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Show Utah Press Association Eox 1327 Salt Lake . fej $ aM ' WEDNESDAY. APRIL 28, - , J- HELPER, 1976 . Mitcheson house about an jury, rejecting the defense's hour later, Mitcheson came claims that a shot that into the kitchen holding the killed Richard Herrera in Price last Feb. 7 was fired accidently, found old Gary Mitcheson, Price, guilty of second degree ar P I I 1 . V f .4 6.. . murder last Friday after deliberating two hours. After the hearing unanimous guilty finding, Seventh District Court Judge Edward Sheya orindered a vestigation and set sentencing for Mitcheson on pre-senten- May 17. Meg Minor, left, and Diane Warth brave rain, seeking ride to Colorado and eventually Florida. a The two young women, who have hitch-hike- d combined 12,000 miles in the past year, passed through Helper last weekend. They live on a communal farm in West Virginia. After 12,000 miles, a trip through Helpe The quintessential free spirits passed through Helper last weekend unnoticed by nearly everyone and leaving behind only their intriguing stories and perhaps a few date pits. Diane Warth and Meg Minor, both 25, live on a communal when they stay in one place farm in Smithfield, W. Va. But despite their stated place of residence, Meg hasn't seen the farm in five months and Diane in about a year. Since they left their rural home, the two young women have been on the road, usually hitchhiking, and between them they've logged a staggering but conservative estimate of 12,000 miles. The odyssey began last May when Diane left the farm and hitched to Washington State where she earned some cash by picking apples. With Jier...savinga,she .then .journied to Southern California to visit and temporarily live with friends. After a short time, and due in large part to the untimely death of her savings account, Diane moved to Los Angeles, where she spent the better part of six months as a waitress at a Holiday Inn. L.A. gave her little besides a bad case of paranoia, Diane said, which had her cowering to the point where she rode a bus out of the metropolis. rather than hitch-hik- e Thumbing once again, Diane trekked back up to Washington State to visit friends. There we'll leave her for a moment. In November, about the time Diane signed on y as a waitress, Meg left the farm and headed for Washington, D.C., with "fifty dollars and a lot of enthusiasm." From the nation's capital, Meg's road led to the mountains of g with Arizona where she went another roving member of the commune. In January, the money ran low, so she and a big-cit- back-packin- the words of prosecutor Ron "... two puzzles Boutwell, one which tells the true story and one which does not." The prosecution's case rested on the testimony of three persons, each of whom claimed he saw Mitcheson deliberately shoot Herrera early in the morning of Feb. 7, while Mitcheson, backed by the of an intestimony vestigator, held that the 0 murder weapon, a lever action rifle, had accidently discharged when the defendant tripped while coming through the doorway of a house on his way to eyewitness friend built and painted a billboard. Then, with the cash level at $700, Meg went to L.A., where her path first crossed Diane's. A cold, wet trip to the Bay Area and the redwood country, taught the traveler that wintertime is Southland time, so it was off to L.A. again, then San Diego, then Mazatlan (Mexico), Arizona (for a house painting job), San Francisco, Mendocino, then Washington State, where she again ran across her current traveling companion. If this somewhat confusing tale got you lost, be assured that it did not have the same effect on the main characters. They rattled off their year's adventure as if it had taken place within a week. Just last Friday, the two once again heard the highway calling, and they struck out into the unknown .Through Washington, Oregon and Idaho they came. Then down Interstate 15, up Spanish Fork Canyon, down Price Canyon and through Helper on their way to . "Colorado and Arkansas is a good possibility," Meg said. Then on to Florida, where Meg's parents and Diane's brothers and sisters live. Both women said they keep in frequent touch with their families. They tell stories about their former college life, about being picked up by members of a motorcycle gang, about vegetarian diets, about a "healing festival" held at a hot spring in Arizona, about how the end of the previous coal boom brought a permanent depression to their West Virginia town, about their earlier lives Meg's in Southern Calfornia and Diane's in Cincinnati, Ohio, about seeing America. No doubt, stories about Helper will soon be added to the list. . . more-or-le- Jurors in the four day trial were presented with, in ss "scare" and Herrera companions out of the yard. The prosecution's case eyewitnesses DiCaro, James Albert A. Martinez and La Von Anderson who each said he, saw a deliberate act on part. DiCaro testified WedMTf-cheson- 's nesday that he had been with Gary Mitcheson at Mitcheson's sister's home the morning of Feb. 7 when the shooting occurred. DiCaro testified that when he came to the Mitcheson home at about 2 a.m. Feb. 7, he saw the rifle laying on a front room couch and inspected it to determine whether it was loaded. He said that inspection revealed that the rifle was loaded but that no bullet was in the firing chamber. DiCaro went on to testify that when Herrera and at the Water rate increase approved by city council in favor of the rate break, City employees were not satisfied with the $50 a month increase pay proposed at the council's The establishment of and in-ci- ty was because of a inequitable planned smaller percentage increase for water