Show ‘‘J The Herald Journal Logan Utah Monday February 23 2004 — C3 I Aunt doubts By Kathy Mltchall & mom ’s DEAR ANNIE: My niece “Susan" has been involved with illegal drugs for 10 years Last summer Susan gave birth to a but otherwise healthy baby girl Instead of placing the baby in foster ' care Susan asked me to take the child and raise her 1 have been married for 12 years and have ' a good career My husband and I are unable to have children of bur own and “Baby Ella" was a godsend We joyously took her into our home and became her permanent legal ' guardians Since giving birth Susan has been off street drugs although she is on controlled withdrawal medication She also has a minimum wage job and no driver’s license We’ve allowed Susan to live with us for five months so she can get to ' know her daughter Now she has decided she wants to take Ella back Obviously we feel Susan is not ready to raise Ella She loves her daughter and we don’t want to deny her the chance to be a mother but she still lias so many issues to resolve We're afraid Susan will take Ella and go back to the druggie life Ella is almost 7 months old and we love her completely! We want to convince ' Susan that her daughter would be saferand 'more secure with us How long is it fair to iis ed drug-addict- - sobriety TH6MU6IC ROOM? --yoUBrn i - to wait and see if Susan “straightens out”? — Just Say No to Drugs DEAR JUST! There are legal issues involved ariid we cannot guarantee the out- come of a custody battle Susan has lived with her daughter in your home for most of Ella’s young life Also Susan is trying hard to stay Clean and make a life for herself and her child! This will count in her favor Without your ongoing help it’s possible Susan would revert to her old ways and there’s no way to know when Although it may be a big emotional gamble for you for the sake of the child is it possible for you to continue the arrangement you have now? The longer Susan stays clean the better chance she has of making it mid the longer you can influence Ella's upbringing Please ' discuss the idea with Susan DEAR ANNIE My friend “Betty” is 13 and has an abusive father She’s been putting up with this abuse for many years Yesterday I told Betty that I was going to tell a teacher if she didn’t do it herself I know that die abuse has gotten worse lately and I’m afraid that Betty’s life might be in danger I may lose her friendship if I report him so do I mind my own business or say something? — Idaho Student DEAR IDAHO: First give Betty the phone number of the child abuse hotline 1 00-4-A CHILD (childhelpusaorg) and encourage her to tell the school counselor If she is too afraid let her knbw you will talk to the counselor on her behalf It might cost you the friendship but you will never forgive yourself if you don’t speak up Sugar Marcy Creators Syndicate Inc FOR BETTER OR WORSE ' TTSTT I VgePfTu 1 your DILBERT I CAN MAKE YOUR COMPETITORS TIRED AND UNFOCUSED ILL PESTER THEM WITH AN ENDLESS SERIES OF CHARITY REQUESTS EMPLOYEE i I KNOW WORKS BECAUSE THEY PAID ME TO DO IT TO YOU IT BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND BLOOD DRIVES SO TIRED CANT FOCUS ARLO AND JANIS -- Are we affected by the moon? By Peter HGottMD uninhabited entity whose major effect is gravitational pull that causes tides on Earth ' I will admit that some folks through unsci- entific and anecdotal evidence do seem to be affected by lunar cycles and might be called lunatics (just kidding) but there is no' scientific proof that I know of to confirm such a relation You like others may be’ experiencing cycles of Ask depression that are not your doctor about this Unless I miss my guess he will shrug his shoulders! look heavenward and mumble a request to be transported out of the office that ' afternoon Of course another option is to be tough and accept your monthly symptoms as part of your normal lifestyle Your health will probably not suffer but since no one can Change the lunar cycle you may be further ahead than those patients who expect and demand lunar miracles or worse yet an exor- cism Newspaper Enterprise Association DEAR DR GOTT: For several year I have noticed that at the time of fall moons I tend to feel edgy tense and irritable I