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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS 5 OpinionCommunity Letters Driving tips help take the Thank you legislators bite out of gasoline hikes WEDNESDAY MAY 17, 2000 thing about it. But!, maybe, they dont care, until it happens to them. Tom Ainge Kanab, Utah Continued from Page 4 $269.12 for the ambulance, plus $9.92 for mileage, to take me from the emergency room doors to the street by the Library, and put on the helicopter. This is not even 210th of a mile. These are just two charges I feel are way out of reason. With a new hospital just built, not built just why was a Heli-pa- d west of the ER, w ith a ramp from the ER to the pad? I would like to ask the Hospital Board to look into why people are being charged these outrageous prices for services, then do some Dear Editor: If your style is being cramped The Arizona Strip Chapter of PFUSA wish to thank all those who attended the April 29th Legislative meeting at the Fre-donHigh School. We w7ould especially like to thank legislators Gail Griffin, Sylvia Laugh- by the current price of gasoline, the Utah Office of Angry Services in the Utah Division of Community. Development has some tips to help make that precious fuel last a bit longer Avoid excessive idling. An ter, Jake Flake and Jean McGrath. We also extend thanks idling vehicle gets zero miles per gallon, and an idling engine proto those who traveled here. Thank you, duces more air pollution. Turn PFUSA, Arizona off and restart an engine when more than 60 seconds. Strip Chapter idling Combine short tips. Gasoline mileage is worse on trips of 10 miles or less from a cold start. Plan trips and combine errands, ia need to prune my trees this spring? Do I Answer by Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension Horticulturist There are many reasons a tree or shrub need to be pruned. For ornamental and shade trees: Remember that the tree limbs and branches will stay at the same height for the entire life of the tree. The growing point for a tree is located in the top terminal bud, and the rest of the tree will only grow in circumference. If the branch is four feet off the ground today, it will be four feet off the ground in 20 years. You can safely prune most trees through the end of May. Most pruning is done before the tree leaves out because it is easier to see where to prune and easier to get into the tree. Do very little pruning on ornamental trees. Prune wood that is dead, diseased or injured and branches that cross (rub) or grow back into the center of the tree or are out of place. Be sure to keep the natural shape of the tree intact. Fruit trees are normally trained and pruned to increase their productivity and keep their size under control. It is best to prime them on an annual basis, starting the first year they are planted. Too many people wait until the tree is five or ten years old before they consider pruning. Begin training a fruit tree the first year it is planted. Dont let first-tim- e pruning intimidate you. Decide for yourself how you want the tree to look in five, 10 or even 20 years, then start to shape it as you prune. The main objective of pruning fruit trees is to keep the tree open, allowing light to penetrate into the center of the tree. New fruit trees normally need four to six branches to form the lower scaffolding. In orchards, many trees are trained with a central leader, or main option for drivers would be to cent better mileage than when take the bus or ride light rail. Use alternative work schedtraveling at 70 miles per hour. ules. a emissions are cars Also, Try working a compressed workweek or telecommuting one cleanest at 55 mph. 10 in to Consider buying a reduce the number day car. The Honda Insight is of days necessary to commute. reported to obtain between 60-7- 0 Walk or tike when traveling miles per gallon, depending short distances. on city or highway use. The Using these tips will help Honda Civic ranges between 35-4- 5 avoid unnecessary stops at local mpg, the Toyota Echo be- gas stations, said Cara Weir, 55 mph, a vehicle gets 21 per- fuel-efficie- nt tween Information Specialist with the Utah Office of Energy Services. Many of them will also help improve air. quality in our surrounding communities. and the Mitsubishi miles per gallon. Mirage In addition, a growing variety of electric cars soon will enter the local automobile market. 