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Show ommunity lews A2 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2008 -N E \V S - Spanish Fork Letters to the Editor 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, UT 84660 Lane Henderson Publisher Namon Bills Editor Dana Robinson . . Assoc. Editor The Spanish Fork News is published each Wednesday for $37.50 per year in area and $41.50 out of area byJ-Mart, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork Utah 84660. Email stories to editor@spforicnews.com Email ads to ads@spforknews.com Call us at 794-4964 i POSTMASTER Send address changes to Spanish Fork News 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 The entire content of rhis newspaper is Copyright© 2008 Spanish Fork News. All rights reserved. No pan of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor or publisher. DEADLINES Weddings, anniversaries, missionaries, 1st birthdays, articles, photos, letters to the editor Friday, 12 p.m. Display advertising and classified advertising Sincere thanks A plan for disaster Ready or Not Dawn Van Nosdol After 12 years of posing as a sports journalist for both the Spanish Fork Press and the Spanish Fork News, I'm sad to report that this week's diatribe covering the Dons' participation in last week's 5A State Wrestling Tournament is my last. That's right folks, I'm putting a stop to the ruse, stepping down, losing my quill and putting my lap-top to other uses. I've run out of film in my camera and ink in my printer, so it looks like you've heard the lastfromme. It's been a terrific run, everybody. Don't get me wrong, but at some point I knew this had to come to an end, and, well, now just seemed to feel like the right time to step away. What started out as a favor to a bunch of kids who were not getting the recognition I felt like they deserved. It has turned out to extend well beyond a favor and has developed into a labor of love. But, like all good things, at some point it had to come to an end, and so here we are. I would like to express my deepest thanks to people like Lane Henderson, Steve Hardman, Lana Creer-Harris and Namon Bills for tolerating me these many years. They gave me the opportunity to share the successes of hundreds of deserving kids with the community and they gave me the latitude to do it in my own quirky style. I would also like to say thanks to the scores of readers who continually express their gratitude to me for bringing to light the efforts of so many quality young men. But, most of all, I would like to say thanks to the hundreds of young men who have given me something positive to write about. They have enriched my life by their efforts, I've tried my best to return the favor. They are and have been the very best. Steve Wilson Spanish Fork Friday, 12 p.m. Covering what matters most Last week, my daughter had been talking to some people in her EMT class at UVSC and she called me in a panic. "Mom, there is a professor at BYU that has predicted an earthquake! He said that it is going to strike on Saturday! Mom! I'm scared, what should I do? Do you think it is real? What do we need to do? Mom! Did you hear me? There is going to be an earthquake!" I tried not to laugh because earthquakes are not a laughing matter, but I could see visions of Chicken Little running around in my daughter's brain. So instead I asked her, "What do you want me to do about it?" Her response was of disbelief. She thought that I would start to rattle off a disaster checklist and start giving out orders, but I didn't. Instantly, my brain had already started to do that, but it wasn't a disaster checklist; it was a preparedness checklist. She couldn't believe that I was so calm and wondered if I didn't believe her. It wasn't that I didn't believe her, but when it comes down to it, we live on a fault line here in Utah County and I can't stop earthquakes (I would bottle it and sell it if I could), and we are always expecting, and hopefully preparing for, an earthquake — someday. To settle my daughter down, I asked her if we and a whistle where they could had our 72-hour kits ready find it and get out of the house? — she said yes. I asked her How about 72-hour kits that if her vehicle was full of gas held a few simple items to make — she said that she would fill their lives easier until they it up. Did we have enough of were able to make alternative our necessary medications? housing arrangements? Did Important health and they have water stored? I insurance paperwork ready to don't know about England, pick up and leave if needed; but Wells had their water lines again the answer was yes. broken. Fortunately, they were The last question that I had able tofixthem right away, was do we have enough but what would happen if the water stored? Absolutely! aftershocks broke them again? Two gallons per person, per The aftershocks were pretty day for a two week period. bad and there were a lot of Should we be prepared like them. that all the time? Yes. Would It would be a good time, it be helpful to panic? No. again, to reassess your family As it turned out, we plan and make sure that it did have an earthquake. is workable. If you aren't at Instead of it