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Show .33-- Utv.1 F. c. :aU Volume 79, Number 3 Brigham City, Utah 84302, Sunday Morning, January 18, 1976 -- OX .. i;- - 24110 Lake City, Utah 12 PAGES To review program cuts Board approves 0? budget after lengthy hearing Box Elder Board of Education adopted a revised $10,712,107 budget Wednesday. But the action was not unanimous and it came only after an exhaustive review and a barrage of comments and questions from interested citizens. The budget was reopened at this point to accommodate salary increases for school district personnel and a wide assortment of adjustments both in revenue and expenditures. Board member Winston Benson stood alone in voting against adoption, a position consistent with one he took when the original 1975-7- 6 budget was approved last June. "There are some items in the budget that were lightly evaluated and which are excessive, he said. Benson did not elaborate further but did comment that he was pleased with progress made in the adjusted budget. A significant point of the budget is an apparent gain on a $363,121 deficit in the mid-fis-ye- ar maintenance and operation fund. Its projected this amount will be cut to $172,471 at years end and place within the boards grasp total elimination next year. The $10.7 million figure compares with $10,206,280 adopted as the original budget last June. Is Realistic "This budget is as realistic as we possibly could make it, Supt. J. C. Haws told the boards-- He added, however, that the guessing game continues with regard to level of state funding in such areasas transportation (busing assistance) and adult education. We know many things can happen between now and next spring, Dr. Haws stated. Citizens on hand for the hearing asked a number of questions and offered suggestions and comments to the board. Among these were concern for the districts summer music program which the board has voted to eliminate, textbook costs and selection, pupil-teachratios, procedure to select a firm to do the districts annual audit, need for secretaries, salaries, bus purchases, ances for travel. and allow- Plan Now Mrs. Marjorie Childs, representing a citizens group organized as the School Issues Forum, urged that budget planning for next year begin now, recommended a several-ste- p procedure. And another Brigham City citizen, Sam Ross, suggested that citizens be permitted to speak out more at board meetings to improve communications and avoid misunderstandings. Dr. Haws and David Morrell, board clerk and business officer, were praised (Continued on Page Three) FISHING WAS GOOD and the weather was great Thursday as a nice crowd was on hand for the Jan. 15 fishing opener at Locomotive Springs in western As officials meet To Will look again Y tells Perry Brigham City officials have agreed to the cost involved when the local volunteer fire department is called out. They did so in a cooperative gesture to Perry officials who met with them Thursday evening. Brigham City has a contract with the neighboring community to provide fire fighting service. Terms of the pact call for payment of an annual $400 standby fee plus $155 for the first hour when firemen are called out and $60 for each additional hour. Perry Mayor Jay Matthews, while conceding the essential nature of the service, said it wasnt fair to charge the full $155 when firemen were called back before even reaching the Perry city limit. He cited also the financial burden created when the department is summon- ed to extinguish insignificant fires, mentioning recent dog house, mattress, and ftee stump blazes as examples. Stuck With Bill Anyone can make the call and were stuck with the bill, he declared. He suggested that calls be verified before the firemen are alerted. Howdver, this view met with resistence-froBrigham City Mayor Harold B. Felt. Is there any way you can see that we can verify without giving considerable delay? It looks to me like it would be almost impossible to verify a call before responding. It could be a home or children trapped in' a car. Calls are received by the dispatcher in the police department. Are you willing to leave the decision to that person? What if some one lost a life because the dispatcher misinterpreted the call? Mayor Felt asked. In our city, we never question the call, K oniiiHiid on Page lhice) eyes tax boost " arent. A life of misfortune, then someone cared Tammy Grover gets a kiss' from Tough Luck, a part St. Bernard the Bear leather collar on the River City girl rescued from certain death. A too-tigstray was choking the life from him until Tammy stepped in, and with the help of friends, removed the collar. Investigator Frank Johnson of the Golden Spike Humane society, took the starving dog into his custody, obtained neck and is looking for a home for the animal. medical aid for its sore-riddeAnd Tammy, for her act of caring, received a lifetime membership in the local humane society. The evaluations were reported to the board of education Wednesday by Kelvin Clayton, training specialist with the Utah State Board of Education. At the request of Box Elder district, Clayton conducted a hazardous route study in the Tremonton and Brigham City areas. Each situation investigated