Show eruam Local state A3 and regional news In brief mi Logan By Hoill Plans to landscape The hillside was seeded twice with native plants But each attempt to landscape the city's storage reservoir d failed At first Logan city tried to keepthe soil moist with sprinklers mounted atop the water tank But by as temperatures rose into the high 90s die city found itself in the midst of a season of record-hig- h water demand According to Public Works Director Kevin Hansen the city consumed as much as 33 million gallons in one day water restrictions By mid-Jul- y had been imposed In that context Hansen reported Thursday that plans to landscape around die city’s reservoir carved into the mountainside at the mouth of Logan Canyon have been postponed until fall Some residents have deemed the storage basin an eyesore But Hansen said crews will seed the hillside when temperatures cool to make the tank as innocuous as possible mid-summ- er 66 staff writers reservoir delayed newly-erecte- wales and Arrin Brunson ' “Not only are they not getting a cost of living NORTH LOGAN — Cache County School District employees will not be receiving an increase in salary for cost of living as part of policy negotiations approved Thursday night by the board of education ' The decision came moments after the board approved a property tax increase to raise between $300000 and $600000 for the 2002-0- 3 school y ear The agreements between the Cache Education Association and the Cache Classified Association and the school board allow for continued health coverage but no salary ' increase they are tak- ing on more responsibility" increases for teachers administrators or classified employees Superintendent Steve Norton said Tamara Grange president of the Cache County School District Board of Education complimented employees for doing more with less “Not only are they not getting a cost of living increase they are tak ir ing on more responsibility" she said Dale Hansen business administrator for the district responded to questions about information published on the Internet at The Utah Taxpayer website which says the reason for the district’s tax increase is to raise salaries “I don’t know where he pulled ihat from because I explained to him the purpose for the tax increase" Hansen said of the site creator Superintendent Norton said the only way that reasoning could be interpreted is by attributing salary increases which are outlined in the district incremental policies that reward employees with pay raises as they rise in experience and “Salary schedules Nave been a part of the education scene in America for hundreds of years and they will be honored" said Norton “So there are a few people who will be getting what would be considered a step and their salary willgo up For the major employees of the district there is no step and there is no salary increase” One tenet of the contract says the Board will meet monthly starting Oct 23 to the policy book and to look at the district budget It is unlikely that the salary schedule will be amended to include raises Norton said “I’m just not anticipating it because when we look at our resources we just don’t see them increasing" Norton said Smithfield approves plan for fire station £5 -- By Hoill Weiss staff writer t v Utah UTA -- ¥ -- ' plans to cut nine Ogden routes — TranOGDEN -- The Utah (AP) sit Authority plans to eliminate nine routes by November many of them in Ogden’s inner city but also plans more frequent service on other ' routes in the area The move has many area residents feeling upset and abandoned The UTA said routes 601 602 60S 607 609 612 613 61S and 618 have had a 16 percent decline in ridership since 1996 UTA spokesman Kris McBride blames several things for the decline particularly infrequent service busies being spread too thin in the area a lack of direct service to primary destinations and conflict- ing travel patterns with the city’s new iritermodal hub The nine routes are being consol-idate- d to four routes that run mainly north and south along major corridors a leafy spurge looks like in a field in Richmond on Wednesday on several variables including weather and designing the building so there is no definite timeline for progress or completion yet “We hope to be under construction within six months” Gass said “There are a lot of unknowns right now” Gass said the anticipated cost of the project will be ' around $300000 Downs presented the chosen! site along with five others at a prior city council meeting The: sites were all evaluated according to certain criteria including proximity to the city center access to Main Street j traffic and parking availability and exterior training environ- - Leafy spurge invades valley Eradicating this noxious weed takes group effort experts say By Tiffany Erickson staff writer Approving changes In policy relat- ing to honorary degrees commence: ment speakers and distinguished sendee awards Approving contractgrant development treasury and investment reports Amending the phased retirement ' blJl(IngandtheBteetinforitofthe Stan Larib fodpor Training Center ’Accepting written reports from camous entities Accepting a report from the USU Pofice Department Approving' a plan for Ihe administrative reorganization of the university : Approving