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Show Opinion and Commentary 2 Vernal Express Wednesday, October 18, 2000 JACK-STRAWS WE DIDN'T KNONN, byJackWallls THEY WAS w aim. M Deer season dangers It's the beginning of general deer season Saturday, both for the hunter and the motorist, warns AAA Utah. The Insurance Information Institute estimates there are 500,000 crashes each year just involving deer. Animal crashes represent more than 4 percent of all crashes and killed 1.11 people in 1995. "The most dangerous times of the day are early morning and early evening, the most active time for deer," said Rolayne Fairclough AAA Utah spokeswoman, spokes-woman, "and, the most dangerous time of year is in the mating season, in November and December. The danger time can be extended to other fall and winter months if the weather is particularly harsh making it necessary for the deer to move to lower elevations to find food." AAA Utah offers these suggestions to help you avoid hitting a deer: - Pay attention to animal crossing signs. They are probably there because other motorists have had crashes in that area. - Obey the speed limit. - Keep a close watch for deer around dusk and at dawn. - Don't over-drive your headlights at night. This means to control your speed so that you will have time to react to something when it appears in your headlights. - If you see a deer in the road, honk your horn rather than flashing your headlights. Flashing your lights may cause the animal to further fixate on your vehi cle. - If you think you are going to hit the animal, it is often better to brake than to swerve. Swerving can confuse the animal and possibly result in a worse collision col-lision with a fixed object such as a tree or an oncoming oncom-ing vehicle. Hunting safety rules include: Wear the required hunter orange clothing. No shells in the chamber inside vehicles. Be sure what you are shooting at Don't trespass on private or posted land. Don't shoot from highways or near or at buildings. build-ings. With the popularity of cell phones and walkie talkie's it is very easy to keep tract of a hunting companion com-panion and also report any illegal hunting activities. During the opening of the elk hunt officials were busy checking on cell phone calls concerning poachers. poach-ers. The hunter poacher number is 1-800-662-3337. A recording will answer. After waiting and then pressing 1 your call will be forwarded to a wildlife officer who will need to know all the information you can give him. All indications look like the weather will be excellent excel-lent for the opening day. Have a safe and successful hunt. PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What is your opinion? The Express welcomes letters let-ters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent perti-nent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions as to contents, if not libelous or vindictive and of reasonable length (two typewritten double spaced pages). Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writer's full name, signature, signa-ture, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed, faxed at 789-8690 or through e-mail at editorvemal.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. let-ters. All letters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily nec-essarily the opinion of the Express Editor. excesses and abuses inherent in the current forfeiture law. I urge area voters to consider voting "Yes" on Initiative B. A good discussion of the initiative, pro and con, is contained in the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet WESLEY BADEN Attorney at Law Vernal Flowers Dear Editor, Who do I thank for the beautiful flower pots around town that made the streets look so festive all summer? The mostly yellow flowers are my favorite color and make driving the streets of Vernal a joy to travel. A big thank you to the people responsible for keeping them watered and looking so bright and sunny. I am looking forward to seeing them again next summer. sum-mer. CRYSTAL DICK ...... Vernal "" More attention to "B" Initiative B Dear Editor, Initiative B, the Utah Property Protection Act, deserves more attention than it received in last week's uncritical, highly biased, and factually incorrect article and editorial. Surely Cari Park, a fine man, was misquoted or his comments were taken out of context. I represented the ex-wife of the convicted drug dealer, a man, incidentally, incidental-ly, who once was good but turned his life over to drugs, neglected his responsibilities, and became a deadbeat dad. My client had obtained a court judgment against him for unpaid child support, acting as a lien on real property that he owned. When police seized the property proper-ty under the Utah forfeiture law, but refused to allow execution of the judgment against it, my client had no choice but to hire me at her own expense and initiate legal action. Innocent people sometimes are hurt by the operation of the forfeiture law as it exists at present. A woman attempting to collect back child support almost was huit in this one case. Bottom line, Initiative B is about money, specifically who will share the $1.5 million from sale of forfeited property each year. The question is: Will only law enforcement receive the money, as now. or will part of it go