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Show Page Two - The Springville EDITORIAL Glares m 2004 It seems like just yesterday that we were looking forward to the year 2000 and the new century, and here it is 2004 already! As the old saying goes, where did the time go? A new year always brings with it some reflection on what happened the past year and wondering what the new one will bring. And there are those new year's resolutions that we do so well at during January and into February and then everything falls apart in that department. It is time to look forward, in 2004. Will we continue moving in the same direction we were going in 2003? Will you continue to do the things in 2004 that you did in 2003? If you are happy with the way your life went in 2003, then you will probably continue on that path in the new year. If you weren't happy with your life in 2003, will you. set a course to change directions? The problem with changing is that it is so hard for humans to make changes, to try new things, do things different. And it gets progressively harder as we get older. Certainly the reason that little kids can run circles around their grandparents on the computer. As we venture into the new year, may we look at positive changes we can make in our lives. We might have made mistakes in the past year, but we can learn from our mistakes mis-takes and do better in the future. A very positive thing that we can do is to smile more often. It will make you happier and others around you will smile too. And how about giving a compliment every day to someone. It is easy to do and doesn't cost anything. Another positive change that will take little of your time is to say "thank you" to someone every day. Try saying it to those you might not ordinarily stop to thank. After you do it 20 times, it will be come a habit. And take five-five or ten minutes each day for yourself-just yourself-just doing nothing. We all need to stop in this hectic world and regroup. It will do you good, and you will be a better person to live with. Looking back, the worst thing about the new year is that it comes too often! Humility is the most difficult diffi-cult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself. one-self. Springville Herald 161 South Main r- - - i Springville, UT 84663 An edition of The Daily Herald, a Pulitzer, Inc. Newspaper Subscriptions&DeliveryService...375-5103 Subscriptions&DeliveryService...375-5103 News & Advertising 489-565 1 Fax ; 489-7021 E-mail artcityavpro.com USPS 513-060. Published Thursdays by Pulitzer Newspapers, Inc., 161 South Main Street, Springville, Utah 84663. Periodicals postage paid at Springville, Utah 84663. Postmaster: Send address changes to 161 South Main Street, Springville, UT 84663. Member: Audit Bureau of Circulations NEWSSTAND PRICE $0.50 SUBSCRIPTION RATE 1 year - $36.40 (in county) 1 year -$45.40 (out of county) Thursday Only or Sunday & Thursday plus Holiday deliveries Holiday deliveries include delivery the week of Easter, Memorial, Independence, Pioneer, Labor, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiv-ing, Christmas & New Year's. (For in county subscriptions subscrip-tions only.) NEWS We welcome news tips. Call 489- 5651 to report a news tip or if you have a comment or a ques tion. We welcome letters to the edi tor. All letters must include the author's name (printed AND signed) and a telephone number. We reserve the right to edit let ters for clarity, punctuation, taste and length. Letters are welcome on any topic. Herald - January 1, 2004 Springville Police report Springville Police arrested Jose Miguel Aguirre, 260 W. 400 North 50, Springville, for an outstanding warrant. TCad Brown, 595 S. 400 lEast '2, Springville, was arrested for four warrants and interfering with arrest. Donald Bryan Kenyon, 642 E. Swenson, Springville, was arrested for two counts of prescription fraud and possession of drug paraphernalia. parapher-nalia. Jino Bart Conklin, 1797 N. Geneva Rd., Provo, was arrested for evading, a third-degree felony, possession posses-sion of drug paraphernalia, driving on an expired license and no brake lights. Zachary Neil Cooley, 306 E. 800 South, Springville, was cited for abuse of a psychotoxic substance. David Roy Funcannon, 450 N. 100 East, Price, was arrested for DUI and driving on a sus-- sus-- pended license for alcohol. Jason Dallin, 360 W. 400 North 77, Springville, and Casey Forbush, 766 E. 600 North, " Spanish Fork, were both cited for possession of tobacco by a minor. Kirttiss R. Gomez, 133 N. 300 East, Price, was cited for shoplifting. Blaine Dee Horrocks, 1616 Goosenest Dr., Payson, was arrested for two counts of prescription fraud. Myran C. Johnson, 274 N. 100 West, Springville, was arrested for a warrant. Marlon D. Jones, 112 E. 200 North, Springville, was arrested for a warrant. Jay Sheldon Myers, 1996 Canyon Rd. , Springville, and Steven James Parker, 