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Show DDDDI?D Letters to the Editor What is your opinion? The Vernal Express welcomes letter from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions on contents, if not libelous, vindictive vin-dictive and in good taste. The letters need to be a reasonable length, two typewritten double spaced pages. Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Vernal Express and bear the writer's writ-er's full name, signature, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing express-ing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed to P.O. Box 1000, Vernal, Utah 84078, faxed at 789-8S30 or through email at editorvernal.com. The name or names of the persons submitting letters must appear on all published letters. All letters let-ters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily necessar-ily the opinion of the Vernal Express Editor. Public Forum v.-2 v.e cc:.imY Av;u. js si:ouu czl ( ViTO "TOWN AND : AJ-RJ&HT AS SC&Q I WD HIT THIS. Ol I AS HIS EYE OAU-S J (CHUCK HQLEj) stop cucKmgJ West Jr. High Dear Editor, . The teachers at West, must at this point, consider their working work-ing environment to be somewhat some-what unpleasant and hostile. I know the district has a stringent strin-gent procedure for the dismissal dismiss-al of tenured teachers. They must go through a systematic process of communicating the possibility of probationary status sta-tus to an employee. However, if not tenured, no reason for dismissal dis-missal is required. It appears the principal seized the moment to use her authority in a somewhat reckless reck-less manner, regarding these teachers. Perhaps some of the discontent and concern of the staff and parents at West, regarding their leader's weaknesses weak-nesses have gotten back to her and this is her way of putting a stop to it If so, I hope she can put aside her insecurities and "hurt feelings," which many others have witnessed in the district and do the job she was hired to perform. Maybe she needs to be reminded of exactly exact-ly what her job description is, since it appears that she is abusing her privileges to lead a staff and expand the future for 'many young adults. . Just last year this school was written up in the Salt Lake newspapers and given accolades for their efforts and improvement under last year's administrator. One act such as these firings is now ourfotHf instead of the previcms.'four r five-sears of oast administrali ,- tors' hard work and dedication to this particular community of students and parents. Does the district really believe this staff can achieve harmony and balance bal-ance after this incidence? KathyEstes Vernal Animal Shelter Dear Editor, At the Animal Shelter and Control SSD Board meeting on Feb. 21, Commissioner Haslem once again clarified the role of the board in establishment of Policy and the boards responsibilities responsi-bilities and authority. I appreciate appre-ciate the time Commissioner Haslem has taken at various meetings to inform the public pub-lic of various aspects of the Special Services Districts. The board has the authority, and is responsible for the establishment estab-lishment of policy, director is responsible for implementing the direction from the board. . The recent death of a large number of animals at the shelter shel-ter without board knowledge or approval has raised a concern con-cern over the authorities and responsibilities the new director direc-tor has. Commissioner Haslem cleared that up by explaining the authority and responsibility is with the board. The director ' can recommends policy but the board needs to approve. This being clarified, any change in Shelter or Animal Control policy poli-cy will be with approval of the board. At the meeting on Feb. 21, a number of people presented ideas for public involvement, questioned other decisions, discussed dis-cussed Utah law in regard to use of volunteers and other items in a positive atmosphere for the future of the shelter, ACO, and the board's role. Hopefully much of this can be captured and proposals at future meetings meet-ings be made and carried out Much of the future rests on the board and the responsibility for direction, policy establishment, public involvement, and direction direc-tion to the new director. The most pressing concern from the public, is backsliding backslid-ing to where this community was prior to 2000. However, given the clarification of authority and responsibility, there would not be changes in policy on adoptions, rescue Shelter Continued from At Hobbs. In 2001, Gary Wilkes, President of the Animal Control Officer's Association, who maintained a tero population popu-lation in the Tucson Animal Shelter, Hobbs said, "offered to help Vernal City build a similar operating system, for free." Hobbs said, The shelter could run just as economically economi-cally