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Show 11 Vfc Chepk Inside ;IeCopy50t by Steven Wallis Express Editor Six years after the initial discovery discov-ery of a unique, headless dinosaur skeleton, the skull has been found. In 1993, after two years of excavation, exca-vation, a 3-ton bock of rock containing con-taining a new type of dinosaur was lifted by helicopter one half a mile to Dinosaur Quarry. The skeleton turned out to be spectacularly complete, com-plete, except that the skull was missing. "The skeleton was so beautifully preserved and articulated that I hoped the skull had only moved a short distance rather than having been destroyed," said Dan Chure paleontologist at Dinosaur Monument. After the skeleton was taken to the Quarry, efforts focused on finding the skull. After a couple of years, "we had pretty much given up hope of ever finding the skull." In the summer of 1995 Cure contacted con-tacted Ray Jones from the Radiology Department of the University Hospital, University of Utah. Jones, a amateur paleontologist, paleontolo-gist, had some success in finding bones for Don Burge of the College of Eastern Utah in Price. Most of his finding were in mud stone. This was his first attempt at using his "radiological surveyor" to find bones in rock. "This method does not work at all locations," said Chure. During fos-silization, fos-silization, uranium is concentrated in the bone by some minerals. Not all bones give off sufficient gamma emissions to be detected. After marking off the quarry face into 10 cm squares, Jones and Chure measured emissions in each square. There were two areas with high readings. The first was at the bottom of the same conglomerate Final arrests made in drug lab The final two suspects in an investigation involving the operation opera-tion of a methamphetamine lab were arrested last week. The investigation which began Jan. 12, 1996, involved the operation opera-tion of a meihamphctamine lab and the production of methampheta-mincs methampheta-mincs at a Uintah County residence. Initially 10 suspects were identified. identi-fied. With the arrest of two individuals individ-uals last week, nine have been arrested as a result of the investiga 150 years of discovery on In celebration of the Utah Statehood Centennial and Pioneer Scsquiccntcnnial. the Utah Field House of Natural History State Park is presenting an exhibit on "Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah 150 years of Discovery." This temporary exhibit will run through December of 1 997. After that time, the exhibit will travel to other museums in the state. Featured in the exhibit are more than 1 50 historic photographs of explorers and sciential, sites and fossils appropriate to their discoveries, discov-eries, and equipment used by them. The exhibit begins with the Native Americans and their use of fossils, and travels through the last 1 50 years with the explorers, scientists, engineers and amateurs who have advanced the study of vertebrate fossils in Utah and the world. Highlighted are John Newberry and his 1 859 discovery of Dystrophaeus. the first dinosaur found in Utah and the second found in the United States. This dinosaur material is oft loan from the Smithsonian Institution. There are numerous Pictures of the Coublass discovery of the Carnegie Quarry, fitter known as Dinosaur National Monument, and more cur rent discoveries like the Utahraptor quarries, the Huntington Mammoth and the Jensen-Jensen and WEDNESDAY, Allosaurus skull is similar to recent discovery at Dinosaur Monument. layer where the headless skeleton was taken. The other area was near the top of the conglomerate. July 24 Jones came back to Dinosaur National Monument armed with his somewhat primitive looking device. He relocated the high value site near the top of the conglomerate, and identified a area about one square foot as the place to dig. Readings near the uncovered specimen were six, and readings in the dig area also measured six. "The first hammer blow hit bone, and within about two hours there was sufficient bone exposed that I could recognize features found on the back of theropod skulls," Chure said. By late afternoon most of the back end of the skull had been exposed. The skull is estimated to be about 2 to 2 and a half feet in length. Present efforts are concentrating on determining how much of the skull is preserved and strategies for getting get-ting it out. "Based on the features I could see in the skull roughed out in the field, the closest similarity is to Allosaurus," Chure said. "Whether it is or is not Allosaurus is still uncertain, although, regardless of that the skeleton is certainly a new species." The question of it being Allosaurus is one Chure has been grappling with the past two years. He is trying to determine how may species of Allosaurus are there?, tion. Arrested Monday by Uintah County