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Show Single Copy 50t Vernal, Utah 84078 114th Year No. 4 Wednesday, January 25, 2006 www.vernal.com WEIGHT LOSS Several options are available. See B1 HOCKEY PeeWees get it done -J Oil WEATHER BY ASPEN BROOK See B9 REALTY, INC. See A3 M X J ,W 1 Tiv Wad Thu 125 126 3615 3614 Snow showers at Mixofsunand Oil L Si I :ifc. if) - jfv Mh Dorothy Luck gives the thumbs up sign indicating she is back to normal after surviving West Nile Virus. 'Tough Luck' survives bout with West Nile Virus By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Dorothy Luck of Lapoint considers con-siders herself lucky to be alive after a bout with West Nile Virus last September. After Luck, who is 80 year old, was hospitalized, the doctor doc-tor told the family they should come together to decide what to do in case she passed on. "I was amazed to wake up in the hospital and see my family fam-ily there from as far away as California," Luck said. "My first question was 'What are all of you doing here?'" Luck said. Luck said she spent three days in the Intensive Care Unit after spending the night at a friend's house. Luck's daughter called the friend, worried about her mother. "Sometime during the night I was totally out of it," Luck remembers. "I wanted to ask, 'Where are we going?' but the words wouldn't come out." Luck had some of the typical typi-cal symptoms of someone affected by West Nile Virus such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin ash on the chest, stomach and back. About Construction begins on Special to the Vernal Express "Now this very well could be the fastest dirt track in Utah!" That was the cheerful assessment assess-ment of Allen Hacking, president presi-dent of The Diamond Mountain Speedway Association, as he unveiled a design he was proposing pro-posing for the speedway. Hacking was speaking in an early January meeting of the Diamond Mountain Speedway Committee as they discussed the progress of the land deal between Uintah County and the BLM for the Buckskin Hills Motor Sports Park. Hacking showed a plan for a large oval track measuring a quarter mile on the inside lane, with very short straight a ways and broad sweeping turns, featuring featur-ing 100 foot wide lanes. "This track will feature a slight slope (6 to 8 degrees banking) and because of the wide lanes, it should make for great, fast races," Hacking said. He said the track is based on designs which are best suited to Late Model and Modified dirt track racing. - The committee approved the ; design and began working on one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. ill-ness. "I had a fever and it felt like Roman candles were going off in my head," Luck said. About a week after being in the hospital, it was confirmed that Luck had WNV and it had developed into viral meningitis. Luck attributes her spiritual spiri-tual beliefs, faith, family and friends for getting through the ordeal. After a week in the hospital, Luck was allowed to go home if she went home with her daughter, daugh-ter, who lives in Tremonton, Utah. She was there for over two months, and while she was gone, her sons and grandson grand-son began tearing down her Lapoint home and building her a new home. "No sooner was I out of the house they began tearing it down," Luck said with a smile. Luck is living back in Lapoint and has resumed most of her normal activities in the community. com-munity. "I want people to know that they came make it through something like this, and by all means take precautions," she said. "I am a survivor and people peo-ple are saying I am tough luck." a possible race schedule, rules and codes of conduct for participants par-ticipants as well as food concessions conces-sions and ticket prices. They also continued developing a list of individuals and companies compa-nies who have agreed to help in the construction and funding fund-ing of the Speedway track and facilities. The Diamond Mountain Speedway is one of the major components in the recently approved Buckskin Hills Recreation Complex. The Buckskin Hills will be developed devel-oped by Uintah County, assisted assist-ed by the individual venues and their assorted members to become a large multi-faceted motor sports park. It is located east of Vernal on ground which is north of the Brush Creek Road and south of the Diamond Mountain Road. It will eventually even-tually be home to Motocross, Stock Car, Drag Racing, as well as an ATV Free Ride Area, and an Ultralight Flight Park. Because of the size of the land area which Uintah County Commissioners are obtaining flrom the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the site has the TriCounty Health Director Joseph Shaffer, said that human cases of West Nile virus increased last year. In Uintah County there were 13 cases and in Duchesne County there were eight cases. There was one death of a Uintah County man due to complications from West Nile virus, Shirley Dale Cook, 72, who died Sept. 3. "We are expecting a similar experience next year," Shaffer said. The main route of human infection with West Nile virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds, which may circulate the virus in their blood for a few days. The virus eventually gets into the mosquito's mos-quito's salivary glands. During later blood meals (when mosquitoes mos-quitoes bite), the virus may be injected into humans and animals, ani-mals, where it can multiply and possibly cause illness. People can prevent infection by taking precautions: using mosquito repellents that contain con-tain DEET, wear long-sleeve shirts and long pants while outdoors out-doors and getting rid of standing stand-ing water where mosquitoes may live. Buckskin potential for development of many other recreational wheeled or motored sports. Growing from a concept which was discussed by the Uintah County Commissioners to where the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the County have partnered in granting the land, has been a time consuming process. Shooting enthusiasts, with the help of the County Commissioners had started planning for a new larger shooting shoot-ing range north of the Diamond Mountain Road on land the County Commissioners hoped to acquire from the BLM. Bill Stringer, the Field Office Manager of the Vernal District Office of the Bureau of Land Management saw an opportunity opportu-nity to use the resources of the Federal Government (land) to promote