Elder Kesler Tanner

Kesler Tanner has been called to serve in the Billings Montana Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He will speak in the May 25 meeting of the Orangeville First Ward at 11 a.m.  He will enter the Missionary Training Center on July 2.  Kesler is the son of Mark and Nanette Tanner of Orangeville.

Elder Cole Rex Bunderson

Cole Rex Bunderson has been called to serve in the Micronesia Guam Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He will speak in sacrament meeting in the Castle Dale Third Ward on May 25 at 12:30 pm.
Cole is the son of Eric and Sharon Bunderson and the grandson of the late Rex and Betty Bunderson of Emery and T. Dee and Joyce Brown of Logan.

Allan David Patterson

SALEM/CASTLE DALE - With his wife and family by his side, Allan David Patterson, 79, passed away on May 17, 2008, at the home of his son in Enterprise, Alabama, after having suffered a stroke.
Allan was born Oct 2, 1928 in Leland, Utah to David Archibald Patterson and Nellie Elizabeth Stone.  He grew up on a small farm in Salem, Utah.
The first time he saw Lois Barnett--”that gorgeous redhead”-- he fell in love.  She was engaged to someone else but he didn’t let that stop him.  He married Lois 6 weeks later, April 12, 1954, in the Manti LDS Temple.  They celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary last month.
Their mutual devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the LDS church, to family and friends has been a great influence for good in countless lives.
Allan graduated from Spanish Fork high school in 1946; he then served two years in the Central States LDS mission.  He received his Bachelor’s from Brigham Young University and Master’s from Long Beach State in elementary education.
He held many church callings over the years, but his favorite was probably ward clerk, where he could meticulously check and recheck every number.
Allan worked as a teacher and administrator of elementary education at schools in California, Samoa, and Utah.  He never much cared for administration but as a teacher, he regularly doubled students’ expected reading growth.  He also taught in the Education Department at Southern Utah University and published several textbooks.
He worked for many years in mining and construction, and kept a garden and orchard large enough to help feed eight children as well as many neighbors.
He could build anything and enthusiastically taught his children countless skills and the value of hard physical labor.  It has been rumored (truthfully) that he was so cheap that after the yard got toilet papered, he made his children gather and reuse the tissue.  One Christmas he announced that he would demonstrate the new pogo stick--he fell off on the third bounce and broke his leg.
After retirement, Allan immersed himself in his true passion, genealogy.  He was very proud of his Scottish heritage.  He collects pelicans, the symbol on the Patterson family crest.
Together he and Lois served missions to the Genealogical Libraries in New York, NY and in Salt Lake City, UT.
He didn’t have much time for hobbies or similar gobbledygook, but he did love John Wayne, Myth Busters, and a good Tom Clancy novel.  He frequently called his granddaughters “Twinkle Toes”, asked his grandchildren what flavor their thumbs tasted, and liked to tease them about the Happy Easter Pig and other nonsensical fairy tales, just to get them riled up. 
He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Keith and Glenn Rice, and sisters Beth (John) Jensen and Iris (Lamar) Phillips.
His family includes his wife Lois Barnett and their eight children:  Erik Patterson of Tampa, FL; Brenda (Jeff) Worthen of Green River, WY; Scott (Shawn) Patterson of Spring Creek, NV; Brian (Belinda) Patterson of Enterprise, AL; Craig (Shaundi) Patterson of South Jordan, UT; Todd (DeAnn) Patterson of Green River, WY; Julia (Curt) Russell of Springville, UT; and Lisa (Nyle) Butterworth of Boise, ID; their twenty-four grandchildren: Brev, Shad, Josie, Kennedy, James, Tamara, Stacy, Jacob, Mitch, Brett, Brock, Aleah, Alex, Kaitlyn, Emily, Porter, Kirsti, Leslie, Laura, Seth, Danielle, Nya, Ily, and Dax; and their four great-grandchildren: Spencer, Maddie, Conner, and Alexis, and two babies due this summer.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2008 from 6:00 - 7:30 P.M. at Fausett Mortuary in Castle Dale, UT.  Funeral services will be held Friday, May 23, 2008 at 3:00 P.M. with a viewing at 2:00 P.M. at the Castle Dale Stake Center (33 East Main Street), followed by an open house at the Patterson Home, from 7:00-8:00 P.M.  Interment will be Saturday, May 24, 2008 at 11:00 A.M. in the Salem, UT Cemetery (965 South 130 East).  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the LDS Church’s Perpetual Education Fund. Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary.

