October 25, 2002 News Releases
Released 10/24/02
USU PROFESSORS TO PRESENT AT ANNUAL GEOLOGICAL
SOCIETY OF AMERICA MEETING
Logan
— Geoscientists from Utah State University will present
their research at the 114th annual meeting of the Geological
Society of America. The meeting will take place in Denver, Colo.,
Oct. 27-30, gathering approximately 6,300 geoscientists from
across the country.
The Utah State University geoscientists attending the conference
are Matt D. Anders, Erkan Istanbulluoglu, Rob D. Mackley, Joel
L. Pederson, Peter T. Kolesar, Jason E. Heath, Adrian K. Berry,
Ronald C. Counts, Kelly K. Bradbury, Stephanie M. Carney, Elizabeth
S. Langenburg, Paul A. Petersen, Carol M. Dehler, Isaac J. Larsen,
Lynde L Nanson, Anthony P. Williams and Susanne U. Janecke.
Topics to be presented at the meeting will include: “Geomorphology
in the Grand Canyon,” “Environmental Geoscience,”
“Quarternary Geology” and “Hydrogeology.”
October
24, 2002
Writer: Heidi Broadwater, hab@cc.usu.edu,797-1350
Contact: Ann Cairns, acairns@geosociety.org, (303) 357-1074
UTAH
STATE UNIVERSITY TO RECOGNIZE DIVERSITY AWARD RECIPIENTS
Logan — President Kermit Hall will honor the recipients
of the 9th Annual Utah State University Diversity Awards Tuesday,
Oct. 29, at 11:30 a.m. in the Sunburst Lounge in the Taggart
Student Center on campus.
The ceremony will be in conjunction with Diversity Week activities
sponsored by the Associated Students of Utah State University
(ASUSU). Everardo Martinez-Inzunza, Patricia Gantt, Marlene
Berger, Maure Smith and Steve and Johnnie Karren are the 2002
recipients of the honor, which recognizes individuals on campus
and in the Cache Valley community who have made significant
contributions to affirmative action, equal opportunity and diversity.
Martinez-Inzunza will be honored in the administrator category.
He is the director of the Multicultural Student Services Office
at Utah State. He took a program that served some 30 multicultural
students and transformed it into a program involving 500. He
increased opportunities for leadership development of minority
students by increasing the number of multicultural clubs from
5 to 14 and creating a class to prepare these students in principles
of leadership. He worked with school districts, schools, teachers
and parents in the community to develop ways to encourage multicultural
students to pursue a college education. His efforts have resulted
in an 18 percent increase in multicultural students entering
USU.
Gantt, an associate professor of English, will be honored in
the faculty category. Prior to her arrival at USU, she established
a Holocaust Resource Center (in cooperation with the U.S. Holocaust
Museum in Washington, D.C.), created a video used in HIV/AIDS
training for teachers and health professionals throughout North
Dakota and worked with North Dakota’s Ukranian Cultural
Center, resulting in her being named an honorary Ukranian citizen.
She mentored classes at Sky View and Mountain Crest high schools
and led the Mountain Crest English department in a total revision
of its literature curriculum to include authors and perspectives
not previously taught. The new curriculum won regional recognition.
Berger will receive the award in staff category. She is assistant
to the vice president for Extension with responsibilities as
EEO civil rights coordinator for Extension. As the Utah State
Extension civil rights coordinator, Berger advocated and helped
to develop and implement numerous programs to increase availability
of and participation in various Extension programs by under-served
and minority audiences throughout Utah. She worked closely with
and was recognized numerous times by the Cooperative State Research,
Education and Extension Service/U.S. Department of Agriculture
(CSREES/USDA) civil rights office. This close association allowed
Berger to bring several national speakers to USU Extension conferences
and programs. From February 1999 to February 2001, she worked
for the Farm Services Agency to help bring its civil rights
and diversity requirements into compliance.
Smith, an undergraduate student in English, will receive recognition
in the student category. Smith was recognized for bringing great
sensitivity and courage in dealing publicly with the controversial
issue of sexual orientation in Cache Valley. As a co-chair of
the Pride! Alliance at USU, she frequently participated in panel
discussions relating to issues of sexual orientation. She helped
organize and continues to be active in Sappho, an organization
for lesbians and bi-sexual women. She was involved in organizing
and participating in a program at Chapter Two Books featuring
lesbian women musicians and poets. Smith received the Gay and
Lesbian Diversity Scholarship, awarded to someone actively engaged
in promoting acceptance and understanding of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual
and transgender diversity issues through education at Utah State
and in the community at large.
