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Show Wednesday, February 22, 2006 ; SAFETY Iff-i- : . i s svu imalxom ' Single Copy 50t Vernal, Utah 84078 114th Year No. 7 ft - Winter hits Pelican kg'V' Lake Fishing. J See BIO r 4 Aev Wad 1 Thu : 2122 2123 '' ' . - i. $ his 3814 4218 WEATHER Hfc ASPEN BROOK REALTY, INC. See All Ch&IMe odd anr IT6(0)Iilll)ln)dld By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Uintah County and Vernal City officials are recommending recommend-ing a change in the provider of Essential Air Service to Vernal. The two-year contract with Salmon Air to provide Vernal Air Service will expire Feb. 28 and three companies submitted proposals to continue the service: ser-vice: Salmon Air, Great Lakes Aviation, Ltd., and Mesa Air Group, Inc. To secure and Essential Air Contract two years ago, county and city officials waived the federal requirement of a 15-pas-senger, pressurized aircraft. This year officials were not willing to waive the equipment equip-ment requirement, and unanimously unani-mously voted Friday to recommend recom-mend to the U.S. Department of Transportation to award the contact to Mesa Air. "Salmon Air had three strikes against it," said Bill Johnson, Uintah County and Vernal City economic development advisor. Because of their small planes, only one bag was allowed per passenger. There was no code sharing shar-ing with other airlines, which required passengers to go back through security once they were in Salt Lake City. Booking of flights through major Internet sites like expe-dia.com expe-dia.com didn't exist. Mesa Air submitted three options for Vernal Essential Air Service all using 19-passen-ger Beechcraft 1900DF aircraft. The service would provide two nonstop round trips between Vernal and Salt Lake City each weekday and weekend, for an annual subsidy rate of $562,720. A proposal submitted by Great Lakes using the same aircraft as Mesa, did not meet the subsidy requirement of Essential Air Service, so it would not be selected. Salmon Air withdrew one of its options to provide Vernal service using a 9-passenger, single-engine, pressurize cabin turbine power Pilatus PC-12. "From the time of the proposal to last week the lease has been up for the Pilatus aircraft that we won't be able to provide the aircraft until later in the year," said Tom Wilkins, director of operations for Salmon Air. "Salmon Air has been fantastic fantas-tic to work with," said Johnson, "They did a lot of advertising and worked with the community." commu-nity." "It is only because of the equipment that we are choosing choos-ing to go with Mesa Air," said Commissioner Mike McKee. Mesa Airline's proposal for Vernal Essential Air Service has an average fare of about $80 to Salt Lake City. The city and county's decision deci-sion on Essential Air Service will be submitted by Feb. 24, after which DOT will make a decision. The contract with Salmon Air has been extended until another contract is in place. Transition to a new carrier car-rier could take 30 to 60 days. Essential Air Service is a federal fed-eral subsidy to provide a link to national air services to small communities. Internet threats suspend student An 8th grade student at Vernal Junior High was detained Wednesday for making mak-ing threats on an Internet chat room to bring a gun to school. Principal Kent Bunderson, said that the student did not bring a gun to school, nor did he have access to a gun, but because of the serious nature of the threats, the student was taken into custody involving Vernal City Police. Bunderson said a student who was involved in the chat room notified the Uintah County Sheriffs Department Tuesday night that some threats had been made and identified the suspect as a male student at Vernal Junior High. The Sheriffs Department notified the school's principal. "We were able to round up the student suspected of making the threats before school started start-ed Wednesday," Bunderson said. Luckily the student who reported the incident kept a printed copy of the chat room messages," Bunderson said. Other students who were threatened were interviewed by police, but no other student stu-dent was suspected of being involved in making the threats. Deputy Vance Norton met with those involved and determined that a general threat was made. The parents of the student were notified, and they took him to the Juvenile Detention Center for his own protection. He was suspended from school. The student didn't know that he was chatting with the student who reported him, rather he thought he was chatting chat-ting with a friend, but still the threats concerned authorities. An hour or two after school started, Bunderson said he notified noti-fied the student body about the incident and assured students See Threat on A10 m A .