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Show SERVING MOAB AND Moab, Grand County, Utah 84532 SOUTHEASTERN UTAH SINCE 1896 Thursday, March 5, 1981 Board closed schools to allow educators to protest actions of Legislature in Salt Lake Grand County Schools were by the actions of the Legislature. GEA officials stated that about 86 percent of the districts teachers traveled by car pool to Salt Lake to participate in the rally. Hillman stressed that the teachers paid their own expenses. In allowing the teachers to participate, the Board of Education voted to make up the lost the closure at an emergency school day, with the specific date to meeting called by Superintendent be announced in the future. Bill Meador in response to a The Hillman commented, request from the districts teachers. GEA wishes to express its gratitude Seventy-eigteachers attended to the board and the public for this the meeting. strong show of support for the Grand Education Association educators and for quality education spokesman Don Hillman stated that for all students. the rally was held, to bring to the When asked to comment on the attention of the Legislature and the issue, Meador stated that, at the people of the state the concern of present level funding for schools is teachers and administrators that inadequate to provide the services the current budgeting process and now being offered. He added that proposed levels of funding for the closed Wednesday, March 4, by the Board of Education to allow teachers to participate in a protest rally called by the Utah Education Association at the State Capitol Building in Salt Lake City Wednes--, day afternoon. The board agreed unanimously to ht Musselman Arch and friend. . . the district and community have already lost programs, due to the lack of funding. Meador went on to state that the Board of Education will have to set priorities, resulting in possible elimination of additional services and programs if the recommendation of the Subcommittee on Education is accepted by the Legislature. He pointed out that the proposal allows for a funding increase of only five percent, which, he said, would not keep pace with the rate of inflation. Meador commented that the legislators apparently believe that local school districts can maintain present programs under Union vote being held at Atlas mill this week public schools will seriously dam- Musselman Arch is located near the end of the White Rim Trail on the Colorado River side. The arch can be quality of location in the reached by two wheel drive road from the Shafer Trail on the Island in the Sky, or via the Potash road. Roger Christensen is standing near the center of the span. See feature, Page He added, The GEA officers and members also wish the public to know that the rally was not a demonstration for higher teacher The National Labor Relations salaries, but rather to create a Board will conduct a representation greater awareness of the seriouselection at Atlas Minerals on ness and scope of the problems Thursday and Friday of this week. B-- Investment strategy, set of goals discussed by County Jim Paraskeva, planner with the mented that Governor Scott Mathe-so- n has indicated that such a Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments, presented the change would make land manage- Grand County Commission with an ment easier. However, Tibbetts be closely informal package ' on investment added, the strategy at a meeting, Monday, examined, to determine if mineral March 2. production would be adversely Paraskeva explained that the affected by the tradihg of lands package was designed to be between the state and federal included as a chapter in the governments. Commission ChairCountys Master Plan and included man Larry Jacobs agreed, saying a list of policy statements and that such exchanges could reduce priorities for county projects. The land access. chapter also included a list of goals Tibbetts pointed out that if the for the county. blocking procedure was not split The proposed chapter covering lines, counties could, along county is intended investment strategy, lose land by a to guide the investment of public in effect, reduction in of state the number funds in the county and to insure school sections within the county. that the maximum amount of Tibbetts went on to state that the benefit is received for each Land Board members are State expenditure, according to the land speculators, and added that introduction. The plan is designed to serve as a the board should be reorganized mechanism for identifying needs through the Legislature. Paraskeva and setting project priorities. agreed that the Land Board "is Paraskeva suggested that project becoming difficult to deal with. Steele Director Bill proposals be listed by county Dinehart asquoted that the Land saying a and rated be by point department Board is the only state agency system to set a priority. The a profit. Paraskeva said process would also provide for showing statement might be true the to of projects, periodic monitoring be certain that they meet the goals but questioned whether the Land Board was serving the needs of established by the county. in the state. communities In response to a question by stated Jacobs that there is a need ParaRon Commissioner Steele, to for the county plan for the future, skeva also discussed operation of land use management as one citing the State Land Board. Steele such planning. As an area requiring expressed concern over a proposal Tibbetts example, questioned into sections school consolodate to whether the county should set than rather tracts, single large aside in its Master Plan an area for maintaining the current checker- radioactive waste disposal, board pattern. whether the flies or not. issue-shoul- Commissioner Ray Tibbetts com- - project Inventory land for possible expansion, Council is urged Several subjects were discussed at a brief meeting of the Moab City Council, Tuesday, March 3. City Attorney A. J. Coffman told Council members that the city should prepare a list of BLM land located adjacent to the city, which is suitable for development. The list will be submitted to Governor Scott Matheson, who will present the proposals to the BLM for consideration. Last week, city and county officials met with BLM Grand Area residents who have complained, he did not think it was the citys responsibility to control the animals. The Council agreed to discuss-revisio- n of the animal control ordinance. Coffman told the Councilmen that President Ronald Reagan has indicated that the federal Economic Development Administration may be abolished. Coffman said that this would effectively abolish the Southeastern Utah Association of Manager Pete Christensen to Local Governments, thus elimidiscuss the issue, Coffman said. nating assistance the city might get The Council also discussed the in planning procedures. Mayor problems of dogs running at large Jacobs, who heads the AOG, stated in trailer parks. Coffman com- that funding for the association mented that the problem has grown will continue until at least