Owen Boyd Hunt

CASTLE DALE—Owen Boyd Hunt passed away unexpectedly at his home on  May 17, 2008, due to a three-year battle with kidney disease.  He was born in Dragerton, Utah to Arel and LaRue Hunt on 15 April 1945. 
Owen grew up in Green River and enjoyed spending time fishing, hunting and spending time with his grandfather, George Seely.  He worked for many summers with his uncle Boyd growing watermelons.
He graduated from Green River High School in 1963.  After graduating, he attended technical school in Denver, majoring in drafting.  He lived on the Marshall Islands working as a fireman. 
He met Vickie Elaine Price in the summer of 1970.  They were married in Castle Dale on 2 Oct 1970.  While married, Owen was employed at many jobs.  He worked as a coal miner for fifteen years.  The job that he loved the most was driving a truck.  He worked for Barney Trucking for ten years. 
Owen was an avid golfer and loved to play whenever possible.  He would teach anyone to play golf, who was willing to learn.  He loved to hunt, fish, shoot guns and woodworking.  He also liked to work on cars and race them.  When he became ill in 2004, he had to watch golf and the things that he enjoyed on television.   
Owen was always quick to help someone in need.  If there was ever a friend in need, he was the first to help.  He loved to B.S. and was willing to talk with anyone who would listen.  
He is survived by his loving wife of thirty-seven years, Vickie; two sons, Boyd Hunt and George Hunt all of Castle Dale; two daughters, Bonnie Hunt of Ogden, Alice (Gary) Wadley of Lawrence; “Grandpa’s Angel” and grandson, Dallas Hunt, mother, LaRue Seely-Hunt of Green River; brothers Max (Brenda) Hunt, Russell (Arla) Hunt, Lynn (Patty) Hunt, Don Hunt; sister Fern (James) Garner and his Special friend, Spot. 
He is preceded in death by his father Arel, both grandparents and nephew Addison Hunt.
Funeral services will be Wednesday, May 21, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. at the Castle Dale LDS Stake Center.  A viewing will be held from 9:00-10:45 a.m. prior to the services at the church.  Interment will be in the Castle Dale City Cemetery.  Services are in the care of Fausett Mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to be made to Primary Children’s Hospital.
 

Thomas A. Burgess
1915-2008

PRICE-Our loving father, grandfather and beloved uncle, Thomas A. Burgess, age 92, passed away May 12, 2008 in Price.
Born October 2, 1915 in Provo, Utah to William J. and Mary Gatherum Burgess.
He married Esther Wolfrom, January 2, 1959 in Boulder City, Nevada; she passed away on October 15, 2006.
Tom served in the US Army Air Corp from 1942 to 1945. His duties included being an aircraft service mechanic, crew chief and aircraft instrument mechanic. He worked on the Boeing 4 engine on the B-17 bomber. Tom served eleven years in the Air Force Reserve and several years in the Civil Air Patrol. In 1947, he received his private pilot license.
Tom was a licensed contractor who built many homes in the area. He was very talented craftsman, and he especially enjoyed helping others with their electrical and plumbing repairs. He also worked at the College of Eastern Utah in the maintenance department.
Tom enjoyed working in the yard, and fixing anything that was broken. He was a kind and loving caregiver to all in need, especially to his wife. He will be missed by his family and a community of friends.
Survived by his daughters, Mary (Dan) Baxter, Highland, Patsy (Dennis) Jensen, Carbonville; nine grandchildren, Dawn (Shane) McMillan, Taylorsville, Christopher (Angie) Arambula, S. Jordan, Jeremy (Angelyn) Jensen, Logan, DaNeen Kirkwood, Price, Debbie (Robin) Rudman, Wellington, Justin (Tammy) Jensen, Spring Glen, Mike (Stormie) Baxter, Aurora, CO, Melinda (Mike) Wallis, Cedar Hills, Marcie (Dan) Clawson, Pleasant Grove; seventeen great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson; loving niece Janet (Tom) Patterick, Price; special nephew, Joe (Esta Lee) Mason, Price; and many other nieces and nephews.
Preceded in death by his parents, dear wife, Esther; two sisters and two brothers.
Graveside service was May 16 at the Price City Cemetery.

