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Show 9 MOAB, UTAH 50 Volume 103 Thursday, May 31, 2001 vwv. moab t i mes . com Number 22 I WEATHER FORECAST ! IhuM?y 'rf'' Sunny High 88 Low 53 4 V " o- -- frid?jL Surwy High 92 Low 57 -- Saturday 0- nv' Sunny High 94 Low 54 l Sunday Sunny High 89 Low 53 BMXVs burn County OKs corridor plan Guidelines for north highway: Protect and stretch beautify four-mil- e Pomp and Circumstance is the refrain for GCHS Class 01 Commencement ceremonies for the Grand County High School Class of 2001 will be held Thursday, May 31 at 8 p in. on the football field. Following a grand processional featuring the GCHS Band and Orchestra led by Jim Nissen and welcoming remarks by Student Body President Amanda Laree Hodges, former school Various school board member-- - and Principal Fern VVdkerson w i!! offer mg remarks, followed by a te- cessional See the Moab YalEDCTORIANS, Cassie B. Holyoak and Christina Elizabeth White SALUTATORIAN, A2 community's salute- to the SaClass of 2001 cm Pages Bl-f- i in will speak, followed by this edition, and look for a photo essay lutatorian Alan Michael Lefebvre and Commencement Speaker, Utah State featuring graduation on those same page s in next week's Times Independent Rep. Max Young. board president, ISarn Taylor will present the Circle of Honor award to Merlyn tios-Maxwe- - Team on quest to unearth mystery of dinosaur deaths by Lisa Church up tha track staff writer Grand County now has a plan for development along north U.S. 191 from the Moab city limits to Arches National Park. The Grand County Council approved the plan during its evening session last Monday. The North Corridor Gateway Plan establishes guidelines for future devele opment along the stretch of highway that serves as the entrance to Moab. The plan is designed to protect and beautify four-mil- Moab youth pack the track at the BMX races held through summer near the Old Spanish Trail Arena. Poison Spider has gotten the program off the around. : bi Lake facelift Improvements are slated for Kens Lake. A3 93 96 98 99 97 94 93 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 47 51 53 57 58 68 54 communitys gateway, and establishes land-us- e prefer- ences and development design standards meant to create and maintain a scenic, welcoming entrance to the community. The plan recommends creating shopping areas with landscaped parking lots, divided into groups, located behind the buildings, widening the highway and adding a median with natural landscaping WEATHER HISTORY May 23 the ------ - Inside The T imes Business Directory: B7 Calendar, Crossword, Classifieds, TV: EXTRA I Dining & Lodging: B3 Editorials, Letters: A8, 9 Notices: B6 Obituaries: A4 Region Review: A5 Real Estate: EXTRAI to create a boulevard feel to the approach into Moab, and establishing a series of pedestrian and bicycle paths on both sides of the highway. County planning secretary Mary Hofhine said the aesthetic qualities of the proposal would create a welcoming feeling for visitors. To me, thats the best part of this plan, she said. Having parking lots in back of the buildings, and walkways and pathways in front of businesses will lend a much more friendly atmosphere. Gearing up for the Games The whole idea is to make visitors feel theyve really arrived, and to preserve the beauty of the place. She said the plan would have little impact on existing businesses along the cor- ridor, unless they plan to expand. I dont think its going to affect them that much. However, additional building will President of the SLOC oversight committee Lane Beatie presented an Olympic flag to Moab Mayor Karla Hancock, the Chamber of Commerce and the Travel Council on Thursday, May 24. See Sports & Recreation. B2 new codes," she said. The plan also recom- mends establishing two new land use categories for future The Tburist Commercial (TC) category provides for small foot- print tourist-oriente- d To subscribe to businesses such as The Times; motels, restaurants, gift shops and gasoline service stations, Independent call ubscribemoabtime.com 7be This news-pap- while also allowing mixed uses including nt is dwellings, bed and break- multi-famil- y er 7 X) Dy7 printed on recycled paper and is recyclable. i have to adhere to fasts, and business Contd.onPageA2 Political staffers to tour tailings by Franklin Seal staff writer Faced with an uphill battle s m funding the $300, relocation of the Atlas tailings pile, a contingent of Congressional staffers and representatives of other key players at press time were set to tour the mammoth waste site on Friday, June 1. The philosophy is, if they come and see it, theyll understand better what needs to be done," says Grand County Administrator Judy Bane. Anytime we can get anyone out here, its to our advantage. Grand County has played an active and ongoing role in efforts to maintain pressure for funding the expensive project. Friday morning, the contingent was expected to arrive at Canyonlands Airport, then tour the site of the closed uranium mill, which now hosts tons of radioactive and heavy metal wastes left from processing uranium ore. Following a tour of the site, the National Park Service is slated to take the group on the Colorado River, then on a tour of