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Show Page A9 (The Thursday, April 25, 2u01 iEimFS'iibfpnihmt On Two Wheels Letters to the Editor A pedaling periodical of bicycle-relate- ), ) 259-589- dures, Abandonment, Substandard Housing, Secu nty Deposits and Refunds, Homelessness, Temporary Housing and Shelters, Rehabilitating Housing, Renters Groups, Subsidized Housing and many other services available throughout the State of Utah. If you are a renter or landlord and unsure of your rights and responsibilities please drop by the Grand County Housing Authority to obtain your FREE copy of The Utah Renters Handbook. Karena Gholson F.xecutive Director Grand County Housing Authority Appreciates honesty and integrity of Moab community Dear Editor, I was recently in your beautiful Moab for an annual camping trip to Arches National Park. Ive known for several years what a treasure you have in your little town and how willing you are to share your wealth of sites to outsiders like myself, I always found your community a warm one, but I did not know how generous until this year. I had spent a day Arches, dinosaur bones, and even a rock house. Returning through Moab, I carelessly left my purse at your local Taco Bell. Of course, I didnt realize this until I traveled the 20 miles up to our camping site in Arches. Panic arose as I drove the 20 miles back to town. There was very little cash left in the purse. Still, the $50 remaining was to see our way home. Would my purse be there? Would I recover my credit cards, at least? When I pulled into Taco Bell the lights were off. However, the night crew was cleaning up from sight-seein- g the day as I knocked on the door. A personable young lady answered the door. I told her of my loes, and she let me in. To my surprise the purse was there, the insides had not been touched. How fortunate I was to have stopped at this eating establishment! A young lady, Angela, had found my purse and put it aside. I know that six or seven workers were in Taco Bell when I returned to find my purse. In these times, when the trend is to take and keep, its so very refreshing to know that your town, your people, know right from wrong I didnt get the names of all the crew that evening, Tuesday, April 10. I wish I had. So, I will have to categorize all Moab,, judging from this incident. Moab, thank you for the honesty and integrity of your town. Sincerely, Susan Lester Evanston, Wyo. Its a battle instead of a planning process Dear Editor After reading a number of comments concernFour Wheel riders during abuse by ing the Jeep Safari, Allen Thorpe wrote: This illustrates my contention that no restrictions are going to work without the widespread support of those who use the land the most, often the locals. Often, however, some of the worst offenders are also locals, but autocratic managers who condemn everyone who drives a vehicle, estrange the people they need the most to watch for and report illegal uses. It will take time to develop an ethic among the people, and the organized ORV community should be part of the solution. "Environmentalists have the attitude that you cant trust anybody who doesnt bleed green, and so they insult many of those who could do the most to help solve the problems they worry about." Allen Thorpe is the Assistant District Attorney in Emery County. SUWA has always taken the stance of no compromise. The Southeast Utah Land Users (SULU) NON-Redroc- k have always been willing to negotiate some road closures but has always been met with no negotiations from the other side. This has angered us to the point that we will not compromise. By alienating us, the environmentalists have forged a tougher road for themselves to accomplish anything. It has become a battle instead of a planning process to meet the needs of the OHV community. People with SULU are more willing to accept abuse deto the environmental retaliate against just mands. Some people, when told you cant ride here, tread lightly, leave no trace," see this as a red cape at which the bull will charge. It will take cooperation from the county, the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, SULU, and SUWA to resolve the OHV problems. Going to war wont settle anything, except who has the most money, the most attorneys, or can spread the biggest lies. RIDE RESPONSIBLY. Jim Bourne, president. Southeast Utah Land Users, Inc. So much money they can afford to Dear Editor, As a year round resident of Moab, I am fully aware of the tourist season. Here it is April, and as always the season is in full swing on Friday evening, my wife and I decided to grab some take out, and go home to eat our dinner as opposed to trying to get a table somewhere in town. As we drove to the north end of town, we decided that we had made a good choice because this particular place wasnt as busy as the other places in town. I went inside to order, at which time a young girl behind the counter informed me that we arent orders tonight because we are too doing take-obusy. I turned and walked out dumbfounded. Outside I looked around and noticed that there were sevut eral vehicles in the parking lot, but nothing compared from this to the many times I had ordered take-ou- t place when cars were parked all along the highway. Still in shock, we returned home, at which time we placed a call to that same restaurant to inquire orders. In asking for the once more about take-oinformed wife was that the manager my manager, turn business away? wasnt in, but that she is the owners daughter, maybe she could help. After explaining what had happened, the girl then repeated that they were not orders, because they were too busy doing take-oand the cooks were backed up. On many occasions I have stood in line at this same restaurant for 20 orders. minutes waiting to pick up take-ou- t That girl had no idea that I am a local resident, and I didnt bother to tell her. My point is this. The year round residents support these businesses in the off" season, but once the season starts again, they can afford to turn customers away? I have been taught all my life that in a business the customer is always treated decent regardless of the time of year. Is there a new rule that customers dont count? After speaking to a few people, I learned that this same thing has happened to them at the same business. I just cant imagine a business