customers. The council agreed to rate to $5.50 raise the for 10,000 gallons and the rate from $7.50 to $11 for the initial 8,000 gallons, a 47 percent hike. Mayor Charles Ghiradelli said he had met with out-of-ci- ty in-ci- ty out-of-ci- ty representatives of the Carbon Board of Education who asked to have the water rate increase waived for the school district. Councilman Martin Farish immediately spoke out against the proposal, and other council members joined him in opposition. Councilwoman Mary Rebol said she saw no reason why the council should show favoritism in its rate structure, and water master Kerry Nielson said the district had not fulfilled its earlier promise of moderating its water use. The vote was against the district, with Councilman Joe Rolando voting 4-- 1 previous session, Ghirar- delli said, so the council went back to the drawing board to come up with a $70 per month proposal. Neilson and Police Chief Karl Stavar said they weren't entirely satisfied with the $70 raise, but the council voted 1 for giving that 4-- corridor, bounded by Price on the north, Green River on the south east and Castle Dale on the west, was recommended last week as an unto alternative coordinated development by Dr. George R. Hill, one of the nation's leading energy experts, in a meeting with Utah Governor Calvin Rampton. ' al Dr. Hill, the assistant director for fossil fuel research at the Electric Power and Research Inin Palo Alto, California and the former dean of the College of Mines and Mineral Industries at the University of Utah, said he suggested the plan as an alternative to the defunct Kaiparowits Project, which would not only supply electrical energy needs to Calformia but could also power new mineral industries in the area that would be included as part of the plan. Dr. Hill said the area is a a for such natural development because of its unique combination of available water from the stitute Green River, the low sulfur coal that is abundant in the area and its relative remoteness from national parks and recreation areas which concerned environmentalists with the Kaiparowits Project. The plan revealed by the doctor envisions the construction ot a series ot conventional sized power plants that could produce as much as the Kaiparowits Project or even more, if needed. Along with this power development would be the establishment of new industries such as tar sand, shale oil, coal gasification and even refining of other minerals, such as copper and manganese, which are produced in the state. Hills said the establishment of these industries would be very important to the overall scheme as they would provide a stable economic base on which to expand the overall plan. Hill said the plan was sound environmentally because the location of the corridor, which is favored with prevailing ly winds, coupled with the use of convential from Carbon and Emery Counties can maintain emission levels below minimum air standards without having to resort to the use of expensive sulfur dioxide removal devices. He said that by properly spacing the plants along the corridor, power rivalling that of the Kaiparowits Project could be produced without the high emission levels and at a lesser cost. The plan proposes that water for plants and new pumped through pipelines from the Green River using the for water allocated Kaiparowits. Hill said the power plants & industries could be located near the course of this pipeline and water from the line could also be used for agricultural activities. (See Power, P.2) of the snooting. Martinez said he had gone to the Mitcheson home with Herrera to retrieve a set of mag wheels and tires which had been the point of the dispute between Mitcheson and Herrera. Martinez said he and Herrera had approached the Mitcheson home and were met by Gary Mitcheson's sister Debbie, who ordered them out of the yard. Martinez said Debbie Mitcheson had gone into the home and he and Herrera had been standing outside when he saw the door come open and Gary Mitcheson step into the doorway with the rifle. Martinez testified that he then saw Mitcheson operate the lever of the rifle, bring it to his shoulder, aim in Herrera's direction and fire. He said when he saw Herrera fall, he rushed over to his body and dragged it a short distance while calling to Mitcheson to stop firing because he had hit Herrera. Martinez testified that he then left the scene and found a policeman who accompanied him back to the scene. He then admitted to attacking Mitcheson upon returning to the scene and, being prevented from doing that, grabbed the murder weapon and broke the butt off the rifle before throwing it through the window of Mitcheson's van. Another friend of Herrera's, LaVon Anderson, Martinez' corroborated testimony from his vantage spot from the road in front of the Mitcheson home. Both Anderson and Mar- tinez demonstrated Mit- cheson's actions with the help of a similar rifle in the courtroom. After calling on an state medical assistant examiner, who performed an autotopsy on Herrera's body, determining that Herrera had died because the bullet had cut an artery (See Mitcheson, p. 2) $1,5 million project Service district proposed to build Scofield sewer A special service district would cost a total of $100,000 to coordinate financing, plus $15,000 to $20,000 a year construction and operation to operate the scavenger of asewage disposal system -- j service. in the Scofield area now Johansen said the project looms as a possibility would probably qualify for a following a meeting of 75 percent grant from the Carbon County, Scofield U.S. Environmental Town and water quality Protection Agency. planning officials last Presuming approval of mat Tuesday in