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Show T OPINION Page 2 - September 12. 2000 Uintah Basin Standard How the Poor People Live One day a father of a very wealthy family took hissoncmatripto the country with the fum purpose of showing his son how poor people can be. They spent a couple ofdays and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from the trip the father asked his son, How was the trip? It w as great Dad. Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. Oh yeah, said the son. So w hat did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son answered, I saw that w e have one dog and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight We have servants that serve us, and they serve others. We buy our food but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us and they have their friends to protect them." With this, the boy's father w as speechless. Then his son added, thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are. Too many times w e forget what we have and concentrate on what we dont have. WELCOME BACK W Submitted by Our Readers EDITOR'S NOTE: The Uintah Basin Standard welcomes and encourages opinions from readers in As form of letters to the editor Letters may be utilised to express opinions or comments, to highlight outstanding service ofan indindiuJor organization, or any other worthwhile purpose. Letters may not be used So replace Cards of Thanhs, or to list sponsors, participants or contributors to a particular event or purpose. Lti itRS MUST CONTAIN 400 WORDS OR LESS. BE TYPED OR WRJTTES LEGIBLY, SIGSED. AXD ISCLVDE SAME, ADDRESS ASD THOSE XUhiBER OF THE AUTHOR, letters will be published unless they contain libelous or defamatory statements, he reserve the right to edit letters and to withhold a name by request ff the nature of the letter it positive. Letters may be submitted to the Standard office at 268 S 200 E.. Roosevelt. Utah. 84066 by the published deadline (normally Thursdays at 5:00 p.m.) All letters become property of the Uintah Basin Reader enjoys reading Standard online - Dear Editor, I used to live in Roosevelt and have friends and family that still live there, so I look forward to being able to read The Standard every week. Thank you for all of the time and energy you put forth to publish it on the web. And by the way, I would love to see "Birth Announcements." Thanks again. Sandra Jerry Lewis thanks area contributors Dear Editor, I knew we could count on the wonderful folks of Roosevelt! Thank you for helping the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raise a record $54,610,289 in pledges and contributions. Hundreds ofcelebrities and nearly a million volunteers worked Labor Day weekend to help my kids." Yet, all our hats are off to you Roosevelt residents for phoning in pledges to for sup the Telethon on KTVX-TV-, porting firefighter drives and other local MDA events. Your caring gives tremendous support to children and adults in Utah and to families across the country. Thanks to you, MDA maintains 230 clinics, includingthe clinic at the U niversity ofUtah Medical Center in Salt Lake City. These havens of help are staffed by top medical experts dedicated to giving t" Tl" Work of dispatchers recognized by governor & others this week Standard resurrects good-dee- d doer column Remember when Bill Clinton was president? Gas prices had risen over s dollar gallon and kids were wear- ing those weird alouchy pants? Well, wasn't that long ago in fact, Clinton is still in office, gas prices keep rising and kids still wear those pants, but some things about year were forgotten, such as Su-Scott Bean suggesting that the district lengthen the school day. No way! And the Hata OfT col- umn found on the opinion page of the Uintah Basin Standard was used regu- larly? That's right. We devised a forum to give folks the opportunity each week to publicly thank those in our community who went the extra mile in delivering a service, or just did a i to people challenged by muscle-wastin- g diseases Thanks toyou, MDA will continue to accelerate worldwide research seeking treatments and curea for devastatingneuromuscular disorders which affect people of all ages, both sexes and evenr nationality. You'll be interested to know thatl the breakthroughs being pioneered by MDA