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Show F 1 MOAB, UTAH Number 45 Volume 111 50 Thursday, November 11, 2004 WEATHER FORECAST Thursday Partly Cloudy High 858 Low 32 yy' Friday Partly Cloudy High 53 Low 31 Saturday Mostly Cloudy iL High 53 Low 30 2L Sunday Partly Cloudy High 54 Low 30 Weather forecast courtesy National Weather Service Grand Junction office. like a raptor sees. Red Rock students learn by doing and seeing on B1 Pauline Wait. Making a difference by collecting coats. See New hospital project thermometer tops $1 million Visitors to Allen Memorial Hospital see that the First Million fundraising thermometer has reached its peak. The Board of Directors of Moab ValInc. noted the completion Healthcare ley of the milestone at the October meeting. Its really a significant milestone for our project, stated former Board Chairman Bob Jones who has been working with this project from the beginning. The First Million recognizes receipts and pledges toward the building of Moab d Regional Medical Center, a new acute care hospital with an attached nursmedical office building and to home. is This milestone a tribute ing the work and devotion of hospital fundraising and the desire of our community for this new facility, stated hospital CEO Marla Shelby-Drabnreported that the Gene Vogl Architect project, designed by ofJGAArchitects Engineers Planners, is now at the schematic design stage. That means the layout is finalized and the design will now move into the mechanical and electrical engineering stage. The architect and hospital CEO have met with Moab City infrastructure planners and are in the process of completing the documents necessary to take the project to the Moab City Planning Commission and City Council. The plan is also still in the review process with the Utah Department of Health. Both of those approvals are expected in the next 30 to 60 days. The extensive review of a proposed hospital plan by the Department of Health B4 includes not only the design of the building but also the processes involved in delivering health care. Moab Regional Medical Center is a joint venture project with Moab Valley Healthcare, Inc. and Rural Health Management. Moab Valley Healthcare, Inc. is the governing body of Allen Memorial Hospital and will be the governing body of Moab Regional Medical Center. The Moab-baseboard includes seven members and the hospital CEO. Six of those seven members, and the hospital CEO, are residents of Grand County with the Rural Health Management President Mark Stoddard, of Nephi, representing d Shelby-Drabne- non-publi- d r. er Pictured above are, standing from left, Mark Stoddard, Bob Jones, Ken Ballantyne, Jerry Bidinger, Dr. Bobby Hudgins, and, seated from left, Dr. Dell Keys, Marla Shelby-Drabnand Dr. Phillip Kopell of the Moab Valley Healthcare, Inc. Board Of Directors showing off the first $1 million dollars in pledges and contributions to Moab Regional Medical Centers er Salmon Air winter schedule draws ire of travelers the site in place where it is, transport the material to the White Mesa Mill near contributing writer DeU.S. of months the After Blanding via a slurry pipeline, or relodelays, cate it to a seEnpartment of cure cell at eiergy (DOE) has DEIS: To of ther Klondike the Atlas Obtain a Copy released a Bluff or Cresdraft Copies are also available at the Grand County cent Junction. Public Library, on the DOE Grand Junction environmental A fifth possibilat: on and website statement http:gj.em.doc.govmoab, impact the NEPA website at: www.eh.doc.govnepa. (DEIS) outlining ity - doing no cleanup - is options for cleanalso examined, DEIS: How on to Comment Atlas the of the Atlas up but DOE offiWritten comments may be submitted to: Uranium mill cials have reDon Metzler, Moab Federal Project Director, tailings site north B of U.S. 2597 Moab. of 34 Road, Department Energy, peatedly said by Carrie Switzer by Lisa Church Business Directory: B8 Classifieds: B9 much-anticipat- ed Editorials, Letters: A6-- 8 Historic Photo: B1 Notices: B4 Obituaries: A4 Region Review: B1 B1-- 3 Sports: TV Guide: B2-- 3 LAST WEEK'S WEATHER High Low Precp. Date Nov. 2 52 26 56 24 Nov. 3 ov. 4 59 26 64 34 Nov. 5 Nov. 6 63 30 64 30 Nov. 7 68 45 58 40 Nov. 8 Nov. 9 -- The DOE will accept Grand Junction, CO 81503. the so-call- no action a- public comments to:. lternative is comment on the not a viable DEIS for 90 days moabcommentsgjo.doe.gov, or telephone comments to - until February option. or by fax at 18, 2005. Earlier year, DOE offthis year, DOE icials said officials had said in for administrators be would comments Washington agency accepted public D.C. wanted a complete evaluation of the 45 days after the report was made availenvironmental consequences for all the able to the public. The DOE will hold cleanup alternatives before making a fipublic meetings the week of Jan. 24, decision on whether to move the tailnal 2005. Unlike most EIS reports issued by ings or cap the 11.9 million tons of radioreactive material in place about 750 feet the federal government, the draft from the Colorado River. The DOE will leased this week does not identify a preferred alternative for action, but examincorporate comments from the public and members of the 12 cooperating ines four options for cleaning up the 13 million tons of Cold War-er- a on Page A2 cap tailings ail 5, -N- 6. -- .05 .75 A new record. Old record .51 in 1974. Last agen-Continu- i n Power I omnium staff writer If Moab wants a full schedule of winter air commuter service at Canyonlands Field it will take an act of congress. So