OCR Text |
Show jTP 10A Emery County Progress ijr Castle Dale, Utah Tuesday April 9, 2002 COMMENTAEY n LETTERS TO THE EDITOR More recently, at the 2002 ( Jlympic Rest I'lact in the World Since Soptemlwr , 2Mil , wtf have all heard many stories of heroism, kindness, and generosity und some have been particularly inspiring. ( )n that recent dark day in September w hen planes were prohibited from entering L.S. airspace, passengers were left stranded in various locations. By 2:5i p m. .IS of those planes carrying fi.liOO people landed at the (iander, New foundland International Airport. A call for help went out to I .ewisporte, a city of about l.ltllO people and a hub for many surrounding villages. A local radio station carried the appeal and people responded in great numbers as shelters were immediately set up in churches, schools, and social centers. Annv cots and mats, as well as bundles of bedding and even pajamas were provided. Stores donated toiletries for everyone and toys for children. Striking bus drivers returned to work to transport the stranded plane people. Doctors and nurses made themselves available 21 hours a day and pharmacists filled needed prescriptions for free. Shelters were w ired with cable television so that unfolding news events were instantly available. Extra phone lines and computers were brought in so passengers could call and their loved ones. Women quickly brought soups and sandwiches, and then helped to serve three hot meals a day as well as supplying a never-endin- g supply of coffee, tea, fruit and desserts for snacking. The townspeople entertained the plane people with local talent, folklore, karaoke, and local sea and forest tours. When passengers were escorted back to their planes, they w'ere reluctant to say goodbye to a community they had grown to love in only three short days. ( )n I )elta Flight I 5 a couple of passengers talked about how they eoidd attempt to repay the Ncwfies" for their incredible generosity. A doctor on board suggested startinga college fund for local students. By the time the plane landed, the grateful passengers had pledged $15, ()()(), with the amount increasing to S 10. 000 by December. The Rockefeller Foundation, whose president had boon one of those stranded, awarded a $52,500 grant to I .ewisporte Middle School for upgrading their computer lab. Clubs and churches received thousands of dollars in donations and money is still pouring in. The kindness that was shown has multiplied many times over. 1 1 Winter (iaines in Salt LakeCitv, Shannon Arnoldsen, a volunteer wea ker from Orem noticed the womens hockey team from Kazakhstan gettingoff the bus for practice in old hospital scrubs and sweats w ith holes. Other teams descended in designer outfits and matching berets. The Kazakhstan team had come to the Winter (lames for the first time ever and they were without corporate sponsors. ( Joalie Natalie Trunova had come to Salt Lake City with only $.10. They had tried to buy souvenirs at the local mall and then but couldnt afford the high prices and had finally stopped at a dollar store. Arnoldsen enlisted the support of some neighbors and friends. The RYl Bookstore quickly donated 25 BYU hooded sweatshirts worth $750. The Utah I lomebuilders Association gave 25 button-dow- n dress shirts and ITovo City gave Olympic pins and magazines with local scenic pictures. A neighbor's daughter made valentines and her mom helped personalize them for each athlete and coach. Finally the gifts were placed on the bus seats w'ith a new $20 bill and a letter for each member of the group. In the letters they were told that they w'ere truly an inspiration to their new' American friends and that they had touched the hearts of people all over the Stale of Utah w ith their determination and courage. Trunova was first on the bus, visibly upset and with d a face after losing a Wal-Mar- t, I tear-staine- second hockey game. When she found the gifts and letters she began to sob as she hurried to tell her teammates. As they expressed their amazement and gratitude, they w ere told that this type of generosity is common in Utah. And so it is. For this reason, it shouldnt have surprised me when citizens of Cleveland, no less generous, and no less willing to help their neighbors and friends banded together like a mini army to help make a miracle happen. For HO years my parents, Lester and Khawna Minchey had poured all of their blood sweat and tears into a sometimes profitable and ofttimes struggling business, Minchey Dig-pnThey built their business on the values of hard work, and honesty, integrity with a nice sprinkling of compassion. They lived frugally and saved for the rainy days of retirement and were able to pay off the mortgage on their home and acquire three modest rental properties in the neighborhood for an g. time-honor- income in their later years. Not long after my parents retired and turned the business over to my brothers, my dad became ill w ith lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer. Chemotherapy treatments killed the cancer but severely damaged his already weakened lungs. For the past seven years he has been totally disabled, on oxygen, and requiringconstant care. The condition is a progressive one, causing him to grown continually weaker while laboring for every breath. During this time, my mother has been the sole, uncomplaining caregiver. When the business failed, the effects were devastating. In trying to save it, my parents exhausted their life savings but it still wasnt enough. Even though retired, they were still tied to the business and everything they owned was suddenly very vulnerable, including the home that they had lived in for the past 24 years. For a time they told no one but family and suffered in a silent hopelessness, wondering how they could possibly secure a place to live when Social Security benefits w'ould