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Show 8 Vernal Express Wednesday, October 23, 1996 CAVMC spokeswoman, Linda Harris, accepts certificate of appreciation appreci-ation from Mayor Leonard Heeney. CAVMC receives certificate of appreciation Columbia Ashley Valley Medical Center (CAVMC) spokeswoman Linda Harris accepted a certificate of appreciation from Vernal Mayor Leonard Heeney last week for the work hospital employees performed recently when they spruced up the Dinosaur Triangle on Hwy. 40 and 800 West. CAVMC has decided not to stop at one clean-up effort, however. Before accepting the certificate, Harris detailed a CAVMC proposal to adopt the Dinosaur Triangle and the nearby Welcome to Vernal Triangle, assuming all maintenance for both. At the expense of the hospital, employees have chosen to be continuously con-tinuously responsible for all grounds keeping and physical maintenance of the two green spaces. "This is our way of enhancing awareness of the cooperation between be-tween business and government," said Harris. Vernal City Council enthusiasti-. enthusiasti-. cally accepted the hospital's proposal, pro-posal, including a request to erect a sign at the site announcing the "adoption" as a community project. New communications law opens industry by Mary Beth Vitale, vice president of AT&T's local services organization It's the start of something big. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, passed by Congress earlier this year, has the potential to revolutionize revo-lutionize the communications industry in-dustry and have a profound impact on consumers nationwide. Quite simply, the law was designed de-signed to create a thriving, healthy telecommunications industry by opening the monopoly markets of the local telephone exchange to competition. And as we've learned in the long distance business, when monopolies become competitive, it's a veritable bonanza for consumers. con-sumers. If the law's vision becomes reality, reali-ty, we can expect more choices, more innovation, lower prices and improved quality for communications communica-tions services and products. Consumers will experience increased in-creased convenience with the advent ad-vent of one-stop shopping, one bill and one customized package of products and services. New services ser-vices and enhanced technology will be enjoyed by millions, while the U.S. economy gains a competitive advantage in global markets. Creating a truly competitive telecommunications industry, however, how-ever, is going to be a formidable tak and it's not going to happen overnight Much of the responsibility responsibil-ity will fall to the expertise of the Kate public utility commission and the Federal Communications Commission (I"CC). While these agencies appear well on their way to implementing the law as intended, intend-ed, they're going to have many difficult dif-ficult hurdles to clear. For example, in order for competitor! com-petitor! to provide local telephone scfvfcc, the local companies who have maintained monopolies in this foiMftCM for more than 100 years -have to open their networks to their potential rivals. More specifically, the local companies under the Telecommunications Act of 19, must permit new competitors to: connect into their networks whet ever it it technically feasible to do so, hwy local service in hulk at dis counted fates and resell it to their own customers at retail; and buy parts of the local network and combine com-bine them with their own facilities and operations to produce competitive competi-tive local service. Companies like AT&T have entered en-tered into negotiations with local companies on these issues in hopes of entering the local service market in the near future. Given what's at stake for both sides, it's no surprise to anyone that these negotiations are not going well in many cases. AT&T for example, has not been able to reach an agreement with U S West. The Telecommunications Act stipulates that after 135 public utility commissions can be asked to arbitrate, a request that AT&T has made in many states. Considering the complexity of these issues, it's likely that similar arbitration requests will be made by many companies throughout the country. Thus, state public utility commissions will play a critical role in realizing the law's vision as their decisions shape how competition competi-tion will evolve in their states State regulators will be assisted by the FCC, which on Aug. 8 issued is-sued guidelines and rules for dealing deal-ing with these intricate details. This should take some of the burden off the shoulders of the utility commissions, commis-sions, allowing them to concentrate on resolving the difficult .negotiations .negotia-tions between the local companies and their new competitors. By establishing es-tablishing a division of labor along these lines, Congress wisely sought to expedite the process of opening up the local service marketplace. Nevertheless, state regulators have a big job ahead of them. If the spirit of the law is to be followed, it's imperative that the creation of true, fair competition - and the benefits ben-efits it will bring to consumers be paramount in alt decisions thai are made. The Telecommunications Act was designed to benefit consumers, con-sumers, not U S West or the other regional telephone companies and not AT&T or for the many other companies eager to enter the mar-kct. mar-kct. State regulators must ensure their decisions are driven by how best to serve the people, not the "providers" If they accomplish that, we all most surely will benefit Safe drinking water effort to expand in 1997 President Bill Clinton said that the number one