Related to my PTA duties, I meant to blog about the 2010 Legislative session that kept me very busy. I uploaded a couple of videos to YouTube and Facebook that showed the House floor debate that took place after weeks of doing what I could (along with the help of many other people) to make sure that a law wasn’t passed that would hurt the PTA in Utah. The bill was ultimately defeated and the law wasn’t changed.

I also testified on behalf of the PTA in the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee on Feb. 23. I spoke in opposition to H.B. 323 School and Institutional Trust Lands Amendments (Rep. K. Sumsion) and told the committee that they shouldn’t gamble with our children’s money. You can listen to my testimony here starting at 1:30:00. It was towards the end of the meeting and time was short so what I had to say was cut short, as well. I had spent a lot of time preparing my testimony and you can read it in it’s entirety here.

Unfortunately many people were confused by the stance that PTA had taken, thinking that because we opposed HB 323 (the funding mechanism for H.B. 324 and H.B. 143) that we had taken a stance on States’ Rights issues. We were unable to take a position on that because we didn’t have resolutions that had been voted on by our membership that would allow us to speak on States’ Rights issues. I’m still uncertain that this misunderstanding has been resolved, but we were victorious and an alternate funding source was pursued. It was unbelievable how much hate mail we received! Attempts were made for me to go on the Doug Wright show to clear things up, but it was right during the time of the Primary Children’s Hospital fundraiser so that didn’t work out. If you are one of the people that were concerned about the position that PTA took on the funding of these law suits, please contact me so I can better explain our position to you. I’d be happy to talk to you about it.

Most recently I went on a weekend climbing trip to Nevada with a couple of good friends. Google Buzz and Twitter was the social media of choice for the news of the climbing accident that occurred during that trip and the subsequent retelling of the tale by John Orgill. I’ve been tweeting a lot more lately, too, keeping anyone who cares up-to-date on what is going on with the tumors found in my left kidney and the head of my pancreas. I’ll be going in for surgery for those issues in a week or two. They’re still doing some testing on the pancreas to see if it’s cancerous (the doctor thinks not) or if it’s pre-cancerous. They’ll perform what’s known as the whipple procedure if they deem it necessary. We’re hoping to know more after a scheduled endoscopy is performed.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I’ve been feeling much better since my fall and release from the hospital. The hospital actually didn’t release us so much as kick us out once they discovered that they weren’t in our insurance plan. I was glad to be gone, though. One of the worst parts about the whole thing was that in Nevada they didn’t insert the catheter correctly or all the way. It essentially blocked me from being able to relieve myself and I was almost more bothered by that then I was from the blood spewing out of my right ear. Finally when I got to the U of U hospital they fixed it and it was one of the most joyous moments of my life! So thanks to the University of Utah ER folks who got me peeing again. I really appreciate it.

I also have to give a HUGE thank you to the people that dragged me off that mountain. First and foremost is Matt Fisher and John Orgill (my friends who were climbing with me) who say they’re not going to rock climb anymore after being traumatized by the sound of my head cracking on the rock face. I really hope they’ll get over that and join me this summer for some great climbing (after I’ve recovered) and I thank them most of all for having the faith in God to give me a Priesthood blessing. I have no doubt that it helped me through the ordeal and was the cause of a quick recovery. I don’t remember too much about the rescue attempt, but I do remember repeating the names of the people that were carrying me down the mountain on a stretcher. Deputy Aitor Narvaiza was one of the men first on the scene and I was told that I kept apologizing and repeating questions. That was until Aitor arrived and told me to knock it off. He was also the guy that made me repeat the names of everyone carrying me down the mountain and he coached me on some deep breathing so I could avoid throwing up, which is what I remember most about the entire ordeal. I threw up and threw up and threw up!! I don’t ever want to throw up again! Deputy Narvaiza also stayed on the scene after they got me in the helicopter and helped my friends get back to their Jeep. He and all the others who helped me in my time of need are awesome and I owe them all my life! I’m not a big fan of the bills I’ve been getting in the mail, but that’s what insurance is for. I’m really glad there are people out there that you can count on when there is an emergency.

