The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner. With Christmas being the most popular holiday in the U.S. and one of the most expensive – Americans are projected to spend up to $730 billion over the holiday season this year – the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019’s Best Places for Christmas Celebrations as well as accompanying videos.
To help Americans celebrate Christmas without breaking the bank, WalletHub compared the 100 biggest cities across 33 key metrics. The data set ranges from Christmas events per capita to average price per Christmas party ticket to shopping centers and outlets per capita.
Best Cities for Christmas Celebrations
1. Atlanta, GA
11. Washington, DC
2. Orlando, FL
12. Denver, CO
3. New York, NY
13. Austin, TX
4. Pittsburgh, PA
14. St. Louis, MO
5. Chicago, IL
15. Birmingham, AL
6. Las Vegas, NV
16. Minneapolis, MN
7. Los Angeles, CA
17. Miami, FL
8. San Francisco, CA
18. Dallas, TX
9. Seattle, WA
19. Cincinnati, OH
10. Portland, OR
20. Honolulu, HI
Key Stats
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-for-christmas/41924/
Anger and forgiveness in our polity
by Leslie D. Gregory and Tom H. Hastings
1041 words
When Russ Feingold and John McCain reached agreement on legislation that helped reform the contamination of special interest money into politics, did they need to precede that landmark legislation by a process of forgiveness?
After all, Senator Russ Feingold was a Democrat; John McCain was a Republican. Russ Feingold was young; John McCain was old. Russ Feingold was from Wisconsin; John McCain was from Arizona. Russ is Jewish and John was Christian. Feingold voted against the USA PATRIOT Act and against invading Iraq. McCain was a POW and a hawk.
I don't believe John McCain nor Russ Feingold--nor the majority of the members of the House of Representatives nor the US Senate, who also voted for it, nor George W. Bush, who signed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 into law (better known as McCain-Feingold)--needed to enter into any sort of forgiveness process. They just got the work done.
The times were different; Republicans didn't hold as many Pray Democrats Dead rallies, Democrats didn't host as many Imagine Republican Kool-Aid Fatalities sessions. The Republicans and Democrats wanted to win, but were still willing to cast a vote for a bipartisan bill that would strengthen the integrity of our democracy.
None of this seems possible now. The only bipartisan legislation seems to be to drastically lower taxes for the über-rich or solve some trade issues with China or Canada, but the indices of health of our democracy seem sliding and unlikely to heal.
Perhaps elements of forgiveness might help.
Forgiveness is a popular topic. Forgive your cheating spouse and put it behind you. Forgiveness is how you achieve closure and can move on. Forgive your lying boss or co-worker--how can you reduce your toxic workplace stress unless you just let it go?
"Forgiveness is for you, not for the perpetrator." That is the common refrain. And it has precedence in philosophy:
"Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."--attributed to both Seneca the Younger and Mark Twain
The assumption is, if you want anger gone--and you should--you must forgive. That will calm your heart, ease your mind, and soothe your spirit.
But what if anger is a good thing in many cases?
Rosa Parks was asked why she decided to risk her well being, her freedom, her employment, possibly even her life by refusing to obey a command in December 1955 by an Alabama white bus driver to give her bus seat to a white man and move to the back of the bus? She said that she was propelled by anger at what violent racists had done to Emmet Till, the young black boy from Chicago who supposedly whistled at a white woman while he was visiting family in Mississippi. His body was found lynched, tortured, disfigured, and tied to a weight in the river.
Rosa did great work and lived long. She sparked one of the greatest upheavals of nonviolent citizen demands for basic civil rights in the history of the US.
Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr wrote frequently about anger and its value in the freedom and liberation struggles they led. Gandhi, who was born and raised in the Steam Age, had the best metaphor, noting that anger is much like steam; you can let it build up until you explode destructively or you can harness it to do great and difficult tasks.
