The current five-year contract for the Salt Lake County Visitors and Convention Bureau's largest customer, which is holding its summer trade show at the Salt Palace this weekend, is set to expire in 2009.

But the Outdoor Retailers Summer and Winter Market, the trade show's booking manager, extended through 2010.

The two shows bring in more than 40,000 retailers per year and about $32 million to the local economy.

The Outdoor Retailers were unhappy over Utah's previous attitudes about cutting wilderness and outdoor opportunities and inadequate space in the Salt Palace.

But convention officials say the Salt Palace expansion alleviated one concern, and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s ongoing dialog with industry leaders salved the other.

Bearded firefighters: Officials at the Utah National Guard's Camp Williams in southwest Salt Lake County have figured out one sure way to protect the base from summer wildfires.

Goats.

A Utah State University project a few years ago discovered goats so thoroughly eat ground vegetation there is nothing left to fuel a fire.

Camp Williams has contracted with local ranchers and last week brought in 900 goats to the base's northern boundary. They cleared a 10-mile line of forage, creating a gap of 75 meters to 150 meters, protecting the camp from fire and leaving the goats fat and happy.

What constituency? You can always tell when it's off-year election time.

Last week, staffers for Utah Children called the offices of all three Utah U.S. House representatives - Republicans Rob Bishop and Chris Cannon and Democrat Jim Matheson - to see what town meetings were scheduled during the monthlong summer recess.

They found that none of the representatives has scheduled any town meetings. But wait until it's time for re-election.

Here's looking at you, kid: Active and retired teachers in Jordan School District were reminded once again how important they are to officials of the district, whose board recently quadrupled the pay of its own members.

The annual mailing regarding insurance benefits for the upcoming year included an advertisement for the Jordan School District Health and Benefits Fair on June 19. It was mailed June 26.

Correction: In Monday's column, I quoted Brie Wagner, who attended the rally for Barack Obama in Park City on Sunday, as saying she had twin brothers serving in Iraq. She said her brothers had served in the military, but she did not say they were in Iraq.

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