now be their sole source of income. Eventually, word of their circumstances leaked out and friends and ' neighbors came to offer their love and support. A special friend, Owen Olsen, came with the idea of organiz-ing- a benefit for them, know ingof the results of previous benefits in the area, includingone that was given for his owrn son. The purpose of the benefit w'ould be ty help them save their home. A committee was formed and a call went out to Cleveland residents and surroundingeommuni-tie- s as well as local businesses. This was quickly answered by donations of money, handmade quilts and afghans, household goods and many other items. Owen Olsen donated an oak cedar chest that he had lovingly made for the raffle. Sandra Jensen and Wyanna World bought a gun and started another raffle and offered to make and donate their special chili for the dinner. Freda Fillmore, another close friend, donated roast beef and potatoes and headed up the dinner committee. Auctioneers Randy and Wayne Anderson were contacted and agreed to donate their services, along with the assistance of Bo Short. For the evenings entertainment, Val Jensen and his band offered their time and talents and a foster grandson, La Von Eskeets agreed to bring his family from New Mexico to perform a native Navajo program of music and dancing. The benefit dinner and auction was CONFUSED Plumbers and Fashion Designers By JAMES L. DAVIS and start buying spent roughly my own While shopping for clothes a few weeks ago found myself wondering just when did plumbers become fashion designers? For a number of years have noticed that young people's clothes don't fit. I first made that observation when it seemed that everywhere looked young men were losingtheir pants. I Nery kid saw seemed to be wearing pants about four sizes too big and tiu poor kids were constantly I 1 I I having to stop what they were doing to hike them back up or they had to learn to walk bowlegged to keep their pants from droppingdown to their ankles. If they happened to have their hands full or needed to run, well they had better not be shy and I hoped they had listened to their mother and at least had on clean underwear. Completely lacking in any sense of fashion myself, I assumed that all these kids were just wearinghand-me-down- s, which I completely understood. When I was a kid I worried less about my own diet and more about my big brothers. Because whatever he was wearing I knew would be hanging in my closet the next season. If he ate too little, then I was going to have to hold my breath to keep from popping buttons. If he ute too much, then I was going to need a good belt (and clean underwear). But then I discovered that not only were these young people not wearing s, but that their had parents paid huge sums of money to buy jeans that were large enough for several normal size teenagers to wear at the same time. 1 didn't quite understand the fashion statement lx'ingmade, but shrugged hand-me-down- it off because as a teenager f remember wearing some things that Im sure had my parent's generation scratchingiheir head. Once I grew old enough to get a Job clothing I of my paycheck on jeans. They fit in the waist just fine, but there was enough legging to make a normal pair of jeans for four or five other kids. I wasnt content to have jeans that were just either, on my jeans the bells started just below the waist. On more than one occasion while getting dressed in the three-quarte- rs bell-botto- m bell-botto- morning I put both legs down one of the legs of jeans and wouldnt notice my mistake until I looked in the mirror. Remembering that, I decided not to say too much about kids wearing pants that wouldn't stay up. At least they were getting a whole lot of material for their money, even if it was material they didnt need. Cirls seem to be at the opposite my end of the spectrum when it comes to fashion statements. While boys clothing suffers from too much material, girls clothing suffers from too little. I noticed this because my daughter is slowly reaching the age where she wont let me pick out her clothing, she wants to have some say in what she wears. The problem with boys pants is that theres too much material for them to keep their pants around their waist; the problem with girls pants is that they dont even have a waist. Designers of girls pants have apparently at some point in time had a service call from their local plumber. While watching their plumber go about his work they have apparently noticed the effect a plumber's tool belt and gravity have on the plumbers pants. Realizing that they probably won't convince young women to wear a tool belt as a fashion accessory, they have decided to start creating pants that hugthe hip bones instead of the waist. Throw in a shirt that ends at the rib cage and if a young woman should need to stretch or bend over than they, like their male counterparts, had better not be shy and should have on clean underwear. Not that I'm old fashioned or anything. If you want to show off some skin and you have skin worth showingoff, then feel free. Unless you're my daughter, then Im old fashioned. Fortunately while my daughter wants to pick out her own clothing she has not yet reached the point where she cares a lick what her friends are wearing or what they might say about her choice in clothing. She wants regular jeans that go to the waist and that likewise go to the w aist, for which I am grateful. When shopping for shorts for her she informed me that she wanted to wear boys shorts. After looking at the girls shorts and discovering that the shorts began approximately one inch below the zipper I didnt argue with her at all. But here too the difference between girls shorts and boys shorts was extreme. While girls shorts were, well short, the boys shorts w ere what we called floods when I was a kid. They werent shorts at all, just pants that weren't longenough. My son refuses to even consider wearing shorts if they dont go down past the knee. Which is fine I guess, but after putting on tube socks there is only one to two inches of leg showing, which begs the question, why wear shorts at all? Which all just made me realize that I have settled into my role as a parent; I am completely out of touch and have absolutely no fashion sense...for which I am grateful. held on March 2.'l. Nearly 500 people came to the dinner, which alone brought in $2,700. Many of these stayed to participate in the auction. Hearts and wallets were opened and the spirit of giving was simply amazing. One friend bought a handmade quilt for $.!