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Show TheEmeryCountyReview.com Game Day Ends Dance! One Step Above dancers perform Spring recital After an incredible regular season record, Lady Spartans watch as playoff hopes fade B2 REVIEW B1 Emery County The Local News, Local Voice, Locally Owned Volume 2, Issue 21. Treasure hunters prepare for ‘Rock Show’ James L. Davis Photo by James L. Davis Roger Killpack makes arrowheads during last year’s rock show. The 2nd Annual Castle Country Rock, Fossil and Mineral Show will once again showcase everything from rocks and fossils to jewelry when it returns to the College of Eastern Utah’s Jennifer Leavitt Student Center Ballroom June 6-7. The second annual rock show is free to the public and is open from noon to 7 p.m. on June 6 and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 7. During the show vendors will have rocks, fossils, minerals, jewelry, stone etchings, metal detectors, and equipment on display for purchase. There will also be demonstrations and displays for the curious of all ages and door prizes given away throughout the day. Patrick Braun, the silversmith class instructor for CEU, organized the show last year in hopes of drawing further interest in developing a club for rock, fossil and mineral fans throughout the Castle Country area. In its second year, organizers hope to expand on the success they enjoyed last year. “I hope that this year we will have the same support from the community as we did last year and we anticipate that there will be even greater attendance this year,” Braun said. “Last year, so many people came into the show not quite knowing what to expect Continued on Page A3. Pedal Power Photos by Josie Luke Cycling enthusiasts study a map of the area while stopping for lunch near the Swinging Bridge. One SWELL BIKE RIDE Riders gather in Green River for 22nd Annual San Rafael Swell Mountain Biking Festival Josie Luke Mountain biking enthusiasts assembled in Green River, May 16-18, for the 22nd Annual San Rafael Swell Mountain Biking Festival, one the longest running mountain bike festivals in the country. For some, the event provides an opportunity to take in the magnificent scenery of the Swell, for others it presents a chance to test their skills on the broken slick rock trails. The event, organized by the MECCA mountain biking club, drew 134 riders who participated in three days of activities. Arriving on Friday, participants gathered at the John Wesley Powell Museum for a warm-up ride before being treated to dinner at the Tamarisk restaurant. After breakfast Saturday morning, riders participated in one of six unique rides. The festival offers ride options for beginning, intermediate and advanced riders. Beginners rode the Cliff Dwellers Trail which provided a 10 mile ride to an overlook of Arson Gardens, and the beginning of Hydes Draw and Eardley Canyon, which is famous for canyoneering and has been the location of many search and rescue operations. Intermediate riders had four trails to choose from. One took them 19 miles to visit the old Continued on Page A12. 75 Cents Tuesday, May 20, 2008 County joins in tax battle Josie Luke Emery County, as part of a group represented by the Utah Association of Counties has appealed the decision of the Utah State Tax Commission to adjust the 2006 Rocky Mountain Power property tax assessment. If the appeal is not granted, Emery County would be required to refund over $172,000 in taxes RMP paid the county. Emery County Treasurer, Steven Barton revealed that the county had received the decision from the Tax Commission on March 6, and had joined the Association of Counties in appealing the ruling soon after in “an effort to protect the public, to protect the taxpayer.” Just as private citizens have the right to appeal the assessed values on their property, large companies also have the opportunity to challenge the values set on their properties. Jeff Hymas, spokesman for RMP explained the process, “The value of Rocky Mountain Power’s property throughout Utah is determined each year on a centralized basis by the Utah State Tax Commission. The portion of property taxes received by each county is based on the value of assets located within their jurisdiction. “Rocky Mountain Power appealed its 2006 Utah property tax assessment and a hearing was held before the Commission in August of 2007. A decision was issued in February 2008, reduc- ing the company’s statewide assessed value for 2006 by $44 million, from $2.85 to $2.81 billion. For Emery County, the decision resulted in a $14 million reduction in value, from $903 to $889 million. “Based on the Commission’s ruling, counties are required to refund a portion of taxes paid during 2006. For Emery County, this will result in a repayment of approximately $170,000. The issue has not been fully resolved, however, because the Utah Association of Counties has filed an appeal of the Commission’s decision.” Should the county lose the appeal, the refund would come from several county entities. As taxing entities, Emery County would be responsible to refund $61,241, the Emery County School District would refund $79,655, the Emery Water Conservancy District would refund $5,477 and the Castle Valley Special Service District would refund $26, 211. Many of the towns would also be affected, but the refund would be under $50 and so they would not be billed. Commissioner Gary Kofford said that in order to cover the shortfall, were the appeal to fail, the county would consider imposing a judgment levy, which would spread the effects over all taxpayers in the county, including RMP. Representatives from the school district and CVSSD reported that they would also consider such a levy. Medical Reserve Corps works to establish community partnerships The Southeastern Utah Medical Reserve Corps is working to establish effective partnerships with communities and emergency response agencies in Southeastern Utah. Cynthia Grant, SEUMRC Coordinator, has recently completed a round of meetings with County Commissions in Carbon, Emery, Grand and San Juan. Commissioners were introduced to the history, mission and potential of the Medical Reserve Corps to serve their communities. Each of the counties’ commissions offered publicly their full support and backing. Grand County signed a letter of support for the SEUMRC encouraging “county residents to volunteer as MRC members when and where time and ability permit.” Carbon, Emery and San Juan counties also enacted a resolution in support of the SEUMRC. Having now been officially recognized the SEUMRC is actively seeking volunteers who can give of their time and talents to serve their communities. Those interested may contact Cynthia Grant, SEUMRC Coordinator, at cgrant@ utah.gov or call 435-7482997. Other information about MRCs throughout the nation can be found at www.medicalreservecorps. gov. The past several years have brought unprecedented man-made and natural disaster, destruction and casualties to the residents of our nation. In evaluating the responses to these events it has become clear that local people and local pre-identified and trained groups will provide the greatest measure of proper and effective preparation, response and recovery from future events of this nature. The Southeastern Utah District Health Department has and is continuing to form a group of such local, pre-identified and trained volunteers called the Southeastern Utah Medical Reserve Corps. The MRC program was launched officially as a national community-based movement in July 2002, and the SEUMRC begun in April 2006. It was formed in response to President Bush’s call for all Americans to offer vol- Continued on Page A3. |