Logan residents want dogs in parks

By Mark Rosa

On Nov. 17, during the Logan City Municipal Council meeting discussion on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update set to pass in 2016, Councilwoman Holly Daines voiced her concern that despite resident demand, the new plan update made no provisions to change city policy to allow dogs in public parks. Although Recreation, Arts, Parks and Zoos tax support was given to the Cache Valley Humane Society to open a dog park on-site to help address the demand, some Logan residents believe their needs are not being met.

Councilwoman Daines said the dog policy is one of the categories that gets the highest percentage of comments in the yearly resident satisfaction survey, so she was surprised to see there was no specific mention of the policy in the newly finalized departmental plan update. Due to the number of resident comments and concerns she believes it’s time to have a discussion about where the city is going concerning this issue.

“We should have a little bit more of a conversation and maybe address that in the plan,” said Daines.

According to Cath Manrique, the fundraiser and volunteer organizer for the humane society, the Valley View Dog Park which is about five acres and cost over half a million dollars, will help address the needs of dog owners yet more space is required to accommodate them.

“Logan as a whole is not a very friendly city for dog owners,” Manrique said. “There probably needs to be more space offered to them.”

“If every person with a social dog was to go out to a dog park, we wouldn’t have enough space,” said Amber Huggins, a volunteer at the humane society.

Despite support to change the plans policy on dogs in parks, Russ Akina, the director of parks and recreation said it’s not that simple.

Akina said that the main issue with allowing dogs in parks is that owners are not always responsible when it comes to removing their pet’s waste, which causes problems for maintenance and landscape crews who work in the parks. If pet owners could prove that they could responsibly use the parks, more consideration would be given to allowing dogs in more public spaces.

Although the policy is not set to change, Akina said that over time he sees the city moving towards the allowance of dogs in parks.

Logan approves 400 north corridor plan

By Mark Rosa

On Oct. 20 the Logan City Municipal Council approved the 400 North corridor plan, a long-term design and development concept plan to re-tool and beautify the stretch of 400 North from the mouth of Logan canyon to 100 West. According to Mike DeSimone, Director of Community Development for Logan, we may see the construction of some low-cost, low-impact improvement projects including updating light fixtures and median construction, begin over the next year.

DeSimone said the plan’s main goal is to create a visual focal point between Utah State University and greater Logan by replicating the streetscape design of the downtown area along the corridor. The plan also aims to improve the corridor’s function as a residential street and a high-volume transportation conduit with sidewalk improvement and road enhancing projects.

“I hope that it has a significant impact visually on that corridor and on the folks that live there,” DeSimone said. “It’s kind of a quaint little street, but the reality is that it’s a major state highway, it connects the Wasatch front with Idaho and Wyoming.”

DeSimone said that although 400 North is a residential street, it is managed by the Utah Department of Transportation whose goals sometimes overshadow the concerns of area residents on safety and visual aesthetics.

“Their goal is to move traffic, they want to move people as efficiently and quickly as possible, which is not a bad thing but if you live there it’s not necessarily the greatest thing,” said DeSimone.

“We want to recognize that it’s a state highway,” Desimone said. “But what we can do is slow the traffic down a little bit.”

Logan Municipal Councilwoman Jeannie Simmonds, who served on the steering commission that guided the project, expects that implementation of the plan will improve drive aspects while having a traffic culling but not eliminating effect, which will improve the safety of the corridor.

“It will become more of a gateway because we have a lot of traffic that flows in both of those directions,” Simmonds said. “Traffic flow will be improved.”

Star Coulbrooke’s term extended as Logan poet laureate

By Mark Rosa

On Nov. 3 Star Coulbrooke, stood in her 20th appearance as poet laureate of Logan before the Logan Municipal Council to recite a few lines written by her friend and mentor, the late Ken Brewer. Coulbrooke, Logan’s first poet laureate, recently received a fine arts grant from Logan City which was matched by Utah State University’s Department of English that allowed her to extend her term as poet laureate one calendar year.

According to Coulbrooke, who is also the director of USU’s writing center, her job description as poet laureate is to share and spread poetry in Cache Valley by opening city council meetings, visiting schools and making other appearances with the intent to bring poetry to valley residents.

During the meeting, Councilwoman Jeanie Simmonds said of Coulbrooke, “She has made poetry accessible to anyone who has any interest in having it be so.”

Coulbrooke also organizes poetry walkabouts and founded Helicon West, a bi-monthly platform for poets and amateurs to perform their work.

“What really matters to me as poet laureate is the idea that anyone can write poetic lines,” said Coulbrooke. “They don’t even realize when they’re speaking that they’re saying something highly poetic.”

Coulbrooke encourages everyone to use words to release emotionally and share those words with others.