The rise of anger in our polity did not start with Trump, though it worsened badly beginning with his campaign and has carried on into his time in the White House. The difference in the anger expressed in bigoted terms is significant and one wonders how Latinx voters can set aside the anger in being called animals by Trump? One wonders how the tiki torch-wielding white nationalists can draw down their rage against people of color? We have to ask where we are headed if this full head of steam continues to build up?
Clinically, equanimity might be a factor in reducing hypercortisolism, a condition produced by overproduction of cortisol by the adrenal glands in response to threat. Perhaps we are indeed now the Not-So-United States of Adrenaline Overload and our national heart is at risk.
Achieving equity in our society may be one of the best ways to find social, collective equanimity and thus help heal our body politic as surely as finding our inner calm and balance can help heal our individual bodies.
If so, investigating processes of restoring civil discourse and reaffirming common decency might involve some admixture of acknowledgement of hurt and harm to our polity, some bits of apology, elements of graciousness however grudging, a smattering of forgiveness, and some long term deeper work on our history of traumas to each other.
A great starting point would be to seek health care coverage and access for all, by whichever path a bipartisan coalition might choose. Republicans can call it "VA for Every Patriot" and Democrats can continue to use Medicare for All (while maintaining private insurance for those who prefer it, so a "public option). Everyone wins--especially if the insurance company employees are given a golden parachute--a five-year retirement or retraining bonus (to do actual health care delivery work or any other productive work) for all who voluntarily choose to do so. Republicans can call it the "Free Market Bonus" and Democrats can call it "Worker Transition Support." Win-win.
Health care in America costs more than in any country on Earth, but VA for Every Patriot would radically reduce costs while greatly improving access, attenuating over time the horrific health care outcome disparities such as Black mothers of every income class dying in childbirth at rates that skyrocket by an order of magnitude more than white womens. If Democrats believe racism is a threat to public health, Medicare for All is the single fastest and most realistic way to begin to mitigate that threat. If the Republicans want to stand up for their base of poor whites, VA for Every Patriot will help measurably.
Then, we pray, everyone can calm down a bit and continue to work together for the benefit of all, slowly forgiving themselves and others for this time of acrimony and chaos.
Without this work, we fear for our democracy and for the human and civil rights of all of us.
—30—
Leslie Gregory is a PA-C focusing on Preventive Cardiology and is Executive Director, Right to Health. Dr. Tom H. Hastings is PeaceVoice Director and on occasion an expert witness for the defense in court.
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In America there’s such a stigma around trade careers that young people would rather work in a coffee shop than in a high-paying trade. That’s the alarming finding of a new survey that reveals a lack of knowledge and negative stereotypes around trade schools and careers.
The poll of more than 500 men and women, ages 18-24, showed many young people do not give serious consideration to enrolling in trade school as a path to landing a stable, well-paying job. The survey reveals they don’t seem aware of the high demand for skilled trade positions, which can pay quite well and have greater job security.
Even in the face of growing tuition rates that can saddle students with years of debt, many people believe graduating from a four-year college is their only way to a successful future. General perception of trade school ignores benefits such as less student debt and quicker entry into the workforce than the four-year college route.
Consider some of the top results from the survey:
Student Loan Hero reports 69% of students from the Class of 2018 took out student loans, graduating with an average debt balance of $29,800. Nearly two thirds (65%) of the recent survey respondents believed that student debt was the price you pay for a college education. However, trade school graduates face far less student debt and enter the workforce sooner after completing their degree within two years. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the average trade school degree costs $33,000, compared to a $127,000 bachelor’s degree.
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Holiday Helpers: Six Ways You Can Support a Family
with a Special Needs Child During the Holidays
By Holley Moseley
The holidays are a time to celebrate, relax, and make special memories. But for families with a medically fragile child or children, there's little time left for fire gazing, gift wrapping, or attending parties or school plays. Why? Because special needs kids need constant care and attention, and the arrival of the holidays doesn't change that. This is why one of the best ways you can commemorate the season of giving is by becoming a "holiday helper" to families who may desperately need a hand.
The holiday season can be an exhausting and overwhelming time for families with a medically fragile child. Between work, rushing their child or children to school or doctor's visits, and the demands of everyday life, parents' lives are filled to the max. They have almost no extra time to make this time of year special. Often, the holidays pass in a blur and are over before they ever began.
