinea. in John and Linda went deep sea fishing in Alaska as John ended his 51 year dental practice. theyre young, and then give them side the patients chair, with the dentures when theyre old. At the cuspidor. time 95 per cent of people over 65 Then came high speed drills, had dentures. Most of a dentists washed field and oral evacuation -- ever-prese- work back then was extracting teeth and making dentures. After World War II big changes occurred injaJI areas of health care, and dentistry was part of those changes. , The cause and preven'ion of decay and gum disease were incompletely understood. The equipment slow and inefficient. Dentists usually worked alone, standing along- - Papua, iw systems. The relationship between colonies of bacteria in the mouth became understood. With methods of controlling the bacteria came improved precision restorative such as crowns and bridges. The preventive benefits of fluoride were recognized, and when the college at Rangely started an Oral Hygiene program, hygienists became an important part of his dental practice. Shimmin says one of the best professional things he ever did was to become involved in the local, state and national American Dental Association. He joined the Beehive Academy of Dental Practice Administration, where 22 two dentists pooled funds and hired the best speakers in the country to come to Salt Lake City and teach about the latest developments. He became its president. He was a member of the Utah Academy of Oral Rehabilitation, concerning full mouth reconstruction. He was active in the Academy of General Dentistry and received a fellowship award devoted to continuing education. He was a member of the American Society of Dentistry for Children for several years. When John first began as a dentist, there was no continuing education. A dentist would have to travel to Los Angeles monthly to keep up. Now we are bombarded with opportunities to get advanced education, he says. Traveling to Los Angeles would be a major milestone for many. Traveling for John and Linda Shimmin has become a fascinating part of their lifes adventure. According to John and Lindas son, Danny, John has always been dedicated to sharing the excitement of life with his children and spending time together. Danny sees his father as an avid outdoorsman, and deer big game hunter-especia- lly and elk. Last year they went white water and Lodore down rafting Desolation. Three years ago they rode the river through the Grand Canyon. Its hard to find anybody to play with now that the children have John grown up and got jobs, muses. One of Johns children, daughter Linda Grua has worked with him in his office for about 14 years. John and Linda married in 1967. John introduced Linda to scuba diving in 1988 and after some initial hesitations (she couldnt swim and she had just seen the movie Jaws), she has joined in his love of the sport. A family trip to the Galapagos Islands remains a great memory for them, and provided John with more opportunities to capture exotic images in his photographs. Diving gave the family memories, but so did things on the land. A stay in Ecuador was cut short because of an uprising. Terrorists also are a concern in some of the areas they have visited. One picture that brings a grin of remembrance to him is one he snapped of Linda with a large reef shark cruising past her head. Linda's response for the experience is a little less enthusiastic! The Shimmins have seen ocean life change since beginning to dive. Even from our limited experiences, John says with concern, we can see the waters are polluted and overfished. It is quite noticeable. Cyanide is used by some cultures to stun edible fish, but it kills smaller fish and coral. What was usually lush growth under the water is now a wasteland, Shimmin says. Johns camera has been as accurate as his dental drill. A photo safari in Kenya recently filled rolls of film of the approachable animals. John would like to have them return so that they could spend more time with the people and the culture. An exceptional experience came when they watched a cheetah kill an antelope near their vehicle. The tired female drug the antelope to the shade of their Rover, ate and rested. She then called her three cubs to eat. The Shimmins sat and watched the whole drama play itself an arms length away. John says he really doesnt like tours and sightseeing. He likes action. John and Linda have experienced action on hikes down canyons with llamas; in the company of an archaeologist they studied ruins and ancient writings; watched out for Glacier grizzlies on a 100-miNational Park hike; fished Alaskan waters in drizzling rain; and photographed and dived in Fiji, New Guinea and Micronesia. And what will he do now that he le is Community Calendar August 13 Quilters on the Edge" guild straw at Western Park Museum until August 6. Duchesne County Fair runs August 1 12-1- 7. August 14 TOPS meets in Conference Room of Vernal City Building 1 1 Gwen a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Peterson, Open House 11:30 to 12:30. Alive After Five free public concerts, concessions at Cobble Rock fark. beginning at 6 p.m. 789-835- 6. August 15 Uintah High Class of 1993 reunion. 781-27Community dance at Golden Age Center, 155 South 100 West, 8:30-10:3- 0 every Friday night. All welcome. Kays Band provides the music. Public open house for Day! and Wilma Webb at Vernal Chamber of Commerce, 6 p.m. Webbs are moving from community. 3-- August 16 Uintah High Class of 1993 reunion. Eastern Utah Home Education Association first convention and curriculum fair at Western Park Convention Cenkr. 7:30 a.m.-5:3- 0 p.m. Dabra Anderson 781-273- 2. 781-268- August 8. 18 Registration at most Uintah School District schools 9 a.m.-- 3 p.m. For exceptions see Back to School insert, or call individual school. Vernal Junior High School ttew student registration at . vshley Valley Ed. Center 250 Vernal Ave. 9a.m-3p.- jt August 19 Registration at most Uintah School District schools 9 a.m.-- 3 p.m. For exceptions see Back to &OOl insert, or call individual chool. ' Vernal Junior High School new - student registration, at Ashley Valley Ed. Center 250 S. Vernal Ave. 9am-3pUintah High School new .student registration. Senator Bennett speaker at Chamber of Commerce luncheon, noon, at Nikkis Restaurant. Associated Utah Artists, Western Heritage Museum. ? August 20 Uintah High School new student registration. Water and Power field trip sponsored by Vernal Chamber of Commerce. $10. Call Chamber for registration and information, 789-135- 2. retired? Oh, I probably won't be doing anything too important, he says wistfully. He might make some more jewelry. He casts gold, silver, bronze, brass and makes sets with turquoise and semi precious stones. Does he have any advice for the new doctor in his old office? Yes, he says, the best advice he could give him is to place the patient's interests first and not get carried away with headlines. It seems to be the advice he followed himself for 51 years. Life goes on, this father, dentist, husband and traveler observes. For John and Linda Shimmin, their life is guaranteed to be an adventure. August 23 Ashley Ward Reunion, II a.m.-- 3 p.m. Allred's Pavilion, 974 E. 500 N. Bill Rasmussen, 2. August 25 West Junior August 25-2- 9 High registration for all grades 9 am.-- 3 p.m. Uette Dance August 25-2- 9 and Drill Clinic. Register Aug 25 at 9:15 a.m. at Uintah High. August 26 Vernal Middle School grade orientation 6 p.m. 6th August 28 U'Ette dance and drill clinic performance for parents. August 29 UEtte dance and drill clinic performance at football game. August 31 Labor Day celebration parade. Flaming Gorge, and 784-344- 5. To place Hera of public Inter. st oo the Community Calendar ms3 to the Vernal Express, P.O. Boa 10v3, editor ?ver asicotn, or call the Vernal Express at 789-3- 5 11. il, Home is an adventure with the Shimmin's four attentive dogs eager Linda teamed 1 scuba drying a! John's urging. John photographed her explonng a giant sea sponge. for a pat. |