having so much money that they can afford to turn business away. Frank Melo Moab Castle Valley Comments by Ron Drake go-ahe- ad Pothole traces snewy curves about seeiArch Pothcie included in a new ng series?" asked my friend T.J. map He stared at me for a moment, took a sip off his beer, and leaned a little harder on the bar. How would you feel if someone burned your house down?" Thats when knew guidebook writing wasn't for me I'd been talking with a local geographic imaging services (GlS) company about producing a set of mountain bike maps based on the readings of a giofca! positioning sensor (GPS) tucked m my nydration pack. Our test map led out to Pothole Arch, and down a secret, extreme singletrack two variations of a popular Moab r.de that arent described in any book. rode the routes, stopping along the way to snoot digital photos of desert blooms and dizzying views. In a dark office in downtown Moab, the computer nerds took over. They reached into the digital traps, dragged out my organic expenence, byte by byte, and brought it back to "How would you feel through fertile ground, rising onto smooth, swollen, blond stone before finding the secluded bowl where a small porta! welcomes you into a tiny desert sanctuary It is an intimate spot, contrary to the usual stony glory of Moab destinations And after T J s subtle rhetoric, stopped to think about the emotional consequence of otfenng such personal joy to anyone with the I I wherewithal to get to Moab. Just for the return of part of a dollar for each map, I would sell one of my purest experiences, one offered in trust by a friend Suddenly saw myself sitting at a hotel bar, considering a offer from Robert Redford for some time with my wife Sure, the money would be good, and watching someone else have a good tme can be almost as much fun as having cne yourself. But immedmillion-dol-l- ment on the plan at that time. Jim Salmon of Castleton was appointed by the council to the Grand County Recreational Services District. He wiil represent our communities in their decisions. The council also adopted a resolution to authorize road supervisor Damian Bollerman the authority to sell the old road grader. He was instructed to get the best price for the equipment and make sure the buyer hauls it off. A public hearing was also set for frie May meeting for input about a town public building. Although a public hearing is not required, the council would like the community to let them know if we want a building, ideas of what kind of a building and possible uses for it. A resolution was passed in support of the Division of Wildlife Recourses efforts to recognize the value of wildlife habitat in the upper portion of the valley. The state legislature gave DWR a million dollars during the last session to buy land that is critical to wildlife habitat. The council, in their resolution, supports their efforts in conserving these lands in Castle Valley with part of that money. Castle Valley Fire Chief Floyd Stoughton appeared before the council to make sure land on the community lot was still available for a fire station. A grant application for the additional fire building is due by August and the town lot appears to be the likely location. The new building will house several fire engines and will cut down on the response time to areas in the lower end of the valley. Ruth Johnson returned home last Sunday after a fall broke her hip in St. George. Ruth and Ken were visiting their daughter Kris several weeks ago when the fall occurred. An operation gave ner a new partial hip and her recovery has gone very well and she was feeling fine Sunday but was a little tired after her trip home. ar monetary or otherwise, can't touch our essential need to protect our spiritual treasures. So didn't give up Ftothole Arch, But now, because I didnt offer this pristine jewel to the groping tires of the masses, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says no one can ride 1 Since the route to Pothole Arch is not established, which means it hasnt been catalogued m the standard public or iate gratification, I glory. On paper plasticized for durability one side would outline the electronic record of my travels, while the flip-siwould offer photographic evidence. Between the photos, there would be plenty of room for copy I've never believed that one picture is worth a thousand words. The biggest trouble with documenting trails in Moab is plagiarism. Back in the 80s, Todd Campbell explored the Moab area by bicycle, with tremendous support from other local riders, and he wrote the book, Above and Beyond Slickrock" His private logs, it is officially off limits. This is part of a new BLM initiative travel. For to control crcss-count- y years, much of the area around Moab had been listed as open" land, which means you can call up Acme Products, buy yourself some roller skates, and blast across the landscape unfettered by government regulation or common sense. That policy has led to the wholesale destruction of our fragile research was thorough; hardly an acre went unexamined. Anyone who has written a subsequent guidebook to mountain biking in Moab has used Above and Beyond Slickrock, either directly or simply because in many cases the book created the routes. Sure, these mining and cattle trails existed before Campbell arrived, but he was the first to label them mountain bike rides. So, in addition to the usual plagiarism, was determined to offer something new. The ride out to As for Pothole Arch, I could publish its location here and now, and then argue that it is a published trail, that it should be included in the inventory of trails. Then the BLM will mark it with paint and Carsomte posts, and youll all be able to frolic in its curves. After all, youve read this far, so you should be sensitive enough to handle this beauty desert ecosystem. The most basic Yeah, right. Ill turn over this route just as soon as I take out a personal ad seeking lonely millionaires Id aiso have to call my insurance agent part of that system is cryptobiotic soil, a collection of lichen, bacteria, moss and other tiny creatures that grows much like coral. It covers almost all of our healthy desert on the Colorado Plateau. Like coral, cryptobiotic soil cant take beng crushed or buried The soil prevents erosion and, more importantly, provides nitrogen for surrounding