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Show SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17. 1S97 Opinion Guest Editorial Upgrading Kanab? leadership that are proactive. By Porter Arbogast since last didnt snub the Federal the They past During year isas Garfield County from certain heard Government, me, you sues have crystalized... whether did, when it presented us money we wanted it or not, change has to offset our costs attributed to the economic impact of the monu-mebeen brought upon us. on us. We received Last week the BLM Management and Planning Team came $200,000, not enough, but a Step to Kanab to run scoping ses- in the right direction ($100,000 sions. Some of us chose to par- of that sum was the money that nt ticipate. I admit that there was some looming sense that these people were coming in as conquerors, but there they were asking for our input and our feelings. The question now is: How will they synthesize this input into their management plan? These people have human faces and may, in fact, some day soon, be our neighbors. Many already are. This is what this letter is about. We want these neighbors; they can help us grow. There will be many management centers for this monument, but only one place of Monument Central Management. What do we need to do as citizens of Kanab and Kane County to bring Central Management Garfield refused). They were local people who went out, set up the dialogue, and got this money. We are proactive. 3. Kane County bears the majority of the impact of the monument. We are the ones that lost the coal mine. The greater portion of the monument is in Kane County. We deserve the economic benefits associated with locating Central Monument Management here. 4. We are already a southwestern center for all kinds important activities. We reside on the first step of the Grand Staircase. Regardless of whether we like whats happened with growth in Moab or not, we should for the here? t irt, we' puis t cpnyipce thq BLM Management, Team that the center should be Outside the monument. That wont be hard to do; politics on all sides of the issue line up in favor of doing very little inside the monument for three reasons: 1. Locally, I think most of us would like to see the area re- main pretty much unchanged; for example, preservation of grazing, hunting, water and small extraction process rights. 2. The people who will manage the monument dont crave isolation, and are looking to integrate with local communities; they chose Cedar City for their interim headquarters. 3. One would expect that supports would not want development. This possibility aside, choices for the headquarters for the monument are limited to cities on the periphery of the monument. Why should Kanab be the city ofchoice for Monument Central Management? 1. The finest people Ive ever met live in Kanab! Im pleased to live here and raise my family in this little cosmopolitan city of Kanab. Kanab presents a diverse cultural background which gives us a strong foundation necessary to sustain growth. We have creative minds and hard workers. I see acceptance of new ideas and free thinking. There are more inventors per capita than in any other place Ive lived. 2. We have individuals in our . moment compare ourselves to our twin city across the river. Moab was faced with the same kinds'of challenges that Ve face 'herb rtow.'Thereare strongsimi-laritie- s between their situation then and our situation now, our names even rhyme. We are the other AB, to quote a friend. We can learn from their successes and mistakes and choose our own destiny. We can have solid economic growth on multiple levels: tourism, recreation, real ing. What are we saying? There were different issues on the table that day. I was very impressed with how the local participants handled their particular subjects. The issues included: The loss of revenue resultfrom the loss of the mine. ing 2. Law enforcement and rescue costs. 3. Infrastructure cost to Kanab 1. keep our children and families here. Ive put Physical Education and Recreation first. I was once a Physical Education major and attended a college whose primary focus was physical education, though I later received degrees in mathematics and engineering. We have a great setting here for just a school. It is a estate, education, outdoor and Kane County. sports, grazing, light manufacturing, mineral extraction and more. We can have growth that will suit all of us while we still live near the finest wilderness in the world. Weve got it and its protected. Indeed, we can eijoy life while showing the rest of the world how to do it! We have everything Moab has and much more. (Did you know that Moab markets itself at national trade shows in hope of luring desirable businesses, compatible with its lifestyle? Moab has taken an aggressive marketingrole. Their brochure depicts a scenic mountain top with a desk, a mountain bike and the slogan, Office Space Still Available. Kanab could do that and better). Last December, I spoke about recreation to the majority partys congressional appropriations committee in a public meeting. The scope of this meeting was federal money for Kane County for 1998 and beyond. How much? Will it be a million dollars? What does our county need to cover its costs attributed to the impact of the monument. They are listen Southern Utah news AAA Deadlines AAA FRIDAY ' 1 PM See EDITORIAL, Page 5 4. Loss of revenue from school trust lands. 5. County road maintenance. 6. Recreation. I broadened the scope of my presentation on recreation to include activities inside and outside of the monument. Today Im calling attention to some of the things that we could be g outside of the monument that would be in the best interest of do-in- the Federal Government to support financially. The main activity is the creation of a CollegeUniversity that takes on academic themes related to the monument. Physical Education, Recreation, Health, Western Culture, Land Issues, Engineering, Archaeology, Geology, The Performing Arts, Wildlife and Game Management, Environmental Studies, Agriculture, Mining, Multiple Use and more. From an economic development viewpoint, a University College strengthens our economy and gives us diversity. It gives us the student, the full time tourist. It enhances our cosmopolitan image. It gives us a better chance to The Southern Utah News (ISSN No. 0049-165is published every Wednesday at 26 N. Main St, Kanab, Utah 84741 . The SUNews serves 9) Kane County, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. Address communications to 26 N. Main St, Kanab, Utah 84741 , or telephone 801 Fax 801 Advertising rates available upon request Second Class postage paid at Kanab, Utah 84741. Newsstand price SOS per copy. Yearly subscription rates to Kane County addresses and Fredonia and Moccasin, Arizona, $22; others $30 (out of U.S. $50). The SUNews reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement or submitted items. 44-2900, 644-292- 6. Dennis and Dixie Brunner Publishers and Editor Shaiiotte Brewer Production Staff Dilion Cunningham AdvertisingProduction Postmaster. Send change of address cards to-2- 6 N. Main Kanab, UT 84741 St, Carol Sullivan Kanab News MymaCox Glendale News Barb Kimball Fredonia News Twiia Cox OrderviSe News Barbara Pyles Feature Writer |