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Show "fl New York Wilderness advocate keeps his seat . . . hails win for Utah wilderness booster SUWA "P (j Ijn feffMpPljpgaiqitP'egHPqpMppIfejpepItfafftaftqpBMjtftigp fr re-electi- on The Congressman from upstate New York who introduced a citizens' proposal for designating 5.7 million acres of public lands in Utah as wilderness has been returned to congress, a release from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance said may run into stiff opposition from a Utah congressional delegation, intent on bringing the wilderness issue to a head during the coming session. Monday. tial Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York's 26th district, won the close race by 1,223 votes out of 189,555 cast. Outcome of the race was not final until this week when all absentee ballots had been counted. Following the defeat of Rep. Wayne Owens in his bid for a U. S. Senate seat two years ago to Republican Bob Bennett, Hinchey took up the Utah a Utah cause, wilderness bill that would designate 5.7 million acres of public land in Utah wilderness. Hinchey is a favorite of environmentalists because of his action, and the New Yorker was successful last year in gaining the endorsement of 96 other members of Congress for his Utah legislation. How many of those survived Nov. 8's Republican national landslide was not known at this time. The legislation, however. co-sign- The Bureau of Land Management had initially proposed 1.9 million acres as poten- wilderness. Utah Representatives Jim Hansen (R) and Bill Orton (D), have supported a smaller bill containing 1.2 million acres. Utah's governor and legislature favor a acreage designation. In the meantime, 3.2 million acres of land in Utah are being treated as wilderness, pending some definitive action by Congress. "I expect Rep. Hinchey will introduce his legislation again," said Mike Matz, executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, one of the groups pushing for a large wilderness designation. "Certainly it Hinchey's bill can't be ignored. These are national interest lands, and even people in New York have a right to have a say in the disposition of their lands," said Matz. still-small- BLM-manag- er ed Environmentalists had watched this race closely, the SUWA release said, because of Hundreds paid tribute to slain Colo. Sheriff and former Moab law officer Hundreds of law officers and other government officials and friends, including many from Moab and Grand County, traveled to Lake City, Colo. Monday to pay tribute to Hinsdale County Sheriff Roger Coursey. The former Moab lawman was shot and killed early Friday morning, Nov. 18, as he approached a vehicle suspected as belonging to a couple who had earlier attempted to rob a bank in the nearby community of Creede Coursey, 44, served in Moab for eight years, as a detective for the Moab Police Department, and as Grand County Deputy Sheriff. He and his wife, Karen, also operated a small craft shop in Moab during their years here, and were active in other community endeavors. The Courseys left Moab in 1987 when Roger joined the Sheriff's Department in Mesa County, Colorado. He was appointed Sheriff of Hinsdale County, located in the mountains south of Gunnison, last summer, and was recently elected to a full term as Sheriff. Lake City, a small mountain community in winter months, fills to overflowing with visitors during the summer. Coursey and his only deputy. Undersheriff Ray Balum, were called out shortly after 4:30 a.m. Friday after an attempted bank roberry in nearby Creede, Colo. An hour later, the officers stopped a truck fitting the description of the suspects' vehicle south of Lake City. According to reports, Coursey was shot in the chest with a large-caliber handgun as he approached the driver's side of the vehicle. Undersheriff Balum fired a number of shots at the fleeing vehicle, which was later recovered with its back window shot out, bullet holes in the tailgate, and a flat tire which may have been hit by gunfire. The truck matched the description of one involved in at least six Colorado burglaries and the attempted break-i- n at the Creede bank, Although authorities from nearby Gunnison, Colo, arrived an hour after the shooting, the man and woman believed to be involved, were able to escape. Material in the vehicle, including an undeveloped role of film, identified the suspects as Stephen Michaels, in also known as his Steven Garrett, and Ruth N. Slater, his companion, once known as Ruth Kaai, 38. The suspect is now being identified as Utah prison parolee, Mark Allen Vredenburg, 31. Vredenburg, who was paroled from the Utah Prison on June 21, has been considered a fugitive since that time, because he failed to keep a date at the parole office. A nationwide search, led by the F.B.I., is now being conducted for the pair. Vredenburg was sent to prison in 1987 for posshotgun and sessing a sawed-of- f was paroled several times over the years. He violated parole every time he was freed, according to Utah corrections mid-thirtie- its implications for an issue they as disorderly conduct, theft by receiving and battery. Vredenburg is the father of three young children who live in who Murray with his divorced him last year, according to court records. Vredenburg sports cowboy apparel and distinctive tattoos on his upper arms. He is 6 feet tall, 190 pounds and has red hair and green eyes. His aliases include ex-wif- e, will ever support the wilderness proposal promoted by SUWA, the Sierra Club, National Parks and Conservation Assn., and Wilderness Society. Law required the Bureau of Land Management to inventory its lands for potential wilderness and make a recommendation to Congress. Of 22 million acres of land, the agency could find only 3.2 million acres of land worth considering. Those were designated "wilderness study areas," and are managed to preserve their wilderness character. The BLM recommended that 1.9 million acres be designated by Congress. That recommendation has drawn fire from environmental groups as being flawed. Reps. Hansen and Orton would like to pass a wilderness bill far less than 3.2 million acres, and release the remainder of WSA lands for Thursday, November 24, 1994 Since 1896 w County will look at selling Equestrian Center by Ken Davey The Grand County Council has voted to recommend that the Special Service Recreation dis- trict investigate the possibility of selling the Old Spanish Trail Arena. Council members made their decision in part based on their current efforts to come up with a 1995 budget, and a realization of what the arena will cost local taxpayers. development. "We're spending $80,000 