OCR Text |
Show A2 Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Vernal Express Police Officer Continued from Al officer. "We don't want to be the school's disciplinarian. We want to manage criminal issues," said Jensen as he described working with Assistant Superintendent Mark Dockins in defining the expectations of both the district and his department. "So, if there is a fight on the campus this could be a criminal issue as it is illegal," said Jensen. "That is something we want to be a part of." Jensen added, "If little Johnny calls a teacher a bad name, we don't want to come down and lecture little Johnny for using a bad word." Jensen felt that he and Dock-ins Dock-ins had similar ideas that were easy to put in writing. Police Chief Gary Jensen explained ex-plained the contract calls for his officer to be in the school building build-ing 40 hours a week during the day. If there were special school programs at night they would look at them as requested. He explained that a school function at night was defined differently than an activity at the school at night in a rented situation. Also the contract provides for the officer to have access to an office where he or she could complete com-plete paper work and other work related items on the computer. Chief Jensen explained that the officer would be in the school as much of the 40 hours as pos sible, but there would be times when the officer would be in training or in court and other patrol officers would be called in when needed. Jensen said that the officer would share his or her schedule with the principal so that the school would know what days he or she would be gone. JoAnn Cowan asked if the officer of-ficer will take his or her holidays and days off to match those of the schools. Chief Jensen stated that they would as much as possible. pos-sible. "If he is going to work a day that the school is closed, he will resume doing professional police responsibilities that deal with regular case loads or juvenile crime," said Jensen. "We will keep him busy." The contract also provides for a more relaxed uniform for the police officers. While at the school the officer will be dressed in slacks and shirt and will wear a badge with a visable form of identification as well as a gun. "We don't want them to be too loud in their dress uniform while at the school," said Jensen. "A softer appearance should foster a better relationship with the child." After receivingthe Vernal City Council's approval, the chief will take the documents to the school district for their approval. This year the officer will be stationed only at the junior high as the middle school is shut down be cause of renovation. Last year the officer's time was split, with 70 percent the junior high and 30 percent at the middle school. Also, Jensen estimated about 90 percent of the problems were caused by 10 percent of the students. "This is a continuation of the Vernal Police Department to be more community oriented," said Jensen. "We feel it important to have a person in soft uniform, where kids are more apt to speak with them. We want police officers of-ficers to gain the confidence of a group of people who will become a confident to police officers." He explained two years ago, the police were made aware of a student who had a hit list and was going to bring a gun to school. "We found out about it before the date because someone was willing to tell us something important im-portant which allowed us to be ahead of the game," said Jensen. "The police were connected to the community and in this case it was a school community. We want people to be comfortable sharing issues or problems with him. We want our schools to be safe. That's why we are doing this." Jensen also said they would be working close with the school district's security adviser to develop and better understand emergency plans and escape routes. "We need to stay in touch," said Jensen. "We want this be a quality relationship." i If! U!I V4J I ZL mi h Pictured together is the crew of scouts and biologists before the release of the beetles including Shelby Thomas (project leader), Damon Leavitt (project leader), Jeremy Bymgton Matt McClelland, Josh Bender, Spencer Fleetwood, Bin Gray, Bob Puck (UT ag. Inspector), Milt Billings, Casey Gray and Troy Thomas. (USPS 0892-1091) Periodical postage paid at Vernal, Utah Published weekly at 54 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal, UT 84078 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Vernal Express at 54 N. Vernal Ave., Vernal, UT 84078 OFFICE HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Phone: 435-789-3511, Fax: 435-789-8690 DEADLINES: News, legal notices, classified ads and display ads must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication PUBLISHER: Kevin Ashby - kashbyvernal.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Les Bowen - editorvemal.com ADVERTISING: Jacque Hobbs CLASSIFIED: Tonya Harmer OFFICE: Harriet Harding WRITERS: Mary Bernard Elizabeth Goode Casey Christensen PRODUCTION: Heather Crosby Michele Roper On the Web: http:www.vemal.com Email: editorvemal.com Subscription Rates: Clin and Send tn: In the Uintah Basin ' Vernal Express 34 n. vernai Ave Vernal, Utah 84078 Name Address City 1 Yr.$26-2Yr.