Steve and Johnnie Karren will receive the award for the community
category. They have worked extensively with international students
and their families. Both Steve and Johnnie served in a number
of positions with the Community/University Friends of Foreign
Students (CUFFS) committee. This committee coordinates and provides
community support to international students. Steve served as
chairman of this committee for a number of years. They have
coordinated host families throughout the community to invite
international students into their homes. In a typical semester,
arrangements are made for about 100 students to develop meaningful
relationships with community members. They have led by example
as virtually every holiday has found a group of international
students in their home. Some international students have even
accompanied the family on vacations to Lake Powell and Yellowstone
National Park. Both Steve and Johnnie currently teach a weekly
class to spouses of international students to help them feel
comfortable in their new environment. They both taught English
as a Second Language in local high schools, to individuals and
larger community groups.
For more information about the awards or the awards presentation,
call the Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Office at Utah
State, (435) 797-1266.
October
24, 2002
Writer: Heidi Broadwater, hab@cc.usu.edu, 797-1350
Contact: David Ottley, daveo@champ.usu.edu, 797-1266
LOGAN
RIVER FIRST DAM DEDICATION
LOGAN — Utah State University and government officials,
engineers, contractors, architects and guests were on hand for
ceremonies Oct. 23 marking the completion of rehabilitation
work on the Logan River First Dam. The dam is owned and operated
by Utah State University. The completed work brings the dam
up to current state and federal dam safety guidelines.
A number of people spoke during the dedication ceremony, including
Darrell Hart, assistant vice president for Facilities at Utah
State; Fred Hunsaker, Utah State’s vice president for
Administrative Services; Carey Gunnell, representing general
contractor Spindler Construction Co.; and Stanley Kane, director
of Facilities, Design and Construction at Utah State.
The project included two construction phases — the first
in 1993 and the second that began in the winter of 2002, one
of Cache Valley’s coldest winters. Several of the speakers
noted that delays were not possible because work had to be completed
by spring run-off.
The First Dam rehabilitation project ensures public safety,
while adding benefits to Utah State and the community. The dam
generates some 350 kw of power used on the university campus.
It provides a controlled water flow for study at the Utah Water
Research Laboratory and supports agriculture via a series of
canals. It also provides numerous recreational opportunities
in a beautiful setting.
“This has been a huge project,” said Vice President
Hunsaker. “It’s been good for the environment and
good for Utah State University. It’s been a significant
project for all involved, difficult at times, but to use a popular
phrase, ‘All’s well that ends well.’”
Work completed in the second rehabilitation phase included a
number of items. Mass concrete was used to buttress the entire
dam, including the spillway and powerhouse. Obermeyer crest
gates (controlled by filling or deflating air bladders) were
installed. The spillway was rebuilt and a stilling basin was
added directly below it. Downstream overtopping protection was
added and the old power plant was removed and replaced.
A new turbine/generator was installed with a fully integrated
computerized control system. A valved diversion pipe was installed
and can later be converted to accept a second turbine/generator
unit.
The non-overflow dam and powerhouse segments were raised by
four feet, and the existing spillway apron and training walls
were removed and replaced.
Those involved in the project include the State of Utah’s
Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Water Resources.
Engineers included the firms of DMJM+Harris of Salt Lake City
and ECI of Greenwood Village, Colo. General contractor for the
project was Spindler Construction Co. of Logan.
October 24, 2002
Contact: Darrell Hart (435) 797-1952
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354
ASK
A SPECIALIST: WHY ARE BOXELDER BUGS SO PREVALENT THIS YEAR?
Feel
like the oval-shaped, black and red bugs are taking over? You're
not alone. Boxelder bugs have been especially troublesome this
year.
These insects have been a widespread problem because they thrive
in hot, dry conditions. Multiple years of Utah drought have
allowed higher than average survival rates. (And since there
are no major insect parasites or diseases that affect them,
their survival rate is already high.) Warm temperatures during
the summer promote fast development and growth and, thus, a
higher population of insects. You're not imagining it, they
really are worse this year. Consider this information.
