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Show PRESS , : 3s;i;;,:rCn "".im-m- , () Uintah Hall of Fame c Center's Hall of Fame ) -! ?- - - , ; f-- week. 500 Kings Peak Roosevelt physician Dr. Terry Buxton was placed in the Uintah Basin Medical during special ceremonies on Friday. a day of the Someday is not Tuesday r i'i ( . 2002 May 21, V"-- Roosevelt. Utah . 88, Number 21 Vol. i www.ubstaiHlard.com LOW INTEREST LOANS AVAILABLE County adopts drought declaration Therenu Morrill The attack of the By big brown spots! Even the most Ducliesne Cminty commiKMioniTH have joined with Gov. Mike Ltuvitt in an effort to obtain st ute-widrought status with the fedcrul government Commissioners sigiuxi u declaration of drought conditions ul last week'seommissinn meeting. The declaration will help ranchers, farmers, and other residents of the county qualify for federal and stale drought relief programs. The declaration was sent to the governor's office, and hus since loon filed with the Utah State Division of Emergency Services and Homeland Security. Fred May, the state Hazard Mitigation Officer, explained that the Utah State Department of Agriculture works with the federal Farm Service Agency to establish estimated financial losses wilhin each county well-care- d for lawns don'tseem to be exempt from large burned out patches that aren't greening up. It's a concern that has folks wondering what happened and how to correct the problem. See page 3 Graduation time Duchesne, Altamont and Thompson graduates are featured on our Basin Life page. Seepage 13 Con Amore Fishing Day, Rock Creek at the annual Con a A student volunteer becomes a IING! A GREAT DAY FOR THU MljS ER FIS1 fishing buddy Tor day Amore Fishing Day in Rock Creek on May IS. Approximately 51 adult volunteers spent the day helpingyoungsters fish for trout. Generous contributions from area businesses and others,1 along w ith the cooperation from Mother Nature, helped make the event a huge success. See page 7 for more photos. 1 NEW BRIDGE, DUGWAYTO BE REMODELED Cooperative effort to bring about $3.2 million road project in Arcadia Eagles don't fly, By Lezlee E. Whiting they run! Duchesne girls and boys win region track and field team championships. Tai Marett and Dayne Grant are top Eagles. Seepage t V h ' 16 .v be a major improvement that will eliminate whats called the Ravola Dugway. It will Four years of planning and preparing paperwork will pay off this fall when work begins on a $3.2 million road improvement project in Arcadia. The construction will result in the significant improvement to a 2.4 mile stretch of connector road that runs south on the Arcadia Road to Highway 87 just south of Upalco. A new bridge will also be installed upstream of where the current bridge is over the Lake Fork River. It will be a mqjor improvement that will eliminate what's called the JUNE 16 NEW TARGET DATE Overwhelming support for toll free calling in the Basin Two public meetings held last week in Vernal and Roosevelt showed the vast majority of UBTA-UBE- T Telecom customers favor a plan to eliminate toll charges between telephone exchanges in Duchesne and Uintah counties. To help fund the proposal, a monthly $4.95 fee would appear on telephone bills. At the same time, per minute toll charges when calling from different telephone prefixes within service territory, the UBTA-UBE- T would no longer be in effect According to Glenda Stewart, Public Relations manager for UBTA-UBEa show ofhands vote taken at where the Vernal public meeting showed attendance was sparse that all but approximately seven people favored the proposal to establish the Basin-wid- e calling plan. Those who objected did so because they felt they would not benefit from the proposal because they rarely make telephone calls outside oftheir Vernal telephone prefix, said Stewart. T, Those who packed the meeting room at the companys Roosevelt headquarters voted unanimously to support the new calling plan. Stewart said that if the Public Service Commission gives their permission, Basin-wid- e calling should begin June 16. They (the PSC) will let us know once the audit is complete, she stated. It (Basin-wid- e culling) will unite the Basin and people are looking forward to it. CjvclaDugway and make a safer roadway off the Upalco turn. The dugway has substandard grades and horizontal curves, explained Arcadia Road Project Manager Rex Harrison, of Horrocks Engineers. The project will be funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Duchesne County, with each entity paying 50 percent of the cost. The majority of the county's financial contribution comes through Federal Highway Administration funds, said Harrison. The Arcadia Road isacounty road, however approximately 50 percent of the road traverses Ute Tribe lands. The BIA will oversee the road construction project. Duchesne County y will assign their to the BIA during the construction period. Alter completion and acceptance by will be the county, the right-of-wa-y right-of-wa- reassigned to the county, said Harrison. It is kind of seen as a milestone politically between the cooperating agencies which include the Ute Tribe, BIA, Duchesne County and the Utah Department of Transportation. The Ravola Dugway has experienced a substantial amount of slippage over the years, and has in fact SEE ARCADIA ROAD on page 3 due to drought If the estimated loss totals more than 30 percent of the normal agricultural revenue, that county is de- well, which is located five miles east of Neola in Uintah County, is capable of producing 500 gallons of water per minute, according to Roosevelt City Administrator Brad Hancock. The project, which cost the city $2.2 million, includes 200 acres of ground. The city purchased the property in 1999 from Gary Sprouse. The city has installed a 1 well, chlorination system, a pump designed to push water uphill, and the pipeline which pipes the water two miles west where it joins the main pipeline from the Hayden wells to Roosevelt. City leaders say the expense of the pijpject is justified because water is a vital commodity for any city to four-ye- ar 70-fo- ot plan for residential and commercial growth. You have to look at the well as a long-ter- m investment for Roosevelt, said city council