Arches National Park. Friday evening, the group is scheduled to ride to the top of the Moab Skyway where they will 000-plu- eat a catered dinner. Grand County Chair Kim Schappert will lead the tour, which will also be attended by Bill Hedden, Utah director of Grand Canyon Trust. The e tailings pile sits near the bank of the Colorado River, where studies have shown it is leaching large quantities of ammonia and other toxic wastes into the river. The effort to get the pile moved took a giant step forward two years ago when millions of Colorado River water users in states downstream from the pile and their numerous representatives in Congress became aware of the 40-acr- problem. Severe of the visitors expected Friday hail from California, including aides to representatives Bob Filner and Grace Nepohtano, Washington D.C., representative for California Gov. Gray Davis and Brad Hiltscher of the Metropolitan Water District in San Diego, Calif. Others represent 1 key players in Congress, including the Chief of Staff for Sen. Frank H. Murkowski of Alaska, who chairs the influential Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Frank Sanders, research associate at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, left, and Jennifer Cook, museum public relations agent and volunteer, right, work to unearth a dinosaur fossil Sunday at an archaeological dig near Moab. The two are part of a team of professional and amateur paleontologists from the museum who are conducting a multi-yea- r study at the site. See the story, Page A2. Photo by Franklin Seal. Heat exhaustion sends hikers to hospital after near tragedy A group of 40 college students and professors narrowly avoided tragedy Saturday when several members of their group became seriously dehydrated and others became lost while hiking in Arches National Park. A massive rescue effort by park rangers and others located the two lost individuals just as the last of three dehydration and heat exhaustion victims were evacuated. One victim was in serious condition and was evacuated by medical helicopter. All three victims were treated at Allen Memorial Hospital and released later that evening The group from Juniata College, Pa., btgan their hike from the boat launch on the Colorado River immediately north of Moab. After climbing an 800-forise out of the canyon, they headed northwest across the mesa, planning ot to return via Courthouse Wash Shortly after the climb out, m hikers began to exhibit signs of heat exhaustion, apparently, some hikers had not brought enough water According to park authorities, the trip leader decided not to reverse course due to the steep terrain, but instead led the group across to Courthouse. More hikers became ill from heat exhaustion and two became lost. An emergency cell phone call was made rescue crew assembled. Eventually. 37 indiand a vidual rescuers became involved. Arches Chief Ranger Jim Webster said all the resc uers, representing Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Grand County Search and Rescue did an excellent job In an mt rnal memo to park personnel, Webster wrote, This incident had great potential for becoming a tragedy. multi-agenc- y Moab, mountains under microscope as Forest Service conducts two-fol- d study of La Sals by Franklin Seal The Moab study is a critical assessment of the staff writer When most people use the term resources eco- system theyre usually talking about how things such a plants, animals, soil and water interact as a whole But human beings are increasingly becoming an important part of many ecosystems, and the Moab Office of the U.S. Forest Service is working to include them as an important factor in future forest management decisions. Two weeks ago, a learn of 12 foresters from across the West began a study of the western slopes of the La Sal Mountains and the community of people who live in the valley be'ow it. The project called The Moab Face Ecosystem Assessment has two pur- whole community how those ecosystems are functioning in terms of biological diversity and human uses, Moseley said The group of 12 in Moab is split into two teams One team is focusing on a biological assessment of the western face of the two-wee- k poses, said community team leader Travis Moseley of Jemez Springs, N.M. trainIts part of a ing course for the 12 participants who are affiliated with three universities. Utah State, Northern Arizona and Colorado State. But the study will also serve to inform local foresters in making man six-wee- k involednot just of the forest, but the mountains munity attitudes about the mountains. He said his team hoped to talk to community leaders representing a diversity of opinions. Were hoping to learn about the complexion of this community and what makes it tick, he said. We're not looking to set out and prove anything. The Moab Face Ecosystem Assessment will guide future forest management decisions. Photo by Franklin Seal agement decisions and plans for the La Sals western slope. Moab was chosen local forest managers submitted a proposal. Meanwhile, a second group is conducting a similar study in the San National Forest of southeastern Arizona be-ta- ue Carlos-Apach- the Moab face. Moseley led the other team in examining com- e Contd. on Page A2 |