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Show -NEWS Covering what matters most Spanish Fork Just a little off the sides Galloping Geezer Gary Davis Doing some research a few years ago on George Fredrich Handel, I discovered to my amazement and stupification that his father, Hans, made his living as a chiriirgus or "barber-surgeon." Combining what I had previously considered two dramatically dissimilar vocations was something of a revelation to me. Imagine the conversations that must have taken place there at Handel's Hair and Hack. "Give me a light trim and take out my tonsils/' "Are you sure? Our mid-week special includes: shave, haircut, pedicure and open heart surgery." "How much for a liver transplant?" "With a wax job on your mustache and a nose hair trim?" "The works." "You're in luck. If you promise to keep it quiet, I'll give you the two for one special plus the bonus. TMat includes a liver used only by a middle-aged woman who was a teetotaler and the mustache/ nose hair thing, plus "enhancement" for the little woman. (They won't call her 'little' any more). And as an added bonus, I'll neuter your cat!" "Hans, you're the best." "Hey what are friends for?" I find it remarkable that back in 'ol Georgie Fred's time that the barber got top billing. Since the surgeons broke off and started thenown union however, barbering, image-wise, has fallen on hard times. This is not to say that clipping for dollars is something to be ashamed of. I mean you wouldn't put them in the same category with drug dealers or an O. J. attorney, but not many are on the "A" list for White House dinner invitations either. It seems to me that if barbering is to regain its former status on a par with surgering, some serious PR work must commence. First of all, it would be an immense help to the cause if the public were convinced that getting a haircut, like surgery, was life threatening. With a former barber of mine, this was indeed the case. "Bob" was a major league boozer and anyone who chanced into his shop in the late afternoon , when he was fully marinated, placed in peril any appendage from the Adam's apple north. But I digress. To increase barber prestige, I favor establishing a "chair" at a prominent think tank like the Hairitage Foundation. ( Sorry, I couldn't help myself). Thousands of barbers, straight razors in hand, should converge on Washington and demand a cabinet level officer be appointed to represent the profession. The Secretary of Hair or Coiffure Czar. Don King would be ideal for the post or perhaps Andrei Kirilenko. Ivy league colleges would offer advanced degrees in hair cutting. Dave, doctor of Do's, the sign in front of the business would read: Appointments would have to be made weeks in advance and u wouldn't be allowed to eat on the day of the cut. A nurse would prepare your head by scrubbing the whole thing with a giant, alcohol soaked, cotton ball. Anxious loved ones would congregate in a nearby waiting room stocked with old magazines and exchange small talk in muted tones. Suddenly a smiling Doctor Dave appears in his haircutting smock with the surgical mask pulled down around his neck. The good doctor assures everyone that the haircut was a complete success even though the lying weasel knows he took too much off the sides. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008 • A3 Lunches on the go There and Back Again Shirlene R. Ottesen Your chuckle for the week: Little Bobby was scolded for being naughty when his frustrated Mother asked, "Bobby, how do you expect to get into Heaven?" He thought for a moment and then replied, "I'll just run in and out and keep slamming the door until they say, 'For goodness sake, come in or stay out', then I'll go in." Here we are at the end of another month! Can you believe that six months today is Christmas? Just had to throw that in. I'm finding that many of the good summer sales are a good time to think Christmas. You can hardly beat seventy five percent off! We used to think that ten percent off was a good deal. I forgot to add one special thought on the column I did a few of weeks ago on hot lunch at the schools. Years ago, August was the month that Mothers were busy getting children ready for school that started, at that time, after Labor Day which I still think idea. Many clothes were home sewn, and so the sewing machine was working over time. For the girls it was a couple of skirts, a jumper and blouses and later a sweater for Fall. For the boys, it was Levis and two or three new shirts. And we all looked forward to a new pair of shoes. But the main item next to the necessary and compartmentalized pencil box was a lunch box. The purchase was usually made at Forsey's Variety Store. It was a '" serious purchase and it took considerable time to decide which was the best one to buy. I have two Barbie lunch boxes .that belonged to our daughters and they still hold special memories of those by-gone days. The front is covered with pictures of Barbie and inside we have the small thermos bottle that held liquids that were hot or cold, but usually cold. There is the little wire holder that flips up and then down over the thermos to hold is securely in place. On the inside of the lid was a game which also made it extra special. Boys had to Thanks, anonymous donor 'Round and About Benjamin Kathleen Olsen Our sympathy goes to Marion and Pat Wride and members of the extended Wride family on the death of Marion's sister, Gladys Wride Hiatt, who died on Wednesday, June 11, 2008. Gladys was born in Benjamin to Denzil and Florence Beck Wride where she grew up and attended school after which she graduated from Spanish Fork High School. After her marriage to Ferron Hiatt, she lived in Payson where she and, Ferron raised a fine family. She always continued to maintain an interest in Benjamin and visited here often. Her cheerful and caring attitude will be missed. ••• Congratulations to Tyler and Sundy Lynn Peterson who were married on Friday, June 13,2008 in the Manti Temple. A lovely garden reception honored them that evening at the home of the bride's parents jn Orem. Tyler is the son of Kevin and Annette Anderson and grandson of Clair and Lottie Anderson of Benjamin. A group of long time friends recently met for lunch at a local restaurant and then spent the balance of the afternoon visiting and playing games at the home of Florence Wride. In addition to Florence those who attended included Bernice Woffinden, Mae Timmins, Rowene Hawkins, Lottie Anderson, Irene Fitzgerald, and Martha Graham. ••• Another note on Benjamin Days: Thanks is expressed