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Show M frf Obituaries B2 f . 0 Utah News B3 1 Business B4 The Daily Herald Wednesday, April 9, 1997 Spring fever brings glut of smashups, safety officials say By TOM McHOES The Daily Herald Authorities in Provo are hoping drivers and pedestrians keep a lookout this spring especially for each other. Police and ambulance personnel are usually busy this time of year treating injuries and handing out citations, largely because neither party is paying close attention to one another, officials say. "Everyone is out because the weather is better," says Ray Anderson, paramedics supervisor for the Provo Fire Department "The problem is people forget to look around more because they didn't have to j during the winter. It's a lot like the first snow. When it first hits, we see !a lot of accidents because people forget how to drive in it. The same principle applies here." ' Although it's not typical, that principle can cause severe injuries or fatalities in some cases. accidents are most alarming because the laws of physics are merciless and usually d dictate a outcome, says Lt. Greg DuVal, who has handled traffic accidents for 17 years. "A vehicle traveling 30 mph needs about 110 feet to come to a complete stop," DuVal says. "That is just enough time for the driver to see you, respond to you and brake in time. A walking person can stop in two steps. It's a lot harder for vehicles to stop than it is for pedestrians." The sometimes cruel consequences of one minor lapse is why authorities are trying to send the message to residents that caution ; and courtesy can save lives. ; Focused more on where they ; have to be than what they are doing ; to get there, bicyclists and walkers often dart out in front of oncoming i I I I Auto-pedestri- one-side- Tilling at twilight traffic and visa versa, officials say. "A lot of these are very preventable accidents," Anderson says. "It's just a matter of paying attention to each other." It's also a matter of extending courtesy. Often, vehicles will approach a crosswalk with a waiting pedestrian standing at the curb but the drivers will choose to speed through it rather than stop to allow the individual to walk across the street. "I've seen instances when vehicles won't stop and neither will the 50 cars behind them," DuVal says. "And I think to myself, 'poor pedestrian, he's never going to get across the street.' I've noticed that people here are often not courteous drivers." The same kind of battle for right of way also causes accidents, authorities say. Cyclists are often pushed off the road or cut in front of by an oblivious motorist. In most cases, the accidents occur at night when visibility is down. Another reason for the collisions is ignorance, DuVal says. "Bikes are strange animals in and of themselves," he says. "They are going faster than the pedestrian, so if a car cuts them off, they can't stop as easily." And that is why officials encourage cyclists to heed another safety the use of proper safeprinciple ty equipment. Helmets, lights and even elbow and knee protection can prevent serious injuries or death in case of an accident. 'That makes a big difference," Anderson says. "Especially where head injuries are concerned. We see a lot of cases where someone with a serious head injury would have had just scrapes and bruises if they had been wearing a helmet." By JOSEPHINE ZIMMERMAN The Daily Herald one-fourt- auto-bicyc- le auto-bicyc- le one-thir- ! By DONALD W. MEYERS The Daily Herald Disabled Utah Valley State Col-- ', lege students will have an easier time catching buses in the near future. After a meeting between repre-- ; sentatives of UVSC, the Utah Tran-- ; sit Authority and the Disabled Rights Action Commi ttee, the college is seeking to repair its 1200 South bus stop to make it more accessible for handicapped bus riders. UVSC Pres- -' ident Kerry Romesburg said. The college, Romesburg said, is working with the state Division of Facilities and Construction Management to bring the bus stop into compliance with the Americans . with Disabilities Act. ; ; ' "We were not aware of the problem" when the bus stop was first built, Romesburg said. Barbara Toomer, DRAC secretarytreasurer, said the disabled advocacy group set up the April 2 meeting after learning of the problem by reading an article in a January edition of The Daily Herald. "It was a very amicable meeting," Toomer said. Everyone wanted to solve the problem. The UTA wanted to solve the problem and President Romesburg wanted to solve the problem." The meeting came the day before UVSC was to sign off on the bus stop and the other traffic improvements made on the Orem campus 1 1 Daily Herald photoMatthew R. Smith Floyd Best, a