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Show Chefk Inside "C PRESORT -43 14-2r C 123199 UTAH PRESS AfiP TAT T nki Bus driven prepare. page 14 Bale cooking page 11 page 13 page 18 At King mm .07 W 200 S im ,4W UT 84101 Coach of the year. Health Edition page 20-22 Express online: www.vernal.com Single Copy 50 WEDNESDAY, August 25, 1999 Vernal, Utah 84078 107th Year No. 34 22 Pages 777 U ,,,, ... County applies for CIB funds BTsteven RTWallTs " Express Editor Uintah County has applied for financial assistance from the Community Impact Board for the construction of a jail and care cen-ter.expansion. cen-ter.expansion. , The applications to the CIB were made "with no commitment by the county," so they would be inline for the funding if commissioners and the public decide to built the two facilities. "No one is under an obligation," said Kimball L. Young, principal with Lewis, Young. Robertson and Burningham. a Salt Lake City investment company. Because of the limitations with getting a grant or loan through the CIB, the county had to have an application in before the Aug. 1 deadline, Young said. "This is just the start of a very lengthy process," said Young. Uintah County hopes to receive as much of a grant for the projects as possible and then finance the remainder with low-interest loans. Recent legislation passed with help from the county, allows a 1 percent sales tax to help pay for the cost of health care centers Still Young said that it w ould take a property tax and a sales tax to fund the two projects. 4 rn- V 1 t.f ) Sr. i : a , is . " r-- '-;-; i ; Kenneth Bassett, Vernal City manager, and Matt Foley. Vernal City Councilman, inspect plans for senior center. CoBftrpBeii fio provide seimaor Construction began last week for a 29-unit senior citizen apartment complex. The new complex is being built on property at 900 West Main secured by the Uintah Basin Assistance Council. The project is being built by the Community Housing Services, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The $1.75 million was secured through a HUD 202 program which provides funding fund-ing over a six-state area. The project will be complete next spring and will provide housing for citizens 62 years and older on low income. The new facility will be called Ashley Valley Shadows. There are already 18 to 19 people who have applied to live in the facility. "There is definitely a need for this facility if this area," said Philip Carroll, president Community Housing Services Incorporated. Primarily those who will live in the facility are older single women. They pay 30 percent of their income for rent "It is a major decision for someone some-one to move into such a facility, said Carroll. "The facility offers independence and the convenience ' "Si k Ashley School students leave the "This is the start of a series of public hearings and decisions, but the county is in line for both project," pro-ject," Young said. Care Center Director Rossa Simmons said that from the past 10 years there has been a waiting list of people to enter the facility. The need for expansion of the facility is very evident," said Dr. Karl Breintcnbach. of not having to mow the lawn." One of the reasons the facility was given the federal grant was because of the donation of the ground by the Uintah Basin Assistance Council. "It also had the support of the community," said Jolyn Daniels, executive director of the Assistance council. Carroll said he didn't believe the facility would steal clients from private pri-vate apartments for senior citizens. When a similar facility opened on the Wasatch Front, only one resident resi-dent was a transfer from another facility. The complex will be two stories with 10,600 square feet per floor. There will be a laundry and office. The apartments are 540 square feet, all electric. The 8-mcmbcr UBAC has also built seven Crown Homes in Vernal and four in Roosevelt and has plans to purchase a refurbished triplex and to- build a duplex of disabled housing on the remaining property near the senior apartments. 1? j V I bus to attend the first day of school. The need for a new jail is evidenced evi-denced by the estimation that it will cost Uintah County $250,000 a year for the transportation of prisoner sand officers when the new court house is complete at Valora's Comer. Cooking care advocated by fire department Two fires Thursday last week damaged a home and camp trailer and the Vernal City Uintah County Fire Department is advising people to be careful w hile cooking. The first fire occurred at 2:59 p.m. at a home at 350 North 240 West. A can of cooking spray oil w as left on the stove. It overheated, ruptured and started the fire. The fire was contained within an hour but not before the fire caused $15,000 damage to the structure and $15,000 to the contents. Higher than normal cooking fires The fire department has been responding to a higher than normal average of cooking fires. There has been about one a month. "Make sure that all burners are turned off and there are not combustible com-bustible materials w ithin 24 inches of the stove," said Dennis J. Paulson, fire chief. A second fire Thursday occurring at 7:17 p.m. at a 1974 camp trailer that was unoccupied. The trailer was located at 1285 West 625 South. The fire was caused by a 12 volt electrical short. The impact of the fire w as minimized mini-mized by the help of neighbors who disconnected the propane cylinder and started to cool the trailer with a garden hose. Damage Coimstlractiooiro (begSons on The construction of a new $14.5 million sewer treatment facility is underway west of the sewer lagoons in the Buckskin Hills east of Vernal. The new facility will replace the sewer lagoon and winter storage ponds w hich are not used to treat all of Ashley Valley's sewage. The mechanical, oxygen ditch treatment facility will not leach into the manco shale which has been determined deter-mined to be the reason for the high concentration of selenium in Ashley Creek. Included in the project is the construction con-struction of road from 500 North to the sewer plant. Alder Construction it ftCi:f , v - "Currently w e are uncertain if the State of Utah w ill continue to reimburse reim-burse rural counties for accepting state prisoners," said Cloyd Harrison. "The sheriff is on the Wasatch Front meeting with officials offi-cials to find out" to the trailer was valued at $2,000. On the storage of campers or trailers, make sure that all propane is shut off and if unused for any time disconnect the batteries. Also, lock all doors and w indow s. advises Paulson. There were no injuries to individuals individ-uals in either fire. .... ,V . -s r'.