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(s go mmsm Serving Utah’s Great Pahvant Valley DIti Utah $1500 In out ol county-- month $800 and $900 (In Advance) Copy 50c USPS 0 Vol 76 No 44 May 8 1986 wawiwaMWMaMc Union Pacific closes Delta agency Union pacific Railroad has been authorized by the Utah Public Service Commission to abandon its agency station in Delta The closure will save Union Pacific about $48000 annually although the for company paid nearly $56000 wages payroll taxes fringe benefits utilities and miscellaneous items Ironically the volume of railroad car business in Millard County has increased since 1982 as the 1500 megawatt termountain Power Project nears completion However 81 percent of the shipments to IPP were unit coal trains which require no handling by the Delta agency Revenue carloads received that were attributed to IPP rose from 314 in 1982 to 2036 in 1985 Those forwarded were less in 1985 than in 1982 at 1266 and 1526 respectively In 1983 this figuie was 680 Shipments originating in Delta and at sidings in Millard County include items such as lime hay cubes cement and clinkers Shipments terminating at Delta are mostly coal sulphuric acid and fertilizer Service won’t end because of the station’s closure The PSC ordered the Union Pacific provide agency service to shipping customers in the Delta area through the Salt Lake agency which is open 24 hours every day The Delta agency has been operating six days a week from 8 ani to 5 pm Lone challenger to county seal Incumbants file for county races As an April filing date has come and gone all but one county elected official has file for reelection and only one challenger has filed to run for county commission Millard Steve County Attroney Jackson chose not to run again Delta City Attorney Warren Peterson was the only person filing for that position he lone challengerTs Hinckley resident Dennis Ashbrook who is challenging incumbant Warren Jenson for the two year county commission (see related stories page three) Other incumbants refiling for the November 1986 election are Mike Styler county commission Marlene Whicker county clerk John Hansen county auditor Jim Talbot assessor LaVoy W Martin recorder Edgar L Mary D Day treasurer Phillips Sheriff County officials said the only way to challenge an incumbant now is to file as a writein candidate by making a special declaration of candidacy before the county clerk the Wednesday prior to the November election A write-icandidates name does not appear on the official printed ballot but must be written-iby the voter Correction: state workers are not bogged down The newspaper incorrectly stated last week that it was state workers who had bogged down in the mire while working on the new state road barn north of Desert In fact the road barn is being built on contract by Ivell Construction Com- - pany and it was their backhoe that almost sunk away after getting trapped in the mud close to a l site The newspaper thanks UDOT Station Supervisor Don Johnson for setting us straight on the matter Scipio Senior Citizen Center dedicated by Evelyn Mallei About 200 residents of Scipio and well wishers from Holden Fillmore were present and Kanosh Meadow Saturday evening May 3 1986 for the of the open house and dedication Scipio Senior Citizen Center Barry Monroe mayor of Scipio told of the 3 years of dedicated efforts by the building committee in obtaining monies for the project and the hours of hard work donated by many of the senior citizens of Scipio so that their dream could be realized According to Mayor Monroe 90 percent of the labor was donated The building had once been the old show house which had been abandoned and in ruin for many years With the help of an architect a plumber and electrician and the donated labor it was transformed into an imposing piece' of architecture that the town of Scipio may well be proud of It also houses a modest museum in it’s basement On display are many fine furniture pictures antique organs china glassware and other artifacts of historical and sentimental value contributed by residents through the years Commissioners Millard County Mike Styler Warren Jensen and Abe Johnson were there to proudly present a microwave oven to grace the new Center’s kitchen A program of various talents was enjoyed by the visitors along with cookies and punch and a chance for renewing old acquaintances Child runover car accident in Christena Elizabeth Humes the 2 and I: year old daughter of James and Sherry Humes was crushed under the wheels of a car Sunday at 11:15 am near her home north of Delta The child's death was determined to be the result of an accident by the Millard County Sheriff’s Department No charges have been filed Park designation Senate to consider next Great Basin National Park passes house vote Great Basin A ptoposed 174 National Park at Nevada’s Wheeler Peak 100 miles west of Delta has been passed by the US House of Representatives as part of a Nevada Wilderness Bill The measure passed by voice vote shortly after Rep Barbara Vucanovich unsuccessfully tried to remove provisions establishing the park The park is in Vucanovich’s congtessional district Vucanovich’s amendment to remove with the park was defeated only eight Democrats for it and only 25 Republicans opposed Utah Howard Hansen representaives Jim Nielson and David Monson all voted to remove the park from the bill Vucanovich and Sens Paul Laxalt have their and Chic Hecht own identical legislation calling for 37 0(X) acres of wilderness and no national park They believe a national park should be created separately a view shared by Interior Secretary Donald