The Best family of Sandy packed 270 of the lunches into their SUV and distributed them to hungry people at Pioneer Park and at The Road Home, a shelter for families.

Grace Best and her family make the yearly trek downtown to hand out the food "because we've been blessed."

Her son Kaleb, now living in Pennsylvania, started the tradition out of a desire to spend family time together doing something meaningful as opposed to going to a movie or "spending money on Christmas," she said. Jordan Best, 17, said his brother, Kaleb, wanted to "boycott" the commercialism of Christmas and "give back" to society, giving birth to an eight-year family tradition during which they give out 100 meals each year.

This year was a little different, however. Jordan needed a service project for his Eagle Scout award. So, following the family tradition, the Alta High senior and his Boy Scout troop from the LDS Draper Crescent 30th Ward set up an assembly line in the Bests' home to prepare and pack 270 lunches consisting of roast beef, ham, and turkey sandwiches, fruit, chips, and candy bars into brown paper bags to give to the needy.

"We involved all the Scouts in the neighborhood," Grace said.

Others were involved, too. The troop raised $1,000 to finance the Christmas lunch.

The family started at Pioneer Park to give the bounty, then went to the Road Home shelter where a multitude of hungry souls received a Christmas lunch.

Sandwiches were wrapped in plastic, waiting to be devoured by hungry mouths. Chips and candy bars were set free of their confines. Pigeons patrolled Rio Grande, looking for fallen chips and bread crusts.

The brown bags went quickly to "thank yous," "Merry Christmases" and smiles — the cold wind not dampening the need for food.

The Best family was modest about their service to those in need. They didn't inflate their accomplishments or brag. They were just happy to be together and give hungry people food. However, Grace is proud of her children and their willingness to serve on Christmas Day.

"I have amazing kids," she said.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The lieutenant governor of Utah, Gary R. Herbert, convened the state's presidential electors to cast their ballots for the two highest offices in the nation. The electors met at the Capitol building inside the Supreme Court Chambers on Monday to vote.

Chosen at the Republican National Convention as electors were Enid Greene Mickelsen, Mark Shurtleff, Scott Simpson, Richard Snelgrove and Stan Lockhart. They were certified as electors by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., according to Herbert.

After the Utah Highway Patrol presented the national and state colors, Herbert called for the electors to cast their votes for president and vice president. Each marked the choice on a paper ballot and signed the ballot. Herbert counted the votes, five each, and declared the electors' unanimous support of McCain and Palin.

Though president-elect Barack Obama won the presidency, the Electoral College is a formality needed to complete the election process, according to Herbert's chief of staff, Joe Demma.

"The public had their say. Until the Electoral College votes, we don't have an election," said Mickelson.

Herbert's office will now transmit Utah's votes to the U.S. Senate. They will be added to the votes of other states that supported the McCain/Palin ticket. The official results will be announced on Jan. 6 during a joint session of Congress.

Monday was the day in which all electoral colleges in the country cast their ballots. All of the votes were cast as expected, giving Obama a victory of 365 electoral votes to 173 for McCain.

Utah has five electors based on five congressional districts, according to Demma. Similarly, most states' electors match their congressional districts.

The electors are obligated to vote for whichever candidate takes the state by popular vote.

"They are bound to vote for the will of the people," he said.

An elector could vote contrary to the winner of the state, Demma said, but if that happened, that vote and voter would get disqualified in the state of Utah.

Contributing: Associated Press

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

A new device, developed by University of Utah researchers, prevents the use of cell phones while the car is running.

The rectangular device, called Key2SafeDriving, has an automobile key embedded in it. When the driver slides the key out, the device connects to the driver's phone via Bluetooth or radio-frequency identification technology. It sends a signal to the phone that places it in "driving mode" and displays a stop sign on the phone's screen, rendering it inoperable. Anyone who places a call or text to the phone while in driving mode will get a message that says, "I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely."

The inventors hope to have it on the market in about six months, with the technology licensed to cell phone providers to offer in service plans.

One of the inventors, U. alumnus Wally Curry, now a urologist in Hays, Kan., got the idea because the hospital where he works calls him on his cell phone frequently, often while he's driving. And one day as he was driving, he saw a teenage girl texting behind the wheel.

"I thought, 'This is crazy, there has got to be something to stop this, because not only is she putting people at risk, but so was I,'" Curry said. "It struck me pretty hard that something should be done."

