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Show , A2-T- he Thursday, Nov. 23, 1989 Tlmes-lndepende- IsOTMTHUTllty , "V , x . Readers share views s Comments ' By Sam Taylor . Grand Qunty Commissioners are faced with a problem. They have been told in no uncertain terms that their jail facilities are totally inadequate, and that the threat of liability as a result of the inadequacies is severe. Along with the jail problem, the judiciary has made it clear that court facilities are also inadequate, and that if a new jail is to be built, it should have a modem courts facility in close proximity for security reasons. As a result of the problems, and other needs in the the courthouse, County some time ago employed the services of an architectural firm to design a new facility that would address the needs. above-mention- ed An estimated $3.5 million will be required to construct the new joint facility quite a chunk of money, but well within the County's ability to pay through sound financial planning. Sensing that a number of pretty good ideas have been shot down during the past few years due to lack of public involvement and inadequate communication, the Commission has scheduled a series of public information meetings to outline their plans, the need for the new facility, and possible means of financing it. The first of those meetings has been scheduled for next Monday at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers in the County Courthouse. I view the problem with mixed emotions. I agree that our jail is badly in need of replacement. I'm not sure that our court facilities are all that bad, but can see the merit in having them close to the jail. It looks to me, as I make my weekly visit to the Courthouse that our elected and appointed officials have quite a bit of space now, even though it is over 50 years old. I'm in favor of the new facility, though, despite the concerns have expressed previously. And I believe we have the ability to do the job, and finance it ourselves through rental income from the judiciary and from our own pockets if grants are not available. I Our ancestors could teach us a few lessons. The present courthouse was built in 1936 just a few years after the great depression had ended in most of the world, but not in this isolated part of it. The County had less than a thousand residents, the total assessed valuation was less than a million dollars, and the County budget wasn't much over $100,000 a year. Despite that, residents of Grand County felt strongly enough about their needs and their own ability to handle those needs that they approved a $58,200 bond issue to build the stately courthouse that has served us so well. I hope a lack of understanding and communication don't shoot down a good plan. The Commission is to be commended for planning the public information meetings. I hope people with questions will attend to find answers. sjt The idea of developing a downtown city park on the comer of Main and Center, next door to a major visitor facility is pretty heady stuff. That idea was the principle item discussed at Tuesday's City Council meeting as detailed in our Page 1 story. hope those involved from various agencies interested in the success with their idea. project I Our three major parks (new and old City Park and Rotary are Park) great assets. They'll continue to be used to the hilt as they are now. But a smaller park right dab in the middle of downtown Moab would be a real community centerpiece for a town working hard to clean up its image. The Times-Independe- nt (UPS 6309-200Entered as Second Class Matter at the Post Office at Moab, Utah under the act of March 3, 1897. Second class postage paid at Moab, Utah 84532. Official City and County Newspaper Published Each Thursday at 35 East Center Street, Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532. Postmaster: Send change of address to: The P.O. Box 1 29, Moab, Utah 84532 0) Times-Independe- Samuel J. and Adrien F. Taylor Publishers and Editors Assistant to Publishers Sales, Production Debra Gwina..r. Ron Drake Dorothy Anderson your hometown in The Times-Independe- nt Only $12.50 in Area and $18 our of Ata for 52 news filled issues in your mail once a week local news TV guide The P.O. Box 129, Moab, UT 84532 Name Address Phone enclose $12.50 or $18 for one year or $24 and $35 for two years cash administrator system would have anything to do with the traffic citation quota system of the police department. That is a term that I have heard many times in my fifteen year career as a police officer. But never have I ever heard it from a mayor, administrator, chief, or anyone else remotely connected with law enforcement It is always something I have heard from a member of the general public. In my fifteen years as a police officer I have worked for four separate entities ranging in population size from two and one half million people to less than four thousand people. Two of those entities had city administrators. At no time was the issue of quota systems ever mentioned. On the other hand, if I want to evaluate an individual officer's performance, all I have to do is take a look at his daily field activity report for a thirty day period, picking out his officer instigated citizen contacts and I can tell you whether this officer is doing his job or spending his time in the coffee shop flirting with the waitress. Mr. English also addressed intentional crimes and unintentional traffic violations. Let's examine why we enforce the traffic laws. It is a weU check energy. There are at least two current realities that the U.S. must face in our energy dilemma. First, the United States does not contain enough domestic oil and gas reserves even if the entire to