If you know a family in this situation, the greatest gift you could offer is your time and support.
Families probably won't ask for it, but that doesn't mean they don't need it. And for a medically fragile child going through the struggle of their life, anything you can do to brighten his or her day is absolutely worth doing.
My daughter RayAnn is one such child. Now a thriving teenager, RayAnn spent many years severely ill and hovering near death. After being diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy since birth, she began experiencing a drastic increase in her seizure activity and was hospitalized many times with status epilepticus—when seizures follow one another without recovery of consciousness in between. After many years of trying every possible treatment, my husband and I discovered "Charlotte's Web," an oil produced from a high-CBD/low-THC cannabis plant. The CBD-rich oil significantly reduced and eventually eliminated the seizures and allowed RayAnn to start making huge strides in her health and happiness.
During RayAnn's most difficult years, I was always so grateful for help from others. A small gesture of caring can go a long way to help a family find the balance they need during such a hectic time of year.
If you're inspired to support a family with a special needs child during the holidays, here are some ways to be a holiday helper.
Ask, "How can I help?" The simple act of reaching out and asking, "What can I do?" or, "What do you need?" is meaningful in itself—especially since people may feel uncomfortable or unsure of what to say around families with special needs children. Showing up and offering assistance of any kind will always be appreciated. You may be asked to pick up a few stocking stuffers for the kids, drive a child to their physical therapy appointment, help repair a broken garage door, or rake up the last of the fall leaves from the yard. These are small kindnesses, but they lighten the load for stressed-out and worn-out parents.
This is one easy way to make a difference to a family that might be struggling under the load of responsibilities they face each day. By offering, you are making it clear that you are their ally. And if you catch them off guard with your offer, let them know that they can think about it for a few days and that you will check back in to ask again. Then, be sure to follow up.
Deliver a meal. A hot holiday meal can make all the difference to a rushed and frazzled family. Therefore, when you prepare your own holiday dinner, make extra amounts of each dish, package it all up along with a bottle of sparkling cider, and deliver it to the family's home. In fact, it doesn't even need to be homemade to be special and very appreciated; a bucket of chicken and a few sides from a restaurant or grocery store is always a big hit as well!
Include them. Families with a medically fragile child are busy, but they still want to be invited to attend neighborhood potlucks, holiday parties, caroling, and other seasonal outings. Keep inviting them to things. They will miss events when they need to but will attend others and always welcome the chance to have fun and socialize.
Treat parents to a night out (for a date, or holiday shopping, or anything else!). Having a child with special needs can place strain on a marriage (about 22 percent of parents of kids with disabilities divorce), and parents need to make time to nurture the relationship. Volunteer to come by and babysit all the children in the household so parents can have a long-overdue evening to themselves. Gather up your own kids too, and head over with some kid-friendly movies, board games, and ingredients for homemade cookies or s'mores. Be sure to offer up this very generous gift ASAP so parents can get dinner reservations or order tickets to a holiday concert or movie in advance.
Parents also need kid-free time to shop for holiday gifts. During the holidays RayAnn was always with me, even when I was shopping for her presents. Luckily my mother could sometimes step in and watch her so I could run some shopping errands, but not every family has this resource. Offering to pick up the kids from school and entertain them for a few hours gives parents time to grab some gifts or stocking stuffers or wrap presents.
Don't forget about siblings. Caring for a differently abled child can be a full-time job for the whole family, and despite everyone's best efforts, siblings may sometimes feel neglected, jealous of the attention their brother or sister receives, or resentful that they must help out in their daily care. So, volunteer to take the siblings out on a special "kids date." You can take them to a museum or aquarium, or go ice skating, or take them shopping for holiday presents for Mom and Dad. (A siblings outing may be best in situations when the medically fragile child is occupied with other activities. Work with the parents to ensure that they do not feel excluded!)
