| OCR Text |
Show r -172 16-2-F 125199 tiCR UT PRESORT C III, UT 84101 Discovery field trip . -page 3 Pet Taoaxutnons. .pare 3 Sweepstakes team , -page 4 uuiooning bign. -page 14 Utec pass judgement. -page 18 Fall Section ........ page 21-24 Express online: www.vernal.com u Single Copy 50$ WEDNESDAY, September 22, 1999 Vernal, Utah 84078 107th Year No. 38 24 Pages Chefk T 7 WTZTtiMnil iitimr Museum taras By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor In the same way it was built 51 years ago, the Utah Field House of Natural History committee is wanting wanti-ng community support to remodel and expand the facility. Cost of the project is estimated at $9.5 million The local commitment will be $1.4 to $2 millioa The balance bal-ance of the funding will come from grants and the Utah Legislature. According to Heather Campbell, member of the Utah Parks and Recreation Board, the Vernal museum muse-um project is a high priority with the state. Speaking to the Vernal Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, she said that several state board members and members of the legislature legis-lature have toured the museum. They see the need for the remodel and expansion, she said. Currently many of the collections of the museum that are stored in a heat duct 10 feet by 10 feet in the attic around the main hall of the museum. Other reasons for the renovation ren-ovation and expansion are the possibility pos-sibility that the building is not in compliance with fire and safety codes, it is not in compliance with the American Disabilities Act and most of the exhibits at the museum are 18 to 40 years old. The efforts to renovated the museum began about four years ago when the Community Impact Board granted some money for a feasibility feasibili-ty study. A committee was formed of members from the Vernal City Council, Uintah County Commission, State Parks and members mem-bers of the business community. Public scoping meetings were held and it was discussed whether to move the building and leave it at its present location. It was determined to leave the facility at its present location. There is still a small group in the community that wants the museum moved," said Kurt Sinclear, acting director of the museum. "It will not be moved," Sinclear said. "It will be remodeled and expanded where it is. I would ask the small group that wants the museum moved to give us their support, and if they cannot give us their support, then just be still," Sinclear said. Families give quilts to Kosovar refugees Families in the Uintah LDS Stake have donated over 160 quilts to Kosovar refugees, leading the way in what has become a valley-wide project involving dozens of women, teens and extended family members during the past two months. Local LDS congregations were invited by LDS Humanitarian Services to participate in the project to provide warm quilts to refugees of the recent Yugoslav war, many of whom are facing the upcoming winter with few resources of their own. The call for help was answered in a large part by Relief Society women. According to Uintah Stake Relief Society President Louise Card, each of the wards in the stake stepped up to give generously of their time and materials to make the quilts. As the women began quilting, quilt-ing, youth groups also became involved- Elaine Wood, Relief Society president of Naples First Ward, said her mother celebrated her 86th birthday by having her extended family including grandchildren grand-children and great-grandchildren, quilt along with her. They completed complet-ed two quilts for the project in an hour and half. . Some families have made quilts In their own homes, while others were made as group projects with donated fabric. We made 74 quilts in our ward," Wood said, "two of which are very ugly because the fabric didn't v i ( Jim Madsen, Dino Lab, examines being uncovered in the paleo lab Sinclear said that what is needed is a unified support from the local community for the project "We have the support of the Vernal City Council, Uintah County Commission, BLM, U.S. Forest Sen ice, U.S. Park Sen' ice and the Elks Lodge, "but now we want to expand," he said. Currently the fund raising effort has generated $200,000 in cash including $100,000 form Coastal Oil and Gas. Also the effort has a pledge of $500,000 to $750,000 in appreciated assets. Now the committee com-mittee wants to go to the public to raise additional funds. The funds may come in the way of direct donations or the purchase of tiles or r -.v Pam Austin, Raema Gardiner and match. But those two will probably be the warmest of them all and that's w hat matters." ' , Wood also said the women and youth groups were very enthusiastic while they worked, enjoying each other's company and frequent treats as they stitched. Other LDS wards have also participated par-ticipated in the project as well as to pnafeDi i?ir iremriiodlel VS. dinosaur bones recently uncovered during the excavation of a pipeline at the Utah Field House. Currently, the new dinosaur and a stegosaurs some object to show support for the project The committee plans to go to the CIB for grant of $500,000. They will go the state building board in January and petition for $7.5 million. mil-lion. ' "Wre still need letters from the business community in support of the project," Sinclear said. The exhibit in the new facility will have the theme of "Uintah Basin through the ages." It will show the 26 layers of strata, all but two from the history of the Rock Mountain Plateau. "It is the only place where one can visit a museum, muse-um, look at the story told, then go out and see first hand what was Cathlynn Gardiner sort and pack women's groups from other denom-' inations. Humanitarian Sen ices, which frequently works in conjunction conjunc-tion with Catholic Community Services and the International Red Cross, hopes to gather all the donated donat-ed quilts by the beginning of October for shipment to Kosovo. Mercy Corps International, an established presencs in the Yugoslav province, will distribute s ' : - - - 'A ' -. ...mK . I ' I W- experienced in the museum,"' Sinclear said. The new facility will add about 10,000 square feet There will be 100 parking stalls, plus 16 stalls for RVs. Additional parking is available avail-able from Dinosaur Inn for a low maintenance fee. RV parking will be on in a lot on First North. "Our professional fund raiser have told us to go to the big companies compa-nies first for the big bucks, and now we are opening the fund raising to the public," said Leonard Heeney, co-chairman of the fund raising committee. "It is sad that most of the community is unaware or our effects for far. We want to let people peo-ple know what is going on." quilts for shipment to Kosovo. them. Local organizers hope their efforts prevent at least some people from suffering in the cold. "When we started this project, we asked ourselves a question," said Louise Card. "How would it be to stand in line waiting for quilt and have the last quilt given to the person per-son in front of you? We tried to do all w e could." : -- - - - - c in the Jensen area. The bones are are being worked on in the lab. The museum averages about 130,000 visitors a year, nearly three times the number of visitors to any other museums in the state. There are about 5,000 students a year who visit the museum. The renovation w ill also be used to created a education educa-tion center with classrooms and an auditorium. Sinclear emphases that the renovation reno-vation and expansion must be done now. "We are the building boards top priority and if it is not done now, it will not happen for another 10 to 15 years. "Let's all support this project wholeheartedly and have a legacy for our children and grandchildren," he said. USU director for A former Vernal high school teacher is the new director of Utah State University's Uintah Basin Branch Campus. Guy Denton, most recently the director of USU's Southwest Branch campus in St George, was appointed to the position Sept 20 following a vote by the L'SU Board of Trustees. The Uintah Basin Branch Campus is USU's largest off-campus operation with centers in Vernal and Roosevelt He replaces Laird Hartman, now assistant dean in Continuing Education at USU, responsible for program development as well as department head for the Ogden region. "Guy was selected because of his proven administrative leadership." said Bob Gilliland, USU vice president presi-dent for Extension and Continuing Education. "We value the USU Uintah Basin Branch Campus as truly our flagship program at this time. It has grown well under Laird Hartman 's leadership and we have every confidence that it will reach new heights under Denton's direction." direc-tion." Denton brings to the position a broad base of experience in teaching teach-ing and Extension. Gilliland says. In addition to teaching high school in Vernal, Denton was an agricultural engineer in Somalia and an agricultural education specialist in Uganda. He was named USU Extension's Southwest Regional director in 1998. He received his doctorate in Agricultural Education and Extension from Ohio State University in 1992. The governor's office established I Zero tolerance for Nero Nero, the Uintah County K-9 deputy, struck again on Friday, Sept 17, with another of Nero's zero tolerance for drugs. Uintah County Deputy Kevin Orr stopped a vehicle for speeding. speed-ing. Upon approaching the vehicle. vehi-cle. Deputy Orr detected a very strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. He verified veri-fied that the driver had been drinking and had her exit the vehicle vehi-cle to perform field sobriety tests. At the conclusion of the tc;.u, the driver vkas arrested for DUI. Deputy Orr then began to speak to the passenger of the vehicle and was told that there was a pistol under the front seat of the passenger's passen-ger's side of the vehicle. The subject sub-ject was then arrested for possession posses-sion of a loaded concealed weapon. While doing the impounding of the vehicle. Deputy Orr located a marijuana pipe on the front seat There was a fresh odor of burnt marijuana in the bow 1 of the pipe. Shortly thereafter, Uintah County Sheriff Sgt Robert Roth and his drug dog. Nero, arrived to assist on the impound. Deputy Orr advised Sgt Roth of the marijuana pipe and Sgt Roth decided to have Nero perform a "sniff of the vehicle. Nero zeroed in on the passenger's side of the vehicle and specifically the molding at the base of the seat. Upon further inspection of that area, a baggy of marijuana was retrieved from under the molding. "The baggy contained 17 grams of marijuana and was so well hidden that it would have probably gone undetected unde-tected by our human deputies," stated Uintah County Sheriff Rick Hawkins. "However, thanks to tSe tolerance of NeaVs nose, this marijuana mar-ijuana w as located." Arrested and later booked into the Uintah County jail was Curt Shiner, 36 of Vernal, on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, evidence tampering, possession of a dangerous weapon by a drug user, possession of manjuanti and possession of drug paraphernalia. Also arrested for the DUI was Cindy Louise Huffaker. ?3 of Vernal. Branch named V :; 1 '3 Guy Denton named USU Uintah director. the Uintah Basin Continuing Education Center in 1967 and charged the university with providing provid-ing higher education classes through its Extension services. Uintah Basin Legislators Alva Snow and Daniel Dennis drafted the original legislation that turned this dream into a reality, Gilliland says. Convenient access to higher education edu-cation has been a major concern for Uintah Basin residents. Gilliland said. Only 25 percent of area high school graduates were going on to college as compared to 80 percent of high school graduates along the Wasatch Front The Uintah Basin Continuing Education Center started as a one room office and used classrooms from the local high school to teach evening classes. In 1994 the center became a branch campus. The Uintah Basin Branch Campus ha about 950 students enrolled for its 1999 fall semester. 5 Copy' |