Hodel and a number of Congress members The bill would create a park and a area currently preserve A would be used for deer hunting designated a preserve Grazing would in be permitted both park and preserve The bill is expected to face a tough battle for Senate approval though Sen Laxalt a key figure in the fight and a has said he would Reagan confidant consider a portion of designating Wheeler Peak as a national park but that 137000 acres of wilderness is enough Reid said he would talk to I avail in hopes of mustering support for his bill but wouldn't compromise any furthei wilderness reduction the park would be If created Nevada’s fitst and the first for the country since President Jimmy Carter set aside several national parks in Alaska in the late 1970s chairRep Morris Udall man of the Interior Committee uigtng said a national park would support its for help Nevada to be recognized beauty instead of “a place of nuclear test and slot machines” Park opponents claim a park would hamper mining but Reid claims only percent of the state's mining claims are in park and wilderness areas BLM wilderness hearing May 14 at Delta High THE WAH WAH MOUNTAINS sites in the West Desert ol Millard Some 10000 acres in Millard County’s West Desert could be designated federally protected wilderness under proposals by the Bureau of Land Management A hearing is set for May in at the 14 Delta High School Auditorium to discuss the issue BLM officials emphasize that the of the hearings is not to debate purpose the need for wilderness but simply to analyze the job they have done in makto Congress ing recommendations Heeding Congressional mandate the BLM has proposed almost 2 million for acres in Utah be considered wilderness after completing a seven year study summarized in a recently released draft environmental impact statement outlining wilderness for 58 study areas M In Millard County the Bl proposes ilderness for Swasey Mountain Howell Peak Notch Peak and the Wall Wah Mountains all part of Utah's West Desert region The public will have until Aug 15 1986 to submit comments about the statement with the Bl M pact proposals ounty aro among eleven proposed wilderness What you can and cannot do in a designated Hunting Under wilderness designation hunting is allowed but would be limited to means nonmotorized Control of to prevent like coyotes predators special and serious losses of domestic livestock would be allowed excluding the use of poison baits or cyanide guns t Mining As wilderness the land would be withdrawn irom mineral entry and closed to new mineral leasing and sale work and extraction IX’velopment would be allowed to continue on isting mining claims pros ided they are valid Existing oil and gas leases would be phased out unless oil and gas finds in commercial quantities are shown Domestic continue (razing livestock and grazing existing would range developments could be used and maintained as in the past based on practical New necessity and reasonableness developments could be allowed in the wilderness if necessary for protection and management of the rangeland andor wilderness resource ores! products Harvest in ol foiest products wilderness will not be allowed except for harvest of pinyon nuts or noncommercial ol gathering wood if accomplished by other than mechanical means After the comment period the BLM will revise the impact statement Then a recommendation will be made to the BLM director and the Secretary of the Interior for forwarding to President Ronald Reagan and then before October 1991 to Congress Only Congress may designate areas to the National Wilderness Preservation System What is West Desert? The West Desert is Utah’s portion of the Great Basin a land where vast desert floors give way to “island mountain” ranges that thrust up past the 12 0(X) foot level It is a dry stark land but only occasionally sterile What little water rises in the region never finds its way to the sea but is trapped within the desert basin in shortlived evaporation ponds fluctuation lakes However springs and a few streams do provide enough moisture for the survival of marshland habitat and rich woodlands Separated as they are by miles of hostile salt lats ranges such those west of Delta contain isolated communities of plants and animals Some of the laigest remaining bristlecone pines the wilderness Earth’s oldest liv ing inhabitants stand in the House Range at the top of one of the highest limestone cliffs in the country at Notch Peak which is part reach of pale sheer cliffs of a that rise 3000 feet above the desert floor north of Notch Swasey Mountain Peak includes extensive caves and superb fossile deposits The region for all it harshness all its ruggedness is fragile Once impiinted on its face scars are slow to disappear many never do Despite its remoteness the West Desert has already suffered from heavy vehicle use The area is home to dozens of mammal bird and reptile species in addition to rare plant life Left untouched the wilderness areas as proposed would would1 sure tha future generations benefit from seeing the land in the natural state the BLM report states Written comments may be submitted BLM to Wilderness Studies Utah State Office 324 S State St Utah 301 Salt Lake City Suite area So Iraftic Ik proposed Bl M wilderness area would be closed to vehicular travel except lot occasional and here would be no maintenance needs change in use ol anspace above the aicns designated as wilderness Limited control Control of fne insects noxious weeds or disease would be taken only m instances that threaten human life or value resources on adhigh property jacent nonwilderness lands 4 J |