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Show 9 rrAd community IP comments... My old friend Frank Wallace, Superintendent of Capitol ' Reef National Park, who steadfastly refuses to open up the old, historic jeep road down Halls Creek near the Waterpocket Fold, despite lots of good advice to the contrary from this corner, has lots of problems. Prospectors are running off with his flagstone and getting big headlines in the city press, and recently a natural rockslide on one of his most impressive cliffs changed the view from one of his most scenic viewpoints. But now he's got real trouble. The deer are eating the fruit trees In the orchards of the old townsite of Fruita a town that exists in memory only since the National Park Service surrounded and took it over. And to top it off, before Frank can catch the deer and transport them to a remote section of the Henry Mountains, he has tojiold a public meeting and get opinions from the general public. He-may even have to write an environmental impact statement. Won't do any good, Frank. They'll just come back when they get hungry. -sjt- Sixty point headlines are pretty rare, but Moab's football team, and Don Flynn in particular, got one in last week's Salt Lake Tribune, and it looked pretty good after a number of years when the only mention of Moab's gridders came when the team got into a state playoff situation. I'm sure the fact that Moab is now playing in Region 7 with the big boys is focusing a lot more attention on the team and that's fine. What's even better, though, is that the Devils are meeting playoff -caliber teams every Friday. And if they make it through a darned tough season, they should have a pretty good shot at the title. ' Central and Western Utah schools don't like the traveling distances to Moab and Blandlng, but even so, it's a whole lei better alignment. Now they're learning a few things about road trips that Moab has known for years. -sjt- Tuesday evening's meeting between the City Council and a group of about 50 citizens had been billed beforehand as a possible powderkeg. However it did not turn out that way at all, as citizens exchanged questions and opinions with councilmen regarding a number of local problems. Those present had obviously been doing a lot of thinking, and questions asked were cool headed and sound. There was an atmosphere of mutual respect for opinions and a genuine effort put forth from all sides to try to find solutions to local problems. Under discussion were problems presented under what could be generally titled "Our Youth." Feeling that those parents who do not control their children probably never will, citizens and council began looking in other directions, sometimes in accusation and sometimes in search of help. The police department was both blamed and praised, alternately. The same with the schools. Actions in the courts were questioned. Many present felt that more recreational facilities are needed here, especially for young peoples' dances, and in a place where the amplifiers would not disturb other people. At the conclusion, it appeared that many present were both; willing and anxious to work together, and with any club, agency or organization interested to find solutions to the problems. This type of town meeting, whatever the problem may be kids, garbage, traffic, what have you is far more helpful in pulling our town together than the shouting matches that all too often occur. Maybe no real solutions are found, but at least each guy understands what the other guy thinks, and why. |