Show The Salt Lake Tribune UTAH LIFE Monday February 23 1998 DILBERT I RELIEVE IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE A PERSON THAT f C PUNTS HOW CAN YOU GET RESPECT FOR Lessons in Life on the Comics Page YOU HAVE TO ACT HUMBLE WHILE GENERATING AS AAANY CLUES AS POSSIBLE HIDDEN qualities? If Husband Has Too Many Platonic Friends Dear Ann: I am a female who graduated with a master of science degree from an accredited university in New York I am career-oriente- d and have set high goals for myself Sound good? Well keep reading After seven years of an love-hat- answering-machin- e messages from women who sounded entirely too cozy Al insisted they were only friends (the man has an excuse for everything) Last night was the final straw I found condoms in his wallet We dont use them His explanation was that he planted them as a test to find out if I was going through his pockets Please send a message to all women who read this It is as follows: Get out of the relationship the Mobile Watch Keeps an Eye On Bad Guys Bt Continued from ANN LANDERS Dear Ann: Attached is a clipping about a case in Austin Texas A man was convicted of raping and robbing a woman and was sentenced to life A month later he admitted raping 13 other women and received 13 additional life sentences Apparently those sentences will run concurrently because after 30 years the man will be eligible for parole In other words in Texas the first crime gets you a life sentence and parole after 30 years and the next 13 crimes do not extend the length of time to be served beyond the sentence for the first crime Like shopping in a store the first crime you pay for but the next 13 are free What is happening to our justice system? This man should never be considered for parole Disgusted with Justice in Dallas Dear Disgusted: I am baffled by what you have written If anyone from Texas would like to offer an explanation for the above I will be happy to print it rela- e tionship I married a lousy lying skunk The problem is he has too many platonic female friends who have never heard of me During our courtship I suspected Al was fooling around behind my back I kept hearing B-- l gas money and wear and tear on their vehicles to help keep city streets crime free Its addictive said Darlene Averett who spends three nights a week monitoring a police scanner and a CB radio listening for reports of criminal mischief On nights when she is on duty Averetts home is transformed into command central From her post in the den she keeps a written log of all the activity in the neighborhood called in over the CB radio by the neighborhood watchers patrolling the streets in their cars She also keeps a tape minute you discover the man is lying or cheating You cant change the spots on a leopard or the stripes on a skunk Meanwhile dear Ann what should I do now that I married him? Godzilla (His Name for Me) Dear NY: Apparently the marriage isnt working Now you let Al know if he wants to fix it he can go for counseling either with you or alone You need an outside party to evaluate the situation and give you both some guidance Good luck Youre going to need it recorder close by to record the broadcasts if necessary On several occasions her careful record-keepinhas been entered into evidence and helped bring convictions We write down everything she said That way if something does happen weve got a record of who what and where went on in the moments before or after an incident happens The minute something looks out of place Averett or one of the other patrol monitors call the police street Its a said Jim Crowley the COP officer assigned to the Granger Heights area They the neighborhood-patro- l cars can be places and do things we cant For instance last month when Averett spotted a suspected child molester driving through the area picking up youngsters walking home from school she wasnt being an alert citizen She was lying in wait We knew hed been in the area just the day before giving beer and cigarettes to the kids We got a report from the police that he was a suspect in a couple of rapes of young boys Averett said I waited six hours before he came through but it was worth it Theres nothing more satisfying than catching a child molester When the incident was over the suspect confessed to the two g two-wa- rapes Wed never have been able to do that if it werent for the y Welcome Spring With a Stroll Through Home Garden Festival neighborhood watch Crowley said Child molesters dont drive by when theres a police car sitting on the corner But there are times when the g vehicles of the programs are viewed as the UnWelcome Wagon A year ago Laniece Roberts slow-movin- Comic strips were my introduction to newspapers Attracted by cartoons at the bottom of each classified-a- d page I began with the last page of the paper and worked forward to the Comics page The next step was to read a story on that page and the page next to it And more I remain a comics reader I am more selective Where once I felt compelled to read all (Dont bother your mother children She is memorizing the funnies their father joked) I no longer read Gasoline Alley Prince Valiant stays on my reading list because it is beautiful I am growing bored with Cathys diet Cathys clothes and Cathys dating Heaven forgive me I am tired of Cathys mother The comic-stri- p trip down memory lane came about a few nights ago when I found one I havent seen for several years It is A Rose is a Rose I read it before Rose married I lost track of her after the courtship the marriage and the birth of Pasquale e I told a child who also was a Rose fan) In the strip the other night Rose was working at her home computer Pasquale not more than 5 asked Are you busy (Pahz-quawal-e- Momma? She was and told him so firmly After 16 years I returned to the work force on a whim It was one of my more impor- MUSINGS tant life decisions It ranked right up there with marrying a man I had seen 10 times including the party and the wedand a coin-tos- s ding itself choice to move back home when we finished schooling The six months turned into years Part time turned to full time when I became a single parent I learned how to juggle home and work by watching my friends I would not have survived without them And listening to someone giving a child instructions for putting a stew into the oven I remembered the ace survival skill: Parenting by phone No you cannot have 15 people for a sleepover Call Mr Jones the plumber Honey stop crying That can happen to anyone "Well to me you are wonderful It makes me nostalgic It makes me laugh While my telephone life remains active not being asked permission to do anything is kind of fun I tried to explain that to my mother with little sucg JUDY MAGID Pasquale parried It flashed through my mind when a friend worried aloud about what to do with her children when they had a school holiday that