investigators may also soon lead to therapies for heart disease, cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, Huntingtons, Parkinson's, and cystic fibrosis. For more information or to get involved, call your local MDA office at MDA national head1801) or visit quarters at (800) 278-620- 572-171- 7, for lost family members LOOking Dear Editor, For my genealogy book, 1 would like to find some of my father's family who may be in the Uintah Basin area. The families are Nettie Perkes Hyde; Inez Agnes PerkesBoanBonr, Emily Perkes Atwood; Lucy Ann Perkes Long. 1 would like to hear from anyone who may be from these families Please write me at this a: LeAna Li pari 633 W 2325 N, Layton, Utah 84041 Email address My llipari xmission.com good deed. We called it Hat Off." The column was well received at By Ltzlee E. Whiting first, but somehow sa the year went by interest faded. Eventually the ten stopped coming and folks just forgot about it. But we're not gpingto let it die easily. We think its impor-slouctant to have poeitive, uplifting preasions in our community Imagine fielding 23,731 telephone calls a month, some of which involve life and death situations where your quick and calm response is critical. Tliat'a what the ten dispatchers employed at the E Consolidated Communications Center in Vernal do when they go to work. let-19- hy ex-th- at newspa-perintende- per! Don't put if oil! After all, thats why good thoughts and deeds die so quickly. Drop off your submission today to Hats Off, or email us: Yesterday (Monday, Sept. 1 1 ) Gov. Mike Leavitt recognized emergency dispatchers throughout the state when he declared Monday Day. Laconna Davis, manager of -1 ubsnewsubtanet.com; fax your thank you to (435) 722--4 140, or drop it in the mail in care of the Uint Basin Standard, 268 E. 200 South, Roosevelt, Utah 84066. "9-1-- 1 Labor Day driving stats Group asks candidates denounce attacks on Boy Scouts Dear Editor, The American Freedom Center has started a petition to show support for the Boy Scouts of America and the U.S. Constitution. A link to the petition is available at www.americaxifreedom.org and it can be found under Youth Issues at Hal Siemer, president of the American Freedom Center, noted, "The Scouts have recently come under attack for refusing to admit homosexuals. Delegates at the Democratic national convention disgracefully booed the Scouts. As reported in the media. Scouts are now being denied fundingand are attacked by the following corporations: Levi Strauss, Wells Fargo, Textron, Knight Ridder, and several large chapters of the United Way. They are beingconsidered for termination of funding by Chase Manhattan and Merrill Lynch. There is also a movement underway by gay activists and some Democratic members of Congress tostrip the Scouts of their congressional charter. In addition. the Clinton administration's Justice Dept, is investigatingwhethsr the Scouts are inviolation of Clin ton's executive order banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. "Because of these attacks on the Boy Scouts, we call on the presidential candidates and all political and corporate leaden in America to: (1) Affirm theconrtitutional right of the Boy Scouts to freedom of association. (2) Openly declare their support of the Boy Scouts. (3) Denounce the attacks against the Scouts made by the corporations and gay activists who have falsely and maliciously maligned the Scouts." Marc Levin, executive vice president of the American Freedom Center, commented, "The attempt to force the Bot Scouts to admit homosexuals is a dangerous attack on the great American institution of civil society. While government entitiee have an obligation to include all people since they are supported by taxpayer funds, it is fundamental to American democracy that private organizations and private individuals eqjoy the right to freedom of Periodical postage paid at Roowvdl and Duchesne. Utah (US PS 646-90- 0) PuMidicd weekly a 261 S 200 E . Roosevelt, Utah 14066-310- 9 POSTM STER: Send kUrru ctungn to tic Uintah Basis Sundard ts 261 S 200 E. Roosevelt. Ulrfi 14066-310- 9 OFFICE HOURS: lOOarn to I 00 p m Monday. 9 00 a . to 5 00 p m Tuesday dun Friday Phone Fax 722-41DEADLINES: Far all New. Lcjal Nocks Clawfiedt 4 Advertiunf. Sm Deadline a Thenda) 5pn Pt BLISIIER: Craig Ashby EDITOR: Ledcc E Whang ADVERTISING: Michelle Roberta OFFICE MANAGER: Bonnie Parmh PRODUCTION: Wrilerj. Aldon Radicle. Lama Smdmgcr. 