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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, November 2-4, 2005 The Park Record B-8 Richer honored for leadership Briefs Leadership Park City's co-director Lisa Cilva Ward, left, and Myles Rademan, right, honored Summit County Commissioner Bob Richer, center, this year for the third annual -"Community Leadership Award." Richer has served as president of the Egyptian Theatre Board, president of the Park City Board of Realtors, president of the Park City Library Board, served on the Park Crty Council and served as the co-chair of Citizens Open Space Advisory Commitee. Supplemental Health Care continues hurricane relief efforts Park City-based Supplemental Health Care, Inc., one of the world's fastest-growing health care staffing companies, has dedicated itself to helping those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through various financial and staffing support efforts. Supplemental Health Care reports it immediately dispatched nurses and therapists to the evacuation locations and has pledged to donate up to $50,000 to the American Red Cross for its hurricane relief campaign as part of a company-wide fundraiser. The company has been providing health care organizations better access to skilled nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and rad-tech professionals for more than 20 years. The company has 30 nursing and allied offices in major U.S. markets nation-wide. COURTESY MYLES RADEMAN Homeland Security assesses nuclear safety SALT LAKE CITY (AP) A Department of Homeland Security assessment of the proposed nuclear waste dump for Utah's Skull Valley shows reason for concern, the state's Republican U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch says. The report is classified and won't yet be made public, but Hatch was briefed on its findings in Washington Thursday. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has also been briefed on the report. "I'm not going to talk about the report except to say that I believe there is language that would cause anybody concern," said Hatch, who could not discuss the report in specifics. "I won't characterize it beyond that." Both Hatch and Huntsman urged Homeland Security to con- duct the study, hoping it might reveal security shortcomings or risks to storing 44,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel rods on the wcsl desert reservation belonging to the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians. The tribe has entered into a contract with Private Fuel Storage, a private consortium of electric companies, to take the waste. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the deal and in September granted the company a waste storage license. Utah's Legislature and Huntsman, along with citizen and environmental groups are fighting against bringing high-level nuclear waste to the state. But Huntsman counsel Mike Lee said it's too early to tell if the report might help the slate's case. "(Governor Huntsman) was not surprised by the fact that the Department of Homeland Security agrees there are some issues that need to be addressed, as you might suspect," said Lee. The report contains some discussion of steps that would mitigate identified risks but "that is cold comfort to the hundreds of thousands of Utahns who live immediately downwind from this site," Lee added. The report remains in draft form and will remained classified until a final version is complete. Hatch spokesman Peter Carr said. Homeland Security officials traveled to Utah in August to review the storage facility plans, specifically focusing on the type of construction and response capabilities must be in Wells Fargo sponsors Athena Awards place in order for the site to operate safely. "This effort that we're working on in no way replaces or supersedes the regulatory authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," department spokeswoman Michelle Petrovich said. "They will take any necessary actions under the law as it relates to this issue." On Friday Hatch also released a letter from U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman that states the Skull Valley facility is not part of the national nuclear storage strategy and won't be eligible for federal funding. Hatch believes the letter indicates the site has not won federal support and will never be built. Private Fuel Storage has not sought any federal funds. Wells Fargo Women's Financial Services will sponsor the Athena Award luncheon at the 29th annual Women and Business Conference The luncheon will be held at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at the Grand America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Pamela Atkinson, an advocate for the homeless and lowincome families in Utah, will receive the prestigious Athena Award. The Women and Business Conference is a one-day personal and professional development event for the community's business owners and executives. Sessions will focus on entrepreneurship, leadership, technology and work/life balance. For more information, call Mark Chapman at (801) 2462843. U.S. Government regulators approve phone company unions WASHINGTON (AP) Government regulators on Monday approved SBC Communications' takeover of AT&T and Verizon Communications' purchase of MCI, removing the final federal hurdle for the multibillion-dollar deals. By 4-0 votes, the Federal Communications Commission said yes to the mergers but added several conditions. Among them, it required that SBC and Verizon freeze the wholesale prices they charge competitors to lease highcapacity business lines and to guarantee that they will sell their Internet access as a stand-alone service so customers aren't forced to buy local phone service as well. Several state regulatory agencies still must sign off on the deals. SBC's acquisition of AT&T is valued at $16 billion (eurol3.31 billion); the Vcrizon-MCI deal is said to be worth about $8.5 billion (euro7.07 billion). The FCC approval came after a weekend of negotiations. The commission had scheduled a vote for last Friday at the agency's monthly meeting, but then postponed it to continue talks. The Justice Department cleared the mergers last week, with more limited conditions than those placed on the companies by the FCC. Critics of the deals had complained that asset sales in overlapping areas were needed to ensure healthy competition in the industry, but federal regulators declined to approve selloffs for either company. Justice Department approval was contingent on Verizon and SBC leasing to rivals high-capacity lines serving business customers in 19 metropolitan areas. AT&T Corp. and MCI Inc. dominate the market for business customers, and the mergers would enhance the base of business customers for the regional Bell companies, Verizon and SBC. The deals would also expand their national and international presence. Consumer advocates and Bell rivals have complained that the competition for the Bells that AT&T and MCI would have provided in many markets would be virtually eliminated by the mergers _ meaning limited choices for consumers and higher prices. SBC expects its merger to close by the end of the year; Verizon expects to close by late this year, or early next year. After SBC completes its merger, the company plans to change its corporate name to the more recognizable AT&T. Verizon will keep its corporate name. . . . . . . . . f I-,', M,i:" The Park Record introduces its new online •XV ^ ' - i - A . 1 - ••.:-'-: >•».••_ - «i i •jilt; r*-'\.ji and select: photo reprints :••:• I ' . • ' Vi ' ' • * ' . A' V Wfcall for information 649-9014 i ^ 2..,:+:/.., - - • • . ^ ! . f ;• ; ,. r . ^ : -.. f g Order reprints of Park Record photos taken by our award winning staff 4 photographers Scott Sine and Grayson West ' f? ^la^; ^ - . v < r , .* •-•• •* |