By: Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County TimesI’m a terrible procrastinator. I don’t know what it is, but the more I know I have to do something, the more pressing the deadline, the more I want to do something else. Anything else.
Got a story to write, and plenty of time to write it? Boy that kitchen sure is a mess, better finish loading the dishwasher, at the very least.
Already burned boxes, ran garbage down to the cans, and need to get started on that budget story? How about instead you write a column about what a terrible procrastinator you are?
I mean, I need a column for this week anyway, right?
It’s a terrible habit, and one I need to break. And not just because it ends up cutting into my sleep when I take up some other project that’s “just too important to ignore any longer,” then have to come back and finish my writing anyway.
I need to cut it out because it lets me give myself the illusion of being productive when I’m really just avoiding things I don’t want to do. Writing a column may be something I need to do, but what I’m really doing when I choose to shift focus is avoiding the tedious parts of writing. I’m skipping the parts I don’t like – going back over hours of recordings to check quotes; verifying numbers, and reviewing statutes; trying to remember where I scribbled down a quote – and focusing on the creative and spontaneous part.
I call it being productive in spite of my executive dysfunction. But it’s not productivity. It’s definitely something I need to work on, and keep in mind when the urge strikes to put something off ‘til later.
Emergency Management
Speaking of work, Roger and Joanne Dunfee might be among the two most hard working people in city government. Severe weather and heat emergencies don’t care about schedules and office hours, and the Dunfees stay at it 24-7 in their role as co-directors of the city’s emergency management agency.
If you’ve ever gotten a severe weather event alert on your cell phone, seen a Facebook post about heat advisories, or heard a storm siren warning you of a possible tornado event, you have Roger and Joanne to thank for that. In addition to all this, the Dunfees work tirelessly on grant applications for various city needs and projects, including their sidewalk improvement project.
We all know what wonderful work they do, but their work is also being noticed by others.
Folks with other emergency management systems as far away as Oregon have noticed their use of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). A coordinator with the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management recently sent out a request asking to connect with the people “sending heats WEAs (wireless emergency alerts), from (the) sender source “KY City of Grayson and Carter County, Grayson KY.”
The coordinator said they were “doing a lot of refining and discussion around heat alerts in our region and I would love to hear about their experiences… thresholds for sending alerts… and how they’ve approached writing their messages.”
We all know what a wonderful resource we have in the Dunfees. It’s nice to see others recognizing that as well, and reaching out for their expertise when it comes to helping their communities – even large, metropolitan communities like Portland.
Good job Roger and Joanne! We appreciate all you do.
Jeremy D. Wells can be reached at editor@cartercountytimes.com