the USU master plan ' Approving the USU facities mas-ter plan fair branch campuses Raws stay idea? editor CindyYufth ejurtMhJaewfcMsr j ' ‘ ment Councilmember Preston Watts noted at the meeting that among the numerous plans presented the chosen site seemed the most logical ' Although the site isn't as centrally located as some of the other options Downs said the location does have good access to Main Street and is close to several firefighters’ homes The site also offetfc space for training outsidq Which has been a problem at the current location - El LuceraHerald Journal Jerry Chatterton dsplays seeds of a leafy qxitge He said Ihe quickly germinating seeds along with runners help the plant 'spread ! j devel- i opment Bst for 2003-0-4 Naming the campus servfcaa fit 1 f Hearing an update about university security Reviewing the results of a Dan Jones marketing survey Discussing the Guaranteed Graduation program Approving faculty and staff adjust- - a capital facilities is common in the foothills and mountains between Franklin A get issues ' - and Richmond' Dewey said that the roots of summer fires heat up leafy spurge have been known to be more than 15 feet deep It the state Cache Valley has another problem that is posing grows in patches and has runa serious threat to wildlands — ' ners that shoot up among other plants as well as pods that pop leafy spurge ' open when seeds are mature Leafy spurge a noxious weed also known as Euphorbia and can disperse seeds up to 15 " esula is vigorous broadleaf ' feet that invades the vegetation that Jerry Chatterton researc h leader for the Forage and is native to an area making it Range Research Lab said the impossible for otherplants to weed’s runners have been thrive found as far as 150 feet from “Basically this is an ecologithe plant He said that these cal mess" said Extension Weed Specialist Steven runners combined with die Dewey “It crowds out native quickly germinating reed can increase infected areas expovegetation by taking water nutrients ana sunlight and nentially leaves nothing else” Chatterton said that residents This aggressive weed curfighting these weeds need to have the mentality of fighting rently dominates more than 53 million acres in Canada and a fire the Northern United States and “Unfortunately most people can now be found in isolated See WEED on A6 sppts throughout the valley but Announcing trustee professorships Introducing new deans Hearing ”1116 President's Report” Reviewing die USU performance dashboard Hearing a report about USU bud- ' Smithfield fire chief Eli LuceraHerald Journal Jerry Chatterton shows what Approving committee assignments CH festma yJ lay Downs for board members ' 'vZ'-t- years" J policy Approving tJ “We’ve been working on It for eight The Utah State University Board of Trustees meets at 10:35 am Friday in the Alma Some Board Room at the University Inn on the campus Agenda Hams include: ' Fire Chief Jay Downs and the Smithfield volunteer firefighters are finally going to have their new station “We’ve been working on it for eight years" said Downs after the city council announced plans to begin negotiations on land at 300 West and 100 North for the new buildings According to City Manager Jim Gass construction could begin in six months depending 66 Agendas ' s' - i i Logan fire substation location in holding pattern lBy Jeremiah Stqttter staff writerI calls in Logan pity according to the ' V f 'study v Y The concept of a fire substation was raised last year But its proposed fkm And with good reason Fire protec- - :' location on the northeast corner of turn was deemed a point of needed Logan Cepietery drew heavy fire from city residents' improvement in the Hillcrest neighborhood by a 1997 study of emerAmong them was Elwin Allred ! saidthe station would be a miswho in times Logan city gency response It was a neighborhood marked by use pfeemetery grounds “You can bet your bottom dollar high residential growth high properthose sirens won’t be blowing taps ty values and a when a burial is in progress” wrote population But it was also a neighborhood stained by the longest Allred in p paid advertisement Plans woe ultimately put on hold response time for fire and medical Why? Because USU has suggested leasing die land to the city at a nominal fee in exchange fix fire proiec- - v - I Plans for a new fire house in the Hillcrest neighborhood remain in the station so to speak awaiting ! list of possible locatidns from Utah States' : University! The sites are being selected a part of the university’s master plaiL Though Logan city is not required to build the station on university property the prospect has appealed to city officials from an economic - densely-concentrat- indpoi ed i ii 'i Logan Mayor Doug Thompson1 assured Hillcrest residents' on Thtirs- day that th project will be brought before a citizens committee consisting of residents from various angles' of the community V i ( v- '4 i f if’ '"‘W I f ' V' ) v v 'There committee members will ' discuss possible locations But for now the city is waiting r ! If approved the $11 million foe substation will be built using's federal grant The city’s financial responsibility will belimited tomanning and equipping the three- - to n v ! i five-ma- 'station:'' I ’ C 1 ' I Hf '' x |