• Adult boxelder bugs like to spend the winter in dry,
sheltered areas, such as in foundation cracks and crevices,
windows, leaves, hedges and ditches. They often become active
on warm winter days and emerge from their hiding places, then
return to their shelter as temperatures drop at the end of the
day. Boxelder bugs prefer warm surfaces and are often found
in large numbers on the south side of houses and buildings.
•
Boxelder bugs enjoy a number of hosts including maple and ash
trees, strawberries, plums, cherries, peaches, apples, grapes
and grasses. However, the largest numbers can be found on female
boxelder trees where they feed primarily on the developing seeds.
•
These bugs are generally not considered injurious to ornamental
plantings, but are known to damage fruit. Damage to strawberries
and other fruits occurs primarily in the fall when the bugs
migrate from boxelder trees to winter quarters. Where the bugs
have fed, you may see dimples, scars, fruit deformation, corky
tissue and premature fruit drop.
•
The biggest concern with boxelder bugs is that they are a nuisance.
In the fall, they often congregate in large numbers on structures
seeking an entry point. Once inside, the bugs may stain upholstery,
carpets, drapes and may feed on house plants. They are harmless
to people, pets and structures, however.
•
To reduce the entry of bugs into homes, caulk or seal openings
or cracks in foundations, around windows, and around plumbing,
gas or electrical conduits. Place weather stripping around doors
and windows. Screen attic vents and repair broken windows and
screens. Expanding foam sealants may also help.
•
Small numbers of bugs gaining entry to the house can be killed
with a fly swatter. Larger invasions can be removed with a vacuum
cleaner. Remember to discard the dust bag after collection.
•
Boxelder bugs, particularly the nymphs, are easily drowned.
Giving them a hard spray with a garden hose is an easy way to
help reduce their numbers outside.
•
Boxelder bug populations can also be reduced by removal of female
boxelder trees. However, the overall value of the tree usually
far outweighs the potential benefit of reducing the bugs.
•
Treatment of tree trunks or barrier treatments around the tree
base in late summer and early fall can help reduce the numbers
of overwintering adults. (However, large nymphs and adults are
more tolerant to insecticides.) Diazinon 25 percent EC (emulsifiable
concentrate) may be applied as a foliar spray at the rate of
one to three fluid ounces per three gallons of water. Sevin
(carbaryl) 50 percent WP (wettable powder) may be applied at
the rate of two tablespoons per gallon of water.
•
Inspection of outdoor areas can help locate host trees and overwintering
sites. Populations of congregating bugs can be reduced by spraying
them directly with diazinon 25 percent EC at the rate of eight
fluid ounces per three gallons of water. Do not treat plants
with this rate, as damage may occur. Periodic reapplication
will be required as long as bugs continue to congregate. Remember
to read and follow all pesticide label directions, and do not
treat sites not listed on the label or exceed label application
rates.
•
Since many insecticides require temperatures of 55 degrees F
and above for activity, it is not recommended to spray the bugs
with pesticides in the winter. Use water or mechanical means
to remove congregating bugs during this time.
* To see other "Ask A Specialist" columns, visit http//extension.usu.edu/publica/news/aska/
________
Direct column topics to Julene Reese, Utah State University
Extension, Logan, UT 84322-4900; 435-797-1363; julener@sunrem.com
Answer
by Diane Alston and Alan H. Roe, Utah State University Extension
Entomologists
LIVABLE
CITIES: AN OXYMORON? UTAH STATE SERIES ADDRESSES URBAN PLANNING
LOGAN—Stephen
Goldsmith is a man with a mission.
He began his career as a starving artist and evolved into a
visionary, award-winning urban planner. But his artistic sensibility
wasn’t left behind. In a slide show of before and after
projects throughout Salt Lake City, it appears that everything
he touches becomes beautiful.
Goldsmith’s presentation at the Utah State University
Natural Resources and Environmental Policy Program this week
detailed his journey from sculptor to Salt Lake City planning
director.
That journey started with a simple, almost desperate quest to
find affordable housing. What he found was a 1910 dilapidated
warehouse on Salt Lake City’s west side. The basement
was filled with hazardous waste. A terrible stink assaulted
the nostrils. Living in the area was actually illegal, according
to zoning laws.