had been brought to the boards attention by parents and PTA. n And Will Organize Panel after hearing his report, the board voted to organize a three-perso- n advisory the annual (sld Directors of Golden Spike Empire Inc., proposed this past week that the transient room tax be doubled from the present 1.5 percent to 3 percent. They did so at a meeting in Ogden. The Empire which embraces Box Elder, Weber, Morgan and Davis counties, was organized for tourist promotion. It relies on revenue from the room tax to- - help finance these activities. Executive Director Sandra K. Ferguson estimated the additional tax, proposed to become effective April 1, would bring in $47,075 compared to $29,362 last year. Decisions to up the tax, however, come from commissioners in the four participating counties. Commissions which agree to the increase will not be asked to further subsidize the Empires operations, the executive director said. must At present, Box Elder contributes $750 annually from its general fund. With the exception of Weber, motel and hotel room occupancy increased in each of the'counties m 1975, Miss Ferguson said Alcohol and offenses produced the heaviest case load at Box Elder county jail last year, county commissioners were told this past week. Major crime is not the major concern in Box Elder county, Sheriff Art Redding declared. Sheriff Redding and Ken Breen, a Logan resident working with the sheriff in developing a records information system, presented commissioners with a number of statistics. Among them were figures showing that 886 adults were booked in at the jail during 1975 with 594 of them arrested for alcohol and narcotics offenses. Included were driving under the influence of alcohol (189), public intoxication (189), illegal possession of alcohol and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (105), and narcotics (111). drug-relate- d Other statistics reflected violations by age, sex and race, both juvenile and adult, and a record of case dispostion by the courts. Breen questioned the validity of figures in the annual FBI report, suggesting further that they werent relevant to the local situation. And he said there was a distortion between what has been reported for Brigham City and what jail records show, citing figures quoted by the state in a data terminal project report. He complained also that law enforcement agencies dont use computers effectively. contained City aides gain ent Other Figures Some 87 persons were booked in on felony charges with 44 others brought in on traffic violations. The remaining 161 persons represented such offenses as shoplifting, glue sniffing, parole violation, and court order. In addition to the adult figures, Breen said 247 juveniles were processed through the jail last year. These included 94 charged with the various alcohol and narcotics violations. Appointive city officials were to office Thursday by Brigham City Mayor Harold B. Felt with consent of the city council. Included were Recorder Sterling Loveland, Treasurer Cleora Rawlins, Police Chief Steve Studdert and City Attorney Omer Call. Also included in the were all city department supervisors. - Board Giears report, acts on hazardous route issue ,r on - Selects new president Box Elder School district has two of the most potentially hazardous situations in Utah for students attending Perry and Willard schools. It also has some areas in which parents believe the hazard to students is sufficient to warrant bus transportation. But they pretty good Alcohol, dirygi Empire at fire charge, BC promote tourism Box Elder county. Fishing was reported as opener. (See story on sports page.) committee to investigate future requests for hazardous route transportation. Included on the panel would be the district transportation director plus a PTA offirepresentative and law enforcement cer from the area in question. Creation of such a committee was suggested by Clayton. Establishing bus service for hazardous situations ha substantial financial implications for the district. Transportation funds are received from the state on the basis that bus travel is provided for elementary school students living at least 1.5 miles from school. The minimum-distancfor secondary students The Box Elder board has eyed the possibility of formulating a policy which would determine what constitutes a hazardous route. However, Clayton said with the exception of Granite district, he knows of no other district which has such a policy. And the attempt to lead out at Granite has not produced a firm policy yet. Each situation almost requires individual attention," he advised the board, offering his services to assist the Box Elder district committee. expenses involved in transporting students for a shorter distance including circumstances in which student safety may be imperiled by traffic, bridges, railroad crossings, etc. When the district establishes a shorter route, on the basis hazardous conditions or for other reasons, it must bear the total financial burden. At the present time, according to Supt. J. C. Haws, elementary students living one (Continued on Page Three) is 555 a 70 UT? 2 miles. The state will not pay the district for Wallace Christensen . School board president. |