Mary Sherman

HUNTINGTON – Mary Sherman, age 100, died May 13, 2008 in her home in Huntington, Utah.  She was born September 8, 1907 in Cleveland, Utah to Joseph Pringle and Maria White.  She married Joel Glain Sherman on April 25, 1925 in Castle Dale, Utah; their marriage was later solemnized in the Manti LDS temple.
Mary was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  She taught Primary, was a Visiting Teacher, and served in many other capacities for the church.  Some of her hobbies included: knitting, crocheting, quilting, and sewing.  She learned the value of hard work while living on her family farm in Cleveland, Utah, where she was one of five children.  For 40 years, she worked the library on wheels for the Carbon and Emery County school district, and was a member of the Huntington Senior Citizen band.  She was a loving person who always cared for others.
She is survived by her children: Zelma Burdett of Globe, AZ, Joseph Sherman of Cleveland, UT, Ruby Lapp of Salt Lake City, UT, Earl (Connie) Sherman of Ogden, UT, Marie Williams of Carlsbad, NM, Arland Sherman of Huntington, UT, Keith Sherman of Ogden, UT, Louise Heinger of Ogden, UT, Shirlene Hammonds of Virginia, Lynn (June) Sherman of Huntington and Richard (Betty) Sherman of Huntington; 78 grandchildren; 54 great-grandchildren; and many great-great-grandchildren. 
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband; daughters in-laws; Thelma Sherman and Shirley Sherman; son-in-laws: James Williams, Fred Hammonds and Ted Burdett; two sisters; two brothers; one granddaughter; one great-granddaughter; and one great-grandson.
Funeral Services were May 17 at the Huntington LDS Stake Center (240 N. Main.)  Interment was in the Huntington City Cemetery.  Services were in the care of Fausett Mortuary.

Andy Douros

PRICE-Andrew Douros, age 80, passed away Thursday, May 15, 2008 in Price, Utah with his loving wife and family by his side.
He was born on November 27, 1927 in Kenilworth, Utah to Gust and Cressy Kastrnakis Douros.
Married Reva LaRae Christensen, September 15, 1950 in Price.
Andy was well liked for his friendly personality and his devotion to others. He was a longtime resident of Carbon County where he worked as a coal miner, salesman and operated a mining cable business. He raised and sold sheep and other animals, and shared a vast knowledge of horses.
Andy and his wife owned and operated a café, where he was well known till this day for his famous “Lamb Stew.” He loved to hunt, fish, and tie beautiful fly fishing flies. He will always be remembered for the “Big Brooks” which he caught while night fishing on the Boulder Mountains.
Survived by his loving wife, Reva; one son and three daughters, Andy L. Douros, Danielle (Dea R.) Thayn, Nancy Weber and Abraham Tannous, Elaine (Dale) Henker; brother, Tony (Cathy) Douros; eleven grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.
Preceded in death by his parents, two brother and one sister.
Funeral service was May 19 at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Price. Interment was in the Cliffview Cemetery, Price.

Kim White
Kash Behling

Kash and Kim are excited to announce their marriage on May 9, 2008 in Lihue, Hawaii.
Parents of the Bride are Alan and Lael White
Parents of the Groom are Jed and Karrie Behling

May 6, 2008

Disease major obstacle in cow-calf operations

Glen L. Jensen, DVM

Disease represents a major obstacle to the profitability of many cow-calf operations.  Animal death, failure or decreased efficiency in reproduction, and decreases in growth and productivity may all be the result of disease.  Losses may also never be observed, these problems come about as “subclinical disease” and may quietly rob the cow-calf operator of profits.  Healthy cattle may also have a higher value at the time of sale, and be more uniform in size.