4 Cheryl Meehan Production. Colene Ashby. Jaccc Ashby. Larlya Meyer Km Maris and Shauna Gilbert CORRESPONDENTS: ROOSEVELT Teresa HamMon 1, ALTAMONT -- ; BI.UFBELL Shwia Lee Loettscher 434-397- 6. HANNA Tracy Roberts MS-541- 7. LAPOINT Marlene McClure 247-237MONTWELL Noia Nelson 333-434-4. MYTON -- ; TRIDILL Lotna McKee 0; NFOLA Moadi Tastes 333-473- 3. WFOTTROCKS DUCHESNE -- Osinda Coe 4 Virginia Ferguson 333-43- awo-ciation- ." American Freedom Center PO Box 591462, Houston. TX 77259 Be I I I I I I I 9. City Ca or Check antv. Serrvh'e Zip4 Charm y Classifieds p p handled 9,561 calls reporting incidents that had occurred. On a daily basis, there are an average of 300 to 350 telephone calls from people summoning the aid of a law enforcement officer. According to Davit, calls to are steadily increasing. The most dispatchers, said Davis, are the "medical calls which require them to page an ambulance and law check. "I think they (pranksters) think its cute, but we have to verify it and it takes tune. In s line of work that typically has a high turnover rate due to the heavy workload and related stress, at the Uintah Basin Consolidated Communications Center, there's plenty of longevity. Dispatcher Janette Porritt has been manning the phone lines for 20 years now, Laconna Davis has been on the job for 15 H years, Margaret Pierson for 13 years, and John Bailey for 9 yean. Davis reports that for the past four years, there has been virtually no turnover at Consolidated Dispatch. much-ignore- d Utah law is one that requiree vehicle owners to register changes of address with the Division ofMotor Vehicles. Now, the reg istrations of nearly 1,000 vehicles may be revoked for lack of insurance because the DMV cannot contact their Each month, the DMV compares its motor vehicle registration file to a database of Utah insurance poli- ciee. Under a new law, the )MV is required to revoke a vehicle's registration if no insurance policy ia matched to that vehicle and its owner does not provide proof of insurance. In July, the DMV s agent, Insure-RitInc., began contacting owners of vehicles that do not appear to be insured, DMV spokesperson Janice Perry Gully said. Of the approximately 7,000 letters mailed out last month asking for insurance verification, about 1.000 were returned because the vehicle owner has moved, Gully said. She noted that the DMV ia attempting to deliver the returned letters to forwarding addresses provid'd by the Postal Service. However, ifthe notices cannot be delivered to the owners, the DMV is still required by law to proceed with the revocations. "If you have moved since you last registered your vehicle, you should sends written notice ufadcGeM change to the DMV, and leave a message with Insure-Rit4 to at (801) ensure that your vehicle is not listed as uninsured," she said. Over the coming months, the DMV will mail out about 75,000 letters to owners of vehicles that do not match up with insurance policies on the database. Address changes should be mailed to: Utah Division of Motor Vehicles. 210N. 1950 West. Salt LakeCitv, UT 84134 Public Renter Aseeeereraeel I Itab Satis Standard e 531-966- 53 Agree with opinion Dear Editor, May we express a "big thank you" to Jennifer Wall for telling the truth. Wish we had been the first to say it. Frits A Lois Hansen, Meridian. Idaho by I rtSfeti e, expressed in letter - answered 13,052 administrative calls, responded to 1,118 calls for line, and emergency aid on the Buckle Up and Save A Life! Con- tacts: Hal Siemer, President, or Mate Levin, Vice President, "We do keep people on the line and we ask them key questions to get critical information to pasa along to emergency responders, Davis ex- sometimes frustrating Silained. "It's public because they think, 'why are you asking these questions? Just send somebody', but this gives the ambulance more information and we can intervene and use calming techniques even befnre somebody gets there. Not all calls to are legitimate. something that is time consuming and frustrating for dispatch-er- a During the school year, Davis said the communications center receives . a fair share of "kang-ucalls" from payphones in school