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Show PWI rw Thursday VOV January 24, 2002 ti tfSM TV'W,,v 11 1th Year ft tyft :s -- No. Price, Utah 8 500 OKnot w( t,Wlyaa ,'7 squefci Pioneers' hopes, 7 lii..'J.V l.Sa-j- i rV.-- 4 Driver charged with negligent homicide By stantly and one died while paramedics struggled to extricate the victim from the vehicle. IYNNDA JOHNSON Sun Advocate editor The Carbon County Attorney's Office has charged the Brigham City motorist purportedly involved in a fatal traffic accident last July in Get Canyon with three separate negligent homicide offenses. The dassAmisdemeanor category charges stem from a chain-reacticollision on U5. Highway 6 east of Wellington that claimed the lives ofthree California men on July 25, 2001. According to the Utah Highway Patrol's preliminary investigation into the incident, the acd-de-nt occurred at approximately 1230 pm. when a mini-va- n allegedly crossed the center line to pass on the highway and a semi-truc- k on doud of hazy smota blankets the air after emergency personnel from the Wellington City Fire Department extinguished a relatively minor blare at the main building at the sawmill on Ridge Road about 9:30 p.m. on Hiesday. .1 U J J t sisnBa hi tub According to oepanjiwfii repfBSftfluuivss, it Apprarcfl nun to the planer area of the shop where some hydraDc fluid had been spilled and I IJ! 1L. e S6W8I worwnen wot wcning. vvtiik OTgBflaroQiNnOisniMKTO scene, there wasn't a great deal of flames apparent from the outside of the building. The investigation into the Jan. 22 incident continues. to follow-u- p investigation Irene C identified Apodaca 8S the motorist operatn at the time of the ing the mini-va- incident. Filed in 7th District Court, the formal misdemeanor category complaint contends that the defendant acted with criminal negligence and caused the deaths of the three men killed in the accident. The criminal information identifies the victims of the class A forced the victims' Lincoln negligent homicide counts as Oran Neve, Donald Wayne Neve and Donald Christopher Neve. Along with the three negligent homicide charges, the formal criminal complaint contains an additional class C misdemeanor Tbwncar off the roadway. The Lincolns driver attempted to bring the vehicle back onto the highwzy, but apparently overcor-recte- d and struck a Ford Thuras. The Ibwncar then collided into a tractor-trailand the force of the impact literally demolished the Lincoln. All three occupants traveling inside the Ibwncar succumbed to accident-relate- d injuries at the scene. Two men were killed in improper passing offense. The criminal case contends that Apodaca, at the time and date in question, drove a vehicle on the left side ofthe pavement striping designed to make a zone. The Brigham Qty resident was initially scheduled to appear before Judge Bruce K. Halliday on Jaa 14 to answer the three class A negligent homicide counts 8S well (Continued on pege 2) er A The into the fatal mishap subsequently Political turmoil regarding U.S. 6 explodes in 1919 motor vehicle. Hawley had once lived in Salt Lake and done business in Price. He questioned the clerk, knowing the route through Price was shorter. Butthe clerk told Hawley that die road through Price to Green River had become impassible and he was better off taking the other route. Hawley had business friends in Price and stopped into town to talk with diem. He told them about the advice. Tb many people in Castle YfeHey, it was a slap in the face. A meeting was called fin: all residents of the area, particularly the business people, the nextweek. It was proposed that the commu- By RICHARD SHAW Staff reporter The political tunnoS over the route Carbon residents know as US. Highway 6 is not only a prod-- , uctofrecent times, but something that has been stewing in the proverbial pot for many years. Starting out as a trail and then becoming a road next to the railroad tracks inthe 1800b, the highway has been a stidringpoint in some way or another.For instance, in August 1919, a debate erupted with the state road commission, state politicians and the Utah Automobile Association (UAA). A man named HJ. Hawley was traveling through Salt Lake with his son and stopped at the UAA to inquire about the best road to Denver, Colo. The derk gave the manamap with the route nity boycott buymganydiing from Salt Lake until the upstaters amend their evil ways. A Mr. Foster of the UAA denied that his office was giving out . irh mfhiHMtinn- - ft it Hamby had lined in red. The line traveled through Provo, up Spanish Fbrit Canyon and down Price Canyon to Castle Gate. It routed up Indian Canyon, through Duchesne and Vernal to Denver. Like today, a good part of the economy of the time m the Carbon County area was from people passing through on trains and by the outlined UAA map and had sworn an affidavit as to the validity of the story. A letter was sent to die UAA, die Utah road commissioner and various politicians about the matter, obviously taking it beyond the ageoy that had supplied the information. Many resi quasi-priva- te dents saw it as another attempt to cut off the political island that they perceived Carbon County to be -despite the fact that a Democratic governor, Simon Bamberger, was mthestatehouse. The News Advoiate was In--' flanrnmtrwy ahrait the wtiurtinn; in fact, die paper may have caused much