State Rep. Stephen Clark, R-Provo, was named one of the Utah Association of Realtors' Legislators of the Year in 2008, recognized for all his support for private property rights and other issues dear to the real estate industry.

But what a difference a year makes.

Clark is running for mayor of Provo this year and Taylor Oldroyd, director of the Utah County Board of Realtors is the chairman of the Utah County Republican Party, whose close-knit insiders seem to be leaning toward mayoral candidate John Curtis.

The Board of Realtors, despite the statewide organization showing its appreciation to Clark last year, has thrown its support behind Curtis, basically telling the Legislator of the Year: "So what have you done for us lately?"

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Sign of the times » Volunteers of America, Utah, which provides ready-to-eat cans of food and other basic survival items to homeless youths and adults, is out of food.

The organization helped more than 850 homeless youths and 1,200 homeless adults in Salt Lake County last year, but the emergency pantry shelves are practically bare going into the colder season.

A drive-by food collection will take place Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Homeless Youth Resource Center, 655 S. State in Salt Lake City.

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Health care tips » At the new Intermountain Healthcare facility on State Street in Murray, patrons going to the rest room must go

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through three sets of doors that all swing in. When a person leaves the rest room, he or she will need to pull the handle, sort of neutralizing the hand-washing that supposedly just went on.

So much for stopping the spread of germs in a hospital.

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The dog ate the homework » Many school districts around the state were in a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't situation when President Obama delivered his speech to school children around the nation Tuesday.

Most schools aired the speech, but allowed kids to opt out if that's what their parents wanted. Some districts, like Nebo and Emery, ordered all their schools to not air the speech, getting criticism from parents who thought that was censorship.

But Wasatch Jr. High School in the Granite School District didn't air the speech because of "technical difficulties" with its equipment.

That way they have an excuse for everything.

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Efficient use of resources » As part of its extensive freeway-widening project on I-80, UDOT has built a 12-foot sound wall between the freeway and Forest Dale Golf Course, at about 900 East.

There is a steep slope from the barricade down onto the golf course, but for good measure, UDOT also installed a chain-link fence at the bottom of the slope, even though it seems unnecessary since it is just below that huge wall.

UDOT spokesman Adan Carrillo says the department must follow a federal mandate to delineate with a fence the end of the state's right-of-way. Because there is a few feet of right-of-way between the sound wall and the first fairway at Forest Dale, there must be another fence.

prolly@sltrib.com