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Show .day, JanualOJ Transportation SSD approves road projects for 2007 By Elizabeth Goode Express Writer The Uintah Transportation Special Service District (TSSD) board has approved the following follow-ing projects for the year 2007. Glen Bench Road Overlay -14.5 miles, estimated at $7 million mil-lion dollars; Glen Bench Road is scheduled to be brought up to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards to accommodate the 1500 vehicles vehi-cles a day that travel the road at the posted speed of 45 miles per hour. Over 80 percent of the road has clear zone width sufficient suf-ficient to convert the road from the current width of an average 23 feet to the standard of 43 feet. Main Street Extension 2000 West Project for 1.5 miles is estimated to be $5 million. The project will connect the new Vernal USUUBATC Building to Highway 40. Main Street is anticipated to go straight through to 2500 west. The 2000 West alignment selected will tie 500 North (Maeser Highway) to US 40 through Canal Road (1750 West) . The Alternate Truck Route Study to determine need will be completed in June 2007. The second phase will occur if Phase I identifies the need for an alternate route. Mountain Fuel Loop Road, Phase 2 will begin mid-February. mid-February. Final inspection of Phase 1 was completed and it was returned to the county for maintenance. Estimated cost for Phase 2 is $3.2 million, and was awarded to Nile Chapman Construction and will be completed com-pleted during the 2007 construction construc-tion season. This road will also Special school board meeting to be tonight By Elizabeth Goode Express Writer In a three to two vote last night, the Uintah School District Board of Education voted to hold a special business meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 10, beginning at 8:45 p.m. This allows for 24-hour public notice by its posting on the Uintah School District Office door. The agenda for the meeting is as follows: fol-lows: Patron Input Proposed Request for Vernal Jr. High School Travel Proposed Approval of Revision to Policy 006.0500 Grading Policy Proposed Approval of Revision to Policy 007.0605 Eligibility for Participation in Extracurricular Activities The proposed request for Vernal Junior High School Travel involves a request by Ed Johnson, Middle School Principal and Junior High Wrestling Coach. He asked for special consideration to allow the Junior High Wrestling Team to attend the State Wrestling Tournament in Richfield on Jan. 26 and 27. Current policy does not allow students in 7th and 8th grades to miss a day of school for extracurricular activities, Airport Continued from A1 er issue according to McKee relates to operational responsibility. respon-sibility. He recommended that "the county take responsibility for the emergency shelter and the city take responsibility for the victim advocacy shelter." With regard to the emergency shelter, he said that the county officially took over operations on Wednesday, Jan. 4th. It will be open to the public on Feb. 1st. Some discussion of staffing staff-ing ensued regarding whether full or part-time positions were funded adequately. Mashburn and Cowan brought up the city's role in paying roughly $30,000 for staffing staff-ing at the Victim Advocate's shelter. Both shelters are grant-driven grant-driven programs. Eventually, McKee noted that these operations opera-tions could pay for themselves solely on grant support. "I know it is our goal and hope," he said "that the programs be as self-sufficient as possible." Cowan recommended that the city review the proposed 2007 shelter budget with the county's grant writer before designing the city's format Mashburn asked the council coun-cil to pick-up funding for the Victim's Advocate shelter. The motion carried and Vernal City became responsible for the be a graveled surface, as was Phase I. Fidlar Phase 2 and 3, for an estimated cost of $2.5 million: mil-lion: Work on this project will continue, weather permitting, through the winter months. Construction is by Brown Brothers Construction, and will be a graveled surface. Naples Industrial Park, being constructed by Burdick Paving, Inc. was started in 2006. Work will resume in the spring with an anticipated completion date of mid-April 2007. 3500 East, 2000 to 4000 North in Ballard area. Work has not started on this project. Wetland issues are still being addressed. Burdick may do some work in the Montez Creek area soon. Steinaker Canal Bridges, includes six bridge replacements, replace-ments, for a cost of $2.3 million. mil-lion. This project is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2007. The county's portion of 1000 South from 1500 West to Highway 40 will also be widened wid-ened and paved. Bridge 1550 East 500 North. Environmental clearance is in progress. 1500 South Storm Water Project: Work is progressing on this storm water drainage project under A&D Ditching, Installation of the storm drain piping will soon be finished with asphalt patching to be completed in the spring. 