Brighten up the hospital room. If a child can't be home for the holidays due to hospitalization, you can help make their hospital room merry and bright—and it's one less thing the parents have to worry about. Schedule a time to meet the family there for a visit and bring a mini tree or light-up menorah, a string of colored lights, festive wall hangings, tinsel, stockings, and instant hot cocoa. In no time at all, the room—and your own heart—will feel warm and cozy.
It takes real courage to reach out and offer help to special needs parents—especially if you're unsure of how the parents will react to your offer. You may worry that you're intruding or crossing an inappropriate boundary, but this is usually not the case. Push past the momentary discomfort and let a family know you see them and that you would love to help. Your selfless gift helps families find that elusive balance that makes their holidays merry and bright. And that is a gift worth giving, every time.
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About the Author:
Holley Moseley is the author of A Ray of Hope: A Mother's Story of Love, Healing, and the Miracle of Medical Marijuana. A University of South Alabama graduate, she has over 14 years of nursing experience, specializing in pediatrics and clinical research. She worked as the executive director for the Epilepsy Society of Northwest Florida and continues to be a dedicated advocate for epilepsy awareness. Holley was instrumental in passing the first cannabis legislation in the state of Florida, known as the Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act of 2014. She lives with her husband and three children in Gulf Breeze, Florida.
For more information, please visit www.arayofhopebook.com.
About the Book:
A Ray of Hope: A Mother's Story of Love, Healing, and the Miracle of Medical Marijuana (Hope Grows Publishing, 2018, ISBN: 978-0-692-13847-2, $14.95) is available from Amazon and www.arayofhopebook.com.
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Spending Bill Sets Stage for Eradication of America’s Mustangs
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two national horse protection organizations today blasted Congress’ decision to increase the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program budget by $21 million budget to accelerate the roundup and removal of federally-protected wild horses and burros from public lands. In doing so, appropriators ignored requests by Congressman Raul Grijalva, Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and 11 of his House colleagues, to restrict funding to humane population management with scientifically-recommended fertility control instead of roundups. The funding is part of the final omnibus FY 2020 spending package unveiled by Congressional appropriators today and set to be voted on later this week.
“The $21 million deal cut in the swamp today by the Humane Society, ASPCA, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, is the greatest threat our iconic American wild horses have faced in half a century,” said Marty Irby, a lifelong horseman and executive director at Animal Wellness Action. “It’s a draconian experiment that will ensure mass roundups and incarcerations, surgical sterilizations amidst the hot desert sun, and has paved the road back to horse slaughter on the American taxpayer’s dime.”
“Congress just unleashed a catastrophic assault on America’s cherished wild horses and burros, turning back the clock 50 years to a time when these iconic animals were almost extinct and Congress acted unanimously to protect them,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of the American Wild Horse Campaign, the nation’s largest wild horse protection organization. “The BLM will now use tens of millions of tax dollars to round up 20,000 horses a year to achieve population levels that the National Academy of Sciences ‘not supported by scientific information’, and ‘not transparent to stakeholders.’”
The funding increase for the BLM wild horse program is the result of a backroom deal cut by Washington, DC lobbyists for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and other livestock interests and the Humane Society of the U.S., the ASPCA, and Return to Freedom -- organizations that critics say literally “horse traded” the fate of America’s mustangs for ulterior purposes.
Some deal supporters stand to benefit financially, either by the replacement of wild horses that are rounded up with commercial livestock on public lands or from lucrative government contracts to warehouse thousands of wild horses and burros that will be captured, removed and incarcerated under the plan. These contracts are already attracting contractors with no animal welfare experience, like the company pursuing 5,000-horse holding facility that is a headed by a South Dakotan who government financial regulators called “a predatory businessman who has fleeced financially distressed consumers across the country with high-interest loans.”
“It’s disappointing that appropriators were sold a bill of goods by these “humane” organizations that not only ignored the National Academy of Sciences’ findings and the overwhelming will of the American people but also actively undercut Chairman Grijalva’s attempts to protect wild horses from brutal mass roundups and risky surgical sterilization procedures,” Roy concluded. “We look forward to working with Congress next year to prevent irreparable harm to America’s wild mustangs.”