be country and offshore regions are drilled. Second, every barrel of imported oil that is currently consumed leaves a barrel of domestic oil that can be used in the future. To ensure an adequate energy supply, the nt United States must aggressively pursue dual objectives: 1) energy efficiency and conservation on the demand side, and 2) substitutes for conventional oil and gas on the supply side of the energy equation. Sincerely, W. T. Goerold, Ph.D. Chief Economist-Energ- y and Mineral Resources The Wilderness Society Dear Sam, Several weeks ago our mother passed away. During her illness, she established fact that without enforcement you get no compliance. Such is the nature of the human required services from several health care sources. We made frequent visits to Allen Memorial Hospital while she was there and witnessed what excellent care she received from the entire staff. Mother hated to be a patient in a hospital and, at times, let her feelings be known. The nurses were exceptional. What professionals and humanitarians they are. They understood mama's fears and overlooked her "frowns." I believe they cared for her as they would their own mother. Don Davis took extra care while her. He is a patieht man. Which brings me to Dr. Rouzer. I Mother didn't like to be examined, was leery of doctors, and on top of ; that, wasn't feeling well. Not an ideal patient for Dr. Rouzer! He was beast. Law enforcement is designed to protect the many from the few and at times to protect us from ourselves, thus promoting general wellbeing in society. Would it matter to Mr. English whether he lost a loved one at the point of a smoking gun or at the end of a smoking steering wheel wielded by a brain full of alcohol or a harried mother speeding in a school zone because she was late getting her child to school. I assure you that every law that the state legislature enacts is a law to benefit society as a whole and each of us as individuals. Let's remember that everyone who drives a motor vehicle is wielding a 6,000 pound potentially lethal weapon. More people die from automobile accidents than from firearms every year in the United States. Most of those deaths were not caused intentionally. wonderful. He showed such sensitivity. He explained in detail mother's condition and always included us in her medical management. I don't know of many (any) Clark Messick, Officer Moab Police Department other doctors who would go through the trouble. This gave mother great peace of mind. My hat goes off to Dr. Rouzer. I can mil thank him Dear Editor, Do all the citizens of Moab realize that you can't always believe what is printed in the paper? I took the news media pretty much at face value until I became involved in politics! It's interesting to sit in a meeting and then read about it in the paper. Many times the reporter and I were in the same room but I wonder if we were in the same meeting. Facts have been changed and people have been misquoted completely changing the facts and tone of what was said. ,The public is certainly led by the feelings and opinions of the media. My advise to the citizens of Moab is that they better make sure their facts are straight before they form Dear Sirs, to:' Tires-lndepende- nt enough. We had a lot of contact with the County Health Nurse, Tina Brown and an wonderful lady, Marilyn, home Health Care Worker, whom t J " Raquel Shumway ' - Your September 14 article on a major oil reserves study misinterpreted much of the data dealing the location and amount of undiscovered oil in Utah and the rest of the .United States. The story inaccurately stated that "oil resources being left in the ground for economical, environmental or other reasons are 60 percent larger, and the natural gas reserves 90 percent higher, than earlier estimated." The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study actually shows a 35 to 40 percent reduction from a 1981 USGS study. According to the USGS report, if the entire land mass and continental shelf of the United States were , s sas. Many iaiis: '&y Adrian Tester Moab people are really grand, and the pun is intended. of ye have Sams sister been quite overwhelmed by reactions to the death for sisters of one been my going on Sally in California recently. Sallys than that. more She for Moab 30 years, and she hasn't lived in on the arrived I ever before scene, obviously touched a lot of lives cards we have received. judging from the notes on sympathy to the experiences of the past Following are just some reactions week or so: As chairman of the church Thanksgiving Dinner, I had to in order to make the trip to delegate the whole affair to others California. But this wasn't really a matter of delegating. People We arrived back in town barely in stepped forward left and right. time to attend the dinner, and as far as I could see, everything was who you are. perfect. Thanks, everybody. You know California Next subject: freeways. Running back and forth from to Lorena's place Sally's place to LAX and John Wayne airports and this trip, back, we spent ten to twelve hours on California freeways of the much or accelerating either It's braking and none of it much fun. we waited One lane. to lane from evening time, and people dodging until 6 p.m. to avoid rush hour traffic. I had been doubtful about at 20 to 30 mph by predictions of California freeway traffic running I believe. Now the year Back in Salt Lake three lanes of freeway traffic seemed narrow. But I will still make careful plans to avoid rush hour traffic. A word about night driving. I don't like it. I've said so before. But in California the freeways are lighted, which is a much different at night when your experience than driving the Utah desert cars are an headlights are a tunnel in the blackness, and oncoming 1990-some-suc- h. assist to blindness. Santa Ana winds had the Los Angeles area scoured out as we've not seen it in years. It was very much shirtsleeve weather, and we brought back fresh lemons, and a wedding dress borrowed from cousin Ann for Sena's spring wedding now slated for April 28. It was a sad occasion, but a fine family gathering, with many promising to show up in Park City in April, and everyone talking about Moab in August. We look forward. aft youve read it before you can quit here. It the annual version of Miles Standish, John Alden and Pocohantas Wild Cranberry Sauce If Recipe, to wit: Creep quietly into a wild cranberry bog, and crouch down on a cranberry path holding the bag open. 2. Have a friend circle around and shoo the cranberries in your direction. 