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Show Thursday, JoeJ3 2Q32J County budget woes may pinch residents Bv DEBBI OLSON Editor Budget cuts and loss of property taxes by two of the areas most prestigious businesses may have a negative impact on Salt Lake County taxpayers. The first hit to the county was a loss of $2.8 million in property tax revenue anticipated to the county from Kennecott Utah Copper. The second hit struck Monday when, Fourth District Judge Lynn Davis ruled that the initial agreement between Alliant Tech Systems and the then County Commission to reimburse $5 million in property tax to ATK was valid and would need to be paid. The $5 to ATK would be split between ing the bill in area where the county lost the county and the Granite School District, and tax payers may feel the pinch in their own property taxes to make up the differ- anticipated revenue. . If the $5 million settlement with Alliant stands and is not appealed or renegotiated, the Granite School District must shave an additional $2.5 million from its already reduced budget. Granite District administrators met Wednesday to discuss options to recoup the potential $2.5 million the court has ordered to be returned to Alliant. One option may cause the district to increase residential property taxes by approximately $10 per $100,000 evaluation of a home in order leverage the loss. Kennecott reported last week that its assessed property valuation was only $754 ence. Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman suggested to the County Council Tuesday that they take from the county's $5.5 million surplus to offset the loss of property tax revenue from Kennecott. The surplus was the result of reduced expenses incurred by the Sheriffs department and money from the library fund that was not built. The County Recorders office took in more funds than the initial budget anticipated, adding to the $5.5 million surplus that could be used to keep tax payers from foot- - Neighborhood unites to help Nick By DEBBI OLSON Editor An outpouring a concern and compassion for boy suffering from a brain tumor is bringing the Magna community together looking for ways to help. On March 3 doctors at Primary Children's Hospital diagnosed Nickolas Kerlin with a tumor located in an inoperable part at the base of his skull. Nick is the son of Shauna and Mark Kerlin. He has brother Josh. The diagnosis came after Nick had suffered through a series of headaches for about a month. 'The tumor had been growing for about a year before it produced any symptoms," said Nick's neighbor Starr Campbell who, along with friends and parents of schoolmates have begun a series of fundraisers for his treatment. "Six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation has shrunk the tumor some," Campbell said. "But it is still there and still inoperable." The Kerlin family is seeking a way to afford treatment at a clinic in Houston that is doing a clinical trial on Nick's type of brain tumor. The cost of sending Nick to the Houston clinic for treatment would be $16,000 and not covered by the family's insurance. The Houston Clincal tjial ma, be able to reduce the tumor to an operable c. cul-de-s- COPY; 1 Magna Arts Council wins ZAP funding Editor Nickolas Kerlin happily rides his new which was donated to him by A Steadmans. variety of fundraisers are being held to help pay for medical costs. size or eliminate the tumor from the base of Nick's skull. "The family is very hopeful," Campbell said. 'They want to take every opportunity they can." To help raise funds, Campbell and neighbor Corinna Belliston made an arrangment with a cookie dough company that typically does fundraisers with local schools. Half of the $10 collected for a container of cookie 'tough will go toward Nick's medical expenses. Members of the community who would like to order cookie dough may contact 4 or Campbell at Belliston at 250-647- 250-907- 1. 49er quarterback Steve Young and the Forever Young Foundation. A fund to help with Nick's treatment has been set up at Zion's Bank. "He's been a trooper through all of this," Campbell said. "He is one tough little kid" The group will also be hosting a variety of fundraisers in the community during Magna's July 4 celebration and at the annual Night Out Against Crime. It will also host an aution that will feature an item from former , Nick, who is an avid fan of Nintendo and Scooby Do continues to stay positive throughout his illness. A mini was donated to Nick by Steadmans to use as long as he wanted and the Make A Wish Foundation had offered to grant him a wish, which has yet to be determined. lead in Smart case Miller said the man followed him up another street in the neighborhood. over-evaluat- ed Bv DEBBI OLSON i Police announced Wednesday they were seeking Bret Michael Edmunds for questioning in connection with the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. Police believe he is the driver of a suspicious car that a Winder Dairy milkman reported seeing in the neighborhood before the kidnapping. The milkman, Charlie Miller, said that he saw the car around 7 a.m. June 3, two days before the abduction. It diove slowly up and down the