a year at a loss, every year for the his news release. Collision on U.S. 191 claimed one, critically injured two Tuesday A head-o- n collission between two small cars Tuesday night claimed one victim and critically injured two others, according to preliminary reports from the Highway Patrol The accident occurred shortly before 7 p.m. two miles south of the La Sal Mountain Loop Road turnoff on U. S. 191. Emergency ambulance and rescue crews rushed to the scene from Moab. Traffic was closed the highway for some time. Details of the accident were not available at the accelerated Thanksgiving press deadline. ?. . for Pomegranate Thanksgiving Why not, muses Maria Perea Byrd. Her mother, Dottie Byrd, grew pomegranate plants this year, and the result was several nice fruits. Dottie didn't know they weren't supposed to grow here (said Dave May), so she grew them anyway. The vines froze, of course, but their memory is preserved in photographs. (How can it be, that so short a few weeks ago it was so warm in the valley?) the re- cently purchased the acre of property just east of the Rotary Park from Gail and Loraine Leavitt. The mobile located on the property is being removed by Mr. Leavitt. Future plans for the additional acre and the current park are improvements being planned. The Rotary Qub members approved a theme for the new park area, "Children and Nature." Plans call for building a small amphitheater, xylophone furniture and bridges, trails, and the planting of trees and shrubs. The City of Moab has desig-nate- d Rotary Park as their num- -' ber one project for a $52,000 grant last four years," said Council member Peter Haney. "That's $300,000 now, and counting." The Old Spanish Trail Arena opened in the spring of 1991. The $1.2 million building, financed through a combination of grants and loans, was designed to bring d events to town. It is owned by the recreation district and operated by the county. But now, with annual loan repayments of more than $40,000, and a yearly budget of twice that much to staff and maintain the building, council members say they want to look seriously at getting out from under the finanhorse-oriente- Rotary, Moab City to expand park from The Moab Rotary Club w Number 47 Volume 101 "Environmentalists staunchly oppose releasing these lands to coal mining, dam building, or oil and gas drilling," Matz stated in Community Development Block Grant fund. Other funding includes a $112,000 grant from the State of Utah to construct pedestrian bridges and trails for the Mill Creek Project. These grants will help tie in Rotary Park to the Mill Creek Trails project, thus enabling students from Red Rock Elementary School to hike all the way to the high school and downtown Moab without crossing a public property through their annual Television Auction and a generous grant from the Grand County Recreation District. The club this week extended their sincere thanks to the Board of the Grand County Recreation District, Moab City Council, Mayor Tom Stocks and David Olsen, city planner, without whose help this project could not have been successful. cial burden. "We could keep that money in the community and pay for things at the hospital, solid waste; we can use that money for other things," continued Haney. "We are certainly spending a lot of money there, and we are not spending less as time goes on," added Charlie Peterson. He continued, "I guess I feel less confident that we will ever run it at a profit, that it will ever break even, or that it will ever stop being a burden to the county. It is now a burden. I don't know how badly the community wants it, but I'm having a hard time justifying in my mind that we throw another $80,000 at it in the (Cont. on Page A-3) street. Future plans at the high school call for building a district library and auditorium. The new trail system will add to the safety and educational experiences of the students. The Moab Rotary Club obtained funding to purchase the Schools policy adopted inthelocal district Gun-Fre- e On March 31, 1994, Elementary and Secondary Education Act was amended to Schools include the Gun-Fre- e Act. As a condition for receiving federal funds (Chapter 1 for example) the Programs District must have in effect a policy requiring the expulsion from school for a period of not less than one year any student who brings a firearm to school. One of the national educational goals calls for schools to be safe, disciplined, alcohol and drug free. Additionally, the WEATHER maiden name Kaai, is and has black, shoulder length hair. She is described as a bulimic woman, whose weight can fluctuate between 110 and 170 Grand School District must now report to the Utah State Office of Education the name of the school, the number of students expelled and the type of weapon used. All students, including those with disabilities, will be held accountable to this new law. The District's Discipline Guide, published at the beginning of each school year, has been amended to read as follows: "A student who is found to have brought a firearm to school activor to a a such be in to of or possession ity when school or while at weapon involved in any activity shall be expelled from school for a period of not less than one year ." school-supervis- ed school-supervis- Stephen Michaels, Steve Garrett and Mike Stevens. Slater, formerly known by tier Sheriff Roger Coursey and Southeast Utah that Utah's representatives s, spokesman Jack Ford. Vredenburg is originally from Garden Grove, Calif., but has lived in Salt Lake County since the early 1980s, logging numerous arrests for petty crimes such Serving Moab say needs national support because they have little faith ed Locally, schools have not had a problem with this in the past. "It is hoped that we will not Sign up now for Christmas Parade Dec. 2 2597531 pounds. have any such problems in the future," said Superintendent Richard Averett. 3 visit Highway 191 . . . Bighorn The Arches National Park Desert Bighorn Sheep come down to jam when they do. Highway The band (flock? group? herd? pack?) includes one lead ram, and at least a dozen sheep in all. Since transplanted there several years ago, the bunch has grown considerably, appearing to enjoy the rocky side hills and grassy valleys afforded in the Arches environment. 191 on occasion, almost creating a traffic S - mr.j.ijn.iiLfiTi.wiffli. iiTfl rtr .gntjuir irttiuiTijiifl. ifflti..jraLiiiirt ihTtj -'- lV.rTii .nT. jirmti flVjrtiijWiVimiK' PiTirfiiiriPiiiiCiiiiniTrfinitl i'miff WThT iimTVflifimHf ififT if iiirTii rlirrfl) nmf imrf iTnffir miifimff itf mdiifiiriilfuJiiT null wf imufi 0$ jiiCiif nrf uirC ndlf n iff HT, mg wnTi wnT nwrT wnlT tiaWjiinrinrrirTffj.r |