full as empty. Despite the fact that Wilkes was willing to come up here and implement this program his offer went unused." The solution to the current situation, as stated by Bostick-Ebbert Bostick-Ebbert lies within the board's authority to develop a collaborative collab-orative effort of concerned citizens citi-zens and animal professionals to come up with an educational outreach program. She said, "This community will not regress, nor can we kill our way out of this problem." Pet adoption groups at the meeting concurred. Koerner noted that the reduction in Vernal's shelter impounds over the last year mirror a trend that is occurring throughout Utah. Part of this reduction is due to the success of low-cost spay and neuter clinics like the 'Big Fix' promotion and the Humane Society Spay and Neuter Week, as well as great local vets and active pet adoption programs throughout the Uintah Basin. Koerner stated that shelter costs would not be reduced by - the destruction of unwanted animals. However; they are reduced through partnerships like Pet Samaritan or Shelter Paw adoption groups who operate oper-ate at no direct cost to the shelter shel-ter facility. These include the Utah's Continued from A1 The other, a possible Walgreens Drugs and Zions Bank parcel," said Parker. "The challenge we face as community planners comes from the rapid pace of development," develop-ment," says Parker, "and too, the impact it has on Vernal's infrastructure and resources." That includes the concern for the longevity and stability stabil-ity of this booming economy. Parker observed that while the oil industry is a catalyst for the boom, there are many new non-energy-related companies coming com-ing to Vernal City as a result From a planning perspective, this means visualizing a transportation trans-portation grid with streets and highways leading to a commercial commer-cial center that is drawn over an extensive geographical area. Parker notes, "Vernal draws in shoppers over a 60-mile-wide area," pulling in people in three counties and two states. In terms of residential building permits, Matt Cazier, county planner, said, "Our 2006 building permits far exceeded our projections." - Vernal center saw the approval of 523 townhouse building permits with 120 in construction, including 60 loft programs, etc., without these policies being directed by the board with documentation for the public. There is cur rently a large volume of mate rial including ordinances, draft policies and procedures, and other sources of information the board needs to pull together and develop a good set of poll cy and procedures. Hopefully the board will utilize a public involvement group that provided provid-ed researched materials to the city on various animal related issues. Recognised economics as a concern, there are many Building Future statewide adoption coalition, a variety of volunteer agreements agree-ments to assist in shelter operations, opera-tions, grants-in-aid to reduce spay and neuter costs for new adoptive pet owners, low-cost vaccination clinics, and a host of other options. "Savings to the shelter in terms of these agreements exceed $15,000 a year," Koerner said. "The shelter does not warehouse animals for us we pick up and transport shelter dogs to other rescue groups, shelters, and breed adoption groups on a limited basis. There is no cost to these partnerships, only benefit." If saving money for shelter operations was essential, Lace Hornet, Vernal animal advocate, advo-cate, asked, "Why then, was the Wal-Mart grant of free pet food through the 'very-best-pet-network' partnership, a benefit of over $12,000 a year, discontinued?" discontin-ued?" - "The Animal Services Advisory Board has worked diligently," Bostick-Ebbert said in closing, "to create and recommend policies and procedures proce-dures to provide humane treatment treat-ment for the shelter animals. My challenge to the board is to cease these negative operations, opera-tions, step-back and re-evaluate the direction of its efforts." Whether the board entertains enter-tains ideas to reduce euthana-sia, euthana-sia, or to reduce impounds, or to increase adoption programs at shelter, the time for the community com-munity to promote responsible pet ownership is at hand. For now, from a public relations standpoint, the negative impact of the destruction of the shelter dogs could not be greater. programs being implemented or one bedroom apartments and 60 townhouses with 3 or 4 bedrooms." "On 1500 West 1500 South," Cazier said, "there are 46 lots of single family residential permits approved for building and an additional 45 similar lots approved by the planning commission for Maeser. In the Cottonwood Heights area, the Mayfair Meadow's development develop-ment has received final approval approv-al for the construction of 36 out of a possible 199 lots." In terms of