Show Jach Straws By Jack Wallis The heavy winds and snow over Daniels Daniels Dan- Dan Canyon and Strawberry Valley the first part of last week surely paralyzed ed the Uintah Basin Highway 40 was closed part of Monday and Tuesday and from Wednesday afternoon until Thursday at at about 11 ani am a.m. Motorists piled up in Heber City and Duchesne waiting to get through the blinding snow racked highway in In n V Vernal wrestling matches and b basketball sk games were postponed ried motion motion motion mo mo- tion picture film and newspapers were delayed and the US U.S. mail didn't get through Representative Gunn McKay also postponed his two-county two visit because because be be- cause of the stormy weather Thursday morning the Utah Highway Patrol Vernal radio dispatchers dispatcher's office was a bedlam Everyone was calling asking about the road conditions An extra dispatcher was called in to help answer over calls received before US U.S. 40 was o opened ened to traffic The Highway highway High high- way Patrol office has two automatic answering units giving out the road c con conditions o n d i t i ion o n s which were popping off to capacity and four other phone lines into the office Callers didn't seem to believe the answering answering an an- service and and had to be reassured ed the roads were closed by the dispatchers dispatchers dis dis- dis themselves The updated road condition number is It was hard to believe the weather was bad enough to close US U.S. 40 when it was relatively nice throughout the basin no snow or bad weather just a little wind Anyway we had to read three daily papers Thursday night and go through two days of mail Friday morning The Uintah County Sheriffs Sheriff's Search and Rescue patrol received a call Thursday afternoon from the Dinosaur Colorado Sheriff stating that a year 5 old boy was reported lost Immediately Immediate Immediate- l ly a phone call chain went into action to contact the 25 members of the local patrol Those who who could leave their jobs assembled at the Sheriffs Sheriff's office donned their winter clothes made plans for the search and checked over their units Two units were only about five minutes out of town when fhe he Sheriff from Dinosaur called back saying the lost boy had been found Thanks to the time saving mobile radio units connected connect connect- ed to the Sheriffs Sheriff's office all search units can be contacted immediately via radio The radio dispatcher punched the mike button and repeated all units the search Is off the boy has been found Back home came they came feeling that they had done their duty anyway and knowing that the small boy had been found before it started getting gelling cold and dark The Search and Rescue patrol doesn't get much thanks for their work but it is sure nice to know they are there in case of an emergency Im I'm sure many people have a warm spot in their hearts for the local rescue operation We would like to join them and say thanks fellows we are arc sure glad youre you're around Three new innovations In the education tion mill made us wonder whether we ve weare are arc behind times old old or in a rut At the Uintah School Board Doard meeting meet ing two weeks ago the new approach of year-round year school was explained called call call- ed cd 45 15 45 days in school and 15 days vacation continuously around the year staggered so the school facilities would be constantly In use This would handle an Increase of over third one-third more stu students students tu dents with the same facilities The sec ond and new item discussed was serving breakfast at school A survey of school students showed an alarming number of students dont don't take the time to eat breakfast before coming to school so why not give it to them at school ficho The third item came up in the State superintendents meeting when a resolution resol ution passed by 5 votes asking for money from the state school budget to take 3 and 4 year olds out of the home to start school With all the new concepts coming out it looks like the school will willbe willbe be taking over everything if they can got cot the money to do it it |