Beehive to Community Action Agency for finding a graphic way to illustrate the problem of poverty and hunger in Utah County. The Provo-based food bank covered its building recently with tarps painted with more than 50,000 dots, each dot representing a Utah County resident living in poverty. Myla Dutton, Community Action's director, said donations to the food bank are down 10-15 percent this year, as there have been no catastrophes to goad people into helping the less fortunate. The tarps help remind us that the poor just don't magically disappear after Christmas or between disasters.

Buffalo Chip to Questar Gas Co. for trying to shut down public criticism of its rate increase requests. The Public Service Commission is considering a request from the natural gas supplier to severely curtail public participation in hearings on rate increases. Questar wants the state to prevent members of the public from questioning Questar's witnesses, analyzing data it doesn't want publicized or presenting evidencelenges the company's position. All anyone could do is say whether he thinks a rate increase is fair or not. Questar spokesman Chad Jones told reporters that it would be "completely unwieldy" if all of Questar's customers were to intervene in a rate hike hearing. That sounds like a red hearing -- er, herring -- to us. The proposed rule seems to target one particular critic, former Committee for Consumer Services Chairman Roger Ball, who routinely challenges Questar's rate requests and provides data to back up his arguments. It's bad enough that Questar has a monopoly on gas, but now it wants one on information, toofi

Beehive to Verl Hanchett, Kevan Penrose and Rick Shulze for finally getting their due for rescuing two men on Bear Lake five years ago. The trio were Division of Wildlife Resources officers checking fishermen's licenses in January 2002 when they saw a boat sinking with two men aboard. The officers responded, risking their own boat to pull the men out of the frigid water and bring them to safete DWR created an award this year to honor the men for their heroism. Better late than never.

Buffalo Chip to the Boulder Outdoor Survival School for its cynical survival strategy -- for itself. After the federal government restricted its business, the school decided to allow survival class participants to carry water bottles. A New Jersey man died of dehydration during a survival trip through Dixie National Forest and within 100 yards of a water supply. A lawsuit is going forward. The man reportedly had been told by BOSS guides not to fill a bottle with water. Guides carried water for use in emergencies, but nobody gave any to Dave Buschow, his family alleges. The U.S. Forest Service suspended BOSS' permission to use federal land until safety guidelines were revised, including a rule allowing survival course participants to carry 32-ounce water bot

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.

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