afdie flap at the time. the paper wrote news stories that were half editorials blasting state govem- referring to various political ures an q the rood fig- as "nincompoops." The paper claimed t the governorwas trying to siphon money off some parts of the state to the areas where he had financial interests, just as Gov. William Spry had (1909-191- 7) doneyearxbefore. Republicans in the county lambasted the governor at the meet- ing and Democrats, including Pnce MayorGeorge Wootton, roasted the administration as crooked double crossers. The following statement was For many years th section cfUtah has paid to the state highway commission vast sums of money from taxation, for the purpose of building and maintaining state highways and that allwe have ever received in return has been empty promises and assurances that we would receive ourjust proposition of the money that we have poured into their treaspre-electi- on ury-. But that was just about the end of it The UAA denied it would ever route traffic away from the Midland Thul (the road through Carbon and Emery counties) and state politicians denied having anything to do with the situation. The road commission claimed it was doing all it could with die money it had. Carbon and Emery County people outwardly got over it and never boycotted the Wasatch FTOnt business community. Sound familiar? Many similar words have been repeatedly voiced during die yean about various is- sues concerning the road that stretches from Spanish Fork to Green River. The road was not impassible in 1919. But there are times when it seems it is, or at least not pass- One section Carbon County (Continued on pege 4) Price, Helper mayors highlight primary objectives, directions mapped for cities By KEN LARSON Sun Advocate publisher By RICHARD SHAW Staff reporter Joe Piccolo is the new mayor Entering intoanew era always holds some apprehension. That is true for organizations and for individuals. of Price, although his commit- ments to working with the city are not Piccolo first joined the council in 1995 and has served as a council person for the past six years. I am so grateful to be the new mayor, said the Price mayor in an interview last week. It is an When a person lected for leadership zens, die responsibility is heavy, but the results can be satisfying. As Joe Bonacci moves from a short retirement to an almost fulltime job as the mayor of Helper, his years of experience asaadzen of Carbon County and a school administrator will serve him weQ. The problems and opportuni- here." Price makes up for 60 percent of the population of Carbon Gouotyandthecityisakcypbyer in the community. Discussing his top goals, Pk coto indicated thathe plans on iameeting or assisting with forming a committee with all the mayors in the county, school district representatives, die Carbon' dentandanewcoQegepresident commissioners and College of is the local community heads into Easton Utah staff members to 2001 "The door is open and we have meet and prioritize economic an opportunity to grow and adgnwhThe idea is to have round table dress the needs ofthe oommunfy, discussions to determine ways of as we set primary goals, commented Picoolo. is interesting to note that Piccolo pointed out that crime Carbon County has three new consumes a giant portion of our mayon,anewschoolsiiperinten- - budget Nearly 50 percent ofour . Piccolo favors cooperative effort to prioritize economic goals for area set-ti- ng . - : ' . honortoservethedlyandplacel love so much. It is the city I am raising my children in andadtyl hope lean lead tobeabetter home so they can raise their children . I has been seby feDow citi- human resources money gdes to public safety and 8S we go mto the next decade we will be faced with more crime and finis the need to ! t i resources anajmnaocBWffl start S 1 the other agencies," he added. Piccolo believes that it is important not to duplicate services. Instead, all agencies in the county should work together. (Continued on page 13) . ties that confront Helper are Bonacds main concern as he moves into his new position as the leader of thecity. One of the main concerns I am painfully aware of is the fact that our tax base is so low," he stated in an interview last week. For so many years,we have been in a depressed condition that our sales tax revenue is very low. But beyond that, one of the reasons I was so excited to run for mayor was that I hare started to see some new business activity take place in noperanamnineresareiiewea interest in our town. The businesses that have started to fill store fronts along both sides of Main Street have made abig difference in not only .,'? a im ' & -- Bonacci focusing on creating supportive atmosphere for business the appearance of the downtown area, but also in the traffic that is I want to create the kind of atmosphere in our community that other businesses," he states. That help our tax base. Bonaod frit he could not comment about specifics on the city budgets because the budgets are will i Hr 0 V with the auditors and he did not have flie exact details. But he said he was sure they have been strapped over die years by low revenues. One ofthe thingslwas ' most surprised to find out about the budgets was that the bulk of the money the city gets to operate is from the sales tax, more than it is from property taxes,he said. (Continued on paQe 4) ; ; V: , |