But Goldsmith saw potential.
He and his colleagues contacted landscape architects at Utah
State University, who advised them to reclaim toxic soil by
removing poisons and planting gardens. They hired homeless people
and pitched in to create a green walkway around the building.
Salt Lake saw its first artist lofts, and he and others set
up studios.
But their home was still surrounded by blight. After being turned
down by every bank he approached, Goldsmith asked Salt Lake
City for funds to reclaim a second warehouse. He was persistent,
and official reluctance eventually wore down. He and his colleagues
received a grant.
One hundred and fifty bemused people attended the “Wall
Breaking,” a careful brick-bashing session which let streams
of sunlight into the high-ceilinged warehouse and opened up
a view of the Wasatch Mountains. In an effort to recycle resources,
a crane plucked an unwanted skylight off another building and
installed it atop the newly rehabilitated building. Three hundred
people were soon on a waiting list to move in, and the project
garnered national attention.
That area, once an abandoned, industrial wasteland, is now known
as The Gateway District. The small, initial investment was only
seed money, as it turned out. Salt Lake recently saw $750 million
invested in the neighborhood.
“Once people see the conversion of old neighborhoods,
once they experience it, they realize the potential and policies
change,” said Goldsmith.
On the west side of Salt Lake City, one man’s vision,
or desperation, illuminated the possibilities.
Goldsmith and a team of professionals have gone on to create
parks and public sculptures using salvaged building materials.
They uncovered streams buried under years of concrete and reclaimed
dying neighborhoods.
Part mystic, part planner, Goldsmith wants residents to recognize
that the waters pouring out of the seven canyons around the
metropolis are “sacred waterways that give life to that
valley.”
For Goldsmith, urban planning is about more than placing a structure
on a piece of real estate. It’s about social justice and
community ownership. It’s about recognizing the aesthetic
potential, taking into account the history and feel of a place,
recognizing how light and wind touch the buildings, knowing
which native plants will thrive in hard-scrabble areas and seeing
the relationships between people, place and the structures we
live and do business in.
“Everything is connected,” he told the crowd at
Utah State. “Our modern cities often create a displacement
of our goals, our desires and our spirits.”
Goldsmith believes that over-reliance on the automobile is responsible
for the development of cities that have lost their soul.
“The automobile,” he said, “created a tectonic
shift which buried America’s potential. When car, oil
and tire companies bought up mass transit systems across the
country in the 1940s and dismantled them, they dismantled an
aesthetic and a social structure as well.
“Nothing exists in a vacuum. We buy our car. We fill it
up with gas. The ecological footprint of how we get a gallon
of gas out of the ground and how we manufacture it is enormous.
Even the particles wearing off car tires go into the air, into
our water and into our lungs.
“Seniors now live in second-ring suburbs tied to cars,”
Goldsmith continued. “As they age, they lose their ability
to drive. Then they become isolated, they lose their independence,
they get depressed. Meanwhile, kids rely on parents to cart
them everywhere, parents become stressed at their over-taxed
lives, commutes grow more congested and people become more stressed.
“The automobile continues to drive development patterns
and public policy, and to create health problems, environmental
problems and social isolation.”
Goldsmith’s life mission has been to help create communities
which are more compact, more aesthetic and more livable. And
he doesn’t always like the word “sustainability.”
“Who wants to be in a marriage based on sustainability?”
he asked. He feels that our cities should do more than provide
a practical way of coping. They should nurture. They should
offer beauty and a sense of place.
The vivacious Goldsmith is an eternal optimist, hopeful that
an emerging consciousness will help citizens reclaim neighborhoods,
cities and public policy.
“That consciousness,” Goldsmith said, “is
based both on a realization of our opportunities and on a growing
fear of what we are doing to the planet.”
Goldsmith has won awards, titles and recognition. But he prefers
simply to be introduced as a “homemaker.” Showing
a slide of the earth from space, he concluded, “This is
my home.”
Established in 1992, the Natural Resource and Environmental
Policy Program at Utah State University administers graduate
certificate programs in Natural Resource and Environmental Policy,
and in the National Environmental Policy Act.
“The program also coordinates a policy-related seminar
series,” said Director Joanna Endter-Wada.
