News

Smithfield seeks facts behind doubling of sewage service price
09/29/03 SMITHFIELD -- Grumbles multiplied as the City Council vented concern over growing sewage prices. / By Heather Strasburg

NATURE'S PAINTBRUSH: Scrub oaks point to the coming of winter in Sardine Canyon. / Photo by Nancy Williams

Five seek seats on Clarkston town council
09/29/03 Clarkston residents nominated five of their counterparts to take a shot at three open chairs around the Town Council table: Randy Jardine, Jane Sparks, Kelly May, Bryan Goodsell and Brent Godfrey. / By Irene Hannagan

Trenton will enforce 5-acre requirement for businesses
09/29/03 "This is real bulls--t," business owner Mark Spackman told the Planning and Zoning Commission. "Because I own less than 5 acres, I am forced to close my business." / By Young Joon Lim

Flame of desire burns hot for Paradise fire station
09/25/03 PARADISE -- The town is broke and its dilapidated fire station isn't far behind. The former schoolhouse is full of a mishmash of emergency vehicles, ranging from a Chevrolet Silverado to a Mercedes Unimog, or as Paradise Fire Department secretary Jeremy Otero called it, a "mountain goat on wheels." / By Tyler Riggs

Geologists look for fault line in the hills east of North Logan
09/25/03 Western Geologic has dug a trench that runs east to west about 3 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 1,000 feet long into the side of the mountain above North Logan. / By Earl Scott

It's the end of the (water) line for River Heights residents
09/25/03 RIVER HEIGHTS -- Public works director Kent Parker announced in City Council meeting Tuesday that the laying of the water line on 700 South will be completed this weekend. As a result, construction on residential connections will begin. / By Tamber Mickelson

USU expands awareness of rape with variety of programs
09/25/03 "When it comes to rape most people think of the offender as someone hiding in the bushes or they picture the guy as Hollywood portrays him -- unemployed, unshaven, wearing a tank top or drunk," said USU police Lt. Steven Milne. The reality is much different. / By Shanna Nielsen

Amalga: Before it was the cheese capital, there was sugar
09/24/03 AMALGA -- If you visit you'll find pine-crested mountains with crystal streams flowing down an age-old river, its banks lined with brush and willows along patches of sagebrush and meadows. / By Amber Bailey

LAST CALL FOR PETUNIAS: Flowers and local fruit are still abundant on Brigham City's famous "fruit way" along U.S. 89/91. / Photo by Nancy Williams

Lewiston council passes three fee increases
09/22/03 LEWISTON -- Water may be scarce in Lewiston this year, but there is no shortage of the green stuff -- money that is. Three motions were passed at the City Council meeting Wednesday to increase fees on water. / By Seth Quillen

Mountain Men thank Hyrum for hosting their camp
09/22/03 HYRUM -- The City Council meeting was invaded by mountain men Thursday night. But they only stayed long enough to thank the council for giving them a place to hold their annual rendezvous and to present a $1,000 check. / By Loni Stapley

Dilemma of access and development concerns Wellsville council
09/22/03 WELLSVILLE -- The City Council is facing a dilemma concerning "landlocking" current residents or letting them develop land, adding unwanted traffic on small town roads. / By Katie Rasmussen

Nibley parks soon may post 'open' and closed' hours
09/22/03 NIBLEY -- Parks in Nibley may soon have park hours enforced, the City Council decided Thursday after a resident brought up the concern. The council decided to place park hours on their agenda for its next meeting Oct. 2. / By Emilie Holmes

ADIOS, SUMMER: The sun sets at Black Point Beach, Maine, as summer winds to a close. Utah's snow Wednesday reminds us (as if we needed reminding) of the approach of cooler weather. / Photo by Nancy Williams

What's so rich about Richmond? There's a wealth of answers but a poverty of agreement
09/19/03 For some, Richmond is known for not knowing what it's known for. Confused? It has been the topic of debate in Richmond for quite some time. How did Richmond get its name? Why is Richmond, Richmond? / By Nick Robbins

Paradise pressing for cleanup of junk in yards
09/19/03 PARADISE -- Paradise residents not in compliance with the town's trash and waste storage ordinance have 30 days to become compliant, or further action will be taken. / By Tyler Riggs

Want to be Millville mayor? Act soon!
09/19/03 MILLVILLE -- If you've lived in this city for more than a year, are a registered voter and a citizen of the United States, than you could be the next mayor of Millville. / By Jack Saunders

Trenton town hall now open two days a week
09/18/03 TRENTON -- With a population of less than 450, the town hall used to be available only when the City Council met on the first Thursday of every month -- unless residents made a reservation and paid for using it. / By Young Joon Lim