Polling released in October shows finds a strong bipartisan majority and nearly three out of four Americans, oppose the new plan to round up mass numbers of federally-protected wild horses and burros from America’s Western public lands.
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More information:
The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is the nation’s leading wild horse protection organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.
Animal Wellness Action (AWA) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all.
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Dental Emergencies: When To Seek Immediate Help, When You Can Wait
Maybe a tooth broke as you snacked on popcorn. Or perhaps you joined a pickup basketball game and an elbow to the mouth knocked out a tooth completely.
Mouth mishaps aren’t that unusual, but how do you know whether such dental predicaments are a minor annoyance or a true emergency?
“In some cases, a couple of days won’t matter and you don’t need to go rushing to your dentist’s office or the emergency room,” says Dr. Jamie Reynolds (www.AskDrReynolds.com), an orthodontist, national and international lecturer, and author of World Class Smiles Made in Detroit.
“But other cases can be serious and you’ll want treatment as quickly as you can get it.”
Reynolds offers examples of tooth or gum-related symptoms you might encounter and whether emergency treatment is warranted:
Severe pain with symptoms of infection. An infection can quickly spread, so get treatment immediately, Reynolds says. In the worst-case scenario, he says, this could lead to sepsis, which can be fatal. Symptoms that indicate the infection has spread include fever, rapid breathing, abnormally high or low blood pressure, and/or confusion. Symptoms in the mouth include severe pain, swelling in the gums, swelling in the face, bad breath, and pus or fluids coming from the infected area.
Toothache. Toothaches are no fun. “If the pain is just an annoyance, and you don’t have any other symptoms, you can wait a day or two to see a dentist,” Reynolds says. However, putting off treatment of a sore tooth can lead to serious infection and/or increase the potential need for root canal treatment and tooth loss. If the pain is anything more than mild hot/cold sensitivity, get a dental appointment ASAP.
Soreness from braces. It’s common to experience minor pain after braces have been put on or tightened, and a visit to your dentist or orthodontist shouldn’t be need, Reynolds says. “You should be able to manage the pain at home with ice, dental wax, or an over-the-counter painkiller,” he says.
Tooth knocked out. “If a tooth is knocked out and you want to have any chance of saving it, you need to act immediately,” Reynolds says. The American Association of Endodontists reports that your best bet is to pick up the tooth without touching the exposed root. If the tooth is dirty, rinse it with water only, and place it back in the socket right away. Hold the tooth in place and keep it moist. If you can’t put it back in the socket, keep it between your cheek and gums, or place it in a cup of milk, the association says. You increase the odds of saving the tooth if you can get to a dentist or endodontist’s office within 30 minutes. If that’s not possible, go to the emergency room.
Chipped or broken tooth. If a tooth becomes chipped or broken, but not knocked out entirely, you’re in better shape, Reynolds says. Yes, you will want to see your dentist as soon as you can, but it’s not an emergency. That means get an appointment as soon as possible, but you don’t need to drop everything and rush to the office.
Bleeding in the mouth. If you have uncontrolled mouth bleeding caused by cuts, seek immediate care, Reynolds says. On the other hand, it’s not uncommon to experience minor bleeding caused by inflamed gums, irritated sores, or minor cuts. Assuming the bleeding stops on its own, there’s no need for immediate treatment, he says. But mention the bleeding to your dentist at your next appointment.
While these are good guidelines, Reynolds adds this caveat: If you’re uncertain and you can’t get hold of your dentist’s office for advice because it’s after hours, go ahead and seek treatment.
“If nothing else, it will give you peace of mind,” he says. “And you may end up saving your tooth or – in the case of a significant infection – even saving your life.”
About Dr. Jamie Reynolds
Dr. Jamie Reynolds (www.AskDrReynolds.com) is recognized on an annual basis as one of the top orthodontists in metro Detroit. His book, World Class Smiles Made in Detroit, puts an emphasis on the many benefits of having a great smile. Reynolds – who is a national and international lecturer on high-tech digital orthodontics and practice management – attended the University of Michigan for both his undergrad education and dental studies, and did his orthodontic residency at the University of Detroit-Mercy.
