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Show The Park Record A-18 Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, October 1-4, 2005 Members sought for council reborn Image Reborn Foundation invites you to Celebrate the Moment with a festive tropical evening to benefit women with breast cancer ^w&ti&K ^4$ ^eborn provides retreats for woman with all motorized trail users in general. Council members are appointed to three-year terms by the Board of Utah State Parks and Recreation and Division Director Mary TUliius. Interested individuals may receive an application and/or additional information by contacting John Knudson at (801) 538-7344 or via e-mail at johnknudson@utah.gov. Applications must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 15. Upcoming Utah State Parks events •Oct. 8 Goblin Valley State Park - Green River: Two Programs: Junior Ranger Program - BUGS! Discover the mini-beasts of Goblin Valley at 10 a.m. at the Observation Point shelter Children six to 12 are invited to become a Junior Ranger, and earn a badge and certificate. Then enjoy Sand, Stars, and Goblins: Join the park naturalist for an evening walk through the goblins at 8 p.m. at the Observation Point shelter. Find out who lurks around in the night! For more information, please call (435) 259-9569. •Oct. 8 Snow Canyon State Park - Ivins: Introduction to Rappelling: Discover the thrill of rappelling down a cliff face beginning at 9 a.m. Professional climbing instructors demonstrate and take participants step-by-step through the vertical world of rappelling. All equipment and instruction provided by Paragon Climbing Instruction. Space is limited and registration is required. For more information, please call (435) 628-2255. •Oct. 8 - Nov. 30 Antelope Island State Park - Syracuse: Art Exhibit: Color photographs by Stewart W. Robison on display at the visitor center art gallery. His collection contains photographs of various Utah locales, including Antelope Island State Park, Great Salt Lake, Uintah Mountains, wildlife, and nature scenes. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information, please call (801) 725-9263. Proposal looks at better health care j) Pai"k City and offer question and answers from £^L*medical experts, exercise, mutual bonding gp,-.«Sand other theraputic programs. If you are anyKf.: ' one you know is interested in attending a B' retreat please contact 435-658-1715. CO % Join us Saturday October I st, 2005 at the Yarrow Hotel in Park City 6pm Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction • with Island Entertainment, 7pm Dinner Utah State Parks and Recreation is seeking two individuals interested in representing equestrians and hikers on the Utah Recreational Trails Advisory Council (URTAC). "We are looking for people to represent the specific interests of non-motorized trail users," said Trails Program Coordinator John Knudson. URTAC reviews requests for matching grant funding for nonmotorized trail projects throughout Utah and provides recommendations to the Division and Board of Utah State Parks and Recreation on trail issues. The nine-member council consists of individuals representing the interests of hikers, bicyclists, equestrians, cross-county skiers, Utah League of Cities and Towns, Utah Association of Counties, USDA Forest Service, and USDI Bureau of Land Management. The council also includes one member-at-large who represents the interest of non- • 9pm Dancing to the Joe Muscolino Band featuring B Murphy. By JEFF PLUNGIA MediaNews Group Wire Service Washington - Sen. Barack Obama, D-I11-, has called for using government money to relieve Detroit automakers of some of their staggering health care obligations if they commit to improving fuel economy by 3 percent a year for 15 years. "By picking up part of the tab for the health care costs of their retirees, we'd be lifting a huge burden off the auto industry so that they'll invest in the technology that will finally reduce America's dependence on foreign oil," Obama said in a speech earlier this month. With Obama - arguably the hottest voice in the Democratic Party _ joining the debate, the politics of fuel economy are changing. Once the realm of a few policy wonks, more and more lawmakers are delving into the federal government's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program and searching for ways to bring new technology and alternative fuel vehicles to the market. Just a few months ago, with the president's signature on a comprehensive energy bill, fuel economy seemed like a settled issue. After a four-year debate over energy policy, automakers successfully fought off any mandates that would require cars and trucks go farther on a gallon of gas. But with gas prices near $3 per gallon lawmakers are looking at ways to break the logjam. "The politics are absolutely changing," said Bracken Hendricks, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a centrist think tank in Washington, who worked on Obama's health care-for-hybrids plan. "People have to deal with this every day at the gas pump. It's harder and harder to look the other way." There is no guarantee that the burst of proposals will reduce oil consumption or require more fuelefficient cars and trucks. There are still formidable obstacles to overcome to pass higher fuel economy requirements, such as safety concerns about smaller cars and the feeling that Detroit's struggling automakers shouldn't be saddled with additional regulatory hurdles. Some think the buzz around the issue that was growing after Hurricane Katrina is already fading. "Right now, on the Hill, they're focusing a lot more on price gouging," said Melissa Anderson, spokeswoman for the American International Automobile Dealers Association. Sometimes lost in the postKatrina debate is the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a new framework for the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program. NHTSA is looking at a different way to calculate fuel economy requirements, based on vehicle size, and its plan would gradually require efficiency improvements through the 2010 model year. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., is offering an amendment to a new energy bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, cosponsored by a a group of 11 Republicans and eight Democrats, which would establish an overall fleet average of 33 mpg, up from about 24 mpg now. Similar efforts have been shot down as recently as this summer. In the Senate, lawmakers who have stayed on the sidelines of the fuel economy debate are now looking seriously at the United States' thirst for oil. Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., conservative chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, supports higher fuel economy and expanded offshore oil drilling to address demand and supply. Domenici played a key role in shaping the recently passed energy bill, which did not include fuel economy hikes. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, whose Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, promised to hold hearings on the issue after dealing with the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Sen. Larry Craig, another senior Republican who has rejected fuel economy hikes, is mulling legislation to reform the fuel economy program along the lines that NHTSA recently proposed. "We're seeing a new pattern emerging," said Deron Lovaas, a transportation expert with the Natural Resource Defense Council in Washington. "We hope it's a precursor to breaking out of the all-ornothing politics, and the ice will begin to melt." Automakers have already responded to heightened consumer interest in fuel economy. Last week, Ford Motor Co. said it would increase the number of gasolineelectric hybrids it sells tenfold by 2010. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. also asked President Bush to convene an industry-consumer task force to explore new ways to conserve fuel. General Motors Corp. is touting its models that get 30 mpg or more in national ads. But that doesn't mean the automakers are embracing new regulations. GM's Washington spokesman, Chris Preuss, said there is a danger an emotional Congress will overreact, wreaking its own kind of havoc through new mandates that will distort the marketplace. "The last thing we need is a knee-jerk reaction on the political level," Preuss said. "High prices at the pump will have the most immediate impact on consumer driving patterns and the use of fuel. When we get into actions that interfere with supply and demand, that's when we get into trouble." Set America Free, comprised of conservatives such as Adm. James Watkins. a former Energy Secretary in the first Bush administration, and Robert McFarlane, a national security adviser to President Reagan, is focusing on the nexus between oil use and national security. The group says it wants to reduce oil use by boosting the production of flexible fuel vehicles that can run on ethanol or "plug-in" hybrids - gasoline-electric vehicles with bigger batteries - that can achieve up to 75 mpg. The group has been getting a lot more interest on Capitol Hill in recent weeks, said Anne Korin, the group's policy director. "We decided we need to get creative," Korin said. "We cannot drill our way out of this problem. We need to look at the demand side, and that means looking at transportation." Backers of higher fuel economy point to polls like the one released last week by 40mpg.org, an offshoot of the Massachusetts-based Civil Society Institute. In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said the federal government wasn't doing enough about high energy prices and U.S. dependence on foreign energy. On fuel economy, 73 percent said it was "much more" or "somewhat more" important for the government to require higher fuel-efficiency standards for new cars. On both questions, the. support was strong across party lines. Tickets are $ 150 per person Casual Island Attire Call 435-658-1715 for tickets and information. The rate may be the first thing you look for, but it shouldn't be the last. A great rate is just the first step in choosing the perfect loan. Visit www.Key.com/bestloan to learn what else to look for when exploring your borrowing options. You'll also find a lot of other great resources that will make the whole process easier. So visit or contact us today and let Key help you achieve your dreams. 1 -800-658-5399 KeyBank m www.Key.com/bestloan „. Achieve anything. ace donated by the Partc *Subjecl to credit approval. Rates for the line of credit portion are based on the Wall Street Journal Prime (Prime) and are as low as Prime minus 0.76% (5.99% APR as of 09/20/2005). Actual rales are determined by product and credit qualifications. Promotional margin is available for applications which have automatic payment deduction from a new or existing KeyBank checking account. Lifetime annual fee waiver available with KeyPrivilege package relationship. Roles may vary but never exceed 18.00% APR. Properly and hazard insurance are required on the property securing the line, Certain restrictions appty. All fees will be waived on loan amounts up to $500,000. For lines above $500,000, title insurance may be required _ > ^ (cost ranges from $12.iO to $2,859]. If your line terminates for any reason within 36 months, a $350 early termination fee will apply This f = > promolion will be available for applications taken October 1 - November 30, 2005. ©2005 KeyBank Member FDIC - |