to the anonymous donor who gave a very generous donation to the Benjamin Days fund. Meet at Booksellers Expo America Out of the Best Books LuAnn Staheli I had the best opportunity in the world for a bibliophile like me: free booksl I spent a day in Los Angeles meeting with agents, editors, booksellers and authors who were at this annual trade show. You'll be hearing more about some of these'authors and books in the coming weeks, but I wanted to give you an overview that might make some of you salivate to attend the one scheduled next year in New York City. BEA stands for Booksellers Expo America, and it is the place to be if you have anything to do with the book industry. In addition to the open trade show and author autographing there are workshop sessions, special presentations, in-booth one-bn-ones with authors, illustrators, editors, agents, book publishers, and others involved in the industry. Some of these opportunities are geared toward specific audience members such as librarians, educators, book buyers, booksellers, and those who are building and renewing contacts with others in the industry. You'll have the opportunity to meet just about anyone and everyone at BEA. While standing the line to meet Peter Walsh (Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?), I chatted with an agent who handles Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction. Walking from the trade show to the autographing area, I ran into T.A. Barron (Merlin's Dragon) who I had met several times at conferences in Utah. Back at the autograph tables, I met George Hamilton (Don't Mind if I Do) most recently of Dancing with the Stars fame. have a lunch box too, and they could pick from a variety of cowboy ones, but Roy Rogers was a favorite or they could choose some comic book character. So the lunch box took it's place along with the school books as they went from home to school and back again. A typical box lunch included a sandwich, a piece of cake or cookie, maybe a treat and something to drink in the thermos bottle. Unless you assisted Mother in preparing the lunch, it was always a surprise when the student opened it. And Mom soon learned what they liked and what they didn't. Lunches on the go are commonplace on a farm when there is a harvest. No one has time to take an hour lunch and so the lunches are taken to the fields where they are eaten in trucks and tractors while the harvest continues uninterrupted. I'm sure that many of you have memories of such times. One of my mother's favorite memories in her childhood was when her father would return home in the evening after working in the ^elds all day. He took a lunch, but he never did eat it all — he always saved a little bit for her as she excitedly examined his lunch pail at the end of the day. to my writing when I have authors like R. A. Salvatore (The Ore King) stop in the middle of autographing to introduce me to Heather Graham (The Death Dealer); the head of Roaring Press Books take a minute to introduce me to one of her favorite agents while we were discussing my review of one of their recent publications; And New York Tunes best-selling authors like Richard Paul Evans and Robert G. Allen giving me advice on how to pitch to an agent or editor while at the conference. All in all, going to BEA was a great experience for me, as I'm sure it was for the rest of those who went from here in Utah. And it's one I plan to have again, only this time I hope it's me sitting at the table autographing copies of my book. Sometimes the encounters I had there were comical, like when I tried to find the end of the line to meet Slash, a member of Guns and Roses who was there giving out copies of his autobiography. The line wound halfway around the building, yet I still hadn't Lu Ann Brobst Staheli is found the end! Then there a Christa McAulliffe Felwas meeting Brandon Sand- low, 2005 Nebo Reading erson (Mistborn) and realiz- Teacher of the Year, and ing as we talked that I had previous Utah English Lantaught his wife at Payson guage Arts Teacher of the Jr. High School. A publicist Year. Find more informachased me through the line tion about literacy issues so she could add me to her at www.LuAnnsUbrary. list of copy reviewers. blogspot.com. She can be It's easy to forget these reached at LuAnn@Lupeople are famous or critical AnnStaheli.com. 1 'Help Is Here Express Bus Tour coming to Spanish Fork When: Friday, June 27,11 a.m. to noon Where: Mace/s, 187 East lOOONorth Spanish Fork What: The "Help is Here Express" bus tour will be stopping at MaceyFto help uninsured and financially-struggling Utahans access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. The bus tour is part of the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) - a nationwide effort sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research companies - raising awareness of patient assistance programs and the-need to effectively address the rising and alarming rates of chronic disease in the United States. Patients can also learn about new medicines in development to fight chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. '. , To date, the PPA has helped nearly 5 million patients, including more 26,000 Utahans. Since its launch in April 2005, the PPA bus tour'has visited all 50 states and more than 1,500 cities to raise awareness about patient assistance programs. The "Help is Here Express"js^staffed by trained specialists able to quickly help uninsured patients in need access information on more than 475 patient assistance programs, including nearly 200 programs offered by pharmaceutical companies. When the "Help is Here Express" moves on, patients can visit PPA's easy-to-use Web site www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1-8884PPA-N0W where trained operators field calls in 150 languages. "With the number of people affected by chronic disease increasing every year, the PPA and its message of hope is now more relevant than ever," said Ken Johnson, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). "The PPA is meant to help people who are uninsured and financially-struggling," added Johnson, "But for patients in Utah suffering from chronic disease, it is especially important for them to know that help is here.0 In addition to stopping in Spanish Fork on June 27, the "Help Is Here Express" will bring the Partnership for Prescription Assistance to several other Utah cities, including Brigham City, Ogden, Layton, Salt Lake City and Magna. For more information, contact Duane Bourdeaux at 801-560-01§4 or Michael-. Gavura at 801-637-4478, . • '•!« |