Treatment of many cattle diseases can be quite expensive and very unrewarding.  Production losses may often occur before disease is able to be diagnosed and treated.  Herd health programs should be designed to provide routine, planned procedures which will prevent or minimize disease.

Herd health programs may fail if there is too much reliance put on vaccinations and other treatments.  Vaccinations  are an important tool, but not a cureall.  Effective programs integrate medicine and management to prevent disease.  A producer  may want to consider three important areas in a herd health program.

1-            Prevent Exposure to Disease.  Do not bring disease to your herd through replacements.  This may be a baby calf, replacement heifer, or a bull that is to be used for breeding.  Purchasing and quarantine procedures should be used to decrease the likelihood of disease introduction.  Operations with increase concentration of livestock may need more intensive preventive programs.

2-            Keep Disease Resistance High.  Nutrition, management, and housing programs should be designed to help decrease stress and keep resistance to disease high at all times.  In Emery and Carbon counties there are many areas where due to high sulfur and alkali, our cattle become copper deficient.  These elements bind and “tie up” copper so that it is not available to the animal.  Low copper levels can lead to decreased immune status and decreased reproductive performance.  Resistance to specific diseases can sometimes be accomplished by vaccination.

3-            If Disease Occurs, Prevent its Spread. Segregate affected animals immediately.  Have a diagnosis made, and take recommended action as soon as possible.

Herd health programs must be tailored to each individual production situation.  Handling cattle is stressful, time consuming, and may be expensive, therefore the benefits gained must outweigh the costs.  Veterinarians are trained in herd health management and keep up to date on current deseases, treatments and prevention measures.  If is important to have a veterinarian involved with tailoring heard health programs.

Herd health programs and other cattle management procedures work best with calving is confined to a 60 – 90 day period.  Short calving periods will also help control diseases like trichomoniasis which has been prevalent in our area for far too long; it also adds value to calves because they are more uniform.  Most programs will be based on handling cows and calves twice a year and calves at birth.  There are times when cattle may need to be handled more often.

Pre-breeding  management of cows includes reproductive vaccines Leptospirosis, Vibriosis, IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV; parasite control, checking identification, eyes, teeth , feet , legs and udders.  Bulls should receive the same vaccines and have a thorough Breeding Soundness Examination.

Pre-weaning cows are diagnosed for pregnancy, eyes, teeth, feet, legs, and udders checked, treated for parasites, check identification and scours vaccines may be appropriate.

Newborn calf (24 hours old): disinfect navel, identify, vitamin A&D injection, and in some cases 7 or 8 way clostridial vaccine.  Bull calves may be castrated and dehorning may be done.

Mid-nursing (2 – 6 months old calves): Vaccination with 7 or 8-way clostridial vaccine, respiratory vaccinations, implant growth promotant (replacement heifers less than 400 lbs can be given a single implant.)  Deworm and dehorn if needed.

Preweaning calves: These procedures should be done 3-4 weeks prior to weaning to allow time for immunity to develop before weaning.  Vaccines: 7 or 8-way clostridial, respiratory viruses and Pasteurella, and Brucellosis for replacement heifers.  Parasite control, implant growth promotant, dehorn if needed.

Nutrition is important during all stages of cow-calf production but is especially important around weaning, calving, and breeding.  Nutrition is much more than good looking hay and an occasional mineral block.  Our area has some unique aspects that makes certain minerals like copper very important. (Jensen is a doctor of veterinarian medicine at Emery Animal Health.)

Take caution as you let your pets enjoy the great outdoors

Sharon Gilbert, DVM

In the spring and summer we all enjoying being outside.  Often we have our pets with us.  Here are some ideas to help keep us and our pets safe during activities outside.

