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Show WM FORTHE RECORD, B-2 MLOTIERY, B44 Mi TIME CAPSULE NAMES, B-7-11 * @ WEATHER, B-12 MAY7, 2000 Meteorologists Forget Old Rivalries, Team Up for 2002 Olympics Weather Forecasts Weather Group, a dozen seasoned meteorologists Eubank has assembled to make short-term forecasts for BY MIKE GORRELL THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE academia, all playing importantroles,” said Thomas Potter, who became the Salt Lake Organizing Committee’s weather coordinator upon retiring in No- each of five outdoor competition venues. For the sake ofthe Olympics, weatherrivalries are being set aside. On national scale, that means forecasting for the 2002 Winter Games will be a private-public partnership for thefirst time. Locally, that means William Alder and Mark Eubank will team up after years of competing to be Utah’s mostvisible weather prognosticator. Eubank, the longtime KSL Television weatherman who used to head his own forecasting company, WeatherBank Inc., has been named chief meteorologist for the Olympics. In February 2002, he will provide at least twice-daily weather briefings to Games’ officials. These will be based on observations by Event Alder, representing the public sector as meteorologist-in-charge of the National WeatherService’s Salt Lake City field office, will be responsible for collecting data on weather systems as they ap- proach the Wasatch Mountains and devising forecasts to help get everyone to and from venues safely. Services Association, the trade groupofprivate firms that supply specialized, weather-related information to groupsas varied as television stations and farmers. out to be quite good. Mark andBill are working real well together.” Leavitt (not to be confused with Gov. Michael O. Leavitt) complained that the WeatherServices’ lead role in Atlanta violated a 1991 policy statement by the agency’s parent, the National Oceanic and Atmo- buck from teamworkforecasting.” Added Alder: “In the most recent times we'vegotten along pretty well, more than ever.It’s a partner- models that can better predict the outcome when various atmospheric flowscollide with the complex terrain ofthe Wasatch Mountains. “This is the first time in Olympic weather-support [history] that we've combined private, public and Some Long For Days of No TRAX vember 1998 as the Weather Service’s Western regional director. “I had some doubts for a while, until everything was pulled together,” Potter added. “Butit's turned Said Eubank: “Eachof us havehaddifferent missions over the years.. . . You get more bangfor your To make this weather team more diverse still, the University ofUtah meteorology departmenthas been. involved in intensive research to develop computer weather-support services at the seven Olympics on American soil, up through the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. That chagrined the Commercial Weather The association and its president, Michael S. spheric Administration, that prohibited competition ship that we want to succeed, him [Eubank] for the “with the private sector when a service is currently provided by commercial enterprises.” SLOC officials had hoped to cut costs by having the venuesandus for getting people to the venues.” Alder’s government agency has controlled See WEATHERMEN, Page B-4 Turmoil In At-Risk Kids Office JEEPERS! Transit scheduleseasier . to plan in bus-only times Lawsuits, worker exodus cited; director defends record _ BY BRANDON LOOMIS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Five months after TRAX opened and shook up the Salt Lake Valley’s bus routes, some of the people who BY KATHERINE KAPOS mustride both still long for the good © 2000, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE old, train-free days. TheUtah State Office ofEducation says turmoil in They lament that train-bus con- the division that oversees programs forat-risk children is merely a case of disgruntled employees reacting to work expectations set by a new boss. nections can leave them waiting a half-hour or morefor a ride —orforce them to walk so they are notlate for But some employees say division director Mae work. They remember bus service that, while notfrequent, at least let them plan their trip times with some confidence. Some even charge that the Utah Transit Authority favors wealthier transit riders at the expense of those who have no cars to reach TRAX park-and-ridelots. And, indeed, it is a matter of Taylor’s heavy-handed and blunt management style are behind a staff exodus, tworacial discrimination lawsuits and complaints about her. Parents ofchildren served by the division are fearful the employee turnover could hurt program quality. Taylor was named head of the division, which oversees millions of dollars in state ‘and federal funding, in November 1997. The division has 38 employees whodirect programs for 55,000 Utah students whoare disadvantaged in someway. wealth. Without more money, UTA says it cannot make everyone’s com- ‘The pi include education classes, the federal Title 1 program for low-incomechildren, mute conyenient. The system is set up to help as manypeople as possible, but somefall through the cracks. Like Juan Omana. Each morning he catches a southboundtrain from downtown Salt Lake City bound for the Meadowbrook Station at 3900 alternative language services, Indian education and substance abuse prevention. Taylor denies allegations raised in the lawsuits and says employee complaints are the result of her moveto implementhigh workstandards in theoffice. In twocivil rights lawsuits filed in U.S. District South.If he is lucky,the train arrives Court for Utah in October and Novemberoflast year, there three minutes before his connecting bus departs and takes him to his job near 900 West.If he is not, he them because of their ethnicity. In one suit, Diana Cortez, specialist for bilingual and immigrant edu- employees claim Taylor, who is. white, mistreated cation, claims Taylor “created an intimidating, hostile and offensive working environment” and that Cortez was singled out for “poor treatment and in- pulls into the station