Sheriffs Deputy Don DcCamp was Jeffrey Duane Thics, 26, Jeffrey Duane Thies of Vernal. The arrest warrant issued out of 8th District Court charged him with two counts of clandestine laboratory operation, both first degree felonies and conspiracy, a third degree McStegosaur quarries. The photographic replication was done by Evan Hall of Vernal. Research and development of the exhibit was done by Dr. Sue Ann Bilbcy, curator. Original pho tographs are owned by Kathryn Slauch. Boyd York. Alice White, the Smithsonian Institution, the Camcgie Museum, the American Museum of National History and WEDNESI 1 a " Tt . . , 1 1 ... w, ... . - ""UHl 5iP17 (pi -J 1 J z?' Creaton of a display at Ihe Utah Field House of Natural History rjepichog 1 &0 years erf paieoototogy a'e Dr. Sue Ann Bitbey and Evan Han. August 7, 1996 1 , ,.,"4' 3sa- 3 - iwe -J ( Fossil preparator, Scott Madsen, stands by original find of headless head-less dinosaur and near where the skull was recently found. How are they differentiated skele-tally skele-tally and how do they relate to one another evolutionally and to other supposed allosaurids? The initial find was the result of funding obtained through the Natural Resources Protection Program to contract a number of outside paleontologists and geologists geolo-gists to do an invention of paleonto-logical paleonto-logical resources within Dinosaur National Monument. The find was located during one of these contracted paleontological inventories conducted by Dr. George Englemann of the University Nebraska. The discovery consisted of what were clearly theropod foot bones, with part of tail exposed near by. After a mold was made of the skeleton in its original position, each bone was taken apart for further fur-ther study. The mold will allow felony. .Thursday, Vernal City Police officers offi-cers arrested Jason Dcwayne Patton, 22. of Vernal. The arrest warrant also issued out of 8th District Court charged him with clandestine laboratory operation, a first degree felony and conspiracy, a second degree felony. Of the seven other suspects arrested arrest-ed during the investigation, six have either pleaded guilty to charges or have agreed to enter pleas on vari numerous other sources. Historic tools and equipment are loaned to the display by Uintah Engineering and Land Surveying. Kailtryn Slaugh, Alice White and Evan Hall. The fossils are primarily from the ' Utah Field House collections loan from although some are on BYU Earth Science Museum. Utah Geological Survey and the College of Eastern Utah Prehistory - ; Vernal, Utah 84078 duplicated for exhibits that will show how the skeleton looked before it was taken apart. "This was a marvelous specimen even without the skull," said Chure. "Perhaps one of the most significant ever found at the monument. Now with the skull it is spectacular." Chure is convinced that Jones' technique in finding the skull really works. It has been know for a long time that dinosaur bones emit radiation. However, past efforts at using sensing sens-ing devices such as geiger counters to locate fossils have been foiled, mainly because natural background radiation often drowns out the tiny buzz of gamma rays emanating from petrified bone. Jones' device isable to filter out the background emissions. ous charges ranging from first to third degree felonies. Suspects in the investigation were extradited from Arizona. Colorado and South Carolina. "This is a prime example of the sheriffs office's war on drugs." said Rick I lav. kins, Uintah County sheriff. "The investigation isn't finished fin-ished until we have exhausted all possible leads and in this case we were able to identify and arrest 90 percent of the identified suspects." display Museum. Others were donated specifically for the display by Lloyd Gunther of Brigham City. Linn Ottinger of Monb and Loy Capo of Delta. Financial support for the project came from the Utah Office of Museum Services and the 1't.ih Division of Parks and Recreation Centennial Fund. mu imp n; Talent found Pge 13- Fire burns 10,000 acres. .page 3 County Fair kicks off.. ..page 12 Arch day page 16 Property tax appeal page 22 Fishing update page 21 ....... - . It's back to school Aug. by Kathleen Irving Staff Writer It's back-to-school time for students stu-dents and the Uintah School District is gearing up for registration registra-tion and orientation before classes begin Aug. 21. See below for when, where and how to get your children back into the academic flow of things. Specialized Preschool Children who have already attended the Specialized Preschool may register at the Uintah High School preschool room this Friday, Aug. 9 and Monday, Aug. 12 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The preschool is not taking new students at this time. Elementary Schools All elementary students in Kindergarten through 5th grade should register at their