Picture “Buddy,” a very large Mastiff, riding in the back of the truck, perched on the wheel well, face to the wind, ears and saliva flying.  He is really enjoying the ride.  Most dogs enjoy riding in the back of the truck. I wonder if they imagine that they are running really fast?  The problem is, it is not safe.  We see many injured dogs that have jumped out of the back of a moving truck, or fallen out in an accident or in a quick stop.  If your dog is allowed to ride in the back, he should be cross tied in or be in a crate that is tied into the back of the truck.  Make sure he is not on a rope that will allow him to jump out and be drug.  This will help keep him safe in the back of the truck.  Inside the car, you may consider a pet seat-belt.  This will help protect your pet in the event of an accident and will protect you from your pet colliding with another person inside the car in an accident.  The seat belt will also keep your pet away from you while you are driving.  Let’s keep our pets safely inside vehicles.

Before we were married, my husband had some sheep.  Over several days some dogs that were running loose came and killed a number of his sheep.  The animal control officer was called and two of the three dogs were caught and taken in.  The third could not be caught and was shot.  One dog was a loving  golden retriever, a family pet.  When the family came to the dog pound they were overjoyed to find their lost pet, and then dismayed to find that they owed a large fine, to pay for several sheep the dog had killed.

We enjoy the thought of our dogs running free, no restraint, to be able to run and play and have all the fun they want.  The trouble is, they get into trouble.  Besides damaging other people’s property or people, dogs running loose can get hit by cars, get in dog fights, or eat toxins and garbage.  Remember, they can get hurt themselves and they are our property.  We are responsible for what they do.  Even though we live in a rural area, we have leash laws.  Having your dog in a fenced in area while it is outside protects you, your neighbors and your dog.  Invisible fences can work well to keep your dog in your yard, but remember, they will not keep another animal out of your yard.  It is not only safe, but also responsible to keep your dog contained in your yard or on a leash. 

Although cats are much healthier indoors, many people have outside cats to help with rodent control. They have to be allowed to roam to do their job.  If a cat needs to be outside, owners can help protect them by spaying and neutering. Cats are territorial and often fight for territory and during mating.  Neutered and spayed cats fight much less and tend to stay home more.  If they stay home better, they will hunt more around your house.   Obviously this will also help reduce the number of feral cats.  It is an old wives’ tale that a cat with kittens will hunt better than a spayed cat.  Cats naturally hunt, litter of kittens or not.  Indoor cats avoid exposure to diseases such as Feline Leukemia and Feline immunodeficiency virus.  They also avoid bite wounds and injuries.  Indoor cats do need things to do inside.  Because they are natural hunters they need toys and play that helps fill that need and give them exercise.  Some owners even build large outside cages that attach to a window so cats can safely go outdoors and play.   Enjoy the spring and summer, enjoy your pet and help keep them safe. (Gilbert is a doctor of veterinarian medicine with Emery Animal Health.)

New York Style Hot Dog Stand to Open in Ferron

Josie Luke

Small town Ferron will soon boast a sight normally seen only in the big city as the Dugmore family introduces a New York style hot dog cart to the city’s streets. The grand opening for the Ferron Square Grill will be May 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The stand will be located in front of Dugmore Appliance and Heating.

The Ferron Square Grill will be managed by Janeal Dugmore and her 10-year-old son Bryce, who is excited to earn money to help pay for his new motorcycle. Bryce, who has also sold lemonade during the summer, thinks it will be a lot of fun to cook for people and spend time with his family.

To start out, they will keep it simple, selling hot dogs, candy, chips and drinks, but hope to expand to include hamburgers, nachos, French fries and other specialty items.

As to being a 10-year-old with his own business, Bryce sums it up with one word, “awesome.” He is nervous about making mistakes, but hopes that people will be pleased by “getting good food.” He reported that his friends think it is “cool” and say that he is going to get a lot of money

The idea for the grill first began when the Dugmores held a sidewalk sale and decided to show how well their barbecues could cook. Bryce decided that he wanted to earn money and so he began selling hotdogs to customers who came. Janeal Dugmore said that her son “had a lot of fun at it, and enjoyed earning money,” so the family decided to take it a step further. “We decided that if we were going to do something like that, we need to do it the right way,” she related.

Janeal said that after discussing it the family decided that, “We wanted to find something that people would actually use, and it’s something that’s a bit unique, because we can go to the customers.”

She also said that they carefully researched the cart business before making their decision. “We’ve done a lot of research and study on it, and if it’s as successful as everybody says it is, then in the future we could purchase more carts and do it simultaneously at different places,” she stated.