hallways. All hang-ucalls are able to be traced and dispatchers make calls to the telephone number to ascertain if there is a problem. If the number is busy an officer is sent for a welfare sure to let 3, www4unerlcanftwedoauirg "pro-arrival- ." Last month central dispatchers your DMV know your new address A enforcement, and assess the situation over the phone in order to provide emergency personnel with a Consolidated Communications used the day to thank her staff for their hard work and dedication, and to announce that the Vernal dispatch center is in the process of putting awareness program together a that will be brought to ana schools, as well as civic groups to teach children and adults how to use the emergency service. The men and women who stafT the E telephone lines for theUinlah Basin are responsible for dispatching calls for a total of 43 different agencies which include everything from ambulances, fire departments, law enforcement, road department crews, Division of Juvenile detention. and the 8 District Court Labor Day weekend stats from midnight. September 1 through September 4, 2000 by the Utah High way Patrol are aa follows: drunk drivers, 3; accidents investigated, 9; speed citations, 118; safety belt citations, 25; child restraint citations, 2; motorist assists, 22. A child safety seat checkpoint and safety talk to a local day care provider was also held during this time period, according to LL Stan Bench. www.E-thepeople.co- m I Uintah Basin Standard Inc. SCHOOL About 350 Calls a Day for Officers Remember Hats Off? Mndausa.org. Sincerely, Jeny Lewis, MDA National Chair- - to MDA TO (f '.' by Cheryl Mecham Last week I was ready to mount a consumers grievance group after 1 had worked myself up into a sweat trying to open the plastic bag inside a 1 4 ounce Cheerios box. We would be that angry mob holding picket signs and shouting, "Consumer abuse! We can't get to our O'a!" Getting into any modern packaging these days requires a pair of Playtex rubber giovea, vice grips and a chainsaw for back-up- . Not even Harry Houdini could get into a bag of Chips Ahoy cookies in under ten minutes. 1 can't just stop and get snack food anymore and go it on my own without the proper tools. No sireee, not after the thumb sprains, cartilage tears and ripped-to-th- e quick nail iqjuncs I've had. Manufacturers should at least warn consumers, afler all we're the package in the first place. So, what ever happened to good old wax paper anyway? And why dues shelflife ha veto exceed the human life span? Not only dors the new packaging require the manual dexterity of an orangutan, but when you finally pry open the melted together space capsule insulating plastic, thesram splits down its length (by the force applied) and the explosion is equivalent to a small pipe bomb. "What's that upon the ceiling fan blade?" "Fiddle Fuddle." "Hummtn." "Any left?" "Nope ... here's the stepping stooL Now. I'm not saying this s devious plot by consumers to ensure product pay-ingf- g or ? T) rdaiy j or if they're in cahoots with cleaning companies, but, consumers seem to get npped off all of the time. Think about Chia Pets. What was that all about? Have you watched an infomercial lately? And what about the song that only has three words shouted over and over "ahhh, hey. yeow, that made it in the top ten 20 yean ago and ia still a rock and roll favorite today. I'm not sure of the title, it's something, like, "Hey.Ahh.Yeow." Then there's products with computer chips that "think" cameras,' toys, watches. "It's simple, my husband says, punchingbuttons. "So. you're telling me that 1 just need to know how something "thinks" and then I'll understand how it functions?" re-sal- e, "Yep." "I've known you for 25 years and 1 haven't figured out how you think yet. What are the possibilities Im going to survive this technological age?" "See. this? This monitors your heart rale," he answers. Maybe I'd have a chance if todays machines would think about how buiw I sm and how 1 don't hare hours to figureout how they process informs-bin- s Do lion. about that? No. they theydont" "See, Upw" you're heart rate is going The only modern invent ion that I hare figured to work is the manual stapler and ire just graduated to successfully operating a Zip Lock baggy It's not much, but it's a start Poor |