Smarts' street, which ends in a million, down from $1.1 billion. Alliant claims its property was by the Utah Tax Commission for the years 1997, 1998, and 1999. The company, on the outlying boarder of Magna and West Valley City, initially asked the tax commission for an $1 million refund and negotiated with the former County Commission for a $5 million refund before it was disbanded in December 2000. That agreement was overturned by the newly elected County Council in February 2001 and was challenged in Fourth District Court. The District and the County may seek an appeal or try to renegotiate the settlement with ATK. That's when he took note of the car and the Utah license plate. Miller, who has been Winder's "Driver of the Month" numerous times, has been with the company for seven years. 'Tm looking out f6r the neighborhoods I deliver to," he said. "If things are out of the norm I get nosy about it." West Valley's oldest business, Winder Dairy has 30 drivers in the Salt Lake area alone, helping to deliver dairy products the old fashioned way to over 20,000 homes throughout Utah. "Historically, our drivers have been an excellent source of 'extra eyes' for neighbor- - hoods in the wee hours of the morning," said Kent Winder, a fifth generation dairyman and executive rice president. Winder milkmen have tipped off law enforcement Winder Dairy driver Charlie Miller, with about various his family, provided police with lead. suspicious activineighborhood milkman and ties before, including automoreturned safely home. bile theft, garages broken into "Each of our drivers carry and gangsters vandalizing cars. cell phones, and many have A toddler who had wandered outside of the house on a noticed and reported suspicious activities before," cold winter morning several Winder said. years ago was found by the In order to keep Magna community spirit alive, the Zoo Arts and Park Grant presented the Magna Arts Council with $5,000 A portion of the fund were earmatked for the upcoming July $ Celebration because it is the beginning of whut is anticipated to be the beginning of a variety of projects the Arts Council has initiated. "The County has been gracious in allowing us to continue to receive money for the Fourth of July because of all the overhauls being done out here," said Area Councilwoman Ellen Aguilar, Chairwoman of the council's Special Events committee. Aguilar said without the ZAP Grant community events in Magna would come to a screeching hall. "They knew that if they dropped us we would have nothing out here in Magna," Aguilar said. "They are giving us the time we need to get the Arts Council going because we have things in the works." The Arts Council has tentative plans to host a walking arts exhibit along Magha Main Street within the year and may have an opportunity to partner with the West Valley Arts Council on its International Folkart Festival in July. The Arts Council is also involved in sponsoring an art contest for student for the towns annual Night Out Against Crime in August. "We will continue to be eligible for ZAP funds as we show more and more art at community events," Aguilar said. Brockbank Jr. High students awarded By DEAN LEDBETTER Staff Writer Students at Brockbank Junior High were received several community and presidential awards before the ending of the the 2001-200- 2 school year. students were Twenty-seve- n honored as Presidential Scholars and 21 students were presented with leadership awards. Students were eligible for the President's Education Awards for achieving an A average with a 3.5 GPA or higher and were in the top 2 percent national performance in SAT tests for reading and math. Brockbank students receiving tire 2(X)2 President's Educational Excellence Award certificates were: Seth Bracken. Kate Brown, Lindy Brown. Eric Cintas. Joshua Cobb, Pablo Darelli, William Gamer, David Haslem, Melissa Henline, Harley Hoskins, Chloe Huber, Erica Jones, Krysteiie Jones. Jeffrey Kelley, Savannah Kringlie, Rebecca Leung, Brittany Martinez, Ryan McLean, Candica Nelson, Erica Oates, Rebecca Penrod, Richard Sanders, Traci Sell, Tiffany Shaw, Marie Shallbetter. Amanda Tewde and Cassie Warner. The Magna Lions Club awarded six Brockbank stu 1 dents with the Leadership of Tomorrow Awards. The awards are recommended for two students in each grade level who exhibit leadership, moral character and academic achievement. Leadership of Tomorrow awards went to ninth graders Jacob Batty and Brooke Yongbell; eighth graders Ashley Kelson and Peter Miraile; and seventh graders Mikel Barfuss and Mason Miller. The West Valley City Kiwanis Club awarded 15 stu- dents with Freedom Leadership awards. The awards went to students who had exemplary citizenship, scholarly achievement, productive activity, and desirable personality qualities while assuming leadership responsibilities. Freedom Leadership recipients were: Curtis Bailey, Colby Bryson, Wil Gamer, Parker Howell, Chloe Huber, Erica Jones, Savannah Kringlie, Ryan McLean, Erica Oates, Michael Rhode, Richard Saunders, Marie Shallbetter, Amanda Twede, Stephanie ' Warden and Aarika Woifgramnt. Receiving the David Johnson Scholarship Award for Academic Achievement was Erica Oates. -- |