back to innocent property owners and others with legitimate claims? It is difficult not to be cynical about this money-driven issue. Local governments have had a spigot of free-flowing money available for law enforcement. enforce-ment. This has enabled them to avoid confronting the very real problem of under funded police agencies and underpaid police officers. In most of Utah, certainly here, police are not paid what they deserve and what they genuinely need to support themselves and their families. Two proponents of Initiative B are Pete Kutualus, former for-mer Salt Lake County commissioner and sheriff, and Nick Morgan, former Salt Lake County deputy sheriff. Neither is soft on crime or part of some imagined plot to weaken existing drug laws. Rather, their support of the initiative is based on first hand experience with the f- VERNAL Express (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday for $19.00 per year in shopping area and $30 per year out of shopping area within state and $33 per year out of state within USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal. Utah 84078. Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS. P.O. Box 1000, Vernal Utah 64078. Jack R. Wallis Publisher Steven R. Wallis Editor and co-publisher Carol Jewart Lifestyle Writer VicW Feldt .. Public Notices Tara Maylett Advertising Marie Yoder Advertising Jocty Smuin Circulation & Classified Ads Phone: 435-789-3511 FAX: 435-789-8690 Website: www.vemal.com e-mail: editorOvemai.com DEADLINES News ...... - - Monday 12 noon Display Advertising . Monday 5 p m. Classified Advertising Monday 5 p.m. Public Notices ..- Monday 3 p.m. Dear Editor, Your article addressing Initiative "B" of which we will be voting on this Nov. 7, one might conclude after reading the initiative, it really is about money. I am a member of the Utah Sheriff's Association but totally disagree with them on this one. They say in the published info sheet that if you vote yes on this Initiative "B" you support drugs and lawyers which is absurd. The U.S. House of Representatives has seen the light and made some changes when it comes to seizing property, H.R. 1658. 1 say that due to some, it will not stand the test of the highest court. This is one of those "do not take my son take his" issues." This flies in the face of our fifth amendment, government seizes your property then you have to prove your innocence. You will serve mankind and our Constitution by voting vot-ing "yes." CHARLES GRAY Vernal Don't blame them Dear Editor, I for one would like to know w ho wrote the article in the Vernal Express Oct. 11, 2000 Initiative "B" is amuck in loopholes. I don't blame them for not signing their name to something so completely false and ridiculous. ridicu-lous. This article points out that this initiative is financed by some out-of-state big money group that is for legislation legis-lation of drugs. Anyone with any logic realizes that there is no money in legal drugs; only in illegal substances. sub-stances. Let's face it the only reason anybody fights for or against any legislation is for money no other reason. Why do you think all the cops and lawyers are working so hard to defeat this bill? It's sad to realize, but the taxpayers are taking an awful beating because drugs are not decriminalized same as alcohol. We are paying for such organizations as the DEA and the Border Patrol on one end, and on the other we are building Justice Centers and prisons. Figure it out both ends are about as successful as trying try-ing to bail out the ocean with a tablespoon. GARY (Red) Hatch Vernal Editor's Note: The article in question was written by Steven R. Wallis. Editor of this newspaper, who stands behind his comments, muck or no muck Any responsible responsi-ble comments concerning the Initiative B or other opinions opin-ions on the editorial page are welcome. Initiative B Dear Editor, Re: Vernal Express Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000, "Initiative 'B is amuck irl loopholes." Really? If one will read the Utah Voter Information Pamphlet, page 49 and 50, one may get a better understanding of what Initiative B is trying to accomplish. I see no problem prob-lem with regulations that require state government and local entities to be required to show where monies col-. col-. lected are going. I see no problem in accountability and responsibility from agencies that grab personal assets, and then return them in less condition than they were when seized. What is wrong with any government agency, state or federal, being required to be account- II u am (Till ii.si r s m. ri , f K. i v&WATff .M .xTifc., Ti I V J.t 1. . . i.2 2auk&.J ill ii I ii.. i i .iiuii.i I mil mn in i u.nii. iii.iiiniini.i-n.iiiiiui.il i .1 i. wiiiim II, ? ... - , ... .j, , ...... ., ; f --'"S. "nit ; J--"v ,-" jir Uintah School District Principals are Ed Johnson, Leonard Sullivan, Lee Gagon, JoAnn Cowan, John Greene, Dennis Atkin, Wayne Gumey, Robert Stearmer, and Lyle Southam. Missing are Dixie Allen, Kathy Hawkins and Kent Bunderson. Cannon to Principals to be - hold forum honored during week Congressman Chris Cannon will be hold an open forum for Uintah Basin residents, Monday, Oct. 23 at 2:30 p.m. at Western Park. During the forum Cannon will meet fact-to-face with his constituents. con-stituents. During the forum, he