34-4- 1 33-4- 0 consolidated trips reduce the Try carpooling or riding the bus. At todays gas prices, an number of miles driven. Keep tires inflated. Keeping average eight mile commute in a trunk, with many scaffolding them at correct psi levels im- compact car will cost approxid layers. For backyard orchard-ist- s proves mileage. mately $240 while the same comwith only a few trees its best tires waste fuel and increase tire mute in a sports utility vehicle to prune fruit trees as an open wear. can average as much as $345 per Durvase. An open vase tree has only Use windows properly. year. In a carpool or van pool one scaffolding layer and the cen- ing warmer weather, close win- with at least two other riders, a gSSI!fclP ter of the tree remains open. dows when driving at highway driver can save as much as $800 To create this shape keep five speeds and use the the to $1150 over a five-yeperic i, or so branches, three to five feet For driving, not to mention savings on vehicle off the ground, and spaced evenly open windows and turn off the wear and tear. Another relaxing around the tree. This is the air conditioner. framework for the open vase. As Remove excess weight from these branches grow they be- car. Also avoid using permanent come the major wood which pro- roof racks and bug deflectors (oiin (jib?5 duces the fruit. Picture the tree that add to wind drag. as a giant solar collector, and Keep vehicles properly tuned. space the branches around the Tw o bad spark plugs can reduce tree to optimize the amount of gas mileage by 20 percent. sun it can collect. Proper vehicle maintenance Apple, pear and cherry trees saves gas and money and renaturally try to grow a central duces engine wear. Consider buying an alternaleader, or a main trunk system. to create leader tive fuel vehicle. Natural gas costs Removing the an open vase makes the tree as much as 70 cents less per galtake on an unnatural shape. The lon than the present cost of regubranches may each try to be- lar gasoline and produces far less come the main trunk and grow air pollution. vehicles built fug to on this operate upright. Discourage by to els such as branches natural and in a progrow gas training horizontal direction by either pane can be switched back to gasotying them down with string, line when the alternative fuel isnt placing weights out on the ends available. Common alternative of the branches or placing a fuel vehicles include the Honda Half Off Houseboats from Hite Marina. spacer in the fork to force a wider Civic, Crown Victoria, Chevrolet Cavalier and several models of angle. Now through June 15th, tike a 44' or 50' Standard Class Most spacers are made with vans and pickups. Houseboat from Hite Marina on the north end of Lake Powell, a piece of 1 x 1 wood with finBe informed about effects of and we'll take 50 off die regular rates. Hey, when you can save ishing nails placed in both ends driving speeds. Drive at moderto keep it steady. Be careful ate speeds until the engine this kind of dough, what are you still doing on dry land? whenever bending and forcing reaches its normal operating tema branch down. Do this after perature. An automobile warms the sap starts to flow in the up faster when moving. If in tree so the wood is pliable. doubt, check the owners manual. Accelerate smoothly. Reach Begin forming only young wood branches. Do not try to bend cruising speed as quickly as trafany wood more than a year or fic allows, but remember, cars two old. This is another reason use more fuel when accelerating HurryfThere arc only so many houseboats available at Hrte and with the exceRent ftshmg, these boats wil 90 fast The sale pnees above are tor rentals. 6 and 7 day rentals arc abatable at to its important begin training than when cruising. similar savings! Prices dont include fuel and taxes. Rental requires a refundable damage deposit a tree when it is young and the Anticipate driving conditree is still pliable enough to tions. Keep an eye on traffic flow Cali us at (800) 799-792- 1 bend. and timing of traffic signals. www.visitlakepowell.com Leave spacers in the tree for Avoid constant accelerating and a year or two, then remove them braking, and decelerate or place them in another part of smoothly. Listen to traffic rethe tree. Trained wood will re- ports to avoid routes clogged with America's Natural Playground! o main that way for the rest of the traffic. . A& , .V ..?Driveatmoderatespeeds. Jtreelifq. im V trfr . Under-inflate- ar er. in-to- IkiU 3 Bi-fii- el cleaner-burnin- . ay stop-and-g- |