A study conducted at the U. shows younger drivers who are on the phone have the reaction time of an elderly person and are more than five times as likely to get in a wreck.

"I've seen the devastation of car accidents," Curry said.

As a father of two daughters who will soon drive, he is worried about their safety. Regardless of parental instruction and laws forbidding talking on a cell phone while driving, teenagers will still use their phones, thinking nothing will happen to them or that they won't cause any harm.

"Everybody thinks they're invincible," Curry said.

So to ensure teenagers and others don't talk or text while driving, Curry came up with an idea to use GPS to disable a cell phone in the car. Someone beat him to the punch and developed a similar system, but it couldn't distinguish between actually driving the car, being a passenger or riding on a train or bus.

Curry contacted U. assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering Xuesong Zhou. Together they came up with the idea of Key2SafeDriving.

According to Zhou, using the Bluetooth device with an imbedded key is the most practical and cost effective solution. After the key is cut for a certain vehicle, the user can go to the company's Web site and configure the device to disable the phone, allow "permission phone numbers" such as parents or permit a hands-free device. Emergency 911 is always enabled.

The Web-based setup is password protected so only those with the password can make changes. Zhou said it is difficult to override and "trick" it into not working.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

Monica McQueen, whose daughter Amber has special needs, asked members of a special-needs support group for parents, "What are we going to do when our children turn 22?"

The group brainstormed and came up with an idea to form a foundation for men and women with special needs who are 22 and older. The group started the Murray Greenhouse Foundation, bought a building and refurbished it, upgraded the landscape, and built a 1,200-quare-foot greenhouse in the rear, using mostly volunteer labor and donated money.

Finally, after five years of working, the Murray Greenhouse is ready for business. An open house Saturday showed contributors, workers, parents and clients the finished product.

The main focus of the Murray Greenhouse is, of course, the greenhouse.

In the greenhouse, clients can learn how to grow fruits, vegetables and even flowers. They can learn how to prepare the food in the kitchen. The goal, according to McQueen, is to grow enough to sell.

"We want to get to a place where we're self-sufficient," she said.

However, until that time, clients are charged $15 per day.

McQueen said the greenhouse will give Amber and others a safe place to go to learn skills to be independent and socialize with friends.

The old house on the property has been refurbished with a craft room, a kitchen, a computer area and a reading room to give clients with special-needs educational experiences, life training and fellowship.

One former board member of the Murray Greenhouse, David "Ted" Eyre, was at the open house to autograph his book "You Can Always Call Me Princess," a story about his daughter, Shellie, who has Down syndrome, being crowned the 1997 Murray High School homecoming queen. All the proceeds from the sale will go to the Murray Greenhouse, Eyre said.

"It's just thrilling," said Norma Carr of the greenhouse product. Carr's organization, the Murray Rotary Club, donated time, money and materials. Carr said she has "a good, warm feeling" knowing those people with special-needs over 22 have a place to go.

A place for her son to go is important to Sheila Wall. After he was aged out of his high school, the wheelchair-bound Riley, who can't speak, would scream and cry.

No one knew why.

So after a time, his family determined he was lonely.

"He needs to get out of the house," Wall said, and the fellowship at the Murray Greenhouse offers him a social outlet and a place to grow.

And growing is what former homecoming queen Shellie wants to do. The now 29-year-old is looking forward to "growing flowers" in the greenhouse.

The Murray Greenhouse needs volunteers to paint, maintain its Web site, teach classes, donate money and offer other opportunities. Those interested in helping may call 381-6410.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The recent violence in Mumbai, India, left six Jews and many others dead after the violence was stopped by Indian police and military.

To honor the dead, Rabbi Benny Zippel of the Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, a Jewish center in Salt Lake City, held a memorial service and a lecture titled "Faith and Suffering: Where is God When it Hurts?" Thursday, given by Rabbi Dov Greenberg of Stanford University.

Zippel asked those present to light a candle for the deceased if they desired, but he said, "there was a charge." The charge was not to be paid with money but with a mitzvah, a pledge of good deeds. The room filled with the smell of smoke as people came forward to honor and pledge.

After the slain were honored by the congregation, Zippel asked dignitaries from various Jewish congregations to light bigger candles to honor the dead and to show solidarity.