-.sew Sf irt. i t,7 . fit' -1 r "S -Jv - f T, mux Ti 4. iJfP. " O Kyle Allred, junior at Uintah High School, holds petition he circulation at the school against the change to a semester school year. Student seeking to keep semester system placed on board agenda after suspension By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Kyle Allred, a junior at Uintah High School, is taking a stand against a change to the semester schedule for the coming school year. His persistence in getting the word to other students about the change got him suspended for a half day, a day in Saturday School and an audience with the Uintah School Board. "He was suspended for disrupting dis-rupting the educational environment envi-ronment of the school day, insubordination and misuse of school supplies and copier," said Principal Robert Stearmer about the incident. "This is not a freedom of speech issue." "I did my time and attended Saturday School," Allred told members of the Uintah School Board. Allred said he used his advisory advi-sory class, a 20 minute period between first and second period, Wednesday, Feb. 8, to distribute distrib-ute a flier about the change to a semester school year starting start-ing next year. The change was approved by the school board last December. At first Kyle distributed a petition against the change, but was informed that he shouldn't circulate the petitions at school. He later copied about a thousand thou-sand fliers and distributed them to students during the advisory period. In the flyer Allred stated that the School Board decided to initiate a 7-period day semester schedule "without the voice of students and parents." Allred said that task force study showed that of 32 teachers surveyed at Uintah High School, only three said they supported the change to the semester system. 'I have taught under both sys tems and the trimester system is heaven," said Ed Browning, history teacher at Uintah High School. "Teachers have more time to prepare and there is more time in classes." When it was discovered that the fliers were being distributed, distrib-uted, an announcement was made on the intercom system at the school that an unauthorized flier was being distributed and that teachers should confiscate them. Allred was suspended at 12:20 p.m. "Most of the students who are aware of the change, want to keep the trimester system," Allred said. Allred said that students' elec-tives elec-tives and college classes would be affected by the change. "Forty-four college classes are offered and 27 EDNET classes would be cut which would affect 675 students," Allred said. Allred also said that the semester system would only give students 45 minutes in the classroom, "which is not enough time for classes like auto mechanics or shop, and it wouldn't give students time to complete homework. "Some say that homework is for home, but if the students have problems at home, it is hard to get help," Allred said. Allred was allowed to speak to the school board about their public input. "I admire you for coming here today and speaking with us," said Tod Tesar, Uintah School Board president. "It took a lot of guts." Allred will be allowed to speak to the school board about the change during a work session, April 28. An 18-member task formed last May made a recommendation recommenda-tion to the School Board. The finding stated, "After consider able time and research, it has become evident that there is 'no clear advantage of one schedule over any other. Overall, results showed no difference on all comparisons between students' performance on a traditional schedule or a block schedule. Student achievement may not depend so much on the school schedule as it does on what is accomplished in the classrooms between students and the teacher, teach-er, regardless of how the school day is partitioned." The recommendation of the committee was that Uintah High School and Vernal Junior High, because of their unique 9-12 9-12 grade configuration, consider moving to a form of the semester semes-ter program in the future. "I was in support of the semester semes-ter program before being asked to be on the committee," said Marilyn Jolley. "I like the continuity con-tinuity of the semester program where there are no breaks in subjects like math, English or even seminary." "We are willing to listen to Kyle," Tesar said after the meeting. meet-ing. "But I cannot promise the board will make any changes." Other reasons for going back to the semesters schedule similar simi-lar to the school years before the change to the trimester schedule ten years ago are: Since core classes would be taught on a year-long basis, State Core Testing would be better bet-ter correlated with classroom instruction and completion of the core class. But if students fail one of the classes, they have to wait until the next year, to make it up. Since many classes would be core classes taught all year and all classes would go for a least one-half the year, there would be less lost time in scheduling