I also have to thank the awesome company that I work for who have been very understanding and supportive during all of this.  The corporate office where I work sent me a card that they all wrote in and it was very thoughtful.  I insisted on getting back to work this week and I started working from home since I still can’t drive due to dizziness.  I also had some stuff to do in our Cedar City office on Thursday and my boss was nice enough to drive me down there.  Heck, he was nice enough to let me go!  I needed to get out of the house and although it was harder than I thought it would be, I was glad I went.  He was also nice enough to lend me his Star Trek movie collection on DVD.  I’m a big fan of Star Trek but I’ve never seen Star Trek I through VI.   Now I have something to watch in my down time!

I’ll most likely just continue to use the micro-blogging platforms to keep people updated. But, for more major news I might just use this handy-dandy blog that I am the owner of, now that I remember that I have it! Similar Posts:

• On the Subject of Journals...  August 5, 2006
• Movin' on up! (Or down as it were)  January 10, 2006
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• Angelo Amaranto, 60, 2 World Trade Center  September 11, 2006
• Reading C.S. Lewis to Sami  March 26, 2006

The quality of the stream and the sound of the music was amazing. I thought for sure they’d have technical issues with so many people tuning in for a STREAMING broadcast. But it was flawless! I was witness to something special tonight. Now they’re rebroadcasting and I’m going to have to force myself to go to bed. Five o’clock comes too early!! So much for getting to bed early tonight. It was worth it! They better come to Salt Lake City on their second North American leg of the tour!

Similar Posts:

• Utah's Brett Banford Representin' on “So You Think You Can Dance”  May 28, 2008
• Google Street View Makes it to SLC!  February 12, 2008
• Looking for “Tooele Jokes”???  May 16, 2006
• Rocky Rally II: Give Mercedes Benz a Chance!  March 19, 2007
• “Death To Israel” Rally in Salt Lake City  August 30, 2006

We got off to a rocky start when at 2 a.m. Chan and I picked up our friend John at his house. We forgot the bike rack and left the trailer behind on purpose so we strapped his bike to the roof of Chan’s Suburban. When we got back to Chan’s house to load up the trailer we pulled into the garage and forgot about John’s bike! His bike (and Chan’s roof rack) were, needless to say, toast! Not a great way to start a biking adventure at all. We decided to make the best of it and take the broken bike along in the event we could make some repairs, but John would have to purchase new front shocks at the very least. His Boxxer shocks were a twisted mess and would no longer be useful.

Matt, the fourth and final participant of this great event, arrived at Chan’s house at 4:30 a.m. We packed up the trailer and left ON TIME at 5 a.m. That has NEVER happened before with this group. I was surprised and impressed.

My wife always teases me that I never tell her what we talk about on these long trips. I seriously always forget what we talk about! With that in mind I decided to keep a log of the conversation of the trip on day 1. It’s quite random, but here are some “highlights”.

John tells us about the power of magnesium.

Discussion: Are germs mobile?

Tyler and Matt discuss the merits of Windows Vista as well as the drawbacks. Both are happy about the release of Windows 7.

Driving up Spanish Fork Canyon. Chan mentions how much he hates this road. We could die on this trip if we fall asleep at the wheel. Other ways we could die: Spontaneous combustion – Matt explains, if you dove into a stream or pond that had been contaminated with potassium…upon drying you would auto ignite. It happened once to Matt’s lab coat.

Matt talks about an $8 tool that will straighten out your rear breaks.

Chan let’s us know that it’s only 44 degrees in Spanish Fork Canyon.

We reminisced about the time that John called in a fire that a train had started in Spanish Fork canyon.

