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Show I ; till M 1 ' " V f " I CI I! i ! i' ) I : J nyl- 4W -mtm.em m-e-vm .mm f -,1 ..ffi 1- April Fool's Day, 2004 "If you believe this, you'll believe anything." UDOT has aspirations to build tunnel under Utah Lake Seeks $1.25 billion Ik grant for tunnel By C. Mai Korn The Utah Department of Transportation presented three options at last week's League of Government Diversifications Diver-sifications meeting to alleviate congestion and provide for future traffic patterns projected project-ed for the next 30 years. UDOT hopes to move on one option, a tunnel design spanning Utah Lake, before fall 2(X)3 with a projected completion com-pletion date of spring 2006. The project would bring in an estimated 2,300 jobs and generate $1.63 million in associated asso-ciated revenue for local businesses. busi-nesses. The favored project has guaranteed funding from the Federal Department of WHO or the Western Hydro-inter-grated Offices, and would be a six-lane freeway tunnel extending from Pelican Point to the former Geneva Steel site. For residential commuters and construction companies the tunnel would cut commuting commut-ing time to west Utah County in half by circumventing Lehi's Main Street and by creating cre-ating a thoroughfare that bypasses the congested interstate inter-state between north Orem and Pleasant Grove. This would create a new corridor that has been dreamed of, but we never thought would be possible," said Bill E. Bobb, UDOT director. direc-tor. The estimated cost of the corridor is $1.25 billion and would be modeled after the English Channel transportation transporta-tion tunnel that was successfully success-fully built and completed in the mid-1980s said Bobb. Other options for an east-west east-west corridor include a ferry system similar to the Puget Sound Ferry System, the most progressive and extensive system sys-tem in the world. Start up costs, and as of yet unfunded, would be debilita-tive debilita-tive - upward of $732 million for ferry docks, ships and supplies. sup-plies. The docks would be established estab-lished at the same location as the proposed underwater tunnel tun-nel freeway. The third option would be to build a floating bridge designed by the same engineering engi-neering firm that was responsible respon-sible for the Mercer Island floating bridge in Washington State and the Hae-hoawaewego Hae-hoawaewego bridge in Chap-stick, Chap-stick, Minn., the Maekit Krash Engineering Inc. This bridge would be much more than a one-mile expanse of steel, but would extend east and west across Utah Lake from Pelican Point south of Saratoga Springs to the Geneva entry," said Bobb on A mm -m A If' If ' y ) !Ui , I " ,. : f I.- 1 . . p '" l ' .... i : ' . . .r..tl , A .... i J .. ... i-l-A- Bridge spanning Utah Lake who thought the width would be 5.1 miles across upon completion. com-pletion. These projects, according to the UDOT director, would supersede the Lehi 10000 South freeway proposal that was sponsored by Mountain-land Mountain-land Association of Meetings two weeks ago. The State Environmental is one proposal to alleviate traffic problems. Impact Agency is partnering with WHO and UDOT to expedite and support the tunnel tun-nel proposal because, according accord-ing to its director Wile E. Fox, the tunnel project would have the least amount of impact on Utah Lake. The ferry system would need preparatory dredging of the lake, not only a costpro- hibitive issue but also would severely lower the endangered chub population," Fox said. "We hope to create a system that would expedite the natural natu-ral dying process of the lake," he added. While the bridge proposal is a popular one, Bobb thinks the cost of establishing such a state landmark would be out weighed by the engineering challenges of the long bridge span combined with Utah Valley's Val-ley's adverse wind conditiona The tunnel proposal in my mind is the only way to go," said Knot N. Mibakyard, Lehi mayor. "It will put a stop to the hair-brained idea of creating a freeway that cuts Lehi into quarters." Savs 'It's all relative' Judge declares nepotism a problem Golf course to be Lagoon, Jr. By Barbara Nondenominationalsen Judge We R. Cuzzins took under advisement last week arguments that nepotism in north Utah County was facing problems with nepotism in several sev-eral areas. Cuzzins did not make an official ruling in the multiple-defendant case, but did render an unofficial opinion. "It's all relative," he said. "In north Utah County, it appears that many people are already related to one another. I don't know how to overcome over-come that. It seems that if everybody is somebody's cousin, then the likelihood likeli-hood of having family members working work-ing together becomes all too possible." The issue arose when Jared Broth-erson Broth-erson was seeking a job with the Al's Pine Tree School District. The personnel person-nel policy indicates that relatives should not work together. Brotherson filed the lawsuit in an effort to gain employment despite a relationship with other workers. Brotherson's written application showed that he was related to several employees of the district. "I wanted to tell the truth," he said. "I have always been taught to tell the truth. That's why I felt I had to tell the district about my Uncle Nemo who is a custodian custo-dian at one of the schools. "I don't think it would reallv make any difference if we are related. We hardly see each other and' if I hadn't told them about our relationship, they would never had known about it. They would have had trouble finding Nemo." Another member of Brotherson's extended family works for the district. dis-trict. His second cousin twice removed on his stepfather's side is a lunch worker. Brotherson said that relationship would not affect his possible employment employ-ment either. The only time we see each other is at family reunions," he said. "If we hadn't been comparing family group sheets one time I would never have known we are related. I have a closer relationship with my garbage collector collec-tor than I do with Cousin Distance." The judge disagreed. The very fact that the two of you have your names on the same group sheet could be a direct conflict with school district policy," he said. In reviewing the possibilities which exist for Brotherson's case, Judge Cuzzins said he was in an quandary. There are several concerns," he said. "First we have the actual policy itself. I need to determine if it is a rea sonable expectation that employees should not be related to one another. I can understand why the policy has existed in the past. But I am not sure it is relevant in today's society. It seems that people who are related to each other do not have as strong ties as they did in previous years." Cuzzins said he was not even sure it was possible for an employer to find enough non-related workers. "Do the math," he said. "After a few