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Show THE ZEPHYRDECEMBER 1991 Dear Jim, Two wonderful gems of prose, and one particularly delightful piece of Information November Issue, really warmed my heart How wonderful It Is that you have allowed your the atunning patriotic wisdom of Bette Stanton and Dave Cozzens to illuminate the dark, confines of your ugly pages. Coincidental to the presentations of these two towering Intellects, Is the happy news, contained In the Groene report, concerning the animal damage control plan for this area. A thrilling tingle throbbed through my abdomen as I read of the large number of coyotes and other predators recently slaughtered by the shining heroes of the bureaucracy. May thla be but the prelude to a truly bountiful bureaucratic bath In rivers of predators blood. Taken together, Bette Stanton's staggeringly deep and eloquent essay, Dave Cozzen'a concise and brilliant letter, and the good news that we are winning the war against wild animals, all make a profound statement about two very fundamental American values; values to which we are stirringly returning. These values, which shine like twin diamonds in the Godless muck of these modem times, are greed and hatred. The grandfatherty godliness of Ronald Reagan taught us In the 1980's that It was OK to get greedy. We were able, thanks to his wisdom, to once again feel real good about that veracious greed which Impelled our heroic forefathers to plunder the natural wealth of thla continent, and to snatch the land Itself away from Its original Inhabitants. Reagan taught us that It waa great to be greedy; that our highest goal should be, to emulate those supremely greedy persons who have made a killing; and that we ehould simply feel good again about being fundamentally greedy. That gentle, Intellectual sage, George Bush, gave us the fundamental lesson of the 1990's late last winter; that it was OK again to really hate. Didn't it feel good to feel good about patriotic hatred again? 90 of us were dizzy with delight at the news of the thousands of Iraqis elegantly incinerated by our glorious military machine. How wonderful to revel gleefully In collective hatred once again, and to feel in one's bones that it was perfectly OK to do so; how wonderful to recall the many tribes of native people, plants and animals the conquering settlers wiped out utterly thanks to that righteous hatred. Greed and hatred enabled us to become the proud and mighty society we are; the proud society which uses 40 of the world's natural resources even though we make up only 6 of the world's population. Our fundamental appetite for wealth Is basic to who we are as a people. To obtain that wealth, we absolutely must hate; first of all, anything In the external world that reminds us of our Inner wilderness, which our education has taught us to hate and destroy, In order to transform ourselves Into exalted civilized machine heroes of planetary destiny; and secondly, we must hate anything or anyone we cannot control. For control both of our wild, unconditioned natural selves, and control of nature Itself, Is essential for the satisfaction of our hugely greedy appetites for possessions. If It Is not necessary-becaus- e Therefore we must kill coyotes and other predators-eve- n they represent wildness uncontrolled. In stating that, In the 1990's, we are to be kinder and gentler, George Bush meant that critics of the supply side philosophy of greed and hatred (such as Jack Campbell) must be kinder and gentler In their criticism. I await with lusty eagerness, the death toll of predators: and more patriotic Intellectual pyratechnles In your usually depressing environmentalist rag. In PAGE 31 Is 3,528 feet above sea level. The width of the canyon at the water surface Is 260 feet, and a dam 532 feet In height above few water would have a length on top of 1,060 feet" Personally, I thought h Interesting that concern was shown not to flood the D&RG railroad near Westwater and none shown concerning the relocation of the major towns called Moab and Green River, Utah. And relocation of the townsfolk is what would have occurred If the Dark Canyon, Junction or Lower Moab dam sites had been completed. The Dark Canyon Dam would have pooled water as high as Onion Creek In Professor Valley. The town of Green river, Utah, however would have been spared, barely. The Junction Dam would have pooled water to the foot of Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River and to the foot of Gray Canyon of the Green River. Canyonlands and Arches National Parks would of course, never been established, etc., etc. Best to you and your newspaper, Dear Jim, have harbored the information I am about to tell you since 1973, the year I first converted. But the recent letter regarding the Solpugld Expedition (SE) has raised the ugly issue to a level which cannot be Ignored, even if there are two bushels of peaches In the sink which await canning. The SE has been collecting information on the Plateau for over 60 years now. If Times of the Desert They you don't believe me, read E. Krebbs Seratlum Delictum-Paclaim to be benign, but in fact it was the SE who first confused Kelsey about "Foto". You ahould alao ask Manuel about certain contributions he received in his campaign for commissioner. They even set Orrln up on the pubic hair stuff. These people are serious about breaking our spirit and then waltzing In to a society In their own Image. While SE "members" ("comrades