Helper. grant and another 5 percent Rodney Despain, a from the Four Corners Commission, planner for the 208 Waste Regional Water Quality Management some $300,000 in local funds Planning office here said would still be required to formation of such a district complete the entire system. was a prime possibility The proposed sewer since multiple government district would be embodies were involved but no powered to assess a mill individual group was solely levy to raise those funds. After water quality responsible for making the scientist Keith Welch exsewer improvements. Facilities planner Craig plained the area's water Johansen said he now en- pollution problem, Despain visions a system costing discussed solutions related to zoning. $1.5 million but which could be constructed in two Current laws allow homes phases to reduce the initial to be located practically cost. A collection system anywhere in the area, Clear Creek, provided water and sewer linking Scofield and the lakeshore equipment is adequate. area would cost ap- However, such approved proximately $1 million, he utilities are not to be found said; one large lagoon in many of the homes, and treatment system would the county has failed to ' enforce applicable laws, Despain said. Numerous homeowners near the lake "don't even know what a building permit is," said County Commissioner Simone," and Jim Despain added that, "If it becomes known that nobody needs a building permit, . . no wie wfll get one." A public awareness campaign of the zoning law and possibly "running one of them (the homeowners) through the legal mill' would help promote Despain said. A compliance, possible stumbling block for the project was set up when Bill Erkkila, president of the Scofield said a Scofield residents attending a recent public meeting were opposed to any expansion or enlargement of the sewage system. The residents, many of whom are retirees, felt the system would be a financial burden on their children, Erkkila said. Town Board, of majority An additional meeting was nonetheless scheduled for 10 a.m. May 4 at the water quality office. Program manager Courtney Brewer asked Despain to bring further details on the sewer district proposal; Johansen was asked to study land ownership in the areas possible for lagoons, and Brewer said he would ask the Division of Wildlife Resources and the Division of Parks and Recreation to attend as well. explained the concept of city master plans to the council and said such planning should begin as soon as possible. Whereas planning done by a commercial firm might cost $7,000, Dinehart and Light's Huntington Helper his office would do it said, Power Plant has proved for only the cost of printhat conventional sized $60. tingapproximately power plants using coal the be life-lon- g increase to the city's full time employees. Dissenting was Noel who said that the add $500,000. An alternate plan, wages paid new employees were too nearly the same as Johansen said, would be to e those paid to employ a "scavenger service" to collect waste employees. from holding tanks, and to Bill Dinehart, planner for. construction of the the Southeastern Utah delay collection system. Tanks Economic Development District, sized power plants using the high-BTlow ash coal common to the area, would not pose a threat to scenic areas of southern Utah. He explained tht Utah Power industries rifle and asked if anybody was "going to help him." Upon being refused, DiCaro said, Mitcheson took a kitchen chair, set it in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen and said to his friends that "I'll shoot anybody that comes through that (front) door." DiCaro said he left the room for a moment and upon returning saw Gary Mitcheson at the open front door with the rifle to his shoulder and then heard the report as the rifle fired. After firing, DiCaro said, Mitcheson quickly closed the door, set the rifle next to the door, returned to the kitchen and said, "I just shot somebody." DiCaro was followed on the stand by James Marfriend of tinez, a Richard Herrera's, who had accompanied Herrera to Mitcheson's home the night long-tim- 'Power corridor9 recommended for coordination of development increase 10c 17 was based almost entirely on the testimony of three , energy-industri- NUMBER .30-.3- friends arrived in-ci- ty 70 miiFdeF of Geilty says Mitchesoe juury A water Helper's rates will take a 37.5 percent jump May 1, following final action on the increase by the city council last Thursday night. At a work session the previous week, the council had agreed on a 50 percent hike, raising the charge for the initial 10,000 gallons per month from $4 to $6. After that session, however, Councilman Ralph Noel, who heads the water department, decided the VOLUME UTAH-472-5- 671 - ".Pi Effective May 1 City, Ut, 84110 & 7 master Dinehart said plan would include ideas about the future of the cities cultural facilities such as the library and museum, recreational A facilities, public services and general items such as flood hazards, economic plans and schools. The planner scheduled a second meeting with the council for June. In other business: In light of next year's m: 5 street budget of approximately $25,000, the council decided it could not afford to accept a $13,000 bid for a new garbage truck. Farish agreed to price less expensive models. The council voted to increase civic auditorium rental rates to the following: banquet hall kitchen $15; dance hall $50; upstairs bar area $15. $50; m 3 Greek Easter The Liapis family of Helper celebrated Greek Easter last Sunday with the traditional roast lamb. Pictured preparing for the feast are, left to right, Gus Liapis, Dr. Max Morgan, Paul LiapU and Harry Liapis. |