The lives of two of those slain, Rabbi Gavriel and his wife, Rivka Holtzberg, were profiled. They went to Mumbai to start the Chabad center. Their 2-year-old son, Mosche, survived the attack, found by his nanny, wearing bloody clothes.

"Where is God when it hurts?" Greenberg asked.

He said it is difficult to understand a good, loving and caring God when things such as the killing of innocent people happen, and there are no sure answers.

Two answers often given: Either there is no objective meaning to life, only chaos. Or there is no bad. If a person sees bad, he or she isn't looking at life correctly.

"Friends, Judaism is caught in the contradiction of both," Greenberg said.

God gave free will to man, Greenberg said, to do either good or evil. He used an example of a Holocaust survivor who was mad at God for allowing the Holocaust to happen.

"What's your issue with God?" a man asked the survivor.

He asked how he could have faith in a God that allowed such a terrible thing to happen to the Jews.

"How can you have faith in humanity?" the man asked the survivor.

The evil perpetrated on Jews, though tragic, shouldn't stop them.

"That is the Jewish response to move forward," Greenberg said.

He said the Jewish response to tragedy is to hold on to it, hold tight, until it is turned around for something good. Where six Jews were killed, more will go to fill the gap. If a building is flattened, more will be erected in its place.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 76 million people in the United States who are affected by food-borne illness annually, 5,000 of those people die, and 300,000 more are hospitalized.

Bryce C. Larsen, the director of the Bureau of Food Protection at Salt Lake Valley Health Department, said a major perpetrator of food-borne illness is cross-contamination. That occurs when a cook handles "high-risk" foods such as a turkey, and then handles other food, such as uncooked fruits and vegetables. Bacteria from the turkey is transferred to the uncooked fruits or vegetables; without the benefit of heat from cooking to kill the bacteria, it is eaten, leading to possible sickness.

"Adequately wash your hands when you prepare other types of food," Larsen said. Also, wash food preparation surfaces when preparing different foods.

Another food-borne illness culprit is the sick cook. Larsen said a coughing, sneezing and otherwise ill cook may spread illness to the food, potentially infecting the eaters. He recommends that an ill person take the day off from cooking. However, if that is not possible, the ill cook should wash his or her hands frequently.

Not to be forgotten in the food safety lineup is temperature. Larsen said the key is to "keep cold food cold and hot food hot."

Hot food should be held at 135 degrees, while cold food should be down to 41 degrees. Anything in between is the "danger zone," which Larsen said is the temperature where bacteria grow and flourish.

Also, turkey should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to ensure all bacteria is destroyed. Use a food probe to determine temperature. If one is not available, use visual clues — clear juices, and appearance and texture of the bird.

After the Thanksgiving feast, Larsen said many people leave food out on the table or counter for those who wish to add to their ever-expanding bellies. He said leaving food out may cause it to go into the "danger zone," once again opening the door for food-borne illness, so people should promptly put their culinary delights in the refrigerator.

If food is to stay on the table, he said it has a life of four hours. After four hours in the "danger zone," the food should be discarded. Also, when going back to graze after the main meal, don't forget to wash your hands, Larsen said.

If a person does get a food-borne illness, Larsen said, it usually lasts four or five days. However, in very old and young people, and those with weak immune systems, food-borne illness may be fatal. People who get sick should drink plenty of liquids, and if the symptoms persist, seek medical attention.

For more information, visit the Salt Lake Valley Health Department's Web site at www.slvhealth.org and click on "Environmental Health."

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

They lined up early at the Indian Walk-in Center, 120 W. 1300 South, where Crossroads Urban Center held its annual turkey giveaway. Harmons and its grocery store customers provided some 3,300 turkeys.

The timely contributions come when food banks around the country are struggling to keep pace with the demand for basic commodities.

At the walk-in center, those who needed turkeys, potatoes and apples filled the parking lot to capacity. The line for food was the biggest in recent memory, according to Crossroads director Glen Bailey. He couldn't recall a line so long in his 17 years with the agency.

"It's the general state of the economy," he said.

Crossroads' Linda Hilton called the demand for services "record-setting." Wednesday's line was the longest she has seen in the 28 years with the center — and it continued to grow as the day progressed.

"With the economic situation, this has just been almost surreal," she said.

It was the poor economy that brought Sandra Arvardo to the giveaway — she lost her job and can't find another. Turkey, potatoes and apples will be the only thing on the Thanksgiving dinner menu for her and her four children.