would be more exact) go under the code "Bruce", recently one of their number spent several weeks right under the noses of you Moabites, hanging out at the SUWA office under the alias "Scott Anderson" (no doubt a clone of "Kemp"). Stiles, really, you folks need to be more careful. Vigilance!. I st feel better already, thanks. Just call me "Clem" Halchita, Utah I Sincerely P.S. I believe you about the dog, really. Zeke Bickarstsff Dear Zephyr People; read your note about the proposed Theater of the Performing Arts with great Interest while In Moab on vacation. One thing that I noticed while there was that drinking alcohol is not s large part of your lifestyle, at least for sdults In restaurants. On the east snd west cossts, however, one of the highlights of outdoor music festivals Is to bring a picnic meal and a bottle or two of wine to enjoy along with the music. Frankly, the thought of anyone driving down the road from Slickrock after even a glass or two of wine Is pretty frightening. I suspect that the people proposing this have not considered the full ramifies dons of so many people up there at night Banning alcohol is unenforceable and would severely jeopardize the success of a program which depends upon successful people from the I Dear Jim, appreciated very much your article in the October Issue of The Zephyr entitled "dead water-whmight have happened to the Colorado River." I just returned from the Denver Federal Center, spending two days (for research) at the United States Geological Survey library. Please allow me to share with you some Interesting Information about some of the other "135 potential reservoir sites." Some of the dam sites that I am about to mention are the sites that would have affected the river front ranches and property owners near and around Green River, Moab and Castle Valley, Utah. Including as well, the economic security now enjoyed by the National Park Service people, the commercial river running community and the general tourist Industry of Moab and Green River. Marina operations withholding. My sources are from U.S.G.S. dam site topographic maps (1941) and Water Supply Papers 395 (1916) and 556 (1925). Lower Moab dam site-- This dam site was to be about one half mile below the Portal, where the river leaves the Moab Valley and again Is enclosed by csnyon walls. A slte-n-o write up on the facility. Upper Mosb dam site- - This dsm site was about two miles above Negro Bill Canyon. A site-n-o write up on the facility. Castle Creek dam site- - This dam site was to be about one half mile below White's Ranch, where the river leaves the open country of Professor Valley and again, enclosed by canyon walls. A slte-n- o write up on the facility. Westwater power site- - "The Westwater site Is on the Grand River (Colorado, 1921) 10 miles below the railroad station of Westwater, in Grand County, Utah. The water level at the dam site could be raised 140 feet without damage to the railroad of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, and a head of 135 feet could be obtained for the development of power. about 12,300 brake horsepower ...With a head of 135 feet and a flow of 1000 second-fecould be developed." Junction power she- - "Recent Investigations made by the United States Reclamation Service show conditions at the junction of the Green and Grand (Colorado, 1921) rivers In Wayne County, Utah, to be unfavorable for the construction of s high mssonry dam, and A though the construction of s rock-fi- ll dam may be practicable the cost would be high. dam Intended primarily for the development of power will probably never be constructed at this point But a reservoir to be operated primarily In the Interest of Irrigation on the lower Colorado River may become commercially feasible at some future time when the entire runrock-fi-ll off from the Colorsdo Is needed for Irrlgstlon below the Virgin River, if a 270-fodsm would make dam can be built here at a cost not exceeding $43,000,000.00. A 270-foof water. possible the storage of 8,600,000 acre-fesiteCanyon. On account of wide sections and Dark Canyon dam unfavorable rock structure, s feasible dam site wss not found until 30 miles of the csnyon below Green River had been surveyed. This site is 3 miles above Dark Canyon, near the lower end of Cataract Canyon, At the Dark Canyon dam site the river surface at low water I at et ot ot coasts. would send a copy of this to the BYU people, but don't know how. Maybe you could use this In your efforts to stop the plan. Good Job with your newspaper. It is Interesting to see thst other communities are having the same problem with conservation v. development I Sincerely Judy Bond Editor, wish to correct a statement in your story about Escalante's new welcome sign In the November Issue. Specifically, I was not "burned In effigy" by the citizens of Escalante in 1985. Actually, I was hung In effigy, a notable difference. I was harassed and abused in a variety of other ways as well, and have become I In to accustomed would like to offer myself to the more conservative It quite fact, elements of your community as an effigy-for-hlof sorts. I'm so good at it, I thought I could I turn s off buck am available for public stonings. also my experience. perhaps I re Sincerely, Robert Wed Calf Creek, Utah 5PORT PORTS 1550 North Ave Grand Junction, CO 81501 (303) 245-712- 7 (800) 875-712- 7 Mountain Bikes PADI - Scuba Diving Instruction et Call About our $99.00 certification - check our special - |