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Show 2 Tuesday june 2, 1 998 W Lakesioe LAKESIDE Grief HELPING HANDS Teen volunteer a breath of fresh air Gatrell receives state award for work at hospital and other organizations By D. LOUISE BROWN Standard-Examine- r correspondent - Eliza LAYTON Gatrell Utah teens the 1998 Utah 10 Achievement Award for volunteer service. Gatrell, a junior at North-ridg- e High, has been a junior volunteer at Davis Hospital and Medical Center for more than two years, volunteering nearly 600 hours. I love doing this, she said. I love the hospital setting. It's a good experience to be around sick people, helping them. When you smile and they smile back, the whole room lights up. Gatrell became interested in hospital volunteer work when a friend invited her to apply. Her duties at the hospital include delivering flowers, running lab samples, assembling charts, delivering meals, attending the information desk, taking calls from departments that need services and escorting visitors. Her favorite duty, however, is discharging patients. Its interesting to hear what they say about going home, Gatrell said. They have their viewpoints on the good and bad things about the hospital. I like to apply what they say to me, to help me do better. Theyre happiest when theyre leaving, Gatrell said. Discharging patients has given Gatrell the opportunity to ob- serve many situations. She relates an incident when a father and mother of newborn twins were preparing to leave the pital. Because he hadnt grown strong enough to leave the hospital, one twin had to be left behind. Before they left the parents said good-by- e to the twin. The dad held that baby with so much love in his eyes. It was so touching to me to see that kind of love. Id never seen that much in a dad before, Gatrell said. Describing herself as and a people watcher, Gatrell admits, I like to look at peoples habits. I'm learning how to relate to people. well-round- AMY NEWMAN, Standard-- Examiner Eliza Gatrell, 1 7, of Layton, has received the Utah Youth Achievement Award for her volunteer work. Here she plays the organ during LDS Church Relief Society meeting at the Wintergardens Retirement Home in Layton. KEY PLAYER: I adore all ages think it's part of people. I of being a person, to be able to talk to people of all ages. Gatrell, whose parents are Cheri and Garth Gatrell, recently convinced her mother to volunteer at the hospital. She gets a break from home, Gatrell observes. Its healthy for her. It's really neat to share this experience with my mom." Gatrell has been a great strength to her family. Before her baby brother was bom, Ga- well-round- trells mother was put to bed for an extended time, then faced surgery. Gatrell took over the household duties, as well as care for the newborn while her mother recovered. She recalls sitting up an entire night, before an important AP test the next day, to care for her baby brother. I flunked the test, but, oh well, it wasnt the end of the world, she said. Gatrell plans to take nurse assistant classes at the Davis Ap- plied Technology Center. Although uncertain at this point whether she wants to be a nurse, she is definite about being involved in the medical field. I want to work as a nurse so that I can watch and decide if I then want to go on and be a doctor, she said. In addition to her volunteer work, Gatrell is involved in ballet, drama, AP classes, honor society, a church youth group, and plays the piano, flute and guitar. She also shares her time and talent at a local rest home, playing the organ for services. Gatrell received the Utah a Achievement Award from Gov. Mike Leavitt May 26 at a ceremony at the State Capitol. Youth Sally Gale, volunteer director at the hospital, who nominated Gatrell for the award said, In the current youthful me generation, Eliza is a breath of fresh air as she seeks not to be catered to, but to cater to others. It is admirable for a teen to forego monetary compensation and volunteer her time. Road proposed for maze in Clearfield Plan for storage sheds rejected after residents complain to council By BRYON SAXTON Standard-Examine- r , Davis Bureau CLEARFIELD - About 25 west Clearfield residents turned out last week to oppose 165 storage sheds being built in their neighborhood. The city council in addressing the complaints voted to give the neighborhood a new road instead. The proposed road, depending on the outcome of a feasibility study, will go from 725 to 600 North in exchange for the sheds. Letter The council offered the trade after discovering the subdivision west of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is a labyrinth of roads creating a public safety concern for police and fire officials. This is a dead-en- d area. We have no business putting a business in there, said Councilman Garr Roundy of the neighborhood near 500 West. Roundy then criticized city fathers who years ago laid out such a community with no main access for emergency personnel to service the area. Its a maze, I felt like a mouse trying to get there, Roundy said of try mg to reach WTote in his response The tone of your letter indicates that if you are unsuccessful in causing political andor financial damage, then you will resort to physical violence," he said. Thurgood said a threat serious enough to warrant reminding the group Utah Code states an assault upon an elected official is a felony of the third degree if bodily injury is attempted or occurs. It is a class B misdemeanor if only threats are made. Ethenngton said he made a mistake signing the letter sent to Thurgood and he now regrets doing it. He said he is not a terrorresident of ist, but a long-tim- e the city. Ethenngton said the intent of the letter" was never to threaten Thurgood or any of the council members. Attempts to reach others who had sent the letter to Thurgood were unsuccessful. Thurgood refers to his differences with the group as