News briefs from the campus and community
Candidate to meet with USU students
Nolan Karras, Republican candidate for governor, is coming to Utah State University’s campus Friday, Feb. 6 at 3:30 p.m. in the East Colony Room of the Taggart Student Center to meet students and address issues and his positions.
All students and faculty are invited to attend and light refreshments will be served.
Karras is endorsed by former Gov. Norm Bangerter and is the current chairman of the Utah Board of Regents, a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, the former House majority leader and speaker of the House. He was also a member of the Salt Lake Olympic Committee and the chair or member of various business and civic boards which include the Utah Power Advisory Board, Beneficial Life and Scottish Power.
For more information on this event, contact Alison Aikele at (435) 881-3412 or by e-mail at alisonaikele@cc.usu.edu. For more information about the Karras campaign, contact JJ at (801) 690-1393 or by e-mail at jj@karras2004.com.
State homeless trust fund seeks money
Utah’s Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund is preparing to launch another effort to aid the state’s providers of services to homeless people.
The 2004 campaign carries the slogan “Homelessness has a new face, and it looks a lot like you.” Utah taxpayers are encouraged during the approaching tax season to contribute to the fund by entering a dollar amount of their choosing on line 23a of the 2004 state tax form. Money contributed to the fund goes directly to support statewide homeless assistance programs, which provide shelter, temporary housing, home placement, food, and career counseling.
“More people than ever need our help,” said Atkinson, an advocate for the homeless in Utah and the namesake for the fund.
Utah Issues, an advocacy organization for low-income people, estimates that there are 4,500 homeless people in the state. According to recent studies, 41 percent of those homeless are families. Atkinson said the majority of homeless families do not follow the stereotype of homeless people as being drug and alcohol abusers.
“They have fallen on hard times and are working to make their lives better for themselves and for their children,” she said.
Since its inception in 1988, Utah taxpayers have contributed $2.2 million to the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund. Though contributions to the fund have supported Utah agencies for years, the money raised annually steadily decreased between 1989 and 2000. The State Community Services Office in the Utah Division of Community Development started to reverse that trend in 2001 with concerted public-relations outreach campaigns leading up to and during the tax-preparation season.
Senator Bennett to be keynote speaker
Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) will be the keynote speaker at the Lincoln Dinner on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Copper Mill Restaurant’s Phoenix Room.
The program includes an opportunity to talk with gubernatorial candidates and hear reports from the Utah Legislature. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) will also present a congressional report.
Tickets for the dinner and program are $25. For more information, call Amy at 753-4000 or Darla at 752-9027.
Local band releasing first album Friday
A local band’s show begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Caine Lyric Theatre on 28 W. Center St.
Blind Iris’ show will include special guests Sun House Healers, Waste n Whiskey and Chucks. All ages are welcome and there is a $6 door charge.
The Blind Iris self-titled, full-length album will be available for purchase at the show and through the Web site, www.blindirisband.com.
The album contains 11 songs, including the hit single “Drive” as featured on the Activision video game Tony Hawk Underground, which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.