-. ur.r,;, H-t Ja I $14.5 million sewer treatment facility is taking shape east of the sewer is the primary contractor on the project pro-ject Ned Mitchell Construction is a subcontractor. Currently there are about 30 workers on the project The local share foe the cost of the project is $5 to $6 million which w ill be paid through connection fees and monthly utility fees. The project pro-ject is being built by the Ashley Valley Sewer Board which is comprised com-prised of representatives of Ashley Valley Water and Sewer, Vernal City and Maeser Water and Sewer. Because of the selenium problem on Ashley Creek and its potential impact on endangered species in Green River, the Federal Oseirs propose AsGnDey Cveeh reihialb)DDiiDOini By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor The Ashley Creek Stabilization Board is proposing a pilot test on Ashley and a possible solution to flooding. The proposal is patterned after two years of work by the Forest Sen ice at $3 million to stabilize the upper Dry Fork drainage. With the new sewer treatment plant, work is being done on lower Ashley Creek. The project area for the proposal is the Middle Ashley Creek from the Thomburg Diversion to where the creek crosses 500 North. The project pro-ject is being proposed by the Ashley Creek Stabilization Committee, a group of about 90, representing affected entities. The need for flood control on Ashley is amplified by pollution problems. In August 1991 the Utah Department of Environment Quality, the Utah Department of Health and the Uintah Basin Public Health Department issued a public health advisory for fish and waterfowl water-fowl taken from the lower Ashley Creek drainage and Stewart Lake In Uintah County. Elevated concentration concentra-tion of selenium were found in fish, ducks and American coots. The advisory, which is still in effect, warns the pregnant or nursing women and children under 15 years of age should not eat any fish, ducks or American coots taken from the lower Ashley Creek drainage area. These are the only waters in the that have had a fish and wildlife consumption advisory placed on them. The purpose of the gabions is to put the natural meander back into the creek so that it can be more stable sta-ble during high water, said Mary Alice Page-Allen. Uintah County planner. - - t . f " T ' .-U i ' lt-!'l I 'll it I ' I 'jH.:. i . - Government has mandated the construction con-struction of the sewer treatment facility. Last week the chairman of the Sewer Board, Dennis Mort requested request-ed that the county reduce the amount of a $53,500 building permit per-mit for the project. A building permit per-mit is required by county ordinance and the Uniform Building authorized autho-rized the county building inspector to inspect the project and access the fee. Moo said the fee, if not reduced, would be passed onto the consumer. Scott O'Bagy. representing the contractor, con-tractor, said the project already "The arrangement of the gabions is critical to the project." said Page-Allen. Page-Allen. The project is part of a much large proposal by the Ashley Creek Stabilization Committee to place a water retention structure at the headwaters of Ashley Creek. "We want to make it a usable stream for fish and ildlife and also reduces its flood damage capabilities," capabili-ties," said Commissioner Cloyd Harrison, chairman of the Ashley Creek committee. The wire gabion would be filled with material locally and placed in three locations in Ashley Creek: below the Thomburg Diversion, at 500 West and upstream from 5(X) South. With the work done by the Forest Service and a rehabilitation project along the low er portion of the same stream north of the Thomburg Diversion, the rehabilitation of four miles of the middle Ashley Creek is another price of the sstemic solution solu-tion to the flooding and subsequent pollution problems said Page-Allen. It is propoed to utilize funding under the proposal to determine whether the rock gabions will perform per-form adequately and can be utilized in furthcnng the channel rehabilitation. rehabilita-tion. Specific objectives for Ashley Creek are: To develop the most effective on-site construction methods and to identify cost of construction and emplacement To develop criteria for arranging arrang-ing an anchoring the structures. To develop criteria for locating and spacing the structures for the purposes of bank protection and channel rehabilitation. -ymw mil W's I . -J : lagoons. seweir includes an inspector for the Sewer Board. He said when he called Vernal City, he was told the building build-ing permit fees would be waived. Commissioners agreed to charge the $53,500 building permit, but the building department would keep track of the time spent on the project pro-ject and if all of the money is not used, it would be reimbursed to the Sewer Board. The sewer treatment plant w ill be completed in December of 2000. The sewer lagoon will be dried out for two years and then the walls will be breached so they cannot contain water. 1 COPY |