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Show c MOAB, UTAH WEATHER FORECAST Isolated High 80 Low 55 Friday 4 Saturday ... fv Mostly Sunny High 90 Low 54 Businesses break ground as visitation heads for Partly Cloudy High 85 Low 55 Who are these people? J J v 4f TaFe a look at the historic photo on Page B1 and see if you recognize anyone. Horsin' around The Moab Quarter Horse Association is holding its final open show of the season this Sunday. Several other events are in planned 1 September. A4 See Sports Inside T he T imes Business Directory: 65 Calendar: B4 Crossword Puzzle: B7 Classifieds: B7 Dining & Lodging: 63 Editorials, Letters: A10,11 Notices: 66 Obituaries: 45 Region Review: B1 Sports: A4 Television Listings: 62 WEATHER HISTORY Date High Low Aug. 30 Aug. 31 1 Sept Sept Sept 2 Sept. 4 Sept 5 3 that is a sizeable drop. by Franklin Seal staff writer Sunday. nl 'j Motel boom may be in midst of decline in visitor numbers Thursday Mostly Sunny High 87 Low 55 Thursday, September 7, 2000 www.moabtimes.com Volume 107 Number 36 5Qg Preca 86 62 .13 88 61 .01 88 61 91 63 92 57 97 63 97 68 - Student support Though the tourism market in Moab may have experienced little or no growth over the past five years, competition in the motel and lodging sector of Grand Countys economy has increased nearly 18 percent. And with two large new motels about to break ground in the coming weeks, it appears the competition is about to get even tougher. The National Park Service recently announced new visitation figures for Arches and Canyonlands national parks. As of the end of July, Arches is h down 6.9 percent from the same seven-mont- period the year before; Canyonlands is down seven percent. Those figures likely mean that 35,488 fewer people visited Moab during the first half of this year than during the first half of last year. That comes out to 5,069 fewer visitors per month. For a town as dependent on tourism as Moab has become, and with d residents, only 5,000 or so year-roun- that downturn has not slowed the pace of new motel and lodging construction. Despite the gloomy visitation figures, Moab appears to be in the midst of a minor Yet somehow, lodging and motel building boom. Motel mania In the past five years the number of rooms or units available for overnight accommodations in Moab and Grand County has gone from 1,326 (including bed and breakfasts) to 1,563. Thats a 17.9 percent increase from October of 1995 through October 1999. Though thats nothing like the motel boom of the early 90s when six new motels were constructed in Moab in the space of one year, it is still significant growth. Meanwhile, visitation at Arches arguably a rough indicator of trends in the number of tourists coming to Moab has only increased a bit over one percent in five years and appears poised on the brink of a decrease. Arches ended 1999 with a total of 5-ye- ar Y die-har- d New motels break ground Two new motels are about to break ground in Moab. David Storey, the Moab developer of The Castlerock Inn project behind JBs Restaurant, Continued on Page A2 Trends of 2 motels: Upscale and affordable Moab Info. Center: Moab developer David Storey walks into the Grand County planning office with the air of a man on a mission. Hes here to talk motel specifically The Castlerock Inn, his new project set to go in soon behind JBs Restaurant next to the Moab Valley Inn. he says, as he waits to Were going to be form from a get building permit Mary Holhine, Grand When comand administrator. County Planning Zoning in motels to he the Moab, existing says Castlerock pared will be near the top. Well blow them out of the water, he says, referring to one new motel chain famous for its The Moab Information Center located on the corner of Center and Main has shown a steady increase in visitation during the past five years. In 1995, 131,794 people were counted at the Center Last year, 1999, showed 250,395 people visited the facility. That was the second largest visitation year. Only 1997 showed more, with a total of 255,257. According to Center Director Cindy Hardgrave, however, the year 2000 is showing a major drop mirroring visitation at area national parks. So far this year, as of the end of August, visitation is down 20.2, she said, with the largest drop occurring in June, 28. 100-un- it up-scal- e, low rates. The closest comparison, he says, is the Gonzo Inn. But Castlerock will be a bit more traditional in style. Western, with a stucco exterior. Storey plans on spending approximately $5 million to build the motel complex. That doesnt include money to acquire the JBs restaurant, which he says, As of right now, we dont want it., though he acknowledges having looked at the property. The current owner of the JBs franchise will likely exercise his option to buy the real estate, which previously had been leased, he says. Castlerock will sit on 2.5 acres of land directly behind the restaurant. Most of the land is currently occupied by a parking lot, designed to accommodate spillover from the Moab Valley Inn, constructed in 1994. Since then, Moab City parki lg requirements have changed, says David Olsen, community development coordinator. Theres more flexibility in the law than there was then. Back when Moab Valley Inn was built, the city Numbers down 20 ZsZTT.