John is surprised about how many entries Tyler is making in this log. The log is reviewed by Tyler. (laughter) Matt predicts the next entry will be four days from now and that it will read, “I’m so sick of this trip! John’s bike is broken and we can’t find a part to fix it!”

Chan suggests that Tyler get a buzz on this trip. He is the only one that doesn’t have one.

Tyler discusses the reason he goes to Sports Clips for his haircuts, despite the $25 cost (including tip).

John talks about his trip to California to replace stained glass windows in the NewPort Beach Temple.

Matt washes Chan’s window with his hat. It’s 33 degrees! Matt begins to wash Chan’s side of the window.

Chan is drowsy. We take turns telling stories about falling asleep at the wheel.

John says, “If I could choose a death I think I’d rather die instantly in a head-on car accident than drown.” John told a story about how he felt like he almost drowned, which is one of his worst fears. Chan related a story about how he felt close to death in Moab and Matt came to his rescue. It had something to do with falling off a rock while climbing or something.

Brother Matt believes his beard makes him a better driver. The skill level has risen. His beard resembles the beard of Mose, Dwight Schrute’s cousin on The Office.

John starts calling around to different bike shops to find himself a replacement shock for his broken bike. “Hi, I have an odd question for you. Do you have a pair of used boxer shorts?” (He meant to ask if they had a used pair of Boxxer Shocks. It was pretty funny, but maybe you had to be there.

Grass Roots Cycle hooks us up with a used shock and only charges us $20 for installation, including all the cabling that was needed after the garage incident.

John preaches to us about Magnesium some more. He reads from a pamphlet he picked up in Grand Junction while waiting for his bike to get fixed.

So, that’s a sampling of our meanderings in conversation. It’s usually quite interesting, although it’s probably not very evident. Anyhow, we got John a used front end shock ($200 cash), a new wheel and disc ($190 and $20 labor). What a freakin’ deal! $410 for a bike made new again. Crappy way to start a trip, though.

We drove to Vail, Colorado and walked around for a while. We decided to go drive South to Buena Vista, CO. We shopped at City Market and drove west of Buena Vista to find a campground to camp in. We found a campground called Collegiate Peaks Campground and pulled in at around 9pm. We set up the tent and ate dinner and got to bed at around 11:45pm. Matt, Chan and Tyler took Tylenol PM to aid in their sleep. It wasn’t the start we planned on, but we still had fun getting started.

This post describes the mundane, normal occurrences of our trip, which you may or may not find interesting. The following days are much more exciting, I promise! Enjoy the pictures.

• Gooseberry Memories Make Me Want Spring!  March 7, 2008
• Flying High in Moab, Utah!  April 1, 2006
• Commencing Epic Adventure!  August 10, 2009
• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008
• Let the Yard Work Begin  April 8, 2006

Here’s the general plan for the trip, which is part of the reason I’m so excited about it. My friends and I love to mountain bike, rock climb and bag peaks. So that’s what we have planned, but in no particular order and with no particular location other than somewhere in Colorado. We’ve scouted out several spots that we’ve researched or that have been recommended to us and we know our general route. We’ll be heading East on I-70 and then south on a road to be determined but likely some scenic byway of sorts, and then back west towards Durango and finally back North on the Million Dollar Highway through Silverton and Ouray. Everything is subject to change and all events are subject to vote based on what we feel like doing that day. We’ll be camping, staying in hotels, driving all night. Who knows! It’s a true adventure where the possibilities are endless. I’m really, really looking forward to this trip!!

We’re still open to suggestions. Check out some of our tentative spots and let us know if we’re missing anything, especially if you know first-hand. As I mentioned, I hope to update the blog daily and you can keep track of where we are by keeping an eye on our location via Google Latitude which is posted at the bottom of my profile page.