Utah is 14th among states in overall food "insecurity" and fourth nationwide with respect to the percentage of people experiencing "very low" food security, according to the USDA, which defines insecurity as difficulty obtaining enough food to meet basic nutritional needs.

Paula Bell was among those having difficulty obtaining enough food.

"I don't have money," said Bell, who receives a disability check.

Because she is alone for Thanksgiving, she said, the food she received will last for two weeks.

In Utah, 12.5 percent of households (360,000 people) don't get enough to eat or skip meals because they lack resources.

John Needl said his resources are about to dry up. The manufacturing company where he works will soon close, and he is unsure about his financial future. Consequently, he went to the center to extend his family's budget.

"This'll help give us a boost for a few days," he said.

Some people interviewed said this was the first year they needed assistance, while others said they were out of work and couldn't afford holiday dinner. Some were trying to stretch their tight budgets. All said they were thankful for the help.

Bailey doesn't see economic hard times improving soon.

"I think 2009 is going to be a really long year," he said.

Donations to many U.S. food banks are not keeping pace with growing demand as the sour economy forces more people to seek help, charitable organizations say.

"We have seen a 100 percent increase in demand in the last year, and food donations have dropped precipitously," says Dana Wilkie, CEO of the Community Food Bank in Fresno, Calif.

The group, which distributes food to 200 food pantries and feeding centers, is supplying cheaper chickens instead of turkeys for Thanksgiving, she says.

Nationally, donations are up about 18 percent, but demand has grown by 25 percent to 40 percent, says Vicki Escarra, president of Feeding America, the U.S.'s largest hunger-relief charity. Feeding America, formerly called America's Second Harvest, has a network of 206 food banks that supplied food to more than 25 million people a year before the recent surge.

About 70 percent of new clients are making their first visit to a food bank, Escarra says.

Contributing: Tom Smart, Deseret News; USA Today

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The budget still includes a 10 percent reduction from last year's budget, although the council did exempt any expenditure locked in by contract.

The major change by the council was shaving about $2 million from the fuel projections. The original budget was drafted to reflect gasoline at $4 per gallon, but they decided to use current prices, which resulted in the change. The council acknowledged gas prices will go up in the summer but said the prices probably wouldn't reach summer of '08 levels.

— Lynn Wilde II

The airmen, from the 151st Security Forces Squadron, were late landing at the Utah Air National Guard Base, so family, friends and supporters gathered in a waiting room on base.

"Mommy, where is Daddy?" one boy asked. His mother told him he had to wait for the plane.

While people waited for loved ones, some children ate doughnuts, their smiles made bigger by the frosting. Many of the children wore T-shirts with pictures of their fathers emblazoned on them, proclaiming "My prince has come. I call him daddy," and "My hero."

Brigham Young University fans mingled safely with University of Utah fans — their football rivalry suspended until the plane landed and the airmen returned.

Three generations of one family waited eagerly for Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Neill.

"We're really happy. It's really good timing," said Neill's wife, Jessie, of the return so close to Thanksgiving.

Neill's father, Glen, was happy for his son's return.

"Oh, this is really exciting," he said. "We're glad to get him home."

A voice announced the impending arrival of the C-130.

"Warm up the hugs and kisses," the voice called from the loudspeaker. "They're four minutes out."

A group of bikers, the Patriot Guard Riders, lined up, each holding an American flag, waiting to greet the airmen. They were joined by dignitaries from the base, led by Adj. Gen. Brian Tarbet.

When the plane landed, two firetrucks sprayed an arch of water for the plane to pass through. William Badger of the PGR said the arch was "Air Guard for hello."

After the airmen shook hands with the greeting party and made way for the assembled crowd, the crowd erupted in cheers and whistles.

Staff Sgt. Mike Bechwith met his twin sons, his daughter and wife with a family embrace. His wife couldn't stop crying, too choked up to talk.

One airman, Staff Sgt. Christopher Stevens, was holding his children, Cade, 4, and Savera, 2, in both arms. He said his time in the service was great, but he's not a hero.

"These guys are the real heroes," he said, motioning to his wife, Kristina, and his children, because they held the household together in his absence.

Returning airman Neill said he was "doggone excited" he was home with his family. He returns to a new house, one his wife bought when he was away and has never seen. His daughter, 7-year-old Halley, promised to bake him cookies in her toy oven when they returned home.