The Dugmores have permission from the health inspector to take their cart to events in both Carbon and Emery County. They hope to cover birthday parties, family reunions and community events, including sports games, golf tournaments, the Emery County Fair, Peach Days, Heritage Days, International Days and others.

In speaking with others in the community, they have gotten good feedback. “Everyone we’ve talked to seems really excited about it and thinks it’s a fun idea. A couple have even said they wish they’d thought of it themselves. We’ve had only positive feedback,” she reported.

Cindi’s Café to Open Soon in Huntington

Josie Luke

               
“If this doesn’t kill me, it’s going to make me better,” remarked Cindi Avery as she sat in the construction zone that will soon be her new café. Avery and her family have joined forces to remodel part of the building located next to Christy’s Salon Sensations in Huntington into a cafe.   

Cindi’s Café will be the result of Avery taking her favorite parts from the many restaurants she has worked at and joining them into what she hopes will be a successful business. It truly is a family business. Her children Heather Avery, Marissa Killpack, Chelsey Rhodes and Jeremiah Avery have helped her in planning, remodeling and decorating the space. “Everybody has had their hand in this place,” she said.

One of her three daughters will work with her full time, another will come for the lunch rush and the third will be the “designated babysitter” for her eight grandchildren. Her son has been spending every spare minute doing the woodwork in the café and will help whenever he can.

Her daughters have taken initiative to set the tone for the decorations in the cafe. “We want it to be cute and comfortable,” Avery related. “The girls aren’t letting me buy whatever I want for decorations, they have to be with me.”
She has carefully planned every aspect of her business, from the menu to the decorating, to the setup of the kitchen which she designed on a trip back from Nevada and California. She went to buy supplies and appliances for the café. Although her son wasn’t sure about his mother’s ideas, it has turned out. “It’s fast and quick and it’s going to work. I know it’s going to work,” she said. “I’ve got everything in its place.”

The café will be open from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. to cover breakfast and lunch. Avery will sell hamburgers, deli sandwiches, soup, salad, a daily “hot meal” lunch special, tacos and burritos. Customers will be able to sit down and enjoy their meal in the café, or “get it quick and take it home” from the drive-thru window.

She has a definite theory of what will make the business successful. “It’s what I know. I know how to cook. To please the people is what you’re looking at,” she said. “You’re not looking at buying a lot of processed foods and throwing it out there saying, ‘Look, I’ve got all the things that Joe down the street has got.’ That’s not what I want. I want served here what I would serve my kids, my family.”

Because of the many surprises they have faced in getting the building ready, Avery is hesitant on setting a definite date for the opening, but said the café will be open by the end of the month. She also expressed some anxiety about getting business started, but said confidently, “Once we get going, people will love the food here.”                               

April 22, 2008

Medical Reserve Corps Looking for Volunteers

Josie Luke

After President George W. Bush’s 2002 State of the Union Address, in which he asked all Americans to volunteer in support of their country, the Medical Reserve Corps was organized. The local unit, the Southeastern Utah MRC is currently looking for volunteers.

“MRC units are community-based and function as a way to locally organize and utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources,” the MRC website explains.

The SEUMRC is organized under the Southeastern Utah Health Department and is currently looking for doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, veterinarians, mental health professionals, pharmacists, dentists and emergency personnel, including firefighters, EMTs and police, along with anyone else who is willing to help in an emergency.

“We are looking for people who are willing to do what needs to be done,” explained Cynthia Grant, SEUMRC Coordinator. “Basically, the people we can use is anyone who is willing to work in an emergency situation and who is dedicated and willing enough to give back to the community that they would do that without getting paid.”

Those who would volunteer for the SEUMRC, would be those who would not already be involved, including those who are retired, not working full-time, working in another field, or not currently working.

Some of the situations Grant sees the SEUMRC volunteers working in are in circumstances like the Crandall Canyon mine disaster, or in the event of a pandemic, flood or earthquake. In such instances, they could help to shelter those involved, provide for medical and physical needs, assist with communications, or anything else that was needed.