farmer in American Fork, works his tractor over a piece of land last year. Since the meeting, Romesburg has refused to accept the work before the bus stop is fixed. Val Peterson, college spokesman, said the plans for the new stop will be finished Thursday, and construction should begin in two weeks if the changes meet ADA requirements. Toomer said the bus stop, installed when the state reconstructed the college entrance last year, did not meet the ADA standards for bus stops. There are three problems! that make the bus stop virtually inacces- sible for handicapped bus riders. First, the sidewalk going to the stop from campus is too narrow, and parked car bumpers block the path for wheelchairs. Second, ihe grade of the hill going down from the 1200 South entrance to the stop is too steep for a disabled peison to easily navigate. There are no handrails installed to provide assistance for someone going to the stop. Finally, the bus stop itself is not big enough to allow a wheelchair user to get on or off a bus chair lift. The DFCM will fix the problems, Romesburg said. Romesburg said the college and the UTA initially agreed to an interim solution of dropping disabled bus riders off in front of the administration building, but that idea had to be scrapped. Ids pitching pennies to outdo adults By MARK EDDINGTON The Daily Herald Vim) u'Miin i.i ' win i,.. i They may be small, but Provo children want to show adults that 1 they measure up just fine with i their contributions to the Academy Square library. "Who can fill this firstr i Brigham Young Academy FoundaI h tion member Julie Roper asked children Monday at the current -, library, pointing to an aquarium turned donation box. y "Kids ... kids ... kids," the children chanted in their best pep rally fashion. And the children did more than talk, too. Swarming around the aquarium, they pitched in pennies, .... nickels and dropped left It was to dimes and quarters. Provo High School senior Jared "" . II , I Johnson to uphold the honor of adults, which he attempted by donating several dollars in the adult half of the aquarium. Score round one in the children for vs. adults Academy fund-raisDaily Herald photoFred McGuire children by about a 1 margin. Seven-year-ol- d for donations new in the Hansen Orem of his designated aquarium Colby penny places Roper's son Joey's initial contributo the Academy Square library. The aquarium has two sides one for children's donations and one for tion of $7 worth of change got the adults' contributions. So far, the kids are ahead. children's campaign off to a jump Art Glass Design in Provo to raise its S6.5 million share of the Kimberly Bennett gave start. He was followed by a swarm year-ol- d g had: she one penny. designed the Academy etching that $23.3 million library. If the of children who "nickeled and all the aquarium drive fails, the to donate is more and wants des"She on aquarium's section imprinted dimed" the aquarium asked me to empty my purse," front, while Bennett Paint and proceeds will be donated to the ignated for youngsters' donations where Friends of the Provo Library. into a commanding lead over the mother Kleis Bennett said. "So Glass cut holes in the top Members of BYAF are seeking we'll probably do that before we the money is deposited and insertadult section. local a to divider leave." seal ed company to match the silicon a and bank separate "We went to the amount donated to the aquarium. the aquarium the children and adult sections. donated Petsmart chilout my exchanged quarters Bilco Save and Lock Inc. made a Children who are Academy boostdren's banks for rolls of nickels to the foundation. ers aim to stand tall in financially "We fully support and want to special lock to secure the drop box. it look like make to and . pennies Pets-ma- rt a have will the a of be her supporting the library. son of BYAF's said part community," aquarium more," Roper Other BYAF are in the home David contribution. specialty manager Joey's under to slated over the 30 the June said. is until "This McClellan get of least a way the at the example good library, Following deadline Roper's organization has next several weeks. widow's mite in the Bible, 10-- way to do it." ,- A ' slam-dunk- d. one-hal- as night closes in Saturday. Plans moving along to rehabilitate UVSC bus stop I Utah County commissioners will wait two weeks before setting times and dates for two public hearings on the plan to adopt a county sales tax. Commissioner Gary R. Herbert said the county has been working on the issue for two years. The Utah Legislature recently passed a bill h allowing a county to impose a percent sales tax in exchange for reducing the property tax by an equivalent amount. The rationale is that the sales tax will