$48 Out of the Uintah Basin 1 Yr. $42 - 2 Yrs. $70 Out of State -1 Yr. $46 2 Yrs. $80 I I Zip4 Cash or Check only. Sorry No Charges RC&D Continued from Al Along with water conservation conserva-tion those surveyed also recommended recom-mended educating the public on ways to reduce soil erosion. The third concern on the list was the need to make certain that the area had a sustainable agricultural base. Planning and zoning enforcement was the fourth concern. The concern ranked fifth focuses once again on water issues with unease for the use and quality of rural water supply. The Dinosaurland RC&D Council is in the process of determining de-termining the most efficient way to address the concerns. RC&D is a unique program designed to empower rural people to help themselves by leveraging federal funding to meet local needs. To receive this federal money these needs have to fall within four resource concerns outlined in the 40-year-old program: pro-gram: land management, water management, land conservation, and community development. "The beauty of RC&D," Mc-Nease Mc-Nease stated, "is that it is a nationwide na-tionwide program, but decisions are made on the local level." Residents from Duchesne, Uintah, and Daggett counties are represented on the Dinosaurland RC&D Council. Membership is granted to individuals and mm-,'. , Uiptmfamm mm , y T&wdb. 1 Above is a Saltcedartree in the Bonanza Bridge area before the introduction of tamarisk beetles. The inset photo shows the beetle damage after only two weeks. entities that pay annual dues. Members may bring projects before the council during their monthly meetings where they identify concerns, needs, and problems within the area. The council implements projects and conducts activities that achieve the goals and objectives 'of the area plan. Resources from RC&D are not restricted to large groups. McNease would like to see more education for everyone. This would include students, cattlemen who want to improve pasture conditions, family farm owners looking for a new niche market, producers who want to start packaging for themselves, or homeowners who might want to better understand the aspects of backyard conservation. Partnering with local organizations organi-zations and businesses is also a priority for the council. McNease talked about working with the oil and gas industry to examine how these companies can set up their work sites to reducfe'soil erosion and dispose of their wastewater to prevent risk of contamination. contamina-tion. To celebrate National RC&D week, Sept. 23 - 29, the Uintah Basin Standard will run a series of articles on the various projects that the local council is involved in. For more information on local planning, contact Lori McNease at 722-4621 ext. 107 or check their Web site at www.dinosau-rlandrcd.org. We need to give our physicians more headroom... ...elbowroom and legroom. in other words, we're just too cramped and need some more space. When the construction is completed we'll have a new 2-story medical office building to house 14 new and existing physicians... and room to add additional support staff. In addition, we'll give the hospital a new entrance new registration and admitting area for patients and some needed changes in the kitchen and dietary area. This new construction has really been planned for 5-years and is the third phase of our facility Master Plan. The building is essential. Today we're serving a growing region. Our patients come from the tri-county area of Uintah, Duchesne and Daggett Counties and the western slope of Colorado. It's truly a regional reach for our services and therefore we've reflected that in our new name. From now on we're Ashley Regional Medical Center, or you can just call us "Ashley Regional" for short. Ashley Regional MEDICAL CENTER 151 West 200 North Vernal, Utah 84078 (435) 789-3342 ;." . 1 ' ))Up ft W Bugs Eat Trees Continued from Al explained Scoutmaster Troy Thomas. Eagle scout initiates Shelby Thomas and Damon Leavitt led two teams in a state grant program to gather and distribute tamarisk beetles. "We went to the saltcedar stands near Moab." . "They collected 18 five-gallon buckets of bugs and released them in the saltcedar at the Bonanza Bridge," said Thomas. "That's somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 insects." "The insects migrate as they eat, moving as much as 400 yards in a year, devouring trees as they go," said Puck. "Wind currents can carry the beetles miles from their place of origin. Some travel 80 miles in search of another grove." For now, the Bonanza beetles are acclimating to their new habitat. "They'll never run out of trees on the Green River, " said Billings, referring to the dense groves that characterize the river bottom. "Dragonflies and ants eat the beetles," said Billings. "But other than that they have established themselves pretty well on the river." But the success of the beetles comes with a price. The biological bio-logical control experiment has some biologists worried about re-growth. What comes after the saltcedar? For now, pepperweed seems to colonize in places where saltcedar eradication has been successful. "Perennial pepperweed is listed as another noxious weed in Uintah County," said Puck. The National Park Service's plant conservation alliance identifies perennial pepperweed as an invasive weed that prefers disturbed and natural wetlands. Those are the primary habitats that remain once saltcedar is eradicated. Pepperweed expands as saltcedar, out-competing native na-tive plants with few assets in nutrition or home ground for nesting birds. Efforts are just beginning with saltcedar reduction in Uintah Uin-tah County; thanks to the state, county and Boy Scout Troop 230. Similar programs are potentially slated for Duchesne County and the Dinosaur National Monument Monu-ment river corridor. if are qoii readq?K'' . I- cnmma Y skogur Ahamting (Expenenca hn ai effc H N 2007 r CEO Si Hutt J I 3 J i |