Grant said the group is just getting off the ground, but eventually, she would like to see a group of 12 to 20 volunteers in each county, with over 70 percent being lay people, without much medical experience. The program will also have a team leader in each county, who would be paid for five to 10 hours a month. In a team leader, Grant said she is looking for someone with strong people skills, who would take initiative and “quickly catch the vision of the MRC”.

The MRC is designed to be of service in the community in which it is located, and so unlike the Red Cross, the MRC has much more flexibility in how it is organized and how volunteers are used.

Grant sees volunteers supporting local health initiatives and any other community event where medical experience might be needed. She revealed that in some instances, like the bus accident last year near Blanding, people were needed to “just comfort people who were involved”, or to help with logistics and record keeping.

Volunteers would need to go through required trainings in eight core competencies, including training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS), which trains volunteers on how to react in emergencies. The trainings can be taken online and according to Grant, won’t require a huge amount of time.

For questions about the Medical Reserve Corps, or to volunteer, contact Grant at (435)748-2997, on her cell phone at- (435)749-2998, or email her at cgrant@utah.gov.

Dance!

Danielle Tuttle’s dance group, One Step Above, presented their Spring Recital May 17.  The program, “Dancing in the Rain” consisted of a variety of dancing, from jazz and rock to graceful ballet.  The costuming and decorations added to the program that was presented by separate groups of dancers.  The large assembly of parents and family were treated to a great show by the talented young ladies.

-Dazed-

Conversations with my Daughter

James L. Davis

My daughter has dreams that actually take longer to unfold than she sleeps.  I don’t know how this is possible, but it appears to be a fact nonetheless.  It could have something to do with quantum physics.  It also could have something to do with the fact that she is 14.

I know that her dreams take longer to unfold than she sleeps because I have on occasion asked her to tell me about her dreams, and it takes a full day for her to unweave where her mind has been while her body is sleeping.  Her mind is an extensive traveler apparently.

My daughter is the consummate storyteller, something I believe she must have inherited from my dad.  They both can take the most mundane of activities and weave a story about it that keeps you entertained for hours.

Being both a storyteller and a teenager, my daughter can and does use this talent to get herself out of trouble on many occasions.  And since she is 14, it is almost impossible to get a word in edgewise because as most parents of 14 year old girls can attest, 14-year-old girls do not require oxygen, so they can talk without having to pause for a breath.

I noticed that my daughter no longer has to breathe because one day I thought I would wait patiently for a pause in her monologue about a dream where a very large cat was riding her horse, which wasn’t all that big of a deal except the cat was also wearing her cowboy hat and using her saddle, which meant that she would have cat hairs on her hat and scratch marks on the brushed leather of her saddle.  The horse didn’t seem to mind having a large cat as a rider, which bothered my daughter only because she felt the horse should be more particular about who rode her.

As my daughter explained in minute detail where the horse riding cat was going with her horse, I waited for her to pause for a breath, or at the very least to say umm or uhh, but it never happened.  Four and a half hours later my daughter was explaining how the horse riding cat had switched from riding her horse to driving my truck rather recklessly through the mall while in pursuit of my daughter and her friends, who were visiting the mall in search of three or four other friends who had gone to the mall without inviting them, not that they wanted to go or wanted to be with the other friends, but to tell them that they didn’t care to be at the mall because they had far more important things to do, and they just wanted to let their other friends know that so they wouldn’t get the impression that they were in any way upset for not being invited to the mall in the first place.  And they weren’t upset, my daughter insisted to me, until the cat started driving through the mall in my truck trying to run them down, which was bad enough, but made even worse because the cat kept screaming for her to come out and play.  Really the cat was just meowing really loud, but in her dream she could understand the cat perfectly well, although her friends couldn’t, but she thought they might be able to except they didn’t like cats, so naturally they wouldn’t be able to understand cats, even in her dream.  But everyone knew that the cat was her cat, or at the very least the cat was driving her dad’s truck, so the entire thing was horribly embarrassing.

At this point in my daughter’s dream my eyes began to glaze over and I had all but given up on ever getting a word in edgewise, not that it mattered anymore because I had forgotten what I was going to say in the first place.

