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Show Page 12 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume VI, Issue I April 15, 2002 Is Domestic Violence a Problem in America? Is domestic violence a problem in America? According to the following statistics the YCC (Your Community Connection) quotes from the U.S. Department of Justice, the answer is yes. One in every four American women report that a husband or boyfriend, at some point, has physically abused them. Seventy-five percent of battered women report that their children are also abused. Up to 50% of all homeless women and children are living on the streets because they feel the streets are a safer alternative than living in their home with domestic violence. A YCC program coordinator told the following story: “One day as I sat at the front desk at the YCC, I picked up the phone and heard a little voice that said, “Can you help me?” “‘I’ll try,’ I replied. The girl proceeded to tell me that her father used to beat her mother, but her mother had died the month before, and now she was left alone there with him, and now he beat on her almost daily. She told me she had a threeweek-old baby, and she wasn’t sure she could protect this baby from him, and she wasn’t sure she knew how to be a good parent. Then she said the words that broke my heart. She said she was 16, and she didn’t know where to go. I asked her if she had a way to get to the YCC, and she said she had a car. I told her to put herself and her baby in the car and come. By making one call, she opened up a way to obtain shelter, parenting classes, education, employment, counseling, daycare, self-esteem classes, and more—just by making one call. I worry about the peo- ple who don’t know where to call.” YCC stands for Your Community Connection. It and the Weber County Domestic Violence Coalition have obtained a grant through the Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women. This grant is designed to bring awareness to all members of the community concerning issues related to domestic violence. One way they make the community aware is by giving presentations to groups within the community. Most people think of the YCC as a crisis shelter. But it is more than that. While the shelter is a comfortable place for woman and children who need to stay for awhile, it should be understood that the YCC offers many other programs. Even if a woman chooses not to stay in the shelter, she can still seek counseling. For those in need the YCC helps obtain housing, employment and essential items for living. They hold parenting classes, self esteem classes, and provide many services for children. They assist with budgeting, fraud prevention, homebuyer programs etc. Their services are open to everyone in the community. One of the Zero Tolerance to Domestic Violence Coordinators stated, “For those who think it is their lot in life (to be abused), one call can make all the difference in the world, and that is what this presentation and the grant were designed for—to build awareness. Every woman is of value. No one deserves to be abused.” If anyone is interested in having the YCC conduct a presentation, for your place of employment, church, or social group, the YCC encourages you to call them at 394-9456. One Voice on the Family-Dealing With Anger By Janet Hoffmann Do you ever get mad? I’m not talking about rational mad. I’m talking about the kind of mad where you just want to hit someone! Not because they deserve it, but just because you feel like it. Today I was in one of those moods. The innocent around me got it. I knew my mood was self-imposed and that I had the power to take it away, yet I choose not to. Now tell me why I would put myself through a day of “Ugh.” My children told me I had good reason to be mad, but I knew better. There really is no good reason to make yourself and others suffer. So why do we do this? My kids said that if I didn’t get mad, I would hold it all inside and explode. I know there is truth to what they say, but I also know that instead of exploding, or stuffing anger away, there is a much better way, but I haven’t figured it out yet— and I never do when I’m really mad. I seem to be able to figure it out when I’m not angry, but when I’m angry, I become brain dead. My friend told me that all depression comes from anger. I believe that, but I don’t always get that one either. I’ve believed that letting my anger out is what stops me from depression, but yesterday as I was letting my anger out, I felt depressed. So much for that theory. I have learned that my theories change with age. I’m going to be fifty soon, and more theories will go to the wind. The few philosophies that have never changed are the ones that help me see the faults in other theories. Like my belief in God, loving my neighbor, and forgiving—just to mention a few. These truths help me to see other truths. It’s amazing how it works. So having a right to be angry is probably not a truth. Now I just get to figure out why, and how to handle anger differently. But hey, this is what life is all about— figuring it out—don’t you think? I’m glad I’m only 49, because I probably still have a little while left to figure this one out. My head understands so much, but how to transfer this knowledge to what I do is another thing. But I’m not giving up. I will figure it out, and I will stop myself from ever feeling like hitting others, and without stuffing my anger away. If you have any great ideas, please let me know. And, by the way, don’t be scared to approach me because, even though I feel like hitting someone, I never do. Police Beat in Ogden Valley On Tuesday, April 2, members of the Weber Morgan Narcotic Strike Force and the Weber County Sheriff’s Department obtained a search warrant, allowing them to conduct a search of the premises of a home in Nordic Valley. Officers found a sophisticated growing system for about 110 marijuana plants, each being about two to three feet tall. The illegal plants were found growing in the basement of the home where the windows were covered, and a watering and light system had been devised to cultivate the plants. The system and plants were seized by the narcotic strike force, and a male and female were taken into custody. Possible charges against the suspects will include possession and cultivation of a controlled substance. In mid February, another drug raid in Liberty resulted in police seizure of methamphetamines, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia. Drug charges were filed. Weber County Attorney’s office recently filed 16 misdemeanor counts against Rulon Jones of Liberty for viola- tions associated with building a two-story, eight-bedroom hunting lodge without proper permits. Jones uses the lodge to host hunters each fall as part of a private hunting business called Broadmouth Canyon Ranch. According to an article in the Standard-Examiner, dated April 6, the lack of proper permits hasn’t prevented the commercial operation of the lodge. “The glories of the lodge and Jones’ hunting business were recently extolled in the March 2002 edition of American Hunter, published by the National Rifle Association. An article written by A. E. Walsh about his experience at Broadmouth Canyon this past November, described the split-log lodge as ‘first-class accommodations, offering private bedrooms and a family style atmosphere.’ ‘This well-appointed kitchen is always staffed with a smiling cook, the showers are always warm, and the beds are always soft,’the article further stated.” Charges against Jones have been filed in Weber County’s Justice Court. For all your Excavating Needs LANDSCAPE TOP FILL ROCK SOIL DIRT GRAVEL ROAD ESTABLISHED 1981 Visa and Mastercard Accepted BASE SEPTIC TANKS BASEMENTS WATERLINES SNOW REMOVAL Propane Available for Sale 4786 OFFICE LOCATED AT EAST 2600 NORTH EDEN, 745-2309 Office UT 84310 745-6910 Fax |