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Show THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 14 Volume IV, Issue II May 1, 2001 Jazz Update By Jen Beasley Student Reporter Another season has come and gone, and it is now time ladies and gentlemen to present the annual NBA awards to players who have stood out above the rest. A panel of journalists vote on the non-statistical awards, but my ballot seems to have gotten lost in the mail so I’m taking the liberty of unloading my picks on you. For MVP, the hands-down winner is Allen Iverson. With a phenomenal attitude adjustment, the Answer and his coach Larry Brown have been able to get along, propelling the 76ers to the best record in the NBA. Iverson has lived up to his nickname coming back from injury after injury, and improving his numbers in every good category from last season. He also has a good chance to tuck the Scoring Title under his belt this season, as he’s averaged about 30 points a game consistently throughout the year. The Sixth Man award goes to the player who’s good enough to start, but comes off the bench to make a huge contribution to their team. This year I think Philadelphia’s Aaron McKie will receive the prize, but if it were up to me I’d go with Sacramento’s Bobby Jackson for his dog fight approach to every loose ball, and for that matter, every game. Rookie of the Year is an impossible one to give out in probably the worst class of fresh players ever. I would prefer to skip it and give out two next year, but because that is not the way it works, I’ll go with Darius Miles of the Clippers. He is in the top three among rookies in most of the categories, and has been a big factor in the doubling of Los Angeles’ wins from last season. The Good Sportsmanship Award is given to the player who does the most for the community, and I’m pulling for Dikembe Mutombo. He was out the first six weeks of the season with Malaria that he contracted while dedicating his summer to building hospitals in Africa, and I believe he is the best man for the honor. Coach of the Year will probably go to Larry Brown for an outstanding job leading Philadelphia to the best record in the league, but I believe Bucks’ coach George Carl is more deserving. Last year the Bucks determined their playoff birth in the last game of the season, beating Orlando for the eighth and final seed. This year they are second in the Eastern Conference and have a spotless 8-0 record versus the top four teams in the West. A lot of deserving people are left out of this mix. You see no mention of Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan or Chris Webber, and though they’ll get votes, it just isn’t their year. Mount Mutombo isn’t the only good guy in the league, and there are about ten coaches who deserve Coach of the Year. However, basketball games always have a winner and a loser, so we’ll just have to hold our breath to hear those famous last words: And the winner is . . . Fast Break 04/05/01- Bryon Russell said it best with the honest, “I don’t know what happened after that first quarter.” The Jazz looked like they were running away with it when they took a 21 point lead early versus Sacramento, but Kings were the high card as the Jazz blew their chips and folded 92-86. 04/07/01- The Jazz finally saw the light and out-defended the Dallas Mavericks to get a much-needed win 116-103. Karl Malone was all over with 31 points, 11 boards, and 5 assists. 04/09/01- After a lifeless first quarter showing that left Utah with a measly 12 points, the Jazz shook off the molasses and had a strong second half, defeating Houston 96-81. 04/12/01- Milwaukee had the chance to clench their division title with a win over Utah, and they did not waste it. In a massacre that was frightening to watch, the score at half was all Bucks 60-34, and the Jazz never even trimmed it, losing 115-93 on the road. 04/13/01- Friday the 13th proved to be an unlucky one for the Chicago Bulls. Karl Malone was fully on his game shooting 13-22 from the field and propelling the Jazz to a 94-83 win. Danny Manning also pitched in with 16 points. 04/15/01- Karl Malone and Kevin Garnett were both the victims of bad ejections in the close third quarter at the hands of tech-prone Joe Crawford, and Minnesota was simply the first to recover as they beat Utah 107-100. 04/17/01- The Jazz needed to win to secure the fourth seed in the playoffs, and were able to do so as they fought off the Clippers 97-92. 04/18/01- Greg Ostertag scores a career high 25 points in a losing effort versus the Suns. The Jazz bench played the entire second half, and did well, keeping it close until the end. The Jazz lose 9893, and end up with a strong season record of 53-29. Super Reduced Price! Order Your Ogden Valley Calendars The Ogden Valley Calendars, featuring Photos of the Month, are now available at a reduced price of $2.99. Order your full-color glossy year 2001 calendars today. Call Jeannie at 745-2879 or Shanna at 745-2688 to place your order by mail or Send a check for $2.99 plus $1.00 for shipping and handling ($3.99) to OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Calendars, P O BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310. Be sure to enclose the address of where the calendar is to be mailed. Don’t Miss AYSO Soccer Registration! If you missed the April 21 AYSO soccer registration, don’t miss it on May 5! This is registration for Fall 2001 and Spring 2002 and will be happening at the Huntsville Stake Center from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The cost this season will be $37 per person with discounts available for multiple children enrolled. The Region will be providing new shirts, shorts, and socks as part of the registration fee. AYSO is open to all youth who will be at least 4½ years old by August 1, all the way up to age 19. Please plan to register on these dates since late fees will apply after the deadline passes. Questions should be directed to Melanie Judd, 745-3556. Parents Needed Parents, plan to sign up to help AYSO help your kids by volunteering for a few hours during the season. An average of an hour a week for an eightweek period is not too much to offer for the benefits your children receive. Booths will be set up during registration to answer any questions you may have. DRUGGING cont. from page 13 A classic example of this process is the treatment of ear infections with the antibiotic amoxicillin. Amoxicillin is a penicillin like antibiotic that was the standard treatment for ear infections in children. A report in Ladies Home Journal noted “these infections usually clear without treatment in two to three days. However, because amoxicillin has been so over-prescribed, some ear infections that in the past might have responded to it, no longer do. As a result doctors are forced to prescribe one after another of stronger and more expensive medications.” One of the main concerns with medicating our children is that more than half of the drugs used today haven’t been tested to make sure they are safe for children. Because of this fact, President Clinton announced that drug makers would be expected to conduct tests to determine whether the medications are safe and effective for children. Because of the lack of tests and studies determining the effectiveness and safety of different medications, many doctors often guess at the dosage and possibly expose the children to toxic amounts of the drug. President Clinton, in his announcement, referred to a case in which doctors gave infants reduced doses of adult antibiotics. Later it was discovered that the drug accumulated in the children’s livers and 23 of the babies died. As of 1994 less than 25% of all drugs approved for use in the U.S. have been tested for children. The excuse the drug companies give for the lack of testing for children studies is that it is too expensive. A White House spokesman stated that the testing of 10 drugs that need to be tested immediately would cost $10-20 million. This is a small amount to a drug company that grosses billions of dollars each year. Do they feel that a profit margin is more important than the safety of our children? One of the most controversial medications given children today is for behavioral problems. These types of drugs include Ritalin and Prozac. Many health care professionals have expressed concern about the short-term and long-term effects of these powerful drugs. Although the concern is there, the rise in the use of these medications is staggering. In the past two years alone, prescriptions for children on antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil) have risen almost eighty percent. Today more than 1.3 million children are on these medications. Ritalin, which is used mainly for hyperactivity, has seen an increase just as astonishing. Since 1990, the production of Ritalin has quadrupled. In 1994 alone, more than eight tons were produced and distributed to our children. More than 1.5 million children are currently taking Ritalin on a regular basis. In a recent court case, the maker of a behavioral modification drug was found negligent when a U.S. Congressman’s son committed suicide. Other investigations involving school shootings and the use of these types of drugs are currently being conducted with amazing findings so far. Even though experts are finding that most children are not being properly diagnosed, and that the dosages are, at best, guesswork since no clinical trials have been conducted on children, prescriptions for these drugs are still being given at an increasing rate. When will the overmedicating of our children stop? The key phrase in the Hippocratic Oath is “Do No Harm,” yet the overuse and abuse of prescription drugs continues. Compounding the situation is the pharmaceutical industry continues to pump drugs aimed at children using a marketing technique that exploits a parent’s sense of guilt or helplessness. Dr. Ray Woosley, MD, Ph.D., professor and chairman of pharmacology at Georgetown University Medical School stated, “It is well documented that the average American doctor is writing too many prescriptions, and most are ineffective, needlessly expensive and possibly dangerous.” It seems unlikely that the change will come from the medical community and will definitely not be championed by drug makers. This means parents must learn to “just say no” to unnecessary over-the-counter and prescription drugs. If parents aren’t going to take a stand, their children will remain unprotected from those who appear to be more interested in making a profit than in protecting another child from dying needlessly. Medications are effective when used correctly, however the overuse of medications to treat the wrong diagnosis decreases the drug’s ability to work correctly and creates drug resistance. By allowing your child to fight infections that will usually clear up within a short period of time naturally, will in turn allow your child’s immune system to fight off future problems more effectively without the use of drugs. By limiting the use of antibiotics you will, in a way, be preventing future drug resistant strains from developing. |