Six-year-old Samantha Hooper buried her face in her father's neck, her red eyes telling the tale of her feelings of her airman's homecoming, Tech Sgt. Matt Hooper.

"I'm happy to be home," Hooper said, while Samantha silently cried.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

Utah did just that. According to a statement issued by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the state spends $8.2 million per year on tobacco-prevention programs, which is 17th in the nation for anti-tobacco programs.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Utah spend $23.6 million of the $105 million it receives, an amount that would have the most impact for reducing tobacco use.

"Utah had made a modest investment in programs to protect kids from tobacco, but is spending less than half what the CDC recommends," said president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Matthew L. Myers.

An alliance of public health organizations, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, issued a report titled "A Decade of Broken Promises." The report finds most states, including Utah, did not use a significant portion of their awards to fund anti-smoking programs as promised.

Myers said Utah should raise cigarette taxes to increase funding for prevention programs, which he said ultimately would save the state money by reducing tobacco-related health-care costs, an estimated $345 million cost to taxpayers.

Also, spending more for smoking prevention would offset tobacco companies' continued marketing efforts, he said. Though big tobacco is paying states as part of the settlement, the companies still want customers. Consequently, they spend almost $58 million in Utah for advertising to lure new customers and bring back strays to the fold.

Though smoking cessation programs are working in the state, 7.9 percent of Utah's high school students smoke. Each year, 1,600 new regular smokers are added to Utah's smoker population.

For more information visit www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/settlements.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The change should make it easier for school administrators and parents to keep children safe on bad air days. "As a mother, I don't want to send my children out to play when the air isn't healthy for them," said Cherise Udell, a mother in the Salt Lake School District.

Not only were the guidelines rewritten to keep children with respiratory problems from being exposed to dirty air, but to allow healthy children to go outside when conditions aren't as bad.

The old guidelines were too restrictive, said Rebecca Jorgensen, an asthma health program specialist. In the past, when particulate pollution levels reached a certain threshold, all students were kept in the school regardless of whether the particulates affected them.

"We were worried we were keeping healthy kids inside," she said.

Now, staying in or going out for recess will be determined according to three specific levels of particulate pollution. At the lowest level, the guidelines recommend sensitive students, those with poorly controlled asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease and compromised immune systems, remain indoors. Readings at the middle level would restrict students with respiratory difficulties such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and tightness of the chest from going outside. At the highest level, all students would be kept inside for physical activity.

Changes were made based on new science, experience, a study involving Utah children and new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules, Jorgensen said. "The EPA changed their standards and we wanted to align with them," she said.

Health officials say the guidelines give schools greater flexibility in allowing healthy students to exercise outside while providing a conservative level of protection when outdoor activities are not recommended for all students.

The guidelines are not mandated by state law or policy but are a strategy to help schools make informed decisions.

Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsely said district officials keep in contact with the health department, and when it is determined air quality is poor, students are kept inside for recess. Each school has an indoor activities plan to help students with inside recreation. District leaders are trained on the new guidelines, and the district will implement them in the upcoming months, he said.

Parents with children who are affected by particulate pollution can visit the health department's Web site at www.health.utah.gov/asthma for hourly air quality updates. If pollution levels are high, parents should inform the school to make alternate arrangements for recess.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

That threat is carbon monoxide, which kills more than 200 people each year and sickens thousands more, according to a statement issued by the Red Cross.

Capt. Wade Russell of the Unified Fire Authority called CO "the silent killer" — a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that is emitted when combustible material, such as natural gas, propane, wood and coal, is incompletely burned.

If a home is vented, the gas can escape and there is no danger. If not, CO can build up to a toxic level, unnoticed by the senses but manifested through symptoms of nausea, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and in the worst cases, death.

Faulty furnaces, improperly ventilated generators and automobile exhaust, using cook stoves and other appliances for heat, and burning charcoal indoors are but a few of the culprits in CO deaths and poisonings, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site.

A weapon in the fight against CO poisoning is a CO detector, a device that sounds an alarm when the the noxious gas is detected in the area. They can be purchased at most home improvement stores, and while the cost can be as high as $80, Russell said they are worth it.

"I think CO detectors are just as important as smoke detectors," he said.