a sad state of affairs and an issue that is becoming increasingly frustrat- From 1 Thurgood said the statements concerned him and he responded by firing a letter back to each of those involved telling them he took their letter as an illegal physical threat. Anyone in their right mind would take that letter as a threat," Thurgood said, who showed the letter to the city attorney before sending off a two-paresponse on May 19. Thurgood says the sidewalks are a public safety issue and one the city needs to address with new elementary and high schools coming to the city within the next few years. Critics contend the public safety issue is a guise, and the sidewalks in those farmland areas won't even be used by school-age- d children. I must frankly say that I am extremely concerned and appalled that citizens of Syracuse City, or any other city for that ing. matter, would write to the repre"Its almost not worth it sentatives who are voted in to represent them and threaten to take this," Thurgood said claims being made against him damage these individuals politihaving underhanded motives cally and financially," Thurgood ge Heview to of of m the 1.5 acre land parcel developers want to build the sheds on. He said a business would create further traffic congestion in a winding road neighborhood packed with young families. Most residents who attended the public hearing had the same concerns. Angie Church spoke against the sheds, saying if they were built more crime and more traffic would follow. Developer Alan Karras defended the sheds, pointing out traffic to them would not bring the traffic a business would and it does meet with the citys master plan for that area. Karras said the project would putting the sidewalks into place. Some property owners with long frontages have been critical of Thurgood saying the project ties up the use of their property. The city has agreed to pick up the cost of the sidewalks on those parcels as long as the property also create a buffer between the neighborhood and the train tracks, while putting something d on his piece of property that can't be used for much else. odd-shape- Roundy recommended the city buy Karras land and build the road on it. Public Works Director Scott Hodge said taking a road from 725 to 600 North would cost the city about 560,000 to build, not including the cost of the land. Karras estimates his land is worth between 560,000 to $100,000. Clearfield resident Shaun Udink spoke in favor of the sheds being built, saying it would create a sound barrier between his home and the train tracks and obstruct the view of the trains often marked with obscene graffiti. I think the storage sheds would be a great improvement over what you have, said Councilman James Barlow, who was the only council member to vote against the road plan. From 1 These kids have a lot mor experience with death than I did at their age, DeHay said Clearfield has had more than ui share of losses. The last couple of years, weve been hit pretty hard. 'j DeHay said individual counj. seling and support groups formed after losses that effect groups of students have helped. She said one student lost botl his mother and a best friend thij past year. Even though he hah more sadness, he still brings something to the group and can help other students, DeHay said of that students ability to help fellow classmates who struggle through the grieving process. . DeHay said a key for students who want to work through their grief is to realize that it comes and goes. She said a student might be fine one week and then struggle the next. Steve Hill, crisis intervention director for the Davis School District, said those students who deal well with death are those who have opportunities to out; wardly show their grief. He said it's important for parents, friends and others who are close to these students to give them opportunities to talk and express their emotions. Many times people in this society have difficulty mourning, Hill said, because there aren't as many prescribed ways to mourn as there are in other societies. Mourning is the outward expression of grief, Hill explained. A lot of how children handle mourning deals with how adults around them deal with it. Hill said because of the cultural dilemma he described, expressions of emotional support from others become more important for those who grieve and mourn. Young agrees. She says through others help she has gained strength she didnt know she could ever have. You realize that there is so much more to life than the color of nail polish you have on, Young said. There is so much more to life than being upset and angry all the time. Young said she has learned that the important things are focusing on who you really are and showing everyone else that you really care about them. The teen said it would be easy for her to be angry at the dnver who caused BnnkerhofTs accident, but she doesn't see the point. I need to get rid of angry feelings," she said. Young wants others to learn from her experience and stop fretting over little things that don't count and start counting the little things that matter. . One of the things that matter to Young now was a conversation with Brinkerhoff where he counseled her to end each day with something positive. Recently, when she had a really bad day follow ing a traffic accident of her own and her being fired from a job, she went outside and witnessed a beautiful sunset. Im not going to say every day is going to be wonderful, because its not, but it can always be better. owner reimburses the city for sidewalk cost if they either develop or sell their land. "This storm is going to blow over, Thurgood said of the sidewalk project set to go out to bid Ln July. nnnfi ROBERT INSIDE YOUR PURCHASE OF STANDARD-EXAMINENEWSPAPER AT NEWSRACKS THROUGHOUT THE R TOP OF UTAH TODAY AND EVERY GAME DAYI HEAI1XG 2046 N. FORT LANE LO C AIR COKDITIOXIKQ IKC. LAYTON 771-557- 9 FAX 771-330- 1 POOR |