3. Snap the big shut when it is half full of wild cranberries. 4. Pour in a pint of gin, a pint of vodka, a pint of run, and a quart 1. of champagne. Wait until you hear the cranberries singing wild drinking 5. songs. 6. Open the bag and let the cranberries go. Drink the sauce and have a . . . HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! my mother just loved. They went out of their way to provide what mother needed and more. They are a special breed. Meals on Wheels-wh- at a delightful couple who deliver the meals. Oh, how cheerful they would be when they visited. "Mrs., how are you feeling today?" "Take care of yourself; I hope you'll soon be feeling better." Mama always smiled. These people have a busy schedule, yet they always made time for mama. Funeral directors make me nervous! I haven't been in contact with many funeral directors, but each one has made me nervous. Until Sheldon Hefner. I can't adequately put into words how comforted he made us feel. We knew he would take care of mama. We knew he would do his best. We knew he understood our loss. Sheldon is a treasure. We will always remember his kindness. Our friends supported us. Our Church sustained us. Our pastor soothed us. Moab is a beautiful place to live. God bless you all, and thank you. The Osusky Family RETURNED FROM TRIP Mrs. Rosalie Robertson returned Saturday from an enjoyable trip that took her to Ashland, Oregon where she attended the wedding of long time friend, Suzy Hughes, formerly of Santa Fe, New, Mexico. Her mother, mystery writer, Dorothy B. Hughes is the author of many mystery stories, some of which were made into movies. The wedding took place in the Shakespearean theater, Carpenter Hall. En route home Rosalie stayed a few days to visit old time friends in Salt Lake City, the guest of Lee Deffebach, internationally known artist and classmate of local artist, Arlene Ruggeri. HOSPITALITY DAY Members of St. Pius Catholic Church look forward to welcoming you to the Hospitality Day lunch with some delicious ham and split pea soup, bread and dessert and a beverage this Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the St. Pius church hall. It's free and everyone is invited. VISITED BROTHER Velma Paul returned last week from Mancos, Colo, where she visited her brother Roy Ricks.Other relatives visiting were Tom and Martha Laftus, from Seattle, Wash.; Melvin and Yuvone Ricks from Denver, Colo.; Floyd and Ruth Ricks from Moab. They all enjoyed a lovely dinner together and enjoyed the visit Grand County Civic Calendar positions! SubscrjbeNow! Mall Times-Independe- their opinions and choose their special features lots of advertising drilled, about 35 billion barrels and 263 trillion cubic feet of additional economically producible oil and gas would likely be found. These resource quantities represent approximately 6 years worth of oil use and 14 years worth of gas use at current rates of consumption in the United States. Utah is expected to hold 1 to 2 0.65 bilpercent of this energy-t- he and 2.66 trillion lion barrels of oil cubic feet of natural gas that might be found in Utah includes production from private land, state land, and all federal land including current and future potential park and wilderness areas. If the entire state of Utah were drilled and the expected amount of oil and gas were found, it would supply 1988 levels of U.S. consumption of oil for about 40 days and natural gas for 52 days. The most important conclusion this report offers is that future sources of oil and gas from Utah, and the rest of this country, are extremely limited. Recent reports have told of rising levels of oil imports and have implied that our best action is more intensive drilling in more places. The USGS report shows the folly of this approach. If we were to pursue this course in Utah, the expected outcome is a state completely less convered with drilling rigs--an- d of worth months' than two additional To the Public, As a general rule, police officers very seldom rebut letters to the editor. But when the volume of misinformation becomes so great, we sometimes feel obligated to give some correction to that information. I am addressing the letter of Mr. Ken English in the November 15th issue of The I am, however, not singling our Mr. English as we find that the public in general has no concept of what law enforcement is all about Mr. English addressed the issue of city administrators and police quota systems. First let me address the issue of city administrators. Running a city of any size, even one the size of Moab, is a multimillion dollar business. If you have a mayor who lacks expertise in business administration then you are wise to hire an administrator to administer that multi-millio- n dollar business. At the present time, the mayor of Moab has administrative capabilities. Second, I fail to see where the city Circulation Read All About s'." |