“She brings an enthusiasm and an expertise to each and every event,” Simmonds said. “She has introduced poetry to young people, middle-aged people and old people and she just has a great idea of how to engage people in writing poetry and experiencing poetry.”

County funding approved, leaders hope pickleball is here to stay

By Mark Rosa

After winning approval for a $100,000 investment into an emerging sport with an interesting name — pickleball — local leaders are hoping they haven’t bought into a passing fad.

On Oct. 20, the Cache County Council approved the reallocation of $100,000 in tax dollars based on a personal request by Craig Peterson, the mayor of Logan, to build a sports complex at Bridger Park that will give Logan and Cache Valley residents a chance to get in on the game, which is played on a court with the dimensions and layout of a badminton court and with rules similar to tennis.

According to Peterson, the council made a unanimous and unprecedented decision to channel the funds from the Recreation, Arts, Parks, and Zoo tax, which were already designated to build basketball and tennis courts as well as a “splash pad” at Bridger Park, to build eight unlit pickleball courts. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring.

“The reason I’m excited about it is that it will fulfill a recreational need that we’ve never met here in Logan,” Peterson said. “I think it will appeal to a wide range of ages and abilities.”

Despite his excitement and belief in the project, though, Peterson said he worries that pickleball might proves to be nothing more than a fad.

But Peterson said he’s inclined to believe the sport — which was invented in the 1960s — will be around for a long time, because “it’s a very social game.”

“I think the fact that you can do it as a family works and I think the fact that you can learn it very quickly works,” he said.

Russ Akina, the director of the Logan City Parks and Recreation Department, said he shared the mayor’s concern about the project but was hopeful that pickleball would not be just another “flash in the pan.”

“When you put in an investment to facilitate that sport then it becomes a serious question in terms of ‘is it really just a fad, or is this something that would be considered?’” Akina said. “Having talked with other professionals around the state and looking at what other facilities for pickleball are doing around the county, I think it’s here to stay.”

-mdl

Witches Walk for Breast Cancer

By Mark Rosa

American Heritage Center visitors sported their best witch costumes and came together today for the first ever Witches Walk at the center in Wellsville. The event was held in conjunction with the center’s Fall Harvest Festival and its mission was to raise awareness about breast cancer and provide service for those suffering from the disease.

“We’ve been really excited about this one because we’ve added a service project to it,” said Rebecca Getz, the head coordinator of the Witches Walk. “Everyone knows someone who’s been effected by cancer in some ways, this is how you can help,” Getz said.

According to Getz, the center received donations of personal comfort items from local businesses such as pillows, pajamas and chocolates. Witch Walk attendees helped to compile these goods into gift baskets, or comfort kits, to be sent to women fighting breast cancer.

Sarah Gunnell, a main Witches Walk event organizer said between 100 and 150 people were involved in the events’ main attraction, the walk around the heritage center and service project volunteers were able to put over 1,500 comfort kits.

“We had so many people come together to do the comfort kits I was really pleased at how many people showed up,” Gunnell said.

Aggies promote sustainability and win National Bike Challenge

By Mark Rosa

On Tuesday, Aggie Blue Bikes and the Student Sustainability Office hosted the Open Streets Festival on Aggie Boulevard to promote a sustainable healthy lifestyle by opening up the street to active transportation. At the event it was announced that Utah State University had won the 2015 National Bike Challenge for the college league.

“USU won against universities such as University of Wisconsin, University of Nebraska, BYU and Colorado State, which is an impressive feat,” said Alexi Lamm, the USU sustainability coordinator.

According to Lamm, the USU team won the challenge by biking more miles over more days than any other university in the country. About 220 USU cyclists rode more than 76,000 miles between May and September, burning more than 4,000,000 calories and saving 28,000 lbs of carbon dioxide.

“Our competitive advantage as a university is the number of Aggies on bicycles,” Lamm said. “That is an indicator we’re moving in the right direction. People are getting on bicycles, even if it’s just to ride one mile.”

The Open Streets Festival coincided with the Logan City Council public hearing to vote on Logan City Resolution 15-52, also known as the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan update. Immediately following the festival program organizers and volunteers biked together to city hall to participate in the vote.

Aggie Blue Bikes program coordinator Stephanie Tomlin said the resolution, which passed unanimously, will prioritize walking and cycling infrastructure and USU will undoubtedly see an increase in cyclist and pedestrian travel.

“This has huge implications for biking and walking in Logan,” Tomlin said. “It will continue to legitimize cycling and walking as a form of transportation and cycling as a sport.”

Aggie Blue Bikes and the Sustainability Office strive to facilitate a campus environment in which active transportation such as walking or cycling would be the chosen form of travel. These groups also encourage using environmentally friendly forms of motorized transportation when active transportation is not possible.

