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Show 4A Emery County Progress, Castle Dale, Utah - Tuesday, December 8, 1998 Five families in Green River will receive homes through CROWN unique effort spear- A headed by the Utah Housing Finance Agency (UHFA) in partnership with American Express Centurion Bank, the City of Green River and Emery County Housing Authority has created a highly innovative solution for low-incom- e Utahns combating high housing costs. The housing program, called CROWN constructs new, (CRedit-to-OWN- homes and single-famil- y ates rent-to-ow- n ), cre- substantial amounts toward down payments and closing costs. Yet, at the same time, these families cannot continue paying higher rental amounts each year either which in recent years have risen 13 15 percent in a given -- housing opportunities for extremely Utah families who find paying rent difficult and purchasing a home nearly impossible. They will lease the homes for a fifteen year period and then buy the home for well low-incom- below market price. Many families today, particularly single parent families, are not able to purchase their own home immediately because of the need to pay e year. CROWN fixes their monthly rent payments at less than $375 per month and eliminates the large annual increases, thereby making it affordable to lower income families. Five hard working, low-in- - come families who have found it very difficult to afford any type of decent housing will move into new CROWN homes in Green River. Three of the five lucky families have been selected and the others will soon be named. Two of these families are headed by single mothers and one is a married couple with three children. The five homes are located in the Cot- tonwood Subdivision in Green River The bedroom singlefamily detached homes cost between $82,000 and $92,000, respectively, each to build. They will be leased for ap3-- 4 a proximately month making it affordable $340-$37- 5 to families earning just 45 percent or the area median income. (The median income for Emery County is the middle income where exactly half of the families earn more and exactly have earn less.) Rents will remain re- stricted throughout the 15 year rental period After the 15th year, the families will purchase their CROWN home at a significantly re- duced cost through a UHFA mortgage. low-intere- st The families will be empowered with .the responsibilities of home ownership from the outset. CROWN has been made possible through the use of loans and low-intere- st fed- eral income tax shelters from UHFA and critically important equity investments by American Express Centurion Bank. The City of Green River assisted with securing the Emery Telephone presents check sites. Deferred financing from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle along with certain assistance from the State of Utah Department of Community and Economic Development also played a key role. Construction Newland Company met the challenge of producing low cost homes that are highly durable and attractive. An open house and ribbon cutting will take place at 365 N. Long Street in Green River, tomorrow (Dec. 9) at 11 a.m.. Several of the new CROWN families will be in attendance for the ceremony. Two of the homes will be open for touring. The CROWN publicpri-vate partnership program, the only one of its kind in the nation was developed by Utah Housing Finance Agency. CROWN won two presti- gious national awards for representing the most innovating housing effort in the U.S. Ex- William H. Erickson, ecutive Director of UHFA stated, CROWN allows hard working families who would never be able to buy a home, to escape continuously ris- ing apartment rents that drain so much of their dream and through that participation add to the fabric that is Green River, Utah. John Schestedt, Executive Director of Emery County Housing Authority, marked, The Housing reAu- thority is pleased to have completed its first newly constructed project in Green River and we appreciate the helpful partnering of Green River and the Utah Housing Finance Agency. The Housing Authority is committed to high quality housing solu- tions appropriate to the local markets we serve. tax CROWN provides a sensible dollars, but rather, using approach. UHFA has financed over private sector capital. This is the only program in the 200 CROWN homes across nation that provides this the state in cities such as Green River, Richfield, West opportunity. Jane Shock, Director of Valley, Vernal, Ogden, Cedar Community Development for City, Salt Lake City, Provo American Express Centurion and Roosevelt. Bank said, With the rapid Because the CROWN proacceleration of home prices gram addresses two signifiand rental housing through- cant problems facing every out Utah, many Utah community: cleaning families cannot obtain any up overgrown, neglected lots, type of affordable housing. and providing quality, affordThe CROWN program will able housing to the lowest help alleviate this problem wage earners in the commuand ultimately make home nity, it is anticipated that ownership a reality for these UHFA will develop as many families We are pleased to as 50 CROWN homes partner with UHFA and look throughout Utah each year forward to making a major through the end of the cen- impact in communities tury. CROWN has already been around the state. The Mayor of Green River, lauded as a model affordHarry Hanson, stated that able home ownership proThe city is proud to be a gram for very partner in providing afford- families and has sparked able housing to its citizens. interest across the nation. These homes will provide The attractive, durable and Green River families a wonhigh quality CROWN homes derful opportunity to partici- will provide a long term compate fully in the American munity asset. monthly income. This is complished without any lease-to-ow- n low-inco- low-incom- partment, and let them Paul Crawford, President of the Board of Directors of Emery Telephone, presented Roger Swenson, President of the Emery County School Board, a check for $11,830 on Dec. 3 e at the first Emery Spartan Basketball game of the season and also in the during new gym. The check is payment for the score board that were installed in the new gym. Emery Telephone had previously requested that it be allowed to pay for the score board. half-tim- Despite agreement strong measures needed: ( Continued from page 3 A) help tobacco users quit, the state at the hands of the tobacco industry. opinion poll the vast majority of Utahns share CTFUs feelings about how a portion of those dollars should be used. The results of the October 1998 statewide tele- tion, control- and education, however worthwhile or seemingly deserving, To allow an approprithe health and other problems will continue ate portion of the money to be used for anything unabated. According to a recently other than reimbursereleased Utah public ment, tobacco preven- phone poll conducted for by Washington D.C.