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Dear Editor:
Please consider this commentary by professor Wim Laven on paying attention to the evidence more than the grandstanding and more than the facile first impression. For PeaceVoice, thank you,
Tom Hastings
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What does the evidence show?
by Wim Laven
992 words
I learned many powerful lessons from my father. He was a dedicated pediatrician and he spent his last years doing medical evaluations for suspected child abuse. He was responsible for forensic analysis and, in some cases, evidence collection. Over lengthy conversations I learned of a number of his frustrations in this area, often due to cases of arrogance. He said he only approached each distinct case with one primary question: what does the evidence show?
Years after my father had passed away I continue to learn of the many lives he impacted in positive ways. His evaluations removed children from danger and sent abusive relatives to prison in some cases--and sometimes it meant families would be reunited—children were returned to their loving parents. Being told, “your father is the only reason we were able to keep our kids,” leaves a permanent imprint, “the prosecutors made their minds up as soon as they saw our tattoos…” tells the story of a rush to judgment that a commitment to truth guarded against.
Watching the hearings for the potential articles to remove Donald Trump from the office of the White House I see the most magnified version of what my father hated. The evidence presented is not refuted; the patterns of behavior, the events, the words, the implications, etc. are all clear, but bluster and hot air are presented as a defense. More sickening is a look at the scale of the malfeasance, and the number of people willing to betray truth and justice for personal gain. The lies have consequences and they’ve promulgated a divided society, bifurcated by truth and fiction.
Trump’s wholesale dishonesty has been absorbed by the Republican party and right-wing-faux-news with dangerous outcomes. Trump’s thousands of lies provide cover for his crimes—cover that only works for those seemingly averse to critical thinking. Some of his supporters clearly benefit through his tax-giveaways to the rich, others through contracts and lax appointments. The hearings make the distinction between commitment to others and commitment to self crystal clear.
I have followed it all closely. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to explain the current events to my students when they ask questions, but current events defy reason. Make no mistake, 17 federal intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia is behind the hacking, but Trump now has the historically “law and order” party backing his subterfuge that Ukraine might have done it. Republicans: the party of lawless disorder.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy, who previously said: “There's two people I think Putin pays: Rohrabacher and Trump;” now defends: “In modern history, we’ve never gone after impeaching a president in the first term.” I could spend a whole class period to try to explain such a flip-flop without ever getting to the absurdity of the defense. The Constitution clearly does not give the President a free pass; Trump’s behavior is exactly what the founders wanted to be able to guard against.
To compare the “defense” with what Richard Nixon faced, it would be like Nixon turning over the tapes, but defenders saying “you cannot prove that is his voice,” or “he didn’t really mean what he said,” or “tapes are hearsay…” Except, as scary as it sounds, today’s Republican Senate would acquit Richard Nixon, they appear fully committed to letting Donald Trump get away with much worse. What will I say to students then?
The understanding must come from the conditions that have created this situation. The demographics are clear but incomplete: soul searching will not explain why 71 percent of non-college-educated white men (who voted) voted for a person who bragged about sexually assaulting women, no regard for the 25 women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. It is the story of two realities. In the Trump-supporting narrative Hillary Clinton is a criminal who should be locked up, despite years of investigation and no findings of criminal wrongdoing. They say impeachment is to overturn a vote, but facts are not on their side. Defending Trump is like denying global climate change. The evidence is in. The man cannot seem to control his pathologies and his base, led by Fox News, dutifully drinks the Kool Aid.
Trump’s defense is all criminal. He believes that withholding evidence can save him. His defenders will claim that there is not enough evidence, but Trump ordered the obstruction of the investigations at every step of the way. He has made every effort to prevent evidence collection, but there are enough facts present to make serious conclusions about Donald Trump’s wrongdoing. The imminent threat is ongoing, both inside and outside of the White House. The truth is clear, Trump is guilty of abusing the power of his office and also obstructing Congress in its Constitutional requirement to oversee and balance executive power.