changes and testing off sched ule. Teachers would have longer relationships with students Teachers would typically have the " students for 180 day for core classes versus the 60 or 120 days now available. Band and choir classes could be considered as core classes and students could easily take them for a full year. Students transferring from other schools within and with out the state could more eas ily transfer into the Uintah District. The change to semesters would not greatly affect elemen tary or middle schools, as they use the trimester system only for grade reporting. Both mid die schools are now on a modi fied semester program, offering 5-7 periods per day. Elementary schools have home rooms and typically build their programs around a full day, full year schedule. "It should also be noted that research indicates that any scheduling program is more effective if it is supported by the staff and teachers of the school,' states the findings of the com mittee. "Thus it is the recom mendation that Uintah High School and Vernal Junior High develop the schedule that best meets the needs of the students. "It was my recommendation to the board to stay with the tri mester system," said Principal Stearmer. "But that is all water under the bridge. The board has chosen to go with the semes ter program and I support the advantages of the semester pro gram and will make the system happen at the high school." County's concerns ignored in Flaming Gorge EIS approval By Steven R. Wallis Express Editor Reclamation's Upper Colorado Regional Director Rick Gold announced today that he has signed a Record of Decision (ROD) approving approv-ing the implementation of the Action Alternative analyzed ana-lyzed in the Final Operation of Flaming Gorge Dam Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Published in November 2005, the final EIS analyzed flow recommendations and strategies strate-gies that are intended to assist in the recovery of populations and protect designated critical criti-cal habitat of four endangered fish species in the Green and Colorado River Basins, while maintaining all authorized purposes of the Flaming Gorge Dam particularly those related to the development of water resources in accordance accor-dance with the Colorado River Compact. "It a disappointing decision," deci-sion," said Uintah County Commissioner Mike McKee. "It is unfortunate the Bureau didn't give the county more consideration. Uintah County Commissioners had asked for a delay in the Decision of Order because they felt the EIS didn't address human health in relation of disease spread by mosquitoes. "I am of the personal opinion opin-ion that the Uintah Mosquito Abatement District's long, urgent and scientifically valid commentary addressing the threat of Green River mosquitoes mosqui-toes was summarily ignored because legitimate concerns for Uintah Country's public health were incompatible with the predetermined agenda set by the Recovery Program for Endangered Fish Species," said Dr. Steven Romney, Uintah County Mosquito Abatement "I believe the State of Utah was sympathetic to our concerns, con-cerns, but they had already signed a statement is support of the EIS," McKee said. "Legal action is a possibility, but we need to be realistic in evaluating if it would benefit the county," McKee said. Of particular concern to the county, is that the EIS recommends recom-mends during wet years, the flood be sustained for longer periods and at high levels. Last Thursday's signing of the ROD document culminates more than 10 years of work by Reclamation and eight cooperating cooper-ating federal and state agencies. On Nov. 15, 2005, Reclamation filed the Operation of the Flaming Gorge Dam Final EIS with the Environmental Protection Agency and made the document available to the public. The final ROD address es an assortment of issues and concerns that were raised by the public and the cooperating agencies in their review of the final EIS. Along with Reclamation, cooperating agencies to the EIS process included Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Western Area Power Administration (Western); the USDA Forest Service; the State of Utah; and, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). In September 2000, the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (Recovery Program) published the final report, Flow and Temperature Recommendations for Endangered Fishes in the Green River Downstream of Flaming Gorge Dam. These recommendations called for a long-term pattern of releases from Flaming Gorge Dam that approximate a natural pattern of river flow and water temperature. tem-perature. These recommendations recommenda-tions formed the basis of the Action Alternative that will be implemented in accordance with the Record of Decision. See Reltasts on Aid Kemea stones Dr. Romney's full comments on A2 Water Conference discussion on A12 |