says Salmon Air operations manager Tom Russell. Limited flights in and out of Moab from Salt Lake City this winter are the result of Federal Aviation Administra- tion regulations imposed on Field that require all Canyonlands planes to land in daylight, and with no cloud cover at 10,000 feet or below. The FAA has said we cant do instrument landings, Russell said. We have to do visual landings. They said its just not safe. Salmon Air decided to cut back its schedule of 12 round-tri- p flights per week, to one a day, rather than schedule 12 flights and have to cancel due to weather conditions. The FAA made a decision about our airport, and it literally will take an act of congress, brought on by the community, to bring about any change, he said. Since Salmon Air was awarded the Essential Air Service contract from the FAA last March, only one flight has been cancelled and two That puts Salmon Airs performance record at 99 percent, Russell said. Airport Manager Mark Francis, the fixed-baseoperator, confirmed that the FAA nixed the instrument approach who operates Redtail Aviation as First in the Nation F,P d y procedure. That procedure allowed us to descend to certain altitudes in bad weather. What the FAA has determined is that we cannot fly that approach at First Place In Four Categories Group The - Continued on Page A2 building fund. Draft EIS on uranium mill tailings is now available Inside The T imes the management company. The relationship of the board, management company, and the Grand County Service District continues to be a matter of confusion in the community, stated Board Chairman .Jerry Bidinger. Let me try to clarify the relationships. Moab Valley Healthcare is a private company that was established specifically to operate Allen c enMemorial Hospital as a We do not receive a tax subsidy and tity. our only relationship with the public council is that the Grand County pital Service District owns the Allen Memorial Hospital building and leases it to us. Once the new facility is built the lease will be terminated and the Grand County Hospital Service District will decide the future use of the Allen Memorial Hospital building and property. There has been a great deal of coordination with the GCIISSD, MAPS and the community so Moab is served now and in the future. The Moab Valley Healthcare Inc. Board of Directors entered into a contract for management senicea with Rural Health Management in 1995 as " part of the "lease agreement The level of commitment of the Rural Health Management is evident in the joint von ture of the new hospital, which will require both Rural Health Management and Moab Valley Healthcare, Inc. to accept the obligation of the financing of non-prof- it 25-be- 24-be- . . Seeing. www.moabtimes.com night. Salmon Air was faced with changing their schedule or living with the potential of not being able to fly back in to Moab. The Airport Board was scheduled to meet Tuesday night to discuss the FAA decision. Moab needs a new type of instrument approach system, Francis said. It would be a very long, arduous and expensive process. If everybody is willing to support it, including a congressional delegation, it will still be two years before we have what we need. The money is available from grants, Francis said, but the community must prove it needs, and wants, more frequent air travel opportunities to Salt Lake City for business purposes. Russell called the FAA decision a body slam to Moab. The community needs an le hub, he said. If the commuwants a vital, responsive airport, nity we have to invest in it. During the bidding process for Essential Air Service Moab favored service to Salt Lake City over service to Denver, Colorado. Russell said the future may include service to Denver and to Las Vegas, but Salmon Air would focus on reliable travel to Salt Lake City. Salmon Airs schedule change took effect November 1, and Russell admitted the company didnt give ample notice to its customers. Its really because we were fightthis ing up to the last minute, Russell said. A full schedule is expected to resume March 1, 2005. K Grand County School Board will have two new faces in January To subscribe to The Times-Independe- nt call subscribemoabtimes.com The This nt news-pap- is er 7 X) printed on recycled paper and is recyclable. The U.S. Department of Energy has released a draft study that examines multiple alterAtlas Uranium mill tailings pile, located about three natives for dealing with 1 miles north of Moab. The DOE did not identify a preferred remediation method, opting instead to take public comment through February 1 8. A final decision on whether to move the tailings, which are leaching toxic chemicals into the Colorado River, will be made in Photo by Lisa Church March 2005. i The Grand County School Board will have some new faces next year after voters chose two new school board members and reelected one sitting board member on November 2. Ronald Olsen ran unopposed and won reelection in School District 5. In Grand County School District 2, Debra Hren defeated Hilary Ward for the seat that was up for grabs after Eric York decided not to run for reelection. In School District 3, write-i- n can didate Jim Webster defeated write-i- n candidate David Olsen to take a seat originally held by Olsen. He had initially decided not to run for reelection but entered the race as a write-i- n after the only candidate who filed for the spot dropped out earlier this year. Webster, Olsen, and Hren will join sitting members Kaaron Jorgen and Bryon Walston on the School Board in January. |