In the coming months students (and all Americans) will have to watch closely and think critically for themselves. They will have to decide what does the evidence show? They will have to decide whether or not their representatives put their country ahead of party—or vice-versa.
Those who see disloyalty to oaths will have to reclaim the power of the people. But we all have a responsibility to bridge the gap as well. Russian troll farms and purveyors of conspiracy theories have made dupes out of many Americans. There are also many more who feel hopeless or apathetic. Removing Trump from office may or may not happen by an act from the Senate, but there is serious healing that needs to take place in our communities and institutions either way. It will all take place against the moral backdrop of a criminal President and the question of whether or not the people will affirm that no one is above the law.
The ultimate balance of power rests in the hands of the people. Donald Trump won the electoral college to become President, but he was not elected as King, and he is not above the law.
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Wim Laven, Ph.D., syndicated by PeaceVoice, teaches courses in political science and conflict resolution.
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Director of Utah Division of Water Resources Appointed
SALT LAKE CITY – Todd D. Adams has been appointed to head the Utah Division of Water Resources. Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Brian Steed selected Adams to replace Eric Millis who retired after nearly 32 years with the division, six of those as the director.
Adams started his career with the division in 1990 after graduating from Utah State University with both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in civil engineering. He has served as the division’s deputy director since 2013. Before being promoted to deputy director, he was the assistant director since 2006.
“Todd has a wealth of experience that will serve our state well as we look to manage this critical resource,” said Steed. “He is well respected in the water industry, and he will continue to look for ways to stretch and best manage our water supply.”
Throughout his career, Adams worked on various projects that support the division’s mission to “plan, conserve, develop and protect Utah’s water resources” including water demand and supply modeling for the Wasatch Front, the State of Utah as well as individual river models.
“We would run ‘what-if’ scenarios to look at what water could be used and how those potential scenarios would affect the river system,” said Adams.
Adams also managed the hydrology and computer application section from 2000 to 2006 where they built computer programs to automate processes. Not only were the calculations more repeatable and accurate, but they also resulted in significant time savings.
“At the beginning of my career, it would take a team of engineers days crunching numbers with cookbook processes, maps, spreadsheets and rules of thumb, and sometimes you’d get different interpretations you would have to reconcile,” said Adams. “Now, the computer performs those calculations in seconds.”
When Adams started with the division, Utah’s population was about 1.73 million. Fast-forward 29 years and Utah has added almost 1.4 million people, pushing the population to over 3 million. The growth is expected to continue, making water conservation increasingly important to the division’s mission.
“The secret is out. Utah is a great place to live,” said Adams. “People want to stay here. And they’re also moving here, and they don’t bring water with them. We are working to balance those needs with increased conservation efforts, improved efficiency, water development projects, ag conversion and more. We have to have a multi-faceted approach.”
The division will also continue working with state officials to respond to Utah’s water needs. Adams isn’t a new face at the State’s Capitol. In 2009, he started serving as the division’s legislative liaison. Over the years, Adams has helped legislators shape many bills including canal safety, water conservation, secondary metering and more.
“I’m a believer in our division’s mission to ‘plan, conserve, develop and protect Utah’s water resources,’” said Adams. “We will take a look at what we’re doing and look for ways to do it better and make sure it’s in harmony with our mission. We have great staff, and I’ve been fortunate to have been mentored by our outgoing director who left things running very smoothly.”
Additional Background
Member of the Bear River Commission Technical Advisory Committee
Management Committee Member for the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program
Utah Water Users Association Workshop Planning Committee Member
Member of Utah State University’s College of Engineering & Industrial Advisory Board as well as USU’s Civil & Environmental Engineering Industrial Advisory Board
Served as the division’s cloud seeding coordinator for six years. (The state has been cloud seeding since the early 1950s to augment the state’s water supply.)