Hyde Park holds its 'Grassroots Convention'
09/18/03 HYDE PARK -- Round up your friends and neighbors folks -- it's time again for the nominating convention for city officials of Hyde Park. This year there are three council positions open for election, according to Mayor David Kooyman. / By Jennifer Geisler

Providence man dishes up good news in 'Strictly Cache Valley'
09/18/03 PROVIDENCE -- Its motto is getting the good news out. And Providence publisher Lee Everton is getting the good news out to the tune of 10,500 copies per week in his online magazine, Strictly Cache Valley. / By Kelly Hafen

Hard News Cafe takes two national journalism awards
09/17/03 The Hard News Cafe won two second-place awards in the Society of Professional Journalists' national Mark of Excellence Awards competition for 2002. Our congratulations to Marie Griffin and Joseph M. Dougherty, who worked together on one story, and to opinion writer Leon D'Souza. / By the department of journalism and communication

Clarkston bumps up bounced-check charge to $15
09/17/03 CLARKSTON -- Rubber checks will hopefully stop bouncing down Main Street to Town Hall in Clarkston. A resolution to assign a returned check fee to bounced water bill payments was the first of many topics for the Town Council meeting Thursday. / By Irene Hannagan

Cache Humane Society to open new animal shelter
09/16/03 We’ve all seen those posters on light posts and stop signs with the tragic declaration: “LOST DOG.” But what usually happens to our vanished pets? According to Cache Humane Society advisory board member Don Barringer, wandering animals are taken to one of 17 city-contracted private facilities in Cache County and, if left unclaimed, they are put under in two to five days. / By Justin Lafeen

SHELTER FOR CHESTER AND PALS: Chester, above, a 1-year-old bloodhound available for adoption from the Cache Humane Society, was found emaciated in the woods, where he'd apparently been abandoned. Below, members of the Cache Humane Society board inspect the new animal shelter building, going up on Valley View Highway west of Logan, where dogs such as Chester will await new homes. The shelter, built largely with donated materials and funded by contributions, should be roofed soon and open for business this winter. / Photos by Ted Pease

No more open parties for the Greeks
09/15/03 "Frat Row" is about to see a few changes to a common way of life. When walking along a short stretch of 800 East Street directly opposite of Utah State University, travelers will no longer see A-frames advertising weekend parties at fraternity houses. / By Jamie Karras

Managing wildfires means speaking language of wind, mountains, fuel, expert says
09/11/03 One of the country's foremost experts on wildfires and fire management suggested three narratives for fire problems in a speech Wednesday at USU. Dr. Stephen J. Pyne, an Arizona State University professor and author of 16 books, called the first narrative the industrial one, "the story we share with everywhere else on the planet. We've all gathered fire." / By Mattias Petry

USU researcher finds press distortion on domestic violence
09/09/03 Newspaper reporters tend to distort the issue of domestic violence. At least, that's the conclusion reached so far by a USU professor studying press coverage of such violence in two states. / By Matthias Petry

Engineering students building nanosatellite
09/08/03 When it comes to money, $100,000 may seem like a lot. But to Utah State University students building a satellite, it seems like pocket change. / By Jamie Karras

'Connections' program gets freshmen off and running
09/05/03 Make new friends so you'll have someone to hang out with when you get in a fight with your roommate. Earn an "easy" two credits and give your GPA a fighting chance at being good. Get familiar with campus so you're one of the few freshmen who can interpret the "ESLC" and "PSYAL" building abbreviations on your schedule. / By Myrica Hawker

Garrett Blonquist, Sigma Chi president, gestures as he explains the physical limits of relationships. / Photo by Justin Lafeen

USU men grapple with dating roles, expectations in 'Red Zone' panel
09/05/03 So you thought that only women were affected by the "Red Zone?" Think again. / By Justin Lafeen

Features

Mendon's small-town greenhouse grew from hobby to business
09/30/03 MENDON -- Drive by this place fast and you might mistake it for a location to buy groceries, with its two soda machines resting on the porch and the nostalgic old-town store flair./ By Joel Featherstone

Tremonton's small piece of history in the middle of town
09/30/03 TREMONTON -- In one building in Tremonton you can see parts of history, as well as being able to hear about it. The Tremonton City Museum contains mementoes from many of the early settlers of Tremonton and surrounding areas. / By Rachel R. Keoppel

Cache Valley Cheese brings Amalga a 'hole' lot of town pride
09/29/03 AMALGA -- This town got a "hole" lot more appetizing. Because of its Swiss cheese, of course. Amalga's Cache Valley Cheese Plant was recognized as "second place Swiss" in this year's U.S. Championship Cheese Contest. / By Amber Bailey