• New Blog Emerges in Blogosphere  April 26, 2007
• Colorado Adventures – Day 1  August 14, 2009
• Getting to Know the Blogger  April 12, 2006
• The New Site Design (WordPress 2.0)  January 26, 2006
• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007

I was banking on the weather clearing, but when I paid my $9 entrance fee to enter Antelope Island State Park and heard the two rangers tell me that there was no hope of the weather clearing up today, my heart sank.  Nothing to do but hike the peak, no matter what the conditions.  It rained on me the entire way up the mountain.  The winds got pretty strong and the rain stung my face.  Despite the weather, it was one of the easiest peaks I’ve ever climbed.  The trail was great all the way up, despite the muddiness, and there were only a couple of exposed areas.

Upon reaching the top I took some pictures (not too much to look at when you’re in a cloud) and was about to head back down after only 15 minutes, but as I reached for my pack I noticed a flash of sky and a mountain off in the west.  As quickly as I saw it it disappeared.  But it gave me a glimmer of hope that the storm was about to clear.  Another flash, and another!  Sure enough, the clouds started to clear out.

I ended up staying on top for an hour and a half and by the time I headed down I had a clear view all the way to the Wasatch mountains to the east. It was awesome! I can’t wait for the next peak!

Similar Posts:

• Biking Video Among Google's “Now Free” Vids  June 26, 2006
• Commencing Epic Adventure!  August 10, 2009
• U2 Cosmic Light Show = Crap  March 16, 2008
• A Great Poem by Matt Fisher (1995)  February 23, 2007
• More Gooseberry Mesa Adventures  March 12, 2008

The membership of the PTA are strong supporters of parent involvement, as much as any organization out there if not the most!  We’re also strong proponents of local control.  We also believe in working with our legislators so that the laws that are passed are in the best interest of all children.  It was with great effort that members of the Utah PTA Board met with Senator Bramble to work out a compromise.  Based on the compromise (which took out the anti-PTA language) the voting members cast their vote to support the substitute bill.  The very next day Senator Bramble paraded the PTA leadership on the Senate floor and praised them for their efforts to come to a compromise.

A week went by and we met again as we do on a weekly basis during the Legislative session.  We review the positions we have taken on various bills where the children of Utah are at stake and we discussed SB 199 again.  During the time between the compromise and the next meeting we began to understand some unintended consequences of the bill, even in its new form that we had previously agreed upon.  There was much debate as we discussed the ramifications of changing positions on a bill that we had previously taken a position on.  There were several consequences to consider, including 1) we had worked with legislators and come to an agreement.  2) Legislators were working on “good faith” assumptions. and 3) there were many political reasons why we shouldn’t change our position, despite the unintended consequences of the bill.  But when it came down to it, the voting members of LAC stood up for what was right, regardless of the consequences that might follow. Understanding that if the bill passed and became law, it would be bad law even with good intention (and I have some reservations about the original intent of the bill, especially since it contained “kill-the-PTA” language) because of the position it would put district superintendents and school principals in.  To fully understand the unintended consequences please read the talking points written by Holly Langton, Alison Walker, Sue Carey and other dedicated PTA Officers and Commissioners.

The original bill, SB 199, was opposed by Utah PTA.  PTA members mounted a great lobbying effort to have changes made to the bill.  The result of that effort was 1st Substitute SB 199.  There were still some concerns with portions of the bill, but Utah PTA was supportive of the fact that parental involvement is essential in every child’s education to support student success.  Therefore, Utah PTA took a position of support on the substitute bill.  Since that vote, additional input and information has been received from our attorneys and PTA members, and we have become convinced that 1st Sub SB 199 will not accomplish the goal of increasing parental involvement in our schools and may even have the potential to decrease involvement.