woman Beverly Hansen. Hancock explained that the water from the new well will be held in reserve for future use. We wont bring it on line as soon as its finished, but well probably test it at the end of this summer, Hancock said. According to Hancock, Roosevelt consumes 2,600 acre feet of water per year. One acre foot of water is equal to 325,000 gallons, so Roosevelt uses 845,000,000 gallons of water per year, or an average of 2,315,000 gallons per day. The five Hayden wells, which ai located just north of the Durigan well, are capable of providing the city five to six million gallons per day. Roosevelts water use fluctuates from one million gallons of water per day during winter months to five million gallons per day during 12rixrcenlol,noroial next year "just di-e- voluntary restrictions By Therenu Morrill is important for people to need what It As the effects of whul wane an calling the worst draught in Utah in 30 years are starting to lie felt, members of the Rixisevult City Council are calling for voluntary water restrictions for city water users. According to city councilwoinun Beverly Hansen, a message will bn placed on the water bills which residents will receive the first of June. We're asking people to conserve water wherever possible, and not to water between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Ilunsen siiid. This yeur will be interesting, said councilman Larry Murray. I don't remember it Idmught conditions! being this bad in my lifetime. Roosevelt City Manager Brud Hancock said it is important for people to need whul they use und use only what they need when it comes to water usage this year. Water isaur most imixnltintcian-nioditMurray said, und there is a consensus among cmincil mcmlxTx they use and use only what they need. to protect und conserve lluit -- T rnin-nindit- Statewide, Governor lenvitl is asking all Utah cities and towns to pass water conservation ordinances. To put some teel hint lie request. I lie stute Board of Water Resources lias announced it will not loan iioncy for water projects to any city that lias not adopted such an ordinance. But Hunxcn said she is opxixed to passing an ordinance that would not lie enforced, und she ami other council members an hoping Roosevelt residents will Ixi willing to conserve water in any way possible even t bough the request is voluntary. "We know we're going to lx facing a Imd suinnier this year," said Hansen. We need to lx- - cautious." y, 1 iv: iu hot summer months, so during periods of high usage, the Hoyden wells are taxed to capacity. The Durigan well will eventually come on line as a main water source, but until then, it will provide back up for the Hayden wells in case one of them malfunctions during high use months. Along with the Durigan well, Roosevelt has also purchased 2,000 acre feet of water from Sandwash Reservoir enlargement project which will provide irrigation water to Constitution Park, the cemetery, and the golf coursewff that water were ever needed for culinary use, the city would have to build a water treatment plant, which would be an expensive project. The biggest problem in our com. munity is finding the money to produce what we've got, said Roosevelt (Sty Councilman Larry Murray. We need money to complete all of our projects. Even though the Durigan well will not come on line in the immediate future, it will provide a surplus of water to facilitate population growth. The well should put us in good shape as far as culinary water for our subscribers, said Hancock. But the well project has stirred SEE DURIGAN on page 3 encing drought related hanNIiips may also quality for goveruineut assistance. This year is the third year of drought and it is having a siilistaii lial negative iuixiel on agriculture in the stall1," said May. "The reser voirs an1 so low. theres not enough irrigation water available lor a full season of cnim." May said that Ixised on the low soil content statewide and the low water levels in most reservoirs, I hah needs n water year with snow water City Council calls for Durigan project near completion The state ofUtahisin the midst of a serious drought, but Roosevelt city officials expect to be in a good position this summer to proride residents ample water for their needs. The Hayden wells, which provide Roosevelt with all of its culinary water will soon have a back up source when the Durigan Springs well project is completed in July. The new drastically impacted." reminder will be on bills -.- We wont bring it on line as soon as it's finished, but we'll probably test it at the end of this summer, Hancock said. Rangelands are to break even." According to May, Monticello is already exix'rienring a near disaster with their culinary water supply. Their reservoir is at the lowest level allowed hy the slate, and if it goes any lower, the water will lx unsafe to drink. May said that cities and towns which get their water from reservoirs are immediately im;ieted hy draught, ImL those which gel their culinary water from wells are m het ter shuts1 for now. Wells, if they're enough, usually are not imparted In drought SEE DROUGHT on page.': clared a drought stricken county. May raid all of the Uluh counties with the exception of Salt Dike, Wclicr, and Duvis counties, have been included as drought stricken lmsed on that formula. Farmers and ranchers in Duchesne County may now lx; eligible for low and no interest loans and possibly even grunts to help meet their day to day operational exxnses. According to May, individuals und families whose livclihixxl is unrelated to agriculture but who ure experi- - ROOSEVELTS NEW WATER SOURCE WILL EASE BURDEN By Therena Morrill "The water supply in the county is five to 50 percent of normal. hriS m ! f Si Z - ,v .. I? f f. l . Mr- - . .. 4 it. M V" . -- . - - 1 id 7a -- Rock Craylinrj Nationalr; st 4 i V- LEARNING THE KOPES-- A contestant is helped out as he tries to conquer all these nasty nx:ks that arent txi friendly during rock crawling competition last w eek. Driving the vehicle is Eddie Casanueva. u ho nru cd lrom New Jersey to Colorado so he could be close to all the nice, big rocks. Casanueva and others took part in the Kink Crawling Nationals south of Vernal, Friday and Saturday. See page 1 7 for mure! |
