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Show C11 Vernal Express Diamond Mountain Speedway official DQs racer, backers voice concerns about disqualification Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4 , . r . : - v , .. ... . ,' :V V I " , : - : ; -1' v"-1 J " : -r ' - . ... I y- , if1 ...... 4 . By feoff Lisix Larry Knight explained that he was late getting started on the first crop of hay this year because of the cooler than normal temperatures, even freezing temperatures in May. Cool weather delays first cutting Larrv Knieht has been farm ing and especially hauling hay for what seems all of his life and Monday was no different, except that it was a later start time than usual. Colder spring temperatures, in fact, late freezing temperatures tempera-tures through the month of May has slowed the haying process about three weeks for Knight. "But the cooler temperatures in between the hotter days we have had slowed the runoff so that I haven't had to clean ditches of huge boulders on my Dry Fork property this year," said Knight. "The spring runoff has been great." Knight explained that his dad purchased the 40 acres he farms south of Vernal about 45 years ago. "My dad bought it and then died and it's like I got the short end of the stick," teased Knight. He reminisced about the days "several" years ago when it took him four days to mow and two days to rake the hay on the same 40 acres. And it took a good crew a full day to haul 500 to 600 bales of hay. "Now I can pick up and stack 500 bales inadaybymyself," said Knight. And speaking of the weather, he commented that Mother Nature Na-ture was right on time with the afternoon rains that started this week. "A 20 percent chance of rain that is forecast means that if you have hay down it will rain. If you don't then it won't," said Knight. Knight expects that he will get between 1,200 and l,300balesoff from the 40 acres this cutting. Uintah Basin News Service A post-race decision to disqualify dis-qualify the second-place finisher fin-isher in the street stock class at Diamond Mountain Speedway on June 7 has supporters of the driver raising claims of unfair treatment by track officials. The driver, who has not been identified, was stripped of his second-place finish for racing with tires that were too wide under the rules of the street stock class, according to DMS "tech man" Don Hardinger. It's Hardinger's job to check the equipment on or "tech" race cars for safety and compliance with track rules. "I like keeping the drivers at the same level, so random post-race post-race teching is the best way I feel to keep them legal. They don't know what, when, or where the tech will take place," Hardinger said in response to two letters to the editor delivered to the Uintah Basin Standard. Joylynn Arrive and Treena Gardner each complained that track officials checked the disqualified dis-qualified racer's car several times prior to the race and only took action against him after another driver complained once the main event was over. " It seems they pick and choose who they want to win, all because one person was unsatisfied with the results," Arrive wrote in her letter. "We feel that there should have been a better explanation for the way things were handled," Gardner added in her letter. "The car was teched more than once and passed to race. Then, because of one driver's complaint, the car was stripped of his winnings. We feel the track team handled things unfairly." But Hardinger said the rules are the same for all competitors in all classes at DMS. He said the disqualified driver's car was checked more than once before the June 7 race to ensure that previously identified equipment problems had been fixed. "Three weeks prior to this he did not have a rear bumper - safety issue - and I asked him to fix it by the next race," Hardinger said. "I checked to make sure his rear bumper was legal." Hardinger said the decision to do a post-race inspection of the street stock class had been made before the event began and was not done to target a specific driver. "I held a sign at the entrance to the track that said the top 5 cars will be teched after the main," he said. "I checked carburetors car-buretors and width of tires. The car in question had raced with tires 3 inches beyond the max width." As for Arrive and Gardner's claim that the complaining driver didn't belong in the street stock class because he'd won three races in a row, Hardinger said such a requirement is not in the speedway's rulebook. "The rules for every class are posted on the Diamond Mountain Moun-tain Speedway Web site and I . strongly recommend each driver in their respective classes read themand obey them," Hardinger said. "If the rules are not followed then there is a consequence." k v . ' 1 Our Ads are worth the time in the... VERBAL xprGss 54 North Vernal Avenue Vernal, Utah -435-789-3511 www.vernal.com State park managers stress water safety Four recent drownings in Utah's reservoirs have prompted Utah State Parks managers to urge boaters and swimmers to use precaution while on the water. "Accidents can happen at any time," said Utah State Parks Boating Coordinator Dave Harris. "Wearing a life jacket while boating 'is synonymous with wearing your seat belt while driving; both are proven life savers." Nearly 80 percent of boating accident fatalities could be prevented if life jackets were worn. Harris added that it is likely that nearly 100 percent of swimming related drownings could be prevented if life jackets were worn. Harris offered the following safety tips: Always wear a life jacket. Utah law requires children 12 and under to wear a properly-sized properly-sized life jacket when on-board a boat. However, it is a safe and smart practice for everyone, including adults, to always wear a life jacket. Never swim alone. Always swim with a buddy, Keep an eye on each other. Parents should make sure they are watching their children, even when another adult or lifeguard is present. Don't drink alcohol if you are planning to swim or go boating. Alcohol slows reaction time and affects balance and judgment. Be aware that in natural bodies of water, swift current, deep water or a sudden drop-off can get you in trouble, even if you are a good swimmer. For more boating safety information, call 800-743-3792 or visit stateparks.utah.gov. 12 STEP RECOVERY First Baptist Church - Gym 2500 West Highway 40 (across from Lowes) Contact: 790-7917 790-6612 789-1347 For more information Thursdays 7 to 8 pm Open Meetings Get In Step A Return to the Original 12 - step recovery program State's skin cancer rate still sfof high' With a skin cancer rate among the 10 highest in the nation, Utah health officials are urging residents to take steps to keep their skin safe this summer. Utah Department of Health data shows that the rate of melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - is increasing. In 2005, 554 Utahns were diagnosed with melanoma, up from 494 in 2004. Everyyear, melanoma kills an average of 63 Utahns. The good news is that skin cancer is preventable when sun protection measures are used consistently. State health officials and the Utah Cancer Action Network recommend: 1. applying sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before be-fore spending time outdoors and reapplying it every two hours; 2. coveringup by wearing hats, long sleeves, and sunglasses; 3) avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when you are most likely to be exposed to the ultraviolet rays that damage and age your skin; and 4) seeking shade when you can't avoid the sun. "As summer begins, we're all going to be outside more working and playing," said Kalynn Filion, state health program specialist. "We need to make sunscreen a part of our daily routines, and combine it with at least one other sun protection measure for maximum effectiveness. And, remember that even on cloudy days, the sun's ultraviolet rays burn through the cloud cover and can damage your skin." The American Cancer Society Soci-ety expects 62,480 new cases of melanoma and 8,420 deaths from the disease to occur in the U.S. during 2008. The melanoma rate has been climbing in the U.S. since the 1970s. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show the overall U.S. melanoma rate is 17 per 100,000 persons, while Utah's rate is 25 per 100,000. The District of Columbia has the lowest incidence at just over 5 per 100,000. Other states with high rates include Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The ACS estimates that in Utah, 65 to 90 percent of melanomas are caused by the sun's ultraviolet rays. In addition, more than 1 million mil-lion cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancers, most of which are highly curable, occur each year across the nation, making skin cancer the most diagnosed form of malignancy. Utahns are at higher risk for skin cancer due to the state's high elevation, predominantly fair complexioned population, and frequent sunny days. Learn more about savingyour skin at www.ucan.ee, or by calling 888-222-2542. 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