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Show BiyarTymipi rpr'WWW'Ptri 'On Two Wheels' suggests the hiking boom, of may he continuing. See a run-dow- n area hike businesses , Page A5. GCHS Baseball Team comes out swinging. See Sports, Pages Bl, B2, B6. t 50$ Volume 105 Number15 Serving Moab and Southeastern Utah since 1896 Thursday, April 9,199a Park visits Development plans dominate county meeting to transient business license owner dramatically drop in '98 Is El Nino to blame for 18 decrease Shop objects by Ken Davey staff writer when the council approved a final plat for the Navajo Ridge subdivision northwest of Navajo Heights and south of Mill Creek. 37-un- Development issues dominated the Grand County Council meeting Monday, it at Arches? 1 h J&jf Visitation to almost all units of the National Park Service in Southeastern Utah was down dramatically in March, according to figures released this week by the NPS. Only the Needles District of Canyonlands showed an increase for the month, and for the year to date. In March, 11,226 people logged in at Needles, compared to 9,845 during the same month a year ago. So far this year, 15,861 people have visited Needles, an increase of 6.5 over the first quarter of 1997. At the areas biggest draw, Arches National Park, 52,467 people were counted in March, compared to 64,176 a year ago. That represented a decrease of 18.2. So far this year, Arches visitation, at 75,254, is down 13.6 from the first three months of 1997. Ironically, even though March visitation was down, more people camped overnight in the park than during March a year ago. Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands drew 14,431 in March, compared to 17,796 a year ago. So far this year, Island travel is down 13.3, with total first quarter visitation standing at 20,591. Travel in the isolated Maze district wad down from 1,234 in March 1997 to 917 during the same month this year. Natural Bridges National Monument, administered out of the Moab headquarters, showed a decrease of 24.6 in March, with total visitation of 6,126. Mountain snowpack is near normal Measurements of snowpack taken the latter part of March, show that the figures are very close to normal in the La Sal Mountains. Crews from the Natural Resources Conservation Service stated this week that the March-en- d measurements showed that the upper La Sal Mountain snowcourse, located in Geyser Pass, held 45.5 inches of snow with 13 inches of water equivalent. This is 95 of normal. The lower course showed 32.5 inches of snow with 9.6 inches of water, also 95 of normal. Both measurements were taken before the round of storms that have blanketed the mountain during the first week in April. On the Abajo Mountains, Camp Jackson showed 40.6 inches of snow with 13.6 inches of water, amounting to 135 of normal. Buckboard Flat showed 44 inches of snow with 12 inches of water equivalent, 92 of normal. The service indicated that recent storms have not only helped the snowpack on the two mountain ranges, but have also helped the soil moisture levels in the lower country. WEATHER STATISTICS the county. The council decided to look for grants to pay for the project, which will examine the Highway 191 corridor from Interstate 70 to Arches National Park, the Colorado River Corridor bewere thinner than normal shoulders Moab and Cisco, and the La Sal tween along roads, steeper than normal slopes Mountain Loop Road from Castleton to off the roads, and sharper than normal the San Juan County line. curves in road design. According to planThe council also approved a proposal ner Richard Grice, the planning commisfrom the Grand County sion agreed to the excepHistorical Preservation tions to minimize site Commission to accept a disruption. competitive adTo receive county ap$5,000 grant from the Utah Division of State must proval, developers submit a bond to guaranHistory. According to people to he alDale Irish, $2,000 will go tee that improvements to busilowed do toward renovating Star such as roads, drainage Hall, and $3,000 will go and water and sewer ness on to determining whether needs are provided. In ground. ' the Shafer Home (an this case the county en-Robin Groff estimated original adobe structure that gineers built on what is now cost to be $1.2 million, Fourth East in 1894) should be prewhich also includes an additional 25 served and added to the National Regpercent to offset inflation and changes. ister of Historic Places. The developers and the county In other business the council heard agreed to accept as collateral a $780,000 from Robin Groff, an owner of Rim letter of credit, plus a trust deed for propCyclery, who complained that the county erties within the next phase of the deapproved a transient business license for velopment. an council also The county held a pubcompany to sell outdoor lic hearing on Bob Reeds gear at Lions Park last month. The license cost $10 dollars, allowed Rim Village condominium project sales for 31 days and did not specify a east of Spanish Valley Drive and south location. of Kerby Lane. The area is zoned Its an unfair competitive advanwhich allows about 19 units per acre. for