generations of families living in north Utah County and intermarrying, it seems virtually everyone is related to each other. Even people moving in from out of state would get assimilated assimilat-ed into the genetic infrastructure very quickly." Another of Cuzzins' quandaries was the trial itself He said there have been some concerns both with attorneys attor-neys and the jury pool. "It seems that Brotherson's attorney, attor-ney, Mia Sistur, has some sort of relationship rela-tionship with John 'Cramps' Smith, the school district's lawyer," he said. "I haven't seen it diagrammed, so I don't know what the relationship is. I'm not sure how we will handle this. Everyone is entitled to the representation represen-tation they select, but I have definite doubts how this would work in this case." By Barbara Nondenominationalsen In an unprecedented move, officials ofTri City Golf Course determined they would close a portion of the course and have that area of the property to become a satellite Lagoon Amusement Park A smaller version of the Farmington park, it would be called Lagoon, Jr. Its emphasis would be on smaller rides, not just ones for youngsters. It would be compact in its layout, and individuals who come to the park would follow a path similar to the present golf course. The first hole would become a version of the Rocket Since it works vertically, it could maintain main-tain its original configuration and not take up too much room on the course. Water hazards at the golf course are a natural to recreate recre-ate the log flume. The ride would begin on the hill near the Developmental Center and end in the pond. According to some who have explored the hillside where that ride would originate, Rattlesnake Rat-tlesnake Rapids could also be located in the same area. There have been a number of snake sightings. When visitors progress through the locations of the present golf course holes, they will see miniature versions of some of Lagoon's most popular rides: Samurai, the white roller coaster, Music Express, Tidal Wave, Rocket, Spider, Centennial screamer and Jetr starLX Officials have yet to determine deter-mine what to call a miniature version of a ride called the Colossus, Perhaps the Mediu-mus. Mediu-mus. When the State of Utah created cre-ated the lease for the land at the golf course, there was a stipulation placed that if it ever ceased to be a golf course, it would revert to state ownership. owner-ship. Lagoon, Jr. supporters feel that they have found a way to overcome that obstacle. "We will simply have those waiting in line for the rides play miniature golf?" said Add M. Up, the company's accountant account-ant "Also, when people are on rides, they can toss golf balls toward holes which we will leave in place. That should fill the requirement Commissioners propose 7-way school district split Board to bribe voters By C. Mai Korn The Utah County Commission announced on Tuesday its plans to pursue the division of the Alfur School District Commissioner Herbert Garrison is proposing seven smaller districts - the Alfur, Orem, Pleasant Grove, American Fork, Lehi, Eagle Mountain Moun-tain and Saratoga Springs. The proposal pro-posal could be put on the ballot for registered Alfur School District voters vot-ers as early as Sunday, June 7. The committee study showed the savings in taxpayers' dollars was tremendous," said Garrison who cited the numbers prepared by Gotu B. Kideng Inc. "At least $112.5 million in annual expenses can be saved through this plan." Each district would have a full-time full-time superintendent who would also serve in several other administra tion;! capacities including building director, lunch manager and playground play-ground supervisor. A part-time secretary sec-retary and finance director would be needed to complete the district staff All other responsibilities that could not be handled by the superintendent, superin-tendent, secretary and finance director would be contracted out to companies like Id E. Ot Plumbing and Mypen Sil Accounting Company. Compa-ny. Each district office would be housed in an area's high school building or a temporary portable unit Other reasons driving the division, divi-sion, said Garrison, are the unique options made available with the approval of the Utah State House Bill 37 in the 2003-2004 legislative session. The state has decided to not comply com-ply with Federal mandates and laws regarding education and this move, according to Garrison and the ASD administration, will free districts from following federal policies and procedures. "Busing costs could be severely cut by laying off all bus drivers, selling sell-ing the buses to other districts, and purchasing enough bicycles so every student could bike to school," Commissioner Com-missioner Sil E. Guy said. "Just think of the savings, there would be minimal transportation costs, low maintenance costs and physical fitness fit-ness classes would no longer be necessary." nec-essary." Trailer wagon attachments for bikes would be available for the physically challenged students. And, added Guy, sports expenses would be minimal with the division. The size of the districts would be comparable compa-rable to one another in north Utah County and the seven districts could join to become its own division. Competitors could bike to each game with some exceptions allowed when meets involved the future Pony Excess High School teams in Eagle Mountain. "We don't want our athletes to be worn out before a game," Guy said. Garrison said the cost savings are multiplied with the now possible outside contracting. "For example, we would be to contract con-tract with the Internal Revenue Service during its off season, June through February, and have its accountants teach math in the morning," Garrison said. "Who better to teach the subject? The kids will be learning how to audit their parents for tax fraud in no time." The commissioners also suggested suggest-ed budget cuts for field trips, teacher framing and other extras. The challenge, chal-lenge, they said, was to achieve the distinguished notoriety of spending the least dollar amount per student in the nation. Being second best behind the Hard Rock School District Dis-trict in per capita spending isn't good enough, they maintained. The new proposal preempts the planned two-district division of the Lehi area and Alfur school districts that was being studied earlier this year. Another twist in the original proposal pro-posal is that the county commissioners commission-ers decided children rather than registered voters would be more likely to get out and vote since as students they would already be in the polling place for their classes and, according to Garrison, they would also be most likely to vote yes for the money-saving split. The State Board of Education has jumped on the bandwagon promising promis-ing new playground equipment to every school that has a majority vote to pass the cost-cutting venture. i |