Looking for fun in Providence? Try miniature golf
09/29/03 PROVIDENCE -- Live bands, 50-cent drinks, free insect repellent and a clipboard to keep track of scores: the Willows Miniature Golf Park in Providence breathes new life to the valley. / By Kelly Hafen

'Deaf Culture Jeopardy' speaks loud and clear on a bit of the American story
09/26/03 What do the founder of the Girl Scouts, the man who invented the newspaper classifieds and athletes who developed the football huddle have in common? / By Myrica Hawker

HELLO, MY NAME IS: A warm Saturday afternoon in the autumn-colored foothills is a great time for a hike. A fluffly cloud floats overhead; a hawk circles the fields; the deep reds and oranges of the oaks are eye candy. But wait! What's that noise? . . . There's no mistaking the buzz of a rattler politely introducing itself and reminding you who was here first. / Photo by John Cushman (who took this picture after his feet landed on the earth again)

Tremonton big on activities, community involvement
09/23/03 TREMONTON -- There is a city located in the north area of Utah that may be small in size but is large in activity. This city is made up of roughly 6,000 residents and over a hundred different recreational activities and community events. This city is Tremonton. / By Rachel R. Keoppel

Mendon's librarian drives into town and knows everyone's name
09/23/03 MENDON -- For just one hour a week the town of Mendon has its own library fully equipped with a selection ranging from romance novels to children's picture books and a librarian who knows everybody's name -- and it's all on wheels. / By Joel Featherstone

Parade of Homes runs through River Heights
09/22/03 RIVER HEIGHTS -- Craig M. Smith, said his wife was so excited about entering the house in the Parade of Homes that he decided to name the home after her: Rebekah. / By Tamber Mickelson

Fall's TV lineup features more gay characters
09/16/03 From Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and It's All Relative to Boy Meets Boy and the long-running favorite Will & Grace, some of the biggest networks are presenting a nothing less than flamboyant fall lineup this year, which asks the question: Is America coming out of the closet?/ By Shanna Nielsen

TO TOOT OR NOT TO TOOT: Blaaaatt is the question. Austrian horn blowers blow from the bottom of their lungs and the tops of the peaks at Snowbird as part of the Oktoberfest Celebrations this week. / Photo special to the Hard News Cafe by Sjaan Fielding

USU students learn ethnography in Peru includes bug bites, salsa, surfing
09/04/03 For 33 days this summer, 11 USU students lived out of a hotel in Huanchaco, a small fishing village in Peru, while studying anthropology, the Spanish language and Peruvian culture. / By Shanna Nielsen

Identity theft victim finds $22,000 charge he didn't make, laws stacked against him
09/02/03 Involuntary Repossession. Those are the words that haunt Bryan Williams' credit report. Words he didn't put there, words he didn't know about. The amount? $22,000. / By Jamie Karras

Sports

Fiefia runs for 142 yards and two touchdowns as Aggies break into the win column
09/28/03 With a swarming defense and an efficient offense, the Utah State football team went over, around and through the University of Louisiana-Monroe for a 28-10 victory Saturday in front of 19,215 fans. / By Earl Scott

Beating Utah and BYU? Yeah, that's nice, but volleyball coach really wants a league title
09/26/03 While it is important for Utah State to beat in-state rivals, the volleyball team is focusing on winning a conference championship this year. It's a tall order for a talented but young team. / By Earl Scott

Marathoners Nathan and Christine Hult round a corner Saturday in Providence about five miles from the finish line of the Top of Utah. Some 1,729 registered runners from 38 states and five foreign nations competed over the 26.2-mile course. The fastest time was recorded by Alexander Pachev of Provo, who finished in 2:27:46. The fastest woman was Zuzana Sarikova of Salt Lake City at 2:47:33. / Photo by Nancy Williams

Top of Utah soars to new Heights
09/22/03 RIVER HEIGHTS -- Saturday morning a dozen volunteers lined the street on 600 East between 400 and 500 South in River Heights to welcome hundreds of runners with music, bananas, orange wedges, water, and purple, red and orange Gatorade. / By Tamber Mickelson

Never mind the bruises -- new women's hockey team looks forward to aggressive play
09/19/03 Blades cutting into the ice, sticks slapping pucks, tempers flaring -- all sights sports fans would expect to see on a hockey rink. This year there's an added twist to the local teams. Cache Valley's first women's hockey team, the Cache Valley Freeze, is gearing up to begin play next month. / By Earl Scott

North Logan ice rink a popular spot
09/18/03 Twenty months after opening, the Eccles Ice Center is keeping with its original community-based plan. There is public skating and a number of programs for people of all abilities and ages. The school outreach program has had 8,000 K-12 students participating. / By Earl Scott

Softball team focusing on a more aggressive offense, end to stranded base runners
09/11/03 Tough early season losses took a toll on last year's Utah State University softball team, but this year's squad has a enthusiastic, ready-to-play attitude heading into the new season. / By Earl Scott

'We're ready to sweat,' new coach vows 09/04/03 As a player, women's basketball coach Raegan Scott-Pebley wasn't blessed with great athleticism; she relied on brains and hard work to start in the WNBA. / By Earl Scott

On her two favorite NBA players: "I respect how hard they work in the off season. . . . Karl Malone is hard-nosed and Reggie Miller hustles like a 20-year-old. I like that type of player."