561 N. 500 East, Spanish Fork, were both cited for shoplifting. Scott Keith Snelson, 112 E. 200 North, Springville, was arrested for a warrant. Joshua David Tripp, 318 W. 450 North, Orem, was arrested ar-rested for a warrant. A stereo was taken from a vehicle, and a cell phone was taken from an unlocked vehicle. A stereo was taken from a boat, a mountain bike from a storage shed, and a snowboard from a garage. Paint balls were shot a some condo windows, and a reindeer ornament was broken. bro-ken. Other thefts included golf clubs; a compressor from a garage; and a spiral rope Christmas tree. Mapleton Police report Mapleton Police had 40 calls last week with eight for animal problems. A dog owner was issued a misdemeanor citation for allowing their animal to run stray. Mail was taken from a mailbox; a pink flamingo was stolen from a yard and deer antlers were taken. Police assisted the fire crew after construction machinery ma-chinery caught on fire. A home was shot with a BB gun. Police contacted the responsible party and gave warning at the victim's request. re-quest. Several juveniles have been warned about rearranging rearrang-ing yard ornaments and knocking on doors and running. run-ning. A motorola cell phone was reported lost. If found please call police. Tube 'n Train excursions in Heber There's a new adventure taking place, in Heber that combines the historic Heber Valley Railroad with the excitement of the 2002 Winter Win-ter Olympics at Soldier Hollow. Hol-low. It's called the Tube'n Train excursion. Utah's 100 year old steam railroad now takes passengers to its station stop at Soldier Hollow. From there, passengers are taken to a 1,000 foot tubing hill. According to Howard Peterson, manager of Soldier Hollow, only a limited number num-ber of tickets are sold so there aren't any long lines for the hill. "The train and the tubing hill is a way to link the old west with the legacy of the Olympics," says Peterson. "It's another way of enjoying the magic of Soldier Hollow." The package pack-age includes the inner tube and surface lift up the hill. "The beauty of the pro-grain," pro-grain," according to Craig Lacey, executive director for the Heber Valley Railroad, "is that some members of the family may not want to go tubing. The train then continues contin-ues for a three-hour excursion excur-sion to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon. Those who choose not to go tubing can stay on the train and enjoy the beauty of the canyon. The family is reunited on the return train to Heber. It works great and the ticket cost is the same. " The Tube'n Train adventure adven-ture began as an experiment a year ago and the program wa so well received that the railroad has made it a regular event for winter. Included in the price of $26 for adults, $15 for children chil-dren 3 to 6 and $18 for children 7 to 12, is a ride aboard an historic steam train, transportation to and from the tubing hill, a specially spe-cially designed tube to use and the return train ride home to Heber City. In addition, passengers can choose to add a lunch to their excursion in the train's historic his-toric snack coach for $4. The specially designed tubing hill, which incorporates incorpo-rates two surface lifts, is located at Soldier Hollow, where Cross-country, Biathlon Biath-lon and Nordic Combined athletes competed during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. For more information about the Tube'n Train excursion, ex-cursion, call SmithsTix at 1-800-888-8499 or the Heber Valley Railroad (435) 654-5601. 654-5601. Health notes Many people today are looking for natural alternatives alterna-tives for cholesterol management. manage-ment. One of the most promising prom-ising alternatives may be a new substance called polico-sanol. polico-sanol. Derived from the waxy coating on sugar cane leaves, this natural cholesterol cholester-ol fighter is being used in more than 25 countries worldwide wor-ldwide and has been used by tens of thousands of patients over the last 10 years. For information on Policosanol Advantage, the leading brand of policosanol, go to www.-policosanol-advantage.com or call 1-800-548-8686. Mlroaeil Uniquely American, they are common, highly sought after, and work through seemingly mysterious, but time-tested science. They are highway-rail grade crossing warning systems. sys-tems. How they originated is an interesting story. The basic technology goes back to 1870 when the track circuit was invented. The idea of using electric current in railroad rails for signaling was an idea that had been suggested as early as 1848. By dividing the railroad into "blocks' or sections, a circuit was devised to signal trains when a specific section of track was clear or occupied with other trains. As America became laced with more railroads in the latter half of the 19th Century, Centu-ry, it became apparent that warning also