-base- Mason-Dixo- n d - would be inappropriate, Dr. Lindsay concluded. To make sure that hap- pens and that the future does not bring similar tobacco use levels and its CTFU, consequences, state officials, and public Research, Inc., revealed that 90 per- health representatives cent of those polled be- - are joining together to To allow an appropriate portion of the money to be used for anything other than reimbursement, tobacco prevention, control and education, however worthwhile or seemingly deserving, would be inappropriate. -- Dr, Gordon B. Lindsay, Chairman and associate professor of health science at Brigham Young University that at least half of present the Utah Legislaany settlement money ture with a comprehenshould be used exclu- sive tobacco control plan sively to combat tobacco for using these funds. This plan is under deaddiction. The numbers also showed 92 percent velopment and includes: of those polled felt that a) specific efforts to reduce youth marketing plans, lieve anti-tobacc- o smoking should be a priority for the funds. The survey found that more Utahns favor spending the money on tobacco prevention than on any of the other initiatives that were asked about including tax reduction, With millions of dollars potentially coming to Utah, we must not look at it as a windfall but remember it is coming specifically to compen- sate for the tremendous medical, social and financial burdens suffered by including paid advertising; b) cessation assistance for smokers, including underage smokers; c) community-base- d) school-base- d programs to prevent and reduce tobacco use; d pro- grams; e) enforcement of laws that prohibit sales of to- bacco to minors; and, f) evaluation and monitoring to ensure the programs are working Winter is coming upon us and it is getting really cold at night. Be sure your outside pets have shelter from the cold and plenty of water and food available to them. If you happen to lose your pet, or find a stray animal, please call the animal control officer in your area, or Deputy Martin Wilson of the Emery County Sheriffs De e off-far- m on-far- Ferron Irrigation Project was approved for funding. BoR will provide funds for 100 percent of the piping and construction ($10.8 million), USDA off-far- m under the EQIP program will provide up to 70 per- cent of funds for systems ($4.1 million), the Salinity Forum will assist if EQIP fund with runs short. Local land owners will pay for the other 30 percent of the costs ($1.9 million). The results the South on-far- on-far- m on-far- hit by a car and not make it. There is no charge to have an animal taken to the shelter and it is much more human than abandoning them. Since it is that time of year when everyone is asking for donations, why not consider helping out the animals too? The couqty shelter accepts Please dont abandon' donation of old towels and them in hopes someone will blankets as well as cat and find them and take care of dog food to help make the them. Chances are the ani- stay at the shelter more commal will freeze, starve or be fortable for the animals. - provided funds to the SCD to make the Irrigation Coordinator position a county wide position. Other irrigation companies and individuals have started the planning process to develop irrigation and salinity control systems, thus trying to keep agriculture alive in Emery County as an industry and way of life. Ferron City Council mem- bers are: Garth Larsen, Mayor, Gil Conover, Kent Clifford Snow, Parke Killpack and Phillip Larsen, Jensen. Irrigation Company Board members are: Tracy Behling, President, Jed Be-hlin- Vice President, John Lemon, Tony Conder, Kyle Singleton, Len Anderson, Paul Barton, Roger Behling, President Ferron Canal and Reservoir ComCrawford, secretary and Tracy received an Award of Merit from Bill Rigby, President pany, Pauline Anderson, Utah Association of Conservation Districts (UACD) at the UACD Convention in St. George. m Ditch lateral began construction Oct. 30, 1998. The construction is being done by the Irrigation company with a local work crew. It will include 8.3 miles of main line and by spring of 1999, 1600 acres will be under pressurized sprinkler irrigation tems. sys- The total project will include 8747 acres, 175 miles of underground pipe, 38,923 tons of salt will be removed annually from the San Rafael and Colorado Rivers. Total cost of the project will be $16,000,000. The seed money from the Irrigation company and Ferron City will provide great dividends to the communities of Ferron and Clawson, while protecting the soil and water re- Left to right: Roger Barton, SCD Chairman looks on while Tiacy Behling, representing Fferron sources. Canal and Reservior Company, presented the Award of Merit received at the UACD ConvenIn 1998 Emery County tion to Garth Larsen, Mayor Ferron City at the Ferron City Council meeting on Nov. 24. I 4 know so they can try and locate your pet, or the owner of the stray you found, and unite pets with owners. If you have a pet that you cant keep for any reason, please notify animal control so they can take it to the county animal shelter. Ferron City, water company honored: (Continued from page 1A) tion (BoR), USDA and Salinity Forum. BoR had just written an Environmental Impact Statement on a Salinity Control Program to reduce salt loads into the Colorado River. They had funds available for projects and USDA could be asked for funds for irrigation systems. It took two years, another $10,000 each from the Irrigation company, Ferron City and UACD, but the i? ac- Please take care of your animals this winter By DORIS QUINN Progress editor f ! , i i |