- TYRANNOSAURUS low 869,980 visitors for the year a meager 1 2 percent increase over 1995 Totals for 1996, 1997 and 1998 were all lower than either 1995 or 1999. But if the trend from the first half of 2000 continues through December it will mean this year will end far lower than any of the previous four years, representing a 5.7 percent decline in visitation since 1995. At best, the number of tourists visiting Moab may have plateauod during the past five years. At worst, Moab may be on the verge of a tourism decline. But that news is no demotel developers, terrent to who apparently are willing to gamble millions on the prospect of slicing Moabs economic pie into increasingly thinner and thinner pieces. A CRETACEOUS CONCERTO BY BRUCE ADOLPHE The Moab Music Festivals artist m residence this year, Bruce Adolphe, is the composer of Tyrannosaurus Sue, a Cretaceous Concerto, which will be performed Sept 9 See more about this work on Page B1. Music Festival's 2nd week takes a look at Cretaceous period The second week of the Moab Music Festival brings more than 25 musicians to the stage for some of the most ambitious concert schedules of the entire musical event. For audiences lookorchestral and ing for chamber music performances, the concerts during week two are not to be missed. full-forc- - e The week includes an evening of Latin American music on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8 p m in Star Hall. Following the success and popularity of last years Latin concert, this years pro- gram includes works by Ernesto Nazareth, Astor Piazzola, and s Bachianas Heitor No. 3 as well as choBrasdeiras Villa-Lobo- ral works by Lobo de Mesquita sung Chorus and Sounds Grand. Baritone comer to the Moab Music Festival, will also sing works by Carlos and Carlos Guastavino. On Sunday, Sept. 10 in the Grand County High School Auditorium, the Festivals The 3 Bs: Bach, Brahms, and Bruce will include Adolphes Piano Trio No. 2, and the classical favorites Bachs Ricercar, and Brahms Serenade No. 1 in D, Op. 11. Festival music director Michael Barrett says Brahms Serenade for nine instruments will satisfy anyone with a hearty appetite for classical music repertoire. Lbpez-Buchard- 4 Ir M ' the Moab Community Scott Hendricks, a new- by o Paul Hershs popular Piano Violinist Juliette Kang per- forms this weekend during the festival Talk and concert series will be held Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m. in Star Hall This year, Hi rsh will discuss and perform Beethovens Diabelh Vu notions. Op 120 For information about concert dates and ticket prices, call 3 or stop by the office at 59 South Main 3 Continued on Page A2 259-700- Rehearsals are open to the public GCHS students rally support for classmate Cody Thompson who is fighting cancer. A7 -- " first Pmcs' p'( GeneralQmuo EtrceHenr i v Throughout the Moab Music Festival's season, the Festival designates specific rehearsals as open rehearsals " These musical events offer the public the opportunity to see how the festivals music is made. Open rehearsals for this week are as follows: m. Grand County High School Wednesday, Sept. 6, Auditorium, Homenaje a Federico Garcia Lorca by Silvestre Revueltas; Friday, Sept. 8, 10. a. m 11 30a m. Star Hall, Fuga et Misteria Mi Longa dangel by Astor Piazzola, 10 Grand County High School Auditorium, Tyrannosaurus Sue by Bruce Adolphe, 12 p m 2 p m. Star Hall Serenade No. 1 in D, Opus 11 by Johannes Brahms TheTmes- f am-11:30a.- The Moab Information Center has experienced a drop in visitation, as evidenced by the empty plaza surrounding the building at Center and Main streets. j - -- Bids are first step in water system upgrade Independent call subscritegnKwbtimes.com The nt This news-pap- er is T 3 printed on recycled paper and is recyclable. Grand Water & Service Agency awarded two bids on two portions of its culinary water system upgrade on Aug. 30. Two portions of the upgrade were bid; the distribution system and the storage tank. The project, which has an estimated cost of $4.9 million, also includes development of addi three-million-gall- The Prospector Lodge, long a resting place for Moab area trave'ers, is being torn down to make way for a new motel. Photos by Franklin Seal (POOR COPY tional source wells for the system. Johansen Construction of Mount Pleasant, Utah was awarded the bid on the distnbution system portion of the project. Johansens bid was $2,193,602.65, $411,903 below the engineers estimate. Build Inc. of Pountiful, Utah was awarded the bid for the three- - million-galloconcrete storage tank. Build n Inc.s bid was $1,333,923. $257,103 over the engineers estimate The project has been funded through a combination of loans and grants from USDA Rural Development, the Utah Dnnking Water Board, and the Permanent Community Impact Board. The agency expects to close on these bonds near the end of September and begin construction of the project in late October. |