should be given to people who wanted to cross the tracks. Initially, a colorful variety of signs were posted at crossing, depending ' on the whims of the local railroads, and in time, watchmen watch-men were stationed at the busier crossings to warn of approaching trains. Some of the crossings were equipped with gates that the watchmen manually cranked to lower or to raise. As it wasn't practical to have people stationed at all the crossings, a way was sought to automatically alert the public that a train was approaching. By the 20th Century, the use of "cross-buck" "cross-buck" signs - the boards forming an "x" - was common. com-mon. The design formed the basic sign still in sue today, but vastly improved with automatic warning advances 0Mi Ms alt roads by airport by Caleb Warnock Staff Writer Following the Utah County Coun-ty Planning Commission's denial of a proposal to close a rural road to allow for the expansion of the Spanish ForkSpringville Airport, airport board members are now weighing their options. ON Nov. 18 the Utah County Planning Commission voted against the closure of 800 West between 4400 South and 4600 South near Spanish Fork. Residents from the area turned out in force at the meeting saying that they use the road to connect to Interstate 15 and the Provo area. Board Chairman Chris Child said the airport must extend the runway by 300 feet and shift it 600 feet to the west in order to comply with Federal Aviation Administration Ad-ministration safety guidelines. guide-lines. The runway is adjacent to a section of Spanish Fork's For-k's Main Street, he said, and because of growing traffic on the road, the FAA is requiring requir-ing the change. "This is all just safety measures to make sure the airport can exist in the community com-munity without jeopardizing the safety of those in the planes or on the ground," Child said. The expansion is likely five years in the future, he said, but a decision about the road must be made within the next 12 months to allow time for land and right-of-way acquisition. But in the wake of the planning commission's decision, deci-sion, the board has been forced back to the drawing board. Board members will, now weigh options including looping the existing road over and around the expanded expand-ed runway or creating a new road from 800 West up to what would become 1200 West and back down to 800 West where no road now exists in order to get around the runway expansion. "One option is to wrap the road around the runway making it a U-shape," Child said. "The other option is to build a new road a mile and a quarter long at about 1200 West." Residents seem to prefer the 1200 West option because it would make the road less curvy, he said. No studies have been done on either mmmcj based on the track circuit concept. The first automatic crossing cross-ing signals were bells mounted mount-ed atop poles. They were activated when a train entered en-tered a circuit where the rails were insulated to confine the eclectic current to a designated designat-ed piece of track. The current flowed through the steel wheels and axles of the train, cutting off (short-circuiting) electricity to an electrical relay which needed the power to hold the electrical connection apart that kept the bell off. When the electricity was diverted through the train - which was a path of lower resistance -instead of the relay connection, connec-tion, the contacts connected and the bell rang. The electric bell idea was quickly expanded to include a swinging round sign with a red light hanging from an arm on the signal pole to simulate a flagman waiving a red lantern. Such "automatic flagmen" signals were soon dubbed "wig wags." A few wig wags remain in use today in the United States, much beloved by railfans for their nostalgic warning. The wig wags gave way to the alternating flashing red lights mounted as part of a cross-buck sign, and often with gates as well, today the industry standard. The first flashing red light signal was installed in New Jersey in 1913. Today the basic designs de-signs come in a wide variety of configurations, depending on the complexity of the street crossing and the railroad. rail-road. Each one is custom designed to fit a specific need. proposal, and the board has no idea how much each option would cost. The board plans to approach the FAA for a grant, Child said, but that will not be possible until engineering studies have been done and the board can propose a project to the FAA that includes specifies about where to put the road and how much it will cost. The board will work on getting that information over the next year, Child said. "We'll have to do a study and get the engineers involved," in-volved," he said. "Residents would like to move the whole road, but we just don't know who is going to pay for that. We are trying to keep our options open. " The problem remains funding the new road, he