1000 South; Highway 40 to 2500 West and 2000 West; 1000 South to Highway 40: estimated estimat-ed at $1.5 million. This project was accepted by the UTSSD board on January 3, 2007. The project, a major reconstruction, is scheduled for work during the 2007 season. unless authorized by the Board of Education. As the tournament tourna-ment starts at 6 p.m., Friday needs to be a travel day. The grading policy refers to that commonly known as "the No-D policy," which changed the grading system to A, B, C and F. The eligibility discussion discus-sion pertains to the policy that a student with any grade of F cannot participate in extracurricular extra-curricular activities. The high school principal was requested to provide to the School Board the records of ten students that will receive an F under the current cur-rent policy who have a record of attendance of at least 93 percent per-cent and has handed in assignments assign-ments when they were due. The urgency of the called meeting was because of school board member Scott Ruppe's request that the policy be reviewed before grades are finalized for the current semester, semes-ter, which ends on Friday. Ruppe asked that the policy be changed and made retroactive to the current semester. The two votes in opposition to the special meeting were because of Frost's inability to attend and Dr. Anderson's concern con-cern about the advisability of acting on an official policy at a special meeting. It was later resolved that Frost would be included electronically. women's shelter as of Jan. 1st. The third item of the agenda, the Special Service District SSD Report, was presented by Commissioner McKee. To begin, he reiterated SSD director direc-tor appointment policies in response to a recent letter in the newspaper that criticized county procedures. McKee said, "the commissioners researched thoroughly with legal and with human resources" the appointment appoint-ment of individuals to direct specific positions. Cowan raised the issue of appointment versus merit positions posi-tions with regard to the SSD director hirings. McKee said that a Wednesday, Jan. 10th meeting was scheduled for all newly appointed board members mem-bers for personnel training. Agenda items for the meeting were suggested to include the possibility of a common human resources contact, district operational oper-ational autonomy, construction of a facility to house the SSD, and other items related to an economy of effort. The final agenda item concerned con-cerned scheduling for future meetings. A decision was made to meet on the fourth Friday of the month alternating between the city and county buildings at 3 p.m. Vernal lap! Pictograph as it looked five years ago. Bitter Creek Recent photos of the defaced Dictograph in the Book Cliffs Bitter Creek area were pro- vided by J C Brewer The rock art panel was vandalized in late October Although names are shown that were inscribed Current Topics Club has busy month December was a fun month for the Current Topics Club members. The Hi-Lites performed for club members under the direc- tion of Reed Hansen. The host esses for the evening were Beckie Allred and Nancy Grua. Corrine Spillman was the spotlight spot-light for the evening. The business busi-ness part of the meeting was a discussion about money being donated to various projects in the community. ,.f The annual Christmas party was held at the home of Frank and Sharol Thomson on Dec. 20. About 52 members and guests attended. Also joining the group were new members Lesha Hacking and Sharon Hart with their husbands. Hostesses for the evening were Claudia Fletcher, Karinda Magee, Beckie Allred, JoAnne Timothy, and Marianne Showalter. Jacqui King played Christmas music through the evening. $ o t) r j:, jyjj n mi mmin in L Express "M. . pictograph defacement investigated across the panel, they may not an admission of defacing part The pictographs are one be the parties who did the dam- of the panel was given to law of four examples of the rare age. enforcement and is part of the Barrier Canyon style of rock The U.S. Attorney, BLM, current investigation. The BLM art found in the Vernal area, state and local law enforce- State Office Ranger Division is This style dates back several ment rangers came out to do working to complete the inves- thousand years and features an investigation. In interviews, tigation. ghostly triangular figures. Ja , Kj and hostess M Thomson pictured New members Sharon at the Dec. 20 Christmas party. At the Hi-Lites meeting are Nancy Allred. PROCESS TECHNOLOGY OIL & GAS EMPHASIS Enroll today and guarantee your future! The energy industry is demanding skilled technicians & operators Already working? We now have convenient online courses: - Instrumentation I - Oil & Gas Production I - Introduction to Process Technology Process Technology I Apply online at VA'A'.CnCC.edU o L CAOMOOtOMMWIY Educational Partners Center for the Advancement of COLORADO energy Process Technokwv fCAPn Jf- " Pictograph after defacement. Current Topics Club Grua, Julie Hansen, Reed Hansen, CcuKXtartu research institute V; J u t 0 I fit: 1 v. , s - , . :; "I & -4 ? , ' Hart and Lesha Hacking smile at the Christmas party. President JoAnne Timothy, and Beckie i ft IV A m II flllf lllll I ' " ' iTMrilllMi It-v. V ii if lf": l i I |