On March 4, Utah PTA’s Legislative Action Committee voted to change the position to on 1st Sub SB 199 to “Support the Concept.”  We appreciate Senator Bramble’s efforts to increase parental involvement in the schools, and we thank him for including Utah PTA in his efforts.  Utah PTA reaffirms its intention of working with all public school groups in an effort to serve the best interests of all children and youth.   However, the overarching concern is that much of the language in the bill takes away the authority of the “School.”  The administrator needs to make decisions based on the best interest of the school and its students.  The language of this bill puts administrators between “a rock and a hard place,”  forced into the position of deciding what is in the best interest of the parent groups, rather than keeping the focus on the students (lines 44-46).  For example, if a school permits a parent group to sponsor an assembly on a specific issue, then the school must allow other parent groups to sponsor an assembly on the issue.  If the administrator feels that one assembly on that topic is all that is necessary or can be justified in taking up class time, then the only recourse for the administrator is to not allow any parent group to sponsor the assembly.  If this becomes a recurring situation for an administrator, it could seriously hamper parental involvement or activities sponsored by parent groups in a school.

Concerns with the bill language:

What is required to be a “legally organized parent or parent/teacher group, association or organization” (lines 29-30)?

What are “patrons of the school” (line 31)?

Why are employees and officers of the entities included in the definition of the “School” (line 35)? Does this language preclude them from joining a group, because they would be seen as endorsing, supporting, sanctioning, or giving approval to one group over another (lines 53-54)?  Can a teacher be assigned to assist only one group and not be seen as endorsing?  Many employees who are parents of children in the school where they work might not be allowed to join one parent group without joining them all.

Individual employees, especially in secondary schools, may have a vested interest in a specific parent group.  For example, the band teacher would want to be involved with the band booster group but not necessarily the basketball parent group.  Would they be required to join all those parent groups in order to support the band group and not favor one over the other (lines 35 and 53-54)?

Would schools now be responsible to ensure that parent groups complete their annual IRS filings and have written fiscal management procedures, conflict of interest policies, and record-retention policies (lines 55-59)?  A school cannot be responsible for all the “applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies” with which a parent group should comply.  This would take time and energy away from the students.

I couldn’t explain all the complexities of the unintended consequences any better than that.  Unfortunately there are other consequences that we’ll now have to deal with, but they won’t affect the children of Utah nearly as much as this bad law would.  I’m proud to be a member of an organization that will stand up for the children and stay true to their word, first and foremost, that they act in the best interest of all children.  What a noble and great act!  I would be ashamed if they took any other action.  They did the right thing!  No matter how mad Senator Bramble and Representative Lockhart are about the change in course, no matter how badly radio and newspapers spin it, the Utah PTA can be proud that they did the right thing.  Read their mission statement and ask yourself how they could possibly do anything different:

The Mission of the PTA is three-fold:

• To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;
• To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; and
• To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

I rest my case…but you haven’t heard the last of me yet!Similar Posts:

• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007
• Partisan State School Board discussed at Education Interim Committee meeting.  November 24, 2007
• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007
• Utah School Vouchers- D. Sirmize's Take  September 17, 2007
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009

An artistic representation of the words I use in my WordPress blog.

• I Can’t Sleep!  November 13, 2008
• Oh, I have a blog  May 21, 2010
• Finding New Music Based On What I Already Like  May 27, 2006
• I Hate the Dentist...and the Dentist Hates Me!  April 28, 2006

One comment Heather made during the interview that didn’t go live was about her trust in the board members that we elected to make decisions on our behalf.  I would like to echo that sentiment and thank the Tooele County School Board and Administration for making some really tough decisions about the future of our children.  I have no doubt that they deliberated hard and long and thought about the impact that their judgment would have on our children.   I hope that despite tough times, public school funding will continue as more difficult decisions are made in the 2009 Legislative session.

While it may be prudent to tighten the proverbial belt in uncertain times, it would be irresponsible if we didn’t continue to make education a priority.  It’s the same type of decision that we all make in our own families when the budget is tight.   A responsible family doesn’t spend a lot of money on vacations if they’re not going to have enough money to pay their bills.  If that still doesn’t cut it, a responsible family cancels their cable TV and they figure out other ways they can save money, even when it means  a little discomfort on the part of the parents.  The very last person to suffer (if at all) is the child.