He said to follow manufacturer's recommendations with respect to installation and placement but said typically CO detectors should be placed in hallways near sleeping areas in the residence, and on all levels of the house. Also, follow all directions on when to test, replace batteries, and replace the detector. Russel said detectors have an expiration date when they are no longer effective.

If the alarm sounds but nobody is suffering any symptoms, Russell suggested resetting the device. If it goes off again, or if anybody is suffering from symptoms that may indicate poisoning, 911 should be called immediately.

Other ways to prevent poisoning is to install properly and keep any fuel-burning appliances maintained, properly ventilating areas around the appliances, and making sure chimneys are clear of blockage.

For a complete carbon monoxide fact sheet visit utahredcross.org.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

This it what one group of more than 600 girls learned Saturday at the annual Expanding your Horizons in Science and Mathematics Conference sponsored by ATK Launch Systems at Mount Ogden Junior High. The program is dedicated to girls in sixth through ninth grades to get them interested in traditionally male dominated science and math professions.

"You can still be a woman and work in the same fields as men," said ATK spokeswoman Trina Patterson.

The conference featured a series of 29 classes for the girls, depending on their interests, such as what veterinarians do, cryogenics and creating polymers. Each of the presenters was a woman by design.

"It's easier to visualize yourself in someone's shoes if they are the same gender," which lowers the gender barrier, Patterson said.

Teaching the girls about cryogenics was ATK scientist Rachel Newell. She poured liquid nitrogen into three containers — fog immediately spilled over the edges. She inserted a red rose, which sizzled like water on a hot skillet.

She put a banana in another container and two racquetballs in the last one. The balls bobbed up and down until they were too frozen to move.

Newell had one of the students throw the frozen ball on the ground. The normally bouncy ball exploded with a bang, pieces scattering. The rose was also thrown to the ground, emitting a sound like broken glass. She then retrieved the banana from the minus-321-degree liquid and asked one of the girls to hammer a nail into a board with the now hard fruit. The nail started, but the potassium-rich hammer shattered.

"That was awesome," was the consensus of the girls.

Another group of students made polymers from household items under the direction of ATK design engineer Heather Wojciechowski. Using guar gum and borax, the girls made a green slime that one student happily proclaimed "looks like snot."

Sharon Klar, a veterinarian from North Ogden Animal Hospital, showcased her duties as a vet by examining a dog. She explained what to look for with respect to the dog's teeth, checked his lymph nodes, listened to his heart and checked to see if the dog had a natural symmetry.

"You also have to check his butt," she said, as the girls giggled.

Keeping girls interested in math and science is important to South Cache Eighth-Ninth Center math teacher Cindy Allen. So important that she spent her own money and time to make a video to play at her school to advertise the conference so more girls would sign up. Her efforts paid off. She signed up 52 students this year to last year's six. "It was worth it," Allen said.

And if more girls go into math and science related careers, Allen said it will be worth it to them — they will "get jobs that pay better. "She said the workshop shows the girls real-world applications that cannot be seen at school because of budget constraints.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

Starting Saturday, the number of cabs that are allowed to park and wait for customers in the taxi area of the airport will be reduced from 40 to 25.

The pending change spawned a protest by some 50 taxi drivers at the City-County Building, 451 S. State, on Monday.

While the staging limit was the primary complaint, there were many others. Taxi driver Jeff Jex, who organized the protest, said the limit at the airport will hit many drivers in the wallet.

"It will affect our livelihoods as cabdrivers," Jex said.

Jex said the airport provides about 85 percent of the cab fares in the city. The limit will force most drivers to work downtown, which Jex said is a soft market because most hotels have shuttle services.

"There's already not enough work," Jex said.

The new restrictions will likely cost cabdriver Shawky Taha $60-$80 per day, which would put him at a break-even point with no money to live on after paying airport fees and his lease from the cab company, and buying gas. Most of the drivers interviewed Monday also said they stand to lose a significant portion of their income.

Loss of income isn't the only problem, according to Jex. He said limiting cabs to 25 at this time of year will hurt customers. With the ski season approaching, the holidays, the outdoor winter retailer convention and other events, it is likely the waiting time for those needing taxi service will increase, Jex said.

Don Barron, director for Yellow Cab, made a similar point in a letter to Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker. Barron said he told the mayor the move is likely to hurt tourism.

"We don't think this is going to take care of airport passengers with only 25 cabs," Barron said.

Randall Berg, airport operations director, said an airport study was conducted to determine how many cabs were needed. He said the study analyzed peak and non-peak times to come up with the number.