said. Springville City Councilman Council-man Jay Knight who is Spri-ngville's Spri-ngville's representative on the board, said the board originally suggested the closure of the road because it does not have money to build a new road. "The airport's budget comes from Springville and Spanish Fork," he said, noting neither city has discussed dis-cussed how they would fund the road reconstruction project. pro-ject. "I'm not saying that it wouldn't be passed by the city council, but Springville would be reticent to fund a new road that is not in its limits. That area is in the declared annexation boundary of Spanish Fork." Spanish Fork City Councilman Coun-cilman Everett Kelepolo, who serves as Spanish Fork's representative on the board, said the problem will be discussed in future meetings and any proposed solution was only conceptual. "We still have some meetings to go through," he said. The airport, which receives re-ceives 90 percent of its funding fund-ing from the federal government govern-ment and 10 percent from state and local sources, has already spent more than $800,000 to acquire half of the land needed for the expansion, ex-pansion, Child said. Runway construction will not begin for at least five more years, and will cost an additional $2 million. Roughly Rough-ly 150 planes land every day at the airport, double the number of five years ago. systems Most crossing gates are designed to protect against motor traffic in the oncoming lanes, covering half the street, allowing an escape from the tracks for motorists who happen to be on the crossing when the signal is activated. The use of "four quadrant gates" currently is being considered to prevent motorists from driving around lowered gates, a risky maneuver. The full gates would be timed to allow an escape on the "far side" of the crossing. At some crossings where the roadway is very wide, a "cantilever' extends out above the street with additional addi-tional flashing lights to warn motorists in multi-lane situations. situa-tions. The basic track circuit technology has been advanced ad-vanced to make the signals smarter. Many signals have motion detection devices that will raise the gates and shut off the lights and bells if the train stops short of the crossing cross-ing for a pre-determined amount of time. This is common where trains might make stops within a warning circuit just short of a crossing. cross-ing. When the train begins to move again, the signal reactivates. reacti-vates. Many modern crossing signals have "constant warning" warn-ing" technology which not only allows for the warning time, but adjusts to the speed of the oncoming train to give the same amount of warning, regardless of whether or not the train is moving slowly or very rapidly. The goal is to give adequate ade-quate warning, but not too much time that would encourage en-courage motorists to disregard disre-gard the signal. The Federal Railroad Administration minimum warning time is 20 seconds. Many states issue orders specifying the designed de-signed warning time at each crossing. Designed warning times vary from low 20s to the high 30s, depending on the circumstances at the crossing. In addition to the signals and signs, -Union Pacific -rules requiretraift' crews to sound the horn a quarter of a mile in advance of each public crossing until they cross the roadway. Locomotives Locomo-tives are equipped with a triangle of bright headlights, one mounted high and centered, cen-tered, with two on each lower side of t he front of the locomotive. They are illuminated illumi-nated night and day when the train is in motion. On Union pacific, crossing cross-ing signals are inspected regularly for a variety of safety checks. If a malfunctioning malfunc-tioning signal is noted, the public should report it via the Union Pacific Grade Crossing Cross-ing Hot Line (1-800-848-87150. Since physics make it impossible to stop a moving train in time to avoid striking a motorist or pedestrian on the track by the time the train crew realizes the danger, dan-ger, the public must always take extreme care when approaching a train track. It takes more than half a mile to stop a heavy freight train, even when emergency braking brak-ing is used. Signals, signs, lights and horns are important safety aids, but ultimately it is the motorist's decision whether or not it is safe to cross the tracks. A.F. Canyon closed The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) advises motorists that State Route 92 in American Fork Canyon is closed until further 'notice. Recent storms have weakened weak-ened the underlying snow-pack snow-pack increasing the risk of avalanches and slides in the canyon. UDOT will re-open the highway once the avalanche ava-lanche danger has passed. They advise motorists to use caution and travel the posted speed limits on all state highways. . 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