industrial commercial com-mercial lots there are few within the city. Cazier says, "However, development near the airport and in the Jensen Industrial Park includes roughly rough-ly 20 to 36 lots under contract at the present time." Cazier provided handouts with summary data about housing hous-ing starts, which show a significant signifi-cant increase in residential permits per-mits between 2005 and 2006 in Uintah County. Home building in Uintah County has shown an increase in unit construction every year since 2003. Whereas residential permits doubled in value over the same period, commercial and industrial permits per-mits increased more than ten times in value. in the U.S. now that just have a different way of approaching our animal programs with less cost and more results. Again, I want to thank Commissioner Haslem for defining the authority, and responsibility of the Board, and with this as a focus, the board should be the only responsible entity for policy establishment and implementation would go to the director. Darlene Koerner Uintah County Resident Disresp By Bill O'Reilly The national media won't tell you, but in Miami right now, a man named John Couey is on trial for brutally killing a 9-year-old girl named Jessica Lunsford. Couey, a convicted sex offender, kidnapped Jessica out of her modest Florida home, brought her to a trailer, sexually abused her, and then buried her alive. When authorities author-ities found her body, she was clutching a stuffed dolphin. Because of that heinous act, the state of Florida passed "Jessica's Law," which mandates man-dates that a first-time conviction convic-tion for felony sexual battery on a child will result in a 25 years-to-life prison sentence. No plea bargain, no parole, no nutty judge dispensing light punishment. You do it once you're gone. In the past three years, 41 out of 50 states have passed a version of Jessica's Law, but there is still powerful opposition opposi-tion to it. Many trial lawyers object because they want the ability to plea bargain. Some judges dissent because their egos are bruised. They are taken out of the equation after a child predator is convicted. And many in the left-wing media object to Jessica's Law on the grounds that it is cruel and unusual punishment; these people want rehabilitation for violent sexual offenders who brutalize children. Let's deal with the rehab situation first. In our system of justice, the punishment must fit the crime. If you rape or sexually brutalize a child, that f ! i . , ! t I THINK JUNIOR'S ABOUT READY FOR 50UD FOODS BUCK . toft?? ecting J ' fa Bill O'Reilly child will never fully recover. For the rest of that person's life, the crime will be played out in a variety of ways. Thus, the punishment must be the forfeiture of freedom for much of the abuser's life! That's punishment pun-ishment fitting the crime. . The defense lawyers simply should be ashamed. Crimes against children are the worst crimes. There's no way lawyers should be bartering the suffering suffer-ing of kids. Again, society has no obligation to rehab or to be lenient with sexual predators, especially when they brutalize children. In the case of Jessica Lunsford, John Couey told police he did it. He wrote me a letter stating that he had help in brutalizing the child. Yet his three "roommates" were never charged by a cowardly district attorney named Brad King. And a judge threw out Couey 's confession because of a Jessica Miranda violation. I have no doubt the despicable despi-cable Couey will be convicted in the Miami courtroom. But you won't hear much about it from the New York Times or the Washington Post or the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That's because these papers continue to look away from the horror of child sexual abuse. It doesn't fit into their "restorative Justice" philosophy, where the criminal as well as the victim must be "healed." Finally, cowardly politicians politi-cians in states like Vermont, Massachusetts, and Colorado, among others, have succeeded in blocking Jessica's Law. In the Colorado legislature, all six Democrats in the - House Judiciary Committed voted against allowing Jessica's Law to come to the floor for a full vote. The same six Democrats voted against forcing sexual offenders to register online so that people would know who is addressing them on the Internet The names of the Democrats in Colorado who voted against protecting children chil-dren are Terrance Carroll, Mike Cerbo, Andy Kerr, Rosemary Marshall, Claire Levy, and Morgan Carroll. These individuals are misguided misguid-ed and their actions will lead to more children being brutalized. brutal-ized. Americans of all political persuasions must rise up and demand that their representatives representa-tives protect the children. No plea bargaining on this one. You vote against Jessica's Law, you're hurting the kids. |