Parents sacrifice a lot to make sure their children are happy, and it shouldn’t be too much different when it comes to our schools.  We all want the best for our children and  Tooele County School District is making the same types of decisions that fall right in line with the decisions a  responsible family would be making.  Of course, with tough decisions comes some tough criticism.  As long as it is constructive and not hostile, I’m sure the Board would love to hear from you.  They meet again on February 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the District Office.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com
(Begins with a short commercial)Similar Posts:

• Tooele County School Board Says Farewell to Superintendent  May 20, 2008
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• Tooele Six Flags Rumors Squelched, But We Still Have MMP!  June 11, 2006
• PTA Stands Up For Children, Regardless of Consequences  March 6, 2009
• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007

Of all my gifts I’ve enjoyed pouring through my DNA data since I got the results back on December 19th. It’s been absolutely fascinating, if not for the health and traits data then for the ancestry information that it has opened my eyes to. For anyone else that has been tested, you might find it interesting to know that my Paternal Haplogroup is R1b1c10 (also known as R-U152 or S28) and my Maternal Haplogroup is H3. I found out that I’m 100% European (more specifically from Northern Europe) and of all the groups of people from around the world I’m genetically most similar to the Irish.   And the great thing about 23andMe is that they’re constantly updating my information as DNA research uncovers more and more information.  So this will be a gift that keeps on giving!

My children enjoyed Christmas and we were able to hold them off until 7:45 a.m.  We went to the movies this afternoon (one of our Christmas day traditions) and saw Bedtime Stories.  I love to hear Griff laugh and this show got a few good laughs out of him.  I thought it was decent since I was there with my kids.  It’s amazing how seeing your kids get enjoyment out of something makes it all that much more enjoyable for you.

I hope you all enjoyed the time you were able to spend with your families!  I sure enjoyed a relaxing day with my very own family!Similar Posts:

• What Do People Know About Your Computer?  March 10, 2006
• Does Your Family Eat Together?  February 9, 2006
• Converting GPS Data to Google Earth  March 13, 2006
• Movin' on up! (Or down as it were)  January 10, 2006
• Praying for Hunter Greyson Keel  December 19, 2007

Another side effect was that at least one plug-in had to be fixed. If any other WordPress users have WP-Print installed, you’ll notice that when you upgrade to 2.7 it will break. Instructions on the fix can be found here. Actually, I just checked again and noticed that as of December 11 there is a 2.40 version of WP-Print for WordPress 2.7.  Unfortunately, it didn’t show up as an automatic upgrade in the Installed Plugins module.

For anyone contemplating a move to WordPress from Blogger or some other platform, now is the time.  WordPress 2.7 now offers automatic upgrades for the core install.  And just for clarification, WordPress has a standalone install which is what I recommend.  My wife is on WordPress.com (the equivalent of a Blogger.com free blog) and it’s not near as flexible as my standalone install, downloaded from WordPress.org.  The catch with the standalone install is that you have to host your own server or purchase third party hosting.  I use BlueHost and I’ve been extremely happy with them, one of the best prices around, plenty of included features and options, and great up-time.  They’re local, too, which makes it that much better.  I started with WordPress quite some time ago and upgrades were always met with mixed feelings.  I was excited for the new features, but I always dreaded the upgrade process.  Now, I will no longer dread upgrades because it will happen with a click of a button.  WordPress will no longer be for a niche market after 2.7, and I say that with mixed feelings, too.Similar Posts:

• Switching over to WordPress!  January 23, 2006
• Messed Up!  January 24, 2006
• Tooele Six Flags Rumors Squelched, But We Still Have MMP!  June 11, 2006
• WordPress “Writing by Email” Feature  February 18, 2006
• Firefox Extension Makes Slashdot Better  April 9, 2006