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Show i file UK Y V'V' MOAB, UTAH 500 Volume 111 WEATHER Thursday Sunny by Lisa Church contributing writer Sunny High 76 Low 43 Saturday Sunny High 79 Low 42 Sunday Mostly Sunny High 82 Low 42 Read all about it! t's newly-design- B section. Organizers of the Canyonlands Half Marathon and Five Mile Run are stepping up efforts to involve local residents in the event, and to recognize Grand County runners who participate in the race. Race director Ranna Bieschke said the Rim Rock Roadrunners, sponsors of the event, plan to present awards to the first Moab man and woman who cross Saturdays finish line in the half marathon. This years race also includes a Friday night pasta dinner featuring a Iron Man champion Dave talk by e Scott. The March 19 event, slated for p.m. at the Moab Valley Inn, is open to the public. Tickets are $12. six-tim- You'll find weekly events, a TV guide, horoscope, crossword, calendar, real estate listings, classifieds and more 6-- 8 See photos on pages B2 and B3. by Lisa Church contributing writer Letitia Bentley Shares heritage See page B12. Inside The T imes Business Directory: BIO Classifieds: B11 A6-- 7 Obituaries: A4 Region Review: B3 Sports: B1 TV Guide: B8-- 9 The Moab Area Travel Council will move forward with plans to hire an advertising agency to develop a consistent image for marketing Moab around the world. On Tuesday, the Grand County Council unanimously approved the request from the Travel Council board. MATC is currently seeking proposals from advertising agencies for the project, and will ask the top candidates to give public presentations to the board, said MATC director Marian DeLay. The MATC board will submit recommendations to the Grand County Council, which will make the final decision on the hire. MTC board member Michael Liss told the council that hiring an agency of record will allow all the messages that are being projected by Moab to be coherent. Liss said the agency will conduct research, including awareness studies and an evaluation of overall visitation trends based on the amount of transient room taxes (TRT) collected from area lodging establishments in recent years. The research will help provide a clear picture of the economic health of Grand Countys tourism industry. Board member Steve Wang said a pre by Lisa Church The Grand County Council should WEATHER abandon plans to rewrite a proposed draft general plan, and stick with the HISTORY Precip. - High-Lo- Mar. 10 71 36 71 36 Mar. 12 73 33 Mar. 13 71 39 Mar. 11 Mar. 14 74 36 Mar. 15 69 36 Mar. 16 69 36 otesssA ssw ' First Place Four Categories In . Group H ThTimIndependent "' 5. original version submitted for approval last year. Thats what the majority of citizens who spoke at a public hearing on the issue said Tuesday night. In January 2002, the Grand County Planning and Zoning Commission began meeting with community members to create the update to the countys general plan. The document serves as a guide for projecting and managing future growth and economic development in the county. More than 300 individuals completed surveys outlining top priorities for the countys future. About 100 people attended more than 18 hours of workshops and meetings, and more than 60 individuals signed on to take part in task force committees that worked on topics affecting land and growth issues To subscribe to The Times-Independe- nt call subscribemoabtimes.com The This news-papis 259-452- Continued on Page 2 nt er 7X) printed on recycled paper and is recyclable. liminary analysis of TRT monies collected since 1999 shows that Moab may be attracting more visitors, but the growth is not enough to keep up with the increase in lodging establishments in the area. The reason we want an agency of record is were hoping it will generate more demand to boost the tourism economy in Grand County, Wang said On Tuesday night, the council also approved MATCs request to transfer $50,000 from the travel councils fund balance to its national promotions budget. DeLay said $10,000 of that money will be used to help promote events in Grand County, and $40,000 will help pay for a new travel guide design that MATC hopes to complete later this spring. Council member A1 McLeod voted against the measure. Earlier this month, the county council put the brakes on MATCs plans to hire R&R Partners, a Salt Lake advertising agency, to design the travel guide. Council members, irritated that the MATC board did not invite other advertising agencies to present their ideas for the guide, required MATC to invite the top three bidding advertising companies to make presentations to the council before a final hiring decision is made. throughout the county. The idea's submitted by the task forces were incorporated into the final language of the draft general plan. But in a series of public workshops this year, county council members, who have the final say on what is included in the document, moved to eliminate sections of the plan that some council members considered wordy and unnecessary. The council also