About the Division of Water Resources
The Utah Division of Water Resources is one of seven divisions housed under the Department of Natural Resources. Tasked with planning, conserving, developing and protecting Utah’s water resources, the Division of Water Resources serves as Utah’s water steward. Visit water.utah.gov to learn more about the division.
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For more information, contact Kim Wells, public information officer, at 801.803.0336 or email kimwells@utah.gov.
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Dec. 16, 2019
DWR announces changes to state fishing records
SALT LAKE CITY — Anyone who goes fishing knows how thrilling it is to catch a fish, especially if it is a large, potentially record-breaking one. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is making several changes to the state’s fishing records in 2020, including adding several new record categories for cutthroat trout.
The DWR began tracking records for harvested fish in the early 1900s. The record fish program has since been expanded to include catch-and-release records and records for fish caught using alternate tackle, like spearfishing, archery and setline. There are currently 33 catch-and-keep angling records, 34 catch-and-release records, 21 spearfishing records, six setline records and three archery records in Utah.
Here is a look at all the changes to state fishing records that will go into effect in 2020:
Archiving native nongame fish records
Some of the changes to the fish records will include archiving all the existing records for native nongame fish.
“We wanted to make this change because sometimes these records encourage people to go fish for unique species,” DWR sportfish coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “However, some of our native nongame species are sensitive or endangered and can’t sustain that angling pressure. Another reason behind archiving these records is that many of these native species are quite small (some are only a couple of inches long), so we see little benefit to keeping records for very small fish.”
The archived records will still appear on the website to credit the anglers who caught the fish, but new records will not be accepted for the archived species.
Archiving records for species no longer in Utah
Another change to the fishing records will be to archive the records for fish species that are no longer in Utah. Brownbow trout and albino trout are species that haven’t been stocked in Utah for several years.
“Having active fishing records implies that you can catch these fish and potentially break records,” Oplinger said. “These are two species that we no longer have in the state, so there is little chance of catching them and breaking the record.”
Archiving current cutthroat trout records and creating new categories
The final change to Utah’s fishing records includes archiving all the current cutthroat trout records, and creating four new records for each of Utah’s four cutthroat trout subspecies: Bear Lake, Bonneville, Colorado River and Yellowstone. Previously, the cutthroat trout record category combined all the different subspecies — this change will allow anglers to set a record for each of the four cutthroat trout subspecies.
“Our existing cutthroat trout records are old and were likely fish that were not genetically pure, including a mix of subspecies native to Utah as well as subspecies from other states,” Oplinger said. “The DWR has worked hard since the 1990s to restore the cutthroat trout subspecies to their native ranges. With these new records, the subspecies of cutthroat will be determined based on where the fish was caught. People can get information on the Utah Cutthroat Slam website about where each subspecies lives.”
People can submit applications for the four new cutthroat state records beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Applications can be submitted on the DWR website.
New records set in 2019
Several new fishing records were set in 2019:
Catch and keep: Golden trout. Set by Isaac Vance at Marsh Lake at 1 pound 2.88 ounces and 14 ⅞ inches long and a 7 ¾-inch girth.
Catch and release: Striped bass. Caught by Heather Litke at Lake Powell on March 16. It was 44.5 inches long.
Catch and release: Lake trout. Caught by Matt Smiley at Flaming Gorge on May 4. It was 48 inches long.
Catch and release: White crappie. Caught by Nathan Martinez on the Sevier River on Aug. 8. It was 9 inches long. However, that record was broken by Tim Duke on the Sevier River on Nov. 24, with an 11.5-inch fish.
Spearfishing: Tiger muskellunge. Set by Jacob Hansen at Fish Lake on June 14 at 32 pounds, 51 inches long and a 21-inch girth.
“The primary reason that the DWR tracks record fish is to provide anglers with recognition of their achievements,” Craig Walker, the DWR aquatics assistant chief, said. “However, the DWR also lists records as a way to inform anglers, who may be seeking their own trophy, of places they might want to fish. The public records are also a fun way to encourage anglers to get out on the water and hopefully encounter some of the large fish Utah has to offer.”
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