watching his bus leave. Mostdays,hesaid,“Ifwe’re not running, we can’t catch it.” If he misses thetrain, the next one comes in a half-hour.It’s OK to be a half-hour late, he said. He just has to workit offduring his lunch hour. But usually he does not wait. “If it’s a half-hour wait, I'd better walk,” he said. The same saga plays out almost daily for many commuters, and especially for those who live in Salt Lake City and commute south, against the rush-hour grain. Gerald Long, who works in Murray, has struggled with the whole timidation” because sheis Latino. Taylor is named as a defendantin the suit under her previous nameof Mae Taylor-Sweeten. The Utah Contessa LaForett, left, and Rebecca Valles enjoy Midvale’s Cinco de Mayo parade with Mariah the pup. comments and specifically cites one instance in Cinco de MayoCelebrates Diversity, Unity of American Indian students, Taylor quipped, “Are BY JOE BAIRD THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE spectrum oftransit woes: early trains, late buses, early buses. He is among the growing minority ticketed for jaywalking across the tracks to catch a train, and was removed from a bus last week because he had not paid his fine. “I know I'm a whiner,” he said. “Butif you're a workingstiff in this country, they screw you.” His theory: TRAX was built for yuppies whodriveto the stations and See BUS ONLY,Page B-4 State Office of Education andthe state Board of Education also are named as defendants. Cortez claims Taylor made derogatory racial Leah Hogsten/The Salt Lake Tribune MIDVALE — OK,so it’s not actu- ally Mexico's independence day. But it’s still a pretty good excuse for a party. They turned out by the thousands to celebrate Cinco de Mayoin the Salt Lake Valley on Saturday, with Midvale’s City Park and Salt Lake City’s Centro Civico Mexicano serving as the major outposts for loads of authentic Mexican cuisine, mariachi music and fun. And, as opposed to last year, when which,after being invited to a meeting with parents yousure they are not going to scalp me?” Cortez, who is still employed at the division, rain and chilly winds dampened even Cinco de Mayo13 years ago,” recalled the Midvale festival co-founder Fausto Rivas. “We'll probably have 15,00020,000 by the endof [Saturday].” hardiest revelers, party-goers Saturday were greeted by sunshine and temperatures in the low 70s. “Hopefully, everybody is enjoying themselves and having a good time, and will come back next year,” said Jose Ramos, who used his company’s catering truckto help feed the crowd in Midvale. And whata crowd it was, slowly filling up the park after the annual Cinco de Mayo parade down Center tion isn’t the Mexican version of the Fourth of July. Mexico officially declared its independence from Spain on Sept. 15, 1810. Cinco de Mayo marks the day Mexico whipped the forces of NapoleonIII in the battle of Puebla in 1862. It marked the French Army's first defeat in 50 years — and helped Street keep and jamming it by claims Taylor has inhibited her ability to work with local school districts, which has affected her work performance. Taylor reprimanded her and demanded she remain in theoffice “more often, despite the fact that Cortez was needed in thefield to help” students. The Utah Attorney General’s Office, which is de- Evenif, technically, this celebra- mid-afternoon. “We had 25 people for the first France from aiding fending Taylor andthestate office, denies any civil rights violations. Anyjob actions taken against Cortez “were justified by legitimate, business-related and nondiscriminatory reasons,” Assistant Attorney General Morris O. Haggerty wrote in court documents. The second complaint, filed by former secretary J.O. Chenault, claims she was “intentionally discriminated against” and “denied privileges and the See DIRECTOR,Page B-6. See PARTIES,Page B-6 First Timein 70 Years: High Court All Mormon BY PAUL FOY ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS When Utah’s Supreme Court upheld prayers at government meetings as a legacy of Utah's Mormonheritage, four of the five justices were Mormons. Now it’s an all-Mormon bench. Is that a problem? ChiefJustice Richard C. Howe doesn’t think so. “1 don't see anything wrong with it,” Howetold ‘The Associated Press in a rare interview. “Whether you belong to one churchor another shouldn't make anydifference on this court. What we want on this court are men and women of good MIDMORNING S-T-R-E-T-C-H character and legal ability, and their own private viewon religion really doesn’t enter into their decisions on this court. There may be an exception once in a while, butit would be very subtle.” The latest appointments by Gov. Mike Leavitt underscore the dominance of The Church of Jesus Tai Chi practitioners join togetherin a group exercise Saturday moming at Centen- ChristofLatter-day Saints in Utah affairs. “Anybody who lives here knows where all the power is,” says Matt Gilmore,90, a lawyer whofor many years was general counsel to the Utah Tax Commission. “You got a Supreme Court that’s all Mormon, a Legislature that’s practically all Mormon, an executive department headed up by a Mormon and a nial Park in West Valley City: More than 100 people gathered to perform a variety of styles of Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese exercise and selfdefense art. See SUPREME COURT,Page B-2 UTAH QUOTES “It's bizarre. It’s like having a multicultural conference and inviting white people. — Linda Chamberlain, Gay Les- yenEte it a eewore, itewi d Equity in Opportunity Conference ., 4) i big chains a bagel shop on ee Pheyflooded oe mores” andwe 8lodgers, of Rich's ls, “Boy, back then, that was pretty much God's country. The only bus went to 38rd South and we had to walk the on some Einstein/Noah bahshops fold: TOREES RD, ing in the —Mike MurrayPontybeetsin : “Hetested positive and has exhibited withdrawal symptoms, He'sa Syear-old addict.” — Lisa Jordan, Utah Child Protec. tive — on kids li o av mes ara there = met ie “T wanted to demonstrate my willingness to suffer for God, to show my Jah in him. — Jamil Hosnionhis pilgrimage up Mount Olympus —_a three- 4 & F' Lizzard |