()() and then donated it back to be sold again. Wyanna World, Randy and Vickie Jensen, Jamie and Lorraine Jensen, Jodie and Lexie Taylor, Wynne Anne Cowley, Frieda Fillmore, Lorna Jensen, Vickie Rassmussen, Ann Murdock, those mentioned previously, and many, many others that brought donations and assisted in various mother has always said that theres no better place in the world than Cleveland. Its the kind of place that gets deep into your soul and makes you glad that you have (in my dads words) alkali between your toes. Especially if it means that occasionally you can return home and rub shoulders with truly great people with hands that never stop helpingand hearts that never stop Because the final numbers are not and it isnt known how much Far West Bank will be asking, we dont know' yet if well be able to save the home. We do know, however, that my parents will be able to find a suitable home and that they will always feel blessed to continue to live in The My giving. Its this kind of generosity that makes residents proud to live in Castle Valley." It makes Utahns just adore Utah, and it makes Americans into True Americans. It gives them the kind of Spirit that wont back down and cant be broken and that has been shown throughout the years to grow stronger when faced with tragedy and adversity. My family and I, my parents, my grandmother, Elva Wayne, my siblings, JoLene, Bill, Rex, Troy, and Tonya, and their families, along with our entire extended family are deeply humbled and completely overwhelmed with gratitude. The love and generosity that has been shown to my parents will never be forgotten and can never be repaid. We want to give special recognition to Owen and Jeannie Olsen, Sandra Jensen, ways. in Best Place in the World. - Shellee Luke Craig Colo. Sterling Scholars I had the opportunity to help judge Sterling Scholars from your area on March 21. I wm so impressed with the quality of the young people from your area. They were just superb. They speak well of your schools and community. I noted that many were serving in Youth City Councils, helping the elderly or other young people. Every success to the good people in your community and those who serve these great young people in any capacity. I applaud all you do and celebrate President Bushs desire to make sure no child is left behind. , ; Dr. E. Mark Bezzant Executive Director School, College and University Partnerships Utah Valley State College HOMEMADE Appreciate Life By PAULA WELLNITZ We recently passed, what is officially called, the Vernal Equinox, or, as most people call it, the first day of spring. People from time immemorial have seen this time of longer, warming days and sprouting plants as a call to a new personal life. People in our culture today are ' often so far removed from natural things that this never occurs to them. It is even hard for many to understand. That happens even here in this very rural area because of the way we organize our lives today. Some people will be more in touch with this impetus to new life than others. They encourage us to take some time each day to go out and be in touch with the earth. They recognize that if we learn to care about all people and things in this universe, each of us will be a better, happier person. A family could make it a point to give all members of the family an experience of being in touch with this new life to encourage growth in a new way of being oneself. One idea for a family is to divide into two teams. Each team secretly prepares a treasure hunt for the other, of four or five dues. Each clue leads to the next clue with a treasure, such as candy bars, pens, etc., pointed to by the last due. All the dues would have to do in Nature with some new life found outside in the yard or in a designated area. The searchingteam would have to look ' for the sprouting tree or certain shoots pushing through the dirt to find the next due. For example, to lead to a cherry tree beginningto blossom, a due might say From white now to red later, I'll feed you." Or to lead to hyacinths whose leaves have come up in a sidewalk crack, the due could be, I struggle up through what tries to hold me down. After each team has found its treasure, all together can talk about what the clues and the newr life they have found in nature means to them. or instead of Maybe as a follow-uthe above, each person or pair could pick a word that they associate with new life to wrrite a poem-abouAn easy form is a einquain. Its easy because the first line is your noun word about life. The second line is two words describing the first. In the third, you use three-in-g words about it. A four word phrase to say some- thing about your word is number four. And the last line is one word that means the same thingas your first. Then share your poems and what they mean to each. I would love to hear some, too. These activities and others can make each of us more conscious of the importance of many aspects of life. One benefit could be a growth In the recognition that we need to properly appreciate and use life in nature. We will seek ways to do that, as well as, work toward being better people. ; ; ; p, t. ; ; ; : 1 ; ; ; ; |