health problem in the developing world is still the absence ab-sence of clean, safe drinking water. "If we can just get clean water to everyone in these poor countries, we can save more children's lives than any other single thing we can do. And yet there are still places in the United States in rural areas, where people do not have access to safe drinking water. We're determined deter-mined to correct that problem. So we will keep working on that. There's a lot more to do." Consistent with this statement and the president's 1997 budget request re-quest to Congress, federal funding for Water 2000, the administration's administra-tion's initiative to improve the quality, availability and dependability dependabil-ity of drinking water in rural communities, com-munities, has expanded by 36 percent per-cent for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Water 2000, which targets federal investment to communities with the greatest financial and public health need, was launched by the Clinton Administration in August of 1994. Its primary financial tool is a US-DA US-DA program that since 1940 has loaned out over $15 billion for safe drinking water and sanitary sewer systems with a loan loss rate of less than one-tenth of one percent (less than one dollar written off for every one thousand dollars loaned.) According to administration assessment, as-sessment, some 7.8 million resident of rural America have fundamental drinking water problems. Included among them are almost one million people more than the combined populations of Wyoming and Vermont that still have no water piped into their homes. "Nothing is more basic to revitalizing revital-izing smaller communities than improving im-proving drinking water infrastructure," infrastruc-ture," said James D. Harvey, state director for rural development in Utah. "It means higher public health standards especially for the very young and very old and improved mob, housing development develop-ment and fire protection prospects," said Harvey. New Deadlines ,e& NEWS ARTICLES cW Monday at 12 noon fWetW-igs, B'rts. rwS fee39e$. CMuv:es, Pub Nolte. SooMs, etc t DISPLAY ADS & CLASSIFIED ADS Monday at 5 p.m. Utah weekly crop report Harvesting apples, alfalfa, corn for grain, corn for silage, fall tillage and moving livestock were the major ma-jor farm and ranch activities for the week ending Oct. 20, according to the Utah Agricultural Statistics Service. Winter wheat was 93 percent emerged compared with the 67 percent per-cent five-year average. Corn was 93 percent maturity with 43 percent of corn to be harvested for grain completed and 97 percent of corn to be harvested for silage completed. complet-ed. These stages were slightly ahead of the five-year average. Fourth culling alfalfa hay was 89 percent complete compared wiih the 88 percent five-year average. Alfalfa seed harvested was 67 percent per-cent complete compared with 94 percent five-year average. Apples were 73 percent picked compared with the 80 percent five-year average. aver-age. Range and pasture conditions were rated 10 percent good, 44 percent per-cent fair and 46 percent poor or very poor. Eighty-seven percent of cattle were moved from summer range, 1 percentage point above the five-year average. Eighty-six percent of sheep were moved from summer range, 3 percentage per-centage points behind the five-year average. There were 6 days rated suitable for ficldwotk. J) If you would like to adopt this 10-month old blacK lab female dog or any other of a variety of pets, call the Uinlah County Animal Shelter at 789-6601, Mon. Fri., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. until noon. ik & ik ik ik ik & ik ik ik ik ik WHERE WAS GLEN VfcKEE-When all the locks within the courthouse had to be re-keyed to the tune of $8,500.00? WHERE WAS GLEN McKEE-When the other commissioners were explaining the 11 0th of 1 sales tax? WHY DID GLEN McKEE-Purchase a $400.00 non-refundable airline ticket that was never used ? WHERE WAS GLEN McKEE-When the special service district dis-trict made out the $40,000.00 check to the county commissioners commis-sioners for the Delamberts? WHY WAS GLEN McKEE'S-County wages garnisheed twice in the last year? WHERE WAS GLEN McKEE-Nhen the rodeo committee was promoting the Dinosaur Roundup? WHY DID GLEN McKEE-Almost cause us to lose our county coun-ty landfill? WHERE WAS GLEN McKEE-During the governor's live town meeting on tv when he asked a question that was unrelated to the subject and completely ambiguous? WHY DOES GLEN McKEE-Want to sell our County Care Center after he won an election by whole heartily supporting support-ing it? WHERE WAS GLEN McKEE-While the 8.5 million dollar surplus sur-plus was being spent? WHY DID GLEN McKEE-EnXer into an illegal contract with an unlicensed out-of-state roofing contractor that could have cost you the taxpayer over $100,000.00? WHY WOULD GLEN McKEE-Walk out of meetings when his vote was needed on critical issues? WHY DID GLEN McKEE-When he was invited to Ballard City, decline , because he said he wouldn't be part of a one sided debate.Then, at the last minute, send another person to speak in his behalf? WHY WOULD GLEN McKEE-VoXe for himself a pay increase of 28 over the last six years (base pay approx. $185,000.00) (with benefits - insurance & retirement approx. $259,082.00) When Uintah .County has deputies with 4 & 5 years experience, with wages that qualify them for the WIG program & food stamps? WHY DOESNT GLEN McKEE-Ever follow county policy pertaining per-taining to the use of county vehicles? Would you want this man running your business? PAID FOR BY THE REPUBLICANS SUPPORTING HERB SNYDER FOR UINTAH COUNTY COMMISSIONER. |