Lifestyles

Hyrum State Park still a secret to some
09/29/03 Hyrum has a secret. Well, sort of. The lake mentioned above is actually Hyrum Dam and is a part of Hyrum State Park. The park is a mere 15-minute drive from Logan, yet its existence is not widely known. Or in some cases, people simply don't realize it's an official state park. / By Loni Stapley

An aMAZEing time: USU students ham it up in the Green Canyon Corn Maze. / Photo by Jamie Karras

Is it fun getting lost in the corn? There's a kernel of truth there
09/23/03 "Turn right at the next corn stalk!" Sounds easy enough, right? Wait until you're surrounded by 13 acres of corn stalks. As the leaves begin to change color, Cache Valley residents start to notice corn mazes popping up. / By Jamie Karras

Ask, talk and discover the sexiness of communication, date expert says
09/11/03 "He opens the door. Out of nowhere, the music kicks in. They look at each other with that look. . . . They do that walk, and they just start wildly going at it." It's a scene you've seen a hundred times on television soap operas and romantic movies. / By Myrica Hawker

SO, YOU LIKE PINK?: The setting sun lights up evening clouds like neon signs over Petersboro. / Photo by Ted Pease

Opinion

Winter tanning beds can hurt skin as much as summer sun
09/25/03 We all love the outdoors. Whether it's camping, hiking, swimming, or just playing in the park, summertime means being outside, and being outside means sun exposure. / By Kirsten Nielsen

A primer on tipping: Giving 10 percent is ignorant or cruel
09/25/03 The art of tipping can be tricky, but is it truly a more difficult task for people in Logan than people in other parts of the country? Do people here honestly believe that up to 10 percent of the bill is a sufficient tip, or do they just not know how to tip appropriately? / By Lara Louder

Give working students a break -- pay us a living wage!
09/24/03 The phrase, "I am getting paid $5.15 an hour, but I couldn't find anything better here in Logan," is a sentence many of us have repeated. Five dollars and 15 cents an hour is what 14-year-olds get paid when they start their first fast-food job. But that's what USU students have to settle for. / By Crystalyn Flitton

With courage, you can experience the world here at home
09/24/03 "Señor!" yells Pedro, a student from Equador, upon my arrival into our 20-man fraternity house. A look to the left reveals a shorter Japanese student mopping the floor, and as I glance to the right, there is Ricardo, as Brazilian as they come, with an easy-going, happy-go-lucky attitude written all over his tanned scruffy face. / By Justin Lafeen

Don't let your life be ruled by your fears
09/22/03 Fear is an emotion that every woman has felt at one time in her life. But fear does not have to govern our footsteps. / By Ginger Kelley

Parents, keep your kids out of court, please
09/19/03 The judge looked to Jacob before he passed sentence and inquired as to when the young man would "clean up his act?" When the boy didn't answer, the judge turned his head and asked Jacob's mother the same question. Her reply? "I can't do a thing with him." / By Danial Dew

Conserve water, Utah -- you are a desert state, after all
09/19/03 It's not time to freak out, but we should be more careful what we use our precious water resources for and above all how we use them. / By Matthias Petry

Who decides for Parker Jensen? (Hint: Who knows the most?)
09/18/03 The parents' rights are drawing a lot of support and sympathy from citizens of Utah, especially because many Utahns can see a little of themselves and their families in the Jensen family. But do rights equal rightness? / By Myrica Hawker

Arts

Monks create 'compassion' mandala in Logan
09/19/03 Visiting Buddhist monks from Tibet's Deprung Loseling Monestary are creating a mandala representing "compassion" at the Cache Valley Center for the Arts in downtown Logan. / By Justin Lafeen

ONE GRAIN AT A TIME: Monks from Tibet's Drepung Loseling Monastery create a mandala, a detailed sand painting that, in this instance, represents compassion. Click the image above to enlarge. / Photos by Justin Lafeen

Photo-realist artist pulls poetry out of downtown shopping areas
09/17/03 It was just a visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art, but it changed the life of Robert Cottingham forever when he saw Edward Hopper's Early Sunday Morning."That painting had something that was so powerful. I literally discovered a new language, a visual language," Cottingham recalls now, 56 years later, of his first exposure to photo-realism. / By Matthias Petry