“We’re trying to show people all the options for using a street. Sometimes that’s going to be carpooling or taking a bus, bicycling, skateboarding or walking,” Lamm said. “We’re kind of trying to celebrate what a street can be for everybody.”

-mdl

To stop sexual assault, male students to be asked for their ‘man cards’

By Mark Rosa

During the months of October and November men on Utah State University’s campus may be approached by someone asking them to whip out their “man card.”

But it’s not harassment — it’s a campaign by the university’s Sexual Abuse and Anti-Violence Information Office, also known as SAAVI, to spread awareness about a span of time, from the start of school through Thanksgiving, when the percentage of rapes on college campuses goes up.

This time period has become known as “the red zone.”

The man card campaign centers around a pledge made by men to never commit or stay silent about an act of sexual abuse, and was kicked off at SAAVI’s red zone activity on Sept. 22. The main event of the activity was the signing of the pledge written across a banner. Men who signed the pledge received their very own “man card” so that they would always be reminded of the pledge they made.

“It’s to get more of a masculine side of it that it’s not just a women’s problem,” said Kurt Kowal, a SAAVI intern.

Kowal said during the red zone, he and others will be walking around campus asking men if they have their “man card.” If the man can present his card, he’ll win a prize. This is to encourage men to keep their cards on them and keep the dialogue about sexual abuse fresh, so it doesn’t retreat into taboo status again.

Kowal believes the best way to help solve the problem is to inform the student population, establish clear communication and define boundaries.

With the semester, and the red zone, in full swing, USU’s SAAVI office wants all students on high alert. Another SAAVI intern, Teisha Greer, said most causes of the red zone effect stem from the inexperience and naiveté of young students in new and unfamiliar situations.

“Students are unaware… they’re experiencing, learning about themselves, testing their boundaries, and it unfortunately can cause unsafe situations,” Greer said.

Greer stressed education and awareness in order to avoid dangerous situations — and the duty people have to stand up for others if they witness an act of abuse.

“People who remain silent when they see things going on could intervene and help,” Greer said. “If we can speak up and step in whenever we can — that’s a big part of it.”

– mdl/ks

Aggie freshman class is the largest in history
By Mark Rosa 9/12/15

As students return to Utah State University campus for the fall semester, one thing is blatantly apparent: there are more people here. This year’s incoming freshman class is expected to be the biggest in school history, and everyone involved in campus life is feeling the impact. Although many of the negative effects of this massive class have been identified immediately, the positive effects a larger student body may take time to see.

               Faculty and staff have undertaken a massive effort to accommodate these students. Additional courses have been added to this year’s registration catalog, private residents on campus have been incentivized to take on a roommate and rooms that were never intended to house students were converted into livable spaces.

There are many small components contributing to the size of this class but John Mortensen, assistant vice president for enrollment services and retention at USU, outlines two main circumstances. First, the LDS missionary age change of 2012 allowed any male over the age of 18 and any female over 19 to serve a full-time mission. This caused a spike in the number of those who wanted to serve missions as graduating seniors in high school skipped their first year of college to go directly into the mission field once they were of age. What initially caused a drop in attendance is now causing a boom as the largest number of missionaries ever in the field are returning and getting back into school. The second main contributing factor is the increased recruitment efforts of the university admissions staff. Mortensen praised the efforts of the admissions staff stating, “Overall I think they were up a couple thousand applications, this year over last year.”

Although the increased interest in USU is encouraging to the admissions office, some of the effects of the enrollment spike have been less than so. Mortensen explained that the Aggie Shuttle bus system has been overwhelmed by the sheer number of students needing rides. Students have been waiting longer and longer as full shuttle buses pass their stop and cycle through the university campus, causing them to be late to class. Another negative factor of the increased number of students on campus is the increased number of student vehicles on campus. Students with no designated place to park line up their cars along the “tower field” just west of Mountain and Valley View dormitories, and USU parking attendants line up to write them citations.

Despite the negativity surrounding these infrastructural shortcomings, there have been some obvious positive effects of the influx of student enrollment. Conner Comeau, a Hurd volunteer, is hopeful about the effects the large freshman class will have on school spirit and event attendance. Comeau explained that student attendance for the Aggies first home football game and the events surrounding it was way up, especially considering the Aggies opponent was the historically ill-equipped Southern Utah University. In discussing athletic event attendance, Comeau smiled and said, “Greater numbers mean an increased interest in athletic programs.” He believes that a similar increase of interests of all school events will be prevalent all year.

Mark Rosa is a junior at Utah State University where he studies journalism and communication. He was born and raised in Naperville, Illinois and graduated from Naperville Central Highschool. He has since lived in Provo, Utah; Louisville, Kentucky; Point Arena, California; and finally Logan, Utah. He enjoys playing basketball and working out as well as playing the drums or guitar.