neither father nor mother shared I had no answer I was lucky to be able to stay home although I do not remember feeling lucky at the time until the last child was in school all day Even then my life was not geared for the odd school vacation day or horrors a sick child I began working part time by accident An old friend must have told an editor that I had been making noises about being at loose ends with all the children in school The editor called Dont say No Would you come to work for six months? n time My son with a pony as principal transportation said I do not believe we can get by without you to drive His eldest sister said You say you want to do something Do it The younger girls were noncommittal Their father laughed cess Mom I do not know why your grandchild has chosen to pursue this course of action h Well No one asked me eiUh-hu- h Family-consultatio- OK Momma I am all grown up now and going off to college Bye he said The next frame showed Rose and Pasquale on a sled When did you get so tricky? Rose asked When did you get so busy? moved into Rose Park an area with one of the most active mobile-watch programs One night as she was parked outside her home waiting for a friend she became the subject of mobile watchers cruising through the neighborhood I saw the car drive up and I could tell they were watching me and it made me kind of uncomfortable she said As the car passed by I saw these two white-haire- d ladies and I thought You go grandma Its better to have them casing my house than a criminal Mobile watchers are sensitive to critics who view them as nosy neighbors showing their predju-dice- s by singling out young people and minorities in their reports We look for the activity not the people said Sudweeks a four-yea- r veteran of the Rose Park Mobile Watch If they arent doing the activity they have no reason to be afraid Organizers are also trying to reach out to new young and minority members of the community Rather than recruiting by word of mouth they hope to open more centers such as the one in the Smiths store 600 N and 1174 West The Utah Neighborhood Action Coalition based at the University of Utah is a federally funded program that helps compublic-enrollme- munities establish neighborhood-dev- and elopment crime-preventio- n programs UNAC representative MaryAnne p who oversees the development in three areas along the Wasatch Front said the demographics of each neighborhood-watcprogram vary just as do the demographics of the community they serve It comes down to who is most impacted by crime in their area h When I was 8 years old my teacher pointed out to me and to all the other kids in that 1 still sucked my my class thumb I was quite embarrassed and wanted desperately to stop but Id been sucking away for eight years and quitting seemed impossible My parents had already tried everything rubbing my thumb with garlic wrapping it in a bandage having me wear gloves third-grad- e mid-Marc- SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE ELAINE ST JAMES around the house Nothing worked for very long But now I was motivated I decided to give up thumb-suckinfor Advent the four weeks before Christmas I hung a big calendar one with a square box for each day on my bedroom wall and got a box of gold stars I made an agreement with myself: Id put a gold star in the box for each day that I didnt suck my thumb By Christmas I had a calendar full of gold stars And Id broken the habit I still remember the tremendous feeling of accomplishment I had: It was a experience I learned that any habit can be broken it just takes motivation and a method If youd like to break a habit of any type here is a method with five simple steps that work: B Decide which habit you want to eliminate and make a commit- - table-settin- ther I said On the other hand I am available to listen and commiserate I do my share of complaining but I am not bad at cheerleading And I never am too busy to go on a sled ride metaphorically speaking of course and who is willing to go out and to do something to prevent it Tollestrup said I dont want to think about what things would be like in some of these trouble spots if the neighborhood programs weren't there They make all the difference in the world Mobile watch is only the beginning for participants Many follow what happens to the criminals arrested in their neighborhoods by attending court Others make a point of attending city council meetings and a few have picketed the homes of landowners who make no effort to screen their tenants d refor criminal and cords Ive learned a lot more out of this than I ever thought I would Averett said Like the first sign of a meth lab is the overwhelming smell of cat try drug-relate- urine g ment to breaking it B Establish a time frame Over the years Ive continued to use a one-mont- period when I've h check mark or a big red X on the calendar Maintaining this visual record will be a key factor in your success: Youll see your progress B Beware of saboteurs There are always people who consciously or unconsciously will undermine your efforts: the friend who urges you to go shopping when she knows youre working on your spending habits the mother who urges you to eat a piece of chocolate cake when she knows youre dieting the boss who gives you a disapproving look because youve decided to leave the office at a reasonable hour Ignore them Remain true to wanted to break an old habit or establish a new discipline Ive found that is long enough to make a difference but short enough that its not overwhelming B Symbolize your progress Lets say you want to break your shopping habit and that youve committed to buying nothing but food and absolute necessities for a month (Ive done this for years so I know its doable) You may think putting a gold star on a calendar is silly but it works If youre not into gold stars put a what you know that your life will be better once youve broken your habit B Revel in your accomplishment Pat yourself on the back when youve achieved your goal although youll soon find that the best reward for breaking a habit is the feeling of power that comes when you know you have control over your own life Elaine St James welcomes questions and suggestions in care of Universal Press Syndicate 4520 Main St Kansas City MO 64111 Save up to $12000 Glass Act will waive up to $120 00 of your Insurance Deductible Free Mobile Service A Free State Safely Inspection Call for Details GkSS Act PrewtOrem 533-884- 4 Ogden Area 3738726 392-107- 2 WO& HEAT-N-GL- &p EMZSSIS Whether you want the charm of a traditional setting or something original such as in a comer entertainnment center or under a window the Heat-N-GGolden Flame direct-venatural gj fireplace is the one for you We lo are proud PHjr to announce: American computer aasaeMBM Experience Coed ages Is half a century old!! 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