experience a strange taste that interferes with my work Is this related to the lunar cycle? DEAR READER: For centuries people have believed that the lunar ' cycle pjays a huge role in how we feel in fact ' the words ' “lunacy” and “lunatic” were derived from this superstition In the days before scientists discovered that altered brain biochemistry is the cause of many psychiatric ' disorders it was all too easy fpr unsophisticat- ed practitioners to blame the moon a cold and I K GRIZZWELLS 'toil KNOW-UANG- FAST BEEN ALL ARUND J BERING mm? moon-govern- ed INS RxD RESTAURANTS iRfcfcdP) - zits Horoscope By Bamics Bod Osol Newspaper Enterprise Association For Monday Feb 23 2004 getting you down today you’ll thrive on chal- lenges You’ll know how to utilize people that would normally hinder you LEO (July 22) — Hang on to your hopes Regardless of what you’re up against continue to see everything working out for your ultimate goodAn enterprise VIRGO (Aug 22) ing friend who likes you a lot may point out to you today a potentially profitable project that has come to his or her attention LIBRA (Sept 23) — If you are placed in a position Where you have to make an important decision regarding a loved one let your heart rule your head SCORPIO (Oct 22) — You’ll get through all your responsibilities today with greater ease and yield larger rewards if you treat all of your tasks as labors of love! SAGITTARIUS (Nov 21) — It’s that someone hear from quite possible you may to who whom met today you recently you were : 23-A- ug Your birthday A number ofconditions that have been impeding 23-Se- pt - your progress may begin to tumble one right after ' another in the year ahead — opening up the ways for you to attain goals' PISCES (Feb 20) — Your chances for personal accumulation look partic- -' ularly good both from the efforts you put forth in yielding returns and from others ARIES (March 19) — Your warm pleasing personality will be exceptionally help- ful today should you find yourself in a compet- itive involvement TAURUS (April 20) — Kind denis t (ittrsctcd you do from the heart for others today will serve as seeds for a later harvest You won’t ii CAPRICORN (Dec 19) — Someone have to be asked to help those in need intervene in matter a may you thought was GEMINI (May 20)—- - Vigorously going badly and turn it to your advantage forge ahead today with a new project or ven- 19) —This could AQUARIUS (Jan turc that you’ve fallen in love with be the day wheq you will receive the good ' CANCER (June news for which you’ve been hoping 22) — Instead of 23-O- " 20-Mare- h GARFIELD ct V0U CAN SWAT ME BUT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SPIPER TO TAKE MS PLACE I ’ : ril 24-N- ov 23-De- c! ' i i:" t 20-M- ay 22-Ja- ALLEY OOP 21-Ju- ne 20-F- 21-Ju- eb ly Crossword February 23 2004 '23 Like horror ACROSS 1 24 Unraged Longhair 5 IRA 27 Hardware item '39 Over and over ' ' ' 30 Vendors e 34 Garment v 8 Planet ! 11 poetically Lions' prey 12 14 Ocean Sunset colors 16 Nowhere 15 I ' ' 37 repairers' Put of TGIF ii( tir- e50 Asian mountains 52 Wave down 54 Sidekick 55 Resolve 56 New Age y liiear 17 Hack 18 Puts oh 41 Espouse 22 Puppy's cry YOUW WAY AfltAB IN TM '' FXT singer ' j FRANK AND ERNEST Ice-crea- m treat 43 Tub paste v 44 Submarino'1 ' pauses 58 v- WANT YOU Bad-mou- th ' : slangily 59 Laird's ! TO fXlT daughter' 41 Composer—-- 'Franck DOWN 2 Once more 42 Fiery gems 43 Buckets v : 44 Fall guy 3 Axtdass 45 Declined Ainnw to Piwloua PubIs aTtT BO IZlQpQ EDHBUl BEISH anm mm TIP nano ana HElBmH — HEIP ma TIE j sa mn anmn emioini aaaBQiaaaQaa mama amu aaoa aDamlammaJiiaa anaanmaaaQ I POdJ-5- : U £MO5r0FtHP hi VOTttf 57 Speaker's 38 Space preceder 39 Stephen Vincent— 20Milord' concerns 46 Really bad 49 Made flicks : 1 Exec'! Redine lazfly 4 Tom pipers 5 Firm grip 6 Rock's : —Leppaid 7 Yul'i fllm ' realm ' 8 Famed' 24 Hadrofl v ' 25 TWo— — 'kted'!' 32 Country 33 Droop-nose- d ' '26MdrT:7 in Coopeni- - ' 'bray ' ‘' ! ' 39 Salaam 27 First- - THE BORN LOSER eSPiTE MY : addt 47 Humenis 48futS 53 Oil V 40 Paris tower ! ' -- alternative " & JNEJSAUKS neiibor ' '! i': ' 3a Beyel 51 Spinks :' 36 Donkey's'"- detea tef flier: ' ' ' RECENT - t v "v ALTHOUGH THERE WILL NOW BC A OWR&E FOR j THE CUPS! VI |