plants. It takes centu I Times-Independe- nt f guest editorial require carrying a bicycle Should cyclists be bitter, now that cur opportunities to explore new terrain are closed in mounta.n bikings Mecca? No, not really. Bicyclists can tread as lightly as hikers but, especially since the advent of downhill cycling, we often dont. It may take a hundred mountain bikes to match the destructive power of one ATV (based on my own, totally subjective personal poll) but Moab sees hundreds of thousands of mountain bikes. Many of our visitors put more intellectual effort into matching the color of their bikes to their sport utility vehicles than they do into understanding their impacts on our ecology They ignore the fact that they can always get a new paint job, but the scars they leave in the desert are permanent. I I life in full, cathode-ra- y Spurred by a flurry of reaction from mountain bikers, led by the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), the BLM removed mountain bikes from the national policy, promising to address cyclists needs specifically In Moab, that has meant keeping open a tiny handful of routes which no motor vehicle could travel, mostly short links which I ut ut The Castle Valley Town Council met last week to conduct business during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. Jane Jones and Al McLeod, representing the county Solid Waste District, explained to the council their intent to expand services to include the remediation of the shooting range, creating an avenue to clean up the lead. Both the City of Moab and the Town of Castle Valley have to approve the moe. The council adopted a resolution to approve the Grand County resolution. The council also approved an application for a conditional use permit. Dave Montgomery, who inplans to craft acoustical string the received struments on lot 387, from the council on the recommendation of the planning and zoning commission. Work on the general plan has been completed by the council and they set a public hearing for July during the regular monthly meeting. Interested persons may com news and views d by Eon Georg Renters should be aware of publication Dear Editor: Io response to the letter to the ecLtor regarding renter s rights, the Grand County Housing Authority has this publication available to the public at the Grand County Housing Authority office located at, 1075 South Highway 191, Suite B, Moab, LT 84532, (435 Monday through Friday; 7 a.m. to 4 p m. This pubhcation has been provided by the Utah Legal Service, Inc., in Salt Late City, Utah. The Ltah Renters Handbook briefly explains Renters and Landlords Rights and Responsibilities from Housing Discrimination, Application Fees, Eviction Proce ries to deveicp. but only seconds to rum W thout this top layer, the sand underneatn w!ll turn McaD into the next Sahara. S o BLM officials, partly in reaction to lawsuits from concerned citizens, is taking a new tack and insisting that vehicles stav on trafe While the national policy is still in draft form, the BLM's Mcab Field Office has already introduced an interim policy that limits travel by motor vehicle and mountain bike JP by Debbie Lovato GrandSan Juan County Prevent Child Abuse In this country, four out of every 1 00 children are reported abused and neglected. Over 1 ,200 children die annually from child abuse. Each year the number of children who will not live until their next birthday, who will die at the hands of an adult is growing. Overall, reports of child abuse have increased 50 percent since 1985. Staggering as these statistics are, it is all too easy to view this as "someone elses problem" as we continue with our daily routine. However, you only have to look into the eyes of one of these children, for their pain to become your pain. Although they are helpless victims, abused children often feel responsible for the actions of those around them, sometimes feeling guilty that they are such a burden or trying desperately to be good" When people who are supposed to love children abuse them, they learn that abuse is inherent in intimate relationships. Those who survive child abuse are more likely to experience depression and engage in violent behavior. These effects are not limited to childhood; they linger to impact adulthood as well. Those who are abused as children are far more likely to become abusers themselves. Since we learn to be parents from they way we are parented, abuse often becomes a tragic eyefe that will continue to ruin lives for generations unless we break the cycle and help the children who have already been hurt. Child abuse is a problem we cannot afford to ignore. During April, Child Abuse Prevention Month, we are doing far more than talking about it, we are doing something about it By embarking on a program that promotes healthy families. Grand San Juan County Prevent Child Abuse is addressing this problem head on. Increasing community awareness and promoting positive parentchild interaction is just one way to hep prevent abuse. to make sure my homeowners policy covers justifiable arson. Besides, Ive got to admit that the trail holds just a little added fascination now that its illicit. After all, Im a married guy who already stays on the Ive got to have some excitement. trail, Letters to the editor policy The welcomes opinions from Its readers concerrxng any subiect pertinent to Southeastern Utah. Letters should be to the point and must include the writer's name, address and telephone number Letters may not be used to replace advertisements, or to Hst and thank sponsors ot pan ticipants to a particular event Letters to the editor w4I be not be accepted from any candidate who has Sled for pofticel ice or from anyone writing m support of a Iliad candidate Anything unsigned, of a libelous nature, or containing defamatory statements wiH not be considered for publication AH letters must be typed or legibly written, and be 400 words or less. Letters are subiect to editing Mail to Letter to the Editor," PO. Bo 129, Moab, Utah, 84S32. Deadline is Monday. 5 pm. Letters may also be sent via to y not accept letters from editortmoabtimescom persons who write more frequently than once every tour weeks. 7?77mej-nefepeodenfma- tyon bavt to 90 to extreme measures to escape the watchful eye of 'C-- ) puris. n t he know, in tftc Haw. Chc Sports Yrr0vMKxAcxfs & eci'cntion. |