"We think 25 will be a good balance," Berg said.

He said 25 is a general, everyday number that can be increased when situations dictate a need for more service.

"When we have a special event or holiday, we increase that number," Berg said, noting that has been airport policy all along.

Jex took issue with the study findings. He believes the reduction is directly related to tensions between taxi drivers and shuttle drivers, citing an incident in which a shuttle driver punched a taxi driver. Jex believes the airport wants to reduce the number of taxi drivers interacting with the shuttle drivers.

Berg said Jex's claims are off-base.

"That's got nothing to do with it," Berg said.

Berg said freeing up space in the waiting area by reducing the number of idle cabs was a factor in the decision. Berg said the study found some taxis were idle for hours with no customers.

Taha said he has a better way to determine the number of cabs needed — by counting the number of fees the airport collects from the taxi drivers.

"That's how many taxis you need," he said.

Jex suggests delaying the implementation of the limits until spring to allow study of more alternatives.

"What we have right now is working," Jex said.

Among the other cabdriver complaints was a lack of shelter from the elements for drivers, no break room and same-gender portable restrooms.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The more than $500 million project proposal states that the Proscenium would be built with private money, "not with taxpayer dollars."

According to Trina Duerkson, spokeswoman for Sandy, the developer had the idea for condos, a hotel and retail and restaurant spaces as part of the original project. The developer then approached Sandy officials to see if they were interested in financing the 2,400-seat theater.

Sandy officials proposed the theater part of the project be funded by the city because it is in an RDA area, through tax-increment financing. The city would then divert a portion of the taxes collected from the theater project toward leasing-to-own the theater, which they could own after about 20 years, Duerkson said.

Though tentative, the plan was presented to the City Council earlier this week as an option. Some on the council were in favor of funding the theater through property taxes, but others were hesitant, saying they didn't want the municipality getting into the theater business.

However, Duerkson said the theater is important to the whole development.

"If the theater won't go, the whole project won't go," she said.

She said the taxes generated by the project will exceed taxes that are currently being paid on the site as it stands.

The project will be built in three phases and will include theaters, office space, retail establishments, a hotel, condominiums and more. It is expected to be completed by 2012, according to a presentation given to the council and provided to the Deseret News.

During construction on the site, estimates say more than 4,600 jobs will be created directly and indirectly, with an aggregate payroll of $174.1 million. Various government agencies in Utah will reap a $23.3 million benefit in tax and fee revenues. The city of Sandy stands to gain $2.4 million in taxes annually.

When Proscenium is in operation, it is estimated it will create more than 4,500 jobs, which will generate $150.3 million in consumer expenditures per year. It will also generate 435 new households with earnings of $49.6 million annually, according to the presentation.

Contributing: Rebecca Palmer

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

An example of such a room, developed by Cerner Corp., a health-care information technology company, was showcased at the University of Utah's School of Medicine on Monday.

To ensure efficiency, all staff members in the room of the future will wear a badge that will have information about their job code, solutions consultant Gayle Romack said. The badge is scanned when a staffer enters a patient's room. Information is sent to the patient

via computer screen about who just entered.

If a doctor enters the room, the patient's records are automatically shown on the screen. The doctor can update the patient's information immediately, including adding orders. A nurse entering can check a patient's medicine history and needs. If someone from housekeeping enters the room, the monitor would display only information pertinent to that job, such as whether the patient wears dentures or eyeglasses.

All devices in the room are integrated, including IV pumps. Romack said the most common error a nurse makes is programming the IV pump. The new system is linked to the IV pump, eliminating the need for nurses to program it.

"It takes that human-error component out of it," Romack said.

She said a nurse validates that a doctor ordered the contents of the IV, giving another layer of protection to the patient.

"I've lived through a medication error in my organization," Romack said, noting it was an error that caused the death of three infants. "This is going to save lives. There's no doubt in my mind."

Fern Malila, senior solutions consultant, showed a new way to dispense medication. Since the medicine tower is integrated in the system, when a doctor prescribes medication, the prescription is entered directly into the computer. When it's time to dispense a medication, a nurse brings up a patient's information on the computer. The nurse selects the desired medication, which triggers a drawer to open on the drug cabinet. Within the drawer are various bins, each containing different medicines and dosages. Only the bin with the right medicine will open.