people to be allowed to do busiLee tage Griffith said Nearby resident ness on public ground, said Groff. He she was concerned about traffic along said the county should look at transient Spanish Valley Drive, and wanted some license rules within the city of Moab, guarantee that the road would be exwhich does a pretty good job of protectpanded. ing Moab businesses. Another nearby resident Judy Council chairman Ray Pene said Carmichael said she was happy that the Groff had a good point and that the of the was much development density less than allowed under the zone. county would look into the matter. Lisa Sweeten, Steve Hawks and Dr. The public hearing is just a step in Phil Kopell were appointed to the Hosthe approval process. The county has to OK the subdivision plan, and a vote on pital district board. The Bar M Chuckwagon was the Rim Village project will likely take a beer license for its new locacouncil next at granted Then the place meeting. tion north along Highway 191, near the a subdivision improvement agreement Gemini Bridges trail parking area. between the county and the developer The council approved an agreement must be accepted by both sides before with the Forest Service governing mainbe final approval can given. tenance of roads within the forest. The The council tabled approving a agreement includes adding some roads $35,000 contract with Four Corners to the county system. Richwhich includes planner Planning, K & K Construction was awarded a ard Grice, to research, gather public in$49,700 bid to construct a shed at the put on, and write plans governing the development of three separate parts of county road facility on South Hwy. 191. The project of J.D. Norman and the Kejana Corporation totals 111 acres. Included in the approval, on the recommendation of the planning commission, 'It's an unfair vantage for public out-of-to- 104-un- it 21-acr- e, R-- 3, Natures artistry captured on film Bruce Hucko of Moab often contrasts natures construction to that of man even ancient civilizations. His work is currently on display at the Anasazi Heritage Center. See related stories on Page Cl . Photo by Bruce Hucko Penes will appeal BLM order Sunrise service is at La Sal by Carrie Switzer staff writer Ron Pene of Pene Mining Company Overlook A , sum al rise service will be held on Easter Sunday at 6:45 at the La Sal Over-- . look in Arches National Park. Persons attending the service should arrive by 6:30 a.m. as parking is limited. , Annual Easter Egg hunt is Saturday The Easter Bunny is coming to Moab! All children ages two through eight years old are invited to Rotary Park to the Moab City Annual : .t Easter Egg Hunt. ' This event takes place at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, the day before Easter. Kids, bring your parents and get ready to hunt for all the Easter Eggs the bunny has hidden at Ror ,' tary Park. For additional information call Moab City Recreation at stands firm in offering up three options to the Bureau of Land Management in an escalating dispute over several mining claims in the Westwater Canyon: They can leave me alone, talk to me about buying me out or go to court, Pene said with conviction. On Monday, Pene announced he has appealed BLMs most recent cease and desist order on the grounds that BLM which formed the bavalidity exam sis of rendering Penes claims invalid was conducted by adverse parties who were biased against the project and who withheld information, fabricated sample weights and falsified documentation. Ive paid for that property and those claims every year, Pene said, armed with reams of documents compiled over a decade of wrangling with BLM over his right to mine placer and lode claims located on 960 acres approximately nine of Cisco along the popumiles north-eaI have vested lar Colorado River put-iI want people claims and in rights those to leave me alone, go down the river and have a ball. Penes claims border an area the BLM has designated a Wilderness Study Area, however, Pene claims the protected status of the WSA was put in place after he filed claims. Documents Pene presented to a Con- - Jeep Safari is expecting st n. fun-fille- d ; t: 259-225- 5. Continued on Page A2 Nearly 80 of the more than 100 jeep trail tours scheduled during the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab this year were full as of Monday, organizers told The More than 2,000 vehicle units were registered for the Safari, 4 held between April and 12, compared to about 1,650 that attended last year. The event, enjoying its 32nd year, is sponsored by The Red Rock Inc. The group is holding a trade show at the Old Spanish Trail Arena on April 9 and 1 0, from 8 a.m. to 1 0 p.m. On Friday, April 1 0, the Annual Boy Scout Barbeque will be held there at 6 p.m. A drawing for registered Safari participants will take place at 8 p.m. that evening. Wet weather put a damper on a few jeepers earlier in the week, but otherwise helped keep dust levels down along the trails. Times-lndepende- i POOR COPY rt ml!tu,iiiHi naHtniiiil iHniffinff uV ( " -- 4 i 1 tW irTiiffl in f ir - rLmri mTi imffl min nfh nitijil nil mii iWiTOniiffli 0& mrrn nnH igiTi itTC . |