schools Aug. 9 or 12 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.. Kindergarten classes will be held at Todd, Davis and Lapoint elemen-taries, elemen-taries, but students in the Maeser attendance area will attend class at the Kindergarten Learning Center, formerly the Learning Center for students with special needs. The first five days of school kindergarten, students will meet with teachers by individual appointment appoint-ment for pre-evaluation testing. Parents should receive letters informing them of their scheduled appointment time. Each meeting will last 20-30 minutes. Busing for kindergarten students begins Wednesday, Aug. 28. Students in grades 1-5 will receive room and teacher assignments assign-ments during registration and can meet with bus drivers who will be able to provide bus numbers and time schedules. For the second year. Davis and Maeser elemcntaries will house Kindergarten through 2nd grade students; 3rd and 4th graders will attend Ashley and Naples elemcntaries elemcn-taries and Discovery Elementary will be designated as the 5th Grade Center. The student configuration at Todd and Lapoint elemcntaries will continue as it has been, with all grades meeting in the same building. build-ing. Middle Schools New sixth-grade students at Vernal Middle School will have the opportunity to try out locker combinations combi-nations and tour the school during two 6th Grade Orientation nights Aug. 13 and 14. According to VMS vice principal Susan Pease, everything students and parents need to know to be prepared pre-pared for middle school will be covered during the one-hour orientation. orien-tation. During that time students will register, receive class schedule. Imker assignments, and busing and 21 School start and dismissal times Ashley Elementary (grades 3.4) Lyle Southam, principal Starting time 9 am. Dismissal 3 20 pm. Davis Elementary (grades K2) Leonard Sullivan, principal Starting time 9.101m. Dismissal 3 30 p m. Discovery Elementary (5th grade only) Disie Allen, principal Starting time 8 a m. Dismissal . 2.10 pm. Lapoint Elementary (grades K-6) tarl Atlred. principal Starting lime 9.50 am. Dismissal 3 10 p m. Maeet Elementary (grades K'2) Larry Klein, principal Starting liin- 9 10 a m. Dimissal 3.30 p m. Naples Elementary (grades 3.4) Sherrill Lamb, principal 104th Year No. 32 22 Pages lunch information. In addition, a program will be presented on the school's academic, music and fine arts programs. Students whose last names begin with A-H are encouraged to attend the orientation Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. Those whose last names begin with I-Z are scheduled to attend Wednesday, Aug. 14, also at 7 p.m.. Sixth-grade students who cannot attend orientation, and all 7th graders, may register Aug. 9 and 12 from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Pease stresses the importance of the sixth grade orientation, however. howev-er. "We want to make the transition to middle school as smooth as possible pos-sible for all of our students," she says. "We feel the activities planned for orientation will go a long way in that direction." Registration at West Middle School will also take place Aug. 9 and 12 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Students who cannot register on those days are encouraged to call the office, 722-4563, before Aug. 9. Vernal Jr. High Students new to Vernal Jr. High can register there Aug. 9 and 12 from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Previous VJH students will register regis-ter by mail. Registration form should be mailed by Aug. 1 Instructions for ninth grade fee payments pay-ments will be included in the letters. let-ters. High Schools New Uintah High School students register at UHS Aug. 12, 13 and 14 from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. daily. Current UHS students should have pre-registcred and have already had access to a telephone registration system to make scheduling sched-uling changes. During the first week of UHS's phone registration some technical difficulties occurred. Students who called July 22-27 should call back into the system to check their schedules for accuracy. Final help sessions will be held at the school today from 10-11 a.m. and from 2-3 p.m. Phone registration closes at 7 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. Students should ensure they have a full schedule of five classes for the first trimester. All pre-registcred UHS students need to go into the school Monday, Aug. 19 or Tuesday. Aug. 20 between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to pay fees and pick up final schedules, sched-ules, student handbooks, activity cards and other information. Fee waivers will be processed at this time also. Documentation is required. Registration at Ashley Valley High School will be held Aug. 9 and 12 from 8 am. until 3 p m. Sm peg 2 |