While I have discovered that 14-year-old girls do not need to breathe, I have also grown to understand that 14-year-old girls do not need to use their mouth to talk.  Today they talk far more and far longer with their fingers.

Last year my wife upgraded our cell phone plan to give my children unlimited texting, and since that time they have attempted to explore the limits of unlimited.  Last month my wife informed me that our daughter had amassed more than 10,000 text messages, and I found this somewhat hard to believe. I have since learned that sending 10,000 text messages is amateurish at best, but my daughter still finds it to be a source of great pride.  I have discovered that she can text as fast as she can talk, perhaps even faster.

But I still couldn’t fathom 10,000 text messages in a month so I asked her what her messages consisted of and she explained to me that a text message conversation was exactly like a real conversation, complete with questions, umms and ahhs.  Hearing that she used umms and ahhs in her text conversations I realized that it would be far easier to get a word in edgewise with my daughter if I spoke to her by way of text than attempting to do so face to face.

So I tried to text her one night on the way back from the city.  She must have been asleep however, because the cat answered the text and wanted to know when I would be home with the truck.  I had no idea that cats could text.

-Casey’s World-

Text Messaging Tips for the Digitally Challenged

Casey Wood

It has recently been brought to my attention that many adults do not know anything concerning text messaging, from types of messages to acronyms, and everything in between.  Here is a guide for all the old folks who feel as though this new fad is kind of leaving them in the dark.

The different types of messages are text messages, pix messages, and flix messages.  Text messages are simply messages containing text.  Pix messages are messages containing pictures, sounds, text, or any combination of the three.  Flix messages are messages containing video, with or without text.

Entry modes are the different ways to place the words into the message.  The two types are single tap, and either T9 or Word.  Single tap is a mode of entry where you click the number with the letter you want repeatedly until you reach the letter you want and do this throughout the entire message.  T9 and Word are the same thing.  In both you click the number with the letter you want only once and then click the next number with the letter you want in the word and the phone has a pre-designated list of words for each combination.  If you want a word like ‘home’ for example you click 4663.  You will likely have the word ‘good’ appear, you then can click the next key to get the word you want.
A signature is a small message, usually around 15 characters, that appears on the bottom of any message you send.  Signatures are user determined and can be anything you want.

Acronyms are also a big part of text messaging.  The acronyms used in text messages originated online in chat rooms, instant messaging and email.  Here is an acronym dictionary for those who don’t understand the texting vernacular.

LOL-LOL is likely the most commonly used acronym.  LOL stands for ‘laugh out loud.’ 

ROFL-As LOL became very widely used, many began to use ROFL instead.  ROFL stands for ‘rolling on the floor laughing.’

LMBO or LMAO-These both mean the same thing, ‘laughing my butt off,’ or if you prefer the more explicit version.

GTG-GTG means ‘got to go.’

G2G-G2G overtook GTG, but essentially means the same thing, ‘got 2 go.’

IDK-IDK means ‘I don’t know.’

IDC-IDC is closely related to IDK and means ‘I don’t care’.

WBU-WBU means ‘what about you?’

TTYL-TTYL means ‘talk to you later.’

CYA-CYA means ‘see you.’

JK-JK means ‘just kidding.’

JW-JW means ‘just wondering.’

ILY-ILY means ‘I love you.’

JMS-JMS means ‘just making sure.’

SRRY-SRRY means ‘sorry.’

BFF-BFF means ‘best friend forever.’

BTW-BTW means ‘by the way.’

NM-NM means ‘nothing much,’ or ‘never mind.’

NVM-NVM means ‘never mind.’

H8, L8, SK8, ETC.-H8 means ‘hate,’ L8 means ‘late,’ SK8 means ‘skate,’ and so forth.

@-@ means ‘at.’

Other possibilities are using letters or numbers to represent words, such as 2=to or too, 4=for, R=are, U=you, Y=why, C=see, O=oh, and so forth in different combinations. 

Basically there is an infinite possibility of acronyms and abbreviations that can be used in text messaging. 

Text messaging is taking over, so it could be an advantage to place a lamp in the darkness and keep yourself informed in texting in every sense of the word.