increase in time, realizing more revenue for the county. Commissioner Jerry D. Grover said the commission must have more specific figures from the Utah Tax Commission before scheduling public hearings. The law specifies that two public hearings must be conducted, one of which must be after 6 p.m. The meetings must also be in geographically diverse areas and conducted prior to Sept. 4. Grover said $8.5 million is the figure that has been floating around as the amount the county must cut from property taxes. He estimated it would reduce that county's portion of the property tax levy by Herbert said he estimated it would be f. The county's porcloser to tion of the total tax levy amounts to percent. approximately Herbert said the Utah Association of Counties has been working on the situation and may have figures from the Tax Commission at its next meeting in a few days. He said Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties are all expected to adopt the sales tax. The commissioners pointed out that sales tax revenues, particularly in Salt Lake County, will probably bring more revenue to Utah County because this county will receive a portion of the taxes collected at the point of sale. When local residents shop in Salt Lake Counly. a portion of the taxes will be returned to Utah County. Herbert said he would like to see the public hearings conducted in : July. Commissioners campaigned actively for the right to impose trp sales tax. Utah County in particular has been handicapped by the revenue restrictions imposed by the Utah Legislature. This county has few revenue sources in the unincorporated areas, so it must depend almost entirely on property taxes and grants. ; ed -- er 5-- fund-raisin- fund-raise- nt "When we brought the bus on campus, we found out we couldn't do it," Romesburg said. Bill Barnes, UTA spokesman, said the bus could not turn around in the parking lot without backing up, something the buses are not allowed to do. In the meantime, Barnes said, the buses are discharging disabled passengers near the roundabout, where the ground is more accommodating. Barnes and Toomer did not have an estimate on how many disabled people use the bus stop. Peterson said there is a potential of 90 people who would need the improvements at the bus stop. -- Pleas for free education stifled by vote to keep fees about core fees that are mostly related to academics. Extracurricular activities fees are e"en more AbanAMERICAN FORK and quickly divide the don public school student fees and prohibitive, or force haves from the have-not- s bring back free public education some families into debt or getting back to the Alpine School District. extra jobs. That's what one group of Cheerleader uniforms patrons asked the Alpine School $400. District Board of Education to do Performing group outfits Tuesday night. $200. It sounded like a good idea to Show choir $100. the board. In fact a few board And if you want to be in the members openly voiced support. viewed by some as debate team But moments later the board more academic than extracurricuvoted unanimously to impose lar $200. Again the list goes on. school school fees for the 1997-9- 8 "School fees are a head tax or year. double taxation," Carlisle told Greg Carlisle and several others board members. who spoke at the board meeting in They are also inequitable, American Fork said they had those penalizing some parents formed a citizen's group to study with more children more than school fees. others. Carlisle told board members he And he said the collection had four children, and school fees process wastes valuable timeof -one year amounted to $500 for just educators. ; his family. He spoke of one woman J.D. Willardson, another patron having to pay $1,000 in school w ho spoke for eliminating fees lor fees. the next school year, said UtalA $35. Textbook rental fee Constitution affirms a free public '. $30. education. Activity fee Driver's education $35. But he said Utah's legislators $60. Drama have failed to provide that fjec Musical instrument rental public education when a number, of $50. years ago it allowed schtxil fees k The list goes on for school fees supplement public educate ft t financing. charged in grades 9 through 12. Willardson said some schools Utah legislators have assured that younger students receive a free are put in the position of turning their students into public education, however. There the parents of And somecollection school agencies. for are no fees elementary are also teaelv-erthose times teachers parents although many children, in the school districts. ; report paying for some supplies own their of out pttckets. (See ALPINE, Page H2) Carlisle said he is only talking By PAT CHRISTIAN The Daily Herald s |
