Campus News Briefs

Help needed at Heritage Center

Step back in time and live life as a pioneer in the late 1800s or maybe experience what it was like to farm in 1917 with horse-drawn equipment. The American West Heritage Center gives people this opportunity. According to a release from the center volunteers are essential for living history interpretation and the preservation of history at the center. Volunteers can learn how to milk a cow, sew on a treadle sewing machine, drive oxen, cook on a wood-burning stove, build a log cabin or work in the woodwright shop. Volunteers are asked to make a time commitment of no less than 12 hours per month during the summer season, which runs May 27 to Sept. 2. Special volunteers with skills in preserving Western heritage are also needed as demonstrators during some of the center’s special events. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should attend the orientation meeting Friday Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Welcome Center, 6 miles south of Logan on Hwy. 89-91. For more information, contact Luke Waldron, volunteer coordinator, at 245-4485 or e-mail lwaldron@pcu.net.

Brochure helps promote safety

The anticipated increased traffic volumes during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, along with the early season heavy snows, increase the risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions. The snow has forced mule deer, elk and moose to lower elevation winter ranges. Many of these winter ranges are located near or on the way to Olympic venues. This fact, plus the estimate that more than 60 percent of the Olympic Games visitors will be renting vehicles to drive to the venues, creates conditions for more accidents. Utah State University and state agencies have created a brochure to help motorists drive saflye during the Olympics. The brochure alerts motorists more than 8,000 wildlife-vehicle accidents occur annually in Utah. Also, some 29,000 people are injured in these accidents and 200 are killed each year. The brochure provides a map of high-risk areas located near Olympic venues and tips for motorists to follow which can reduce the chance of an accident. According to Terry Messmer, a USU Extension wildlife specialist, the best way to reduce the chance of an accident is to be aware of the surroundings and the risks. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the brochure will be conducted following the Olympics. If the brochure proves effective, it could become a regular part of a statewide wildlife-vehicle prevention program. The brochure was prepared by USU Extension Services, the College of Natural Resources and Jack H. Berryman Institute in cooperation with the S. J. and Jessie Quinney Foundation, the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. For a copy of the brochure, or to get more information, contact Messmer at 797-3975.

Bridal Faire to be held on campus

The 17th annual Bridal Faire will be held Saturday in the Taggart Student Center. Admission and parking in the terrace are free. Fashion shows will be held hourly, and there will be opportunities to win thousands of dollars in prizes. The faire will start at 10 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m. For more information call 753-6736 or visit www.bridalfaire.org. The next Show after that will be on March 2, 2002 in Ogden at the Shepherd Union Building Ballroom. In between shows brides are encouraged to shop for local deals at the web site listed above.