happening on home and cell phones aren't Saturday, it happened on working (because the towers Monday and not in Utah are down or the powers-thatCounty, but further east, in be turned them off) how will Wells, Nev. For earthquake you communicate? Think predictions, I would say that about getting your HAM the professor at BYU was radio license. Also, get CERT pretty spot on. And then trained. Really, it will help this morning when I got you know how to do the up, I heard about another right thing at the right time. earthquake just outside of Just a note, Salem City is London. London? London, currently looking for a new England? Not your regular city CERT Leader(s), so if earthquake hotspot, but you have the desire to serve nonetheless, they had an the community, you can keep earthquake. Talk about your cool and you are good at organizing, then consider diverse places! volunteering. Don't worry if How much worse would you don't know anything — it have been if an earthquake you will be taught, and then had hit Utah County or Salt you can teach others. Isn't it Lake County? Wells is a small great? community, but Utah County is not. They were able to get help As an after thought, I quickly — would we? Were the would like to mention that people in Wells and London this is my 100th preparedness and the surrounding areas article. r Who would have ready for this? Did they have thought that tyou could have their Beside the Bed Kit that been told over 100 times to held shoes, flashlights, gloves store water? Go figure. Wink to those you love we could spend Caleb's entire life anxious and scared he might die at any moment, or Janene Baadsgaard we could celebrate each day we were blessed to have him In my family, we have a with us. In the beginning, my secret code to communicate daughter, April, celebrated birthday every our love for each other Caleb's when we are out in public. week instead of every year We wink. When one of with balloons and cupcakes us is about to perform or because we simply did not speak, we look for a family know how long we would member's face in the crowd. have him with us. We Then we wink at each other. stopped the cupcakes after Closing one eye and winking we gained ten pounds, but the is our secret code for saying, celebrating goes on. Janene Baadsgaard "I love you. You can do it. We all prayed for a You're wonderful." miracle when we first About three years ago, learned about Caleb's of God." For the past three my grandson, Caleb, was condition. We got one. years, Caleb's parents have born into our family. He Caleb's birth, life and spent 24-hour days without must have known before mission have had a deep and much sleep, humbly and birth that he would never be lasting impact on our lives. gratefully caring for their able to speak to us, because His spirit, eternal identity four sons. he was born with one eyelid and most of all, the loving, Why am I telling you permanently closed. So, individual relationship all this? Because Caleb is he is always "winking" at he has with each of us is in the intensive care unit at us, always communicating, truly a miracle. Because of Primary Children's hospital "I love you. You can do it. Caleb, we know that each with RSV right now. If you You're wonderful." of us has a divine purpose have a moment, please offer Caleb has one eyelid and that the physical body a prayer for the little boy who permanently closed because is a sacred gift we should has never been able to utter a he is missing one of his never take for granted. We single word and yet has taught eyes... and he is also missing better understand the worth everyone who knows and his brain. All the doctors of a soul and the resiliency loves him — all the secrets of a rich and meaningful life. said he would die soon after of the human spirit. birth. They were wrong. Caleb's five-year-old Janene Baadsgaard Caleb is three years old. He brother, Matthew, said, M.O.M. is the author of many is a medical miracle. The "Grandma. The doctors said humorous and heartwarming doctors say he can't see, hear, Caleb was going to die, but he books for families including speak, think or move. Those didn't. That's the first miracle Families Who Laugh... Last, who know and love Caleb lever saw!" On the Roller Coaster Called understand he has his own Sometimes Caleb's baby Motherhood, Winter'sPromise, unique way of experiencing brother, Mitchell, pulls out Financial Freedom for LDS the world and communicating Caleb's feeding tube while Families, The LDS Mother's his love to those around him. they hold hands riding Almanac and her most recent After Caleb was born, the together in their double publication 15 Secrets to a hospice people told us to buy stroller. Sometimes the only Happy Home — available at a burial plot and continually intervention that can get local book stores or on-line warned us of his imminent Caleb's heart rate up is when at www.springcreekbooks, death. We soon learned you his older brothers, Josh and com. She can be reached at cannot live well in a state of Matty, crawl in his crib, hug janenebaadsgaard@juno. fear and sadness. We decided him and sing, "I am a Child com. 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