removed language that examined different views of how development might impact the backcountry Carol Hoggard (left) and Sonny Crandall collect trash along a stretch of state Route 128 near Moab In preparation tor the 2004 Canyonlands Halt Marathon and Five Mile Run About 40 volunteers turned out to help event mile organizers spruce up an stretch of highway along the Colorado River Next Saturday, the events 4,300 participants will run sections of the highway, which is closed for several hours while runners make their way toward the finish line in Moab. Photo by Lisa Church atmosphere in surrounding areas of the county, and changed a proposed annual citizen review of the plan to a periodic review. Some council members also pushed to add language supporting and encouraging multiple uses, including recmineral reational uses and stepped-uexploration on state and federal lands in p the county. County resident Bill Love characterized the councils proposed changes as the death of a thousand cuts. He urged the council to return to the original document and pass it as written. Lets get rid of this plan of a thousand cuts and return to the citizens plan. The plan that has the support of the community, he said. The council has thrown out many basic part of this plan. Businessman Joe Kingsley said the council has gutted sections of the plan that would have stepped up efforts to clean up junk in Grand County. Kingsley chastised the council for ignoring the wishes of community members who spent hundreds and hundreds of hours contributing to the plan. Hundreds of hours of citizen commitment have gone into this plan. All the action points we have proposed for junk cleanup have been cut, he said. Everything my Committee has worked for over the last two years has been watered down or completely cut out. Kingsley provided a moment of levity by referring to the meeting as ed on Page A2 one-mil- e 1 1 -- Candidates filing for election as March 17 deadline looms by Lisa Church contributing writer City-base- d Stick to general plan revisions, county council told at hearing contributing writer Date Bieschke said the group also hope-- , to make the annual race celebration at the finish line at Swanny City Park more appealing to local residents. A bluegrass band will play throughout the day, and a variety of vendors and race sponsors w ill be on hand. Wed love to have everybody come out and cheer the runners on at the finish line, Bieschke said. Its a fun day. The public is welcome to come down and join in the festivities. The group also still needs volunteers to help with registration and race day activities, Bieschke said. Those interested 5 can contact Bieschke at Last weekend, the Canyonlands Half Marathon and Five Mile Run launched Travel Council gets green light to transfer funds; move ahead with plans to hire ad agency Whose birthday? Editorials, Letters: Notices: B2 Thursday, March 18, 2004 Saturday; locals turn out to clean up for visitors k Friday Turn to The www.moabtimes.com 11 Moab welcomes Half Marathon and Five Mile Run this FORECAST High 75 Low 40 Number With the March 17 deadline loom- ing, nine candidates had already filed Tuesday to compete for four Grand County Council seats up for grabs in November. Officials in the Grand County Clerks office said all potential candidates must submit their filing petitions on Wednesday in time for clerks to verify that they contain the required number of legal signatures All three eligible incumbents have filed for reelection In District 2, incumbent Jerry McNeely will face David Condie in the November contest. Joette Langianese will seek a second term representing council District 5, and will likely face a challenge from Marcus LaFrance, who said Wednesday morning that he will file his petition for that seat by days end. By press time on Wednesday, LaFrance had not officially filed for the race. Three candidates have filed in District 4 to replace councilman A1 McLeod , who is prohibited by county term limits from seeking a third term A primary will be held in June to winnow the field to two candidates whose names w ill appear on the November ballot. In the race, incumbent Jim Lewis will seek reelection in race against at-lar- Dave Cozzens. Candidates must file their petitions p m. by 5 In other races, three board positions - those currently held by David Olsen, Ron Olsen, and Eric York - on the Grand County School Board are up for grabs this year, but by press time, only two candidates had filed. Ron Olsen has filed for reelection in School District 5, which includes county voting precincts 3 and 10 Sonya Daw will run for the School District 3 seat now held by David Olsen. That district includes county voting precincts 5 and 11, school district officials said. t y 'i'k'-- v hv, . ' JF T I:!. v Vi'S w a. ' o..V W"?, ,-- 4 v K iV1?-'-- ' v v, . v.H i'J . V r r mini -" staffers old college buddy, thought the readers might Dave Wilson, enjoy a birds eye view of Moab. Wilson took this photo from his window seat on a commercial flight from Denver to Los Angeles. aTimes-Independe- nt |