SepHe tember of 1982. to critical proportions. The Council also approved a pointed out that the parks are private property, therefore the request from the Moab lions Club animal control officer cannot legally to erect a sign at the new park pick up dogs inside the park. Mayor being constructed across Mill Creek Harold Jacobs said that, although Drive from the Southeast Elemenhe sympathizes with trailer park tary School. the but districts funding proposal, cannot maintain programs if they are not funded, he concluded. being forces on local school boards foQoQWSfiSflM Over to District Court .. . Following a preliminary hearing in 12th Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 3, Steven Harry Muns and Marie Muns were bound over to District Court on charges of possession of a controlled substance, with intent to distribute for value. The charges stem from an investigation by Moab Police which resulted in a search warrant being executed at an apartment in the Virginian Apartments complex on Feb. 6. Investigators reported seizing suspected marijuana, Dilaudid and Percodan (perscription pain drugs). Samples of the materials were sent to Salt Lake City for analysis. The Muns were also charged with producing a controlled substance and possession of stolen property. At the preliminary hearing the two additional charges were dismissed on motion of County Attorney William Benge. Muns was also charged with theft of services, in connection with a phone, which investigators believe was used to tap into adjacent lines. On motion of the County Attorney, the complaint was amended to a Class A misdemeanor and Judge Donald Crist set trial for April 27. Judge Crist ordered the Muns to appear in District Court on Monday, March 16. . Slightly warmer. . . Last month was slightly warmer than the average for the last 10 years, according to figures recorded by local weather observer Bonnie Midlam. However precipitation for the month was far below normal The average daily high tempature last month was 56.1 degrees, compared to a average of 50.5. The average daily low was 26 degrees, compared to a average of 24.6. During February, .08 and inches of a trace of snow were recorded; only precipitation far below the average of .39 inches of rain and .38 inches of . snow. The warmest February during the last 10 years was in 1977, when the daily high hit an average of 57.9. During that month, only .12 inches of moisture fell, with no snow. February of 1972 was also warm and dry, with an average daily high temperature of 57.3 degrees and only a trace of precipitation. The coldest February in the last 10 years occurred in 1979, when the average daily high was only 39.3 degrees, and the average daily low was a frosty 14.2. During that month, .46 inches of precipitation fell, and one inch of snow. The wettest February in the last 10 years was February of 1980, when 1.31 inches of rain soaked the Moab area. 10-ye- ar 10-ye- ar 10-ye- ar Education meet. the benefits of collective bargaining, including grievance proce- dures, safety committees, etc. He went on to say that the union will give employees a voice in their working conditions. They would have, he said, their own democratic local union. Several other companies in the uranium industry have had union elections during the last year in this area. The Steelworkers Union was voted out by the employees at three uranium companies during the last few months. The three companies involved were the Exxon Highlands mine in Wyoming, the Home-stak- e mine and mill in Gunnison, Co., and the Union Carbide Com- The purpose of this election is to determine if the employees at Altas Minerals wish to be represented by the United Cement, Lime and Gypsum Workers Union. The outcome of the secret ballot election will be determined by the majority of the employees who vote. If a majority of the voters cast their ballots for the union, all production and maintenance employees at Atlas mill will be represented by the union. This union, which has its general offices in Chicago, 111., attempted to win an election at Atlas Minerals in December of 1979. Atlas employees voted the union out by a 109 to 60 vote. The Cement, Lime and Gyp- sum Workers pany in Uravan. The Utilities Workers Union also attempted to organize two uranium operations in Wyoming during the last year. The union lost both of the elections which Union, primarily represents cement industry employees, does not represent any uranium mills in the area. The union recently lost an election attempt at organization at the Great Salt Lake Minerals and Chemical Company. According to Dick Weaver, President of Atlas, It is difficult to understand what this Union can WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS The Utah Department of has placed weight restrictions on SR-4running easterly from LaSal Junction to the Colorado State line because of moisture conditions in the subsurface and a surface deterioration. Total vehicle weight has been limoffer our employes. With the ited to legal axle limits, with no current problems facing the in- overloads permitted. dustry which are caused by the depressed price of uranium, an atmosphere of cooperation between Trnas-portatio- n I I I I management and its employees is necessary. What is not needed is the adversary relationship which a union generally brings to the scene. A representative of the union, Butch Plowman, told The Times-Independe- Monday that nt the union would offer Atlas employees . . Future directions in education in Utah will be the topic of a public meeting slated for March 5 at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers , according to Betty Dalton, President, Grand County Board of Education. Mrs. Dalton is one of the Utah Systemwide Education Planning Commission which has been studying issues for over a year. The commission has identified eight issues of concern, 150-memb- er and is asking Utah residents to respond with their ideas. The issues are: school facilities, school finance, purpose and nature of public education, citizen participation into education decision making, curriculum organization, quality teachers and administrators, helping students develop their potentials, and governance of public education. Mini-Maratho- n ... The Moab Chamber of Commerce will host the annual e race will also be held, in Saturday, March 28. A Mini-Maratho- n, five-mil- addition to the 13.1-mil- e half-maratho- Organizers expect racers from Utah, Colorado and New Mexico to participate in the event. Participants are encouraged to preregister at the Chamber of Commerce office on north Highway 163 by March 14. An entry fee of $6 will be charged. For further information, contact Shirley Phillips at the Chamber office, P.O. Box 550, or call 259-753- Now the job's official. ... Gene Nodine, right, was welcomed to his new post as manager of the BLM s Moab District, by BLM Assistant State Director Dean Stepanek at an open house held at the district office Tuesday, March 3. Moab residents attending the gathering were able to meet local and state BLM officials. |