"This is very different from most towers," Malila said, which allow access to all medications in the drawer.

The nurse removes the blister-packed medication with a barcode affixed to it. When the nurse dispenses the medication, it is scanned with a handheld scanner as well as the nurse's armband and the patient's armband. The scanner tells the nurse if it is the proper medication for the proper patient, which reduces human error.

"It takes out all the pieces that allow breakdown," Romack said.

Patients have a lot of control in their rooms. They can lower and raise shades; turn lights on or off; order food; and access video games, education, surveys and mapping services, all controlled "right from the comfort of their bed," Romack said.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

HEALTHCARE

An exhibit with live insects and bugs made its debut today at the 15th annual "What's in the Basement" event on the campus of the University of Utah.

"Bugs Alive!" features various live and dead insects waiting to be inspected. The dead insects are pinned to boards behind glass, while the exhibit's living critters reside in smaller versions of their original habitats — with one exception.

A red push button activates a light to expose a hiding resident to the curious. Startled by the faux sun, a tarantula charges toward the big face looking at it — only to be stopped by the Plexiglas.

Meanwhile, an antisocial Jerusalem cricket hides in the sand.

"He's like a teenage boy," said Christine Bills, insect collections manager. "He comes up, eats his food, makes a mess and goes back down."

As she showed off the collection, Bills explained each bug and insect in an excited, breathless and loving fashion. She's admittedly passionate about bugs, and she's hoping the new exhibit will "encourage people to be aware of what's in Utah" when it comes to bugs.

Children are the biggest fans of bugs, Bills said. Because of a bug's size, children are drawn to them.

"We want to validate that innate sense of curiosity," she said.

One volunteer let a praying mantis crawl up her arm. Bugophobes and bug-lovers alike stared in fascination, unable to look away. One visitor even wanted to hold a tarantula.

"We can't let people touch the tarantulas because their hairs are toxic," Bills said.

In the herbarium, Ann Kelsey showed her collection of 130,000 plants form all over the world.

"These are my kids," the herbarium collections manager said.

One of Kelsey's "kids" is a Beckwith violet, preserved in the collection since 1885, when the U. was called the University of Deseret. Because of development, it doesn't grow in the Salt Lake Valley anymore, she said.

Other former residents of the Salt Lake Valley were housed in the paleontology department. Dinosaur bones, saber-toothed tiger bones, musk ox and others that were native to the area were on display.

In the anthropology department, collections of ancient and modern American Indian artifacts were on display. All collections were presided over by staff and volunteers who are passionate about their areas and eager to show their collections to the public.

"This is truly a heroic effort on the part of the collections team," said Patti Carpenter, museum spokeswoman.

E-mail: lwilde@desnews.com

The report ranks the 50 states and the District of Columbia on the disparities between children's health with respect to income and infant mortality. It also considers mothers' education level. The report shows those who are less educated have a higher infant mortality rate.

Utah, however, does well in that category, with an overall average of 5.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. Utah's infant mortality rate among the more educated (16-plus years of school) is 4.0 per 1,000 live births. For mothers with less than a high school education, the infant mortality rate is 7.8 deaths per 1,000 born, according to the report.

In fact, Utah ranked second lowest in the nation in infant mortality, bested only by Maine.

Utah ranked 19th with respect to the gap between general children's health by income — those with a higher income in the household had better overall health than those with less income.

Overall, 10.7 percent of Utah's 738,594 children have less than optimal health, according to the report.

However, among the state's low-income children, 22.3 percent have less than health optimal health. Meantime, only 4.8 percent of those with higher income have less than optimal health.

New Hampshire had the smallest gap between incomes and health, while Texas had the largest.

"This vividly illustrates how much education and income matter to children's health," said Paula Braveman of the University of California at San Francisco Center on Social Disparities in Health.

Which is unacceptable, said Karen Crompton, executive director of Voices for Utah Children.

"Why do we accept that? We don't accept that for our own children; why do we accept it for other children?" Crompton said.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America is a nonpartisan group seeking ways to improve the health of Americans, according to a statement. The commission is investigating how factors outside health care affect healthy lifestyles. It will release recommendations for improving health in April of 2009.

Crompton said that will be great for the long term but doesn't address short-term needs.

"While we are solving it, there are some intermediate steps that need to be taken," she said.

Some of those steps include registering for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program for those who qualify, and early childhood education programs.