“The series seeks to stimulate the search for innovative,
workable solutions to challenges involved in developing environmental
policies and to facilitate public involvement in decision-making,”
she said.
Upcoming seminars will feature Congressman James Hansen, chair
of the House Resources Committee; Dick Carter, environmental
advocate and founder of the high Uintas Preservation Council;
Steve Boch, staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness
Alliance (SUWA); Stephen Trimble, naturalist, writer and photographer;
Lee Austin and Howard Berkes, with National Public Radio; and
Dianne R. Nielson, executive director of Utah's Department of
Environmental Quality. The series is sponsored by the College
of Natural Resources; the College of Humanities, Arts and Social
Sciences; and the S.J. and Jesse E. Quinney Foundation.
For more information contact Judith Kurtzman at 435-797-0922.
Date: October 24, 2002
Writer: Nadene Steinhoff, nadene.Steinhoff@usu.edu 435-797-1429
Contact: Joanna Endter-Wada, endter@cnr.usu.edu or Judith Kurtzman,
INK"mailto:judyk@cnr.usu.edu"judyk@cnr.usu.edu
DIVERSITY
WEEK CELEBRATES EVERYONE’S CULTURE
LOGAN—Nationally acclaimed director Evan Adams will be
Utah State’s speaker as part of Diversity Week events
that start Monday, Oct. 28, and end Nov. 1 with the Associated
Students of Utah State University’s (ASUSU) Diversity
Carnival.
Adams is an Emmy nominated television and film actor, poet,
playwright, dancer and medical doctor. Former president of one
of North America’s first AIDS education foundations, “Healing
our Spirit,” he has spoken to groups all over the world.
Adams is the author of a number of award-winning stage productions
and has starred in two Sherman Alexie films, “Smoke Signals”
and “The Business of Fancydancing.”
“Adams is a very eclectic. Being Native American, a doctor,
dancer, film star, playwright, speaker and leader, he caught
my attention because I wanted Utah State students to see how
dynamic he is,” said Tiffany Leo, ASUSU diversity vice
president. “ He relates so well to all audiences and his
speech will be a unique blend of education, entertainment and
quite a few laughs. I’m excited to listen to him.”
“Diversity. It’s in you,” is the motto of
Diversity Week as Utah State promises activities for every student,
encouraging them to celebrate their culture. During the week,
there will be activities all day, everyday, providing opportunities
for everyone to participate.
Monday will begin with the chance to break a pinata at 11:30
a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at several locations on campus.
Students can also help create diversity quilts set up at tables,
also at different locations around campus, including the International
Lounge in the Taggart Student Center (TSC). The day will end
with the showing of the movie “Smoke Signals,” starring
Evan Adams.
Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. there will be a multicultural dance performance
in the Sunburst Lounge. President Hall will then present Utah
State’s Diversity Awards. Later that day there will be
an Assistive Technology Fair at noon in the TSC Ballroom.
Wednesday will begin with speaker Evan Adams at 11:30 a.m. in
the TSC Ballroom, where free Aggie ice cream and hot chocolate
will be served. From 9 a.m.until 3 p.m. students are invited
to help make diversity quilts in the International Lounge. Wednesday
at 8 p.m. there will be a showing of the movie “The Other
Sister,” in the TSC Auditorium, as another part of Diversity
Week.
Thursday begins with Lunch for the Bunch at the LDS Institute
Cultural Hall in coordination with the Black Student Union.
Lunch will cost $2. At 1:30 p.m. there will be an Academic Council
Spelling Bee in the International Lounge in the TSC. The Chi
Omega Halloween Carnival will be held from 4 - 6 p.m. in the
Nelson Field House.
Friday, ASUSU will host the Diversity Carnival from 5 - 11 p.m.
on the TSC second floor. Admission is free with student identification,
or $2 without.
“Diversity Week gives us the opportunity to learn about
cultures, lifestyles and experiences different from our own
and to appreciate the people we are in contact with every day,”
said Leo. “It is a time to celebrate, to have fun and
to enjoy the company of others.”
For more information check out Utah State’s Web site calendar
of events at http://www.usu.edu/calendar or contact Tiffany
Leo at tiffalo@hotmail.com.
October
24, 2002
Writer: Mykel France, (435) 797-1351
Contact: Tiffany Leo, (435) 797-8153
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