improved recreational recreation-al opportunities in the Vernal area. A partnership was discussed where the land would be transferred trans-ferred to the county for the specific use intended. Just as the shooters were being promised prom-ised enthusiastic financial sup Local legislators focus concerns on Vernal facility By April Collett Express Writer Currently, local and state representatives rep-resentatives are attending the 2006 Legislative session, and are meeting in Salt Lake City at the Capitol building. Local legislative representatives represen-tatives are Senator Beverly Evans, Representative John G. Mathis and Representative Gordon Snow. In a short interview, Sen. Evans said that she felt the most important goals this session ses-sion are to ensure the planning and support of the USUUBATC building and the proposed tax reform. The USUUBATC building build-ing will be presented to the Building Board next Monday. Local leaders are hoping for up to $10 million from the legislature legisla-ture to build the facility which will be located east of Uintah District proposes $21 million in road projects this year This year the Uintah Special Service District will embark on one of its most ambitious work schedules ever. "New projects this year total $21 million," said Sherry McCurdy, Uintah Special Service District manager: -"We will be incredibly busy this year," she told commissioners Monday. The district proposes to complete com-plete 16 new projects which include 117 miles of chip seal and three projects from last year. The 2006 projects include: 1500 West-Vernal City Limit North to 2500 North 500 West -500 to 675 North reconstruction. Stanton Road Grading and double chip seal project. Ballard 1500 East (Hwy 40 to 200 N.) and 200 South (1500 to Lib, s.Vi' V ill i Rocky Cook of Craig's Roustabouts Speedway track. Hills track port from The National Rifle Assoc. along came a group representing Motocross and Stock Car Racing requesting a similar arrangement for their sports. The Uintah County Commissioners embraced this project just as willingly. Under the careful collaboration collabora-tion of Heather Hoyt, a Grant Specialist for Uintah County, and representatives of the BLM, the Buckskin Hills Recreation Complex - Shooting Range was submitted through all the Federal processes. The process was then duplicated for approximately approx-imately 1100 acres on the south side of the Diamond Mountain Road for the Motor Sports Park. The final appeals process time frame has just closed. While there is still a small amount of paperwork to be finished, at this time the BLM has approved the ground preparation prep-aration work for the Stock Car Track. Thanks to generous donations dona-tions of manpower and equipment equip-ment by Monte Morris of M and M Roustabouts, Allen Hacking of A and D Hacking Ditching and Craig Obermueller of k. 'Jsvfr High School. Sen. Evans is sponsoring the natural resource bills and the education bill, which she said were her "number one priority." prior-ity." Rep. Mathis commented that he felt every issue this year is important, but he feels the major issues are what to do with the excess projected revenues, rev-enues, funding of the USU UBATC building and a bill to rewrite the veterinary medical act. When asked about what he thinks will happen with the USUUBATC building, Mathis said that he is very optimistic about the building coming to Vernal and thinks it will probably prob-ably happen. Sen. Evans, Rep. Snow and Rep. Mathis have been working on bringing the new USUUBATC building to Vernal. Mathis also has concern for 200 E) resurfacing project. Westside 3500 East (2000 to 4000 N.) reconstruction. Lapoint 9750 East (700 to 1000 No.) project. Naples Industrial Park reconstruction. Bridge replacement "over " the Duchesne River. Fidlar Road project-design engineering only. Pariette Dugway - design engineering only. Mtn. Fuel Loop construction. construc-tion. 500 N 1550 E Bridge - design and pursuit of funding. Bridge 4.5 miles south of Ft. Duchesne. Bridge 2.5 miles southeast of Roosevelt. Steinaker Canal Bridge Project (six bridges). Willow Creek Bridge and an IMCA Modified driverowner r Iff IT:, ; SHOOTING RANGE A JOINT PROJECT BETWEEN BLM A4ID UINTAH COUNTY a f 4 Sign on the Diamond Mountain Road Craig's Roustabouts there is dirt being moved already. A lot more help from supporters support-ers and fans is being sought. Those interested in donating donat-ing money, time, materials or equipment time can call Allen Hacking at 790-1098. With the track plans approved, a race schedule proposed and rules for the car classes, it's the passing of the cruelty to animals bill. The bill will offer protection for zoos, animals used in agriculture, and wildlife. wild-life. This bill is to protect animals ani-mals from torture not to stop people from normal agricultural agricultur-al activities (such as branding cattle) or to limit normal veterinary veteri-nary activities. Evans also said that she would like people to contact her with any wants or input that they or the public might have before this year's legislative session is over. Mathis also said that he "really "real-ly appreciates all the input that people have given." There has been a surprising amount of input for this year's legislative session. The legislative session will continue until March 1. Rep. Snow was unavailable for comment. Project (four bridges). 2500 West Hwy. 121 to Hwy. 40- pending approval of funding. fund-ing. Carry over projects from 2005 includes 1500 West from 700 to 2500 South, 3500 West from 500 " South to 5xrNbrthand chipseal of approximately 12 miles. About $6 million of the 2006 projects will be paid from outside out-side sources, while the district will finance the rest with mineral min-eral lease money. Monday the Special Service District turned back to Uintah County the Gusher-Lapoint highway which is 7.5 miles from U.S. Highway 40 to Lapoint; the Dry Fork road from 3000 North to the Merkley Park road and two roads recently completed in Ballard at a cost of $314,120. 1 t moves dirt at the Diamond Mountain marks the Motor Sports Park. time to invite all who might be interested to attend a meeting at the Golden Age Center in Vernal Monday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m The rules of the Speedway and the separate car classes will be handed out Those interested in joining can pay the membership enrollment and also buy the car numbers at that time. |