will address a number of issues, and will direct some of his remarks to the oil drilling industry. Cannon serves on the House Natural Resources committee. Cannon is being challenged by Donald Dunn for Utah's Third Congressional District. Dunn's campaign has brought in over $306,000 to date, has no debt, and begins airing television ads today. The Utah Association of Secondary School Principals (UASSP) announces that the week of Oct 16-20 is being designated as "Principals' Week" in a proclamation proclama-tion to be signed by Gov. Michael Leavitt,OcL 11. "We would encourage you to take this opportune time to recognize the Principals and Assistant Principals in your district," said Carl Boyinton, executive director. UASSP. "This is a critical time in educa tion, with assessment and accountability account-ability being mandated by the Legislature and general public." he said "The local administrators in schools are going to be under a microscope and have a great deal of pressure applied to insure success for all students and for the school as whole." able and responsible? Voters, read and be an informed voter. Not one who is prejudice, uninformed, and votes the way grandpa did, and for the same people grandpa did. Re: (same newspaper) "Ice rink edges closer to reality" reali-ty" I guess that the burning question I have is, "Who is to make up the difference in money, between what monies are available, and the projected costs? Also, what percentage per-centage of local residents of this area will be benefitted by this rink? Will this rink be open to the public, so anyone can skate anytime there is not a game, or other activity? Will there be cover charges, instructors, someone some-one in charge from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. to supervise? i From the article, by their own projections, (Uintah Ice Age Foundation) estimated revenues will be $1870 and cost will be $50 to $60,000 to start operations and $850 a week to operate. The net profit will only pay for 15 and a half days of operation, maybe. We must have a lot of rich taxpayers here in this area, as it appears that money seems to be of no object w hen it comes to some of these projects. Ice rinks, that have no way of showing a return, wild horse roundups on BLM land, court cases suing the feds, that cost thousands. thou-sands. If we have all this surplus money, let's give all the property owners a $100 check for Christmas, and all other families a fat turkey. That won't work? Some people peo-ple don't like turkeys. Ah Shucks. CARLW. MERTZ Vernal Night life Dear Editor, I have been a citizen of Vernal for over 1 1 years now. I love living in Vernal. My kids have a great place to grow up. My problem is THE LACK OF ANYTHING TO DO outside of the normal, you know, fishing, hiking, hik-ing, skiing, and camping. I know a lot of kids that bike and skateboard in this town, and a lot of older kids that like to dance without having to go to a bar where the main goal is to get drunk. Now that we have the Super Wal-Mart, is there anyway we could get a skateboard park and a REAL nightclub with a real DJ? Country music is wonderful, but not EVERYONE likes it. I w as so excited when one of the radio stations recently changed their format to top 40, that I have been jumping up and down every since. . I personally have gone to the local bars weekend after weekend with the hope that this weekend will be different differ-ent and someone will have a real DJ with music that I am able to dance to instead of this karaoke crap that only Vernal seems to like. Every weekend I end up wanting to get drunk because I am depressed that there is nowhere to have. fun. Being single in this town is very hard for me because I want to go out dancing and not have to hang out at the bar where people get drunk and end up taking home the cutest of who's left in the bar at closing. I have been to some of the biggest night clubs around, and people go there because they like to dance and meet people. The nice dance clubs rarely have trouble with fights and people getting out of hand because people don't go with the intent of getting drunk. I get tired of saying "let's go to dinner and a movie" because there is no other night life. I mean how long can going to dinner and a movie be exciting weekend after weekend? I know that the older kids in Vernal have drinking parties par-ties in and out of town, use drugs, and have sex at a very young age because there is nothing else to do on the weekend. I came from the suburb of a big city that had indoor ice skating, game rooms, big movie theaters, and other things that were open after 9 p.m. Like it or not, our kids are out past 9 on the weekends. They gather gath-er in places like "the lot", which is just a parking lot that they hang out in to mingle. It breaks my heart weekend after weekend when my 16 year old is home because he doesn't drink or do drugs and the only thing for him to do is drag Main with a friend. . , I really believe when the skating rink closed it's doors, the future of our town and our kids went down from there. Wake up Vernal, it's time to move into the present. We need something to do outside of family life. If anyone has any ideas on how to improve the nightlife in this town, please let me know. I am willing to work hard to change it. MARTHA PARKER Vernal |